I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Republican party for doing what few – if any – have been able to do before. What, you may well ask, is that? That, it may surprise you to learn, are the sacrifices the GOP is making to save the souls of millions of American citizens. Recall Jesus’ statement, “The poor we shall always have among us?” Republicans, apparently moved by those words are making every effort to assure that millions of Americans are cast into, or remain, in poverty. How are they doing this? Simply by taking funding away from those who can least afford it and giving it to those who have the least need for it. The result? Creating millions more poor for Jesus to love.

Not being satisfied with only one approach, and wanting to go the whole nine yards, they have perhaps discovered further inspiration for their efforts in the Beatitudes. Especially the one where the Lord says, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.” The fill, of course, need not alarm anyone concerned with compromising the status of the poor, because it will be dispensed in the hereafter.

Then perhaps, the more devout religious among the Republicans find further stimulus for their actions in the Psalms: “Whoever accepts poverty in the right spirit will receive God’s protection.” (PS 9:68; 112)

Therefore, by placing us in a position that assures God’s love and protection, and offering to take away the curse of temporal riches from our shoulders and placing it on their own, they make a further sacrifice by assuming the role of the rich man, who Jesus says, will find it easier to go through the eye of a needle than to enter heaven. And what is so fantastic about this is that the Republicans are doing all these wonderful things for us out of the goodness of their heart: leaving us to heaven to enjoy God’s blessings. Isn’t that a truly magnificent act of self-sacrifice for them to make – saving our souls by losing theirs and going to hell? How cool is that?!

January 22nd Marks 38th Anniversary of Roe v Wade

by Debbie Adlof, Editor/Owner Community Word, Peoria, IL 

 It’s no secret that our great country of America has always sought and/or fought to grant freedom to its people. In the beginning, “freedom” was only available to a select few: white male landowners.

 From there our country has evolved – sometimes more slowly than we would like – as it has strived to grant “equal rights” to all. We’ve made great strides in the 235 years we’ve been a nation.

 One group of Americans (which comprises approximately 50% of U.S. population) has been the last group to receive equal rights – freedoms. Women went from not being allowed to own land, to being able to vote, to run for political office, to being business executives. Women are still working on being equally represented in politics, on receiving equal pay, and on breaking through the glass ceiling in the workplace. Women only received the right to vote as recently as 1920. In 1973, American women were granted a legal right to choose whether or not an abortion is a personal option for them.

 January 22^nd marks the 38^th anniversary of the momentous landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision. Roe v. Wade, which established that abortion was a fundamental right and that all laws attempting to restrict it were subjected to strict scrutiny.

 It didn’t mean that every American woman was going to have an abortion. It didn’t mean that morality was going to disappear. What it did mean was that that every American woman did have that choice, should they choose to exercise it.

 Choice is not a bad thing.

 But, for some reason, many people out there disagree. Somehow they feel threatened by this freedom of choice. It’s pretty simple really. If you’re opposed to abortion, don’t have one. But, for crying out loud, do not presume that your beliefs should be forced on the rest of the population.

 This landmark Supreme Court decision has been one of the most controversial cases in history and national debate on the subject continues today. Efforts have been underway ever since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 to undermine it and to chip away at it.

 The erosion of American rights is a serious threat to this country. Women’s rights have been the last ones earned. And, should the current conservative back-swing continue, women’s rights will be the first to go.

It won’t stop there. More will follow. We, the American people, have a choice. We can either fight to keep ALL our freedoms or we will have to start all over again. It surely would certainly be easier to preserve rights rather than fight for them all over again. 
 
 

Cultivate and Recognize Illinois Statesmen and Women

by Dolores M. Klein, Peoria, IL 

 Disgust, cynicism, and other reactions to the political landscape are widespread. This is not unusual. This is not unusual in recollection of sixty years of voting and participation.

 Then along came Bernie Sanders in an hours-long (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) speech in early December. It was a history lesson for those who watched it all. Like consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, he keeps my faith alive in the concept of statesmen instead of politician.

