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General Election - 5775/2014
CHICAGO’S MOST RESPECTED JEWISH PUBLICATION
Kathy Myalls vs. State Rep. Laura Fine
Bruce Rauner and Pat Quinn
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Jewish Chicago Election Analysis
by Avy Meyers
Early Voting
Election day is Tuesday, November 4, 2014.
Early voting starts Monday, October 20th and runs through Sunday, November 2nd, according
to election lawyer extraordinaire James P. Nally.
He informed us that there are 51 early voting sites in Chicago, open Monday through Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. City residents who are registered to vote are able to vote in the location of
their choice. A government photo ID is required.
Suburban voters have 43 locations to choose from. Most will be open Monday through Friday,
others have Saturday and/or Sunday hours. Regional locations in the city and the suburbs will
be open on Sunday. The five regional locations will be open until 7 pm from October 27th to October 31st and will
be open Sunday November 2nd from 10 am to 4 pm.
Chicago polling places can be found on the Chicago Board of Elections website. The Cook
County Clerk’s website lists all the suburban locations. Or, you can check with the Chicago
Board of Election Commissioners at 312-269-7900, or the Cook County Board of Election
Commissioners 312-603-6769 for a convenient location near you.
Any registered voter can vote early, no special reasons are needed.
Absentee voting by mail has already begun. This year you can download an online application.
All applications must be sent to the appropriate election board, depending on where you live,
and they will mail the ballot to you. The voter may complete and mail this application to the
Election Board at 69 W. Washington St., Suite 600, Chicago IL 60602, by October 30, 2014.
Grace period voting has already begun and runs through Election Day at the Chicago Board
of Elections or the County Clerk, each located at 69 W. Washington in Chicago. You can register
at the office of the election authority, but must cast your ballot there at the same time.
From October 20th through November 1st, you can grace period vote at any early voting site.
Endorsement Criteria
Before I get started with the candidate rundown, it is important for everyone to know the
criteria we use in making our endorsements.
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
Just being Jewish is not enough, not even close to enough. If a Jewish candidate is pitted
against a non-Jewish candidate, and all things are equal in terms of their ability to do the job,
there won’t necessarily be any endorsement in that particular race.
There are some non-Jews who have done an absolutely superb job of taking care of both
Jewish concerns and the regular community. They will most certainly be endorsed, and yes,
even against Jewish opposition. If a Jewish candidate is well-qualified for the office, but does
not take care of real Jewish concerns for his or her constituents, he or she will not be endorsed.
If there is no real benefit to the Jewish community in a race, an endorsement might not
be made. There are political experts in regular newspapers and other media who perform that
function, though usually superficially and/or poorly. This is a Jewish publication and I focus on
Jewish concerns ‒ while paying full attention to society as a whole.
The primary Jewish concerns are on a national level and concern Israel. Unfortunately,
serious local concerns do arise, and when relevant, will be detailed in the appropriate sections.
Liberal, Conservative, Left wing, Right wing, Progressive, Tea Party—Jewish Chicago is not
a fan of any of these. Practical solutions to real-life problems are the best way to go. The only
“ism” I am into is Judaism.
So many of the issues and promises you hear before the election will never come to fruition.
There are things virtually all candidates feel they have to say to get elected.
The candidate rundowns and endorsements always manage, at least in part, to upset both
Democrats and Republicans, the left and the right. That tells me we are doing our job here.
We want the best people possible in elected office. The debate between the two parties and
ideologies will always be there, neither is going away. We just want the best possible people in
position to be making those arguments.
I place the most value on the character and personality of the candidate. Do they want to help
the community? Is their heart in the right place or is it manufactured by their campaign and
not really who they are? Can they handle the public? Are they up to and qualified for the job,
regardless if they are left or right or center?
A candidate can sound great and promise the world, but are those words real? So often, they
are just empty phrases designed to get elected with no substance whatsoever. Advertising in Jewish Chicago has nothing to do with who gets endorsed. People who know
me understand that. Compare the ads and the endorsements, and it is obvious that many endorsed
candidates placed no ads, and there are advertisers who are not endorsed.
