[Peace] funny you should mention our freedom to speak and protest....

Wed Nov 9 16:03:21 CST 2011

Rep. Ford files House resolution to support Occupy movements in
Illinois. This is a blll that is apparently coming up for a vote tomorrow
Thursday in the House - *to protect freedom of speech of protesters.* Naomi
Jakobsson needs calls in support of *HR0610*. I hear that just a few calls
for it could swing her. I called and left a message on the machine.
Please.....Barbara Kessel
(217) 373-5000 district office
(217) 558-1009 Springfield office

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Griffis Ryan <ryan.griffis at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 9:49 PM
Subject: [Discuss] Fwd: >>>Rep. Ford files House resolution to support
Occupy movements in Illinois
To: discuss list <discuss at communitycourtwatch.org>

Begin forwarded message:

> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> NEWS RELEASE: November 8, 2011
>
> FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
> Ashley J. Bohrer, ajbohrer at gmail.com, 818.923.8348
> Stephen F. Eisenman, s-eisenman at northwestern.edu, 626-394-3311 (cell)
>
> SEE BELOW FOR:
> 1) full text of resolution
> 2) transcript of recent House floor discussion of Occupy Chicago and link
to audio
>
> HR0610 info is at:
>
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HR&DocNum=610&GAID=11&SessionID=84&LegID=62508
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> REP. LA SHAWN K. FORD FILES RESOLUTION IN SPRINGFIELD ABOUT OCCUPY
MOVEMENT
> CHICAGO LAWMAKER SAYS THE STATE MOVEMENT FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE IS FREE
SPEECH
>
> SPRINGFIELD – Rep. La Shawn K. Ford today filed a Resolution in the
Illinois House of Representatives expressing support for “the peaceful
exercise of First Amendment Rights” by people across the state engaged in
the Occupy protests. The resolution reaffirms what the First Amendment of
the United States Constitution explicitly protects:  "freedom of speech"
and "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances."
>
> “This is a statewide movement from all walks of life,” Ford said, “there
are young people and seniors, teachers and veterans, all protesting the
economic crisis that has destroyed families and whole communities."
>
> Ford agrees with housing advocates who say that banks and brokerage firms
have to be held accountable for putting in jeopardy the lives and fortunes
of millions of Illinoisans. He said that legislators must take stronger
measures to keep people in their homes.
>
> “Lawmakers in D.C. and in Springfield must deliver relief to families in
Illinois just as they did to Wall Street,” he told the Chicago protesters.
“The Occupy movement will help legislators stay focused on helping families
who are losing their homes. This is a new sit-in movement."
>
> First elected to his 8th district seat in 2006, Ford represents several
West Side neighborhoods hit hard by the economic collapse, including
Austin, Berwyn, Riverside, Forest Park, Oak Park, LaGrange and Brookfield.
He said that he and his House colleagues have seen their communities
decimated by a high number of foreclosures, evictions and underwater
mortgages.
>
> The preamble to the Resolution speaks directly to these issues. The
foreclosure rate in Illinois is the 9th worst in the country, and the rate
in Cook County is worse still, at 1 of every 357 units. Nearly 45% of
mortgages in Chicago are currently underwater.
>
> "The Occupy protestors in Illinois have been peaceful, thoughtful and
respectful,” Ford continued, “They deserve our recognition.”
>
> "I live in a relatively affluent northern suburb," said Stephen F.
Eisenman, a professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, and a regular
Occupy protester, "and even here the economic toll has been bad. People
can't sell their houses and the banks won't refinance them — even people
with jobs are afraid to spend and insecurity is growing."
>
> The resolution recognizes the hardships experienced by the people of
Illinois and their right to protest.
>
> On October 26, 2011, Ford asked the House assembly for a moment of
silence to recognize the "march for justice" taking place by Occupy Chicago
protestors. The request brought a rebuke from Representative Rosemary
Mulligan (R) who stated that the Occupy people "are homeless people that
have nowhere else to go" and "some of them are very strange people" and
that they should not be honored.
>
> Occupy Chicago was holding a march on October 26 on behalf of Scott
Olsen, a Iraq war veteran seriously injured by police while peacefully
protesting at Occupy Oakland.
>
> A vote is expected this week. It will have to be voted on before the
conclusion of the veto session on Thursday, November 10.
>
> ###
>
>
> ________________________________________________________
> FULL TEXT OF HOUSE RESOLUTION 0610
>
> WHEREAS, The people of Illinois are suffering from an ongoing economic
crisis that threatens their health, wealth and security, and
>
> WHEREAS, Occupy movements in Illinois are supported by people of all
trades and occupations, from school teachers to military veterans, who are
