The News-Gazette’s statement on endorsing Republican Mark Kirk for Senate

Voters can vote twice in the U.S. Senate race, the first time for the three remaining months of President Obama’s unexpired term and the second time for a full six-year term beginning in January…

 …When it comes to credentials, there’s no comparison.

 A lawyer and one-term treasurer, Giannoulias has little to offer other than his ambition.

 Conversely, Kirk has a long educational resume (Cornell, the London School of Economics and law school at Georgetown ), experience in the U.S. State Department and World Bank and chief counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs before being elected to Congress.

 He’s also served in the U.S. Naval Reserves since 1989, routinely assigned to scenes of military conflicts…

 …the facts are that he has a long string of accomplishments about which he could brag as well as internal fitness reports that demonstrate how much his superiors valued his work.

 Kirk is an outstanding candidate who will be an outstanding member of the Senate, and he has our endorsement. Indeed, he’s exactly what the Senate needs if this country is ever to get out of the domestic and foreign messes it’s now in.

 During his years in the U.S. House, Kirk made it a point to work with both Republicans and Democrats to get things done. Kirk has worked doggedly on issues of foreign affairs and listening to him discuss complicated international issues is like attending a seminar. If elected to the Senate, he would be ready to participate in the most momentous debates and make the most serious decisions…

 …[Giannoulias] does, however, have experience as a banker, experience he touted widely when he ran for treasurer in 2006. He portrayed himself then as the bank’s chief loan officer who would use his financial expertise to address complicated economic issues. But this past summer, the family bank went bust, and he abandoned his banking background in his political pitch to voters. To hear him tell it now, Giannoulias didn’t know a thing about the bank’s problems and had nothing to do with them. The record shows otherwise…

 …Kirk has shown repeatedly that he has what it takes to serve effectively, and he’ll continue to do so in the Senate. He has our strong support.

The one-hour special includes TV One’s two-time NAACP Image Award-winner Roland Martin’s White House interview with the First Lady, plus interviews with the U.S. Surgeon General and features on community members and organizations that are engaged in the fight

Silver Spring, MD (BlackNews.com) — First Lady Michelle Obama brings her personal effort to fight childhood obesity to TV One Friday, Oct. 29 at 10 PM ET with the premiere of the TV One original special, Let’s Move with First Lady Michelle Obama. In a candid and enlightening interview with TV One’s Washington Watch host Roland Martin that takes place on the White House grounds and by her hand-planted vegetable garden, First Lady Michelle Obama discusses the components of her signature initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation and the issues and challenges involved.

 By H. Lewis Smith

Leaders from seven groups no longer trust Kirk                                                

(From the Giannoulias Campaign)                                                                              

    Saying they no longer trust Congressman Mark Kirk to lead on issues important to them, leaders from several Illinois reform and advocacy-based groups joined together today to show their support for U.S. Senate Nominee Alexi Giannoulias in the Nov. 2 election.

The Illinois Education Association, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, League of Conservation Voters, Human Rights Campaign, NARAL and Defenders of Wildlife had all endorsed Kirk during his previous campaigns for the U.S. House.

The IEA, which has 133,000 members, had endorsed Kirk since 2002. IEA President Ken Swanson said he was disappointed in the “New Mark Kirk,” who recently voted against legislation that would bring millions of federal dollars to Illinois and save 5,700 teaching jobs throughout the state after indicating he would support it.

“We didn’t leave Mark Kirk,” Swanson said. “By turning his back on teachers and working families, Mark Kirk has left us. We haven’t changed, Mark Kirk has changed.”

Environmental groups – like the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters and the Defenders of Wildlife – had all supported Kirk in the past as well. Kirk turned his back on them after voting for the Cap and Trade bill last year, which called for creating new jobs and developing a clean, renewable energy future, but then vowed to vote against the legislation if elected to the U.S. Senate.

“Sierra Club has supported Mark Kirk in the past, but we can no longer trust him to stand up for our environment. In his campaign for Senate, he stands solidly against a clean energy future and with the corporate special interests who have given us the failed energy policies of that past,” said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter. “Unlike Mark Kirk, we know where Alexi stands and we know that he will be a leader in the fight for a cleaner, more prosperous, and better future for our children and our country.”