In the 2014 primary issue, the candidates who took out the four largest ads were not endorsed.
The ads are nice and greatly appreciated. Their mere presence will garner attention and most
importantly votes, with or without an endorsement.
VOTE YES FOR ALL RETENTION JUDGES
Tuesday, November 4th
From left with their ballot numbers are three of the four Jewish Judges running for retention, Judges
Robert E. Gordon* (264); Michael B. Hyman* (302); and Shelley Sutker-Dermer (216).
* - Assigned to the Illinois Appellate Court. Not pictured, Judge Andrew Berman (220)
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
I place extra special emphasis on the judicial races. You will find more in-depth, race-by-race
coverage than the daily papers.
If you should actually have to appear before a judge, it can be a life-changing experience.
At stake could be your home, your possessions, your marriage, custody of your children, your
freedom, your money, or, G-d forbid, even your life. Yet most voters don’t seem to care who
gets elected.
We suggest you start on the bottom with the judicial races and give careful consideration to
each and every contested race. There aren’t many this time. The vast majority of this year’s
Judicial Ballot will be the retention judges. They need to get 60 percent of the votes to get
another six-year term.
There have been Jewish judges of true quality who have lost because Jewish voters didn’t
care enough or weren’t knowledgeable enough to know that voting for them would make our
society a better place to live.
Judicial endorsements are made based on bar ratings and feedback I get from judicial and
legal scholars and experts who have dealt professionally with the candidates first hand. I may
like someone a lot, but my opinion is a very minor factor in the judicial endorsements.
One of the nice things about interviewing judges ‒ and I’ve conducted well over 50 televised
interviews with judicial candidates this year ‒ is that they are usually of much higher character
than the regular politicians running for the various offices on the ballot. (All of which can be
seen on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/sonnyhtv, along with every segment of every
show we have done in the past eight plus years on the North Town News Magazine
http://ntnm.org).
The harm a bad judge can do over the years is immense. Look at how many wrongfully
accused people spend serious time in jail. Maybe you know of a friend or neighbor who was
victimized by a bad judge. Just maybe you were victimized. It may not always be their fault,
but a good judge can often make sure justice is properly administered. Doing your homework
and voting for top-notch judicial candidates helps ensure bad verdicts and judgments are kept
to a minimum.
We will cover all pertinent National, State, County and Local races, and also provide thorough
coverage of the Metropolitan Sanitary District races. It’s a lot more exciting and topical than
you might think, given all the emphasis being placed today on keeping the environment clean,
and the flooding that plays havoc with people’s houses in various areas of Chicago and Cook
County.
This is another area where most people know little, but you are paying for these services
through your criminally-high property taxes.
Many candidates preach “green,” but are they really? Sometimes I wonder what green really
is. There is a lot of ignorance on the subject among the candidates on the ballot. Just because
something sounds green, it doesn’t mean it will have any positive effect on the environment, and
in many cases isn’t close to cost-effective or environmentally-effective at all.
As for my TV show, now in it’s 23rd year, The North Town News Magazine has won three
national awards for “Best News Show” and “Making a Difference in your Community,” from
the Alliance for Community Media.
We have received the “Community Outreach Award,” from the Illinois State Crime
Commission and have won numerous other state, county, city, and neighborhood awards.
The honors have been received in conjunction with my entire technical crew, Sonny Hersh,
whose views are in no way reflected by the show.
The show is not specifically Jewish, though many of the guests are. We concentrate on state,
county, city and neighborhood issues.
Sonny Hersh operates the TV Show website http://www.ntnm.org, as well as our youtube
channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/sonnyhtv.
The show can be seen weekly in Chicago on CAN TV 19, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Fridays
at 2:30 p.m.
In Evanston, on ECTV, we air on Channel 6, Thursdays at 5 p.m., and Sundays at 10:30 p.m.,
and on Channel 99 on AT&T U-verse.
