Taking a Crack at it

Do our drones eliminate or create enemies?

2011-10-08T18:32:00.001-05:00

Administration officials insist that the targeted killings rest on a solid legal foundation, but many disagree.

Georgetown University's Gary Solis, the author of The Law of Armed Conflict, says people at the CIA who pilot unmanned aerial vehicles are civilians directly engaged in hostilities, an act that makes them "unlawful combatants."

Do drones eliminate or create enemies?

(From 2004 to 2008, Bush authorized 42 drone strikes, according to the New America Foundation. The number under President Obama totaled 180 at last count.)

Civilians killed during Vietnam War were described as “collateral damage.” These days there are apologies to the families and cash as compensation.

Even as we get better as targeting enemies we continue to create more. How many of our young men and women do we lose for every individual we eliminate?

Isn’t it time to review this practice?

Mitt Romney’s American Century” Questionable

2011-10-08T18:08:00.001-05:00

GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney repeatedly promised that this century was an “American Century.” Of, course as Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, pointed out, Romney was late at the starting gate. It has been 10 years since the 21st Century began.

Romney’s remarks apparently, is an attempt to play the “ one upmanship” game with Rick Perry. Perry is the other governor and Romney’s most prominent opponent in the GOP primaries.

Perry’s TV advertisements touts him to be the alternative to President Barack Obama as “the American” president. Of course, having sided with the birthers, Perry sees himself as more American than Obama. Romney sees himself as even more so.

Just who GOP voters choose in March will depend on how they, defined by so many politicians vying for seats, as “ the American people” decide who is really more American. Romney or Perry?

Alderman Terry Brooks " saves" money by demolishing Old Lincoln

2011-09-22T12:20:00.001-05:00

Seems as though as President Obama said recently " it is simple math."
The ARGUS editorial lauds Alderman Terry Brooks for voting to demolish Old Lincoln thereby saving more tax money.
When the building was auctioned, it seemed a good investment by the city aldermen to spend $58,000 as an investment. They hoped that a developer would decide to purchase the structure and rehabilitate it. Of course, the economy tanked and bankers were not taking chances with any prospective developers.
A local architect who had visited the building several times prior to its current state of deterioration, told city staffers that roof repairs were needed to save the interior from further decay. The advice was ignored.
Now Alderman Brooks wants to spend an additional $300,000 to demolish the structure, rather than spend much less to preserve the National Landmark structure.
Of course, end the end it will cost more than $350,000 to demolish the building and what are his plans for the vacant site?
As taxpayers know the former Franklin Junior High School site at 9th St. and 13th Ave. sits vacant, as does the former site of Valley Homes on 24th St.
It thrills me to think of how much taxpayers money we have saved demolishing these structures. How about tearing down the former federal post office downtown and save some more taxpayers money?

The Party Line

2011-08-20T20:47:00.001-05:00

I came across a couple who seemed to be very hard working volunteers for a Republican candidate. It was on the day President Barack Obama was visiting a small Illinois town.

I asked if they thought their candidate was going to visit him at the town hall meeting. They were not certain, but almost immediately began to tell me in no certain terms that the President was not going to tell the truth and wasn’t worth hearing.

They proceeded to cite several issues he would lie about, the national debt and his failure to create jobs.

But what they were most upset about was “Obamacare” which they said was “socialism.” They said the loss of jobs was the result of high taxes forcing Illinois businesses abroad.

When I mentioned that union wage jobs were decreasing as manufacturers looked abroad for cheap non-unionized labor.

The couple immediately said the unions were to blame, demanding higher wages and fringe benefits. My attempt to give them some background on the struggles of unions over the years, and the resulting rise of the middle class, was brushed aside as “ancient history.”

As I left them, I was convinced they were reciting the party line and were not really thinking for themselves. Otherwise, they would have thought it was reprehensible that their veteran son, recently returned from Iraq was “stuck with a $11,000 medical bill.”

Are all Muslims and Christians alike?

2011-06-12T08:04:00.001-05:00

Recently there was a letter to the editor of a local newspaper by someone who castigated Muslims in this country for assuming they had the same rights as any other religious group of citizens.

He pointed out that Christians are forbidden to build churches in some Muslim dominated countries. Therefore, he surmised American Muslims should not become distraught when Christian dominated societies balk at Muslims wanting to build a mosque in their communities.

The fact that Muslims in this country are American citizens protected by our Constitution seems less important than those who voice and agitate against whom they perceive as violating the very same Constitution. One just has to attend any Tea Party gathering to hear about this devotion to our Constitution.

So one could argue,correctly,that Christians being denied the right to build a church in another country does not justify denying the right of American Muslims to build a mosque in their own country. After all, our Constitution with its Bill of Rights affects Muslims, Christians and other religious groups equally.

So why do some American Christians think they are different than American Muslims?

Time to investigate Radical Christians

2011-03-13T23:13:00.001-05:00

Why is it that when a Christian kills a person or persons, the murderer or murderers are not identified as Christian? But when a non Christian commits murder the killer’s religion is.

The significance of a person’s religion has gained prominence since 9/11. Particularly, if the attacks have been conducted by people who are Muslims.

When people who happen to be Christians, attack or murder someone or some persons, there is no mention of their religion. Journalists and their editors would say their religion is not germane to story or incident. However, religion somehow becomes important whenever a non-Christian commits similar acts.

Were Timothy McVeigh and his associate loners? Did they not have supporters ( and perhaps continue to do so). Are they and the supporters Christian? Why isn’t it germane to the reported stories?

Was Earl Ray, who was accused of assassinating Martin Luther King Jr., a Christian? Why wouldn’t it be of significance to the public?

How many Christians committed the 15,241 murders in this country in 2009?

Are Christian right groups, the Moral Majority and Evangelicals as radical as members of the KKK, Aryan Nation and other white supremacist groups? They all are followers of the Christian Bible.

Shouldn’t Congress and Republican Rep. Peter King (NY), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, have a hearing to determine if these groups are radical and cause harm to our country?

Pat Buchanan suffers Islamophobia

2011-02-20T19:37:00.003-06:00

Pat Buchanan in a recent column exposes his ignorance of Islam and the followers of that religion. He gives every indication that he suffers from Islamophobia.
He claims that Islam “is a faith that itself is anti-multicultural.” He does not have to go to Hajj to observe that Muslims throughout the world are Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, British, Canadian, American, Iranian, Afghani and Sudanese, and are citizens of almost all 194 countries of the world. They speak different languages, dress differently and eat different foods. They even look different to and also like Buchanan.
He is offended that Muslims refer to a Supreme Being as Allah. Doesn’t he know that other religions also have names for God. Even some Christians refer to Jesus as God. And, as for freedom of speech, he says Muslims cannot tolerate someone mocking the Prophet. Why would anyone want to mock any religious deity unless they were mindless? Would he tolerate and defend my right to mock Jesus’ mother?
How does he feel about our domestic “immigrant minority” such as the KKK, Aryan Nation and associated groups who reject our “liberal permissive society” and are against multiculturalism?
He has no idea what Muslims have contributed to the world.
Seems to me all Buchanan does is try to impose his mindless chatter on us.

Low income single mothers are cheap

2010-12-30T21:33:00.002-06:00

Surely Mr. James E. Slavens of Bettendorf, must know better was my immediate reaction to his letter of Dec. 27. Lax tax laws allow for some to live lavishly and develop “ a mentality of entitlement” for some. But the cost of tax breaks is “peanuts” compared to our welfare system, he claims.

It’s almost sounds like a Glen Beck rant when Slavens says the welfare system “encourages the birth of millions upon millions of babies who are not wanted except for the government money they generate for single mothers.”

Slavens should familiarize himself with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 which limits assistance to 60 months. It was promoted by President Bill Clinton promising “an end to welfare as we know it”.

Compared to corporate welfare (tax breaks and bailouts) the cost of assisting families with low incomes ( not just single mothers) is really “peanuts.”

The significance today of Philadelphia, Mississippi

2010-10-23T22:23:00.001-05:00

The other day I ran into a friend who has decided to switch her party affiliation and vote Republican. Normally, I would not think much of it except these are not normal times.

All she said was: “ Don’t get me started.”

I wish I had then thought of reminding her that on August 3, 1980, Ronald Reagan chose the Neshoba County Fair county in Philadelphia, Mississippi to make his first post convention speech after being chosen to run for the Presidency.

The significance will never be forgotten by me. Philadelphia is the town from where three young civil rights workers were taken and assassinated on June 21, 1964; Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney and Andy Goodman.

Reagan went on to say: "I believe in states' rights ... I believe we have distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended to be given in the Constitution to that federal establishment." He went on to promise to "restore to states and local governments the power that properly belongs to them".

President Reagan’s words are being repeated by those who promise to “Take America Back.”

On February 10, 2007, when Senator Barack Obama announced his run for the Presidency, he chose to speak from the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

“It was here, in Springfield, where North, South, East and West come together that I was reminded of the essential decency of the American people – where I came to believe that through this decency, we can build a more hopeful America”.

Well, I hope my friend reads this and it gets her started.

Is there an Islamic God?

2010-10-03T13:58:00.001-05:00

This morning Christine Annanpour’s ABC Round Table was replaced with a discussion on the controversial Islamic Community Center in New York City.

An evangelical minister remarked that the terrorist pilots evoked the saying "Allah 'O Akbar" before crashing the planes into the Twin Towers. He claimed this meant they were saying this in the name of the Muslim Islamic God thereby signifying all Muslims pray to the same God as the radical terrorists did.

Just because Muslims call "God" by another name does not make "God" a Muslim. Isn't "God" neutral? Do Christians believe there is only a Christian "God" ? What about the Hindus, Jews, Buddhists,Native Americans, etc. Are their names of "God" offensive?

When a Muslim or a non-Muslim says: "Ghudda Hafiz" ( May God's Blessings be upon you) does that mean only blessings from the Islamic "God" should be given? Or are the blessings of the same “God" when the President says: "May God Bless America'?

Imagine being blessed by a God called Bhagavan, the Great Spirit or Allah.

R.I. City Manager the Wiz behind the curtain

2010-09-21T18:13:00.002-05:00

City Manager John Phillips calls it quits and gets kudos for the progress the city has made during his aegis. He takes credit for some of the physical changes and investments, such as a new HyVee, the gambling casino, the new swimming pool,expansion of the Dr. Martin Luther King Center, etc. He also gets credit for balancing the budget and getting the city out of debt.

The cost to the residents has been high. Service costs have increased, there are taxes on consumption of utilities, using hotels, visiting pubs, restaurants,consuming products and the like.

However, one wonders why the previous mayor, the current mayor and the exiting city manager give no insight as to why the city's population keeps decreasing. From a high of 50,000 in 1970 the current population ( prior to the Census 2000 results) has decreased to a little more than 38,000.

The city manager has nurtured a cadre of devoted staff for several years. How many will remain under a new city manager? My guess is there will be several announcements of other retirements. A new city manager will probably start making changes. We can hardly wait.

Outsourcing Jobs:Consumers or Corporations?

2010-09-19T19:25:00.003-05:00

Is it the lust for higher profits that cause U.S. corporations to abandon our country and seek cheap labor in other countries. Or is it the consumers desire for cheaper products that make corporations, such as Walmart, buy goods from China and other low wage countries?

The corporations, such as the last electric bulb manufacturer in the U.S., shut down its plant here and acquired a supplier in China. I still have a pair of Converse sneakers I purchased from Sears knowing that it was the last ones I would have that were made in the U.S.

As long as the consumers want cheaper products, and the corporations want to satisfy their stockholders with larger stock yields, our jobless problem is bound to continue.

This afternoon, at a "debate" of current legislators and their opponents, all spoke of the need to create jobs. Some said cut taxes for corporations and other smaller manufacturers and jobs will be created. Others said the corporations are making more profits by paying fewer taxes--and still wanting less taxes-- but are not investing their profits in creating more jobs.

Just what kind of jobs and how many really depends on the consumer( you and I). There are no cheap jeans being manufactured here.

“Their God” is our God ?

2010-09-18T23:55:00.001-05:00

The other day I heard someone on national news say that Muslims have a right to bow down to pray to “their God.”

For those who believe there is only one God, then it would follow Muslims are bowing and praying to the same God—who they call Allah.

The Hindus also believe there is one Creator of the universe; this Creator—Bhaghwan-- has a thousand names and various forms.

Native Americans say the Great Spirit is what keeps Mother Earth available to all of us.

Several other religious groups and indigenous people around the world have their own names for “their God.”

Can God be called by a name that is not in the English language? Is Yaweh upset because some people don’t call him God?

What would Abraham say?

Just who are “ The American People”?

2010-09-18T23:51:00.001-05:00

For the past few months and now almost daily someone reminds us that “ the American people” are either against something—such as “Obamacare” or for continuing tax cuts for the wealthy few.

Most of “the American people” are unaware that they are being spoken of irreverently by our politicians while they explain their own disagreements with their colleagues or some government policy.

But just who do they think they are speaking for? I wish I could hear more from “ the American people.” When some of the people do speak up, their voices are either muted ( such as protesters of the wars or those in favor of universal health care) or exploited by the media ( who are owned by media moguls or huge corporations).

If the moguls do not like what is being said, the protesters may receive no coverage or may be disparaged by the newscaster.The media moguls control 95% of all news media in the country.

If the moguls like what the protestors are saying or believe that news coverage will result in more viewers, the newscasters repeat the coverage repeatedly. Some segments of the population get very little coverage or no coverage. Local unions are generally never covered by the non union news media, except when they are at the negotiation table, or when they are on the picket line.

“The American people” have a less than 20% appreciation of unions in spite of the sweat and blood of unions creating a middle class and a 40 hour week. A lot of “American people” lost their lives fighting for workers rights and livable wages.

So just who are “the American people’?

Twin Towers: A truly sacred site

2010-09-18T23:11:00.001-05:00

It is disheartening to hear the strident voices of a few of our citizens extolling their interpretations of what we, as a country, represent and make a mockery of our ideals and values.

Their understanding of our Constitution and accompanying Bill of Rights take on a new meaning for them, while they vent their hatred and spew viscous lies about our President, Muslims and anyone else who disagrees with them. They successfully misrepresent the majority view of our country to those who disparage us around the world.

Unfortunately, civil discussion is viewed as being weak. Sound bytes, slogans and caricatures have replaced discourse. Some major media stars keep us entertained with their drivel and sanctimonious interpretations of these detractors as “news.”