 In Illinois we can remember Paul Douglas and Paul Simon, and Republican Charles Percy. Today we have Dick Durbin. For a number of years, courtesy of C-Span, I’ve watched him on the floor of Congress and have been amazed at his grasp of the issues.

We should cultivate and recognize statesmen and women for the sake of our country and ourselves. 

District 150 has renewed the debate about prayer in schools by talk of re-instating a “Moment of Silence.” Public discussion always seems to be phrased as if only Jewish and Muslim citizens or atheists would object.

A “real” religious education is needed by our students and especially by those parents who want their own prayer in public schools. There are a number of denominations. Historically some early colonists were persecuted by others. Only one colony allowed religious freedom to all denominations.

Envision the possibilities today by teachers beginning the “moment of silence” by individually acting on their own religious beliefs. A Catholic teacher would hardly be tolerated by non-Catholic parents if he or she started the day with the Hail Mary! Lawsuits anyone?

I’ll tell you why. Until we take this civic duty more seriously, we will continue to get mediocre elected officials. And yes, sometimes they really mess up once they’re elected. However, some work really hard to represent us.

Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you can choose to live up to or down to expectations? There’s a lot of truth in that. Let’s set the bar higher! How?

We, the citizens of this great country, need to take the time and energy to actually seek out information on the candidates seeking our votes. Read their literature, read news stories, go to a few candidate forums to listen to them talk, and talk to others that are equally interested in pursuing such information. Listening to TV ads, especially the negative ones, is NOT a news source.

Don’t vote for them because they’re cute, or because they belong to a particular political party, or because some columnist or newspaper endorsed them. Vote for them because you know how they stand on important issues.

Your civic duty shouldn’t stop there. Follow that elected candidate’s progress to see how he/she does and learn how they vote on specific issues. Write them letters when you approve and write them letters when you don’t. They need to know how the citizens feel about issues.

It’s easy as 1-2-3-4.

1. Educate yourself on the candidates.

2. Go vote.

3. Follow the winners’ decisions and let them know how they’re doing.

4. Return to the ballot box to vote for or against them the next time around.

The question is, whether or not downtown Peoria is ready for a museum (Sear’s block) of this magnitude. With only one half of one per cent of the population in the Greater Peoria area projected to attend museum functions, tax payers will be obligated to endure the liabilities of running the museum on a day to day basis. The cost of the museum is projected to have an expenditure of 34 million plus, and expenditures of millions and millions to run the museum yearly for how many years? Let Peoria tackle the daily cost of maintaining the museum, after the subsidized tax money is depleted. There has to be a more beneficial location for this museum than downtown Peoria!

The committees to promote the museum keep referring to Wichita, Kansas, for using taxpayers’ money for the cost of their museum (Cow Town). It’s been a failure from day one. No attendance and no revenue to operate the museum. With all the taxpayers money in the museum, additional tax money is required to manage the museum, with the doors only open a few days a week due to lack of money. Cow Town doors were closed due to insufficient funds the day I was going to take a tour.

¼ of one percent increases in taxes may develop into ½, 1%, or exceeding the cost the taxpayers desire to offset for each student to tour the museum or play in the amusement park. Let’s count on the Peoria County Board, drawing a line in the sand at ¼ of one percent.

The money would be more lucrative to the Peoria taxpayers if the money were offered to the school system. Every citizen of Peoria should read It Didn’t Play in Peoria by Wahl and Bobbitt (missed chances of a Middle American town). The downfall of Peoria started when the city fathers didn’t listen to the people and replaced the old beautiful courthouse (Peoria’s History) with an eye sore.

What are your thoughts – or concerns – about the government playing a role in health care reform? Republican spokespersons and other conservative pundits attempt to shock us with horror stories about “socialized” medicine. “Government,” they say, “can’t possibly do for Americans what the marketplace can.” Cal Thomas warns that with government administered health care, we will face the horrors of long delays because of overworked doctors and bed shortages, having critical care postponed and life saving drugs denied, etc., etc. Thomas asks, “Do we want government telling us what type and quality of healthcare we can have? Should the government decide whether your grandmother ought to die because her recommended treatment is too expensive?” Perhaps Sarah Palin warning us of Obama’s “death tribunals” has you trembling for your life if you’re over 80 – or for your parents’ or grandparents’ lives.

