Jen Does Politics

Chicago Municipal Election February 22, 2011 Endorsements

2011-02-21T22:51:00.001-06:00

Mayor

Rahm Emanuel

Miguel Del Valle

Carol Mosley Braun

Gery J. Chico

Patricia Van Pelt Watkins

William Walls, III

In truth, none of the candidates excite me that much. I wish there were more women in this race, and stronger and more established leaders. I think Rahm scared a lot of them off from running, which makes me wonder about the implications of this in the future – what favors might he owe, and how might he run the city council?

Rahm Emanuel, Carol Mosely Braun and Gery Chico are all capable people, but I have reservations on each. Emanuel’s ambition for the job makes me worry we’ll have another life term of a mayor, which we don’t need and can’t afford in this city. Carol Mosely Braun was my pick early on, but after her fumbling and going off the rails in various public forums, I think her time for being a public servant is up – though I hope she will remain active politically as I think she has a lot to offer as a role model for women and African-Americans. Gery Chico’s style of campaign – smarmy and negative – turned me off, and his tenure at the Chicago Public Schools left many of the rank and file teachers, my mom included, with a strong dislike of his style of management and attitude.

I endorse Miguel Del Valle. His views on reforming TIF funds, community policing and restorative justice, and the neighborhood schools as the most important part of public education most closely mirror my own. Miguel has also been a public servant for decades and was never investigated for any wrongdoing – practically unheard of in Chicago politics and a sign of his good ethics and incorruptibility. He’s also been here in Chicago working with and for the people of Chicago for the last few decades, something none of the other candidates can say they have as much personal and direct experience with. I think Miguel knows the right balance of privatization and city investment, and has the best ideas about long term solutions to the city’s problems – for example, not just putting more cops on the streets, but providing jobs for teens who might turn to gangs. I think he probably has the purest heart of all the candidates, and cares the most – his entire life has been defined by public service to the citizens of Chicago.

For City Clerk

Patricia Horton

Susana A. Mendoza

The most visible duty of the City Clerk involves the Chicago vehicle stickers. Mendoza has a plan to find sponsors who will pay to have their logo or name on the back of the stickers, which would bring in millions for the city. She proposes to use that money to reduce the cost of the stickers, create youth job programs, and fund additional police officers. Her other ideas involve using social media to let residents track what is happening in City Council and introducing an ordinance preventing city employees who were fired for ethics charges from being rehired by the city. She also wants to use technology to streamline the office, and make small business licensing easier.

Patricia Horton seems well-intentioned, but her website is a disaster, which references to irrelevant or outdated policies (i.e. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) and she makes no use of social media – not qualities that you want in the person who is caretaking the city’s paperwork.

Either way that you vote in this election, you’ll be helping to make history – we’ll have Chicago’s first female city clerk.

For City Treasurer

Stephanie D. Neely (unopposed)

Running unopposed for her second term as city treasurer. She has done a good job in tough times, bringing in $400 million in investment income for the city.

For 48^th Ward Alderman

Harry Osterman

Patrick McDonough

Steve Chereska

Jose E. Arteaga

Philip R. Bernstein

First, can I just say how weird it is that this is the city’s lesbian neighborhood, and there are no lesbians, or women at all, running in this race? That’s disappointing, even more so because the retiring Alderman Mary Ann Smith is one of a few women in city council – I hope we don’t have a net loss after this election is over.

Now, to irony. About ten years ago, I was asked by a friend to help volunteer for the campaign of Claude Walker, who was running against Harry Osterman for the Illinois State Rep position in the 14^th District. Claude lost, but I’ll never forget my first experience working on a statewide campaign. So you might think that I have a grudge against Harry Osterman, the guy who beat the guy I backed. Not so, and in fact, I’m endorsing him. Did I wish he wasn’t a political insider who in many ways rode his mom’s political coattails? Yes. But, on the other hand, he’s done a good job, and he’s got the right ideas about what the 48^th ward needs most badly – more police, more economic development like the successful Andersonville business strip and more jobs.

Patrick McDonough and Steve Chereska do not even have a campaign website, or at least not one visible by Google. Neither completed editorial board questionnaires for the Tribune or SunTimes. Likewise, Jose Artega does not appear to have a website, and has not answered Trib or Sun Times questions, although he did do one interview with the Windy City Times. Jose is the only out gay candidate in the race, and a paramedic and army veteran. He seems like a very nice guy and has pledged not to negatively campaign – I hope that he will build his leadership skills and get a website for next time.

That leaves us Philip R. Bernstein, who actually has a website and answered questions from the media. Unfortunately, the more I get to know him, the more he seems a bit like a paranoid goof. Amongst his more wacky beliefs is a hatred of block clubs (yes, for real), the belief that we should hire teachers who do not have education degrees, and his hesitance to let GLBT people become foster parents. He also runs a blog called the Edgewater Intelligencer which it too much ranting and nuttiness for what I want in an alderman.

So, I endorse Harry Osterman, who is professional, intelligent, and has a love of the ward. Although I’m not happy that he’s another machine politician, his long history in the ward could work in our favor in terms of motivating him to keep the area safe and thriving. After all, the beach is named after his mom!

(updated at 2:00pm below)

ADDITIONAL ALDERMAN ENDORSEMENTS - by request today from some friends...
36th Ward - Stick with incumbent Robert Maldonado. His opponent is an 18 year old who didn't fully answer the editorial board questions of the Trib or Sun Times. Good kid, but needs a few more years on him.

35th Ward - Rey Colon. Incumbent, one of a few alderman who voted against the parking meter deal, smart dresser/wearer of hats according to my pal CB. :)

46th Ward - I'd go with Molly Phelan, but you'd also be okay with Emily Stewart or Dan Nowtowy. Basically, a pretzel could govern better than Schiller, so there's about 12 people running in that race.
47th Ward - In the 47th, go with either Ameya Pawar or Matt Reichel. O'Donnel is under investigation already and he hasn't even won the office, and Tom Jacks is a nice guy but without a real developed plan. Ameya Pawar is probably better equipp...ed and I like his ethics ideas (two term limit, cutting his salary in half), but I like Matt Reichel's educational philosophy better and he's the son of CPS teachers, like me. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with Reichel since I personally feel the teacher connection and think it would be nice to have a Green as an alderman, but I think Pawar would be a fine choice also.

49th Ward - I think both have drawbacks but overall I'd probably stick with Joe Moore. Brian White is a housing advocate, which is great, but some of what he says about crime issues in the ward worries me - he doesn't seem to think it is as big an... issue as I believe it is, and he'd back the proposal to send officers to other wards that have more crime. Years ago, I moved out of Rogers Park primarily because of crime issues, so that would be a big deal to me - although maybe you aren't as concerned. Joe Moore can be a goofball, and I don't like his thinking charter schools are the answer to everyting, but I think he's gotten a lot better since people called him out on his foi gras obsessions.

November 2010 Election Endorsements

2010-10-31T23:07:00.000-05:00

Greetings family and friends! It's time for the mid-term elections, and as usual I am providing my endorsements. If this is your first time here, you'll want to first read How I Decide Who to Endorse. These endorsements have come about over the years because I'm a political geek and my family and friends continued to ask me for advice on who they should vote for. My values, ethics and opinions may vary from yours, and you should do your own research on the issues important to you. These are just my own personal opinion, and should be taken as such.

I receive no compensation from anyone for my many hours of research in putting together these endorsements - if you find these endorsements to be a valuable service, I would ask that you do one of three things to "repay" me -

1. bring a friend to the polls to vote on Election Day

2. reach out to one person struggling in today's economy and/or political climate and let them know they are not alone

3. make a donation to a charity of your choice

Before you go, you may wish to review How To Vote.

Finally, please keep in mind my comment policy - if you don't like what I have to say, get your own damn blog. If you want to make a jerky comment, I will allow it for $100 per jerky comment, payable to me. Email me for payment details.

Without further ado, here we go -

For the proposed addition of Section 7 to Article III of the Illinois Constitution.

Explanation of Amendment

The proposed amendment, which takes effect upon approval by the voters, adds a new section to the Suffrage and Elections Article of the Illinois Constitution. The new section would provide the State's electors with an option to petition for a special election to recall a Governor and for the special election of a successor Governor.At the general election to be held on November 2, 2010, you will be called upon to decide whether the proposed amendment should become part of the Illinois Constitution. If you believe the Illinois Constitution should be amended to provide for a special election to recall a Governor and for a special election to elect a successor Governor, you should vote "YES" on the question. If you believe the Illinois Constitution should not be amended to provide for a special election to recall a Governor and for a special election to elect a successor Governor, you should vote "NO" on the question. Three- fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election must vote "YES" in order for the amendment to become effective.