Planned Parenthood endorsed Kirk four times in the past, but is now supporting Giannoulias for demonstrating “unequivocal support” for pro-choice issues. Kirk voted with pro-life groups in 2009 by supporting the Stupak Amendment to the federal health care bill, which would have restricted abortions for women even if they had private insurance.

“All women regardless of their economic status have a right to reproductive health care,” said Carole Brite, President/CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action. “Unfortunately, Mark Kirk does not support funding for abortion services, which is so important to women in Illinois. That is why we stand with Alexi Giannoulias now.” 

The Human Rights Campaign noted that Kirk voted against ending the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which threatens our national security and discriminates against military personnel, who are willing to serve and die for their country, because of their sexual orientation. The HRC also expressed its disappointment in Kirk for failing to support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies the recognition of marriage of same-sex couples who marry in other states.

(From the Kirk Campaign)

 First Alexi Giannoulias said Mark Kirk wasn’t conservative enough…

“Giannoulias campaign manager Michael Rendina claimed Mark Kirk was too moderate, saying ‘Conservatives here don’t trust Congressman Kirk.’” (Alexi for Illinois, 8/25/10)

Now Alexi Giannoulias says Mark Kirk is too conservative…

Later today, Alexi Giannoulias will stand with interest groups who endorsed the Democratic candidate in an open seat in a desperate attempt to convince voters that Kirk is not the moderate he claims to be.  Unfortunately, this would be yet another Giannoulias flip-flop…this time on Mark Kirk.

That Probably Means Mark Kirk Stands with the Vast Majority of Illinois Voters…in the Center…

 Congressional Quarterly Vote Rating 2009: Mark Kirk’s voting record rated at 50% on presidential support (i.e. exact center of the House of Representatives).

Daily Herald Endorsement, 10/12/10: “We have admired Kirk’s knowledge of the issues and his willingness to shake the shackles of partisanship and look at issues from a broad perspective. He is, indeed, ‘Mr. Independent.’”

Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus Endorsement, 10/24/10: “Unlike recent conservative GOP candidates for U.S. Senate from Illinois, we suspect Rep. Kirk more closely aligns with the majority of Illinois voters. He is a social moderate, a fiscal conservative and a military hawk.”

 Chicago Tribune Endorsement, 10/7/10: “And for 10 years in the U.S. House he has voted as what he says he is: a social moderate, fiscal conservative and national security hawk. Watch on the video as Kirk rips through the long list of issues on which he’s voted against the conservative line — health insurance for kids, stem cell research, predatory lending, campaign finance reform and so on. You’re struck less by where you agree or disagree than by the totality of what you know about his temperament. Kirk has been his own counsel, not his party’s robot.”

Bloomington Pantagraph Endorsement, 10/17/10: “Kirk has been effective in Congress working with both sides of the aisle. He has demonstrated leadership in the House and would be better able to hit the ground running in the Senate.”

 Peoria Journal Star Endorsement, 10/16/10: “Mark Kirk is a thoughtful, independent, moderate conservative in a Washington that has too few of those, and he gets our solid endorsement.”

Pioneer Press Endorsement, 10/7/10: “Kirk is one of the few moderate Republicans in Washington, an endangered species, and someone with potential to represent all the constituencies of the state.”

 Belleville News-Democrat Endorsement, 10/17/10: “He has a reputation of working well with politicians on both sides of the aisle, which is preferable to the polarized, can’t-get-anything-done politics often on display. For example, Kirk says Republicans should support Democratic President Barack Obama’s proposal for a line-item veto because it’s a good idea.”

Quincy Herald-Whig Endorsement, 10/10/10: “Kirk, a moderate who has demonstrated the ability to be a consensus builder and has shown a commitment to work behind the scenes to find practical solutions to problems during his decade in Congress, is our choice.”

 Southtown Star Endorsement, 10/17/10: “Kirk has shown a willingness to break with his own party on key votes…We want to send Kirk to the U.S. Senate to unwind the partisanship, to leverage his independence by swinging between both sides of the aisle. Illinoisans embrace middle-of-the-road positions, and so do most Americans. It’s called common sense. It’s called compromise.”