It is amazing how some people will not let the facts bother their way of thinking and behavior. The terrorists of 9/11 primary objective was to attack the important symbols of America. If they were seeking to annihilate as many of us as they could, they would have targeted football stadiums and or other arenas where more people congregate.

The site now contains the ashes of the Muslim terrorists and the unrecovered remains of several hundred victims, including other Muslims, who worked and died in the Twin Towers. Furthermore, the site is the burial ground of slaves of the Dutch, who owned Manhattan at one time. Many of the slaves were Muslim, according to records.

Strip joints and bars have been operating closer to the Twin Towers site than an already established mosque, churches and synagogue in the vicinity.

Why do some people, including some media, continue to call the site “a proposed mosque”, in spite of being told it is for a community center? That is like calling St. Ambrose University and our local hospitals churches because they also have Christian chapels attached to the facilities or on the property as separate buildings.

Many of the victims of the Twin Towers were citizens from 90 different countries. Why do we not have the opinions from those countries on whether the proposed community center is in conflict with their beliefs?

Sign of the Cross include name of the Mother

2010-08-08T18:44:00.003-05:00

In making the Sign of the Cross, why do we leave out the Son's Mother?

The Sign of the Cross was one of the first things my mother taught me. I had to cross myself before going to bed at night.

The other day, thinking about my mother, I wondered why I didn't think about it before.

I should have asked her:" What about Jesus' mother?"

It makes sense to me that from now on that I sign myself: " In the Name of the Father, and of the Mother, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen"

Is my soul destined for Purgatory?

Bix and the Africans

2010-07-31T20:59:00.002-05:00

A sportswriter explained that the sponsors of the Bix decided that last year and this ( and in 2002) decided that the race should be under the aegis of the U.S. National system for seven mile races. Therefore, all participants had to be U.S. citizens. Meb ( last year's winner) from Eritrea, who predicted that Hall would win, is a citizen.
I wonder if all the thousands of runners had to prove their citizenship. Good thing the race was not run in Arizona.

What’s the weather in Montreal?

2010-07-05T22:00:00.001-05:00

Seems to me that the two weather reports we receive in our local newspapers, totally ignores the fact that we have Canada north of us, and more than Mexico City south of us.

Under the international cities listed in the weather reports there is nothing about a single Canadian city. Not even the capital.

Of the 20 countries of Latin America, Mexico City is mentioned in one report, and Rio De Janiero ( which isn’t the capital) in the other.

I like to know the weather in Montreal because a few of my relatives live there—some even in Toronto.

There are people from all over the world living in the Quad Cities. But more than that, we know very little about our neighboring countries.

When I’ve watched weather reports on TV news in other countries, there is a brief report on weather around the world. Wish we would do the same. Makes me more comfortable knowing we are part of the same planet.

News Not Worth Reporting

2010-07-05T21:41:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered why there are some major news stories that never gets covered in our Quad City local newspapers?

For instance, I learned from an international news station that there was a protest in Israel against the local government’s handling of the Gaza sanctions. These were Israelis protesting.

Then there was little or no coverage of the protest against the recent G20 countries meeting in Toronto. To read about the protest one had to read the Toronto newspapers or the Montreal Globe & Mail. There was more to it than provocateurs smashing windows.

The more recent the Social Forum in Detroit, Michigan was ignored.

Perhaps I am skimming these papers and may have missed these reports. But it seems to me that there is an attitude locally that we need to wake up to good news.

Which is why even reports on our two wars ( one of them being our longest) are largely ignored. Remember when the headlines were in huge bold print and a blow by blow description was given? We even had a daily total.

I guess, war is mundane anymore. Except when once in a while a Quad Citian gets killed or dies of wounds later. Nothing like the reports we had of Vietnam. Perhaps that is another reason; we don’t want to be reminded this may be our next one. PBS this evening ( July 5) reported on the latest U.S. dead 14 with photos, and reported three more for the day, including a Brit.

Just keep them smiling in the morning seems to be the motto.

Is there a War on?

2010-06-30T23:52:00.001-05:00

Correct me if I am wrong to point out that this morning (June 30) neither of our two local newspapers had any news reports on either the Iraq or Afghanistan wars.

Surprisingly so, because reports on TV indicate this June has been the deadliest month for our troops in Afghanistan. Of course, the most recent casualties haven’t been from the Quad Cities and so apparently not worthy of reporting.

In the event you are curious about our two wars, you can get some information from icasualties.org , as I did.

The total of U.S. deaths in Afghanistan for the month is 202. And adding the 120 in Coalition troops, the total is 1,890 thus far in our longest war ( 10 years for those who keep score). That’s not counting an additional 51 dead as reported by the Department of Defense, who have died “in and around Afghanistan.” Such as Germany ( from war wounds), Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

In Iraq there were only 39 U.S. casualties, with zero for Coalition troops, bringing the total in that eight-year war to 4,727. The DoD did not give numbers of those who died in Germany from war wounds or of those who died i” in around Iraq.”

So it seems one could add a few hundred casualties more to the official total of 6,622 who have died in the two wars.

For the record, the three who died in Afghanistan as reported by the DoD on June 30 are Staff Sgt. Eric Shaw, 31, of Exter, and Staff Sgt. Brandon Silk, 25, Orono, both of Maine and Specialist David Thomas, 40, of St. Petersburg, FL.

In Iraq, reported by DoD on June 29, was Pvt. Bryant Haynes, 21, of Epps, LA.

May we remember them all on this July 4.

Veterans should support Hare’s PD Bill

2010-06-21T23:50:00.001-05:00

The Veterans in Support of the Constitution and other “Swiftboaters” such as the National Guard colleague of Representative Phil Hare, seem to have a one track mind: mixed up and set in concrete.

One group says Veterans and you should not vote for Hare, while the other group says Hare is not a Veteran because even though he wore an Army uniform, he still is not a Veteran. I wont even venture to ask what the Veterans of Foreign Wars thinks about these groups.

A recent article in The Nation magazine ( April 26, 2010) by Joshua Kors, titled “Disposable Soldiers: How the Pentagon is cheating wounded Vets” points out that Congressman Phil Hare introduced a bill to address the issue of “Personality Disorder ( PD)” and halt such discharges.

The Pentagon apparently prefers to designate some wounded Veterans as having PD, discharge them and deny them disability benefits. Since 2001, according to the article, more than 22,600 soldiers have been discharged with PD, including those from Iraq and Afghanistan, thus saving the military billions.

PD is listed by the military as a pre-existing mental illness that was present during childhood and is not a result of combat. Makes one wonder why PD was not diagnosed before acceptance into military service.

Hare’s bill was matched by the then Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Under the Bush administration it didn’t go anywhere except to ask the Pentagon to investigate and report back.

The President under pressure from a tight fisted Congress ( a “we cannot afford it” mentality), says he his still concerned. Congressman Hare continues to try to convince his colleagues that the current situation is a “national disgrace.”

Major Christopher Wehri has this to say about some wounded soldiers:” Soldiers are conniving. They are manipulative. If they get in their minds they want to do something for personal gain, including going home, they’ll go to any lengths to get it.”

The Nation article focuses on a soldier, designated with PD, who served with the First Squadron, Seventh Cavalry Regiment, led by Wehri.

All Veterans should focus on what Congressman Hare has done for Veterans and his continued efforts to support our Veterans. Veterans for Common sense says all PD discharges need to be halted immediately.

Holier than Thou

2010-06-21T22:34:00.001-05:00

Seems to me that in recent months there are several columnists and talking heads on TV(pundits) who picked on President Karzai of Afghanistan for the extent of corruption in his country.

In fact, he was requested to come to visit our President who told him in no uncertain terms that the corruption had to end if he expected continued U.S. support in arms, money and troops.

When we preach to others about the level of corruption in their countries, I am reminded of a friend from India who told me there was “plenty of corruption” in this country also.

I thought, perhaps, but eventually our corrupt people get caught, but corrupt individuals in other countries continue to prosper without fear. My friend laughed it off, and asked me if I had read the newspapers recently.

I am certain that President Karzai who reads U.S. newspapers must have smirked when President Obama was taking him to task. He surely knew that in Illinois there is more corruption than in all of Afghanistan. Karzai must also be keeping up with our ex-Governor’s court trial and the Wall Street CEOs and bank shenanigans ( to put it mildly).

I guess when it comes to the quantity of corruption in the world, we need to say mea culpa.

Thank goodness for the Super Bowl

2010-02-04T19:05:00.001-06:00

When I last checked there we were only 2 days 22 hours and 12 minutes from the Colts and Saints Super Bowl game.

I guess it would be almost unpatriotic to try and find out what was happening in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq during the game.

Too bad so many of our young men and women, the older ones in the National Guard units and the rest of the support team members are not going to be with us. They will be defending our right to be engrossed in a game while we shout: “Hit ‘em again! Harder! Harder!”

Life goes on for some of us, as wars go on. Thank goodness.

I forgot he was white

2010-02-04T18:43:00.001-06:00

Chris Matthews said that for an hour he forgot President Obama was black. I guess to him it proves that Senator Harry Reid is correct: Obama does not have to sound like he is “Negro” unless he wants to.

Anyway, Matthews was mesmerized until the President’s State of the Union speech was over. Then it struck him: “ This guy is black!” It almost brought tears to his eyes as he realized we must truly be living in a “post racial” period because he was unaware of the President’s color for a whole hour.

Such reasoning must fortify the arguments of another CNN commentator such as Pat Buchanan and other anti affirmative action supporters: we don’t need affirmative action in a “post racial” world.

I guess Matthews needs to reassure Native Americans and other citizens of color that the White Citizens Council, KKK, Aryan Nation and the other 400 plus anti color groups ( not really terrorists) are becoming “post racial”.

Incidentally, until Matthews said that I forgot he was white.

More Troops May Mean More Depression

2009-12-03T00:33:00.001-06:00

For the past couple of weeks I was wondering why I was more depressed than usual. Then it occurred to me that I had heard President Obama say something about the war in Afghanistan: we must finish the job. Well that meant to me he was going to send even more troops there. Since his inauguration he has sent 21,000 additional troops. Now he wants to send in another 30,000. I believe this means we will have about 100,000 there within the next few months.

I have been a fan of the President since his days in the Illinois State Legislature. I am hoping he has some deep insight about where this leading to: the end of wars with our troops in the region.

My fear is that after eight years we may be escalating our problems in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and at home.

Rock Island’s War Zone

2009-08-20T22:04:00.001-05:00

First Ward Alderman Terry Brooks has delineated an area west of 15th Street to 12th Street and South of 9th Avenue to 18th Avenue as a “war zone.

Apparently it is news to many of the residents who don’t read The Argus or Quad City Times newspapers. A drive through the neighborhood on August 20 seemed to indicate there was no evidence of a “war.”

Children were out on the streets, some adults were sitting on their house porches, teenage boys were playing basketball, young girls were walking up and down the streets. Three white women, in the largely African American neighborhood, were walking down 12th Street with babies in two strollers.

Two houses displayed our nation’s flag, and one house apparently still kept its July Fourth decorations. The many churches in the neighborhood -–between four and six--seemed calm outwardly. No one seemed to have disturbed the construction materials at Hawthorne Irving School south of 9th Avenue.

In the lower end of Longview Park, across from 15th street—the east end of the “war zone”—adults and children seemed to be enjoying the summer evening.

Two homes displayed a local Realtors “For Sale” signs. I wonder if this declaration by Alderman Brooks is helpful. Will it help property values or start a panic by homeowners to sell before prices drop in the “war zone”?

We all act stupidly on occasion

2009-07-30T18:52:00.005-05:00

Saying some people act stupidly does not necessarily mean they are stupid. I know I have acted stupidly on occasion—unthinkingly and irrationally-–which resulted in consequences I did not desire or need.

The endless number of commentators who have taken umbrage to President Barack Obama’s remarks that the arresting officers in the Harvard professor’s home “acted stupidly” seems to indicate they never have.

Well they can now join the club. The recent comments of Glenn Beck, O’Reilly, Dobbs, Limbaugh who are intelligent enough to earn thousands of dollars to display their arrogance, have spoken unthinkingly and irrationally on the Gates–Crowley affair—that is, stupidly.

Reform health insurance or health care?

2009-07-13T15:55:00.002-05:00

It is unconscionable that in this 21st Century when 72 percent of the American public favor a single payer health system, when 60 percent of bankruptcies are related to the inability to pay health bills, when 20,000 to 22,000 people die each year for lack of proper medical assistance, when 47 to 50 million American citizens are without health insurance, we still have some legislators more interested in saving profits of health insurance companies instead of saving lives.

Many of these same legislators criticize others for not acting " consistent with the values of the American people." Daily some legislators continue to bicker over costs and their fear of “government control” and balk at bringing this nation in line with the 33 other industrialized nations which have health budgets that provide health care for all their citizens.

Even Cuba ranks higher than the U.S. in delivery of providing health care to all its citizens. France’s “socialist” system rates the highest in quality of health care; while, we spend the most money and rank about 34th. It is shameful to admit to our relatives in other countries that most of us are denied the same health care coverage legislators have in Congress.

Our legislators surrounded by corporate lobbyists worrying about the "losses" the health insurance industry will suffer is no reason to continue to let more citizens die ( an average of 412 a week) in the U.S. for lack of health care. Meanwhile, our young men and women are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan supposedly defending "our way of life."

Their governments are meaner than ours?

2009-06-24T11:38:00.009-05:00

Any of us who wish to believe that the Iranian administrative government lacks our "American values" needs to see the PBS program "Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest" which aired June 23, and was a reminder that governments local and national beat protesters even in the U.S.

During the years of the struggle by workers to form unions, the civil rights struggle in the South, the student protests against the Vietnam war, the protests in Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago our governments at the local, state and national levels (through such organizations as the FBI) used whatever means necessary to subdue American protesters. Regarding "clean" elections one just needs to review what happened in GWB's elections first in Florida and again in Ohio later.

Listening to the talking heads and some of our leaders, one is led to believe that the Iranian government (which has had only one war in recent years when they were invaded by Iraq--with the help of the U.S. funding both sides) is ruthless. They kill more protesters than we do. They subvert human rights more than we do. They corrupt the election process more than we do. They threaten to create nuclear bombs more than we do (we really don't threaten since we already have thousands). They are more of a threat to our country than we are a threat to them.

