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

[John W.]

Let me put this in the form of a question:  In what way(s) does Rep. Ford's
proposed resolution, laudable though it may be, protect the freedom of
speech of the protesters?

John Wason



On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 4:03 PM, Barbara kessel <barkes at gmail.com> wrote:

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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