Lake County News-Sun Endorsement, 10/9/10: “His decade-long record has been one of service to the district and state, of a social moderate and fiscal conservative; of a Republican not in lock-step with party leaders.”

Crain’s Chicago Business Endorsement, 10/22/10: “The North Shore congressman’s support for O’Hare expansion underscores another reason we support him: a record of bucking party authority when it’s in the best interests of his constituents.”

 Chicago Jewish Star Endorsement, 10/27/10: “A moderate Republican, we have long respected his independence, his work in congress, and his strong support for Israel.”

Michael K. Frisby, president
America’s Wire

Women-led households increasing, especially in the suburbs

Lower-income single mothers better educated, working harder—but falling farther behind

Chicago, IL – Chicago regional household growth has been dominated by women-led households increasing at more than double the rate of households generally since 2000—and has been occurring almost entirely in the suburbs. This growth, particularly explosive among Latina-led households, has not brought greater prosperity to these households. Many of these

women struggle to make ends meet despite working harder and being better educated than ever before, according to Changing Conditions in a Changing World, a new research report released today (October 27, 2010) by the Eleanor Foundation in Chicago. The research was conducted by Malcolm Bush,

Ph.D., at Chapin Hall, a policy research center at the University of Chicago.

According to the report, female-headed households grew by 9.77 percent between 2000 and 2008, in contrast to the substantially smaller 4 percent increase in all households in the region. Most significant, the number of households headed by single working mothers earning between $10,000 and $50,000—lower-income according to government definitions—grew 18.5 percent

between 2000 and 2008, with significant increases in outlying metropolitan areas. As a result, a third of a million, or 332,628, such households now reside in the Chicago region.

“These findings mirror national trends and shatter the assumption that the economic independence of low-income, single working mothers is an ‘inner-city’ issue,” said Rosanna A. Márquez, president of Eleanor Foundation, the former regional administrator of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Dept. and a former member of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s cabinet. “Our report makes clear that building the region’s capacity to offer an array of sustainable, accessible

resources to help single mother-led households and other families threatened by poverty is essential to the continued economic health of communities throughout metropolitan Chicago.”

According to the report, housing cost increases have driven much of single working mothers’

economic distress despite many working full-time and improving their education levels.

The struggle for self-sufficiency

According to the study, the majority of these women are hard at work. From 2000 to 2008, the percentage not in the workforce dropped from 25 percent to 15 percent. Only 7 percent were unemployed. In 2008, 78 percent of the women were employed—79 percent of whom were working more than 35 hours a week. Yet, only 6 percent of the women had received any form of public assistance, whether unemployment insurance benefits or cash benefits, in the 12 months

prior to the Census Bureau survey. Being better educated has not eliminated their financial challenges. The percentage of women in

the research population with a college degree or more increased to 13 percent from 2000 to 2008, while the percentage of women with less-than-high-school education declined.

Financial detours driven by housing costs

The clearest measure of the economic distress faced by women in the study is that they spend a high percentage of their income on housing costs—rent, mortgages or related taxes. Households that are “housing-burdened,” according to the U.S. federal government definition, spend one-third to one-half of their income on housing while “housing-distressed” households spend more

than half their income on housing alone. By 2008, the problem was most acute in suburban CookCounty:

Female heads-of-households with

Children $10,000 – $50,000 in annual household

income

Chicago 

City

Suburban

Cook County

Chicago

PMSA

Housing-burdened by 2008 77% 82% 78%

Housing-distressed by 2008 43% 47% 44%

Excerpt from Changing Conditions in a Changing World, Page 11, Table 6.

“Families paying so much of their income for housing are forced to cut back on food, clothing and health care expenditures, with bad consequences for all family members—especially the children,” said Dr. Malcolm Bush, senior research fellow at University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall, who led the research effort.

According to the report, the percentage of women-led households with children living in overcrowded situations rose from 10 percent in 2005 to 12 percent in 2008.