So what do you think our President says on the day drones kill innocent citizens in Afghanistan and Pakistan? He is "appalled and outraged" at the Iranian government. He seems to forget how our own governments deal with peaceful protesters here (students shot and beaten on college campuses, strikers beaten and killed, civil rights workers beaten, maimed and killed, journalists arrested and beaten at the recent Republican convention and at a past Democratic convention in Chicago).

The President states, "No iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protest of justice." Yes, citizens of the world watch what happens here and wonder why we believe we are better off protesting wrongs here than they are protesting their government there.

Life is full of contradictions. No wonder we are befuddled and ask: "Why do they hate us?"
One answer: Because our government can be meaner than theirs...

Doctor Killer Should Be Tortured

2009-06-07T22:54:00.001-05:00

Scott Roeder called The Associated Press from the Sedgwick County jail, where he's being held on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault in the shooting of Dr. George Tiller one week ago.

"I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal," Roeder said. When asked by the AP what he meant and if he was referring to another shooting, he refused to elaborate further.

There should be no doubt in the minds of the proponents of waterboarding that Roeder will provide useful information if he is tortured.

Columnist Charles Karuthammer and local columnist former Judge Donald O’Shea are proponents of torture. They claim information elicited by torture is useful to prevent future terrorist attacks.

The Justice Department says it takes Roeder’s threats seriously, but doesn’t know if what he says is credible. It is time to get the truth: the killer needs to be tortured.

Do Some White Males Lack Empathy?

2009-06-03T16:03:00.004-05:00

It wasn’t until President Lyndon Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court and confirmed by the Senate was the white male dominated court changed.

Most people of color, and particularly women, probably understand what President Obama’s nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor meant when she suggested a Latina woman judge “would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”

Of course, that much quoted remark has caused some white males to suggest Sotomayor is “ethnically insensitive” ( Charles Krauthammer) and also “racist” ( Patrick Buchanan among others).

Some white males have even question Sotomayor’s neutrality in the cases she has judged, and claim she is, therefore, “unfit” to serve on the highest court in the land.

Newt Gingrich recently backed off from his early assertion that Sotomayor is a racist. But overly sensitive Buchanan still remains apoplectic. He concludes, as a result of Stotomayor’s remarks, affirmative action needs to be trashed. Glen Beck, Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh are just a few others who seem to have no understanding of the meaning of "empathy."

In our male dominated society, however, if history is our guide, it will be along time before the likes of Buchanan will understand what Sotomayor was implying in her much quoted remarks.

After all, it wasn’t until 1924 that a white male dominated Congress decided that Native Americans, who had to prove they were born here, were allowed to become U.S. citizens. Fortunately a white male dominated empathetic Supreme Court upheld that decision.

Will new schools improve students' grades?

2009-03-31T23:44:00.002-05:00

This evening a friend of mine got into a discussion with proponents of the school tax referendum on the April 7 ballot. Their contention is that the tax increase will bring in funds to build new schools which in turn will attract good teachers and also will have the side benefit of keeping property values up.

My friend argued that this was pure speculation and would not guarantee "good" teachers. He said there were plenty of good teachers in the system already. The proponents argued that good teachers are attracted to new facilities; and was one of the reasons why good teachers leave for Pleasant Valley and Bettendorf schools.

My friend countered that recent statistics showed the drop out rate in the Iowa school system had slightly increased in the past year. He pointed out that in developing countries, to which we outsource so much business, seemed to be educating engineers and computer technicians even though they were being taught in schools that were not as well equipped as ours or the new ones as being proposed.

The proponents were not easily dissuaded. They still insisted that new schools would definitely boost property values. My friend was left wondering if they were really concerned whether the schools would produce educated students with "good" teachers.

Stay the Course:?

2009-03-22T22:49:00.003-05:00

It seems the Argus editorial board has its head buried in the sand. In its Sunday editorial, March 22, "Stay the course in R.I." can only mean the Argus endorses the previous Mayor's "vision" and the continued decline of the city since the mid 70s.
The editorial claims that for David Levin to get this city moving again he would have to be proactive and not reactive. But he has no vote, the editors point out; Levin would require : "serious" consent of the ( stay the course) aldermen and city staff ( such as City Manager John Phillips and his staff).
Apparently outgoing " no vote" Mayor Mark Schwiebert managed to build consensus and gain approval of the city staff during his tenute of 20 years. Meanwhile, the city's citizens have left by the thousands. Yes, not hundreds but thousands. Since 1970 the population has declined from 50,000 plus to an estimated 37,000 in 2008.
The Argus in this ninth year of the 21st century, says "stay the course.." Isn't that what the captain of the Titanic said?

Killer shoppers know who they are

2008-11-29T12:48:00.008-06:00

The early shoppers who in their rush to get bargains trampled a Wal-Mart employee to death know who they are and should ban themselves from shopping for gifts for the rest of the year. Can they see themselves around the Christmas tree saying, " I trampled and killed someone for this?"

The incident is a revelation of how advertising can cause such behavior. The stores get enormous amounts of press coverage before and after "Black Friday."

Not surprisingly, some of the these early shoppers complained when the store was closed down. After they learned someone had been trampled to death they grumbled that they had waited for hours prior to the doors being opened. So relentless was their need to buy something on sale. A few years ago there was frantic rush to buy Cabbage Patch dolls. Some people fought and even died in their quest to get a doll. Once in a while you can see these at Salvation Army and Goodwill resale stores.

What is it about us that makes us go to such extremes? Are we in early childhood being taught that we can especially enjoy life by purchasing something on sale--regardless of where it eventually ends up?

Apparently there is an attempt to try and identify these early shoppers. It would be interesting to know how many returned when the store was re-opened later in the day. Did they bring flowers?

Counting the days

2008-11-19T17:41:00.000-06:00

How did Sarah Palin play in Peoria?

2008-10-04T23:07:00.003-05:00

No one seems to have asked him, but I think Senator Biden was startled when Sarah Palin's first words to him was ”Is it OK, if I call you Joe?”

I wonder if there are many people who would ask someone they have never met before, and on such a formal occasion, if it was OK to call them by their first name
Thankfully, Biden never addressed her as” Sarah."

In her TV interview with Charles Gibson, Palin said ” Charlie” so many times,it was embarrassing.

It was disconcerting to hear Plain say “maverick” so many times. Her wink was also unnecessary.I wonder what she meant to convey by that?

I think viewers around the world may have come to the same conclusion as I that her attempts at being folksy, to be just a "hockey mom" and speak to "Joe six-pack" (a stereotype that I find offensive), seemed contrived.

Keith Olberman on Friday night compared GWB's remarks, during his debate with Gore, to Sarah Palin's remarks in the "debate" with Biden. It seemed obvious they both had the same writers used similar notes.

I am curious: how did Sarah Palin play in Peoria?

Buy what you want not what you need and be happy!

2008-10-01T21:39:00.004-05:00

To hear the Senators Wednesday evening, it would seem that buying a new car and a wide screen TV is why the "Bail Out" ( now called The Economic Recovery Act) is necessary for Main Street(to keep the voters happy?).

We have to save the banks ( who cashed in mightily, making and selling mortgages --which were eventually relinquished--causing the drought of cash) and the investment corporations from going broke.( Perhaps a Senator has a better way of explaining the problem that housing activists had seen coming for two years).

So we loan the bankers and investment companies $750 billion, and we wage earners can continue to buy homes ( you are either renting, homeless or just want to move out of your neighborhood),trade in your SUV ( or clunker) for a new GM or Ford ( but of course its those small foreign ones that sell the most), a big flat screen TV ( anything less than 26 inches is not worth keeping), and go on a vacation ( assuming you cannot afford to buy gas, you will take a cruise).

And just think, we can still say with the President we have the best "free capitalistic system" ( money can buy?)

Is it just my imagination, or did I hear GWB humming: "Save your Confederate money boys......"

Phil Hare doesn't have to worry back home

2008-09-30T22:13:00.006-05:00

Of the 24 Representatives we have from Iowa and Illinois in Congress more than half of them voted NO on the 205-228 vote "Bail out" bill.

The total was 11 voting NO and 15 voting YES with one Illinois Republican not voting ( Jerry Weller R-11).

As many readers already know, Iowa's Bruce Braley voted NO , and Illlnois' Phil Hare voted YES.

Braley was joined by two Iowa Republicans, five Illinois Republicans and four Illinois Democrats.

Hare was joined by two Iowa Democrats, two Illinois Republicans and six Illinois Democrats.

There is a lot of pressure on those Representatives voting NO by their colleagues voting YES. But as representatives of the people, one would think they will continue to listen to the people who put them in Congress.

The Senate is all set to vote YES, but only half of them have to run every six years. A comfy job for the millionaires that they all are. So the Senate bill only needs 10 votes of those who have to face their constituents when they return home. How many of those 10 are vulnerable in November. Dissatisfied voters have an opportunity to let them ( and the other 25 colleagues) know in 30 days.

Going into this election, the Democrats are at an advantage because most of the seats (22) are held by Republicans. Thus, they have fewer seats (12) to defend.

Eight of the 33 are first-term Senators; only one of these is a Democrat. One, Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) was re-elected in 2002 after retiring in 2000.

There is one special election, in Wyoming (which will elect two Senators in November).

Hare doesn't have to worry. He is running unopposed.

Marksmanship

2008-09-24T23:24:00.002-05:00

Why didn't Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert let the citizens know months in advance of his plans not to seek re-election? someone asked me the other day. I had no answer. This citizen's theory is that Mark has "blessed" Ald. Dennis Pauley as his replacement and didn't want to give competitors time to garner support to run against Pauley.Regardless, businessman and Realtor David Levin has decided to run against Pauley.
So what is Mark going to do next? There are several ideas floating around. One is that he will start writing spiritual songs in earnest and produce another CD before Christmas. Another theory is that he plans on running against Phil Hare in two years and so is going to get busy laying the groundwork; he is now a frequent Democratic party participant ( until he decided to run against Phil Hare two years ago, Mark never attended Democratic Party events) this may come as a shock to some. He was always quick to point out that the city government was non-partisan.
Another theory is that the Casino owners will hire him to represent their gambling interests. Yet another theory is that Mark will start a "Green" consulting business to assist other municipalities. He became a green enthusiast after a trip to Europe.
Perhaps he will take more trips abroad and return with other ideas on how to improve the community. Maybe he will get a handle on how to reduce crime ( under his aegis in Rock Island City I wonder how many murders have been committed).
He must be relieved to get the "800 pound gorilla" ( how he once described his colleagues on the city council) off his back.
Mark will be missed by many.

Our Rock Island Mayor in 2009

2008-03-12T16:47:00.005-05:00

Have you ever watched the Rock Island City Council in action on TV or in person? It is obvious, the most dominant voice is the mayor's. He spends more time commenting, discussing, and criticizing than any other member of the council. So much so that some citizens who have spoken before the council vow never to attend another meeting or ever appear before the council again.
The city manager speaks briefly and is rarely asked his opinion on any subject, including the city budget.
The mayor in the past has referred to the council as " a six hundred pound gorilla." It is obvious he has it well trained. The aldermen rarely speak up to oppose the mayor's opinion and very rarely question him. They take their cues from him and rarely vote against his deciding thoughts on a subject.
In our form of city government the mayor does not have a vote except to break a tie. So why does he have such persuasive powers? One must suppose it is because the aldermen do not wish to upset him. After all, as a practicing attorney he knows how to argue his point effectively at the council meeting. He isn't very popular with his colleagues in court, and judges aren't his best friends.
He has ruled the council longer than any other previous mayor. Having lost his bid for Congress, he may be our mayor for life.
Will he run again in 2009?

The School Board, the Villa and Indians

2008-03-12T16:26:00.002-05:00

Perhaps I am being too picky. It seems to me, however, that since the school bond passed, voters are not being invited to comment on the new suggestions regarding the use of schools. Design of the new school has now become aesthetic issue. Meanwhile, Oberhaus and Loy have come with new ideas as to how to re-use a school that voters were told would be shut down.
The new plans are not being openly discussed. The school board is now concerned with possible Indian burial grounds at the Villa property. Board members blame the RI Preservation Society and claim it is a ploy to delay or stop construction of the proposed $20 million school.
The school population will keep decreasing as long as the city continues its unspoken mission to decrease the number of poor families who have resided here for more years than the newcomers the city vies for.
Trying to revive downtown seems to be more important to city officials than helping the school system survive, improving the lives of poor families, and ensuring an improved quality of life of all people in Rock Island.

Vote No on School Board 41 Referendum

2008-02-03T18:38:00.000-06:00

According to Rick Loy, the new superintendent of School District 41, new schools aid children in studying better and gaining better grades.

To improve the education of the children, the school board and local boosters wish to purchase $20 million in Bonds. These bonds when paid off in 20 years will have cost us an additional $17 million.

All this without a tax increase!

One wonders where the $17 million in interest is coming from?

If new facades make one smarter perhaps we need to do a makeover of the White House and our City Hall.

McCain's 100-Year War versus Obama's promise to end it

2008-02-03T18:02:00.000-06:00

It may be just my imagination, but it seems the War in Iraq has taken a backseat to the Super Bowl and the “sniping” between the Clinton’s and Obama.

Last weekend, I did not find one reference to Iraq in either of the Quad Cities Sunday newspapers.

The only coverage of the war is the occasional suicide bombings and the Department of Defense list of U.S. casualties. The deaths of our troops are relegated to a two to three inch story on the left hand corner of the World news pages.

Afghanistan, of course, is rarely covered; U.S. soldiers killed in action nears a total of 500.

With McCain envisioning a 100-year occupation of Iraq and Obama seeking to bring the troops home as soon as possible, it seems the media would pay attention to the priorities of the American people. The polls indicate that more than 70 percent of the population favors Obama’s position.

It is difficult to focus one’s attention on the crucial issues affecting our nation and the world, when the media ( particularly the TV news stations) gives more attention to our entertainers and our sports teams.

For the record, the total number of “Coalition “ soldiers killed in both wars now exceeds 5,000. Of these 4,430 (with an additional four missing) are U.S.casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Plans for a better class of citizens in R.I.

2007-11-23T22:00:00.004-06:00

The Rock Island Housing Authority is taking steps to improve the "quality" of downtown citizens.by transferring almost all of the residents of Spencer Towers to 5th St. near 31st Ave. The Robert Young Center promises to care for many of these citizens who have been "mainstreamed." into our society.

