Gov. Pritzker shuts down all schools starting Tuesday #COVID19

[VIDEO] All K-12 schools in this state and this includes Chicago Public School have been shut down by the state of Illinois effective next Tuesday and classes are expected to resume at the end of the month March 30, 2020. Check out this statement from CPS and below is an ig post from CPS regarding this closure.

It's time for the US Census again...

It's about to be that time for the US Census again. State government is already getting ready for outreach for the US Census that takes place every 10 years. 2020 is the year, and we somewhat remember what happened as a result of the 2010 census.

Census roundup https://t.co/rcyb3QrvCx

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) June 21, 2019

Also from yesterday's CapFax blog, the Chicago area is getting older and less white

Chicago metro area gets older, less white https://t.co/gMtrSEmmDi

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) June 20, 2019

Crain's: How Pritzker's lieutenant plans to use her ‘lite guv' platform

From Prtizker transition site

If you don't already know state representative Juliana Stratton will become the first Black to be elected Illinois' Lieutenant Governor serving with Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker once they're installed in office next month. Here's what Crain's says not only about her background but her role as Lt. Gov.

Now she is set to be inaugurated as the first African-American lieutenant governor of Illinois. While that No. 2 job is long on influence and short on statutory authority, Stratton plans to hammer home criminal justice and equality, themes that have dominated her life. She and Pritzker inherit a financially stressed state still digging out of a two-year budget crisis and facing pockets of population decline statewide.

Stratton, 53, is chairing their transition team, which is pursuing a plan to create a new office of criminal justice reform and economic opportunity that she will lead. Small-business loans for communities that have experienced disinvestment, from Chicago to East St. Louis, and equitably awarding state contracts across the state will be priorities, she says.

She's also eager to take one statutory role, overseeing the Governor's Rural Affairs Council. Aside from that, a bevy of transition committees studying issues from education to infrastructure to energy will recommend policies that further define her job, Stratton says.

Parts of the state outside Chicago will be skeptical, with her reception dependent on policy outcomes, says Kent Redfield, a retired University of Illinois at Springfield political science professor. "If good things are happening, it's much easier to be the face of that, and for people to be positive about the lieutenant governor," Redfield says.

Stratton's warmup was as a state representative for the 5th District, a skinny strip of land running from 79th Street through Bronzeville, up Michigan Avenue to the Gold Coast—a true tale of two cities. When it came to economic development, constituents on the north end complained about parking problems, while those on the south end couldn't find a place to buy a cup of coffee, she says.

If you want to know more about what the future Pritzker-Stratton team plans to do once they're installed in office visit their transition website.

My experience at the DMV

Photo by Levois J.

How is YOUR experience with the Secretary of State's office (the dreaded DMV).

My experience at our local facility at 9901 S. King Drive has been a very positive one...i'm not sure how it is on the north side & suburbs, but I think we have it good when it comes to this facility.
In a previous trip down there, to renew my sticker, it took me literally 5 minutes from beginning to end.

This trip (yesterday), I had 2 things to do, and took a bit longer. It's literally been years since I had to take a written test, or even get a new license (I was able to use a sticker the last time, to extend it by 4 years). I didn't have the license or paperwork, so more time was definitely factored in.

So I set my timer to begin after I asked the information booth about my situation (having 2 issues, i wanted to know who I should start with)

I started with getting the sticker renewed. I didn't have the card mailed in, so I had to wait a very short time for them to print out a paper to take to the cashier. (if I had it, the SoS personnel directed people straight to the cashier)

That was completed in 7 minutes and 46 seconds.

From there, I walked out the building and to the other entrance for Drivers licenses. 

I began again at 9 minutes and 7 seconds.

The longest part was waiting after checking in at theintake desk, and showing my material(I didn't have my license, so I presented alternate material). I was given ticket A196, with A182.There were also several tickets begging with B-F.

At 43 minutes and 25 seconds, I began the process, going to the visual test, then the cashier, and then the written test , and finally the photo to get my license.
That ended at 1 hour, 5 minutes & 7 seconds. 

So 22 minutes from talking with someone to getting it the actual license.

Overall, a pretty quick process. And everyone was pretty friendly.


How has your experience been?

Want to talk about election results?

The writers of The Sixth Ward DO like talking politics....we try to keep it civil on the blog....but we definitely have opinions.

If you're on Facebook , join us at the Talking Chicago Politics page. It was created by JP to engage in robust --but respectful -- discussion of the elections. I (JP) plan to log on around 9pm or so.

Hope to see you there!

