Monday, November 11, 2013

Last Minute Reminders for 2013

REMINDER LIST for 2013: 
Things to do before the end of the year.

Snow is falling outside the window; most of the leaves have fallen or been blown into the neighbor’s yard.  They rake mine, and I rake the family’s on the other side of my home. 
Traditions.

Thanksgiving comes late this year, and Christmas will follow quickly after.  Legislators in Springfield are spreading speculations of a pension session in early December.  Members of the committee have been describing continued progress, and pundits describe Madigan/Cullerton as poised to coerce a vote. 
More traditions.

Reminder #1:  Vote for Fred Klonsky for IEA Retired Delegate
Except for Klonsky’s perseverance in the convoluted CMS roll out, I’d be off the trail and in the ditch for sure.  Now I might even be able to figure out what I’m doing once the enrollment forms arrive tomorrow, or next week, or…

Besides there’s that promise he made:
To fight for our pensions without apology.
To oppose any and all corporate school reform.
To stand with us. 




Reminder #2:  Send a year’s-end donation to IRTA, and annotate the check “For the Defense Fund.”

“We will fight for our pensions even if we have to sell our shoes!”  Now that’s someone willing to fight without apology.  Thanks, Gary Elmen. 

In the last year, initial legal opinions about the constitutionality of proposed bills which include the current pension committee’s suggestions cost the IRTA $20,000 or more already. 

Time for me to pony up some more.  How about you?


Reminder #3:  Call my legislators.  Email my legislators.  Write a letter to my legislators.  Ask my family members to do the same. 

My own one-time favorite Representative Monique Davis (who stood alone against SB7) folded when Madigan pushed SB1 last time around.  Even her staff were stunned.  Make sure you keep the pressure on, especially as we approach this next December’s call for “pension reform” likely on the backs of public workers, the victims of the state’s earlier theft. 

Got to remember, call Monique and others: 1-888-412-6570.

Make it easy and use the IEA website to email or call your Representative or Senator.  http://www.ieanea.org/resources/pensions/


Reminder #4:  Remember to vote in primaries this next year.
Reminder #5: Take out the garbage. 



1 comment:

  1. Off the subject, but not--have you noticed that Thanksgiving is now an irrelevant holiday. For example, Macy's, who's owner has called for an end to Social Security, Mecicare, and other social programs, lit the Macy's Christmas tree last week, and they and other sellers of garbage overseas, are asking people to shop on Thanksgiving. They have absolutely no regard for this country and its people--as we know from those willing to take our pensions away and not tax these greed corporations. And, of course, Macy's is not alone. It's not even Thanksgiving, I was down at Children's Hospital in Chicago yesterday, and you could hear the Christmas music everywhere. It's sad, very, very sad that we've let these billionaires and multinationals take over our once beloved country.

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