There are many residents in Rock Island who are capable of leading a "normal" life as long as they keep taking their medications. When HUD ( U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department) lifted restrictions a few years ago, on who could live in what were then primarily senior high rises, veterans and disabled persons were admitted to these facilities. Both Spencer Towers and Sunset Heights, operated by the Rock Island Housing Commission (RIHA) are two such high rises. Many senior citizens from both facilities have moved out as younger and disabled people have moved in.

Now the downtown developers ( R.I. Renaissance, Community Housing Solutions--a subsidiary of the RIHA--and city planners see these physically and mentally disabled citizens a deterrence to their plans to build apartments for higher income younger residents.

So the developers and planners sold the idea of refurbishing Spencer Towers into a condominium for moderate to high income residents, with a few apartments for lower end income residents.
The Illinois Housing Development Authority, HUD and the Rock Island City Council all agreed to fund the proposal, as long as the former residents were relocated into adequate, safe and decent housing. Robert Young also became a partner in the proposal to build a facility exclusively for mentally disabled residents.There is to be 24/7 assistance available--which, presumably, is not at Spencer Towers. This assurance was given to homeowners and residents who live in the area of the proposed site.

It seems we have come full circle as a society. It was during the President John Kennedy's administration that the old time mental health hospitals were shut down ( East Moline's for example) and most of the "patients" were mainstreamed. This was as a result of the new drugs that made former mentally ill non functioning persons into independent and in many cases "normal" citizens who were even able to return to work or get employment.

Now it appears these folks are not normal enough to be living in downtown areas. So again, our taxpayer money, administered by HUD, IHDA,RIHA, Robert Young and the city is being used to shunt the "not so normal" folks into an "exclusive" facility. Everybody is happy ( making money) , except the most vulnerable. The city aldermen urged on by the mayor voted to go along with the plan. Sensibly, Fourth Ward Ald. Stephen Tollenaer and Fifth Ward Ald. Margie Mejia-Caraballo voted against segregating our citizens.

The fix was in Monday night

2007-11-19T20:41:00.000-06:00

Anyone attending Rock Island City Council meeting on November 12 quickly learned that “the fix was in.” The verbose Mayor swiftly cut down anyone speaking in favor of retaining the Villa’s historic designation.

After listening to several school board representatives and the architect and then discussing details with them for almost an hour, it became apparent the mayor was openly in favor of rescinding the historic designation.

Speakers in favor of retaining the designation started with an enthusiasm that waned as the mayor continued to argue against retention. He argued about “economies of scale” (a favorite cliché since 1988 when he touted Super City; the proposal to merge Rock Island with other the other Illinois quad cities; the proposal lost 4-1). Now he touts Rock Island as “the most progressive Illinois city in historic preservation.”

That Monday night he credited himself for having sponsored the local legislation. He frequebtly reminded the audience he did so.

Even though from time to time the Mayor would say the "only issue was whether to preserve the designation", he argued against any suggestion to preserve salvageable portions of the structure. He said the costs to rehabilitate would be prohibitive.

He interrupted and argued with those who wanted to preserve the historic designation in order to preserve the integrity of the property. He kept referring to the burned out shell of the Villa as a site comparable to Dresden, the German city the Allies famously firebombed into oblivion during WWII. He even quibbled with someone that the city’s population had only dropped to 39,500 from 51,000 in 1970 and not 38,500 as one speaker pointed out. A check of the facts reveals the speaker was correct and the Mayor in error.

The Mayor rebuked one Broadway District resident’s suggestion as “draconian.” He cut off Iowa State Senator Joseph Seng (owner of the property) midway as he tried to explain he still had some interest in the property. A developer had taken a building permit as late as 2006—after the drastic fire that left only one damaged building still standing. The Mayor referred to the Senator as “Joe” and criticized as someone who didn’t even reside in Rock Island. The audience booed the Mayor for this retort.

But the Mayor was undaunted; he was not to be deprived. He asked school board representatives how soon work could begin on demolishing all the standing structures. The school board hopes to have a referendum passed in early February to secure funds to proceed with building a “twenty-first century” school facility by August 2009. But the impatient Mayor finds it an eyesore; just as he found Valley Homes, and so he maneuvered authorities for its eventual demolition.
The school board demolished Franklin Jr. High School after letting it decay for several years and spurned any suggestions to restore the facility. Other schools will be closed after the proposed “magnet” futuristic school is constructed. The Thurgood Marshall building (formerly called the Bear building) on Fifth Avenue now sits empty while the sale price keeps dropping. Audubon Elementary will also become vacant if the plans go through. Realtors and developers have had their eyes on the Central -Lincoln school property for years. They envision office complexes and condominiums as a way of bring more residents downtown.

The vote was 7-1 with only Fifth Ward Alderman Margie Mejia-Caraballo voting against relinquishing the historic designation; she obviously listened to her constituents.
Wells Fargo, The American Bank, the developers and architects can now do whatever they wish to the property. The very heart of the historic district is no longer historic in “historic” Rock Island.

Begging boy

2007-08-29T08:03:00.000-05:00

Why do I have this wretched feeling that I should have done more than I did?

While sitting in a park in a foreign country this summer, I was approached by a chubby faced three-year-old boy. He had been sent by his mother (who was hiding behind some shrubbery) to ask for money. He was shy and after briefly holding out his right hand, he started playing with my camera case.

I took his hands and played a clapping game with him. He happily responded. I reached into my pocket to give him some money. I wondered if his mother was exploiting the child and thought I should not contribute towards that kind of behavior. I had some coins and I put bright silver colored one in his hand. I later figured that it was less than five cents. The youngster smiled and thanked us and strutted off to his mother and gave her the coin. I am certain she was disappointed. The boy waved to me as he joined his mother; as she took him across the street, he turned around and waved again.

As they left I thought I should have given more money. Earlier in the week a young woman translator told me the beggars we saw occasionally should not be using the children to beg. She said the beggars had no skills and should really go back to their village. Apparently that is the government’s position, and so there is little or no help offered to villagers who come into the city looking for work. She said that if they are lucky to get work doing manual labor, then they should go home when the job ends. My translator friend said begging was not the right thing for villagers to do and it was not the right thing for me to give them money.

Later, I learned there seems to be a prejudice against the villagers by the city folk, and they often mistreated. Apparently their accents and their clothes reveal their identity. I heard that there was a case a year or two ago about a young college student originally from the countryside. The police could tell from his accent that he was not from the city, and they demanded to see his ID. He didn't have it with him for whatever reason, and they took him to jail and beat him to such an extent that in the morning he died. It caused a big sensation because he was a college student. It's not clear if people would have heard about it if he had been just a migrant worker.

I still think many of the villagers are stranded in the city if they do not find work quickly. They have no shelter, no food and no money to return to the village even if they wanted to. Some villagers find short time work and cannot save money because of low wages.

I wondered about the woman and child. Had she been forced to leave her village because of an abusive husband? Did she decide to seek a better life for herself and her child in the city? Did the father abandon mother and child? Was she trying to get back to the village? Was she really exploiting the child? Perhaps she has no other options except to beg for help.

I did see many people lying asleep near the railway station. Those farther away near the surrounding buildings obviously were not preparing to travel. They looked destitute. Many migrants come to the city because of the demand for cheap labor. Construction is booming—the government is trying to invest to bring in tourists, and new buildings are being built all around the city.

Back home, every time I spend a dollar—sometimes frivolously—I wonder what the future holds for the little boy. Could I have done something more substantial and meaningful? The memory of his innocent chubby face still haunts me.

Building Walls for Democracy

2007-05-01T11:59:00.000-05:00

I was visiting with friends when the topic of the war in Iraq was brought up. We talked about the recent events. Such as, the building of 12 foot walls to “protect” the Baghdad neighborhoods to keep the Sunnis away from the Shiites and the “insurgents” away from everyone.

I remarked it was just a few years ago when President Reagan, referring to the Berlin wall, implored the Russian President: “ Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!” The Germans cheered and so did we.

One of the friends responded: “ Hey, I thought the walls in Baghdad was to keep the Mexicans out!”

After a hearty laugh, we considered buying stock in the company making walls. We also discussed the building of walls along our southern border, and Israel building walls in the occupied territories of Palestine.

In earlier conversations we had discussed buying stock in the companies building prisons in our country.

We discussed the situation of friend who recently went to visit his hometown in Colombia. His wife refused to go along because she was afraid as an American she might be the target of anti-American sentiments. Apparently, there are some people in Colombia who are unhappy with the increasing presence of our troops, our increasing military aid and our tolerance of human rights abuses by the government.

We expressed our concern that our nation is the world’s leader in the number of its own citizens incarcerated. We have our troops in 737 bases around this planet of 193 countries. Now we have begun to build walls here and in Iraq in hopes of preserving the administration’s brand of democracy.

One of the friends speculated: “Maybe, Dennis Kucinich is right; we really need to have a Department of Peace. And maybe, just maybe, we can restore our reputation in the world for being a friendly and compassionate country.”

Time to honor Tim "Kingfish" Moore

2007-02-25T14:07:00.000-06:00

There is a small group of folks who would like to honor Tim Moore, actor and screenwriter, who was a Rock Island citizen. He became famous late in life as “Kingfish” in the popular Amos ‘n Andy TV series.

His many relatives in Muscatine and Rock Island say its time that the City of Rock Island establishes a permanent display of his likeness and his history.

Those interested in learning more about him should check out one of the several web sites.

This one in particular: http://www.yodaslair.com/dumboozle/tmoore/tmoordex.html

Those interested are directed to contact: Brian and Annabell Luth lab317@machlink.com

Weeping for The Chief

2007-02-22T23:55:00.000-06:00

Prompted by the loss of revenue keeping to a tradition, the trustees in power decided to end the tradition of a phony chief prancing around at half-time sports events at the University of Illinois.
In response, Native Americans with a 10,000 year history are being belittled by college students and alumni who bemoan the loss of an 80 year old "tradition."

In recent years whenever people of color object to being ridiculed, they are often put down as being too "sensitive". I've always wondered what it would look like if someone dressed up as the Pope wearing crosses with ash on his forehead and a "head dress" pranced around the playing fields?

Just how traditions begin and end depends on those who wield the power to start or end them. The grinning face of the Cleveland Indian and the Redskins can amuse and warm the hearts of those who miss Chief Illiniwek.

Obama defies sterotypes

2007-02-22T23:38:00.000-06:00

Does trying to decide if Obama is “black enough” mean that people are having trouble maintaining their stereotypes?

Too many children have been told at young age to avoid “those” people and to “stay with their own kind". But the current confusion over the attempt to determine the depth of Obama’s “blackness" means to me that “they" are not "all alike.” Apparently it has become difficult to determine what one’s “own kind” exactly is.

The confused worry themselves over trying to determine if Obama is black. Those who are less confused will vote for American presidential candidates. We do not have to concern ourselves with the candidates' ethnic heritage, skin color or the states in which they were born.

A Book on Housing, and the Media Reform Conference

2007-02-09T12:19:00.000-06:00

A recent discussion on NPR caught my ear and resulted in my requesting a copy of Little House on a Small Planet by Shay Solomon.

The book is subtitled "Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities", and it's about making your home more simple, affordable, and environmentally friendly. You can expect my review soon. Click here for more information or to purchase a copy. Free copies are available for members of the press or anyone else writing reviews.

In early January I joined 3,500 others at the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis. It was a great experience. Here is a webpage that can give you more information.

Speakers included Bill Moyers (you can listen to his excellent speech here), actresses Geena Davis and Jane Fonda, Amy Goodman (host of the radio/tv program Democracy Now!), two FCC board members who are strong critics of the big media corporations, and many others who are concerned with preserving the Internet and keeping it free.

Recently read interesting books include Walter Mosley’s: Workin' on the Chain Gang; Juan Williams: Eyes on the Prize and Michael Parenti: The Culture Struggle.

I picked up several other books at the conference in Memphis and hope to review them later.

How should we use Community Development Block Grants?

2006-11-28T21:57:00.000-06:00

A friend stopped me at the Phil Hare election night celebration and asked if I had seen on TV or read in the Argus the article about the most recent Rock Island City Hall council meeting.

He explained that the council aldermen have been bypassing the city’s support system of social service agencies serving the disadvantaged and lower income citizens. Much of the money from the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) being directed mostly to city departments (including a couple of new departments) and the private Economic Growth and Renaissance Corporation. He suggested that the council’s inefficient way of throwing money at any project that promises economic growth is resulting in less and less support for the 47 percent of low income residents in the city.

The CDBG funds allocated to the city as an entitlement was based on the fact that there were so many lower income residents and a lack of affordable housing stock. But the way that the funds are being spent does not address the problem of affordable housing at all.

Alderman Terry Brooks said he supported a strong housing inspection department because there were too many slum landlords, and he's concerned about the renters. That's an important concern which should be addressed, but that's not why we were given these grants. Shouldn't we use the CDBG funds on the problems we were given the funds for--increasing the availability of affordable housing?

The council has also been spending money on lobbyists and consultants—for the purpose of finding more federal money for other projects (the city manager said that this money is not from the CDBG funds, but who knows how all of these various funds are shifted around within the budget?). The city is spending $8,500 a month on a Washington, D.C. lobbying group, The Ferguson Group. Bob Schmidt and his associate Trent Lehman have told the mayor and city manager that there is a "strong possibility" of receiving $200,000 for the King Center renovation and an additional $200,000 for Sunset Marina dredging. The lobbyists hope that the city will receive "priority consideration" once Congress votes on the budget.

The budget was supposed to be voted on in September, but it was postponed. So now the budget is in a "continuing resolution," which means that for the present all of the federal agencies are operating under the assumption that the budget for next year will be the same as last year. In reality, with the budget so tight, the agencies know that they might actually get less money than last year, so they're trying to spend less money. The lobbyists seem to think that the budget is going to be voted on soon. If so, we should keep in mind that Phil Hare is not going to take office until January, and Lane Evans hasn't been able to attend session. So that only leaves a Senator to put these two $200,000 projects in the budget for us, which doesn't seem so likely. In fact, we might assume that if there is a vote on the budget before the new congress comes in, the Republicans are going to do all they can get all of the money they can for their own districts while they still control Congress. Should we really be spending money that we already have in hand to pay for some lobbyists to tell us that we should hope that we can get more federal money from the next budget?

