Community Roundtable

I like the idea; to give an incentive to developers to build new housing is a win-win–win for the developers, the city and for the new home-buyers coming to the Galesburg area, which is in need of more high-end housing, especially if the purpose is to increase property tax revenue and attract bigger business owners and employers.   I’d also like to see an incentive program to help other buyers renovate existing homes and buildings — to improve and beautify the neighborhoods, ultimately bringing in more tax monies, and reducing the number of abandoned buildings in and around our Burg.

Considering our very partisanly-divided country, I feel it’s very important for Congress, whose responsibility it is to declare war, to step up and authorize action against ISIL wherever they roam.  Public opinion waxes and wanes on our involvement in any Mid-East turmoil.  “In 2013, Congress balked at Obama’s request to authorize strikes in Syria and never held a vote”,  yet it was deemed “Obama’s inability to act” by the Obama-haters, who want to blame him for everything that happens in the remotest corners of the globe.  He’s either doing nothing or over-stepping his bounds of authority according to the haters propaganda.  The military campaign against ISIL actually began months ago; Obama has deemed the “current mission legally justified under the 2002 authorization President George W. Bush used to start the Iraq war”.  But Republicans shouldn’t get to use this as a tool against our President; we need to speak with ONE VOICE AGAINST TERRORISM!   And the Saudis need to do their fair share in the region!

He was Right On!  He stated that “while many faith communities around the world are inspiring people to lift up one another, we also see faith being twisted and distorted, used as a wedge – or worse, sometimes as a weapon”.  He further stated that “no faith tradition is immune and every religion — has chapters its adherents are not proud of”.  So, predictably some Repubs respond with nonsensical outrage and twist his words to suit their agenda, as Louisiana  Rep  John Fleming did on Fox News when he said, “President Obama’s speech — in which he drew a historical comparison between atrocities committed by Islamic fighters and past “terrible deeds in the name of Christ” were “un-presidential” and actually defended ISIS”.  Fox News host, Eric Bolling, stupidly responded: “when you take Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, whatever, their combined killings in the name of religion — well, that would be zero”.   How ignorant can anyone get?!   Did these people actually pay so little attention in any history class they were ever in?  They’ve never read or heard about The Inquisition or The Crusades?!  Amazing!

Honest, intelligent, flexible, fair-minded individuals who truly care about our community: its students, teachers, administrators and parents, should run for election for board members for School District 205.  Desiring to serve our community and school board to their utmost ability should be the most pressing motive to run for these openings, not self-aggrandizement or revenge.  Our community deserves its best residents competing TO SERVE as board members for the district.

Yes!  Raising the capital gains rate to 28 percent, the same level as under President Reagan, ending the inheritance loophole, and imposing a fee on 100 plus financial firms with assets of more than $50 billion would generate an estimated “$320 billion in revenue over a decade to fund a series of measures to help middle-class Americans” with tax credits for childcare, healthcare and education.  “These changes would mainly impact the top 1 percent of income earners” and help to relieve some of the income inequality that is stifling the middle-class.  If one lives in a country where one can earn millions or billions of dollars, one should be willing to pay more in taxes than a secretary, nurse or factory worker.  And in 2015 every female should be earning the same amount of money as her male counterpart doing the same job!  We need to invest in rebuilding and strengthening the infrastructure in this country!  Schools, roads, bridges….and bridging the gaps among us as Americans!  E Pluribus Unum!

The president announced this proposal in Tennessee because the plan is “modeled after that state’s free community college program championed by R-Gov.  Bill Haslam”.  Community colleges are local and flexible; they provide evening classes for full-time employed students, those raising kids, and veterans returning to civilian life.  They provide training for skills that enable many to obtain better-paying jobs, and help many to continue on to a four-year degree.  The proposal states federal funds would cover 75 percent of tuition costs, with states covering the remainder.  The program is estimated to help nine million students at a possible cost of $15 billion a year in federal funds — a small investment for huge dividends for our country!  Obama’s plan would require approval from a Republican-Congress, so what’s the odds of that occurring?  Instead of Obama’s plan, they could finance another decade-long war (sending many of those who would benefit from this program) or implement their proposed $287 billion in tax breaks over a decade, for the wealthy.  I go with Obama’s plan!

