Stroger Vetoes Sales Tax Rollback
Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
By Shanita Bigelow
Todd Stroger, Board President,Todd Stroger, Board President,
The Cook County Board of Commissioners last week voted 12- 5 for a half-cent rollback on the controversial one percent sales tax increase.
Todd Stroger, Board President, hoping that his pleas for the poor and uninsured will prevent the board from overriding his decision, was joined by nurses, doctors, clergy and community residents in front of the main entrance of Stroger Hospital, located at 630 S. Winchester in Chicago this past Monday. Stroger met with the group to formally veto a half penny rollback in the County’s portion of its 1.75 cent sales tax. A new law lessens the number of votes necessary to override a veto from four fifths to three fifths.
Stroger and other supporters of the tax argue that a rollback would be extremely detrimental to the county’s health care system, and could curtail services or even shut some hospital and clinic doors. Reports that Provident and Oak Forest hospitals and clinics on the south and west sides would be the likely candidates, have caused much concern.
“If that [rollback] happens, people of color will be most impacted… The facts are there in black and white,” said Sean Howard, spokesman for Stroger’s office. “All residents should contact their commissioners…because it’s going to be doomsday here in Cook County if this veto is overridden,” he said. “The state sales tax is 10.25% and…we account for 1.75% of that. No one has asked [Mayor] Daley to repeal the nine sales taxes he’s pushed through,” he continued.
Howard called out Commissioners Robert Steele (2nd district) and Earlean Collins (1st), who voted for the rollback, as many of their constituents would be affected by potential cuts in service. Steele and Collins did not return phone calls by press time when the Citizen called to ask about their votes.
Commissioner Anthony Peraica (16th), an unwavering opponent to the tax since its inception, also believes the facts are in black and white. Peraica, who supports a half-cent rollback on the one percent sales tax increase, appeared on WGN Television last week where he said the rollback would not affect the hospitals and clinics, many of which serve Blacks and Hispanics. However, calls to ask about specifics regarding how the healthcare system would be funded without the sales tax also went unreturned by Peraica.
Last week, however, at a meeting to pass President Stroger’s proposed 2010 budget, Cook County Health & Hospital System management said that the half penny rollback would severely impact funding for the system, which already expects to start the 2011 fiscal year with a deficit of roughly $100 million over funding for 2010 as well as lead to the closure of both Provident and Oak Forest Hospitals, in addition to some or all of Cook County’s 16 neighborhood health clinics.
Remembering Harold: Washington's Fraternity Carries on Legacy Through Community Service
Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
By Shanita Bigelow
Historical photo of the men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
As we remember Harold Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor, and his legacy of public service on the anniversary of his death on November 25, 1987, Washington’s fraternity brothers are upholding his call for community involvement by serving from the heart.
After serving in World War II, Washington enrolled at Roosevelt University, where he joined Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. (PBS). While at Roosevelt, he also received his first elected position as class president during his senior year, according to the Black Americans in Congress (BAIC) website.
He began to come into his own as a political leader after attending law school at Northwestern University and practicing at his father ’s firm, according to BAIC. Like his Sigma brothers, he aimed to “provide the greatest possible service to human kind,” according to Marco McMillian, Executive Director of PBS.
PBS, founded in 1914 at Howard University in Washington D.C., began as an organization ingrained in the community. Committed to a life of service, the fraternity is now an international organization comprised of 150,000 college-educated men. Today’s members still honor members like Washington because they all, “served from behind the heart,” McMillian said.
Projects PBS is working on includes creating healthy communities through raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. Other community projects include a national mentoring program for males between the ages of 8-18 where the organization provides opportunities for the development of young men as they prepare for college and the workforce.
Through the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the Boy Scouts of America and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the fraternity is able to speak to its mission of addressing societal ills including health disparities, developmental issues and educational challenges for young males.
“You can do a whole lot more with others…I wanted to be a part of a movement, a movement that will forever continue to progress,” McMillian stated as he talked about why service is important.
Oprah’s New Venture Begins New Chapter In Television
Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus, Global News
by Lisette Livingston
Oprah Winfrey
Talk show queen and media superstar Oprah Winfrey may be ending an era when she ends her show on 2011 but by starting a new cable network, Winfrey is embarking on a whole new era.
In a heart-felt message to her viewers, Winfrey, holding back tears last week, talked about why she decided to end her show after a quarter of a century on the air.
