4
| The Rock River Times | March 9-15, 2016
Political Endorsements • March 15 Primaries | By Frank Schier • Editor & Publisher
Vote to renew the city’s 1% sales tax By Shane Nicholson
Y
Managing Editor
ou can’t trust your politicians anymore. You just can’t. Can’t trust them in Washington. Can’t trust them in Springfield. Here at home we have our own qualms with a County Board under the watchful eye of the FBI and a City Council under the thumb of both HUD and the DOJ. But you can trust policy, especially when it works. And one policy that continues to pay dividends for the Rockford community is the 1 Percent Sales Tax to benefit the Capital Improvement Project. At a time when uncertainty reigns downstate – even as to the simple question of funding basic social services – Rockford has raised and kept $124 million of its own hard-earned dollars here to improve its infrastructure. Whereas bond debt used to weigh down the city’s ability to plan even a year in advance, now actual cash-in-hand pays to rebuild Rockford and put people to work. Infrastructure is quite simply – after education – the most important thing a city can spend its money on. Studies show that infrastructure spending returns anywhere from $2-4 for every $1 spent. That comes not just from the direct effect of creating employment, but from the secondary impact of increased spending by businesses and individuals looking to join the Rockford community, not to mention state and federal matching funds totalling more than $100 million for the Main Street redevelopment alone. Next Tuesday, vote for whatever politicians you believe could lead Rockford, Illinois and the U.S. to greener pastures. But make sure you vote to extend the 1 Percent Sales Tax because it already is giving us everything we ever hoped it would.
Democratic Party Ballot President of the United States
•Hillary Clinton •Bernie Sanders The Rock River Times endorses Bernie Sanders. Hillary Clinton and compa-
nies have had their days in the White House and in power. Clearly consider the Trump phenomenon and Sanders’ surge in recent primaries, Obama’s “Yes, we can” did not bring enough “change” for many disgruntled Americans. Sanders’ strength with the common person has also been shown by the fact that he raised more than $42 million in February, with an average donation of $27. Then consider the crowds he’s drawing, many of them young people. For the decades to come, the nation needs its youth to be enthused about and involved in the political process. Their intellectual and community development that will come with successful civic involvement offers hope. The Clinton’s were seen as hope offers and Obama was, too. But both of them have followed the marching orders of the economic elite, as illustrated by Goldman Sachs and companies immunity and continued influence and jobs going overseas. I have more sympathy for Obama, who has disappointed many progressives. However, be proud of him for dealing with the financial and foreign affairs disaster he inherited from the Neocons – Cheney and Bush. My sympathy also rest on an alleged quote replying to why he hadn’t helped the African American community more and stood up to the power establishment. Obama reportedly retorted, “You saw what they did to Martin [Luther King] didn’t you?” Obama really has had an achievement of just surviving as the first formal African American president (Bill Clinton supposedly holds the title as the first because he came up from the poor south, accompanied by indiscretions and saxophone playing). As a true model for all African Americans and anyone else, he did not get shot and has displayed true charisma, decorum, family strength and real sensibility. “How sensible are Sanders and his socialist policies?” any critical thinker might ask. He has been sensible enough to represent the knowledge of many people (just as Trump has) that the U.S. Government no longer represents 90 percent of its citizens. Sanders, as opposed to Trump, represents a more American Colonial form of revolution, preserving our institutions. Trump represents more of a violent French Revolution form where the ignorance of the peasants will have some heads rolling. For any uncertainty Sanders presents, those questions are nothing compared to the uncertainty that Clinton could be indicted over her e-mail practices with top-secret information. Her practices displayed true arrogance and entitlement. Further uncertainty exists because of Clinton’s IT chief, Bryan Pagliano, recent immunity deal with the Feds. He installed the server at Hillary’s home and previously had pleaded the 5th against possible self-incrimination. If he has been granted immunity, that is for testimony indicating a Grand Jury is
Delegate To The National Nominating Convention Sixteenth Congressional District
(PLEASE NOTE: Next to the name of each candidate for delegate appears in parentheses the candidate’s preference for President of the United States or the word “uncommitted”.) •John Daniel (Clinton) •Angela Lynn Macdonal (Clinton) •Sunil Puri (Clinton) •Jackie Richter (Clinton) •Travis Turner (Clinton) •Cameron Zelaya (O’malley) •David Trout (Sanders) •Art Bardsley (Sanders) •Eric Sterling (Sanders) •Danielle Dixon-Hernandez (Sanders) •Angelique Bodine (Sanders) •G. Kimball (Kim) MacCloskey (Sanders)
I find it interesting to note that there are six Sanders delegates and only five Clinton delegates. Most illustratively, Sunil Puri is one of the Clinton five. Although he is also known for his philanthropy and also for his support of embattled Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christianson, he certainly beams as a poster-child of the big-power elite. Compare him to folks like advocate Kim MacCloskey, a workman’s comp attorney and major sponsor of the Rockford Area Music Industry’s student scholarships. Pick five of the Sanders delegates.
