Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
bp Gulf Gusher and Coleridge
"Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink."
In 2000 British Petroleum set out on a campaign to promote the new bp "as the choice for the environmentally-aware motorist.
The lower-case letters were chosen because focus groups said bp is friendlier than the old imperialistic BP, which reminded folks of the old "Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves."
Buckets of paint appeared everywhere and bp daubed all its property in green paint and advertised its annual report under the slogan 'Now We're Greener Than Ever.'" The new tag line became "bp - Beyond petroleum. Make the day a little better."
Now, in the spring of 2010, it looks like it may be time for a re-branding of the corporate image. One suited to today's realities.
It could be built around the refrain at the beginning of this post taken from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."
In 2000 British Petroleum set out on a campaign to promote the new bp "as the choice for the environmentally-aware motorist.
The lower-case letters were chosen because focus groups said bp is friendlier than the old imperialistic BP, which reminded folks of the old "Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves."
Buckets of paint appeared everywhere and bp daubed all its property in green paint and advertised its annual report under the slogan 'Now We're Greener Than Ever.'" The new tag line became "bp - Beyond petroleum. Make the day a little better."
Now, in the spring of 2010, it looks like it may be time for a re-branding of the corporate image. One suited to today's realities.
It could be built around the refrain at the beginning of this post taken from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner."
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Rep. Eddie Washington - Presente!
Illinois Rep. Eddie Washington died last night of a heart attack.
This is a terrible loss to the people of Illinois. Rep. Washington was the Chairperson of the Illinois House Prison Reform Committee, and was a leader in the struggle to bring some rationality and justice to the broken Illinois Department of Corrections. He was the first African American ever elected to the Legislature from Waukegan Illinois.
Eddie impressed me personally very deeply in our work to correct the injustices of the current prison-industrial complex. He often expressed a profound and deep appreciation of the role that white supremacy plays in maintaining and extending the prison system, in which the overwhelming majority of prisoners are African-American and Latino. He recognized that when a person is imprisoned his or her entire family suffers. He was a fighter against crime and violence in the community based on principles of ending injustice in the criminal justice system and the struggle for genuine equality.
Eddie Washington will be deeply missed. We need to recommit ourselves to the principles he lived for.
Eddie Washington, Presentè!
Ted Pearson, Co-chairperson
Chicago Branch, National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
This is a terrible loss to the people of Illinois. Rep. Washington was the Chairperson of the Illinois House Prison Reform Committee, and was a leader in the struggle to bring some rationality and justice to the broken Illinois Department of Corrections. He was the first African American ever elected to the Legislature from Waukegan Illinois.
Eddie impressed me personally very deeply in our work to correct the injustices of the current prison-industrial complex. He often expressed a profound and deep appreciation of the role that white supremacy plays in maintaining and extending the prison system, in which the overwhelming majority of prisoners are African-American and Latino. He recognized that when a person is imprisoned his or her entire family suffers. He was a fighter against crime and violence in the community based on principles of ending injustice in the criminal justice system and the struggle for genuine equality.
Eddie Washington will be deeply missed. We need to recommit ourselves to the principles he lived for.
Eddie Washington, Presentè!
Ted Pearson, Co-chairperson
Chicago Branch, National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Parents to Mayor Daley: use TIF money to fund schools
Chicago Public Schools Parents Group Says $275 Million in Property Taxes Targeted for Education Funding is Being Diverted to TIF Districts
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Public Schools Parents Group Raise Your Hand Coalition,
representing parents from more than 250 schools throughout the city, today hand delivered a letter to Mayor Richard M. Daley requesting a meeting to discuss funding for public school education.
Among other things, the coalition highlighted the need to reform the Tax Increment Financing system, calling it, "One of the most critical issues affecting school funding in Chicago." Raise Your Hand also pointed to a 2009 analysis conducted by Progress Illinois showed that TIF districts in Chicago are annually diverting more than $275 million in CPS property taxes away from education, roughly the amount of the remaining FY 2011 deficit. "Chicago, CPS and the more than 400,000 public school students and their families cannot afford this diversion."
