PeoriaStory

Impeach Trump now

PEORIA, IL -- Still don't believe Trump should be impeached?

OK, he can obstruct justice, but there's more.  Trump is involved with international criminals, according this story, based on Wall Street Journal reporting.

Read it and weep for our democracy.

Do Republicans want tax cuts more than they want to save our democracy?  We shall see.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Boycott Trump and coming events

PEORIA, IL -- In case you missed it, here is a terrific link to the groups Trump is involved with, so they can be boycotted:

http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/42182-boycotting-trump

Republicans understand money, if nothing else.  So boycott these groups.

Meanwhile here is a great list of meetings that are worth attending, thanks to ChangePeoria, a group dedicated to changing Peoria into a better place:

Global Warming Solutions Group of Central Illinois Monthly Meeting
Monday, February 27 6 pm to 8 pm
Lakeview Branch Library
1137 W Lake Ave, Peoria
Will be collecting environmental questions for their next candidates' forum. 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1884350241778351/

Vote Peoria!
Tuesday, February 28, Primary Election
Get information on where to vote.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1831245783791306/

NOW Peoria Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, February 28 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Peoria Pizza Works
3921 N Prospect Rd, Peoria Heights
Everyone who believes in equality for women is welcome.
https://www.facebook.com/events/935916879876144/

Black Lives Matter QTPOC Origins
Thursday, March 2  6 pm - 8 pm
Lincoln Branch Library
1312 West Lincoln Avenue, Peoria
Join Peoria Intersections for a discussion centered around the three founders of the Black Lives Matter movement--Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors--and their impact on contemporary grassroots activism.
https://www.facebook.com/events/701772489992334/

Buy The Water Company?
Saturday, March 4 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Kenny's Westside Pub
112 SW Jefferson Ave, Peoria
Join Change Peoria for a presentation from the CEO Council about the city purchasing the water company in Peoria. After the presentation, there will be a Q&A session.
https://www.facebook.com/events/281508965614740/

Eliminating Housing Discrimination
Wednesday, March 15 6 pm - 8 pm
Lakeview Branch Library
1137 W Lake Ave, Peoria
Information on what classifies as discrimination in housing. Advocates for fair housing can find ways to get involved in eradicating issues in housing.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1845737155694731/

Candidate forum Feb. 23

PEORIA, IL -- A large audience attended the final Peoria City Council candidate forum on Feb. 23, even though it was not nearly as interesting as the previous forum. 

The six at-large candidates spoke first, followed by the three District 4 candidates.Perhaps they learned a little from sitting through the boring six, as they were more specific in their answers.

The incumbent, Jim Montelongo, is being challenged by Mike Eddlemon and Benjamin Thornton. The two challengers spoke eloquently about keeping Riverfront Park a park, and not letting it be destroyed by apartments.

Montelongo was not as forthcoming. He initially voted for the apartments in the park, but now says the scheme has dragged on too long and is costing the city too much. But will he vote to drop the contract rather than extend it? He didn't say.

He touted his efforts in organizing neighborhood associations and business associations in his district, and has coffee with constituents weekly, a good idea.

The two challengers complained about the bad condition of the roads, and wondered why Peoria spends money on consultants to tell them which roads to fix when the bad conditions are apparent.

Here is a recording of their comments:

Download Peoria Dist 4 forum 2017

The at-large candidates spoke mainly in the usual generalities, but the questions they were asked were weak.  When that occurs it's difficult to understand which candidates should be elected.

The Riverfront Park apartments did not come up during the questions. But that's a key issue, in that it shows how a candidate can deal with a contentious issue, instead of asserting obvious generalities such as more jobs are needed.  

Here is a recording of the at-large candidates comment.

Download Peoria at large forum 2017

You can also watch the video on the Change Peoria Facebook page here.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Here's the big question: Did you vote for Trump?

PEORIA, IL -- A forum for at-large Peoria City Council candidates on Feb. 18 produced few concrete answers on what the six contenders would do to improve Peoria's south side. It was sponsored by South Side United for Change.

But one question from the audience revealed quite a bit. The question, "Did you vote for Donald Trump?"

Scott Kelsey quickly said "yes." John Kelly refused to answer saying his vote was private -- an odd answer given the way politicians usually endorse other candidates.

Rob Hanauer said Kelly had said 'yes' at a previous event. Then he said he personally "did not" vote for Trump, drawing the most enthusiastic applause of the day from the large audience at the Lincoln Branch Public Library, the venue for the event.

