Protect Our Public Assets

fighting for the commons…

   Jun 07

Join Us For Forum On Privatization & The Infrastructure Trust – June 23

By TomTee

Saturday, June 23rd, starting at 1:00 PM, at SEIU 300 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago

Various civic organizations from across the city have united and pledged to watch closely any attempt of Mayor Rahm Emanuel to use of the Investment Trust for making infrastructure improvements. The controversial amendment passed the City Council in April. Members of the group agree that the trust lacks sufficient oversight to protect taxpayers’ dollars.

There will be a program, free and open to the public, to educate residents of the city about privatization, sale of Infrastructure, and the inherent dangers of the Investment Trust. The event will feature a panel of speakers, and a presentation, on Saturday, June 23rd, starting at 1:00 PM, at 300 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago.

PROGRAM

1:00 pm. Welcome/Introduction

1:15 – 3:00 pm. Panel presentation, followed by Q & A and Open Discussion.

3:00 – 3:20 pm Tom Tresser – “Privatization is the Symptom – NOT the Cure” – What is behind the push behind privatization and what we can do about it. Tom was a lead organizer of the No Games Chicago campaign and has been fighting privatization efforts here for years.

3:20 – 4:00 pm Networking Breakout groups with a focus on moving toward actionable proposals/Report Back.

Download a flier

Information: 

  • 708-447-1547 walterb306@cs.com
  • 312-714-7790 cpaidock@hotmail.com
  • 773-504-1580 csklare@aol.com

See: http://www.icppc9.blogspot.com

Posted in Privatization, Take action | No Comments »

   Dec 13

Senate Joins House in Giving Our Money To The 1%

By TomTee

We pay, they play. Again.

The Illinois Senate join the Illinois House in selling out the taxpayers today by approving the billion-dollar give-away to the 1%. Read the story here. CALL GOVERNOR QUINN’S OFFICE @ 312-814-2121 OR 217-782-0244 – EMAIL HIS OFFICE @http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/Pages/ContacttheGovernor.aspx.

Here are the State Senators who voted to throw a billion dollars to the 1% over the next five years:
(more…)

Posted in Take action, Tax Scams | No Comments »

   Dec 12

Roll Call of Shame – They Backed The 1% Against YOU

By TomTee

Today the Illinois State House voted to give the billionaires at the Chicago Board of Trade and the money- hemoraging Sears Corporation and a few other greedy corporations a total of $218 million a year in tax breaks. Read the story.

Here is the Roll Call of Shame. If your state rep’s name in on this list, they voted to sell you out again. (A “P” indicates the rep was “Present”). Sign an online petition telling the Legislature to STOP giving hand-outs to companies that are extorting concessions and billions from the cash-starved state. And all this at a time when the state owes hundreds of millions of dollars to our nonprofit agencies who care for the infirm and needy.

Y Acevedo

Y Arroyo

Y Bellock

Y Berrios

Y Biss

Y Bost

Y Bradley

Y Brady

Y Brauer

Y Brown

Y Burke,Daniel

P Burke,Kelly (more…)

Posted in Take action, Tax Scams | No Comments »

   Nov 05

Evanston Forum on Privatization

By TomTee

EVANSTON NEIGHBORS FOR PEACE presented

“Connecting the Dots-Privatization is the Symptom, Not the Cure” on November 12, 2011. here is Tom’s presentation with audio (about 20 minutes):

Privatization is the Symptom, Not the Cure
View another webinar from Thomas Tresser

Posted in About the Commons, Inequality, Privatization, Take action | No Comments »

   Oct 07

The Illinois Privatization Story

By TomTee

Watch this 11 minute video to get the basics on the upcoming threats of privatization in Illinois. From Chicago IndyMedia. Sign the online petition – “Say NO! to privatization!” Read the story at OnTheCommons.org.

Posted in Privatization, Take action, Tax Scams | No Comments »

   Oct 05

We Could Use More Gratitude

By TomTee

A beautiful short film by Louie Schwartzberg from TEDxSF.

It’s part of why we need to cherish, nourish and defend the commons.

Posted in About the Commons | No Comments »

   Oct 03

Are We About To Loose the Postal Service

By TomTee

From David Morris, co-founder and vice president of Minneapolis-based Institute for Local Self Reliance, writing for OnTheCommons.org:

In the next few days we may decide the future of the Post Office. The signs are not auspicious. President Obama has agreed to a plan to cut Saturday delivery. The Post Service’s management wants to close 2500 post offices immediately and up to 16,000 by 2020. Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) has introduced a bill that could end free door-to-door delivery.

Republicans have been railing at the government post office for many years. But for most of us, it is a “wondrous American creation”.

“Six days a week it delivers an average of 563 million pieces of mail—40 percent of the entire world’s volume”, observes BusinessWeek. “For the price of a 44¢ stamp (the lowest postal rate in the world), you can mail a letter anywhere within the nation’s borders. The service will carry it by pack mule to the Havasupai Indian reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Mailmen on snowmobiles take it to the wilds of Alaska. If your recipient can no longer be found, the USPS will return it at no extra charge. It may be the greatest bargain on earth.”

For all you Constitutionalists in the audience, the Founding Fathers considered the Post Office so important they included its creation on the short list of powers they bestowed on Congress, along with national defense, taxation, coining money, and regulating commerce.

  Sign an online petition – NO! TO PRIVATIZATION.

Posted in Inequality, Privatization, Take action | No Comments »

   Oct 02

Privatization Beast Is Hungry – Wants Your Public Library!

By TomTee

From the folks at Privatizationbeast.org - fighting the take over of public libraries in California. Yes – the Privatizers have their greedy eyes on our public libraries!

Posted in Privatization, Take action | No Comments »

   Sep 26

Rally To Stop the Closing of Our Post Offices

By TomTee
Rally to Save Our Post Offices

The P.O.S.T. Coalition will be holding major Mass Rally to save our post offices!

Tuesday September 27, 2011

4:30-6:00 pm

Thompson Center (Randolph and Clark), Chicago

SAVE YOUR POST OFFICE!

14 post offices on Chicago’s West and South Sides are being threatened with closure.

Show your support at a RALLY

More information – http://www.saveamericaspostalservice.org/about.html

Sign the online petition

Posted in Privatization, Take action | No Comments »

   Sep 22

The House never Looses – Gambling Industry Pimps Illinois Legislators

By TomTee

While not strictly related to protecting the public space or public services, we wanted to point out that, in  Illinois, money talks and bad policy rules. In this case the gambling industry is doing the talking by showering our legislators with over $9 MILLION in campaign contributions over the past 8 1/2 years, according to a report, “Payout,” by Common Cause Illinois. Go to Common Cause Illinois’ web site.

Posted in Inequality, Tax Scams | No Comments »
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