Winnebago County Coroner
•Frank R. Fitzgerald •Anthony J. “Tony” Gasparini The Rock River Times endorses Frank Fitzgerald. Gasparini
represents business as usual in Winnebago County as it has been practiced for decades. As shown by the Chairman’s exploits, new faces
underway looking at Clinton. Various reports say she may get interviewed by the FBI as soon as May. She would not be the first Clinton to go astray of the law. She saying in effect, “I did not have secrets with that e-mail.” Sound familiar? Clinton “bends” the truth. The most recent example stands out in the Michigan contest where she asserted Sanders voted against the bail-out for the auto industry, which would really affect auto-worker’s votes in the state. Actually, Sanders voted against the bailout bill that included the auto industry and the banks. Subsequently, he did vote for the auto industry loans alone. Many polls have noted disapproval of Hillary’s twisting of the truth. I agree. She cannot be trusted. Sanders’ straight demeanor stands strong. Anyone with half a brain knows some of his grandiose equalizing plans will get slaughtered in the political process. At least he has the mindset and heartfelt concern for us to present them. Vote for Sanders. He’s an honest and good man. We need more of good men, and obviously good women, too. Many have predicted the skirt-jerk reaction of female support for Clinton. We need a woman president, just not Hillary. Don’t underestimate women’s intuition on this choice. Smart minds and hearts know a weasel when they see one. Don’t underestimate the African American vote for Sanders, either. He was the first to call for the resignation of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder for the water poisoning in Flint, Michigan, a primarily African American community. Hillary then jumped on the bandwagon. This is not a new tune for Sanders. In 1963. he was arrested at an anti-segregation protest in Chicago and was convicted of resisting arrest, complete with a $25 fine. As funny as it may seem, the real gold on Sanders glows in a paragraph from the his Wikipedia entry, which states: “Sanders rose to national prominence following his 2010 filibuster against the proposed extension of the Bush tax cuts. He favors policies similar to those of social democratic parties in Europe, particularly those instituted by the Nordic countries, and has built a reputation as a leading progressive voice on issues such as campaign finance reform, corporate welfare, global warming, income inequality, LGBT rights, parental leave, and universal healthcare. Sanders has long been critical of U.S. foreign policy and was an early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq War. He is also outspoken on civil liberties and civil rights, particularly criticizing racial discrimination in the criminal justice system as well as advocating for privacy rights against mass surveillance policies such as the USA PATRIOT Act and the NSA surveillance programs.” We need Sanders for our personal futures. Hillary is just a tape loop of the past power-structure pablum, being sampled and updated to keep pace with Bernie. He is gaining across the nation. Illinois is crucial. Help yourself and Sanders take the lead, and vote for leader we know will have our back instead of working behind our backs. Vote for Bernie Sanders. and approaches are needed. Coming from a 100-year-old family in the business, Fitzgerald shows good background and quality. Vote for Fitzgerald.
United States Senator •Andrea Zopp •Tammy Duckworth •Napoleon Harris
Vote for Tammy Duckworth. Anyone should love this gal. She’s got the big C – COURAGE. An Asian-American, she lost her legs serving us as an Army helicopter pilot in Iraq and then continued to serve for 10 years in the National Guard. She also served in veterans affairs on the state and federal level. Since 2013, she has served as the U.S. Congresswoman for Illinois’s 8th congressional district. Vote for Duckworth. She got the right stuff that stars are made of, and she will continue to shine.
Winnebago County Board Chairman •No candidate on ballot
You must WRITE-IN JOHN NELSON or Republican Frank Haney will not have an opponent in the November elections. Scott Christianson has ostensibly withdrawn from the race to spend more time with his family. Of course, the FBI investigation of Winnebago County’s “Pay to Pay,” purchasing irregularities, and elected officials’ misuse of county funds and property have nothing to do with his exit from the race. Wrong. Any observer of politics in Winnebago County surely finds his exit odd, considering he gathered the required petition signatures to get him on the ballot and was slated to appear. Christiansen made his announcement not to run after the deadline to file to appear on the primary and general election ballots. Democrats were not going to slate a candidate against him; but since it’s Haney they’re facing, long-time Democratic party stalwart John Nelson started a write in campaign. He must get more than 310 write-in votes in the primary to be on the November ballot. Write-in John Nelson.