tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1797875972831999598.post2047773399874352647..comments2023-11-22T04:27:07.521-06:00Comments on glen brown: Illinois Senate Bill 1, the Preamble: Madigan’s [and on May 15th the Attorney General's] Attempt to Justify the Diminishment of a Constitutional Contract through Eminent Domain Powers gbrownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13435049339082622611noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1797875972831999598.post-49242007910113609772014-06-28T08:49:38.682-05:002014-06-28T08:49:38.682-05:00Dear Diane:
…This is the time for citizens of Ill...Dear Diane:<br /><br />…This is the time for citizens of Illinois to openly resist the way in which the state's politicians (without moral conscience) have now chosen to “regulate public morals and welfare.” This is the time to protest against the liars and thieves who have manufactured a financial crisis; to protest against the liars and thieves who have perpetuated a financial predicament through irresponsibility, mismanagement and corruption; to protest against the liars and thieves who have ignored moral responsibility and refused lawful remedy for the financial problems they have created.<br /><br />from The Contract Clause and the State of Illinois’ “reserved sovereign powers” in Senate Bill 1 (June 12, 2014)<br /><br /> http://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-contract-clause-and-state-of.html<br /><br />…It is up to us to secure what we have earned by opposing the wealthy influences of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Civic Federation, Illinois Policy Institute and their unethical legislators. We must defend our dignity with stubborn resolve. Our primary task is to enlist every teacher and every other public employee in a unification of wills to protect our “alienable” rights and benefits that we deem fair and equitable because they are earned, incentive payments for our life’s labor. This undertaking perhaps forestalls our pro-active and continual engagement with some of the bankrollers’ marionettes in the Illinois General Assembly. <br /><br />Indeed, our fortitude and knowledge give us power, and this power must motivate us to action. Our collective financial fate is challenged and will continue to be in the future. We are intrinsically bound to one another in this regard. As Martin Luther King eloquently stated, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” Let us heed King’s message of “direct action,” unify our efforts to confront wealthy interests and unethical legislation, and “arouse the conscience of not only our colleagues but our communities” by proving that our right to a defined-benefit pension is not to be "diminished or impaired" because it is the solution and template for the preservation of justice and dignity of all workers in Illinois. <br /><br />A demanding call for engagement will intensify for us in the future. We cannot remain on the sidelines. "Indifference is not an option," even though “It is so much easier to look away… so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes” (Elie Wiesel). With concerted determination and indomitable courage, let's meet these challenges before us. “What is required of us is a new… responsibility…; that we have duties to ourselves [and to others]; that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of character, than giving our all to a difficult task” (Barack Obama). Truly, “We Are One,” but only if we demonstrate a willingness to organize and to act upon principles that we believe are so valuable that to do nothing would be an injustice.<br /><br />from An Open Letter to All Teachers in Illinois (May 30, 2011)<br /><br />http://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2011/05/open-letter-to-all-teachers-in-illinois.html<br />gbrownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13435049339082622611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1797875972831999598.post-81960852826239400172014-06-27T22:35:32.251-05:002014-06-27T22:35:32.251-05:00I too am amazed at your depth of knowledge...What ...I too am amazed at your depth of knowledge...What do you suggest that the average retired state employee do with this info other than stay informed?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09341208870422542841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1797875972831999598.post-34528878844350037992014-05-17T23:53:16.050-05:002014-05-17T23:53:16.050-05:00My thanks to Eric Zorn for pointing me to this pag...My thanks to Eric Zorn for pointing me to this page. Lots of good stuff here.<br /><br />My own view is that SB1 is more theatre, albeit high stakes theatre. It's unconstitutional on its face, which means either (a) it's just stalling for time until after the 2014 elections -- i.e. more kicking the can down the road -- so we can start from scratch again in 2015, or (b) it's a cynical gamble that the IL Supreme Court owes enough political favors to Madigan.<br />zbicyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10850387889082662189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1797875972831999598.post-19709947507677957332014-05-16T09:51:44.697-05:002014-05-16T09:51:44.697-05:00Glen, you are amazing! I don't know how you h...Glen, you are amazing! I don't know how you have time to come up with all this wonderful information, but I am grateful.Opahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06373387676301979245noreply@blogger.com