PeoriaStory

Amy Goodman talks about real journalism

PEORIA -- The queen of independent media, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, spoke to a Bradley University audience on Oct. 30 about the work of real journalists, as opposed to "media personalities" who give out the news for the corporate media.

Goodman told of being beaten and arrested by St. Paul, Minnesota police as she and her team covered demonstrations at the Republican convention in 2008.  She sued and later won a six figure settlement.

"We've got to get out and get into the streets," she said, because that's where the real stories are. "Democracy is a messy thing.  It's our job to capture it all."

After her arrest, the St. Paul police offered to let her cover the street demonstrations as an embedded reporter, she said. She refused.

The embedding process has brought the media to an all time low," she said.  "The Pentagon calls it a success, which is why it's a failure," in Iraq and Afghanistan, as it fails to bring to the public the brutal images and realities of war.

She warned of the press becoming embedded in the corporations, and said the media should be criticizing them, and covering their power.  "This is the fourth estate, not 'for the estate.'"

She also warned against the militarization of the police since the 9-11 attacks, and recalled how police attacked the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. 

Her talk stood in opposition to mainstream media figure Joe Klein who spoke at Bradley recently, and told how he was embedded with the military and praised it.

If Klein avoided the controversial topics of the day, Goodman plunged into them with stories she has covered, such as the execution of Troy Davis, an apparently  innocent man sent to his death last year by Georgia and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, despite pleas from many prominent figures that his guilt was in doubt.

Now the state of California has a referendum on the ballot in November to end the death penalty there, she said.  The movement to end the death penalty is just one of many movements for social justice and change that the media should be following, she said.

Real journalists should be talking to grass roots and movement people, to reveal their humanity and to dispel prejudice and stereotypes so they cannot be demonized, she said.

She defined the corporate media personalities as "the small circle of pundits who know so little about so much, explaining the world to us and get it wrong."

Regarding the Occupy Wall Street movement, she said, the corporate media ignored it for a week, then said "what do they want," while not realizing that the movement had coined "the most successful slogan in U.S. history, 'we are the 99 percent.' " 

"Whether you agree with it or not, you know what it means," she said.

On climate change, a subject not discussed by Klein or the presidental candidates, she said people in the environmental movement are not a "fringe minority" or a "silent majority" but instead are  a growing majority silenced by the corporate media.

"i want to change the landscape of what is acceptable in the media," she said."The media should be a huge kitchen table stretched around the globe to discuss the big issues, war and peace." 

"If you're involved with social change, you help to build the future," she said.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Traitor Democrats

PEORIA -- Two similar letters arrived in the snail mail today, from three traitor Democrats.

Both letters were professionally produced, and neither had a union 'bug' showing that a union shop produced these pieces of campaign literature. Both were addressed to "Dear Fellow Democrats."

Both were paid for by the campaigns of the Republican candidates they are supporting.

The first was from Peoria City Council member and Democrat Barbara Van Auken, supporting Republican Pat Sullivan for the State Senate against incumbent Democrat Dave Koehler. 

The second was from two former Peoria County Board chairpersons, Democrats Dave Williams and Sharon Kennedy. They are suppporting Republican Frank Ierulli for State's Attorney against Democrat Jerry Brady.

My first thought was to wonder why they are doing this. 

Then I wondered what they hope to get from Cong. Aaron Schock, who is reportedly financing all the Republican campaigns against incumbent Democrats. Do they want jobs for themselves or their pals or relatives?  Or worse, were they, or will they be 'rewarded' secretly?

Alas, the Peoria Journal Star has so gutted its news staff that apparently no one has time to check the campaign finance reports, to see  how much Schock is spending to elect Republicans.Or who is getting the money.

But back to the two letters.  Van Auken has an opponent for City Council next spring, Chuck Grayeb.  I hereby endorse him, and call on Van Auken to officially declare herself a Republican.  We'll be watching to see who contributes to her campaign, too. 