If you agree with Thomas when he tells us the government can’t possibly do for Americans what the marketplace can, let’s take a look at how the marketplace is currently doing.

It now excludes 47 million Americans (8 million of them children) from coverage, undercovers about twice that number, has doubled our insurance premiums in the past eight years, and costs us more for healthcare per capita than any other country in the world. It has made corporate overhead costs the fastest growing component of healthcare, limits our choice of doctors, creates profits by routinely denying doctor-prescribed treatments to sick people … many of whom are elderly (Sarah, take note), while delivering a quality of health care that ranks 37th, just one notch above Slovenia, and blocks the availability of cheaper generic drugs in our own country, or from buying cheaper brand name drugs from countries like Canada. Columnist and radio reporter Jim Hightower, who provides us with the above view of marketplace healthcare says, “I think those far right conservatives are right, Government couldn’t possibly do all that for all Americans.”

On the other hand, Thomas’ fears of “socialized” medicine may have some credibility. He says “British and Canadian newspapers foretell what Americans might face should the Obama administration and a Democratic Congress prevail with their version of socialized medicine.” But Thomas doesn’t listen or chooses to ignore the facts because “socialized” healthcare is not what Canada has, nor what the administration is promoting. With socialized medicine, the total healthcare system is owned by and under government control like in Britain. In Canada, however, hospitals are privately owned and doctors are in private practice. The government simply handles the finances, leaving health decisions up to the doctors, their patients, and the medical community. There are no for-profit insurance companies run by bottom line business personnel dictating terms and sending costs skyward. But Canadians do have the option of purchasing private coverage if they desire. And when we hear about the long delays Canadians face in getting medical care and coming to the U.S. for needed care, Mr. Thomas inadvertently makes an excuse for that situation by telling us “Canada has far less access to advanced medical technology than the United States.” Contrast that with just one of hundreds – maybe thousands – of American cities such as Peoria, with its outstanding medical infrastructure including three large, progressive hospitals, each growing in size and facilities. We also have a new special care hospital; outpatient clinics; an expanding medical school; plus doctor groups offering specialized care. Then, think of the medical facilities in the surrounding area – Pekin, Hopedale, Canton, Galesburg, Kewanee, Pontiac, Eureka, etc. If Canada had anywhere near the facilities we do throughout most of the U.S., there wouldn’t be the shortage of facilities or long delays for service. Our current medical infrastructure and a single payer system based on the Canadian plan could very likely be the solution to our healthcare problems: private, low cost, accessible quality healthcare for everyone, rich and poor; businesses no longer burdened with employee coverage; no premiums to keep heading skyward with corporate overhead costs draining the system; no lobbyists spending millions representing for-profit insurance companies; no routine denials of doctor-prescribed treatments to the sick and elderly because of costs or existing health conditions, and in the long run, saving our country billions of dollars. Agree or not, this is something to think about – seriously.

by Ed Klein, Peoria, IL

 A debate has arisen about something which is not debatable: the rule of law, and the floor beneath which we must not go if we are to be the country we claim to be.

 Waterboarding has been punished for being torture – a war crime – enough times to be acknowledged and accepted as such instead of being “debated.”

 In 1898, American soldiers were court-martialed for inflicting what they called “the water cure” on Spanish-American War guerillas. In 1968, when a photo appeared in the Washington Post of a group of soldiers waterboarding a captured Vietnamese prisoner, those soldiers were court-martialed. In 1947, a Japanese officer served 15 years hard labor for similarly torturing a civilian. And, in 1983 in San Jacinto, Texas, a Sheriff Parker waterboarded prisoners to extract information and was sentenced to ten years, his deputies to three years. This documentation is taken from cable news MSNBC.

Mr. Cheney probably knows of these facts and that waterboarding is indeed torture, but in the interest of self-preservation, dare not admit it.