Surely some people on the city council wish that the poor people in our area would just go away. And it is true that our population is declining. But not everyone has someplace else to go. Trying to move lower income people out from place to place in hope that they can become "somebody else's problem" is not an answer--is this the way we should treat people from our own community?

And what happens to the people who can't move and can't find affordable housing? Some end up adding to our homeless population. Should we let this continue to happen? No. We should use these grants for the purpose they were given to us--to help house our community members in need.

Unequal Representation on the Boards and Commissions

2006-11-13T17:30:00.000-06:00

The Mayor of Rock Island's appointment of almost 240 citizens to 33 boards and commissions is usually confirmed by the city council members without discussion.

Of the current appointed citizens, there are about 30 minorities; at least two of them are Hispanic. Twelve are on three of the 33 boards and commissions. Two are on the Housing Authority, seven are on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center and three are on the Citizens Advisory Committee.

Several of the boards and commissions do not have any minority members. The balance nineteen have single minority member representatives.

Based on the population of almost 25 percent minorities in the city, it is evident that African Americans, Hispanics and Asians are underrepresented or not represented at all on most of the boards and commissions. It would seem there should be around 60 minority representatives on these boards & commissions instead of the present 30. In addition, it seems that failure to have any minority members on the Human Relations Commission continues into the fifth term of the Mayor.

W.E.B. DuBois and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would not have been pleased to know that the unequal representation continues into the 21st Century.

Should we leave Iraq with "all deliberate speed"?

2006-11-07T20:07:00.000-06:00

War deaths of U.S. soldiers passed another milestone quietly. The media has not made a big deal or a note that we had passed 3,000. There were front page headlines when U.S. deaths passed 2,500.

Unfortuntely, we are now at 3,187 (2,837 in Iraq and 350 in Afghanistan) as of election day. Will it be a priority to stop the deaths? Or should we, as some Democrats are saying,"gradually" leave? Should we ask how many more deaths leaving "gradually" will result in?

This approach to right a wrong reminds me of some of the proponents of civil rights in the 60s. Many said we should not rush into giving Blacks their civil rights; desegration should be approached slowly. The Supreme Court said school desegregation should be approached with "all deliberate speed," and this was interpreted by many to mean not to stop segregation immediately.

We are told the Iraqis have to get used to the idea that we are going to leave so they should get along. Meanwhile our sons and daughters continue to "honor our nation" with their deaths.

Democrats and the policy wonks in the State Department should tell us the truth. Are we are going to be in Iraq for many more years--as permanently as we are in South Korea and the more than 130 other countries that house our military bases across the world? If not, then why have we built these "enduring" bases in Iraq?

As long as the military continues to influence Congress instead of the other way around, we can expect more wars and more deaths of our sons and daughters.

Healthcare

2006-10-19T08:11:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this message regarding David Barret's recent post about their friend Maria Hernandez's inability to afford necessary medical treatment:

My cousin from Canada recently visited and argued that such a rich country as ours has no excuse not to provide health care for all. He says the detractors of Canada's "poor" health care system are just providing cover for the people who profit from our own current system, one that leaves 45 million American citizens without health care coverage.

Saying we can't afford such a system is no excuse, particularly since we are somehow able to come up with all of this money we are wasting on the useless war in Iraq. That war costs more than $3 billion a week, and produces more wounded and maimed vets, increasing our medical burdens even more.

We need justice at home.

You can help Maria by clicking the Paypal link on David Barret's blog

Profile Middle Easterners?

2006-10-05T10:09:00.000-05:00

Seems as though a day doesn't go by without a letter in our local newspapers, or a columnist telling us that there is nothing wrong with profiling people who have Middle Eastern features.

But these same newspapers seem to have just as many stories about school children and individuals who are killed by lone gun-toting men and boys --usually white.

Statistics show that our chances of being killed by a terrorist are less than our chances of being struck by lightning or dying from a hernia. But how about our chances of being shot by a white male? Why are we not concerned about white males? Any one of them going by a school or a crowded mall may be a potential killer. Difficult to profile, but that's what is also happening.

Of course I'm somewhat exaggerating to make a point. But the real point is this, can we justify our paranoia of Middle Easterners in light of all of the other sources of violence in our society?

Vonnegut's A Man Without A Country

2006-10-04T03:45:00.000-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut's "last" book A Man Without A Country is a funny and despairing look at how we have been behaving these past few years. If you have a hour or so, it is worth your while to read these 145 pages. You will not be disappointed. In fact, as I did, you may want to read it again.

He gives advice on creative writing, admonishing all to stop using semicolons. "All they do," he says, " is show you've been to college". Not long later, he finds himself forced to use a semicolon in order to avoid having to rewrite a sentence. Since some readers may not know when he is kidding, Vonnegut, thankfully, indicates when he does.

He includes some of his hilarious cartoons, including one with a tombstone: "Life is no way to treat an animal". The book ends with a poem REQUIEM--Earth's last lament on how we've treated her.

Published in 2005, the book is a collection of his thoughts over the past five years. He was 82 at the time and surprised his fans because he had said earlier he was not going to write any more. He remains a national treasure.

Indians to Australia

2006-09-12T13:58:00.000-05:00

A friend on mine who is originally from India, sent me a recent reporter’s story from Al Jezeera’s culture section. The report is about the increase in the number of Indians migrating to Australia.

My friend commented, “ Things have certainly changed.” He explained that when he was in high school in India, in the late 40s, his geography teacher had invited the local Australian consulate to speak to the class.

The teacher had forewarned the students not to say anything about the Australians barring any immigrants from non-European countries and their treatment of the Australian aboriginals.

The consulate apparently spoke eloquently about the gains the aboriginals had made, and the wonderful life in Australia. He was soon open to questions.

One of the students on a dare from his friends asked why were the aboriginals segregated and why couldn’t Indians go to Australia.

The embarrassed teacher announced the class time had ended and ushered the consulate out the door.

Who controls public housing?

2006-09-03T14:20:00.000-05:00

The Rock Island Housing Authority commissioners are appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. There is a current city alderman and a former city alderman on the commission. The chairperson is a former city alderwoman who was appointed to the city council by the mayor. The mayor meets with the director and the chairperson on a regular basis and he isn't really disconnected from the alderman and former alderman.

HUD rules changed after a push by conservatives in Congress; now cities that decide to remove HUD funded projects need not replace the units "one for one" anymore.

How can any city have a surplus of housing for citizens with low incomes when almost every city has homeless shelters?

The current director has formed a private firm to build low to moderate housing ( such as lofts, and scattered site housing). There is no plan for building units for the very low and extremely low income categories of citizens who reside in the city. Developers are more attracted to building units for senior citizens since their profit margins are higher.

Without federal intervention we can expect more homeless shelters (ironically some of the major ones in the Quad Cities are funded by HUD).

Gone to the Dogs

2006-09-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

It seems ironic that Penny Woolworth is selling her Hauberg home in Rock Island. It is nestled on top of a hill just west of 24th Street and 13th Avenue.

Several years ago when Penny returned to town (with her inheritance and loads of crystal rocks and stones) she began purchasing several downtown properties, including the Star Cres (the site of the former venerable Harper’s Hotel) office building across from the Federal Building on 19th Street.

The folks at Rock Island City Hall fell over themselves trying to meet her every need (demand). After all, we are talking millions of dollars in investments. She was our local Donald Trump, so to speak, a one-person economic development dynamo. At one time she owned perhaps four downtown buildings.

One of her demands was that Valley Homes had to be demolished. Apparently the view from her 10-acre Hauberg estate across the street was a distraction to her. She found the echoes from the crowded townhouses unbearable; she complained about children constantly running around playing and shouting; she said they were not conducive to enjoying the grounds of the estate with her friends and guests.

City Hall stepped in and assisted by demolishing 28 three-bedroom units after they were vacated. (Incidentally, they were the only three-bedroom units in the public housing system). The reduction in noise and numbers was noticeable. Then last year the remaining 53 units bit the dust. Today, the view is much improved, no children, no welfare mothers and no refugees. Just overgrown grass.

Now ironically, Penny is selling her home with a view. She has, it seems, taken a liking to caring for literally hundreds of stray dogs in India. She has built a sort of dog “ashram” for the strays (this clipping is from "Best Friends" magazine, Sept/Oct 2004, p. 29). In fact two of the dogs she rescued from the streets of India are currently guarding the Rock Island property (until it is sold) under the eye of the caretaker (who someone says is also from India).

Now that Penny Woolworth has taken her millions to the dogs, one wonders where the children of Valley Homes have gone.

Democrats should concentrate on homeland issues

2006-08-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

At a meeting this morning, it wasn’t long before the discussion turned to the problems the Democrats have defending their position regarding the Iraq War. The Republicans take the Democrats to task for not defending the administration’s position and for not offering any workable alternatives.

The Democrats should take the position that the Iraq war is a Republican problem. The Democrats need to concentrate on homeland issues such as Universal Health Care, Living Wages, Affordable Housing, Veteran Services, Education, Saving New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Racism, Sustainable Communities, Clean Energy and other local issues.

Republicans need to take the responsibility to solve the problem they created; they must have a plan to remove our children from harm’s way in the Middle East. Republicans should have to live with the consequences of their plan.

In spite of Karl Rove's rants that the Democrats are not supporting the war effort, we should recognize that the war is just indefensible. Even the Republicans ae having a hard time trying to defend the Bush "strategy."

Why should Democrats come up with a solution? The Republicans need to solve the problem while the Democrats need to spend their efforts in improving the living conditions in this country.

Old Time Terrorists

2006-08-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

On August 6 we noted the 61st anniversary of the use of atomic bombs to end a war. There is talk these days of the problem the rest of the world would have if other countries had the opportunity to develop and use atomic weapons against each other.

Just before this anniversary, I finished reading a book: Our Town by Cynthia Carr, a former writer for The Village Voice. Coincidentally, it is about another anniversary, August 7, 1930. Days after I finished the book, a central character, James Cameron, died at the age of 92.

The book is about Carr's visit to her hometown of Marion, Indiana to interview some of the people who are identifiable in a famous photograph taken by a photographer from the local newspaper, The Marion Leader-Tribune. The photo has been reprinted thousands of times and the local KKK used it to recruit new members.

The photograph has a group of townspeople gathered around a tree from which hangs two young men (whom everybody knew) falsely accused of the murder of a white man and the rape of a white woman. Some in the crowd are smiling and one man points to the victims of a lynching. Cameron was also about to be lynched, but he miraculously was spared and returned to the jail which the mob had broken him out of.

Carr tried to find out who were the members of the mob. The local KKK suggested the Kentucky KKK was responsible. Carr has some memorable and interesting conversations with the remnants of a current KKK organization. She suspects her grandfather perhaps was a member as were all the city officials. Her suspicions are never confirmed.

Cameron claimed that he had heard a voice on the night of the lynching saying the mob should return him to the jail (he later decided it was the voice of the Virgin Mary, and he converted to Catholicism). The local townspeople, including African Americans, never believed his story about the voice. Cameron was freed after four years of imprisonment. In 1993 the State of Indiana pardoned him with a public apology. In the latter part of his life, Cameron tried to have the jail turned into a museum. He didn’t succeed.

Eventually, in the last years of his life Cameron did open a Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee. His death and the museum were recently noted in Jet magazine. His version of what took place that night is in his book: A Time of Terror. The book is out of print, but there is one copy available at the Davenport Public Library (and there is one used copy available at Amazon for $214).

In this time of terrorists, with Muslims worrying about their safety in this country, one can only imagine how African Americans feared for their lives during the heyday of the KKK. Unfortunately, more than 450 websites spew out hatred of their fellow humans on a daily basis.

Here are some other books I read this summer: The Kite Runner, a story about escaping from Afghanistan; White Teeth, about life in a diverse neighborhood in London; Maximum City, a story about the underworld in Mumbai, India; Red China Blues, a story about a Canadian Chinese woman writer and her experience in China during the Cultural Revolution and the days following Tiananmen Square. There are a few others that I will have to try and recall.

Da Mayor Rules

2006-08-07T21:40:00.000-05:00

I've been on vacation. Some readers complain I am too focused on Mark Schweibert, Mayor of Rock Island. But it is difficult not to comment on his latest move. He chose a woman who was appointed to the school board and who lost when she stood for election. He says her speaking Spanish is good for the city. How many Spanish speaking employees does the city have? Or is he looking ahead to the primary two years hence when he plans to run against Phil Hare?
Sorry, Huck and Paladin. I've done it again!

RI City Council's Patronage Appointments

2006-07-17T20:42:00.000-05:00

Are Mark Schweibert’s appointments to the city council a form of patronage? Sure the council members must approve, but he makes the final decision. At least that is what one of the select committee members said. “You know, in the end it’s Mark’s decision.”

John Bydler in a recent column noted that patronage appointments have been going on for a long long time. There was a response by someone in a letter or another column about how he helped a college kid get a summer job for a pol who helped him with his election. He said that was the most he had done in return for the support. He didn’t think he should be derided for his actions.

That brings us to the local appointments. After Schweibert saw the names of nine hopefuls, did he call one of his supporters who became the tenth applicant?

How many supporters has Schweibert appointed to the council in his 20 years?
He likes “team” players. No wonder hardly any citizens attend city council meetings.
Unless one is viewed as a “team” player chances are your request will not be supported.

Committeemen Pay for Indulgences

2006-06-18T10:49:00.000-05:00

Two precinct committeemen who squandered all their votes for Mark Schweibert paid their respects to Rock Island County Democratic Party Chairman John Gianulis and left generous donations. Will that satisfy the Chairman? We will have to wait and see.

A couple of other precinct committeemen who had applied for any job from the Chairman are not unhappy that someone is looking into the party’s hiring practices.

Party loyalty is skin deep.

Another next time in Schweibert's future?

2006-06-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

“ There won’t be another next time!” Mark Schweibert brusquely retorted to a committeeman who gave him a sympathetic shoulder tap, saying,” Better luck next time.”

After the final vote was read, and the County Clerk began reading off the votes on the screen, Schweibert left his seat in the County Board’s third floor meeting chamber room, and went to his wife who stood up at her seat towards the rear. She smiled but Schweibert remained grim faced and purposefully strode out of room to face the TV reporters waiting in the hallway.

Why did Schweibert think he stood a chance? Until now he had never lost an election. He and his campaign manager Suzzane Golden said he was Rock Island’s most popular vote getter. The letters to the newspapers and letters to committeemen claimed that he was 100 percent Democrat. However, party faithful precinct committeemen in Rock Island County knew better; Schweibert was rarely at any Democratic Party fundraiser or gathering.