Williams and Kennedy have retired from politics.  Neither had a great record as chairpersons of the board, so good riddance.  Their judgment isn't worth much. I doubt their endorsement will help Ierulli.  But they probably have relatives who need jobs.

I hope I never see any of this trio of traitors at any Demo Party event ever again.

I will remind them that the last Peoria Democrat to publicly endorse a Republican, Patty Polk, made a huge mistake and her spouse Jim Polk soon afterwards lost an election. 

Private opinions are one thing, but to publicly endorse people from the other party, the party that helped you win an elective post, makes you a traitor. Begone!

 -- Elaine Hopkins

PS-- Then there's Republican Bobby Schilling, who sent out a mailed 'newsletter' called The Illinois Democrat, apparently hoping to fool the naive into believing he is a Democrat. See a report from WCBU-FM on this newsletter.

He's a one term incumbent running for Congress in the 17th Congressional District against real Democrat Cheri Bustos, in a campaign that has produced lies in TV commercials against her.

This 'newsletter' bragged of union support for Schilling, despite the fact that all but one area union has endorsed Bustos. It also didn't have a union 'bug' on it.

For shame.

Those who don't believe in separation of church and state

PEORIA -- From a news release, an event that looks interesting:

Understanding Muslim Societies
Islamist Movements: When Religion and Politics Are Not Separate

Dr. Nathan Brown
Elliott School of International Affairs at Georgetown University
Author of When Victory Is Not an Option, an exploration of the deeper involvement of Islamist groups in the electoral processes of the Middle East. 

While elections are more free in the Middle East, they are not yet fair.  Join us as we look more closely at the emerging roles of Islamist movements as part of a larger task of understanding Muslim societies.

Thursday, November 15, 2012
Westlake 116, Bradley University
Presentation begins at 7:00 pm and is free and open to all.
To register for the preceding dinner, please click on the flyer.

This program is co-sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the World Affairs Councils of America, and the Peoria Area World Affairs Council.

 

Download the program registration flyer here, or register online at ArtsPartners under PAWAC.

Heartland Festival Orchestra memoralizes Ambassador Chris Stevens

PEORIA -- The Heartland Festival Orchestra's moving, beautiful rendition of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, the Eroica or Heroic Symphony, was dedicated to the memory of Ambassador Chris Stevens, the step brother of Heartland artistic director and conductor David Commanday.

The orchestra presented the concert on Oct. 27, at Five Points in Washington, Il.

The Beethoven symphony had been planned months in advance of Stevens' tragic death in Libya, Commanday said. Its themes make it a fitting piece to memoralize Stevens. 

Commanday also played the cello in a string sextet in a memorial service for Stevens on Oct. 16 in San Franciso, an event streamed live on the web, and attended by dignitaries from around the world, according to the program.

In a brilliant introduction to the symphony, Commanday spoke of Beethoven, who first dedicated the work to Napoleon, then ripped apart the dedication page when Napoleon declared himself Emperor, thus subverting the ideals of the French Revolution, liberty, equality and the dignity of ordinary people.

Commanday linked those ideals with the work of Stevens, whose career was dedicated to peace and international understanding. Here are Commanday's complete  remarks.  

The music itself was wonderfully done, as usual with this unique orchestra.  Its sound is rich, its timing precise, and it made the most of the famous symphony, to receive a standing ovation from the audience.

Two other works on the program, Rossini's The Silken Ladder Overture, and Michael Haydn's Concerto for Two Horns in E flat Major, were equally well done. 

The horn soloists Thomas and Tricia Jostlein, The Jostlein Horn Duo,  played their fascinating instruments up front, providing a close look at the horns and the techniques used to create their lovely sounds.

Both are award-winning musicians. He is with the St. Louis Symphony and the University of Illinois, and she is at Webster University in St. Louis, is Principal Horn of the Heartland Orchestra, and has been Principal Horn of the Omaha Symphony and Des Moines Metro Opera.