Amr Elsamny also would not say, and launched into an odd answer about Peoria having home rule.

Sid Ruckriegel also refused to say, and Zach Oyler would not say, but stated he voted for John Kasich in the primary.

The candidates who refused to answer must have been ashamed of their votes.  They were hardly profiles in courage and transparency.

Otherwise the candidate forum revealed little.  Everyone is for jobs and growth on Peoria's south side, but asked for specifics in how this could be accomplished, no one had any concrete ideas. 

Here's one:  free and frequent public bus service for Peoria's inner city, similar to the services in Macomb and Urbana, so low income people don't need cars to get to where the jobs are. 

Elsamny also advocated for free tuition to community college but didn't suggest a way to pay for it.

Oyler wants to reduce taxes and fees and the hassle of dealing with the city.

Another forum for these candidates is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 pm at the Universalist/Unitarian Church, 3000 W. Richwoods Blvd. 

The primary election is Feb. 28, and early voting is already taking place.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

NAACP Candidate Forum -- eye-opening

PEORIA, IL -- Candidate forums are always interesting as they reveal problems with the offices and insights about the candidates.  The NAACP forum on Feb. 9 was no exception. It featured candidates for Peoria mayor and Peoria Township Supervisor.

First the mayor's nonpartisan race.  It features long time incumbent Jim Ardis and two challengers, G. Marie Kennell and Couri Thomas.  The two challengers are sincere, and great on an important issue: they both oppose the Riverfront Park apartments. But that issue never came up.

Instead the candidates spouted generalities, and the challengers seemed to know little about whatever issues they were asked about.

Ardis knows the issues, but he also supports giving the park to the developers. And he's known as Mr. Twittergate, because he sent the police to arrest a guy who mocked him by impersonating him with a Twitter account.  The settlement and legal fees cost city taxpayers $500,000. This issue also never was mentioned.

Kennell said "bad decisions" have been made. That's it.  Thomas rambled and seemed unable to make any strong points. Neither attacked Ardis on his many mistakes.

Why did the challengers let Ardis get away with saying how education is so important, but never mention that the many TIF districts under his regime deprive District 150 of needed tax dollars?  Likely they don't even know about this issue.

Alas, they're just not ready for prime time. One of them will win the Feb. 28 primary to challenge Ardis in the April election. It remains to be seen who would offer the strongest challenge to Ardis in April.

To Ardis' credit, he did come out strongly for unions. Right-to-work laws will never happen in Peoria, he said.  He's been endorsed by some unions, he added.

Here is a recording of the mayor forum.

Download Peoria mayor race

The Township Supervisor race produced stronger arguments and candidates. It's a partisan contest, with five Democrats and two Republicans in the primary. It's a shame some of these are not challenging the mayor.

Why so many? Because the pay is a hefty $96,000 a year. A League of Women Voters investigation revealed that the overhead in that office equals the welfare benefits it gives out -- not good. And that's it's main function, to provide a last safety net with welfare benefits for those with no money.

Discussion among these candidates revealed problems in the office which need to be fixed.  Frank Abdnour called for adding rental assistance and water bill assistance to the list of items that could be paid, and a better website, and adding  Facebook and Twitter pages.  That's the way people communicate now, he said.

Harvey Burnett said he would cut back his own pay.  He has 38 things he wants to fix listed on his website, he said. But he also wants to link up with churches, a problematic church-state item, perhaps. 

Evonne Fleming would make the office "user friendly."  Apparently it's not now very friendly, several of the candidates noted.

Clyde Gulley Jr. has served on the Peoria City Council for a dozen years and has experience with the township office.

Sam Joseph said he's had experience working with the poor, and said " the number one problem in Peoria is poverty."

The only Republican to appear was Dan Sullivan, who said he has worked in the sheriff's office and for the city of Peoria. Another Republican on the ballot, Michael Aiello, didn't appear at the event.

Here is a recording of the Township race.

Peo Twp Sup candidates

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

Peoria rallies against immigrant ban, Mexico wall

PEORIA, IL -- Perhaps 150 people rallied on short notice on Jan. 29 outside the federal courthouse against Trump's ban on immigrants and refugees from the Muslin nations.  Trump reportedly has no business interests, and none of the citizens of these nations has ever committed a terrorist act against the US. 

The group also was opposed to the Mexico wall and other radical Trump initiatives.  They waived signs and chanted for two hours in 30 degree F. temperatures, with the wind chill making the cold feel even colder.

This photo speaks for itself.

The dog wore a sign calling on Trump to stop using his doghair for a wig.