YES - there is no harm, and may be benefits, to having recall as an option.

(For a six year term)

United States Senator

Alexander "Alexi" Giannoulias Democratic

(For an unexpired term)

United States Senator

Alexander "Alexi" Giannoulias Democratic

Look, I wish Alexi had waited to run. I wish Cheryl Jackson was our nominee. I wish we didn't have a choice between two more white men for Senator in 2010. But this is what we have, the choice between a fairly moderate Republican who seems to have taken a turn for the wacky lately with bizzarre lies about his military record (side note: does anyone of my generation care about whether or not someone served?) and a reliable liberal rising star who most people hoped would wait until he was just a little bit older to run. The real question here is do you want to see Republicans or Democrats control the Senate, because this seat could very well be a deciding vote. Alexi is someone of my generation, someone who is reasonable but progressive in his politics, and someone who will support Obama's agenda. Kirk isn't the worst Republican in the world - let's face it, most Illinois Republicans tend to be fairly moderate compared to other states - but he's going to vote with the Republicans, and he's been getting more conservative lately, including voting against the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and along party lines for most of the past two years. So do you want a stonewalled Congress intent on fighting with Obama over everything for the next six years, or do you want Illinois' vote to be one for change and progress?

Governor & Lieutenant Governor

Pat Quinn Democratic Sheila Simon

Pat Quinn is a nice man. He's not a particularly exciting man, or attractive man, but he's a nice man. You shouldn't vote for someone just because they are nice, but in a time of crushing fiscal problems, you need someone who is nice deciding where to make cuts. And cuts, we're going to have to make. Raise taxes too. Brady on the other hand, isn't a very nice guy. Brady refuses to raise taxes, and his ideas on where to cut include massive education funding cuts - including some that would cause Illinois to loose federal matching funds, and including community colleges, often the job training of last resort for many poor families. Brady is a shill for business, having voted against requiring insurers to cover mammograms, and he opposes abortion even in cases of rape, incest or risk to the woman's health. He also opposes anti-discrimination laws for GLBT people and is against same sex marriage. So if you want a nice man who will be reasonable and pragmatic, vote for Quinn. BONUS: Sheila Simon is the Lt. Governor, and she's fantastic!

Attorney General

Lisa Madigan Democratic

Lisa Madigan has done an exceptional job as Attorney General, a role in which she's basically the lawyer-advocate for consumers and residents in Illinois. She's aggressively gone after companies trying to screw over consumers including dangerous cribs and baby seats, unfair ComEd rate hikes, cable company monopolies, and fraudulent and sub-prime loan institutions. She has smacked down on sex offenders and felons and made Illinois the first state to require rape kit testing. From nursing home standards to environmental laws, she has been dogged in her advocacy for the people of Illinois - and frankly I think she's accomplished more and worked harder than anyone ever expected. She's clearly looking for a bigger piece of the pie someday when her kids are older, but until that day comes, we deserve a lawyer like her as our Attorney General.

Secretary of State

Jesse White Democratic

Who doesn't love Jesse White? He's running practically unopposed, with the Republican and Libertarian candidates barely campaigning. He's been doing this for three terms now, and he's been doing it well.

Comptroller

Judy Baar Topinka Republican

Hold onto your hats, because I'm endorsing a Republican. Actually, I think I've endorsed Judy before. The truth is, the Comptrollers office isn't very political, and Judy's a pro-choice pro-gay moderate anyway. She's a reasonable and smart woman who has some wisdom to add in this mess we are in. Plus, she must really want this job, because at age 66, this isn’t going to springboard her to anything higher. Democrat David Miller would do a fine job too, but Judy has more experience.

Treasurer

Robin Kelly Democratic

Robin Kelly is the way to go here. She’s currently the deputy to the treasurer, so she knows the office, how it works and how it doesn’t, and can hit the ground running – heck, let’s face it, she’s probably already doing most of the work now while Alexi is running for Senate. She wants to use the office to help create jobs via small business incentives, continue financial education programs, and find innovations for saving money, in addition to being the state’s financial watchdog, whereas Rutherford basically wants to cut the extra programs and just focus on investing state dollars for high returns. I think Rutherford is short sighted – we need financial education for consumers and help for small businesses to get our economy as a whole going again since we are now a nation driven by consumer purchases.

U.S. Representative, 9th District

Janice D. Schakowsky Democratic

I love Jan. Jan votes the way I would vote almost every single time, and I have the utmost confidence in her. She’s a strong progressive, and a great leader for other members of Congress. We need to keep her in Washington to keep leading! Her main opponent is a Tea Party Republican who couldn’t be further from Jan.

State Senator, 7th District

Heather A. Steans Democratic

Heather has only been in office a few years, but already she’s chosen her pet issues of nursing home reform, education and campaign finance reform. I suspect that perhaps she figures she doesn’t have much to loose, so she pushes hard on what she wants to get through – her lack of previous experience in politics is an asset, in a way.

State Representative, 14th District

Harry Osterman Democratic

He is running unopposed.

Vote for Three Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners

Mariyana T. Spyropoulos Democratic

Michael A. Alvarez Democratic

Nadine Bopp Green

These three seem most knowledgable and committed to making our water safer and cleaner.

President of County Board

Toni Preckwinkle Democratic

Oh Toni, how we wish you were running for Mayor of Chicago instead, but how could you have known? On the other hand, if Toni hadn’t entered the primary, we might still be stuck with Stroger, which should tell you enough about her character to vote for her. If that’s not enough, she’s also pledged to repeal the insane sales tax and take 10% salary cut the day she enters office. As alderwoman, she was one of the few who voted against Daley’s parking meter privatization. Let’s hope she has a long future in front of her.

County Clerk

David D. Orr Democratic

David Orr is one of the most ethical politicians out there, and runs a scandal-free office, something most people in this County can’t say. He’s also spearheaded a online tracking system so people can find out which lobbyists try to influence which politicians. I’m confident his good works will continue.

County Sheriff

Thomas J. Dart Democratic

Dart’s done a pretty good job, and he’s said he’s not going to run for Mayor now, so the smart vote is to keep him as Sheriff.

County Treasurer

Maria Pappas Democratic

In the last decade that she has been in charge, she has streamlined her office, cut costs, and implemented technology to save money and time. Maria is the smart vote here.

County Assessor

Forrest Claypool Independent

Forrest is a true progressive running as an Independent in this election – which is apt because he really is independent, as opposed to Berrios, the Democrat, who is a lobbyist for the very issues he then regulates. The Assessor is the one who determines your property taxes – in a time when home ownership is becoming a dream that’s slipping away, we need a true independent like Forrest in that office.

County Commissioner, 10th District

Bridget Gainer Democratic

As my grandma said, all things being equal, vote for the woman or the Irish name – you get a twofer here, but that’s not why I choose Bridget. She’s proposed stricter ethics guidelines, and that’s clearly what a post-Stroger board needs. She’s also rumored to be well liked by the other commissioners, which should make her a consensus builder in the coming term.

JUDGES – most of these races are uncontested. In uncontested judges races, you should vote “yes” for that person unless otherwise noted.

Contested Judges races -

(Vacancy of McCarthy) Judge of the Circuit Court

Daniel J. Gallagher Democratic

YES / NO Retention Judges –

Vote YES on all of the judges except

VOTE NO TO :
Dorothy Jones

Jim Ryan

Susan Jeanine McDunn

Irwin J. Solganick

Thomas M. Davy

William D. O’Neal

Arnette R. Hubbard

Patrick T. Murphy

Illinois 2010 Primary Endorsements are here!

2010-01-31T12:30:00.002-06:00

Greetings family and friends! Here are my endorsements for the Democratic primary election on Februrary 2, 2010. As always, you will first want to review how I decide who to endorse, and make your own informed judgments. This is coming from my own personal perspective, values and ethics, which may vary from yours.

I've instituted a new policy for jerky comments as of 2010 - Keep in mind that I'll probably delete any jerky comments you leave, unless you pay me $100. For $100 cash, I will allow you to make a jerky comment and go out to a nice dinner and laugh at your folly. Cash donations in exchange for jerky comments can be sent to me via the paypal donation button right here:

Otherwise, get your own blog, haters.