In fact, Schweibert never endorsed Lane Evans, Dick Durbin or Barack Obama or any other Democratic candidate. He always said he was mayor of a non-partisan city council and therefore should not endorse partisan candidates.

In his three speeches before the committeemen Schweibert quoted FDR and sounded like JFK. At home he championed demolition of more than 200 units of housing for low income residents, and was known to say,” let our sister cities take our poor.” Perhaps forgetting that FDR was responsible for the start of “public housing.”

Schweibert also pushed for a non-partisan council claiming it would best benefit the city. He voted against the ward system in 1984 and for Super City claiming “economies of scale” and less elected officials was best for residents of Rock Island.

Interestingly, he did not object to city letterhead being used by city alderman who wrote letters on his behalf intoning his Democratic Party affiliation.

So what’s next for Schweibert? He did pick up some out of county support and had more than double (1,370) the number of Rep. Mike Boland’s miserable total (Mike’s own 222 votes boosted his total to a mere 612 votes). Will Schweibert run for a state seat? Will he run again for mayor in 2007? (But that would mean meeting with Phil in Washington when he goes on the QC Development junket to save Arsenal jobs).

Does Schweibert’s “Checkers” speech on TV mean he will try to beat Phil Hare in the next open primary in two years?

In the end, Schweibert’s and Boland’s “elect ability” did not convince the majority of the 17th District committeemen.

Rock Island Alderman Violates Law?

2006-05-27T00:19:00.000-05:00

Did Chuck Austin, Rock Island City 7th Ward Alderman violate the law?
He used the City’s letterhead to send letters to several precinct committeemen urging them to vote for Mayor Mark Schweibert to replace Rep. Lane Evans

Schweibert the non-partisan mayor, who pushed for a non-partisan city council, now depends on his partisan friends. These friends may be violating the law.

Austin’s letter says Schweibert is “a 100% solid Democrat, “ and goes on to say, that although Schweibert has “not run under the party banner, his support has never wavered.”

Party regulars know that Schweibert has rarely appeared at any of the Democratic Party functions or even for Democratic candidate appearances. Until now, he has always claimed he has had to maintain a non- partisan stature.

Schweibert has never endorsed any Democratic candidate seeking office. He declined to endorse Lane Evans, Dick Durbin or Barack Obama. Last time Obama was in town, Schweibert was there to cheer him on.

Perhaps Schweibert is learning to be a Democrat. But “100%” may take some doing.

71 Votes up for grabs

2006-05-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

John Woods has created a headache for 17th District Chairman Don Johnston and an opportunity for Rock Island Democratic Chairman John Gianulis.

John Woods, of 1905 9th St., Rock Island ran against Virgil Mayberry, 559 22nd Ave., Rock Island for a seat on the County Board and lost. He also almost lost his job in the process.

Woods works for the U.S. Postal Service and is therefore covered by the Hatch Act, which prevents federal employees from running for political office.

Mayberry says he spent almost $3,000 in running against the “illegal” candidate.
After the primary election, the Post Master told Woods he also had to resign as precinct committeeman of South Rock Island 2. So Woods tendered his resignation to County Clerk Richard Liebovitz.

Johnston said he has not received any notice from the county clerk and therefore, invited Woods to the meeting of committeemen in Galesburg. Where Mayberry and Gianulis were also present.

Gianulis, knowing Woods had resigned appointed a woman to replace him as committeeman. Johnston did not invite her.

Johnston depending on attorney Stuart Lefstien’s interpretation of the Illinois laws says appointed committeemen cannot vote in the selection process to replace Rep. Lane Evans.

Woods apparently has received ballots that are weighted for 71 votes, the number of people who voted in the Democratic primary. He needs to return them unfilled to Liebovitz.

Unless Gianulis’ appointment is approved, the 71 voters in Rock Island 2 will be disenfranchised. Can any of those voters sue for being left out of the equation?
By recognizing Gianulis’ appointment in one precinct, does Johnston open himself to recognizing all the other appointees?

What is the probability of Phil Hare or Sen. John Sullivan losing by 71 votes? If one of them does, will it result in a lawsuit?

Committeemen Complain: Where's my ballot?

2006-05-23T16:04:00.000-05:00

Some precinct committeemen have complained they have not yet (as of yesterday) received their ballots. About 25 precinct committeemen in the Springfield area complained to Don Johnston, Democratic chairman of the 17th Congressional District. He blames their county clerk for failure to certify the ballots.

Several other individual committeemen also complained because they heard some of their colleagues had already received them

Meanwhile, the Schweibert poll of 300 likely voters apparently was published to influence the committeemen’s votes. The poll indicates he is the best candidate to win against Republican candidate Andrea Zinga. Schweibert apparently is positioning himself to run in the next primary against Hare, the probable winner in this contest.

Rep. Mike Boland hoped to meet with Mercer County’s committeemen recently. Only two showed up. That was enough for Boland to hear complaint’s about John Gianulis, Democratic Chair of Rock island County. The two gave Boland the impression that the Mercer County committeemen resented Gianulis “telling” them to vote for Hare.

The committeemen’s ballot in bold letters informs the voter that votes can be split. Seems that Johnston is going out of his way to ensure that Hare receives as few of all the weighted votes as possible. Boland and Mellon (his endorsed candidate) are hoping to siphon off as many votes as they can. For all the polls and letters in the newspaper and letters to committeemen, Schweibert is unlikely to receive as much support as Boland.

Sullivan still hopes to influence Rock Island County committeemen; however, most of Rock Island County ballots are already in the mail.

Split Votes Headache for Phil Hare

2006-05-21T01:11:00.000-05:00

Committeemen splitting votes gives hope to some and causes worry for a Phil Hare.
Until the ballots came out Saturday it seemed as though most committeemen would give all their votes to the one candidate of their choice.

As a result of all the pronouncements by Don Johnston and his rival John Gianulis, it appears that several committeemen are planning on splitting their votes among two and even three candidates.

Schweibert has been inundating committeemen with endorsements from local Democrats and Republicans touting the “fact” that Schweibert is a “100 percent Democrat.” Party regulars, however, have a difficult time trying to recall if Schweibert ever attended a fundraiser for Lane Evans or other democratic fund raises. Besides, they wonder, why are Republicans endorsing a “100 percent Democrat?”

Mark Schweibert and Mike Boland are counting on split votes. But neither is expected to win. It is just something Schweibert can add to his resume for his next bid at the same seat in a couple of years. A good number of votes this time will help in that effort. Boland’s ego wont let him acknowledge defeat.

Meanwhile, Phil Hare is showing signs of nervousness because he has heard the Mercer County precinct committeemen are miffed at John Gianulis. Apparently Gianulis made a remark that Rock Island County was more important than Mercer or something to that effect; enough to make some Mercer commitment feel that they would vote for anyone other than Gianulis’ endorsed candidate.

Sullivan has been making personal calls to Rock Island County precinct committeemen to clarify his labor record (overall only 77%).

Some committeemen say that the voters in the primary voted to retain Lane Evans as their Congressional representative. They reason that Phil Hare was endorsed by Evans to continue his legacy. Hare promises to fulfill that promise.

June 6 (D-Day) is the final day in this episode.

Ray Nagin's Sweet Sweet Victory

2006-05-21T00:38:00.000-05:00

Ray Nagin’s sweet sweet victory Saturday night means a brighter future for the people of New Orleans.

Nagin’s re-election as mayor gives hope that truth and leadership will overcome the opinions some people have towards African Americans and other minorities.

The treatment he received from the media was depressing. In my opinion he would not have been treated with such negativism had he been the color of his opponent.

Mayor Nagin’s victory gave me the same glorious feelings I had when Harold Washington won the day in Chicago.

Nagin’s victory speech was flawless—even when he took time away from his notes.

His final quote from Gandhi was a fitting tribute to himself.

Here’s hoping that Nagin will have time to write a book similar to Barack Obama.

Durbin and Obama for Sullivan?

2006-05-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

Some people close to Don Johnston, 17th District Chairman, are saying that he has convinced Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama to endorse Senator John Sullivan. They will be making their announcements “soon.”

Johnston had promised Phil Hare that he would do his best to ensure Hare’s defeat.

These endorsements will be news to Rock Island County Chairman John Gianulis. Both Senators are indebted to Gianulis, so the Johnston people, it seems, are probably trying to scare Hare with this bit of inside news.

Johnston and Candidates Have Their Say

2006-05-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

Unless there is a last minute complaint, it seems that the scenario for the next three weeks laid out by 17th District Chairman Don Johnston in Galesburg will not be contested. Appointed precinct committeemen will not receive ballots to decide who will replace Rep. Lane Evans as the Democratic candidate in the November elections. In addition, Johnston told the committeemen that they could split their votes.

In the weeks that follow, committeemen can expect increasing pressure from the candidates and their supporters to secure votes. Rock Island Mayor Schweibert, at the Galesburg meeting, asked the committeemen to consider splitting their votes in his favor, though he said he would prefer all the votes in their precincts.

So now the Schweibert and Boland supporters will try to get that message across to committeemen: split the votes. Both know that Hare and Sullivan have commitments from many precinct committeemen. There are very few committeemen at this point who haven’t made commitments to candidates.

Local media coverage of the candidates’ speeches Saturday was perfunctory. This is disappointing since that opportunity will not be available to the candidates again. There was very little mention of the key elements of what each of the candidates said. For instance, other than his high “electability” record, Schweibert said he wants to take local issues to a wider level in Washington.

Schweibert promised his audience that he would open an office in Macoupin County. (Boland and Hare made similar promises. Macoupin County has the second largest number of votes with 6,962). He also pointed out that he brought 3300 jobs back to Rock Island andsaved another 5000 at the Rock Island Arsenal. In addition he took credit for creating another 2500 jobs in Northwest Illinois and Eastern Iowa.

Schweibert ended quoting FDR and even attempted to sound like JFK by telling his audience than in order to build “a better America, let us begin here.”

Rob Mellon linked the war in Iraq to our thirst for oil, and suggested we could bring our troops home sooner if we adopted alternative energy systems and end our dependence on oil from the Middle East. Mellon, an ex-army man himself, went into detail about how he would expand our forces by one division in Iraq and expand our Special Operations to improve our ability to remove the “terrorists” in Iraq.

Mellon said he was a chess player, and in his opinion President Bush was “a checkers player”. What we need is someone as expert as a chess player who knows what the endgame is; Bush doesn’t, Mellon said.

Rep. Mike Boland criticized Andrea Zinga for bringing Rep. Ray LaHood to make her into a “kinder, gentler” Republican. He also talked about his “electability.” His six elections and his travels to many of the districts in the 17th Congressional District is a distinct advantage over the other candidates.

Boland echoed Schweibert’s call for rewriting the current Medicare and Medicaid bills so that the pharmaceutical companies would not be favored. He said the current “national Congress” was an “abysmal failure caught in the depths of corruption.” He said he wanted the opportunity to bring about change.

Senator John Sullivan appeared uncomfortable in this setting. Perhaps the number of committeemen sporting Phil Hare name tags unnerved him. Even though he had a small contingent of committeemen there, Sullivan’s speech was less than enthusiastic. He seemed to stumble at one point, but regained his composure and said his pro-labor voting record was “overall 77 percent.” Noticeably, there was no applause from labor supporters in the audience.

Sullivan repeated Mellon’s suggestions on how to bring our troops home from Iraq. He suggested “increasing incentives” to producers of ethanol would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He said he would work hard and educate himself on the issues and he could be counted on to make the right decisions. He said he would always remember his father’s final admonition: “Don’t forget the little guy.”

Congressman Lane Evan’s aide and endorsed candidate Phil Hare, the final speaker, was understandably fired up when the time came for his 10 minute speech. Having heard all the other candidates, Hare talked about issues close to the heart of several of the members of the audience.

Hare said NAFTA was on his hit list. “What they did to Maytag is criminal.” He said he was a pro-choice candidate and was for stem cell research. Without mentioning his Lane’s disease (Parkinson’s), Hare said stem cell research could help in eliminating diseases such as Alzheimer and Lou Gherig’s.

Hare appealed to teachers, labor and veterans. He said the election was “not about me.” He will start a PAC that will get younger people involved in politics (similar, I presume, to what Sen. Barack Obama has done). He said, “We as a party are inclusive, not exclusive,” Hare ended by praising Lane and John Gianulis,: “I don’t trade old friends for new friends.” It seemed to be a dig at Johnston.

Hare received the most applause during the speeches. In fact he was the only one who got his supporters standing and cheering at the end. But then he was the last speaker and perhaps some in the audience stood up because it was time to go home.

Many Hare supporters then went to the Cherry Street Brewing Co. for free pizza and refreshments, sponsored by State’s Attorney P. Mangieri. Gianulis and other notables were on hand to cheer Hare.

Democrats on the Titanic

2006-05-05T23:30:00.000-05:00

The 17th Congressional District Democrats have “stacked their chairs on the deck of the Titanic”— stealing a line from Stephen Colbert’s recent appearance before the White House Correspondents’ Association black-tie dinner with President George Bush—and they are whooping it up.

Helen Heiland, the right hand person for these many years of RI County Chairman John Gianulis, has been busy making calls to precinct committeemen urging them to endorse Rock Island Mayor Mark Schweibert.

The local casino, civic clubs and Rock Island County Republicans back Schweibert. He claims he even has the Independent votes. Of course he hasn’t yet received the support of as many of the Democratic committeemen he hopes for. Last count he had a solid three commitments.

Rep. Mike Boland claims he has all of Whiteside, and “many” in Fulton, Henry and Rock Island counties.

Hare needs 14,500 weighted votes to pull it off. His supporters report Sullivan has 4,800 sowed up in the southern counties. If my numbers are correct: there are 38,780 weighted votes altogether in the 396 precincts with elected committeemen; of these 12,500 are in Rock Island County.

Unfortunately, the fractious battle in Rock Island County may continue into the November elections. Sitting on the deck of the Titanic the icebergs didn’t look threatening. Now is the time for all good Democrats to put on their life jackets and pray for Congressman Lane Evans to rescue them. Lane, keep on truckin’ !

