News Reel

By Joseph Ruzich, Special to the Tribune

February 11, 2010

Former Cicero President Betty Loren-Maltese, who has completed an eight-year prison term for her role in a scheme that robbed the town of more than $12 million, is expected to take up residency at a Chicago halfway house next week. Her friends say her first big step will be to find a job; her health insurance, on the other hand, isn't much of a worry.

Date: Wednesday, July 22
Time: 11:00 a.m.

RE-IMAGINING ILLINOIS ASSEMBLY WITH GOVERNOR QUINN

DOORS OPEN AT 2:30
BEGINS 3PM SHARP

Congregation Solel

1301 Clavey Road, Highland Park, IL

(The synagogue is just east of U.S. 41, and approximately
1 ½ miles from the Ravina Metra station. Transportation
from the Metra station is being arranged.)

In March, the four Industrial Areas Foundation-affiliated citizen groups in
northeastern Illinois hosted an historic meeting with Governor Quinn to
begin to confront Illinois’ political and budget crises. Over 800 leaders from

United Power for Action and Justice will meet with the new governor of Illinois to begin the process of renewing and re-imagining public life in our state. We will confront Illinois' political and budget crises directly and honestly.
We will present the following Five Pillars for Re-Imagining Illinois to him and ask for his response. At this Assembly, we look to begin a new kind of relationship between a sitting governor and grassroots citizens organizations that is based on mutual respect and accountability.

Five Pillars for Re-Imagining Illinois:

1. Rooting out the culture of corruption, nepotism and political dynasties.

2. Fiscal responsibility and adequate revenue.

3. Fair and progressive taxation.

4. Priorities for people — especially those who are hurting in the current economic crisis — over politics as usual.

5. New and diverse faces, especially those of young adults, in state and local government.

Delegations of leaders from our sister organizations, DuPage United, Lake County United, and Public Action for Change Today (PACT) will also attend. For more information, call your leader or organizer or go to www.united-power.org.

RE-IMAGINING ILLINOIS
A Working Meeting Between
Governor Patrick Quinn and United Power for Action & Justice
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Doors open at 4pm
Assembly begins at 4:30 p.m. sharp
St. Frances of Rome School
1401 South Austin Boulevard
Cicero, IL 60804

2009 Strategy Session

The Session’s Agenda will include:
• Analysis of the shifting power & political landscape in Illinois
• A look at the national economic crisis and its impact
• Time for relationship building among leaders
• Discussion of our institutional and issue organizing progress and plans

Sunday, January 18, 2009
2:00 – 6:00pm
St. Frances of Rome School
1401 S. Austin Blvd., Cicero, IL

DIRECTIONS:
• Exit I-290 at Austin and go south roughly 5 blocks. St. Frances will be on your left

Illinois IAF Education Discussion
January 22, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

Mary Seat of Wisdom Catholic Church
Ministry Center Dining Room
920 Granville, Park Ridge, Illinois

Broad based organizations in northeastern Illinois are tackling a range of education issues including school funding reform, accountability in community colleges, expanding Arabic offerings in public schools, ESL access and pre-school availability. This session is intended to bring together a cross section of leaders from United Power, DuPage United and Lake County United and their allies to:

This Thursday August 28th- 6-9pm

Good News — The state Senate voted late this afternoon to accept the Governor’s Amendatory Veto of House Bill 5285 by a margin of 35-17, with 1 voting present. This means that the young adult option legislation that we have pushed for several years is now law.