stirred to protest economic injustice by the examples of the Occupy Wall
Street movement in New York City and the numerous other Occupy protests
across the country; and
>
> WHEREAS, In Illinois, the unemployment rate is 10% (numbering more than
660,000 people), the poverty rate is more than 14% (1.8 million people),
and the rate of people living in extreme poverty (income less than $11,000
for a family of four) is nearly 7% (680,000 people); and
>
> WHEREAS, The average after-tax household income of the top 1% of the
United States population grew by 275% between 1979 and 2007, and the
average after-tax household income of the lowest 20% of the United States
population grew by just 18% in that same period; and
>
> WHEREAS, The top 1% of income earners control 40% of the wealth in the
United States; and
>
> WHEREAS, The foreclosure rate in Illinois last month was the ninth worst
in the country (1 of every 463 units), the rate in Cook County was even
worse (1 of 357 units), and nearly 45% of the mortgage loans on Chicago
homes are "underwater", that is, the amount of the home mortgage loan
exceeds the value of the home; and
>
> WHEREAS, The cost of the foreclosure crisis to Illinois taxpayers in 2012
is expected to reach $12 billion, blighting whole communities with
decreased police and fire protection, higher crime rates, less access to
health care, poorer schools, deteriorated infrastructure, diminished
recreation services, reduced library services, and park closures or reduced
park hours; and
>
> WHEREAS, People of all ages (from young adults to seniors) and
backgrounds, individuals from all Chicago neighborhoods, and persons who
live in the suburbs, downstate cities, and rural areas are lawfully
protesting the failures of Wall Street, the subsequent economic crisis, and
the failure to address the needs of 99% of the population; therefore, be it
>
> RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the hardships
experienced by the people of Illinois as a result of the economic
injustices and we stand in support of the continued peaceful exercise of
First Amendment rights by Occupy protesters.
>
>
>
>
________________________________________________________________________________
> HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GENERAL ASSEMBLY
> REP. LA SHAWN K. FORD REQUESTS MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR OCCUPY CHICAGO
> TRANSCRIPT FROM 10-26-11
>
> LINK TO AUDIO: http://soundcloud.com/agentgrifray/ford_il_assembly
>
>
> MR. SPEAKER: Please proceed La Shawn.
>
> REP. LA SHAWN FORD: Mr. Speaker, as elected officials I know we all have
town hall meetings, and do surveys, and go door to door to hear the will of
the people, and sometimes turnouts are not always what we hope them to be.
But today I want to make sure that we recognize the people in Chicago who
are Occupy Chicago and let them know that here in Illinois that we hear
them and that we see them. And I ask that we have a moment of silence as
they march for justice in Chicago.
>
> MR. SPEAKER: Ladies and gentleman if we could have your attention please,
Rep La Shawn Ford has made a motion to take a moment and Rep. Ford, staff
if you could just return to the back of the chamber for a moment, if you'd
like to repeat that request Representative... [GAVEL POUNDS 3 TIMES]
Representative, repeat your request please.
>
> REP. LA SHAWN FORD: I just want to congratulate the people of OC as they
march for justice for all of us. And we would like to encourage them as
they continue to march peacefully in Chicago and I ask that we show them
that we hear them and that we see them and we ask for a moment of silence
as they continue to march for justice for all of us. [SOME BOOS HEARD.]
>
> [SPEAKER RECOGNIZES ANOTHER REPRESENTATIVE FOR 27 SECONDS ON ANOTHER
MATTER]
>
> MR. SPEAKER: Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, for what purpose do you speak
recognition?
>
> REP. ROSEMARY MULLIGAN: Thank you Mr. Speaker, a point of privilege about
the former representative talking about honoring the people that are
marching in Chicago. Those people are organized online, as they have been
for the last ten years, by people out of there, and so a lot of those
people that are marching are homeless people that have nowhere else to go,
they just actually, if you get mixed up in them, I've been in them in
Houston ten years ago and a lot of different places, some of them are very
strange people. They just pick up other people that want to protest also,
but I don't think we should honor what's going on in the Chicago Loop where
people work and come and go and there are a lot of other things going on
there. And I don't think it is a very safe thing, so I wouldn't honor those
people if it was the last thing...and certainly not on the floor of the
Illinois General Assembly.  [CHEERS HEARD]
>
> MR. SPEAKER: Rep. Ford, just for a moment.
>
> REP. LA SHAWN FORD: Just real quick, I disagree with the previous speaker
because I think that it's our job to hear the will of the people and I say
that regardless to what their plight is in life, we should hear from them.
Thank you Mr. Speaker.  [SOME CHEERS]

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