One more note, you'll want to also review the process of how to vote especially if this is your first time.

Without further ado, here we go -

United States Senator
Cheryle Robinson Jackson
While Cheryle’s cop-out of civil unions instead of same-sex marriage bothers me, she’s more progressive on the issues of women’s rights and ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on a quick timetable. She also supports a public option for healthcare and has a background in economic development that I think are key for our future right now. And, I look forward to adding another female Senator.

Governor
Pat Quinn is a boring man, and that may be what these times require – a slow and steady character to keep us going through this recession. Pat’s solid on the usual progressive issues, but also has the guts to say that yes, an income tax raise is coming, and sorry, that’s the only real choice Illinois has to get out of our budget hole. Let’s give Quinn a chance and see how it goes. Also, I don’t approve of Dan Hynes’ using the late Mayor Harold Washington in an ad twenty years after his death.

Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor is not a particularly exciting office – the most attention its gotten in years is when Governor Blagojevich resigned and Pat Quinn took over. Thomas Castillo is young, a union activist, has a website full of ideas, and is not an entrenched politician – he’s an electrician actually. This is one office where you can take a chance on an outside with very little risk, and I think Thomas Castillo will fit the bill nicely.

Attorney General
Lisa Madigan is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Secretary of State
Jesse White is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Comptroller
Here’s another office that anyone can probably do okay in, but a great person could do great things with. S. Raja Krishnamoorthi has some good ideas about putting all state contracts online, making politics more transparent, etc. Young and energetic, he’s an Obama Democrat. Plus, he’s be the first Indian-American to hold statewide office in Illinois, and only the second in the country.

Treasurer
Robin Kelly has the background, serving as chief of staff to our current treasurer. She’s also the one in charge of many of the financial literacy programs, especially for women and teens, that the state offers. A commitment to expanding financial literacy programs in school and for adults sets her apart from the rest, and I certainly hope to see those plans played out after her election.

U.S. Representative, 9th District
Jan Schakowsky is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

State Central Committeewoman, 9th District
Carol Ronen is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

State Central Committeeman, 9th District
William Marovitz is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

State Senator, 7th District
Heather Steans is the straight person who has perhaps done the most for the GLBT community in her last two years as State Senator, namely introducing the Equal Marriage Act in the Illinois State Senate when no other Senator would. It’s odd, then, that gay rights activist Jim Madigan, who has a great resume, would choose to go up against Steans of all people in this primary. I think it shows Jim has a lack of wisdom and strategy – why not run for an office where you can replace politician who isn’t doing anything for gay rights, instead of displacing the strongest ally in the Senate? There’s no reason to replace Heather, and lots to keep her, so let’s hope Jim moves to another district by the next election and runs there.

State Representative, 14th District
Harry Osterman is uncontested in the Democratic primary

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners (choose 3)
Choose these three people –
Mariyana Spyropoulos, a lawyer, conservationist, and volunteer with the Forest Preserve District
Todd Connor, a business/management type who has some solid fiscal ideas as well as recommendations to expand Forest Preserve land and conserving electricity
Kari Steele, a scientist who is an honest to goodness water chemist! Who better to have on the board that determines water quality issues.

President of County Board
Toni Preckwinkle is often one of the only alderman to vote against Mayor Daley’s proposals in the city council (including the parking meter deal), and I think that bodes well her for her reforming the County Board. She’s committed to keeping the hospital system under independent oversight and reducing jail overcrowding by using drug treatment and education as alternatives. I like Dorothy Brown just fine, but Toni Preckwinkle is our women for this job.

County Clerk
David Orr is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

County Sheriff
Thomas Dart is best know in the last year for refusing to evict renters who were paying rent to landlords who unknowingly to the renters, got foreclosed on. This type of ethical stand bodes well for his character. He’s also done a good job with the Burr Oak cemetery scandal, and has some good ideas about having court appearances via closed circuit TV, saving some money.

County Treasurer
Maria Pappas is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

County Assessor
Raymond Figueroa is the choice for the office that determines property taxes on your house, over the shady Joseph Berrios, who is laden with conflicts of interest.

County Commissioner, 10th District
Bridget Gainer is uncontested in the Democratic primary.

The following judicial endorsements are made based on a combination of the ratings of the various bar associations, with the womens and GLBT bar associations ratings receiving larger weight -

Appellate Court, vacancy of McNulty
Kathleen G. Kennedy

Applellate Court, vacancy of O’Malley
Thomas L. Hogan

Judge of the Appellate Court, vacancy of South
Mary Katherine Rochford

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of Berland
William H. Hooks

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of Bronstein
Terry MacCarthy

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of Dolan
Linda J. Pauel

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of Hayes
Raymond W. Mitchell,

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of Kelley
John Patrick Callahan Jr

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of McCarthy
Daniel Gallagher is uncontested in the Democratic primary

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of O’Malley
Thomas V Lyons is uncontested in the Democratic primary

Judge of the Circuit Court, vacancy of Riley
Pamela McLean Meyerson
EDIT: Due to some confusion over the fact that there are two "vacacy of Riley"s on the ballot, I must change my endorsement for this race to Russell William Hartigan. Pamela McLean Meyerson is NOT running in this race. Sorry for the confusion.

FAQs of the weekend

2008-10-27T12:30:00.000-05:00

First, thanks to everyone for the great feedback I've received on the blog/endorsements! With a great group of voters like you all, I'm sure we'll be celebrating on November 4th.

In answer to the most frequently asked questions I got this weekend -
No, I don't get paid for this.
Yes, it takes many hours to do this research.
Yes, I am aware that I am a huge nerd, thank you.

So I don't want anything in return for this blog other than for you all to definitely go out and vote on November 4th. But since it has come up, I'll put a paypal donations link below. If you want to donate one dollar, I will put it towards the two Jen's Family Christmas Charity Projects that my parents, sister and I have undertaken annually for many years. The first project is "playing Santa" to my mom's students at the low income school where she works, and the second is providing holiday treats to the inpatients at Shriners Hospital for Children, where I was treated as a child. Really, all I want is for you all to go out and vote, but if you insist on monetizing your appreciation for my nerdiness, you can throw some quarters into the bucket for some kids below using paypal or credit/debit card.

Endorsements Are Here! Plus, a word about the election...

2008-10-23T02:30:00.002-05:00

Greetings friends and family!
Thank you all for visiting my endorsements website - and a special thank you to those of you who bugged me to get these endorsements out in time for early voting. You'll find a printable list of my endorsements in the post below. Print it and take it with you into the voting booth.

Before you vote, it bears repeating a few things, so listen up -
First, here's some instructions on how to vote. Keep in mind that this particular election will be unprecedented in terms of voter turnout, so you may want to be prepared for long lines. I would also recommend that you bring an ID with the address that you are registered at, just in case there are any questions at the polling place.

Second, here's a reminder of how I decide who to endorse. I think it is good to remember that I am just one person, and these are just my opinions. I have put many, many hours of research and weighing into coming up with these endorsements, but you should keep in mind that my perspective may be different than yours and do your own research as well.

Third, my caveat. This website and my endorsements list has grown far beyond the first email to a handful of friends and family I sent out many years ago. While I try to protect my privacy (somewhat) it's not that hard to figure out who I am on this website - some of you reading this may not even know me, some of you may be casual acquaintances, some of you may be business associates, some of you may be googlestalkers. You're all welcome, but please don't read more into my endorsements than you need to.

Finally, a word about this election -
I believe that this election is the most important election in my lifetime. We are at the tipping point, standing at the edge of the cliff, frozen in a moment in history. We have a choice to go forward, or to go backward. To improve America for future generations, or to destroy the foundations of our country. Future generations will look back on this election as my generation looks back on the elections of JFK and Harold Washington. This is our chance. This is our moment. If we fail, we have no one but ourselves to blame.