“We understand the grim reality that a lack of affordable housing options brings low-income, single working mothers,” noted Márquez. “Through our Eleanor Network, we leverage rental subsidies from the City of Chicago to help reduce housing burdens. And we provide financial counseling to help these women balance housing and household expenses, and start saving for their families’ futures—as well as career education to put them on a path to jobs that pay familysupporting wages. But growing challenges require regional solutions because households led by low-income, working women anchor nearly every urban and suburban community.”

The Eleanor Network, a program model for advancing single working women

In 2006, the Eleanor Foundation began designing programs with its grantee partners to build a citywide network of services to help single working women address core barriers to their selfsufficiency— investing $3.9 million to date with support from donors and co-funders. Currently, this Eleanor Network comprises five “hub” grantee partners and nine resource grantee partners that together deliver integrated services in career education, affordable housing, financial

management and childcare. The Foundation continues to expand the Network to address urban women’s needs, and offer lessons learned with policymakers, foundations and others.

The findings were released at Turning Point for a Modern Majority: Evolving Conditions for Metropolitan Chicago’s Women-Led Households, a research briefing convened by the Eleanor Foundation at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

About the research

The research report, Changing Conditions in a Changing World—The Situation of Working Female Heads-of-Households in the Chicago region: Issues, Insights, Implications,” analyzes key data for the years 2000, 2005 and 2008 concerning female heads-of-households in metropolitan Chicago who earn between $10,000 and $50,000 per year, an income range that corresponds to several key definitions of low- and moderate-income households in the Chicago region. Primary data was derived from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2000 U.S. Census and its American Community Surveys. The study encompasses the eight counties that comprise the Chicago primary metropolitan statistical area (PMSA): Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will.

About Eleanor Foundation

Founded in 1898, the Eleanor Foundation is a premier grant-making fund that invests in innovative programs for single working women who head Chicago households and are determined to achieve sustainable economic independence. The Foundation provides funding, research and institutional expertise to organizations creating programs that help these women address the core barriers to their economic security.

For more information, please visit www.eleanorfoundation.org.

Money Raised From the License Plates To Support Public Schools

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled the new Chicago Blackhawks permanent Illinois license plate.                                                                                                 

 The bright red plate, which features the Blackhawks logo, was on display during a press conference at the James R. Thompson Center.  Hockey Hall of Famer and Blackhawks Ambassador Stan Mikita, Three-time NHL All-Star Marty Turco, and Chicago Blackhawks executives including President John McDonough were on hand for the unveiling.

 “We are proud to make these license plates available to the public as a means of showing Blackhawks team spirit and supporting education across the state,” White said.  “It’s a fitting time for us to kick off this new series of plates following their historic season.”

 Twenty-five dollars from each license plate will support the Professional Sports Teams Education Fund with proceeds going to the Common School Fund which supports public schools throughout the state of Illinois.

 Public Act 095-0331, enacted in 2002, allows for Illinois sports teams to have license plates, designated as Professional Sports Teams license plates. The Chicago Blackhawks are the first sports team in the state to take advantage of the law.

“We are proud to partner with Jesse White and his office to help support such a great cause,” Blackhawks Executive Vice President Jay Blunk said. “This provides a great opportunity for hockey and sports fans across the state of Illinois to show their affinity for the Blackhawks while raising money for the public school system.”

 The public can preorder the license plates by visiting www.cyberdriveillinois.com.  Fans can order random number, personalized or vanity license plates. Those plates will be mailed out on November 10^th.

Fans who attend the Chicago Blackhawks game on November 10^th at the United Center will be able to purchase and walk away with a random number plate.  The Secretary of State’s mobile unit will also be able to register people for the personalized and vanity license plates at the game.

The cost to purchase a random number Blackhawks plates for someone with a currently titled vehicle would be $139.  For a newly-acquired vehicle with no current plate, the cost would be $234.

Pricing varies for vanity and personalized license plates.