I’d like to see Galesburg become a model for progressive race-relations for a small city within a rural area, and more cooperation among all of our community groups that can make a real and felt difference for our residents and neighbors.  Groups like: the Galesburg Youth Commission, CSC Minority Outreach, the Boys and Girls Club, the NAACP, church groups and others coming together to work toward common goals would be a great start.  I’m heartened by law enforcement officials, the mayor, church and community leaders and residents recently coming together to provide a venue for wider dialogue and to work toward bridging the gap in understanding and mistrust that still exist between us.  It’s a good start!  We have many fine, caring people who want to implement positive changes in “our town”.  Galesburg was founded by high-minded abolitionists from the East that held to a higher moral standard than the surrounding communities embraced.  We owe it to our town founders to WORK at being the best community we can be in 2015 and ongoing, and to build on their principles.

No, I do not!  Brutal torture of detainees is against our laws for handling “prisoners of war”, hence the use of “black sites” in other countries to carry out such ruthless, controversial practices.  The Senate report catalogs a wide range of what CIA officials refer to as “enhanced interrogation techniques”, and the report charges that a decade of such harsh mistreatments failed to yield significant valuable information, and that the CIA deceived “the nation about the effectiveness of its techniques”.  The CIA told Congress in 1989 that “inhumane physical and psychological techniques are counter-productive because they do not produce intelligence and will probably result in false answers”, but President George W.  Bush “approved the program through a covert finding in 2002, but he wasn’t briefed by the CIA about the details until 2006”.   CIA Director John Brennan has recently said “the agency made mistakes and has learned from them”.  I agree with President Obama that these past practices, which he had ended, “are contrary to our values…. and should never be resorted to again”.

I have more questions than answers regarding the proposed storm water utility fee.  The city needs to have a study done to determine where and how many repairs are needed, and the City Council is trying to figure out what budget cuts can be made to balance the budget and retain essential services.  The storm waters, when heavy, have been and will continue to be a problem for residents and businesses.  Alderman Peter Schwartzman, Ward 5, is an intelligent guy who brought up the idea of the utility fee, and Jeremy Karlin is another smart, progressive guy who is for the proposed plan, so I guess I support the proposed fee, which is only $35.71 a year for residents, with businesses paying substantially more, their rate determined by the size of their property.  And instead of phasing in the new fee, we need to just institute it now and get the study under way.  That’s my take on it.

I’m totally behind President Obama’s enacting the Dream Act for undocumented “aliens”, who under age sixteen, were brought to this country by their parents.   The Dream Act is not an amnesty program; those children receive no “entitlement benefits”.   The Dream Act states that an undocumented person who resided in our country for at least five years and has graduated high school or has received their GED, (and who have no significant problems with the law) can then go to college for at least two years or join our military to EARN legal residency in our country, through obtaining renewable work permits.   This is a compassionate humanitarian response to addressing these children who have been brought to our country through no fault of their own, these children pledging allegiance to our flag, and many of them knowing no other national anthem than ours.  Many of these young people who are in the top of their class stand to contribute significantly to our country’s economy, technologies, education and military protection of our interests in the world.   It is a travesty that right-wingers want to declare President Obama as a “lawless anarchist” for signing such an Executive Order — to allow a PATH TO citizenship for these persons, and that many in the right-wing are advocating for impeachment proceedings against our president!  Legislators need to come together to work on common-sense comprehensive immigration reform for the other people who are in our country illegally, and much has been done to strengthen our borders.  The majority of American citizens want to see REAL progress on this issue.  And “No”, the majority of U.S. citizens did not exercise their right to vote this month, so the “majority” was not heard from due to apathy, complacency, and general ignorance.  More “illegal aliens” have been deported under the Obama administration than under any other U.S. President, ****** so the HATERS  need to QUIT spewing their lies about how Obama has opened up our borders to allow all the lawless Mexican hordes into our country to rape, murder and pillage.  Step away from the TV set  if Faux Noise is “channeling the “News”; it’s a pure evil propaganda machine and WILL WARP your mind!!  (The same goes for  The Weekly Standard, which is an EXTREME right-wing propaganda rag of a magazine!)  Just sayin….     ****** And I wrote this blog before hearing about Obama’s latest plans, which I heartily approve!!  Go Barack; kick their asses!! He needs to roll out his immigration changes and work for great change whether the House and Senate want to work or not!