Then they joined the orchestra to play the Beethoven symphony.

Every concert from the Heartland Orchestra is different, and the diversity keeps the orchestra and its presentations fresh and interesting.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Schilling vs Bustos: a disappointment

PEORIA -- What if two candidates in a hotly contested election held a debate and ignored some of the most important issues in the race?

That's what happened in the Oct. 25 debate between two year incumbent Cong. Bobby Schilling and challenger Cheri Bustos, in an event televised on WTVP-TV, Channel 47 in Peoria, C-Span, and two NPR radio stations.

They are vying for the newly drawn 17th District seat in Congress.  Schilling, a Republican, was elected in 2010, defeating a Democrat.  The district was redrawn to favor a Democratic candidate, but the race is close. 

I was in the audience, and I believe Democrat Bustos won.  But lame questions from the three journalists --  two from NPR stations and a Bradley University journalism student --  seemed designed to keep the event non-controversial, even boring.

Outside before the show began, supporters from both candidates held lively competing rallys in a hard, cold rainstorm.  The Peoria Journal Star had an interesting web story on that confrontation, but took it down and replaced it with a story on the debate itself. 

Then inside, with the cameras rolling, the candidates were asked about how to develop jobs, how they would help voters in the large district, what is to be done about cutting the US budget deficit, free trade, even how they could lower gasoline prices.

In return, both candidates turned to the talking points of their respective parties.

Schilling said he is 'green' and supports clean air and clean water.  Then he railed against too much regulation of business and against the EPA -- a contradiction which Bustos ignored.

She made more specific points during the debate, and in my opinion won it.  But she missed many opportunities to explose the tea party-backed Schilling's support for the wacky ideas of his party. 

(For an interesting story on what would likely occur under a Romney/Ryan administration, which Schilling would support, read this.)

Here's the PJS story on the debate.

There were no questions about reproductive rights for women, and this hot, hot issue was not mentioned.  Schilling, a Catholic, is anti-choice, and I believe he supports allowing employers to pick and choose what medical procedures and drugs are available under Obamacare -- which means he supports denying women contraceptives if the boss decides to do that. He likely supports the notorious 'personhood' amendment, which would give rights to embryos.

For all we know, he believes God approves of rape or sends pregnancy to punish a woman who tempted a man to rape her.

He at least could have been asked whether he disagrees with anything in the notorious Republican Party platform.  He wasn't asked.

And he likely will vote to ditch Obamacare, and probably already has voted that way since the House has cast many votes on that program.  That wasn't mentioned.

There was no mention of global warming/climate change, after the hottest summer on record in Illinois, combined with drought. There was no mention of foreign policy, wars, drones, civil liberties, immigration, student loan debt, forclosures, and a host of other issues dominating the national scene. 

There was no mention of poverty, even though many, many people in the 17th District are poor.

The two quarreled over Medicare without making it clear that Schilling supports Paul Ryan's voucher plan. The word 'voucher' was never uttered.

They argued over whether the plan Schilling supports will 'save' Medicare, and whether it will cost seniors more out of pocket. 

Bustos clearly has the better plan to 'save' Medicare.  She would preserve it as it is, while cutting costs by allowing conpetitive bidding for drugs and computerizing records to improve efficiency.

Schilling worries that a bureaucrat will get between the doctor and patient.  But I guess that's OK if it's the boss picking what insurance coverage women receive. (No contraceptives, but ED drugs are covered?)

Have candidates turned into lawyers, who never ask a question in court that they don't already know the answer to? 

That is, the candidates seem to utter only phrases that have been rehearsed, perhaps focus-tested, regardless of the questions of the journalists, and what the opponent says or doesn't say.

And the journalists let then get away with it.

Bustos seemed more spontaneous with a better grasp of facts and specific plans. 

Maybe that's the way to appeal to conservative Midwesterners who hate confrontation. But it made for a colorless debate, beige instead of red or blue.