Legislation Would Prohibit Repeat Offenders From Buying Meth Ingredients, Help Safeguard Area Communities

Herrin — Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced new legislation to strengthen state law on production and use of methamphetamine that will impose harsher penalties on repeat meth users and producers. The measure is aimed at the offenders who reenter society after a meth-related conviction only to continue cooking and using the drug in their communities.  Madigan will work with Senators Gary Forby and William Haine and Representatives John Bradley and Brandon Phelps on this legislation.

“This legislation targets the repeat offenders who have been freed from prison only to slide back into their old ways, producing a drug that endangers their lives and the lives of their unsuspecting neighbors,” Attorney General Madigan said. “Protecting communities from the dangers of meth and its production is a priority for my office.”

Madigan was joined by state and local officials today at Herrin City Hall to announce the legislation.

“This is another example of Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s commitment to our region and fighting the scourge of meth,” said state Rep. John Bradley of Marion.

The Attorney General’s proposal takes aim at those convicted of meth-related offenses who too often continue to use and cook meth. Specifically, offenders serving terms of mandatory supervised release or probation or those on bond for meth-related offenses would be:

·         Banned from purchasing or possessing any product containing pseudoephedrine, a key meth ingredient, without approval.

·         Prohibited from purchasing or possessing any product containing ammonium nitrate, another ingredient in meth production.

The bill also mandates the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) issue parole violations if an offender is again charged with a violation of the Meth Control and Community Protection Act or a violation of the Meth Precursor Control Act. It would also require IDOC to provide written notice to the Illinois State Police (ISP), the local state’s attorneys’ and sheriffs’ offices of the release or discharge of any person convicted of a methamphetamine offense.

“The powerful addictive nature of meth must be met by a vigorous law enforcement response,” said state Sen. William Haine of Alton. “This is part of Attorney General Madigan’s continuing battle and it is absolutely necessary.”

Currently, more than 10 percent of those on mandatory supervised release violate meth laws after leaving prison. Law enforcement agencies in central and southern Illinois are increasingly finding more “one-pot” meth cooks, a reference to the meth batches made with legal quantities of pseudoephedrine and with ammonium nitrate obtained from products like cold packs. These labs represent a threat to not only the user but to neighbors and law enforcement, who may be exposed to toxic byproducts or even explosions from the meth-making process.

“I applaud the Attorney General for her persistent fight against this dangerous drug,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps of Harrisburg. “With this law, we can work to prevent meth makers from falling back into their drug-using ways and from harming others.”

When Madigan assumed her post in 2003 the use and production of meth was at epidemic levels. Since that time she has led successful efforts to require strict purchasing regulations of products containing pseudoephedrine and created meth-specific offenses that law enforcement agencies across the state have used to arrest and prosecute these offenders.

She initiated the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, which took effect in September 2005 and created two new offenses: possession of anhydrous ammonia with intent to manufacture meth, and aggravated possession of anhydrous ammonia with intent to manufacture meth. It also increased penalties for possession of anhydrous ammonia in an unauthorized container and tampering with anhydrous ammonia equipment, raising these offenses from Class 4 to Class 3 felonies.

The Methamphetamine Precursor Control Act, also initiated by Madigan, imposed stricter controls on the display and sale of pseudoephedrine. Since the law took effect in January 2006, the number and size of meth labs in Illinois have decreased. This law also resulted in a dramatic reduction in the flow of out-of-state meth-makers coming to Illinois to purchase pseudoephedrine and other meth ingredients.

In 2008, Attorney General Madigan, state Rep. John E. Bradley (D-Marion) and Williamson County Sheriff Tom Cundiff unveiled a pilot project allowing law enforcement officials and pharmacies in Williamson, Franklin, Jackson, Johnson, Saline and Union counties to track pseudoephedrine purchases in a central database to catch meth makers traveling from town to town purchasing needed ingredients for manufacturing. The project was funded with a $98,000 federal U.S. Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services grant. Madigan has since worked to expand the pilot to other counties across the state.

“We have had tremendous success in stamping out meth labs in Illinois, but we must remain vigilant to prevent meth makers and users from finding a home in our state,” Madigan said. “This legislation would put meth offenders on special watch to prevent them from further destroying their lives and ensuring a safe environment for all our communities.”

The Attorney General plans to propose the new legislation in the General Assembly’s upcoming spring session.