Time for Don Johnston to Resign

2006-05-04T16:03:00.000-05:00

It is time for Don Johnston to resign. His outrageous suggestion that Lane Evans is no longer capable of maintaining his seat is based on his ongoing vendetta with Gianulis and Hare.

All democrats in Rock Island County in the 17th Congressional district should write to Don suggesting he resign his position. He has violated his authority. He was not elected to make pronouncements on the health of his constituents. Even though Don himself is recovering from a health problem, he does not believe that Evans or any other elected official is capable of also doing so.

His latest rant puts him in the same league as Andrea Zinga. He might as well have said he is endorsing her. Does he have no shame?

Don needs to learn that good politics depends on compromise. Since he evidently cannot, it is time for him to let go or go.

A March for Dignity and Respect on May 1

2006-04-30T00:14:00.000-05:00

There will be march across the Centennial Bridge on May 1 beginning at 1 p.m. People will assemble in the parking lot of St. Joseph's Church, 1216 2nd Ave., Rock Island at 1 p.m. Marchers will then cross the bridge to Davenport and assemble in the park in front of the band shelter east of the stadium.

A friend clarifying why they will march sends the following:

We get immigrants and refugees coming to this country from over 100 countries. Among them, there are "illegal" Irish in Boston and California. There are "illegal" Greeks, Italians and others in New York City. Most of the "illegal" Polish are in Chicago. Some immigrants, however, are more likely than others to be picked out for harassment or worse based on their race. The rising tide of anti-Mexican sentiment in this country is an example of this. Granted, the numbers immigrants and refugees from countries other than Mexico are small in comparison, but recently Mexican immigrants have been particularly vulnerable to racial targeting and harassment. The goal of this march is to uphold the human dignity and respect that should be accorded to all immigrants.

The current "problem" with Mexican immigrants seems to be a recurring one in our psyche. Nearly 10 million American Indians were "disappeared" when this country was settled by white Europeans. Africans and African Americans have been brutalized in this country ever since their ancestors were kidnapped and brought here as slaves. About 100 years ago we mistreated the Chinese after they got through building the railroads in the west; we strung them up and also banished them when we adopted the Chinese Exclusion Act. In the 1940s, American sailors killed Mexican Americans in zoot suits in California for fun. At the same time, 120,000 Japanese Americans were put in desert internment camps for the duration of the war even though the government had no evidence that any of them were anything but loyal Americans. About 20 years ago the young Chinese American Vincent Chin was killed because some people thought he looked Japanese, and we were all worked up about Japanese auto makers taking our jobs in Detroit. An Indian Sikh was killed (immediately after 9/11) in his gas station in Arizona because someone thought he looked like an Arab. It is a racialized atmosphere leads to these actions, which are then tolerated by the majority. We march because we don't want a repeat of what has happened to the Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Africans and other people of color.

How do we change such attitudes and such violent reactions?

We should start asking why Mexicans are trying to keep coming to Ustados Unidos or "el Norte" and are willing to die in the process (almost 3000 last year). We did take more than half their country in wars we won. If we are willing to spend $10 billion a month to sell democracy to the Iraqis, why can't we do better than selling Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Sprite (instead of helping with their water problems) to Mexico? We get 100's of truckloads a day bringing cheap goods to our stores from Mexico. Why don't we want to pay more to help them live better lives in their own country? Corporate greed keeps the current relationship with Mexico in place.

We don't accept economic refugees, but certain political refugees are OK. So we try to send Mexican and Hatian refugees back, but Cuban refugees are accepted. This will not solve the fundamental problems of why people come to this country in the first place.

We march because we understand that no immigrants are "illegal," even though some people may not look like or speak like the majority population. We march because there is no need to mistreat immigrants. Each one is an individual. Each one has a separate life and hope for a better life.

Refugees need to be heard and decisions regarding their status need to be rational. Recently a "green card" holder, a "legal" immigrant, almost got deported because he violated the local drug laws. He has been here more than 20 years. Why he didn't become a citizen earlier was his decision; if he were a citizen and broke the same law he would not have been threatened by deportation. Some argue that citizens who break laws are treated differently than non-citizens who break the same laws. But that is just not rational.

We march to demonstrate our support for immigrants who need to be treated with dignity and respect no matter how they are legally classified. We march because need to break racial stereotypes.

We hope you will join in supporting all immigrants. We ask for dignity and respect for all people. Si Se Puede!

The 15 Year Feud in Rock Island County

2006-04-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

The feud between Rock Island County Democratic Party Chairman John Gianulis and Don Johnston, 17th District Democratic Party Chairman began 15 years ago. The two haven’t spoken to each other since then.

Gianulis says Johnston did not approve of his support of Lane Evans. A Johnston supporter says it was a feud over the control Gianulis has over the party’s coffers.

Fact is Johnston since then has started his own very successful money making ventures. Last week the raffle at his spaghetti dinner paid off $10,000. Just how much money total Johnston is able to control for the the 17th district party coffers today is anybody’s guess.

Gianulis bemoans the fact that the dispute between the two is very public and has lasted this long. He says it undermines the party’s efforts and confuses the party followers. If by coincidence the two sponsor fund raising dinners on the same day, some party members and elected officials rush from one event to the other.

In some countries where older people are held in high esteem, there would be no doubt as to which one of the two Democrat leaders would receive the ultimate respect. The younger one would be admonished for improper behavior.

Democrats elected to national office are expected to bring about peace to warring nations. It would do the party well if they took it upon themselves to use their influence to bring these two party leaders together.

If we can’t have peace in Rock Island County what are the chances of having peace in the Middle East?

The Toughest Three

2006-04-19T00:34:00.000-05:00

This morning I heard a morose Daniel Schorr discuss the possibility of war with Iran and also mention three of our leaders. Coincidentally, the three were portrayed in a Tom Toles cartoon this morning: "War Planning Part II: Iran"

My mind wandered as I ate my cereal. I told my wife the current situation reminded me of a Bob Hope movie, "On The Road to Zanzibar".

In one episode, Hope is in the Officers Club. Hope is telling the patrons of his encounters in the brush with Zulus. "There we were: three against a thousand."

His listeners are quickly drawn to his side."Three against a thousand," he intones. "There was blood everywhere. But we fought on--three against a thousand."

Finally one of officers asks, incredulously, "So how did you manage?"

"Well", says Bob. "It wasn't easy. They were the toughest three we ever fought!"

Some people say Dick, "Rummy" and George are the toughest three anyone is ever going to fight.

RI County Chairman

2006-04-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

Democratic precinct committeemen in Rock Island County will vote Wednesday evening on whether to retain John Gianulis as the Democratic Party chairman.

Since the committeemen received notice on Monday, several said they would not be able to attend. Some asked if a proxy vote was possible. The office receptionist said that she had heard it was not; however, she would check with the chairman and inform those interested in voting by proxy.

There does not seem to be any doubt that the Chairman will retain his authority. But as we know Gianulis does not count on slam-dunk elections. He counts every vote and he makes certain everyone he can count on votes.

Who is waiting in the wings?

Mayor Thodos Says Alderman Lives Threatened

2006-04-16T22:10:00.000-05:00

The Mayor of East Moline Thodos was overheard in Moline Township commenting on the upset vote in Silvis. He said the press missed what really happened or decided not to point it out.

It seems several of the aldermen were “threatened” and so changed their votes to “no” on giving breaks to the promoters of the hog plant.

When told it was a lesson in democracy: “the people can fight City Hall,” he replied that it was not democratic when people call and physically threaten the lives and families of aldermen. He said some of the aldermen either changed their phone numbers or stopped answering the phone.

He said many of the callers were not even residents of Silvis. He said it was more a NIMBY (not in my back yard) issue and not an anti-immigration issue; though he conceded that there was also a fringe racist element. But most of the“real Silvis residents” were in favor of getting a facility that would increase jobs.

He said the liberals crying about environmental concerns have no solutions or ideas for creating jobs. Many of them are unaware of small facilities handling meat products that have been opened in Silvis and East Moline. Why are they not making a scene about Oscar Mayer in Davenport, he asked rhetorically.

Thodos said he didn’t care if he lost the next election. He was going to press on and continue working on getting jobs for his city residents and others in the area. Yeah, he liked Phil Hare.

------------------------------------------
UPDATE: I have changed the title of this post to reflect the fact that I have not confirmed that aldermens' lives were threatened. I posted this because I thought it was important to report what Thodos was saying. I also thought it was important to mention that there are some racial overtones to the plant discussion in some circles. This is important to acknowledge whether you are for or against the plant. On the one hand, I think that pork eaters should be accomodated somehow, but on the other hand, I don't think that such a plant should be built within a city.

Hare wins first round

2006-04-15T18:48:00.000-05:00

If the applause meter was working correctly, it would show that Phil Hare won the first round.

Of the seven candidates who wooed the precinct committeemen present at today’s “forum”, Hare’s remarks were repeatedly interrupted with applause. Many of his supporters wore tags indicating their support.

John Sullivan, the Senator from the 47th District, had his family and supportive county chairs also applauding often. Sullivan ran out of time but spoke confidently. He skipped giving any of his conservative views.

Rock Island Mayor Mark Schweibert spoke without looking at his notes and impressed some in the audience, but mostly his own supporters. When someone remarked to one of his supporting precinct committeeman that Mark “didn’t sound like a real Democrat,” she became incensed. Earlier she said she was neutral .

Senator Mike Jacobs was overheard saying that he would hope that Boland and Schweibert would decide to drop out early and show the rest of the 17th Congressional district that Rock Island County was solidly behind one person—Hare.

Voters can decide outcome

2006-04-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

Should the voters, whose votes will count in the process to nominate a candidate, voice their opinions to their precinct committeemen?

One of the candidates said most of the voters don’t know their precinct committeemen, so it would not help to guide the vote.

But wouldn’t this be a lesson in grass roots democracy? Should the precinct committeemen get in touch with the voters? They know who voted in the primaries in their precincts. They have the names, addresses and phone numbers. Why not call and ask how they would like their precinct committeemen to vote? Which of the candidates should they vote for?

Any enterprising reporter could get the voter lists and do a straw poll. They could call the precinct committeemen and ask them if they have been called and by whom. We know Suzanne Golden has been calling for Mark Schweibert (unlike Hare and Boland, it is above Mark to call himself).

Saturday many of the committeemen may be at the Moline Township Center to hear the candidates. Will an applause meter give an indication who they will back?

Jacobs Clan Keeps Mum

2006-04-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Jacobs clan is keeping mum. Perhaps they are waiting to see what the committeemen are going to do.

Denny Jacobs in the early 70s backed Republican Randy Thomas when he ran against Don Wooten. Don’t recall why.

So could the Jacobs folks endorse a Republican again? They definitely don’t like Boland, and one of them said he preferred Hare to Mark Schweibert. The Rock Island mayor would not agree to send the Casino to Moline; investors are still upset.

Are the Jacobs working a deal with conservative John Sullivavn?

Hare Jumps Ahead

2006-04-13T19:27:00.000-05:00

Phil Hare, backed by many of the people he has worked to get elected to public office, today graciously accepted their endorsement to run for Congress in the 17th District.

He spoke with sincerity and seemed confident that he would gain the support of the committeemen in the district no matter if the vacancies were filled or not filled by the time an election was held.

He has the backing of more than half of the district’s committeemen now. Phil can’t wait to take on Andrea Zinga in the debates.

Meanwhile. Mike Boland hopes to be a spoiler. But as Mark Schweibert learned, some Democrats remember their history. You cannot be a non-partisan Democrat and expect the loyal ones to vote for you.

Sen. Sullivan a Threat?

2006-04-09T08:39:00.000-05:00

Illinois Sate Senator John Sullivan is garnering support from the lower counties in the scramble for Lane Evans' seat. Even though he lives outside the 17th Congressional District he would be eligible to toss his hat in the ring, as would any other democrat in the State according to current interpretation of the rules.

Sullivan is from Quincy and represents the 47th Legislative District. Apparently he is seen as the dark horse in this now three-way horse race.

Either Boland or Hare will try to put the pressure on Sullivan to drop out. The big gun from Washington, Senator Dick Durbin, is being called to persuade Boland and Sullivan to drop out.

Why aren’t media political writers giving us bios of Hare, Boland and now Sullivan? The bloggers throw out tidbits that news writers quibble about, such as Hare not having a college degree.

Phil Hare Gets the Nod

2006-04-08T18:44:00.000-05:00

The reason John Gianulis said Lane Evans was “excited” about his endorsement, which he is going to announce on Thursday, is because it's Phil Hare, who was Lane’s own choice as his replacement in Congress.

Gianulis consulted with godfather Stewart Winstien and they settled on Hare. Gianulis informed Mike Boland of the decision, explaining that one of their concerns was the possibility of losing a sure Democratic seat in the State House to a Republican. Boland admits that it should be a concern; that’s why they should have given him more help than they did when he struggled to win and keep his seat.

Boland, however, is still lining up committeemen votes for a democratic election by the 17th Congressional District Chair Don Johnston. Boland hopes to impress at the April 15 forum in the Moline Township (to which several other county committeemen have been invited) that he is the strongest candidate to beat Zinga and not Hare.

Hare has to do some healing. Many former candidates claim that Hare doublespeaks. He promises help and then backs someone else, or siphons off volunteers and resources from the people he first promised to help after he changes his mind.

But this is politics and all will be forgiven in order to win and keep Lane’s seat Democratic.

John's Non-announcement Announcement

2006-04-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

John Gianulis’ non-announcement announcement at Friday’s press conference to say he was going to make an announcement next Thursday was perhaps a ploy to lure out what other party “leaders” were thinking.

By the way, why hasn’t the press hounded Phil Hare? You would think Lane’s own choice would have something to say as the battle between Don Johnston and John Gianulis swirls around. And why is Phil keeping mum?

Mike Boland says he will declare his intentions on Wednesday. Gianulis says he will announce his choice (the party’s choice he calls it—meaning him and Godfather Stuart Winstien) on Thursday. We get a day off and then Johnston says the precinct committeemen will hear from anyone who wants to run on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Suzanne Golden has been getting an earful about her candidate Mark Schweibert. Among other things she has heard is many consider him a Republican. At least one precinct committeeman has predicted that the golden haired candidate will turn Republican if he isn’t chosen this time around.

All this will make great reading Sunday. Wow! What a week to look forward to.

Awaiting Gianulis Endorsement

2006-04-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

John Gianulis was going make an announcement Monday and then postponed to today as to whom he was endorsing to fill the seat of Rep. Lane Evans. He would like to see someone who is young and has the charisma of Lane in his younger days.