I've thought a lot this week about what I might write to you about my endorsements. I believe that all politics are personal, and I take politics personally. There's lots of personal stories I could tell you about why I'm supporting Barack Obama for President, and I considered telling you about a lot of my personal experiences, including -
my dear friend Jack, serving his third tour in Iraq
my father and friends who have struggled with unemployment and underemployment
my best friend struggling to find daycare for her children
my niece and nephew's challenges finding support for their learning disabilities
my mother bravely battling gangs every day to teach special education in an underfunded public school
my sister trying to start up a business representing other artists
my work place's struggles in keeping up with bills, especially health care for employees
my dad, uncle, and cousin kicking cancer despite the mounting medical costs
my friend's worry about going into public interest law given her mounting law school debt
my friends who can't get married or added to their partner's insurance because they are gay
my many brilliant artistic friends who sacrifice health insurance to pursue their art full time
my friends and my battle to bring a low power fm community radio station to Chicago

Those are just some of the personal stories I thought about telling you. And if you'd like to hear them, let me know because I'd be glad to talk about how I think they are intertwined with political decisions. But instead, I chose a different story, a story about a moment that I believe changed America, and my faith in my country, forever.

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the United States, specifically the Gulf Coast, and most devastatingly, New Orleans. As we all know by now, many New Orleans residents were unable to flee the hurricane in time, and tens of thousands were left to fend for themselves during the story. Thousands died, many more were injured, and countless suffered unspeakable mental injuries. Looting, violent crime and widespread rioting broke out in a lawless environment of desperate people just trying to get food and water to survive. The government of the United States did virtually nothing. CNN was able to get in live camera trucks, but our government was somehow unable to provide food and water to citizens who were starving, in need of medical attention, and severely traumatized. For days, the country watched the reports coming in of America turned into a third world nation. By the end of it, thousands were dead, thousands were injured, and to this day there are nearly seven hundred people still missing. The greatest, richest, most democratic and idealistic country in the world - America - had left its poor, largely black, citizens to drown, live on television.

My dad's cousin Carl was one of those people left to die. A man who spent most of his life fighting for what he believed was great about America - the promise of equality for all, civil rights, justice, and peace. A man who struggled his entire life with his own very serious mental illnesses, but throughout it all, continued to keep up with what he often joked was the family tradition of rabble-rousing. A man who believed in America's ideals and promise to its people with the faith that only a former priest from the 1960s era of Chicago's civil rights movement could possess. He stood up for American ideals his entire life, but when he needed America to stand up for him, he was left to drown, live on television.

In the days after Katrina hit, I had the entirely surreal and completely devastating experience of entering Carl's name on the International Red Cross missing person list. I could not believe that this was happening in America, the greatest nation on earth. Our family kept watch on television for Carl in the background of news reports. We scoured google and every online news website for mentions of his name. We sent messages through friends of friends who lived in New Orleans to look for him. I left messages on every internet message board, desperately asking anyone to call us with any sightings of him. There was lots of prayers but not much sleep for days. Finally, my dad did receive a call. It wasn't from the government, and it wasn't even from the Red Cross. It was from a friend of Carl's who had seen one of my pleas on the the missing person message boards. He wasn't sure, but he thought he recognized Carl in a photo in the Washington Post. My dad and I pulled up the link, and there he was. He looked scared, sick, and we knew it wasn't good - he was in the Superdome, standing in line for medical attention. But at least we knew, he was still alive. It was days before we could get in contact with him, and when we did he was a broken man. He lost everything in the storm, and his already fragile health was shattered. He insisted upon going back to the city he loved, and so today he lives on meager social security in a assisted care facility in New Orleans. He will never recover.

In those hours when Carl was missing, I promised myself that I would never forgive George W. Bush for what was happening. I said that I would never forget that while I was on my knees praying to God that my relative wasn't among the bodies floating in the flooded city, George W. Bush was at a birthday party. I vowed that Carl's suffering, and the destruction of one of America's most beloved cities, would not be in vain once the next election came around.

This is the week I make good on my promise to myself. I ask you to think of this one thing when you go into the voting booth - while I was searching for my missing cousin, George W. Bush was at a birthday party. Who would celebrate their birthday while Americans were drowning within our own boarders? John McCain. Do you think Barack Obama for one second would have been cutting birthday cake instead of helping save lives?

November 2008 Endorsements - Printable List

2008-10-23T02:29:00.003-05:00

Yes, you CAN print out this list and take it with you into the voting booth! Click on the title of this link for the page, then click print.

President and Vice President of the United States
Barack Obama and Joe Biden

United States Senator
Richard J. Durbin

U.S. Representatives –
1st District – Bobby L Rush
2nd District – Jesse L Jackson Jr
3rd District – Jerome Pohlen
4th District – Luis V. Gutierrez
5th District – Rahm Emanuel
6th District – Jill Morgenthaler
7th District – Danny K Davis
8th District – Melissa Bean
9th District – Janice D Schakowsky
10th District – Daniel J Seals
13th District – Scott Harper

State Senators –
8th District – Ira Silverstein (unopposed)
9th District – Jeffrey Schoenberg
11th District – Louis Vivertio
12th District – Martin Sandoval (unopposed)
14th District – Emil Jones
15th District – James Meeks (unopposed)
17th District – Donne Trotter (unopposed)
18th District – Edward Maloney (unopposed)
21st District – Abdul Ghani
26th District – Bill Gentes
27th District – Peter Gutzmer
29th District – Susan Garrett (unopposed)
30th District – Terry Link
33rd District – Daniel Kotowski
39th District – Don Harmon (unopposed)
41st District – Audrey Manley

State Representatives –
7th District – Karen Yarbrough (unopposed)
8th District – La Shawn Ford (unopposed)
15th District – John D’Amico (unopposed)
16th District – Lou Lang (unopposed)
17th District – Daniel Biss
18th District – Julie Hamos (unopposed)
19th District – Joseph Lyons (unopposed)
20th District – Michael Marzullo
21st District – Rita Maniotis
22nd District – Michael Madigan
23rd District – Daniel Burke (unopposed)
24th District – Elizabeth Hernandez (unopposed)
27th District – Monique Davis (unopposed)
28th District – Robert Rita (unopposed)
29th District – David E Miller
30th District – William Davis (unopposed)
31st District – Mary E Flowers (unopposed)
34th District – Constance Howard (unopposed)
35th District – Kevin Carey Joyce (unopposed)
36th District – James Brosnahan (unopposed)
37th District – Kevin McCarthy (unopposed)
38th District – Al Riley (unopposed)
41st District – Kevin M O’Connor
43rd District – Keith Farham
44th District – Fred Crespo
52nd District – Rich Garling
53rd District – Carol Javens
54th District – Suzanne Bassi (unopposed)
55th District – Broc Montgomery
56th District – Paul Froehlich
5th District – Elaine Nektritz
58th District – Karen May
59th District – Kathleen Ryg
65th District – Aurora Austriaco
66th District – Mark Walker
77th District – Angelo Saviano (unopposed)
78th District – Deborah L Graham (unopposed)
80th District – George Skully
81st District – Rich Kelly
82nd District –Jim Durkin (unopposed)

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Vote for three candidates
Frank Avila
Cynthia Santos
Nadine Bopp

State’s Attorney
Anita Alvarez

Clerk of the Circuit Court
Dorothy Brown

Recorder of Deeds
Eugene Moore

Board of Review, 2nd District
Joseph Berrios

Board of Review, 3rd District
Larry Rogers JR

Judge of the Supreme Court, McMorrow Vacancy
Anne M Burke (unopposed)

Judge of the Appellate Court, Burke Vacancy
Sharon Johnson Coleman (unopposed)

Judge of the Appellate Court, Campbell Vacancy
John O Steele (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Disco Vacancy
Dennis Burke (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Glowacki Vacancy
Jesse Reyes (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Keehan Vacancy
Marilyn Johnson (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Lott Vacancy
Thomas Byrne (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Montelione Vacancy
Debra Walker (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Murphy Vacancy
NO ENDORSEMENT – Kristyna Ryan is not recommended

Judge of the Circuit Court, Nowicki Vacancy
Michael Hyman (unopposed)

Judge of the Circuit Court, Thomas Vacancy
Joan Powell (unopposed)

Judge, 1st Subcircuit, Turkington Vacancy
Donna Cooper (unopposed)

Judge, 3rd Subcircuit, Donnersberger Vacancy
Patrick Sherlock (unopposed)

Judge, 4th Subcircuit, Shultz Vacancy
Maureen Masterson-Pulia

Judge, 7th Subcircuit, Young Vacancy
Anita Rivkin-Carothers (unopposed)

Judge, 10th Subcircuit, Kowalski Vacancy
NO ENDORSEMENT - Ursula Walowski is NOT Recommended