New Young Adult Dependent Coverage Law in Illinois

by Debbie Adlof, Editor/Owner Community Word

 We’ve all heard the corny joke line that says, “I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” How do you answer that? Well, here’s some good news for you. A new law goes into effect on June 1, 2009. This law states that all individual and group health insurance and HMO contracts must give parents with insurance policies that cover dependents the right to choose coverage for qualifying dependents up to the age of 26 and up to the age of 30 for military veteran dependents. Even if the “child” exceeds the IRS definition of dependent, said “child” can be eligible for dependent coverage under this new law.

 Wow! Any parent whose insurance plan dumped their dependents before they had completed college knows how difficult it is to find affordable insurance for them. If you’re lucky, your student attends a college that offers a decent insurance plan. However, some do not. My husband and I have really good insurance, but both of our kids were kicked out of the program as soon as they turned 22. I was very pleased to hear this news because our daughter seemingly meets the criteria.

 Upon researching, I learned several useful facts. All policies must offer an initial 90-day enrollment period to eligible dependents. For existing policies, the initial enrollment period will vary depending on the date your policy is issued, amended, or renewed. You would need to check with your employer group or your insurer for the date on which your initial 90-day enrollment period begins. For dependents added into group policies during the initial 90-day enrollment, annual enrollment, or special enrollment periods may not be declined coverage due to health status. For individual policies, you should check with your insurer.

 So, what’s the bad news? Like many laws that are written with the intent to help our citizens, there are loopholes and clauses that will let the insurance companies literally off the hook. The first such loophole that I found is that there seems to be a clause whereby dependents may be subject to preexisting condition limitations contained in the policy. So, that’s not too bad, right?

 Further research revealed that for the most part, parents are responsible for paying the full cost of coverage – whatever rate the insurance company deems necessary for adding dependents to their policies. Furthermore, Illinois law does not restrict the rates insurance companies charge for these plans. Therefore, parents may find that adding their dependents to their policy might not be affordable. Wow, that could be really bad, right?

 Oh yeah, I found one more loophole that would be funny if it didn’t impact my family. Blue Cross/Blue Shield for federal employees claim that they’re exempt from this Illinois law because the federal government doesn’t have to adhere to state laws. Excuse me? When did Blue Cross/Blue Shield become a part of the federal government?

 You’ve almost gotta laugh.

 So, my hunt for decent insurance continues as my daughter’s last two years of college will be with a school that doesn’t offer health insurance.

 (You can check out this new law at: http://www.idfpr.com/doi/default2.asp)

 Define the word ‘Conservative’

 by Dolores Klein, Peoria, IL

 A current media report on David Souter’s retirement from the Supreme Court, states that he was appointed by the elder George Bush as a Conservative. Then he is said to have departed from that philosophy, in a Decision supporting Roe v. Wade and, when he dissented as other Supreme Court justices intervened in the controversial first election of the younger President Bush.

 Regardless of the label attached to his actions, he was in line with a majority of Americans on Roe v. Wade, and his position on that Supreme Court intervention which made Bus President, is considered rational by those Americans who consider the High Court’s actions as a “first” to be deplored!

 Among the many definitions of that good word, Conservative, I find: moderate, cautious, and stable. Would that today’s self-labelers would fit that description! Just as they use the word Liberal to convey scary attributes like unpatriotic and irreligious, they have managed to hijack Conservative to fit a narrow religious ideology and certain political positions. This has been harmful and divisive.

by Merle Widmer, Peoria County Board Member and local blogger

On April 17, 2009, JS reporter Catherine Schaidle, Bonnie Noble and the Peoria Park District combined in a “pull the wool” over a naive and sometime apathetic Peoria citizenry. Schaidle wrote “East Bluff land catches Park District’s Eye”. This property on Glen Oak Park was to be used to build Glen Oak School.

Had Ms. Schaidle looked a little deeper, she would have found $1.2 million in Republican Rep. Schock’s appropriations and stimulus bill for guess what?? Glen Oak Park Open Space Acquisition.