Of all the precinct committeemen who have weighted votes (based on the turnout of Democratic voters in their precincts in the last primary election) Gianulis has the most with 313. The next highest is Doug House with 249. Some vacant precincts have as many as 200; the precinct committeeman with the lowest is Rev. Gabe Barber with only 17.

Word is Mark Schweibert is still a favorite of organizations such as Community Caring Conference, St. John’s Lutheran Church (where he is a deacon), the Chamber of Commerce, the Realtors, Rotary and other civic organizations. Some of his attorney friends and judges who think he talks too long in court would like to see him go to Washington.

Phil Hare, Lane's choice and someone who can win hands down over Zinga, does not seem to be garnering support from the party leadership.

Gianulis Holds Cards Close

2006-04-03T10:38:00.000-05:00

The pressure is on. Suzanne Golden, long time political activist, has been burning up the phone lines to some of the precinct committeemen trying to get commitments for Mark Schweibert in his bid to replace Rep. Lane Evans.

She was Schweibert's campaign manager for several of his past campaigns in his runs for mayor of Rock Island. He has probably put her back to work again. Unless of course, she is campaigning this time out of love for Mark.

John Gianulis, Democratic County Chairman, is getting an earful from Sue and others too. John is busy looking for 41 volunteer precinct committeemen to fill the vacancies. It's likely that he's looking for people whose votes he can count on when the meeting is called to endorse a candidate to replace Evans. Some of the new volunteers might actually go to the meeting and vote for themselves, but most will probably give John their proxy votes. He will have an additional 15 to 16 other committed committeemen votes when the meeting is called; so John may have a total of 56 to 60 proxies in hand.

Hare has had his share of arguments and differences with Gianulis and Don Johnston, 17^th District chairman. Does he think he will be on their list of likely nominees?

The leadership of the Quad City Federation of Labor has told Gianulis who they would like in Lane's position. Neither Schweibert, Boland nor Hare are on John's list.

Wilson Luncheon Cabal

2006-03-30T23:18:00.000-06:00

I imagine the Republican/Democrat cabal that meets in the Wilson dining room of Augustana College will have plenty to rue about at their next luncheon meeting. Their choice of course is Mark Schweibert to replace Lane Evans.

Mark is their kind of Democrat. He is busy clearing Rock Island of “poor” citizens--thus making investment in new construction of high priced condos and houses more attractive to developers and Mel Foster and Ruhl and Ruhl (of the lunch group).

Furthermore, Mark has the backing of the gambling syndicate who are pals of the cabal. There is a lot riding on the move from downtown Rock Island to the hinterlands. And, of course, there is nothing like having even one more legislator in the pockets of the syndicate.

Mark and his colleagues across the river have made gambling a respectable sport. The Illinois QC paper even has a column on how to improve your poker playing. And Walgreens sells kids poker games. There was story in the newspaper about a mother who thought it was great to know her kids were playing poker for “fun” in her basement. She said knew where they were. Of course, she doesn’t know where they are going.

On the Casino’s upper deck you can lose $10,000 or more; below, the older folk squander their social security and pension checks. Meanwhile, the government sends local agencies tax money to pay for rents, deposits and utilities of those who have gambled away their wages. We even have homeless shelters for those who get evicted and food pantries to insure the children won't starve.

Mark choked up on TV anguishing over Lane’s announcement; but he soon got over it saying he was looking forward to replacing Lane. He can now look forward to the Wilson dining room cabal extending another invitation to him.

Stay Home, Mark

2006-03-28T00:12:00.000-06:00

In recent months Rock Island Mayor Mark Schweibert has been using every photo opportunity to be in the presence of Senator Barack Obama. This is the same guy who rarely is seen at Democratic functions.

The other day he was standing beside the founder of Habitat for Humanity celebrating the construction of a new house. This is ironic. At the rate Habitat builds (2 to 4 houses a year) it would take 40 years to replace what Mark has destroyed. Mark’s record includes responsibility for demolition of nearly 160 apartments (87 in Valley Homes and 80 in Arsenal Courts) previously occupied by families with low incomes. “Let our sister cities take the poor,” he says.
He resisted the re-naming of 9th St., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (he approved an ordinance that limits the signs to three or four crossings). He resists naming a Human Relations Commission (the current 1968 ordinance is outdated). He resisted changing the at-large election system to the current ward system. He pushed for “Super City” even after the proponents failed to secure the number of required signatures to place the issue on the ballot. He said the advantage was “economies of scale.” He is responsible for championing the return of gambling to “Sin City.”
Mark hopes to be tapped by John Gianulis to replace Lane Evans. The party chairman should look elsewhere. We don’t need another legislator backed by gambling syndicates.

Carp for Prisoners

2006-03-27T23:36:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago, the Illinois Department of Corrections decided to end its contract with Roosevelt University of Chicago because it could not come up with all the $250,000 for its undergraduate program at the East Moline Correctional Center and two other minimum correctional centers. Black Hawk College ended its relationship of many years and was replaced by Illinois Central College of Peoria. A library was also closed.

Over the years many prisoners either earned their degrees while still in the institutions or continued their education once they left. Now that possibility has ended. The emphasis, apart from GEDs, is on vocational training. Learning a trade is supposed to make the ex-cons more employable. Considering the fact that the recidivism rate for the lesser educated is much higher than for those with a college education, it would seem the investment pays off. It costs almost $30,000 a year to incarcerate someone and provide “three hots and a cot.”

A “statement of purpose” for the IDOC includes providing “programs and services designed to return offenders to the community with skills to be useful and productive citizens.”

If Senator Mike Jacobs believes feeding carp to prisoners will save money, he ought to consider utilizing the savings for useful purposes, such as higher education.

Virgin Mary, Shadows

2006-03-27T22:46:00.000-06:00

At a dinner gathering on Sunday night I ran into a couple of acquaintances. Their first question was: Have you seen the Virgin Mary? I asked them if they had. "Yes," they replied, and so have many of their friends and family. In fact one of the friends has been visiting every night since Mary was first sighted. According to news reports a local parish priest has even recited the rosary with faithful parishioners. A former mayor says her appearance has something to do with Lent. My dinner colleagues said doubters should visit. Well, it is still cold out there. Besides I can visit any Catholic church and see images of the Virgin Mary in daylight. I wonder why she would want to appear under a bridge and hide in the shadows? Didn’t someone say life is an illusion?

Lane Evans Causes A Stir

2006-03-17T17:44:00.000-06:00

The recent story that illness has caused Evans to be away from Congress, missing 33 votes, has caused a flurry of activity, discussions and speculation. The 17th Congressional District county chairmen would make the decision to replace Evans in the event he steps down. Observers say former Senator Denny Jacobs sees this as another opportunity for an appointment--either himself or his son. The county chair votes in the district are weighted. Rock Island has 20 percent of the total. So the pressure is on the other county chairs from various factions in Rock Island County.

Since 1995, when it was revealed that Lane Evans was a victim of Parkinson’s disease, the then Senator Denny Jacobs hoped to be his replacement. But so did others close to Evans. Lane has hung on bravely fighting the odds and overcoming barriers to continue to serve in Congress. Meanwhile, Evans keeps Denny, Mike, Mark Schweibert (long time mayor of Rock Island whose name has been tossed around for the past year or so) and Evans’ aide Phil Hare on the edge of their seats. A logical replacement is Representative Mike Boland, the only local candidate endorsed by Citizen Action; but this is politics.

Mike just does it!

2006-03-17T17:34:00.000-06:00

Some Democrats at home and in political office are upset with a recent mailing received from appointed Senator Mike Jacobs. It seems that except for Congressman Lane Evans, who actually endorsed him, the others displayed in the photos were unaware that the Jacobs campaign used their photographs. The flyer gives the impression that they also had endorsed him. The Senator, who believes he should be “re-elected,” failed to get the endorsement of Citizen Action, the statewide “progressives” organization. Some Springfield observers here complain that Jacobs also gives the impression that he “works with” his colleagues in the House. But recently he reached across the aisle and joined with Republicans to vote against bills sponsored by House Democrats. He took the position of the corporate lobbyists who believe that child labor in developing countries helps keep the cost of goods low. He even voted against helping volunteer firemen in small towns from getting increased benefits from their place of employment. His behavior is “unbelievable,” says a colleague. The March 17 slick mailing from Mike Jacobs explains it; it was paid for by the Manufacturers PAC and the Illinois Merchants PAC.

God, man, woman, and sea horses

2006-03-16T00:06:00.000-06:00

There was an amusing photo this morning in the local QC Times newspaper. A woman is holding a sign: "1 Man…1 Woman. God said It! That settles It!" Her six-year-old daughter is holding our flag. They were participating in a gathering of opponents to gay marriage. A Monsignor Frank Bognanno is quoted as saying, "We recognize that if marriage includes everything, then marriage becomes nothing."

I wonder what he means exactly. As a celibate ( I presume), how would he know what marriage includes or excludes? How does the Wellsburg, Iowa woman explain to her daughter the androgynous behavior of another of God’s creations: sea horses. It is my understanding that after mating the male becomes the mother. Does anyone know if God has spoken to sea horses?

Defeating Terrorists

2006-03-13T23:23:00.000-06:00

The President claims our mission is to defeat terrorists wherever they are. We agree. How about the terrorists at home? Long before 9/11, Timothy McVeigh and his ilk terrorized us to such an extent that a Sikh (Asian Indian) was shot dead in a gas station, and others who looked like "Arabs" were harassed. The Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report keeps track of our own homegrown terrorists and their nefarious activities. We would like to see a "war on terror" here at home.

The anti-immigrant fervor reminds one of early days when southern Europeans, Jews, Irish, Chinese, Japanese were "mistreated" to say it politely. Native Americans, Afro Americans, Chicanos and other people of color have survived local terrorists in small towns and large cities ever since the idea spread that white skinned immigrants were "original" Americans. We take the President's words to heart. Local terrorists better watch out; we are going to defeat them.

Sunday afternoon in dowtown Rock Island

2006-03-12T21:40:00.000-06:00

I took a cruise downtown this Sunday to show a couple of friends the "changes" they had heard about. Both friends are older women who don't venture downtown very often. They were surprised to see the several vacant storefronts. Both of them wondered what was with the "gates" that prevented traffic between 17th and 18th Streets. I explained that it was to allow the tenants of the downtown condos adequate parking spaces at night. I could not recall when the gates are closed; there is no sign large enough to indicate these times. We did not encounter a single pedestrian during our 15 minute drive through the blocks on 2nd and 3rd Avenues. We thought perhaps we could get a cup of coffee, but only Bennigan's seemed to be open, so we left downtown disappointed. My friends were impressed with the number of new buildings. I told them when the $5 million condo above the Hosuing Authority offices would be completed and the $4.5 million Sala apartments were occupied, we would perhaps see some downtown activity. As we passed the Library, we sighed and said we missed visiting it on Sundays.

Latinos, Non-Citizens and Other Minorities die in Iraq

2006-02-08T01:15:00.000-06:00

When I last wrote in August, the number of dead U.S. Military in Iraq was 1,862. As of November 1, it was 2,035. The total loss of lives is much higher, however; including the Coalition forces, the total as of yesterday was 2,244.

If one were to include other casualties, the total estimated dead to date is more than 32,000 in Iraq with more than 15,220 U.S. wounded U.S. One U.S. soldier is listed as captured.

As of October 29, there were 248 contractors killed, 105 American. A total of 53 journalists, including several American. Iraqi police deaths total 4,239 and 1,641 military personnel. Between 26,000 and 30,000 civilian men, women and children have died.

For those concerned about the increasing number of immigrants in the country, Hispanics lead with more than 211 deaths compared to other groups. African American deaths were more than 203. Asians, Native Americans, Pacific Islander deaths are all in double digits. A total of almost 27 percent are from minority groups. Listed as white are more than 1,400.

There is very little news about how our 15,200 wounded are faring; most are disillusioned about their future. Because of the advances in medical care at the war front, many wounded live out their lives maimed and without limbs.

Unfortunately, casualties will continue to rise, since there is no plan to end the war. If all celebratory activities ( such as the World Series, Super Bowl, NASCAR and ice hockey) in the country ceased until the troops came home, Congress and the President would act deliberately. Support our troops bring them home whole and well. You can learn more on www.icasualties.org.

Rock Island's Downtown Blues

2006-01-03T22:56:00.000-06:00

Now that the Casino is leaving downtown Rock Island and moving to another location within the city, the coumcil officials who promised great happenings downtown, have new "visions".

Looking for a new director to revive the failing bar businesses, the council is probaly going to do what it frequently does with tax payers money: hire a consultant.

It took more than 20 years and more than a million dollars to admit paving the downtown streets to create a mall was a wrong idea. One block was re-opened as a street ( but is gated after 10 p.m.). (More than 13 businesses collapsed the first year after the mall was installed). Now two blocks still remain as the "downtown plaza". Except for one retail clothing store ( catering to Chicago hipster dressers), three restaurants, an "intellectual" coffee shop, a never open antique store, and half a dozen bars remain. The bars frequently change owners. Empty storefronts are yet to be filled.

While the city continues to subsidize condo developers downtown ( one reason why the re-opened street is gated at 10 p.m.--needed parking for tenants), small business owners keep getting dunned for more taxes. Another reason why the linchpin bar, Rock Island Brewing Co., is wanting out. The once popular bar ( which created many imitators) is on the wane.

The council continues to ignore the more than 24 percent minority polulation "sheltered" less than a mile away. Until Fair Housing laws were enacted in the late '60s, most of the African American residents had no other place to live. Only one minority owned business is on the downtown "plaza"--a Chinese restaurant whose owner lives in another city.

Suggestion, instead of subsiziding private developers ( and the city's own not for profit developer--the local housing authority), small business entreprenuers should be helped with rent, utilities or tax rebates. Funds for facades is a one time deal. Businesses have to survive the whole year.

Despite downtown, urban style condo apartments, the population of the city continues to decline.
Residents with low incomes who are being pushed out of the city outnumber the temporary "urbanites" who move in to the "upscale" high rent apartments.

Doesn't take an urban planner to figure out downtowns need to cater to the population that lives the nearest with retail businesses that meet their interests.

But Rock Island remains embarassed because it has the largest percentage of minority residents than any of the Quad Cities. So there will be no effort to bring "them" downtown.