Judge, 10th Subcircuit, Morrissey Vacancy
Diana Kenworthy (unopposed)

Judge, 10th Subcircuit, Pucinski Vacancy
Eileen O’Neill Burke (unopposed)

Judge, 12th Subcircuit, Devlin Vacancy
Pamela Elizabeth Loza

Judge, 13th Subcircuit, Ryan Vacancy
Ann Catherine Brady

Judge, 13th Subcircuit, Tobin Vacancy
Margarita Kylys HOffman

Judge, 14th Subcircuit, Henry Vacancy
NO ENDORSEMENT - James O’Hara is NOT recommended

Judge, 14th Subcircuit, Reyna Vacancy
NO ENDORSEMENT - Edward Arce is NOT recommended

Judge, 15th Subcircuit, Additional Judgeship A
Anna Helena Demacopoulos

Judicial Retention Appellate Court (Yes or No votes)
Michael Gallagher - yes
Margaret Stanton McBride - yes

Judicial Retention Circuit Court (yes or no votes)
Thomas E Flanagan - yes
Michael P Toomin - yes
Richard J Elrod - yes
Themis N Karnezis – yes
James Patrick Flannery - yes
Mary Ellen Coghlan - yes
Sebastian Thomas Patti - yes
Michelle Frencene Lowrance - yes
Kathleen Marie McGurvy - yes
Shelley Lynn Sutker-Dermer - yes
Lynn Marie Egan - yes
Gerald Bender - yes
Andrew Berman - yes
Diane Gordan Cannon - yes
Evelyn Clay - yes
Sharon Johnson Coleman - yes
Clayton Crane - yes
Candace Jean Fabri - yes
John J Fleming - yes
Rodolfo Garcia - NO!
James Gavin - yes
Shelli Williams Hayes – NO!
Vanessa Hopkins – NO!
Rickey Jones - yes
Kathleen Kennedy - yes
William Lacy - yes
Marjorie Laws - yes
Patrick Manila Martin - yes
Veronica Mathein - yes
Carol Pearce McCarthy – NO!
Barbara McDonald - yes
Mary Mulhern - yes
Edward Pietrucha – NO!
Edmund Ponce de Leon - yes
James Rhodes - yes
Barbara Ann Riley - yes
James G Riley – NO
Chery Hilliard Starks - yes
David Sterba - yes
Jane Stuart – NO!
Donald Suriana - yes
Kenneth Wadas - yes
Frank Zelezinski - yes
Gregory Wojkowski - yes
Sandra Otaka - yes
Mary Anne Mason - yes
Robert Gordon - yes
Lewis Nixon- yes
Eileen Mary Brewer- yes
Norreen Valeria Love - yes
Margaret Ann Brennan - yes
Janet Adams Brosnahan – NO!
James Brown - yes
Anthony Lynn Burrell - yes
John Thomas Doody Jr - yes
Peter Felice - yes
Kerry kennedy - yes
Casandra Lewis – NO!
Thomas Lipscomb - yes
Sheila McGinnis - yes
Dennis McGuire - yes
Barbara Meye - yes
William O’Brien - yes
Lawrence OGara - yes
Laura Sullivan - yes
Santra Tristano - yes
Valarie Turner - yes
Raul Vega - yes

REFERENDUM: Shall the Constitution be amended to establish a recall process for the office of Governor and other statewide elected officials?
NO

REFERENDUM: This proposal deals with a call for a state Constitutional Convention. The last such convention was held in 1969-70, and a new Constitution was adopted in 1970. The 1970 Illinois Constitution requires that the question of calling a convention be placed before the voters every 20 years. If you support the calling of a Constitutional Convention, vote "YES." If you oppose the calling of a Constitutional Convention, vote "NO?
NO

Coming Soon - 2008 General Election Endorsements

2008-09-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that, yes, I'm working on my endorsements for the 2008 General Election. I plan to have them up at this page prior to the start of early voting in mid-October, so stay tuned...

Caveat

2008-01-29T13:04:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,
This website was originally created by me as an easy and effective way to get my opinions out to my friends who asked me who they should vote for. Since then, it has sort of snowballed beyond my expectations and I'm honored so many of you have visited, friends of friends and people I don't even know!

Please keep in mind, these are just my personal opinions. I happen to think that I'm right, but if you disagree, do your own research and vote your own way. I spent many hours coming up with my endorsements, so barring any new revelations, I'm probably not going to be swayed. I'm not looking to debate any hacks for various campaigns on this page, so if you want to comment, say something constructive.

Thanks!
Jen

Printable List of 2008 Democratic Primary Endorsements

2008-01-27T22:46:00.000-06:00

This is an easy to use printable list of my endorsements in the most popular races. You CAN print this out and take it, and any other personal notes you have, into the voting booth with you. To print, click on the title of this post, then print.

President of the United States - Barack Obama
United States Senator - Dick Durbin (uncontested)
United States Representative, 4^th District - Luis Gutierrez (uncontested)
United States Representative, 9^th District - Jan Schakowsky
Delegate to the National Nominating Convention, 9th District – (Vote for six) Alvarez, Bayer, D’Souza, Kalayil, Shore, Tunney (all have “Obama” after their names on the ballot)
Alternate Delegate to the National Nominating Convention, 9^th District – Nolar (has “Obama” after name)
(For Delegates and Alternate Delegates in areas outside the 9^th District, simply choose whoever has “Obama” next to their name.)
State Senator, 5^th District – Amy Sue Mertens
State Senator, 7^th District – Heather Steans
State Representative, 10^th District – Annzanette Collins
State Representative, 14^th District – Harry Osterman (uncontested)
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commisioners (vote for three) -
Mariyana Spyropoulos
Derrick David Stinson
Dean Maragos
State’s Attorney – Anita Alvarez
Clerk of the Circuit Court – Dorothy Brown (uncontested)
Recorder of Deeds – Ed Smith
Board of Review, 2^nd District – Jay Paul Deratany
Supreme Court – Anne Burke (uncontested)
Judge of the Appellate Court, Vacancy of Burke – Sharon Johnson Coleman
Judge of the Appellate Court, Vacancy of Campell – John O Steele
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Disko – Dennis Burke
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Glowacki – Terry MacCarthy
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Healy – Maureen Ward Kirby
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Keehan – Marilyn Johnson
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Lott – Thomas Byrne
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Motlelione – Debra Walker
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Murphy – Paul Lingo
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Nowicki – Michael Hyman
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Thomas – Joan Powell
Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Sheehan – Ann Collins Dole
Ward Committeman, 48^th Ward – Carol Ronan (uncontested)
Referendum All Cook County Voters – Shall federal government be required to adopt mandatory full funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of ensuring all eligible honorably discharged U.S. veterans receive quality and accessible healthcare and related services?
YES

President of the United States

2008-01-27T22:34:00.001-06:00

Barack Obama

As an Illinois resident, I’ve followed the career of Barack Obama for years, so I feel confident that Barack votes the way I would vote if I were him 99% of the time. I have found him to be honest, straightforward and dependable as my Senator. He also embodies the progressive values that I hold dear, and I believe he has the personality and strength to spread those values to the Congress and indeed to the country. Barack is the JFK of my generation, and I believe he can and will change the course of this country’s history for the better in the coming years. It would also be impossible not to note that the fact that he is multi-racial would be a strong signal to the youth of our country, particularly minority youth, as to the possibilities open to them.

A note on some of the other candidates –

Dennis Kucinich - I have been a supporter of Dennis Kucinich for a long time, and Dennis is most in line with what I believe. However, he has very little support nationwide, so I’ve decided to throw my support behind Barack Obama. Kucinich recently dropped out of the race, and has previously urged his Iowa supporters to vote for Obama, so I think we may see an endorsement out of him yet.

Hilary Clinton – There is no doubt that Hilary is an extraordinary woman, and I am a bit sad, as a feminist, that I won’t be voting for the first woman who has a serious shot at the presidency. I have admired her from some time, and have been to see her speak several times. Hilary lost me, however, because of her conduct regarding the Iraq War. She was one of the most adamant supporters of the war from the start, continued to support the war long after most of the country turned against it, and to this day does not have as aggressive and forthright a plan for withdrawal as the other candidates. There is also something about having two families rule the country for almost twenty years straight that rubs me the wrong way – we’re a democracy, not a dynasty.