If I were a teacher, Bustos would get a 'B' and Schilling would get a 'C.'

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Do abortion rights matter in local races? Yes!

PEORIA -- Republican candidate for State's Attorney Frank Ierulli has decided to attack Democratic candidate Jerry Brady on his support for abortion rights.

Here's a story from the WEEK-TV website on the issue.

Brady's response is not a profile in courage.  According to the TV story, he denies telling me, in person, with a witness present, that he's pro-choice. 

Then he says the state's attorney doesn't have a role in abortion rights.

From my perspective, Brady's pro-choice stand is a reason to vote for him!  As a precinct committeeperson in Peoria and on this blog I have endorsed him.

He should man up and give out the quote he gave me:  "I may be a Catholic but I didn't check my brains at the door," he said, as he affirmed he is pro-choice.  

Thousands of women and men agree with him.

Many political candidates who are Catholics say they are personally against abortion but do not believe the government should be telling women what to do with their bodies. That makes them pro-choice.

I will never vote for any candidate at any level who is not pro-choice, because you never know what post they will be running for next -- perhaps the state legislature or congress.

Brady said this to WEEK-TV: "That issue has no presence in prosecution of crime, management of the Peoria County State's Attorney's office," said Brady, "and frankly, I don't think it should be given any merit whatsoever to be part of a Peoria County State's Attorney's race."

That's not true! It's a woman's right to have an abortion if she needs one. The state's attorney protects our rights.

I have seen prosecutors and judges use abortion rights against women defendants ('she had an abortion, she's a bad person', or words to that effect).  Prosecutors also have a duty to protect the abortion clinic and its staff, patients and pro-choice advocates in Peoria, from the crazy fanatics.

Will Ierulli do that?  When I asked him the same question, what is your stand on women's reproductive rights, he gulped and looked sheepish, then said he's 'pro-life.' I took him at his word but I wasn't sure he really meant it.

So take your pick:  a cowardly pro-choice candidate or a cowardly pro-life candidate. Both seem to have checked their brains at the door.

 -- Elaine Hopkins  

 

Teacher evaluations at District 150

PEORIA -- Here's the Peoria Journal Star story on the Peoria District 150 School Board meeting of Oct. 23.

The public comments were limited to two minutes at the end of this 'committee of the whole' meeting, a set up designed to discourage comments from all but the most dedicated. The board is now live streaming its meetings, but censors out the public comments. 

In his two minutes, activist Terry Knapp responded to the board's acceptance of the teacher evaluation tool by noting that last spring the board fired several tenured teachers, some of whom are sueing, costing taxpayers money.

One told him she took a small buyout but said she did that only because she could not afford to sue. So much for justice.

Were these bad teachers?  Or did they merely get crosswise with an administrator?

The war on teachers continues, a very sad thing and one designed to make anyone with brains reluctant to become a teacher.

Here is a recording of the public comments.

Dist 150 Oct 23

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Saving Starved Rock, again

PEORIA  -- Here's a way to help save Starved Rock State Park from another corporate predator:

A sand mine quarry to mine sand for hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, located next to the east side of Starved Rock State Park, has received nearly all permits needed to proceed.

This mine will be in operation for an estimated 30 years, and will be blasting, running industrial type equipment, and creating silica type laden dust for decades to come.

 

A special rally will be held Sunday, October 28th:

HIKE 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on guided tours;

TOUR 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to walk the perimeter of the sand mine and adjacent lands;

SPEAK 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to voice your opinion of what will be lost: Citizen's Hearing held at the Grizzly Jack's Bear Resort, 2643 Illinois Route 178, North Utica, IL

 

Details are at http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=20101017_Rally_for_Starved_Rock&autologin=true&s_src=312Z0700E1

 

Background information is at  http://stopthestarvedrocksandmine.wordpress.com/

Please click the action link to send your email to Governor Pat Quinn to protect our state's premier park and to stop the sand mine quarry next to Starved Rock.