So let’s see how this plays out. The badly-run #150 School District bought this East Bluff land and houses for approximately $850,000.00 and with the park’s permission, planned to tear these houses down and build a school on this public property, also using existing PPD land. The deal fell through when the community rose up in arms and by a 4 to 3 vote, the PPD backed out of what appeared to be a “done deal” between the PPD and #150. These actions and the unauthorized erasure of Executive Tapes by the Executive Secretary; note Administrator Bonnie Noble is Assistant Executive Secretary (Hmmmmm), led to a lawsuit against the PPD by community-concerned Karrie Alms and Sara Partridge; a lawsuit that the PPD elected to settle out of court even though Judge Barra found the PPD in violation of the Open Meeting Act.

So now Schock, supposedly acting in the best interests of the public, is getting $1.2million stimulus earmark money to give to the PPD to buy these houses and land back from #150. When the cooperative deal fell through, #150 hired Chinese teachers and housed the Chinese teachers in these homes. #150 no longer offers Chinese classes and kids are back to reading and understanding English.

So Schock, Noble, and Hinton and Co. are sticking the taxpayer again. Property taxes were lost when the schools bought the homes, property taxpayers paid to buy these homes through #150, Schock’s Earmark will cost the taxpayers another $1.2 million to give to the PPD to buy this boondoggle back to use as open space that the park needs like another hole in administrations heads.

Oh, what wicked webs we weave. Schock, LaHood and Leitch and Co. berate the Democrats for our fiscal problems when the only difference between the two parties when it comes to OPM is that the Democrats tax and spend and the Republicans tax and borrow.

For the 10th time I’ve blogged on it, wake up Peoria, your top leaders are leading you like sheep into a fantasy la-la land.

Just as a reminder, all this stimulus money and earmark money has to someday be paid back with more taxes. Expect them, they are coming at an accelerated rate.

“Cafeteria Catholic!”

by Ed & Dolores Klein, Peoria, IL

“Cafeteria Catholic!” With the Notre Dame controversy over the invitation of our President to be Commencement speaker, Catholic Pro-Choice supporters are hearing that well-worn knee-jerk label. But couldn’t the accused Catholics hurl it back at other Catholics who support capital punishment and supported the Iraq war? Catholic legislators who support capital punishment can no longer find support in the Baltimore Catechism, and the Pope’s disapproval of the war was certainly evident.

Can we dispense with the labeling and dialogue instead? Ask why, discuss with those who have been life-long Catholics, who are claiming their right to personal conscience, and feel they are using their God-given brains, thoughtfully advocating for what appears to be contrary to the Church’s teachings – even in the face of the possibility of being turned away from the Communion rail! Yes, they will be held accountable, but they expect that to come from their Creator, who knows their hearts and minds, not from those judging them here and now.

“Fair” property taxes in Peoria?

by Brian Monge, Peoria, IL – realtor

It has always been my understanding that property taxes should be based off the fair market value of your home and that figure is derived from what your home would bring on the open market. This is not how the current system works.

I recently purchased a home for $72,000 (a home in very good condition, not a bank foreclosure). A home the owner had on the market for over one year, trying to get a higher sale price. The board of review changed the “fair” market value from $101,000 to $92,000 (not the true market value of $72,000). This is only one example of many!

The idea of the Peoria County Board of Review members clearly inflating market values is unethical, most likely illegal, and a slap in the face to the Peoria County residents they are supposed to serve. I urge all Peoria County Board Members and taxpayers to review the current Peoria Property Tax Board of Review members and take immediate action to move this county forward in a fair and just direction.

In April of 1999, Caterpillar stock closed at $32 and change. Recently, ten years later, Cat stock closed at $31.94. More layoffs are being considered. Caterpillar suppliers locally have cut their workforces drastically and some face an uncertain future.

In the year 2002, Caterpillar committed to building a $40 million dollar Visitors Center, a center they had prospered for decades without. The commitment to build came with strings attached: Peoria commits to build a Regional Museum and then Caterpillar will build.

What Regional Museum? The Museum Committee thought glossy fliers and TV ads would bring the other surrounding communities in with money. To my knowledge, they raised hardly a dime from any other public governmental body. Except for the $14 million from the City of Peoria, not even in Peoria County.

