by Cynthia Voelkl, posted on Thursday, April 28th, 2011 at 7:24 pm
Editor’s note: The Sandwich Life is Cynthia Voelkl’s wonderful blog about “life as a 40-something juggling children, a great husband living with cancer, and all the various challenges and joys of life as we live it.” On Wednesday, Cynthia testified at the State Capitol in Springfield at a legislative hearing on prospective changes in the health care insurance options that will be available to State of Illinois employees and retirees.
The boys aren’t going to school today. I have no good reason except that as we went into the fifth hour of the health insurance hearing last night and they were still sitting there being well behaved it was all I could think of to give them…. It probably makes me a lousy mother but I was so immensely proud of them and I was tired and I love them and God knows I can’t bear to give them any more Lego so I just whispered in Owen’s ear “you don’t have to go to school tomorrow.” His response? “what about Friday too?” I said, “just tell your brother about tomorrow.”
Geesh.
Ernie and the boys picked me up from work yesterday around 1:00 and we took off for Springfield. As we drove I read my little speech to the guys and when I finished Leo just gave me a sparkling smile which meant he was proud of me and Owen said, “that sound SO good Mom….and really believable too….I’m not kidding”
We got there, went into the Capitol Building and found the room for the hearing. We went and sat down around 3:30 because it was already starting to fill up. I’m too weary to try to recount the whole thing here. You can read here and here. The room was packed, with a lot of frustrated and angry people, and overall I felt the hearing was a kindness to let us express our stories that but it did not give me any hope. In fact, honestly I feel less hopeful after hearing the attorney for HFS basically say there was no way it could be overturned. This is crazy…it makes no sense. Lately all I can think about is the Emperor’s New Clothes…. Everyone wants to make sure they’re saying the right thing….it doesn’t really matter whether there are clothes or not….
by VideoNewsService, posted on Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Chris Hedges, noted journalist and author, spoke at the University of Wisconsin at Madison on March 23, 2011. He gives a sweeping indictment of how the Liberal class in America has failed.
Click here to visit the VideoNewsService YouTube Channel.
by NScott, posted on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 at 1:13 pm
In light of the recent environmental tragedy in Japan, awareness of the growing threat of environmental toxins and pollutants has undoubtedly risen. When toxic materials enter our air and water supply, the consequences can be dire. Because the risks can be so severe, the Environmental Protection Agency has been tasked with the job of protecting the public health from these potential threats. Unfortunately, such a job is not too easy when some of the leading polluters are backed by corporate lobbyists who possess nearly endless funds. Proposing a legislation that limits greenhouse gas emissions throws a mighty wrench into the well-oiled machinery of corporate greed.
by VideoNewsService, posted on Monday, March 14th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Congressman Dennis Kucinich gave the keynote speech Saturday March 12, 2011 at the historic Barrymore Theater in Madison, Wisconsin. Speaking to a packed house Kucinich time-after-time brought the audience to it’s feet responding to the passion of his words. Once again Kucinich is in the forefront of the battle to take back America for it’s citizens. When others hold back like Feingold and Obama Dennis takes action.
Click here to visit the VideoNewsService YouTube Channel.
by John Laesch, posted on Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
The clock started ticking on March 2, 2011 when Wisconsin citizens initiated the recall of eight Republican state senators who back Scott Walker.
After filing the papers, pro-recall activists will have 60 days (that is 55 days from this posting) to collect almost 15,000 signatures per district. Party activists have narrowed down the top six districts that are most likely to recall their senator. You can see the chart below. It is true that District 8 is slightly closer to Chicagoland, but I am planning on spending my weekend in District 14; supporting the Wisconsin14.
by John Laesch, posted on Monday, March 7th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
A Friday layoff check, a tank of gasoline, my buddy Joe, and my “Stand with the Wisconsin 14” sign put me in the heart of the fight to protect the middle class of America this past Saturday.
It felt like democracy – more so than Grant Park on election day in 2008. Many of my friends are probably already following the fight between Scott Walker, the corporate-backed governor of Wisconsin, and state workers (teachers, firefighters and police) who are fighting to protect the very right to bargain in unity (instead of individually) for fair wages and benefits.
by Downtowner, posted on Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 at 8:35 am
Here’s a thing I did not see coming from my new congresscritter: Randy Hultgren has voted, along with a handful of other new tea-partiers in the House, to block the extension of three controversial Patriot Act provisions. And they succeeded in doing just that.
The motivation is actually quite consistent with tea-party logic – they see it as an unecessary intrusion on personal liberty – but the thing liberals need to think about is this: When’s the last time we saw a crack in the Repub block that resulted in blocking legislation that the Repubs wanted and the Dems did not? When? Anybody? Anybody?
The incident has me pondering two things this morning:
1. Where else can liberals find common ground with these Freshmen?
2. What would have happened if Progressives in Congress had displayed a similar unwillingness to “play ball” when the game itself violated their core convictions?
I could drive myself crazy pondering that latter ephemeral question, but the crack in the Republican block just delivered a tangible result.
So let’s be practical: What else can we do with this interesting new crack in the world?
by Downtowner, posted on Friday, February 4th, 2011 at 10:01 am
My daughter posted this link on her facebook the other day, along with a note that says “who needs the news?”
She then promptly followed that up with a couple of facebook posts complaining about the attacks on “her” Anderson Cooper, so apparently she does still feel the need for traditional media sources. And I know for a fact that she is relentlessly checking in with DailyKos, Huffington Post and CNN and MSNBC websites for news about what’s going on in Egypt.
Still, I think the fact that she’s following all these sources – mostly from her version of the device formerly known as a “cell phone” – is an interesting take on how information is assimilated by your average member of the generation now in their 30’s.
by Downtowner, posted on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 at 1:19 pm
The hour by hour forecast for my zip says clouday and windy for the rest of the day, but we’ve had full sun for most of the last couple of hours, barely a wisp of cloud or two in clear blue skies.
For most of the morning the only traffic I saw were snowplows and a couple on a snowmobile but I just saw an actual passenger car go by. The streets are plowed, but not salted, ditto the driveway, where, after some considerable teamwork, the cars are free.
I think the roads are still officially closed here in Kane County, but I suspect we could make it to the store with no problem if we had a need to go, but I for one feel no motivation to do so. Anyway, for this household, and this community, it looks like the Great Snowpocalypse of 2011 is over with a minimum of bother.