United States Senator

2008-01-27T22:33:00.000-06:00

Dick Durbin (uncontested)
Dick is running uncontested here, but let me just say that I think he’s a very reasonable and strong Senator who has represented Illinois well over the years. I hope he will continue to be a leader in the Democratic Party.

United States Representative, 4th District

2008-01-27T22:32:00.002-06:00

Luis Gutierrez (uncontested)

United States Representative, 9th District

2008-01-27T22:32:00.001-06:00

Jan Schakowsky

Jan Schakowsky has consistently been true to progressive values – Jan does what I would do if I were in Congress. Her opponent, John Nocita, is a total nutcase whose biggest issues are that he supports the recognition of Christianity as important, tax credits for private schools, and continued funding of the Iraq War. Why he’s running on the Democratic ballot, I have no idea.

Delegates, Alternate Delegates

2008-01-27T22:31:00.000-06:00

These are people, usually politicians themselves, who promise to vote for the candidate next to their name at the Democratic National Convention this summer. You should vote for the delegates who match the presidential candidate you choose.

Delegate to the National Nominating Convention, 9th District – (Vote for six) Alvarez, Bayer, D’Souza, Kalayil, Shore, Tunney (all have “Obama” after their names on the ballot)

Alternate Delegate to the National Nominating Convention, 9^th District – Nolar (has “Obama” after name)

(For Delegates and Alternate Delegates in areas outside the 9^th District, simply choose whoever has “Obama” next to their name.)

State Senator, 5th District

2008-01-27T22:30:00.000-06:00

Amy Sue Mertens

She’s worked in education, healthcare, the arts and for environmental organizations, and was part of the Green Festival organizing committee last year. The incumbent, Rickey Hendon, is a jerk, continually being reprimanded for sexist comments and behavior towards other lawmakers. Vote him out!

State Senator, 7th District

2008-01-27T22:29:00.002-06:00

Heather Steans

This was a hard decision, as both Heather Steans and Suzanne Elder are excellent candidates, and they agree on almost everything. Without a lot of difference between them, I opted for Heather Steans as I feel she has more experience in politics and will be able to get more done. I do hope that Suzanne Elder will run for something else again in the future, however, as I think she’s great too.

State Representative, 10th District

2008-01-27T22:29:00.001-06:00

Annzanette Collins

Re-elect Rep Collins. She’s served as representative for almost ten years and has been instrumental in legislation concerning adoption, healthcare for children, and education. Her opponent, Eddie Winters, is a Chicago police officer.

State Representative, 14th District

2008-01-27T22:28:00.002-06:00

Harry Osterman

Harry’s uncontested.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commisioners (vote for three)

2008-01-27T22:28:00.001-06:00

Mariyana Spyropoulos

Derrick David Stinson

Dean Maragos

These three have the most experience relevant to environmental protection, and are endorsed by the most environmental organizations.

State’s Attorney

2008-01-27T22:27:00.000-06:00

Anita Alvarez

She’s an experienced State’s Attorney who was in charge of the Girl X case in 1999, leading to the conviction of Patrick Sykes. She’s focused on domestic violence and sex crimes. Suffredin, who is being touted as the progressive candidate, is actually a lobbyist for tobacco and other interests, and recently worked against the smoking ban in Chicago.

Clerk of the Circuit Court

2008-01-27T22:26:00.000-06:00

Clerk of the Circuit Court – Dorothy Brown (uncontested)

Recorder of Deeds

2008-01-27T22:25:00.002-06:00

Ed Smith

Smith actually supports the elimination of the controversial Recorder of Deeds office, which does little other than push paper. He’d suggest it be a part of the tax office, and I think he’s right.

Board of Review, 2nd District

2008-01-27T22:25:00.001-06:00

Jay Paul Deratany

Sick of property tax increases and Todd Stroger? The man responsible for those two pains in the rear is Joseph Berrios. Vote the bum out, and Jay Paul Deratany in.

Supreme Court, Appellate Court and Circuit Court Judges

2008-01-27T22:21:00.000-06:00

My recommendations for judges are made based upon the ratings of all Chicago and Cook County bar associations, weighted towards the women's and GLBT bar associations to carry more weight.

Supreme Court – Anne Burke (uncontested)

Judge of the Appellate Court, Vacancy of Burke –
Sharon Johnson Coleman

Judge of the Appellate Court, Vacancy of Campell –
John O Steele

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Disko –
Dennis Burke

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Glowacki –
Terry MacCarthy

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Healy –
Maureen Ward Kirby

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Keehan –
Marilyn Johnson

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Lott –
Thomas Byrne

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Motlelione –
Debra Walker

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Murphy –
Paul Lingo

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Nowicki –
Michael Hyman

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Thomas –
Joan Powell

Judge of the Circuit Court, Vacancy of Sheehan –
Ann Collins Dole

Ward Committeman, 48th Ward

2008-01-27T22:20:00.000-06:00

Ward Committeman, 48^th Ward – Carol Ronan (uncontested)

Carol is retiring as State Senator, but will remain as committeperson for the Democratic Party in the ward.

Referendum On Veteran's Healthcare

2008-01-27T22:19:00.001-06:00

Referendum All Cook County Voters – Shall federal government be required to adopt mandatory full funding of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of ensuring all eligible honorably discharged U.S. veterans receive quality and accessible healthcare and related services?

YES

How I Decide Who To Endorse

2008-01-27T22:16:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: My endorsements are based on my personal values and beliefs, and I encourage you to carefully weigh your own values and beliefs when making your choices.

My political beliefs are largely influenced by the Catholic social teaching I was brought up with in my family and in my schools. I won’t bore you with the details, but the main tenants of Catholic Social Teaching include respect for the life and dignity for all people, call to community, preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, rights and responsibilities of a decent life, dignity of the worker, solidarity and care for creation. My interpretation of these tenants means I support things like - nonviolence, peace and prevention of international conflict, rescue and care for people in crisis domestically and internationally, the right to unionize, economic opportunities for jobseekers and small businesses, educational opportunities including college financial aid, universal healthcare for all adults and children, universal civil rights for all people (including the right to marry), comprehensive sex education and reproductive rights including abortion, violence prevention and response, fair housing, emergency response for crisis situations, ending of global warming and increasing of renewable energy sources, and solidarity with other humans across the globe.

Of course, not all the candidates I choose will embody all of these values, but I try to choose the person who represents most of them and can do the most amount of good for the most amount of people.

How To Vote

2008-01-27T22:12:00.001-06:00

First, a word on the voting process. You’ll want to check your voter registration card, which you will have received in the mail, for your polling place. If you do not have this card, you can easily look it up at www.chicagoelections.com (for Chicago residents) or www.voterinfonet.com (for Cook County residents). Usually your polling place will be a school, church, or other community gathering place. Make a note of your Ward and Precinct, and write down the polling place location. Be sure to look up at www.mapquest.com if you are unaware of where it is.

On election day, you’ll go to your polling place between the hours of 6:00am and 7:00pm to vote. When you arrive at your polling place location, make sure you are in the correct line – some polling places serve two or three precincts in one room, so you’ll want to look for signs to which table you should go to. Approach the table, and you’ll be asked for your name and address. The judge of elections will find your name in the book, and you will be asked to sign the ballot application form. The judge of elections will compare your signature to the one that is on record. (Note: you will NOT be asked for identification, as per the Voting Rights Act passed by the U.S. Congress to protect the rights of citizens to vote. If you are asked for identification, it will only be because there is some discrepancy in your records. Your signature is your proof of identification under the law.)

For primary elections only, you will then be asked to declare your party affiliation – Democrat, Republican, or Green Party. (If you do not declare a party, you will be given a Nonpartisan ballot and will only be able to vote on the referendum questions, so you should definitely declare a party.) You will then be given the ballot for your party preference and you may proceed to vote. Note that you can usually choose electronic or paper balloting – in Cook County, both are equally secure from fraud as there is a paper trail for the electronic machines which cannot be tampered with.

If you have any problems on Election Day, or you feel your right to vote is being unfairly challenged, or you are being intimidated by campaign workers or election officials, you should call 911 and report it to the police. They will send a State’s Attorney to the polling place to investigate.

Democrats take control of House and Senate, plus Rumfeld Resigns

2006-11-09T00:22:00.000-06:00

I think I better buy a lottery ticket, because our luck has come in!