With the Chicago Public Schools facing a projected budget deficit of between $232 - $325 million for the 2010-2011 school year, Raise Your Hand urged Mayor Daley to take the lead in reforming the TIF system to halt this diversion of funds.
(letter below)
###
Raise Your Hand is a growing coalition of Chicago public school parents and organizations associated with or advocating for public education. Our members collaborate to influence state and local officials to provide appropriate, equitable and sustained funding for public education. The coalition now includes parents representing more than 250 schools.
June 1, 2010
Mayor Richard Daley
121 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Dear Mayor Daley:
The Steering Committee of the Raise Your Hand Coalition respectfully requests a meeting with you to discuss funding for public education in Chicago for the coming year and beyond.
In March, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Ron Huberman identified a potential $1 billion budget deficit for FY 2011. At the time, he called for action from parents and other stakeholders to help persuade legislators to support CPS’ needs. Parents responded, and since that time, The Raise Your Hand Coalition has worked tirelessly to emphatically communicate to state lawmakers that level funding for education must be maintained. Through rallies, a Springfield Lobby Day, meetings with legislators, letter-writing campaigns, and the more than 145,000 emails that have been sent to state elected officials through NoTo37.org, our voices have been heard and the gap has been narrowed significantly.
The pension reform legislation reduced the deficit by $400 million, and the legislature's expenditure plan covered at least $275 million more, and perhaps as much as $368 million. All told, legislative action has reduced the projected deficit by between 68 and 77 percent.
The question now is, what will the City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools do to cover the rest of the budget gap? We’ve heard a lot of rhetoric aimed at Springfield, but unfortunately there has not yet been much discussion of what can be done at the local level. With only one month to go before the start of the new fiscal year, it’s time to get serious about exploring potential options.
One of the most critical issues affecting school funding in Chicago is the system of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts. A 2009 analysis conducted by Progress Illinois showed that TIF districts in Chicago are annually diverting more than $275 million in CPS property taxes away from education, roughly the amount of the remaining FY 2011 deficit. Chicago, CPS and the more than 400,000 public school students and their families cannot afford this diversion. We urge you to take the lead in reforming the TIF system to halt this diversion of funds.
As you know, public education is one of the most important quality of life issues for families in Chicago. We have all seen too many families leave Chicago for the suburbs solely because of the lack of quality educational options in Chicago, and that trend will only increase if CPS has to make further budget cuts. It is vital for our children, as well as for the future of Chicago, that we
all stand up together to fix this problem.
Raise Your Hand is a growing coalition of Chicago public school parents and organizations associated with or advocating for public education. Our members collaborate to influence state and local officials to provide appropriate, equitable and sustained funding for public education.
The coalition now includes parents representing more than 250 schools. Please contact Amy Smolensky at 312-485-0053 with any questions or to schedule a meeting.
Sincerely,
Raise Your Hand Coalition Steering Committee
Jeanne Atkinson, Friends of Lincoln, Lincoln School
Jonathan Goldman, LSC Chair, Drummond Montessori
Wendy Katten, Friends of Burley, Burley School
Sonia Kwon, Friends of Coonley, Coonley School
Linda Lesondak, Friends of Coonley, LSC, Coonley School
Cliff Meece, LSC, Inter-American Magnet School
Patricia O'Keefe, Friends of Alcott, Alcott School
Christina Schneider, Friends of Franklin, Franklin Fine Arts School
Amy Smolensky, Friends of Burley, Burley School
Aaron Spevacek, Nettlehorst School
Jill Wohl, Inter-American Magnet School
Schools and organizations listed for identification purposes only.
cc: Ron Huberman
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Public Schools Parents Group Raise Your Hand Coalition,
representing parents from more than 250 schools throughout the city, today hand delivered a letter to Mayor Richard M. Daley requesting a meeting to discuss funding for public school education.