State Senator Jacqueline Collins Newsletter

March 5, 2013 Dear Friends, February has been a busy month here in the Capitol. I’ve worked on Senate Bill 26: landmark legislation that will allow Illinois to use federal money to provide health care access to uninsured, low-income adults. I’m continuing to address the foreclosure crisis from every possible angle so communities and homeowners can recover from the housing slump. And my colleagues and I observed Black History Month, drawing attention to the fact that Illinois was the first state in the union to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery. Please read on for details, plus an exciting employment opportunity with CTA. Tomorrow Governor Quinn will deliver his budget address, and the legislature will begin to consider next year’s spending. My role in this process will be to represent the 16th District and work to allocate program cuts fairly so we do not balance our budget on the backs of those least able to bear the weight. Because the sluggish economy and rising pension payments mean money is still tight this year, the legislature will need to prioritize. As I have done throughout these lean fiscal times, I will continue to speak boldly for prioritizing the needs of “the least of these.” Only by responding justly and compassionately to the needs of our most vulnerable residents can we improve quality of life for everyone in Illinois. As always, it is an honor to serve and represent you. I welcome your questions and ideas about the budget or any other legislative matters. Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts or if I can be of any assistance to you or your family. Sincerely, Senator Jacqueline Collins 16th District – Illinois Medicaid expansion: health care access and job creation I was proud to co-sponsor legislation, approved last week by the Senate, allowing Illinois to expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults not currently eligible for the program. The federal government, under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, will fully reimburse the state for medical assistance spending on the newly eligible population. The National Black Caucus of State Legislators featured my work on Medicaid expansion on its website this month. You can also visit my website to read more about this great opportunity for hospitals, communities and the medically underserved. Although the Senate voted for this legislation, the House must still approve it in order to send it to the governor for his signature. Please consider contacting state representatives in support of better health care for people who currently have few options beyond the emergency room. Grace period foreclosure counseling: a success story for homeowners Last week the Financial Institutions Committee approved a measure I introduced to extend protections that allow homeowners facing foreclosure to obtain counseling. Called the “30-30-30” approach, these legal safeguards require lenders to delay a foreclosure proceeding while a homeowner works with a counselor on a loan modification plan. If the bank accepts the plan, the homeowner and his or her family may be able to stay in the home while still making payments. Using financial counseling and loan modification to avoid foreclosure is a winning proposition for homeowners and lenders alike. Since 2009, the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network has connected nearly 600,000 people to free foreclosure help. More than 48,000 homeowners have received free homeownership counseling. The Illinois Hardest Hit program has given temporary mortgage payment assistance to more than 6,500 struggling homeowners. With funding from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Program, the Illinois Housing Development Authority has facilitated at least 3,100 loan modifications, with 900 of those mortgages now reported as current. The success of these efforts is made possible by federal funding but also provisions of Illinois law that require a lender to wait 30 days after a payment is due, send the homeowner a notice informing him or her of the availability of counseling, wait another 30 days for the homeowner to obtain assistance from a licensed counselor and then give the homeowner and counselor 30 more days to offer the bank a modification or work-out plan. Senate Bill 56 will renew these protections for three more years so we can continue fighting foreclosure and stabilizing the housing market. Illinois and the Thirteenth Amendment Moviegoers who saw the film “Lincoln” last year learned about the great political struggle to secure congressional approval of the Thirteenth Amendment. The other part of the story is its ratification by the states and the fact that Lincoln’s home state of Illinois led the way. On February 23, I attended a celebration in remembrance of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, born one hundred years ago this month, and presented a resolution I sponsoreddeclaring February 2013 “Thirteenth Amendment Ratification Month.” John Paul Jones, one of my constituents and president of the Sustainable Englewood Initiatives, asked me to find a way to publicly acknowledge Illinois’ status as the first state to ratify the amendment, which outlawed slavery in the United States and formally freed all slaves still in bondage in 1865. Illinois’ prompt ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment is something we can all be proud of today, nearly 150 years later. I sponsored this resolution because it’s important for our children to know about the significance of this moment in history – the beginning of a road that has stretched from Jim Crow to Brown v. Board to Selma to our nation’s first Black president and beyond. This part of our journey started with the legal, constitutional right to be free. Please click here to watch me discuss the significance of the Thirteenth Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation. New law helps neighborhoods recover from foreclosure crisis On February 8, Governor Quinn signed a law I sponsored to address the glut of abandoned properties clogging the court system and to give communities money to clean up or demolish abandoned residential properties. Abandoned houses stuck in the foreclosure process for hundreds of days are keeping the housing market sluggish. They stay on banks’ balance sheets and become neighborhood eyesores, adversely affecting property values. They can also be safety hazards and havens for criminal activity. Now courts can use a new, expedited foreclosure process once a lender has proven a property is abandoned and not occupied by any legitimate residents. This change in the law will shorten the foreclosure process in such cases from more than 500 days to about 100 days. An increased filing fee on the largest lenders will go into a fund for counties and municipalities involved in renovating or demolishing abandoned lots and houses. The additional money will also fund free foreclosure counseling for about 18,000 households. Please see my website for more information. Job Opportunity: CTA Customer Assistant I want to make sure my constituents who are seeking employment are aware that the Chicago Transit Authority is hiring customer service assistants. The position pays $12.40 per hour and offers benefits and growth potential. CTA will hold two job fairs: Friday, February 22 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. JLM Abundant Life Community Center 2622 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago 60612 Saturday, March 23 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Roberto Clemente Community Academy 1147 North Western Ave., Chicago 60622 Military veterans in particular are encouraged to apply. CTA is an equal opportunity employer. Interviews will not be conducted at the job fairs; you will be contacted after the event if CTA selects you to interview for a position. Job candidates must be 21 or older, pass drug and alcohol tests and a criminal background check, be able to understand and follow oral and written instructions, be able to pass a basic test of customer service skills, accurately perform basic arithmetic, communicate clearly both in writing and speaking and maintain a neat and professional appearance. Please contact my office with additional questions. District Office 1155 West 79th Street • Chicago, IL 60620 773-224-2830 (Phone) • 773-224-2855 (Fax) Springfield Office M114 Capitol Building • Springfield, IL 62706 217-782-1607 (Phone)