That was then and now is now. Year 2009 may shape up to be the worst year for this economy since the Depression days. Already long lines are forming to apply for small numbers of job openings in many parts of the country. Almost all experts say it will get worse. Asset values of ownership have shrunk by over 7 trillion dollars, and that is just in the private sector, and is still shrinking. Some community leaders are saying, not in Peoria, at least not like in California or New York. Maybe, because some local leaders really don’t know. Things are happening so fast with such severeness, it is difficult to keep up. Just because sales taxes are only slightly lower, does not reflect the merchandise sold below costs and the businesses, restaurants, etc., that go out of business every week.

Reports do not show what individuals have lost on their pensions, bonuses, frozen or reduced salaries, lost jobs, not the least what they have lost in property value and investments. The stimulus plan laden with special interests and earmarks, despite Obama’s pledge that the bill would include no earmarks, is temporary because it is a SPENDING bill that has to be repaid later with taxpayer dollars. Otherwise, we will become a bankrupt nation.

Government employees and administrators are the last to feel an economic crunch. They have built-in raises, fixed pensions, guarantied vacations and time off for everything from “illness” to child care to holidays. Or if in elected management, just don’t show up for work. Who is going to report their absence? And it looks like the stimulus bill is going to expand mostly government jobs.

I have many times written that those who have the money and security and want non-priority amenities, let them step forward and do the funding. The rest of us will pay the admission when and if we want to go see what their money has contributed.

This museum thing has dragged too long. The private sector did not step forward as promised. It didn’t develop into a Regional Museum. To stick the taxpayer with more taxes for a guaranteed revenue loser is beyond the scope of good common sense. I ask Jim Owens to step forward and say Caterpillar will not build an evidently “really not needed” visitors center until the economy is running again at full throttle. Let the museum people take the rest of the money they were going to use for “promotions” to fill in the hole, plant the trees and grass, have the donors move their money to an outdoor winter ice skating rink and a summertime outdoor skateboard park.

Caterpillar can then spend their money to rehire some laid -off workers and build stockholder values. They owe that common sense to this community. We are all sorry that the economy went to pot. It may be quite a while coming back. But more taxes are guaranteed.

Read some of my older blogs like “Projections Missed in Peoria” and new taxes on the horizon. $0.25 tax adds up to over $3,000,000 a year that can’t be spent with local merchants.

Our progress on the road to equality has depended on both activism to change discrimination against women which has been enforced legally and through intimidating violence, and on individual citizens.

I think of the woman who walked by the Clothesline Project on display at the Mall, went to a quiet spot, made a shirt and enthusiastically hung it there, asserting her dignity, breaking the silence. And another who made her shirt that day, as one of those protesting against Mitsubishi’s “war against women.”

When Peoria NOW celebrates Women’s History Month and Women’s Equality Day, we honor local men and women who personify the fact that “the most important public office is that of private citizen.”

Nationally, and in state chapters, progressive leaders must push the envelope politically against entrenched sexism, while through continued consciousness-raising; the individual pushes ahead, feeling, as Eleanor Roosevelt put it, that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent!

We have honored a young woman who resisted sexual harassment at the local post office; a woman who fought against hiring and wage discrimination for years. We honored a man who, in one of many ways he worked for women’s equality, served on the board of the League of Women Voters. We have honored the editor of this paper for her vigorous support of women’s issues.

This year, among our wonderful honorees is a woman who week after week, shows up at the City Council Meetings, an advocate for neighborhood stability, who “speaks to power” without hesitation, who inspires admiration regardless of whether the observer agrees or disagrees with her!

Our role models are all around us, here and at the national level, where first ladies, except for a few, have been supportive of women’s equality. Betty Ford campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment; Hillary Clinton lectured China at the International Women’s Conference, upsetting President Bush (the first) who was there doing business. And, lest we forget, Laura Bush said publicly, that Roe v Wade should not be overturned!

Our progress depends on this two-pronged process. When younger women and men look at our history, they become more politically active. I remember my own light-bulb moment: 1920, that’s when women got the vote? That was only seven years before I was born!