“These years with you, our viewers, have enriched my life beyond all measure. And you all have graciously invited me into your living rooms, into your kitchens and into your lives. And for some of you longtime Oprah viewers, you have literally “grown up” with me—we’ve grown together. You had your families, and you raised your children and you left a spot for me in your morning or your afternoon, depending on when The Oprah Show airs in your town.
“So I just wanted to say that whether you’ve been here with me from the beginning or you came on board last week, I want you all to know that my relationship with you is one that I hold very dear. And your trust in me, the sharing of your precious time every day with me has brought me the greatest joy I have ever known.
“So here we are, halfway through the season, 24, and it still means as much to me to spend an hour every day with you as it did back in 1986. So why walk away and make next season the last? Here is the real reason: I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say good-bye…So I hope that you will take this 18-month ride with me right through to the final show,” she said. But after production wraps up on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey plans to appear and participate in new programming for , a 24-hour cable network that reflects her vision, values and interests. The launch date for OWN, a joint venture with Discovery Communications, is now set for January 2011. OWN will debut in approximately 80 million homes. The venture also will include the award-winning digital platform, Oprah.com.
“Oprah has been nourishing people through her television show for nearly 25 years, a legacy that has touched millions the world over,” said Christina Norman, CEO of OWN. “She is the life force behind OWN and will be guiding the effort for this com pletely new 24-hour television experience premiering in January 2011,” he said.
In reference to the announcement, Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav said, “There is no bigger brand in media than Oprah Winfrey. She has changed the broadcast landscape and how people consume television. Along the way, she impacted our culture and touched us all. We congratulate her and our friends at Harpo for their many achievements, and their years of creating truly ground-breaking television. Discovery Communications has a tremendous partner in Oprah, and we look forward to bringing her and her creative vision, programming and unique voice to approximately 80 million homes on OWN, as well as online through the award-winning Oprah.com.”
On Harpo.com, OWN is described as a “network of self-discovery, connecting people to each other and to their greatest potential. We tell real life stories that are emotional and entertaining. We present moments of transformation that inspire action. We give you the tools to fuel your own self-discovery and live your best life.”
OWN will target adults between the ages of 18 and 49. Programming will include a mix of nonfiction, short form programming, movies, documentaries, and acquisitions and the project will be headquartered in Los Angeles, CA.
Launched nationally in 1986, is viewed by an estimated 42 million viewers each week in the United States.* Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show have received 48 Daytime Emmy Awards®, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 23 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.** It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215 domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution and to 145 countries by CBS Studios International.
Harpo Productions, Inc. produces the number one–rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show; creates and develops original TV programming for primetime, syndication and cable television; and operates Oprah.com (), a premier lifestyle website. ZoCo Productions, LLC, an affiliate of Harpo Productions, Inc., and Sony Pictures Television co-produce . Harpo Print, LLC and Hearst Magazines publish the monthly publication. produces feature films and, through an exclusive deal with HBO, scripted television programming. Harpo Radio, Inc. produces (XM channel 156, Sirius channel 195 as part of its “Best of XM” package) on Sirius XM Radio.
Transforming Neighborhoods
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
by Lesley R. Chinn
Harris Family Home in North Lawndale
Building and strengthening communities takes a block-by-block effort and Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) knows it’s not an easy job.
NHS executive director Bruce Gottschall, who will retire from the 35- year-old agency in December, has been at the helm from the beginning to see that neighborhoods such as North Pullman, North Lawndale, Roseland, and Auburn Gresham, slowly come back to life.
Some of the properties include rehabbing a three-story historic North Pullman property after years of abandonment. Through the Neighborhood Historic Trust, NHS was able to get financing from the Neighborhood Historic Trust in restoring the property.
Just a mile away, Roseland has seen new growth with new 17 affordable, homes near 105th Street between Michigan and Edbrooke. Rental construction properties built nearby and a senior housing facility are other projects NHS has worked on. Changes like these, can make a world of difference, Gottschall said. “People were afraid to walk down the street, but those developments helped change the [area] completely,” he said.
Change occurred in Auburn-Gresham when two vacant bungalow homes on 78th and Throop were rehabbed after they were purchased by NHS and sold to homeowners. NHS worked with the city to obtain grants anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for extra improvements for residents to get new windows and other rehab work performed. Another vacant property in North Lawndale was rehabbed through the assistance of NHS. “NHS helps people get into ownership and get involved in their neighborhood. Blocks where people are working together…we find that it has a positive effect on keeping neighborhoods together, even if there are some foreclosures,” Gottschall stated.