 -30-

Early voting begins Oct. 22. Here are some recommendations

PEORIA -- Early voting in Illinois for the Nov. 6 election begins on Oct. 22 and runs until Nov. 3.  Grace period voting, where you can register and vote at the same time, runs until Nov. 3, and absentee voting, where you don't need an excuse, is taking place now.  Contact the Peoria Election Commission or the county clerk in your county for details on these options.

I am a Democratic Party precinct committeeperson in Peoria, and I recommend all Democrats without reservations. The central Illinois ticket is especially strong this year.  The candidates are running for election, an arduous process, for the public good and not to further their own personal ambitions.  They deserve our thanks. I have met them all, even President Obama when he was a Senator.

In addition, all the Democrats listed below running for national or statehouse offices are pro-choice, important for retaining the rights of women to control their own bodies.

Here are my recommendations/endorsements:

President: Obama/Biden.  Yes, they're not perfect.  The civil liberties issues, such as those on Julian Assuange and Bradley Manning, are troubling.  Obama was naive and let his Republican opponents roll him on many issues.

But Obama/Biden are so much better than Romney/Ryan who lie when convenient, tell audiences what they want to hear regardless of the truth, and whose policies would take women and seniors back to the 19th century.

Congress:  In the 18th District Democrat Steve Waterworth is a terrific guy, sharp on the issues, experienced, a small town elected official who serves on many civic committees such as high speed rail. He would serve with distincting, compared with incumbent Republican Aaron Schock, whose claim to fame is a half-naked magaine cover.

Schock is anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-union and would turn Medicare into a voucher system. He's also ethically challenged, and listed as such by a national watchdog group. His $3 million campaign chest is said to be financing several downballot Republican challengers to Democrats.

In the 17th District, Democrat Cheri Bustos is smart, sharp and much preferred over Republican Bobby Schilling, a pizza parlor/tea party guy who somehow sneaked into this office in 2010. He's a Schock clone.

State Senate:  Democrat Dave Koehler is a fine representative and deserves reelection.  His opponent, restaurant operator Pat Sullivan, has not made a good impression on TV debates, where he looked like he would prefer to be anywhere else.

State House:  Democrat Jennifer Allison is challenging Republican Michael Unes.  She's pro-choice, he's not. 

Peoria County offices:

State's Attorney:  Democrat Jerry Brady was appointed to the post last year and is running for a four year term. I've seen him and his opponent Frank Ierulli in two campaign forums. Ierulli is a nice guy but lacks the experience and know how of Brady, who is endorsed. Brady is pro-choice, Ierulli is not.

Recorder of Deeds: At the Oct. 20 League of Women Voters campaign forum, Democratic challenger Evonne Fleming, a 23-year employee in the office, pointed out how it needs to be improved. Republican Nancy Horton agreed with her a few times, and added that the office computer system is a "lemon" that went down for seven hours recently.

Fleming would like to turn the office into a one stop shop for those recording deeds, while Horton said she has spoken to officials about this idea, without results. Fleming deserves a chance to run this office.

Peoria County Board: Several incumbent Democrats are facing challenges from Republicans, in a systematic attempt to take the board away from the Democrats. All are nice guys and civil, but the incumbents have not misbehaved and don't deserve to be unseated.

At the League forum several interesting statements were made, showing the value of campaigns and forums.

Republican incumbent Bob Baietto said wells in the county 50 feet deep are now polluted with farm chemicals. He faces Democrat Dan Dolan, 26, a senior at Bradley University who said Baietto had helped him in his campaign.

Republican challenger Tim Couri a former funeral director, declared: "I don't owe anybody anything." He's running against incumbent Democrat Phil Salzer, a retired coach and teacher, who defended the board's record on building a new nursing home and working in a bipartisan fashion. 

The Republicans generally feel that the county should not be in the nursing honme business, the Democrats defend it. I agree with them, because a county home stabilizes prices for the consumers as private facilities must compete with it. The same is true of the municipal landfill.