ComEd renews pitch for automatic rate increases

Crain's:

Commonwealth Edison Co. plans a big legislative push this spring that would allow electric and natural-gas utilities to hike delivery rates each year and would sharply curtail state utility regulators’ power to control the price for power and heat.

The measure, modeled in part on a controversial rate-freeze bill ComEd tried to move through the General Assembly last May, would give the state’s utilities far more certainty about recouping infrastructure investments in a timely way. But consumer advocates warn it would increase utility bills.

In a major change from the previous legislation, the new version would involve all of the state’s gas and power utilities rather than just Chicago-based ComEd. That means ComEd can enlist industry allies and add clout to its lobbying effort.

Under the proposal, utilities that agree to invest in their systems at a specific level would be allowed to automatically change their rates each year based on their costs. That would enable them to avoid the Illinois Commerce Commission’s review process, which often stretches to 11 months. The ICC instead would be given a narrower, after-the-fact review to ensure the costs aren’t egregious.

32nd District Fair on August 28, 2010

Hosted by state Rep. Andre Thapedi located at Marquette Park (6700 S. California). Not only will you be able to talk to the different state agencies there, but there will also be some activities for the children.

flood assistance form the city of Chicago

Some info that Ald. Lyle passed on to us, so we can pass on to you. If you have been affected by the recent rains have flooding issues, see below, from the City of Chicago web site.

Flood Assistance

July 26, 2010

The City of Chicago has begun the process of applying for flood assistance from the Federal government, and we need residents’ help.

To provide a complete damage assessment to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), please fill out the posted form.

Instructions are provided to make this as easy of a process as possible.

Residents can download the form online and email it back to flood2010@cityofchicago.org.

Residents can also call 311, and an operator will assist you with completing the form over the telephone. Completed forms can be emailed, or dropped off at your local Aldermanic office.

Residents who do not have access to a computer can visit anyone of the Chicago Public Libraries to download the form.

As always, if residents have any questions, we encourage you to call 311.

Flood Initial Damage Assessment Form
Flood Initial Damage Assessment Form Instructions

Good, bad and ugly: Illinois' new capital plan

Greg Hinz likens passing legislation in Springfield to making sausage. Especially looking at the key successes and failures made by Gov. Quinn in pushing through the recently enacted capital plan.

VIDEO: Reviving civic education

Hazel Crest state Rep. Will Davis and Cindi Canary of the IL Campaign for Political Reform discuss a "Blueprint  for Civic Education" on the Illinois Channel.

Lawmakers start budget work anew

They did a lot of work over the weekend. I didn't follow the moves in Springfield blow by blow, but it does seem to me that things were actually getting done down there as the session winds down. I'm sure everyone didn't get everything they wanted, but it seems like a far cry from what Illinois political observers witnessed maybe the last two years or so. That was overtime, gridlock and simple posturing with one side demonizing the other.

Still there is work to be done on a budget according to the AP:

Gov. Pat Quinn and top Illinois lawmakers renewed budget negotiations Monday, promising to genuinely work together in a new push to solve the state's money crisis and avoid drastic cuts that could affect services ranging from elderly care to drug addiction treatment.

Quinn met with legislative leaders for about 90 minutes in his Springfield office after lawmakers missed a Sunday night deadline to come up with a new budget and figure out how to fill an $11.6 billion deficit. Lawmakers couldn't agree on a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to close the gap.

Now the state must start sending notices to local agencies that provide a wide array of services, warning they could lose much of their funding.