A key to NHS’ success under Gottschall’s leadership was through the “First $100 Million Loan Pool.” Created in 2002 by the former Chicago Department of Housing (now the Department of Community Development), this neighborhood lending program was comprised of funds which came from 26 different banks. Additional funding sources included the City of Chicago which helped low-to-moderate income borrowers become homeowners, fix up their property or keep their homes. Just this past April, more than $110 million came from 19 different banks, Gottschall recalled, adding that it makes it easier for individuals to get a loan.
As the neighborhoods saw improvement, opportunities to build banks in the community began to increase with the additions of Seaway Bank and Trust in Roseland, and Fifth Third Bank in Auburn Gresham, just to name a few. For many years, lenders weren’t willing to lend to these communities, Gottschall said. “A lot of the neighborhoods have shown lots of improvement and people are [beginning to see] a bright future. It’s not a process that happens overnight, but if things happen one-by-one, building on things [block-by-block] can make a difference,” he said.
CPS Board President’s Death, a Flurry of Confusion, Disbelief and Grief
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
by Shanita Bigelow
(CPS) Board President Michael Scott
Reports that a body found floating in the Chicago River early Monday morning was that of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board President Michael Scott shocked friends and family.
“I’m stunned beyond all belief,” Rev. Jesse Jackson, Scott’s friend of more than 25 years, said Monday morning in a media statement. “Michael was always so full of life, so effervescent and always had this capacity to solve problems. That’s why people leaned on Michael, because he was a problem solver, a negotiator, a navigator. He could take on tough situations and leave all parties feeling a sense of wholeness…”
Scott was reported missing Sunday night as he failed to return home after visiting his sister at an assisted living facility in the South Loop. The body, allegedly Scott, was discovered at around 3:00 a.m. on Monday morning while a Cadillac registered in his name was also found at the scene.
Initial reports were vague as to a cause of death, but as the morning and afternoon hours wore on, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Scott’s death a suicide. However, at a news conference on Monday afternoon, Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said detectives were continuing their death investigation. Jackson who spoke to Scott about a week ago in regards to the safe passage of Fenger High School students to and from school, suggested that he detected no indication that Scott was in trouble or troubled.
“We know nothing except [that] he was such a faithful servant,” Jackson said.
by Shanita Bigelow
Scott, who grew up in Lawndale, has been serving Chicago for decades, in the community as well as for city government. He was serving his third term on the Chicago Board of Education, his second time as CPS Board President, appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley. Scott recommended Rufus Williams, a sports agent, take his place, but was reinstated after Williams resigned.
Earlier this year Scott was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in relation to an investigation of selective-enrollment practices at Chicago’s more elite public high schools, according to reports. He’d also come under scrutiny as a member of Daley’s 2016 Olympic committee due to the proposed development of a lot he owned for the games. Scott, president of Michael Scott & Associates, a private real estate develop ment company, refuted all claims of “conflict of interest” or personal gain, according to news reports.
As Chicagoans, friends and family mourn the death of Scott, he will be remembered as “all of our guy,” Jackson continued.
Stroger Decides Not To Attend Forum After Reports Show Opponents Used the Same Volunteers
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger
by Lesley R. Chinn
A controversy alleging a conspiracy to oust Cook County Board President Todd Stroger prompted the incumbent not to appear at a candidates forum on the Northside.
The alleged conspiracy involves Stroger’s opponent s in the race for Cook County Board President including Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown and Terrence O’Brien, president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. A Chicago-Sun-times investigation showed Brown and O’Brien used the same campaign volunteers to circulate petitions.
After Stroger failed to appear at a forum for Cook County Board primary candidates, his campaign released a statement on Monday morning. The campaign stated that “due to the strong nature of the allegations now detailed on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times, it was then decided that the President not attend the 43rd Ward forum…” Vincent Williams, Stroger’s campaign manager, also noted that the President attended another candidates’ forum last Saturday in Oak Park.
The petitions showed 10 out of O’Brien’s 2,000-plus petitions resembled the ones Brown submitted, according to a Sun- Times investigation. Nearly 200 voters signed 10 petitions for O’Brien in the same order they signed for Brown’s petitions. Three people circulated 10 petitions. Two notaries stamped more than 200 petitions for O’Brien and more than 75 for Brown.