Among other things, the coalition highlighted the need to reform the Tax Increment Financing system, calling it, "One of the most critical issues affecting school funding in Chicago." Raise Your Hand also pointed to a 2009 analysis conducted by Progress Illinois showed that TIF districts in Chicago are annually diverting more than $275 million in CPS property taxes away from education, roughly the amount of the remaining FY 2011 deficit. "Chicago, CPS and the more than 400,000 public school students and their families cannot afford this diversion."
With the Chicago Public Schools facing a projected budget deficit of between $232 - $325 million for the 2010-2011 school year, Raise Your Hand urged Mayor Daley to take the lead in reforming the TIF system to halt this diversion of funds.
(letter below)
###
Raise Your Hand is a growing coalition of Chicago public school parents and organizations associated with or advocating for public education. Our members collaborate to influence state and local officials to provide appropriate, equitable and sustained funding for public education. The coalition now includes parents representing more than 250 schools.
June 1, 2010
Mayor Richard Daley
121 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Dear Mayor Daley:
The Steering Committee of the Raise Your Hand Coalition respectfully requests a meeting with you to discuss funding for public education in Chicago for the coming year and beyond.
In March, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Ron Huberman identified a potential $1 billion budget deficit for FY 2011. At the time, he called for action from parents and other stakeholders to help persuade legislators to support CPS’ needs. Parents responded, and since that time, The Raise Your Hand Coalition has worked tirelessly to emphatically communicate to state lawmakers that level funding for education must be maintained. Through rallies, a Springfield Lobby Day, meetings with legislators, letter-writing campaigns, and the more than 145,000 emails that have been sent to state elected officials through NoTo37.org, our voices have been heard and the gap has been narrowed significantly.
The pension reform legislation reduced the deficit by $400 million, and the legislature's expenditure plan covered at least $275 million more, and perhaps as much as $368 million. All told, legislative action has reduced the projected deficit by between 68 and 77 percent.
The question now is, what will the City of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools do to cover the rest of the budget gap? We’ve heard a lot of rhetoric aimed at Springfield, but unfortunately there has not yet been much discussion of what can be done at the local level. With only one month to go before the start of the new fiscal year, it’s time to get serious about exploring potential options.
One of the most critical issues affecting school funding in Chicago is the system of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts. A 2009 analysis conducted by Progress Illinois showed that TIF districts in Chicago are annually diverting more than $275 million in CPS property taxes away from education, roughly the amount of the remaining FY 2011 deficit. Chicago, CPS and the more than 400,000 public school students and their families cannot afford this diversion. We urge you to take the lead in reforming the TIF system to halt this diversion of funds.
As you know, public education is one of the most important quality of life issues for families in Chicago. We have all seen too many families leave Chicago for the suburbs solely because of the lack of quality educational options in Chicago, and that trend will only increase if CPS has to make further budget cuts. It is vital for our children, as well as for the future of Chicago, that we
all stand up together to fix this problem.
Raise Your Hand is a growing coalition of Chicago public school parents and organizations associated with or advocating for public education. Our members collaborate to influence state and local officials to provide appropriate, equitable and sustained funding for public education.
The coalition now includes parents representing more than 250 schools. Please contact Amy Smolensky at 312-485-0053 with any questions or to schedule a meeting.
Sincerely,
Raise Your Hand Coalition Steering Committee
Jeanne Atkinson, Friends of Lincoln, Lincoln School
Jonathan Goldman, LSC Chair, Drummond Montessori
Wendy Katten, Friends of Burley, Burley School
Sonia Kwon, Friends of Coonley, Coonley School
Linda Lesondak, Friends of Coonley, LSC, Coonley School
Cliff Meece, LSC, Inter-American Magnet School
Patricia O'Keefe, Friends of Alcott, Alcott School
Christina Schneider, Friends of Franklin, Franklin Fine Arts School
Amy Smolensky, Friends of Burley, Burley School
Aaron Spevacek, Nettlehorst School
Jill Wohl, Inter-American Magnet School
Schools and organizations listed for identification purposes only.
cc: Ron Huberman
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
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