Both parties tried to stay positive after Monday's meeting. Republicans said Democrats agreed to take a new look at reforms to government pension and health programs to cut costs, while Democrat Quinn said he's hopeful an agreement can be reached before service cuts start taking effect July 1.

Hopefully all parties involved in this negotiation are dedicated to making the tough call instead of just passing it a long like it's nothing.

Edgar: Reason to be optimistic in future

AP:

Speaking at Millikin University, Edgar urged residents across the state to find the silver lining in recent events. He pointed out that meaningful change does not occur in good times.

Edgar said Monday he couldn't imagine tackling the deficit facing Gov. Pat Quinn, which has been estimated as high as $11.5 billion. He said the $1 billion deficit he inherited in 1991 was child's play in comparison.

Edgar said it will be necessary to both raise taxes and cut state expenditures, actions that will be unpopular among voters. However, he said the burden of improving conditions in the state falls on everyone's shoulders.

Why our taxes put biggest bite on poor

This Sun-Times op/ed seeks to look at Illinois' tax system and Gov. Quinn's proposal to change it.

Illinois Student Assistance Corps now hiring soon-to-be college grads

Disclaimer -- the author of this entry, JP Paulus, works for the Illinois Student Assistance Corporation.

Also, PLEASE read the notes at the bottom of this entry -- they are very important for those applying!
__________________
NEWS ALERT
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Making College Affordable for Illinois Students Since 1957
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 06, 2009
Media Affairs Contacts:
Paul Palian , 312-814-3679 (Direct), 312-590-7790 (Cell), ppalian@isac.org
Emergency , 312-814-3689 or 312-590-9432

Recent Grad? Graduating Soon? ISAC Has a Job for You!

Agency seeks “a few good grads” to serve students and families throughout the state

Deerfield, Ill.—The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) announces it is hiring 78 positions in conjunction with All-Access Illinois, a college access initiative seeking to unify ISAC’s many valuable outreach services, products, and initiatives into one comprehensive campaign designed to engage students from lower-income families in planning for future post-secondary education.

Funded by the College Access Challenge Grant Program, the initiative builds upon successful outreach strategies including College Access Vertical Teams, Illinois Mentor and KnowHow2GoIllinois with the creation of a 78-member Illinois Student Assistance Corps. The Corps will tremendously bolster ISAC's ability to expand its services and to provide high quality personal service to students in every single community in the state.

The purpose of the College Access Challenge Grant Program (CACGP) is to foster partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and philanthropic organizations through matching challenge grants that are aimed at increasing the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

The Illinois Student Assistance Corps will be made up of recent college graduates recruited from the undergraduate class of 2009 and will be deployed across the state, with two Corps members assigned to each of the 39 community college districts in Illinois.

Corps members will build partnerships with local schools, businesses, and nonprofits in order to deliver free career and college planning and preparation services to students from families with no prior college-going experience. Assistance with career exploration, college selection, test preparation, scholarship searches, application completion and the financial aid process are examples of the services that the corps will provide.

"It’s a case of paying it forward. Many of the prospective Corps members we have met talk passionately about how they needed help navigating through the process as they prepared to go to college,” said ISAC Executive Director Andrew Davis. “Now, they want to help the next generation of college students."

The hiring process has already begun, with applications due on Wednesday, April 15. Interviews will begin approximately three weeks later. The program provides Corps members with a two-year employment contract, beginning in June, 2009, that includes health insurance and ongoing training, plus provides networking opportunities and the opportunity to transform the lives of families throughout the state.

For more information or to apply, contact JP Paulus at 800-899-ISAC (4722), extension 3845, or send a resume and cover letter to corps@isac.org.

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission provides students of all ages and backgrounds with the resources and support to obtain financial aid for higher education. A state agency, ISAC has paved the path to post-secondary education with innovative programs for more than 50 years. Last year alone, ISAC continued its mission to make college affordable for Illinois students by issuing 185,000 grants and scholarships totaling more than $448 million.

The Commission coordinates educational funding with student loans, as a loan guarantor and via numerous public programs such as the successful Monetary Award Program (MAP), the Illinois Veteran Grant and College Illinois! sm the Commission’s groundbreaking 529 prepaid college tuition program. Students and families have free access to a wealth of financial aid and college planning information at http://www.knowhow2goillinois.org/.

---------------------------------

A couple of notes --

• We have at least 110 people who would like a position in the Chicago & neighboring college districts. So the odds of you getting a position locally are very slim-to-none.
• We could use people are willing to move to downstate Illinois (such as the farming counties). It will be cross cultural, and you can choose to stay after 2 years, or move back to Chicago, armed with experience and networking skills.
• We are accepting resumes now. Once a resume has been received, we can go on to the next stage. That closes on April 15.