The other sign reads 'First they came for the Muslims..."

The federal courthouse in Peoria is also the Peoria office of 18th District Congressman Republican Darin LaHood, who of course did not appear.  It is located in the 17th District, which is represented by Democrat Cheri Bustos.  The location is a hold-over from before the area was redistricted.

People were furious at Trump and his administration. Refugees are welcome in Peoria, some signs said. "No ban, no wall," they chanted.

I am personally furious at Trump and his agenda.  My sign read: "Impeach Trump and deport him to Russia."

I believe grounds already exists for Trump's impeachment:  the emoluments issue (money from foreign nations going to his business interests), the unconstitutional action against immigrants and refugees, even the international ban on family planning agencies (cruel and stupid, in that it will cause many deaths and probably more abortions).Then there's the discrimination against religious faiths.

If as reported the Customs Service and Boarder Control agencies are defying the ACLU's court order banning the deportations, the rule of law in the US is threatened.

An expert commentator on MSNBC said this could be the worst constitutional crisis since Nixon.  

This has all the hallmarks of a coup d'etat, with white nationalist/racist Steve Bannon now on the National Security Council, and intelligence and military experts kicked out.  Also fired: the top State Department officials who would have mitigated Trump's radical decree.

Impeach him now.  At least Pence is not nuts.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Update Jan. 31, 2017: Others also think this is a trial run for a coup.

... the administration is testing the extent to which the DHS (and other executive agencies) can act and ignore orders from the other branches of government. This is as serious as it can possibly get: all of the arguments about whether order X or Y is unconstitutional mean nothing if elements of the government are executing them and the courts are being ignored.

Yesterday was the trial balloon for a coup d’état against the United States. It gave them useful information.

Here's the link to the entire article.

Peoria Candidate Forum on Environmental Issues

PEORIA, IL -- Candidates for Peoria mayor and at-large city council member appeared at an environmental forum on Jan. 23, sponsored by the Global Warming Solutions Group of Central Illinois.

They answered questions on issues such as recycling and solar energy (they're for it).

The most applause and the sharpest differences between them concerned the apartments in Riverfront Park.  The applause from a large audience was for those opposing the apartments. This is obviously going to be a top issue in the city elections.

Two mayoral candidates appeared, Marie Kennell and Couri Thomas.  Both oppose the apartments.  Mayor Jim Ardis didn't show up. "Mr Twittergate" has been an enthusiastic backer of the apartments. He also took campaign money from one of the developers. (See previous posts on Riverfront Park for details.)

Both of his opponents are inexperienced and have never held elective office in Peoria. They face a rough fight to unseat Ardis. That's a shame, since Ardis should be replaced on the issue of Twittergate alone.

(He had police arrest a guy who mocked him on Twitter by setting up a ridiculous fake account in his name -- an act that cost the city $500,000 in legal expenses to settle an ACLU free speech lawsuit.)

Three candidates for councilmember-at-large spoke. Rob Hanauer opposes the apartments, calling them "ill advised."  He asked, "why take up green space when you don't have to?"

But Scott Kelsey said "it's a job creator," apparently not realizing that building them elsewhere would also create jobs.

Sid Ruckriegel, who was appointed to the council last year, hedged, saying the city's application to the "IDNR" could not now be withdrawn.  Actually the application to take parkland for the apartments is with the National Park Service, and of course it could be withdrawn.

He also claimed to not have voted on the contract extension, since he was not on the council at that time. That was in error. He was not on the council when the initial deal went down, but he did vote recently to extend the contract.

Other candidates for the council-at-large seats did not appear.  They are Amr Elsamny, John Kelly, and Zack Oyler. Elsamny opposes the apartments, Kelly hedged and would not say when interviewed on the phone. He apparently supports them. Oyler's position on them is not known.

Two of the six will be elected. Several other candidate forums will take place before the election.

The primary election is Feb. 28, Early voting and voting by mail have already begun.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

Women's Rally Crowd at perhaps 1,000

PEORIA, IL -- Perhaps the largest political rally crowd in recent Peoria history packed the riverfront patio at the Gateway Building on Jan. 21. 

The event, the Women's March Rally, in support of women marching throughout the world for their issues and against the Trump administration, drew a crowd of perhaps 1,000 people. 

They were every age, every color, women, children and men, people in wheelchairs, people with dogs and babies, all united against the Trump agenda which would deprive people of their civil rights and liberties, their health care, their freedoms. 

Colorful handmade signs were everywhere.  The crowd was asked to post photos to #peoriarallies and #womensmarchpeoria, and to list their events on these sites as the organizing continues.