The Sun-Times also discovered that two longtime Democratic supporters—-Sam Morabito and Teresa Navarro—-reportedly notarized petitions circulated by 25 people for O’Brien or Brown. Morabito notarized 150 petitions for O’Brien and 42 for Brown. Morabito is an assistant chief operating engineer for the city’s aviation department while Navarro landed a city job with the assistance of the 33rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization, according to reports.
Another petition circulator, Jeremy Dean, who identified himself as a stand-up comedian, gathered 80 signatures for Brown and 45 from O’Brien. Sam Butcher, a Northwest side resident, gathered 60 signatures for O’Brien and Brown.
Andrew J. Tolbert, another Northwest side resident, gathered 280 signatures for Brown and 45 for O’Brien. Nearly a majority of all the voters who signed O’Brien’s petitions also signed Brown, which includes Tolbert, who signed his own name on three—-once for O’Brien and twice for Brown, the Sun-times investigation uncovered. In response, the Brown campaign said in a released statement that they did not, “authorize anyone to circulate petitions for any other candidate,” and that “Dorothy Brown is not working with Terry O’Brien.” Calls to O’Brien’s campaign office however, went unreturned.
Federal Funding to Help Develop Bionic Limb Technology
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus, Global News
by Shanita Bigelow
Senator Dick Durbin recently announced the U.S. Senate approval of $52 million in federal funds for defense projects and facilities in Illinois. More than ten Illinois defense related projects received a share of the $52 million. Along with Columbia College Chicago’s Construct Program, which will develop computer simulations for military training, a number of other entities including the Illinois Army National Guard MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) Vehicle Virtual Trainers program; the Loyola University Medical Center Burn and Shock Trauma Institute and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) were granted between $2 million and $8 million.
The number one rehabilitation hospital in the nation, RIC, secured $2.5 million to aid in the development of technology for bionic limbs.
Prosthetic technology has a long and varied history, according to the University of Iowa Health Care’s Medical Museum: from a copper and wooden leg dating back to 300 BCE, found in Italy, and iron limbs welded for soldiers in the 15th and 16th centuries, to lightweight, plastic limbs developed after World War II.
While the science of prosthetic legs has garnered much success (battery powered knees, etc.), artificial arms and hands have not, at least, not until more recent innovations. RIC’s Neural Engineering Center for Artificial Limbs (NECAL) is currently working with techniques called “targeted reinnervation” (TMR), so as to expand the range and complexity of motion of artificial limbs, and “sensory reinnervation,” which would allow patients a renewed sense of touch.
Jesse Sullivan, former high power electric lineman, lost both arms after being electrocuted in May 2001. Four years later he was able to pick up a cup, mow his lawn, go fishing and hug his grandson, according to RIC.
Since Sullivan, about 30 people, eight of which were soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, have undergone the procedure, according to the New York Times.
With these bionic arms, amputees are able to think of action and do it. Nerves from the amputee are attached to a healthy muscle, usually in the chest or upper arm, allowing them to move the prosthetic limb as if it were real. While prosthetic limbs have certainly come a long way, there is still much research and development to be done.
Caring for the Uninsured: Free Clinic's, Health Care's Safety Net
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
by Shanita Bigelow
CommunityHealth patient, Maria Gomez, is shown being examined by a professional volunteer. CommunityHealth provides free programs and services from dermatology to cardiology to eligible applicants. Photo courtesy of CommunityHealth.
“I’m encouraged that the need for health care reform has come to the forefront,” said Judith Haasis, Executive Director of CommunityHealth, a Chicago free clinic serving the poor and uninsured. “There’s a renewed appreciation and understanding for reform. That is progress”
Illinois’ uninsured number more than 1.8 million, according to CommunityHealth, and 1.3 million reside in Chicago.
“We are that piece of the health care safety net that catches [this] vulnerable [population],” Haasis said. CommunityHealth is one of the largest free clinics in Illinois and one of the largest in the nation with 14 exam rooms and over 600 dedicated volunteers, ranging from physicians, medical students and nurses to translators, lab and pharmacy technicians, according to Haasis.
Primarily serving the working class, CommunityHealth provides the “respectful environment all deserve,” Haasis stated. The patients of CommunityHealth, mostly minorities (65% Latino, 10% African American) and mostly women (60%), receive compassionate and personalized care free of charge. Everything from lab work to prescriptions are available at no cost.
