Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Kankakee's Welfare Factory?
It was recently announced that Kankakee will be getting a Super Walmart. Oh joy.
The Daily Journal asked Dr. Brian Ali, superintendent of Kankakee district 111 schools about the announcement. Now, Dr. Ali is paid well in excess of $100K a year, along with his wife who was recently added to the district payroll recieves a like amount. In addition to this, is Dr. Ross, who came as part of the package deal for Dr. Ali to come to Kankakee and "save our failing schools".
Dr. Ali's response? He will do everything he can to MAKE SURE that Kankakee High School graduates are "prepared for jobs at WALMART"
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic!
The Daily Journal asked Dr. Brian Ali, superintendent of Kankakee district 111 schools about the announcement. Now, Dr. Ali is paid well in excess of $100K a year, along with his wife who was recently added to the district payroll recieves a like amount. In addition to this, is Dr. Ross, who came as part of the package deal for Dr. Ali to come to Kankakee and "save our failing schools".
Dr. Ali's response? He will do everything he can to MAKE SURE that Kankakee High School graduates are "prepared for jobs at WALMART"
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic!
This sad statement is then APPLAUDED by the Daily Journal editorials, which then goes on to urge the "college bound students to move away to places that need more college graduates"
I'm waiting for a new "gazeebo" to arrive any day now.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
The Spin Recycled
Now bush and the Republicans are chanting over and over everything said by Democrats during the build up to the Iraq war .... Well since most people don't listen to their elected officials comments anyway, this is a stupid play on the Republican's part.
REGARDLESS of WHAT DEMS SAID PRIOR TO IRAQ WAR....... the American PEOPLE Listened to bush .... and NOW the PEOPLE Say bush LIED. end of story.
REGARDLESS of WHAT DEMS SAID PRIOR TO IRAQ WAR....... the American PEOPLE Listened to bush .... and NOW the PEOPLE Say bush LIED. end of story.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Weller Clueless on Iraq Facts
While in DC for the War Protest in Sept, I stopped by Weller's office and dropped off a letter urging him to support a "PLAN" for leaving Iraq. (Last summer Weller was one of a handful who rejected a bi-partisan 3 pt. plan that passed in the House Foreign Relations Committee by a big margain.)
I finally recieved a reply to my letter dated Oct. 17, 2005. Not surprisingly, Weller still believes that it's better to fight them over there than here and that Al Queda wants to take us down. (bush speak)
Then Weller begins quoting Gen. Abizaid,and Gen. Meyers, from their Sept 28th briefing to the House Armed Services Committee. OK fine. But then in the next paragraph, Weller goes on to state some "statistics".
"There are now over 110 Iraqi combat battallions comprised of more than 195,000 security personnel."
Weller didn't say where he got these "facts" however. Surely it wasn't from the Sept. 28, testimony since HEADLINES and NEWS STORIES running on Sept. 30th, 2005 told us that there IS ONLY ONE TRAINED BATTALLION in IRAQ today. DOWN from three in June, I might add.
Only one Iraqi battalion ready to go it alone, top U.S. commander says.... Was the Headline from the Seattle Times on Sept. 30.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Three car bombs detonated nearly simultaneously just north of Baghdad, killing at least 60 people yesterday as an American commander told members of Congress in Washington that only one Iraqi battalion was able to operate independently of U.S. forces.
The report by Army Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, surprised the Senate Armed Services Committee, since Casey had told Congress in June that three battalions were combat ready.
US general: Single Iraqi unit is combat ready - Conflict in Iraq ... Then this from MSNBC.
And this was from testimony given by Gen. Casey to the Senate Armed Services Committee..... Weller in his letter says "House" ... Weller must not have known Casey was "reporting" to the Senate.
the article goes on: Casey was joined before the Senate committee by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. John Abizaid, the head of the U.S. Central Command.
Huh??? How could the Generals possibly tell two such different stories to the two different committees just a day apart if you believe the "facts" about battalions and troops as stated by Weller.
OK , so it's clear by his letter, Weller wants to stay in Iraq. Now we come to the questions of how we even got to Iraq in the first place, and was the intelligence "hyped". Weller doesn't feel these questons need to be answered at all and that accountability just isn't necessary.
H. Res. 505 by Dennis Kucinich: House Resolution 505 presents the Administration with an opportunity to put to rest the charges that it exaggerated intelligence or misled the nation into war. It asks only that the Administration allow this body to examine the relevant documents of the White House Iraq Group. It asks only that the Administration cooperate in allowing Congress to do the oversight work that the proper functioning of our democracy requires.
Weller VOTED NO. Why? Americans by a large majority are now asking WHY are we in Iraq? and yet Weller doesn't feel the American people deserve an answer?
Given the sheer fact that Weller doesn't know the facts according to his reply letter, I say it's time Weller step aside and let someone who isn't afraid of the truth lead.
I finally recieved a reply to my letter dated Oct. 17, 2005. Not surprisingly, Weller still believes that it's better to fight them over there than here and that Al Queda wants to take us down. (bush speak)
Then Weller begins quoting Gen. Abizaid,and Gen. Meyers, from their Sept 28th briefing to the House Armed Services Committee. OK fine. But then in the next paragraph, Weller goes on to state some "statistics".
