Today Gov. Quinn is giving his Budget address as I write this Blog but many of his suggestions have already been published by the news. What are the first cuts he is going to make? Well are you surprised that it’s on social services? One of the things he’s doing, as a tactic I’m sure, is to close the Tamms Supermax state prison. Everyone that is a “liberal” in IL agrees with that one because Tamms is a harsh prison and so much it violates UN human rights standards. Let’s look at the social services part.
Part of the social services he is suggesting for cutting is mental Health facilities. Pres. Regan did something similar back in the 1980’s and the homeless population grew. Many of the homeless back then were Vietnam Vets that had some serious mental health issues from seeing so much killing and suffering. Many homeless today across the country are also military vets and to think that they fought for what they thought they believed in only to be abandoned by that belief is beyond my understanding…read that again I know how it looks…
Every single time a government structure has a financial issue the needy are always the first ones to suffer for the mistakes of those that could care less about people in need. I say that in a general sense because if politicians REALLY had the heart to care for the people they would be on the news everyday talking about what needs to change. Or writing a Blog about the inside workings of it all and how we can change that. Most politicians will be interviewed and say ‘well we have to sacrifice here and there were all taking a hit…’ as they adjust their obvious expensive suit. Politicians should be dependent of public health care, public schooling, and public transportation because having private health care, private education, and a driver, sometimes depending on who it is, or a NEW car is not the reality of all the people they serve. I’m sure that if they needed to depend on public resources as a condition of public service we would have a completely different type of politician.
OK enough bashing of our pseudo Royalty…so social services is the backbone of many communities and while their schools are falling apart, potholes are not being filled, street lights not working, and no viable business initiatives are begin started in the community people have to hold on tighter. What are the expectations of our Brothers/Sisters within these communities? We all know the story of the ONE athlete or pop star that came from the broken home and community and “made it,” is that all we are hoping for? ONE single achievement from every community so that we can shove it in people’s faces and say “but they did it!?”
I was just talking with someone and they were telling me about their frustration with a friend that is really going in the wrong direction blind as can be! After hearing the rant I laughed and said “that’s like Vince Vaughn in the movie dodge ball where he says ‘I learned that if I don’t create any expectations I’ll never be disappointed’ that’s sad.” Is that where we are at with our communities in need?
I’ve yet to meet someone that is hungry, poor, lacks education, and lives out on the street by choice but many people believe that some of that is by choice. We can never compare where we come from as the standard for living or achievement. What we can do is keep true to the promises that are made by Law and the Constitution of this land unless it has changed and I’m unaware of it?
This is why voting is important because it’s the beginning of a process to correct whatever needs correction. In Illinois our 4th Governor is going to prison next month and we quickly elected the Lt. Governor as his replacement. What we didn’t do as a community is challenge the then Lt. Governor on not being a proactive elected official to prevent actions taken by the Governor at that time. His answer to “where were you in all of this?” was “I haven’t spoken to the Governor in over a year” and NO ONE found that to be disturbing. If an unemployed person doesn’t report every month on their job hunt and show proof their check is stopped…I did say I was going to stop bashing them didn’t I? It’s a bit hard because it’s hard to watch a human being disregard thousands of people to save some money…
Our expectations need to be higher for everyone. My nephew is going to be 22 years old this year and as he was growing up one thing I tried to instill in him was that his job was to reach higher than I was able to. Imagine if I placed that on him but never supported his ideas, loved him unconditionally, corrected him when he was wrong, etc…I wouldn’t be able to get upset if he didn’t reach beyond me.
We can’t expect our children to become well educated when asbestos and/or lead tiles are STILL on the floor of kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade class rooms! Or that they have limited books or the real kicker, Teachers are usually given a code for copier machines to limit their ability to make copies. What if the limit for the month is 45 copies but the Teacher has 45 children in class and needs to make that many copies every week? I worked as an Assistant Store Manager at an office supply store and many times I would have Teachers run in to make copies and I’ll be honest many a time I would under charge them or if I could just tell them “Thank you for being a Teacher the copies are on me.” Those Teachers would tell me that they were paying for those copies out of their own pocket so my logic is that because of the lack of public funding for public schools that office supply store as a corporation was obligated to provide some sort of relief. Now if this gets back to my previous employer then it does but I couldn’t do what Gov. Quinn is doing now and looking at people in need with a blank stare and shrugging my shoulders as if it shouldn’t matter to me.
How do we hold accountable a Governor that is opening the doors for unrest within communities that are desperately seeking peace?
I tell people time and time again that when you hear a gunshot don’t get completely upset at the “gang member” get upset over the fact that kid doesn’t have a solid foundation to understand what they are doing is wrong.
Marching down the street chanting “Stop the killing!” doesn’t make the impact that you are being told it does.
Electing politicians that you can hold accountable does make an impact.
Occupying a school to prevent it from closing its doors does create an impact.
Challenging businesses for their low wages and unfair hiring practices does create an impact.
Challenging the Mayor at home does create an impact.
Walmart has opened doors in Chicago, a Union City, and hires people at minimum wages and most of their employees are part time. People are happy to just have a job and that’s where we are at now just enough to be OK so others can be better off. If you disagree with what I have written that is perfectly OK and everything I’ve said has been reported on before so it is not out of my own imagination.
Back in the 1860’s some people felt that it wasn’t OK for other people to have to work as slaves so others can be better off but it seems like it has become OK again.
Peace/AMOR
Gerardo
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