CommunityHealth, like many free clinics across the nation is not the stereotypical free clinic, denoted by small facilities and long, snaking lines, but welcomes the community and assesses their needs through a streamlined application process,assuring the best possible care from their first visit, according to Haasis. As Congress continues to wrestle with reform legislation, the public waits, the estimated 47 million of uninsured Americans wait for legislation that attends to their needs.
The most recent bill, approved by the Senate Finance Committee last week, “a product of vigorous debate and difficult negotiations…is not perfect [but]…goes a long towards offering security to those who have insurance, and affordable options for those who don’t,” President Barack Obama said in a released statement.
“Free clinics…believe that there will be a need for [them] for many years forward because [even] with meaningful long term reform for all there will be those that fall through the cracks,” Haasis contends.
Literacy Promotes Healthy Minds and Bodies
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
by Lesley R. Chinn
The talented Townes Brothers illustrate a story to Read In founder, Jill Ross' enchanting narration. Photo courtesy of University of Chicago Hospital Medical Center.
More than 300 children and adults recently shared in the joy of reading during a literacy event at Kennedy-King College during a Chicago Read-In program, produced by Literacy Live!, an organization founded by Jill Ross, author of The Shenanigans Series.
The celebration was sponsored by the University of Chicago Hospitals Medical Center and featured many performances by local artists, dancers, storytellers, visual artists, cellists, and spoken word artists. The hospital also works closely with members of the South Side Healthcare Collaborative (SSHC), a group of federally qualified health centers that offer comprehensive primary care to all ages regardless of their ability to pay.
Although the celebration focused on literacy in the African- American community, U of C Hospital Medical officials emphasized how literacy plays a role in promoting good health.
If people can read and research information about the symptoms they have or that someone else has before they visit the doctor, it will empower patients to ask doctors informed questions that may concern issues such as what kind of medicine they should take as opposed to the doctors over prescribing patients with medicine, said Susan Peters, manager of the Office of Community Affairs at the U of C Hospitals.
Some patients, Peters said, get over prescribed with medication because they don’t tell their doctors that they are either taking multiple prescription drugs or if they are allergic to a certain kind of medication.
“Literacy is not just about reading, but it is also about taking steps to being proactive about your health. You want to be informed about what your health options are now and reading is a way for you to get knowledge and information to manage your life,” she said.
Crime, Wal-Mart Top GCA Agenda
Posted on 02. Nov, 2009 by admin in Community Focus
by Lesley R. Chinn
With the exception of Lowe's and Potbelly's built at a shopping mall on 83rd and Stewart, much of the land remains vacant while the debate continues over whether a Wal-Mart store should set up shop in the 21st Ward. Photo by: Lesley R. Chinn.
Crime has continuously been a concern in Chatham and residents who attended a Greater Chatham Alliance (GCA) meeting last Saturday said they are fed up.
GCA members are currently working on analyzing their findings of neighborhood crime and they hope to combine their alerts with the police reports they previously made. So far, the alerts have been comprised of incidents that have included arson, burglaries, thefts, and robberies that occurred recently in Chatham, according to GCA officials. As they called for more police protection, GCA urged residents to continue calling the police and be aware of their surroundings in an effort to protect their homes against crime.
Meanwhile, GCA members announced they are currently making plans for an upcoming forum to discuss the pros and cons about having a Wal-Mart on 83rd and Stewart, which is located in the 21st Ward. Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. (21), who has been pushing for a Wal-Mart since 2004, said that he has approached other retail stores, but they declined to set up shop on 83rd and Stewart, where Lowe’s and Potbelly’s are currently located.
Brookins also said a Wal-Mart would help bring jobs and economic development to the community in addition to generating extra revenue to the city. He also pointed out that revenue is leaving the city when people shop at other Wal-Mart stores in the suburbs. For example, Brookins said $80 million was already spent by residents in his ward at Wal- Mart. The discussion on Wal-Mart is expected to continue at an upcoming City Council meeting in November, Brookins said.
State Sen. Bill Brady, a Republican candidate for Governor, previously introduced legislation in Springfield which allows big box retailers to be built despite obstacles in the Chicago City Council. “We need a clean break from the anti-business mentality of the past,” Brady said. “We need to reduce the cost of doing business in Illinois and make Illinois competitive again.”
On Tuesday, Brady launched his statewide jobs tour at the proposed Wal- Mart site on 83rd and Stewart where he announced a plan calling for a new 10 percent tax credit up to $2,100 for businesses that create new jobs in Illinois.