"There are now over 110 Iraqi combat battallions comprised of more than 195,000 security personnel."
Weller didn't say where he got these "facts" however. Surely it wasn't from the Sept. 28, testimony since HEADLINES and NEWS STORIES running on Sept. 30th, 2005 told us that there IS ONLY ONE TRAINED BATTALLION in IRAQ today. DOWN from three in June, I might add.
Only one Iraqi battalion ready to go it alone, top U.S. commander says.... Was the Headline from the Seattle Times on Sept. 30.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Three car bombs detonated nearly simultaneously just north of Baghdad, killing at least 60 people yesterday as an American commander told members of Congress in Washington that only one Iraqi battalion was able to operate independently of U.S. forces.
The report by Army Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, surprised the Senate Armed Services Committee, since Casey had told Congress in June that three battalions were combat ready.
US general: Single Iraqi unit is combat ready - Conflict in Iraq ... Then this from MSNBC.
And this was from testimony given by Gen. Casey to the Senate Armed Services Committee..... Weller in his letter says "House" ... Weller must not have known Casey was "reporting" to the Senate.
the article goes on: Casey was joined before the Senate committee by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. John Abizaid, the head of the U.S. Central Command.
Huh??? How could the Generals possibly tell two such different stories to the two different committees just a day apart if you believe the "facts" about battalions and troops as stated by Weller.
OK , so it's clear by his letter, Weller wants to stay in Iraq. Now we come to the questions of how we even got to Iraq in the first place, and was the intelligence "hyped". Weller doesn't feel these questons need to be answered at all and that accountability just isn't necessary.
H. Res. 505 by Dennis Kucinich: House Resolution 505 presents the Administration with an opportunity to put to rest the charges that it exaggerated intelligence or misled the nation into war. It asks only that the Administration allow this body to examine the relevant documents of the White House Iraq Group. It asks only that the Administration cooperate in allowing Congress to do the oversight work that the proper functioning of our democracy requires.
Weller VOTED NO. Why? Americans by a large majority are now asking WHY are we in Iraq? and yet Weller doesn't feel the American people deserve an answer?
Given the sheer fact that Weller doesn't know the facts according to his reply letter, I say it's time Weller step aside and let someone who isn't afraid of the truth lead.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
What a Difference a Year Makes
Nov 3 2004, Flash back ........ bush was thinking he had a "mandate"
Nov 3 2005 ........ bush is looking at a "court date" (libby's)
Nov 3 2005 ........ bush is looking at a "court date" (libby's)
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Weller should protect consumers not bankers
Oct. 31's front page story in the Kankakee Daily Journal http://www.daily-journal.com/, Card Sharks shed light on the predatory practices of the credit card industry by offering college students credit cards. The card marketed has a Platinum, has a $250.00 limit and starts off with $178.00 in fees just for getting one. Look very close, it's all there in the .05 point print, I'm sure.
The Journal contacted Rep. Jerry Weller regarding these lending practices. Not surprisingly, Weller's answer showed little concern for his 11th district colleges or their students.
Weller states that there has been no legislation introduced in the House for regulation in the House Financial Services Committee. Well maybe not there, but if you were paying attention to the very heated debate over the Bankruptcy legislation that overwhelmingly favored the lending institutions, you know that there were plenty of amendments offered that would have stopped the very kind of thing, (stopping scheming lenders) the article talks about. All of them voted down by the Republicans.
Mr. Weller puts the responsibility solely on the young college student or less aware consumer, leaving the predatory lenders to run amok with their junk mail marketing schemes taking advantage of people.
To his credit, Mr. Weller "believes that improving student's and others' awareness about how credit companies operate is preferred..", yet when this solution was brought as an amendment to the bankruptcy legislation debate, so the lenders had to be more accountable, he voted NO!
So I ask you Mr. Weller, if you don't believe the lending and banking industry should inform potential customers about how credit cards work, when are you going to be introducing legislation in the House that helps to inform the customers you say need to be informed? Oh, and how much is it going to cost the tax payer for that information since it's obviously not the lenders responsibility?
The Journal contacted Rep. Jerry Weller regarding these lending practices. Not surprisingly, Weller's answer showed little concern for his 11th district colleges or their students.
Weller states that there has been no legislation introduced in the House for regulation in the House Financial Services Committee. Well maybe not there, but if you were paying attention to the very heated debate over the Bankruptcy legislation that overwhelmingly favored the lending institutions, you know that there were plenty of amendments offered that would have stopped the very kind of thing, (stopping scheming lenders) the article talks about. All of them voted down by the Republicans.
Mr. Weller puts the responsibility solely on the young college student or less aware consumer, leaving the predatory lenders to run amok with their junk mail marketing schemes taking advantage of people.
To his credit, Mr. Weller "believes that improving student's and others' awareness about how credit companies operate is preferred..", yet when this solution was brought as an amendment to the bankruptcy legislation debate, so the lenders had to be more accountable, he voted NO!
So I ask you Mr. Weller, if you don't believe the lending and banking industry should inform potential customers about how credit cards work, when are you going to be introducing legislation in the House that helps to inform the customers you say need to be informed? Oh, and how much is it going to cost the tax payer for that information since it's obviously not the lenders responsibility?