According to AP, the Democrats have now won the Senate. We won the House last night. Also today, Rumsfeld resigned.

Congratulations to everyone who voted yesterday.

How I Decide / My Values

2006-10-31T23:56:00.000-06:00

My endorsements are based upon my research of the candidates positions, assessment of their public statements, and predictions on how they will impact the people.

Candidates who are most in line with my values and goals win my endorsement.

So what are my values? That's a good question for you to ask, especially if you are taking my word on these candidates. I value candidates who I feel can do the most good for the most amount of people. I define "good" as uplifting and protecting the people of our country. Some issues I think are important are:
peace and prevention of international conflict
rescue and care for Americans in crisis
economic opportunities for jobseekers and small businesses
educational opportunities including college financial aid
universal healthcare for all adults and children
civil rights for all, including the right to marry
sensible sex education and reproductive rights including abortion
violence prevention and response
fair housing
emergency response for crisis situations
protection of the country from terrorist attacks, especially port security

Not all candidates will adhere with all my values. In those cases, I choose the candidate who is most in line with my thoughts. I weigh situations like these by reflecting upon the relative importance of the positions in comparison with the opportunity to make an impact. I learned this method as a teen studying Catholic social teaching in relation to politics - for example, while many Catholics are encouraged to vote for the Republican candidate because of their position on abortion, the Church teaches it is important to look at the candidate's views on all social teaching (dealth penalty, caring for the poor, economic opportunities, nonviolence) and not just one "wedge issue" or "litmus test" for moral decisions. In doing this, you can often find that the Democratic candidate usually comes out on top. This method has long been helpful to me in making my political decisions. I encourage you all to weigh your decisions using your own values.

Some of the personal experiences that have particularly shaped my beliefs this year are -

Hurricane Katrina - My cousin Carl was missing in New Orleans for nearly a week, and every hour I spent watching the U.S. government do nothing while people drowned and died was an hour I vowed I would never forget again when I voted. Thankfully, Carl survived, however not without loosing his home and experiencing extreme injury both mentally and physically.

The Isreali-Lebanon Conflict - My parents' neighbors, who are of Lebanese descent, were in Lebanon during the conflict's height. They were left without any help or assistance from the U.S. government, who essentially abandoned them during a time of war. Every day I imagined their youngest, a spitfire of a little girl, experiencing horrors far beyond her northwest Chicago childhood experience. Thankfully, they arrived home, but not without risking life and limb and driving out of the country themselves, without any asssistance from the U.S.

The continuing Iraq war - I have two close friends, one whom I consider a brother, serving in the military. Over the years I have seen the toll this has taken on them as they are sent again and again to fight wars without end and seemingly without purpose. One is currently in Iraq for the third time.

Because of these three experiences, I believe the current administration and Congress has betrayed the trust of the American people. If we cannot depend on our leaders to help us in times of natural disaster, international crisis, or war, when CAN we depend on them?

Simple List of Endorsements - Print out and take to the voting booth

2006-10-31T23:55:00.000-06:00

SIMPLE LIST - PRINTABLE FOR YOUR VOTING NEEDS

Jen’s Endorsements – General Election November 7, 2006

Governor & Lieutenant Governor – Rod Balgojevich & Pat Quinn

Attorney General – Lisa Madigan

Secretary of State – Jesse White

Comptroller – Dan Hynes.

Treasurer – Alexi Ginnoulias

U.S. Representative, 9^th District – Jan Schakowsky

State Senator, 7^th District – Carol Ronen.

State Representative, 14^th District – Harry Osterman

President of County Board –Todd Stroger

County Clerk –David Orr

County Sheriff – Thomas Dart.

County Treasurer – Maria Pappas

County Assessor – James Houlihan

County Commissioner, 10^th District – Mike Quigley

Board of Review, 2^nd District – Joseph Berrios

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners (3) – You vote for three people in this race – Debra Shore, Terrence O’Brien and Patricia Horton.

APPELLATE COURT
Judges of the Appellate Court – Both Michael Murphy and Joy Cunningham are unopposed and there is not reason not to re-elect them.

CIRCUIT COURT

Judge of the Circuit Court – Aurelia Pucinski , Michael Howlete, Mike McHale, James Murphy, Pamela Veal, and Patrick O’Brien are all unopposed and have no reason to not reelect them.

JUDICIAL RETENTION – You vote either yes or no. It is important that you vote YES for every single judge, other than the following names. If judges do not get 60% yes votes, they will not win the office, so it is very important to vote yes so good judges can keep their jobs. It is just as important to vote no for judges who are not qualified. Vote NO on the following names -

Kathy Flannagan

Ronald Riley

Robert Cepero

Cynthia Brim

Rodney Brooks

Thomas Chiola

Christopher Donnelly

Marsha Hayes

Robert Kowalski

Lee Preston

Daniel Riley

Lawrence Terrell

Amanda Toney

P. Scott Neville Jr

Loretta Eadie-Daniels

Donna Felton

Marcella Lipinski

REFERENDUM – ALL COOK COUNTY

Ban on manufacture, sale, delivery and possession of military-style assault weapons and .50 caliber rifles? YES

Enact legislation to increase minimum wage from $6.50 an hour to $7.50 and hour? YES

Immediately begin an orderly and rapid withdrawl of all its military personnel from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard and Reserves? YES

Governor

2006-10-31T23:54:00.001-06:00

Governor & Lieutenant Governor –

Rod Balgojevich & Pat Quinn

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that Rod has been a crushing disappointment to me since we elected him governor. While in Congress, he was very outspoken and progressive, a young JFK in the making; since winning the governor slot, it seems to me he’s become mired in the same trap that gets all Illinois politicians – corruption. I think he has done a good job in the past four years on several issues important to me – signing a law requiring pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception to women with prescriptions, expanding health care for children, working a deal with Canada for cheaper prescription drugs, and funding stem cell research. Judy Bar Topinka, on the other hand, was Governor Ryan’s right hand woman during the years he was bilking Illinois of thousands of dollars – that makes her and Rod even on the issue of “sort of corrupt”, in my mind. Although Judy is fairly moderate on “social issues”, she won’t be able to break with Republicans to push forward any sort of progess towards same-sex marriage, and will probably stand silent against attacks on reproductive rights. IF you’re thinking of lodging a “protest vote” and choosing Green Party candidate Rich Whitney, you may want think twice – Rich would work towards carry laws for gunowners – that’s not just “conceal and carry”, but goes further, allowing gun owners to openly carry guns in public. Based on studies of states who have enacted conceal and carry laws, I believe Rich’s plan would directly and immediately lead to an increase in violent crime, particularly crime committed against women by their partners. Further, it just doesn’t make sense to put more guns in more readily accessible areas – no doubt there would be an increase in robberies, gang violence, and suicide as well. Rich is right on a lot of the issues, but his position on gun control makes me think he’s just wrong on common sense and not ready to lead Illinois.

IL Attorney General

2006-10-31T23:54:00.000-06:00

Attorney General – Lisa Madigan is the clear winner here. Lisa improved the state’s method of monitoring sex-offenders who were released, as well as designing legistlation requiring lifetime supervision of the most dangerous offenders. She’s also worked hard on environmental and crime issues. Stewart Umholtz doesn’t seem to have much differences from Lisa, so he doesn’t make hardly any case about why we should choose him instead of her. David Black, the Green Party candidate, doesn’t even have a webpage (according to several internet searches as well as the IL Green Party homepage) where you can find out what he stands for – in an era where every fourteen year old kid has a website, that makes me think he’s not even trying.

IL Secretary of State

2006-10-31T23:53:00.002-06:00

Secretary of State – Jesse White wins this one, and not just because I like his tumblers. He revamped the Secretary of State website, now allowing you to do a lot online instead of standing in those long lines at the DMV. He also pushed for the creation of the Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, which allows anyone to register to be an organ donor ahead of time, so their families know their wishes. Finally, he reworked the Illinois Crime Vicitms Compensation Program, decreasing the time of wait from four months to sixty days or less. Dan Rutherford, currently a representative in the Illinois Assembly, is a Regan republican who votes with the anti-choice and pro-gun lobby. There are also rumors that he might be gay, due to his mixed votes on equal rights bills; if that’s true, Dan should use his position as a well liked and respected Republican to help his party evolve on this issue. Karen Peterson, the Green candidate, has no website, so I have no idea what she stands for. (What is the deal, does no one in the Green Party have a computer?)

