October 2014

I’m voting for Pat Quinn because he’s a Democrat; and Yes, the Democrats ARE the stalwarts for the middle class.  Democratic values and unions have brought us a long way from the Robber Barons of the past century.  Fair labor standards, safety measures and the eight-hour workday, vacation time, pensions, and access to decent health care for the masses were all contributions to society from forward-leaning Dems.  We stand for liberty and justice for everyone, fairness in voting procedures, wages people can live on, better education, help for the poor and the elderly, and respectful treatment for our veterans!  Unemployment in Illinois is at a six-year low under Quinn.  I’m a retired working stiff.   The goal of Republicans is to keep the nation’s wealth for the wealthy.  Rauner is a billionaire vulture-capitalist, who is for out-sourcing whatever American jobs still exist.  He has lauded Scott Walker as his idol.  He’s against unions, raising the minimum wage, and expanding Medicaid.   He’s for privatizing Social Security and agencies like the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, (as Missouri did; then the focus isn’t on services, but profit margins).      My president, Barack Obama, endorses Pat Quinn, as does IL State Senator Dick Durbin, and former president Bill Clinton, and so do I.

Well, as Molly Palmer succinctly spelled out in her email to Mike Panther, we the public, are too ignorant to understand the full implications of the teacher’s strike and back to work agreement, which I guess is true enough.  She or someone else should have written a more educational article outlining what exactly was at stake for the taxpayers and the school system.  Her unprofessional email certainly sounded very hostile to the teachers, who had the audacity to strike for benefits, and it sounds like she wants to cut the nose off District 205 to spite its face!  ….to make sure that the teachers never strike again!  I’ve been a union worker most of my life, and I’m appalled at her angry tone toward the teachers, GEA, and the public that “supported the teachers”.  Sometimes “we can’t change” conditions, as employees, unless we utilize our strike rights.  Molly says that, “restoring those days won’t lead to healing”, but I think she’s wrong, and from my limited understanding of the issues, I say: add back the six days and let’s move forward without rancor.  (And lift the ban on retired teacher, Jim Jacobs,  from school properties; for his peaceful “demonstration” last month; because really, who is ever banned forever for such an act?  That’s just being petty!)

Cheri Bustos gets my vote because she’s an honest, hard-working Democrat, who is working for middle class values in Congressional Race 17 and in Washington.  Job creation and keeping American jobs in this country are middle class values, as are standing up for the disabled and America’s veterans, and protecting Medicare and Social Security and retiree’s pensions and affordable healthcare.  Bustos wrote and passed a law requiring that American flags purchased with American tax dollars are made in America — by American workers!  Schilling and Rauner are cut from the same cloth; they’re both big liars, who are going to sell out to big corporations and big money concerns and cause big problems for Illinois.  And we can all kiss our pensions goodbye if Rauner becomes the next Illinois governor.  VOTE BLUE for BUSTOS!!  For Hard Work and Strong Leadership!

Common Core standards were not set by the federal government, but by the National Governors Assoc. in 2009, to create a “level-playing field for the states to be evaluated upon”; and states are free to choose if they will implement them or not.  Illinois did so, and this is our second year of the initiative.  Only six states, so far, have not implemented the standards, which were introduced to fix the problems of “teaching to the test” that were inherent in the “No Child Left Behind” program.  Illinois’ Constitution mandates the state to fund education in full, but for decades the schools have not received their full funding.  Illinois was awarded a grant of $42.8 million (for 4 years) from the federally funded “Race to the Top” grant, that is only available to states that have implemented the Common Core standards.  Galesburg school kids are “learning material that is at least one year ahead of previous expectations”, and it will take several years for the full implementation of the program.   My fourth-grade grandson is learning from a Chrome Book in the classroom, computer skills in the library, and last month began the study of principles of Geometry.  It’s a rigorous pace for instructors and students, who will need support from aides, parents and administrators.  It’s time for a new paradigm in learning!  We need to give this program, and the educators, time and resources to adequately implement these standards before we can judge its worth.  *************

Our U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said, “We need to continue to look for ways to elevate the quality of our schools, to improve college readiness, and to ensure that our children have the skills they need to compete in the global economy”.  I agree with that.