They listened to speeches from a variety of women on issues from reproductive freedom to support for the arts and Obamacare.

Here is a recording of the speeches. 

Download Jan 21 rally

It was a wildly successful event, showing the support of the thousands for the liberal agenda of freedom, tolerance, and well being for all.

But the optimism departed, when I recalled the event in 2012 where presidential candidate and right wing Republican Rick Santorum spoke to a large East Peoria crowd of Tea Party types, in a pizza restaurant parking lot, at night.

It was scary. They were mean spirited, and that attitude continues in the right wing Republicans now, willing to deprive people they don't like  of their rights, liberties, and medical care.They must not prevail!

 -- Elaine Hopkins

The Inauguration: Boycott and Strike

PEORIA, IL -- How to bear the awful Trump administration?  A compromised president (Russia), an unqualified cabinet of billionaires.  Ugh.

Wake me when it's over.  Or -- boycott Jan. 20 (no TV, no radio, no Internet sites) with the courageous members of Congress, and strike.

Striking?  Here's how: http://www.womenstrike.org/

This is a time tested tactic that works. Sign up and do it.

Then go to the Peoria rally for the Jan. 21 marchers.  See below for details.

And then: Only a Democratic Senate can save us.  We must work for that in the 2018 election, and also oust the Illinois Republican governor Rauner. 

True he's not going to the inauguration, and never endorsed Trump, but will he have the courage to do what it takes to protect Illinois from Trump?

That could mean raising taxes to keep funding Medicaid for all the poor, and subsidies for Medicare if it is cut when Obamacare is killed. (Think they'll replace it?  You're kidding yourself. They won't.)

Here's my prediction:  Trump will be out before 2017 ends, resigned to build more hotels or impeached for treason because of the Russian connection.

But Pence is as bad or worse, so we are in for a fight to keep civil rights, civil liberties, adequate medical insurance, etc.  We don't need Rauner's BS about curbing unions. We need a California-style governor who will work to protect Illinois.

Let's get to work.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 

 

ACA Meeting Today, Jan. 12, 3 pm

PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:

Media Alert
Contact 1: Karen Wilson (309-863-1785) [email protected] NAACP Peoria Representative
Contact 2: Gary Hall (309-369-3676) [email protected] UAW Local 974 and IARA Representative
Contact 3: Katie Jones (309-339-9211) [email protected] Progressive Peoria Representative
Contact 4: Ryan Hidden (309-265-8057) [email protected] Change Peoria Representative

(January 11, 2017. Peoria, IL) Members of the grassroots organization, Progressive Peoria, will be joined by members of the Peoria chapter of the NAACP, the UAW Local #974, the Illinois Alliance for Retired People, and Change Peoria, in order to voice support for retaining the Affordable Care Act.

Joining together in solidarity, these groups are fighting to preserve the lifesaving legislation and related healthcare coverage due to the personal impact of ACA on their lives and the lives of family members, neighbors and friends.

Gathering together on 1.12.17 at 3 pm CST at the Peoria Public Library, Downtown Branch at 110 NE Monroe, the group will present information about their personal experiences, why they are asking local elected officials to support the law and, specifically, how their lives and those of their fellow constituents will be impacted if the “repeal and run” approach is taken by opponents of the law.
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Progressive Peoria began forming on November 8, 2016, and the group has hosted monthly educational meetings since that time. On average, approximately 60 - 75 people attend the events, held in local faith communities, libraries, and local restaurants or coffee shops. The group hosts occasional guest speakers, informing participants about the most effective means for organizing on behalf of true progressive American ideals. [email protected] is the best contact for the group, as the website is in process.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, founded in 1909. The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. Locally, the NAACP can be found at www.peorianaacp.com.

Change Peoria is a grassroots political organization which empowers people in the metropolitan Peoria area to develop accountable, transparent, and responsible governments for all. The group backs candidates, supports issues, and educates the public. ChangePeoria is on Facebook, on Twitter @ChangePeoria, and email at [email protected].

The UAW Local 974 is a member of Region 4 of the International UAW, affiliated with the AFL/CIO, proudly representing 14,000 workers and retirees in the Peoria area and can be contacted at [email protected] or on the web at www.uawlocal974.org.

The Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, represented by the West Central Illinois Retiree Council, is organized in support of the preservation of affordable accessible health care for all Americans. For more information the causes, events and membership of the IARA, visit www.Illinois.retiredamericans.org or find IARA on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.  - 30 -