One of the most valuable Democratic incumbents is Allen Mayer, a lawyer and a  leader on the board.  His challenger, Republican Michael Emerson, admitted that his primary interest is his neighborhood association, which he heads. 

But the board is a powerful entity dealing with complicated issues. Mayer led the fight against the expansion of the hazardous waste landfill, led the redistricting effort which took place without much controversy, and certainly deserves to be reelected.

When asked about consolidating services with the city to save money, Mayer said the radios of the city police and sheriff don't even communicate. He also said Koehler will introduce legislation during the veto session to allow a referendum to consolidate the Peoria City Election Commission with the county clerk's office.

Board chairman Tom O'Neill also faces a Republican challenger.  O'Neill has done a good job and deserves reelection.

The Constitutional Amendment:  Just vote 'No.' The League of Women Voters has studied it, says it's a dog. It's vaguely worded and might bring disastrous unintended consequences. Don't bother to read the unreadable. Take the League's nonpartisan advice and vote 'No.'

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Joe Klein: King of mainstream media?

PEORIA -- If you want to know what ails mainstream journalism today look no further than Joe Klein, celebrated Time magazine columnist, MSNBC commentator, author of the book Primary Colors and other works.

This genial, pleasant fellow spoke Oct. 18 at Bradley University but failed to deliver any news. He didn't afflict the comfortable or comfort the afflicted, but instead delivered  platitudes and flattered his audience of students.

Sample:  what's wrong with politics today? he asked.  The answer: television and its demands for marketing and money, forcing candidates to focus-test every statement and raise endless amounts of cash.  Hardly news.

Another sample:  Students are our hope for the future, he said. They're idealistic and entrepreneural and will find a way to save us.  Uh huh.

He did briefly bash unionized teachers and other public service workers by saying that a national service corps could replace some of them.

Cheap labor is always appealing, as he must surely know by now, since journalism is suffering a smiliar fate.

A quote:  "The only way we get our country back is if we have a well informed citizenry."  And how will that happen, a question especially relevant on the day Newsweek announced it soon will migrate to digital only.  

Klein, 66, had no answer. Just a comment that the business model that has supported newspapers and magazines for decades, advertising, isn't working any more. No mention of the solutions others have offered, such as foundation support, even government support, PBS style, for news publications.

Klein said he is writing a book on how veterans with whom he had been embedded in Iraq and Afghanistan will also save us.  "I was amazed by the quality of the people we sent out there.  I decided they would be great politial leaders" back in the USA, he said.

In passing, it should be noted that Klein was not really in the military, but merely observing it from a protected vantage point at the personal invitation of General David Petraeus (an admirer of his journalism), whom he treats with reverence. His leadership was brilliant, Klein said.

And how has that all worked out over there?  He didn't say. 

Nor did Klein mention the many problems of veterans: suicides, homelessness, domestic violence, unemployment rates above the national average.

And what about the real world problems that we all need to solve:  resource depletion, environmental destruction, overpopulation, income inequality and the discontent it engenders.

He offered no mention of these issues, much less ways they might be remedied by today's students or veterans, or anybody else. 

In short, Klein's talk was disappointing, frustratingly simplistic, overly Polyanna-ish.  Where's the meat? I kept thinking.  It was never served up.

And sadly, it offered a poor lesson to the students in the audience:  that a pleasant guy who offends no one, panders to the powerful and doesn't chew on difficult or unpleasant issues but drops big names -- can become a celebrity journalist, rich and admired.

At the end, as we exited the room, I asked him who he thinks will win the presidency.  He declined to make a prediction, and ignored my question when I asked whether he was troubled about voter suppression or the fact that Romney's rich cronies own the voting machines and will count the votes in Ohio and Florida.

As I muttered Stalin's old addage -- the issue is not who votes, but who counts the votes -- he looked at me weirdly and kept walking to the book signing.

 -- Elaine Hopkins