IL Comptroller

2006-10-31T23:53:00.001-06:00

Comptroller – Dan Hynes wins here. In his last term, he championed (with Rod) stem cell research, and was frank and honest (to Rod’s discomfort) about the financial matters of the state. Carole Pankau, currently a state senator, opposes embryonic stem cell research. Once again the Green Party candidate, Alicia Snyder, has no website or information available.

IL Treasurer

2006-10-31T23:53:00.000-06:00

Treasurer – I find Alexi Ginnoulias’s possible mob connections troubling, yes. Still, I’m inclined to give 30 year old Alexi a chance to show us what he can do - he’s got the business and finance experience, and is young enough to perhaps mobilize a new generation of politicians and voters. Obama supports him, and Alexi lives in my neighborhood, so those are also plus factors in my mind. On the issues, he supports college savings program expansion and alternative fuel incentives. Carole Pankau is a moderate republican, but I was caught offguard by the story of how she got into politics – she didn’t want a new fire station being built in her neighborhood. Huh? Her votes against gun control and domestic partner benefits also eliminate her in my mind. Dan Rodriguez Schloroff, the Green Party candidate, is extremely likeable. While he is a former Republican, he is also the first openly gay and first Asian-American to run for statewide office. The problem is that he’s only 26 years old, and a minister with an education in theology – according to his website the only experience in finance he has is from investing in some socially responsible companies as a ten year old, and starting a scholarship program at his college job. Without the resume, I just can’t make him treasurer. (note to Green Party: Why the heck didn’t you run him in another office? This guy would be a shoe-in for a state rep or something smaller. Geez.)

U.S. Representative

2006-10-31T23:52:00.003-06:00

U.S. Representative, 9^th District – I’m a Jan Fan! Jan Schakowsky has consistently been true to progressive values – from organizing against the war in Iraq to traveling to Darfur to raise awareness of the genocide there, Jan does what I would do if I were in Congress. Her opponent, Michael Shannon, is a professional negotiator with some interesting ideas, but overall I get the impression that he’s kind of a nutcase.

State Senator

2006-10-31T23:52:00.002-06:00

State Senator, 7^th District – Carol Ronen is a champ. For over ten years, she worked to get the Illinois Human Rights act passed. She’s also consistently fought for women and children, anti-violence programs, responsible sex ed, education and healthcare, and raising the minimum wage. Without serious opposition for many years, she could just rest on her laurels, but Ronen has kept on fighting the good fight. Her opponent, Frank Thomas, isn’t even listed on the Illinois Republican website, and does not appear to have any website of his own.

State Representative

2006-10-31T23:52:00.001-06:00

State Representative, 14^th District – Harry Osterman is my pick. Ironically, one of the first campaigns I ever volunteered on, was against Osterman in the primary back in the late 90s. However Osterman does an okay job – he’s very passionate about gun control, which I appreciate. I’m going to keep an eye on him though. His opponent, James Batek, has no information available and no website.

President of County Board

2006-10-31T23:52:00.000-06:00

President of County Board – This is a tough one. Todd Stroger disgusts me – ordained by his father from a hospital bed, while other more qualified candidates like Forest Claypool were shut out of the process altogether. But can I bring myself to vote for Republican Tony Peraica, putting an anti-choice man in charge of the county’s healthcare system for the poor? Probably not. If Stroger had a lead in the polls, I’d abstain from this race – but since this could be a close one, I have to vote Stroger. Hey Green Party, where are you on this race?

County Clerk

2006-10-31T23:51:00.002-06:00

County Clerk – I’ve always like David Orr, and he’s won my vote again. He’s a straight shooter and goes by the book. When he was confronted about the issue of gay marriage, he said he would issue licenses as soon as the law made it possible. He runs a lean office that is consistently cited for very little waste. Nancy Carlson’s main criticism of Orr is that votes aren’t counted quickly enough in Cook County – something that Orr has worked to fix increasingly each election. Again, we find the opponent Nancy Carlson without any website.

County Sheriff

2006-10-31T23:51:00.001-06:00

County Sheriff – Thomas Dart. There’s not much difference in the candidates proposals here – both want to clean up County Jail and institute reforms in hiring. Dart has an idea of video monitoring and teleconferencing family visits, as well as the experience of being the right hand man to retiring sheriff Sheahan, so he wins my vote.

County Treasurer

2006-10-31T23:51:00.000-06:00

County Treasurer – Maria Pappas. Everyone agrees that Maria has reduced waste and patronage jobs, and increased the efficiency of the County Treasurer’s office since she was elected. Her opponent, Erik Peck, offers no rebuke and has no website.

County Assessor

2006-10-31T23:50:00.002-06:00

County Assessor – James Houlihan wins, and not just because my grandma’s maiden name was Houlihan. (Though that doesn’t hurt, Jimmy!) Houlihan deals with the hated issue of property taxes, though most agree that he’s done a good job of creating a new easy to use website and reducing huge increases. He also aims to push for comprehensive reform of the property tax system. Ralph Conner is the former mayor of Maywood – have you ever been to Maywood? If he couldn’t clean up his village, he’s not going to clean up Cook. Again, no website from Ralph.

County Commissioner

2006-10-31T23:50:00.001-06:00

County Commissioner, 10^th District – Mike Quigley runs unopposed. He worked hard on the smoking ban in Chicago, so he gets my vote.

Board of Review

2006-10-31T23:50:00.000-06:00

Board of Review, 2^nd District – Joseph Berrios runs unopposed. He’s a fat cat, but there’s no other option.

Water Reclamation District

2006-10-31T23:49:00.001-06:00

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners (3) – You vote for three people in this race, and all three are running unopposed – Debra Shore, Terrence O’Brien and Patricia Horton. Re-elect all three. Keep an eye out for Debra Shore - she's going to be an even bigger mover and shaker in the years to come in local politics.

Appellate Court

2006-10-31T23:49:00.000-06:00

APPELLATE COURT
Judges of the Appellate Court – Both Michael Murphy and Joy Cunningham are unopposed and there is not reason not to re-elect them.

Circuit Court

2006-10-31T23:48:00.000-06:00

CIRCUIT COURT

Judge of the Circuit Court – Aurelia Pucinski , Michael Howlete, Mike McHale, James Murphy, Pamela Veal, and Patrick O’Brien are all unopposed and have no reason to not reelect them.

Judicial Retention - What's that all about?

2006-10-31T23:47:00.000-06:00

Kathy Flannagan

Ronald Riley

Robert Cepero

Cynthia Brim

Rodney Brooks

Thomas Chiola

Christopher Donnelly

Marsha Hayes

Robert Kowalski

Lee Preston

Daniel Riley

Lawrence Terrell

Amanda Toney

P. Scott Neville Jr

Loretta Eadie-Daniels

Donna Felton

Marcella Lipinski

My recommendations are made based upon the ratings of all Chicago and Cook County bar associations, weighted towards the women's and glbt bar associations to carrry more weight in my decision.

How to vote on the referendum questions, and commentary

2006-10-31T23:42:00.000-06:00

REFERENDUMS FOR ALL COOK COUNTY

Ban on manufacture, sale, delivery and possession of military-style assault weapons and .50 caliber rifles? YES

I don't see any reason for assault weapons in the city of Chicago. They aren't used for hunting (at least not animal hunting) and we're not at war with Canada, so banning them will only help to reduce violent incidents.

Enact legislation to increase minimum wage from $6.50 an hour to $7.50 and hour? YES

We need reform of the minimum wage system. No one can survive on $6.50 an hour, so any increase will help the working poor.

Immediately begin an orderly and rapid withdrawl of all its military personnel from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard and Reserves? YES

Obviously we need to get out of Iraq and focus on the problems here at home. Specifically for Illinois voters, we are demanding that our Illinois National Guard be brought home to care for the people of Illinois instead of being used to fight a war abroad.

Election Information

2006-10-31T23:39:00.000-06:00

Wondering where your polling place is? What the voting hours are? Check out these websites -

Chicago residents - www.chicagoelections.com
Cook County residents (outside of Chicago) - www.voterinfonet.com

Welcome!

2006-10-30T23:10:00.000-06:00

Hello and welcome to Jen Does Politics, a blog for all of you who want to know what the heck I'm thinking when I'm ranting and raving about politics. Thanks for stopping by!