In close to three dozen suburbs in North and Northwest suburban Cook County, our regular
show airs at 6 p.m. on Mondays on Channels 19 or 35, and on Channel 99 on AT&T U-verse.
We will be airing a live election show on Sunday, October 26th from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on
CAN TV 19, our co-hosts will be Amanda Vinicky, State House Chief for Illinois Public Radio
and Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin. After airing, it will be shown on YouTube as
a two-part show within a day after it airs on live TV.
I founded Jewish Chicago, originally a paid monthly publication with 4,500 plus subscribers
in 1982. I found the best way to become a well-to- do publisher is start out filthy rich.
I am grateful to G-d Al-mighty and to the Chicagoland Jewish Community and the many local
politicians and businesses for keeping Jewish Chicago strong and healthy for the past 32 years.
Some of the pictures in this publication are taken from still frames of the TV show, which is
Sonny Hersh’s work.
Jewish Chicago can be found in its entirety, ads and all, on the web at http://avyworld.com/.
Israel, the Middle East, the Jewish Religion
Judaism is a religion, the Jewish people are a nation, as G-d clearly spells out in the Torah,
whether we have a homeland we rule or not. Our home is the land of Israel. The Torah clearly
states that G-d gave the land of Israel to Abraham/Avrohom and his future generations (stemming
only from Isaac/Yitzchok) for all time.
This may sound a little strange, but as a people, we have had things “relatively” peaceful and
quiet since just after World War II.
Many of the decent people on Earth refrained from persecuting us after the horrors of the
Holocaust in which six million of a total population of 16 million Jews on this planet were
butchered, tortured and slaughtered by the Nazis (may their memory be cursed) and many
partisan citizens who joined with these evil forces to rid their land of Jews.
Many were ashamed and horrified at the evil these forces wrought. Maybe G-d felt we had
paid a big enough price during the war and showed us his mercy as the State of Israel was
founded and Torah learning flourished in Israel and in many parts of the diaspora.
This is not to say none of us were persecuted, murdered or abused, just smaller numbers.
Many felt for us and our plight and admired what the Jewish people here and in Israel had
overcome and were accomplishing. One US Senator after another sang the praises of Israel and
the Jewish people. There were many wonderful things and great miracles during that time. “But
3
Elect
Judge James
Kaplan
12th Judicial Sub Circuit - Cook County
Over the course of 40 years working for justice
Judge James Kaplan has demonstrated
his extraordinary commitment to our community
and to the cause of fairness
An experienced current Judge
appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court
with positive evaluations by all the bar associations:
● Chicago Bar Association - Qualified
● Decalogue Society of Lawyers - Recommended
● Chicago Council of Lawyers - Qualified
● Illinois State Bar Association - Qualified
● Cook County Bar Association - Recommended
● Women’s Bar Association of Illinois - Recommended
● Hellenic Bar Association - Recommended
● Puerto Rican Bar Association - Recommended
● Asian American Bar Association - Qualified
● Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago
Endorsed by:
● Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
● IVI-IPO
● Representative Laura Fine
● Representative Elaine Nekritz
● Commissioner Larry Suffredin
● Michael Kreloff, Northfield Township Democratic Committeeman
● Dean Maragos, New Trier Township Democratic Committeeman
● Laura Murphy, Maine Township Democratic Committeeman
● Rob Nesvacil, Wheeling Township Democratic Committeeman
● Sue Walton, Palatine Township Democratic Committeeman
● Ted Mason, Elk Grove Township Committeeman
● Zehra Quadri, Executive Director: Zam’s Hope
PUNCH #80 November 4, 2014
Elect Judge James Kaplan
www.judgekaplan.com
4
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The 50th Ward deserves an independent
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[email protected]
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
the times they are a changing” as Bob Dylan wrote.
At first slowly, anti-Semitism AKA Jew Hating and anti-Jewish incidents and activity started
to rise. Now it’s frightful.
France has so many Jew Haters there are already Jewish people leaving and seriously
considering leaving. During the previous Jewish year, 6,000 French Jews immigrated to Israel,
the highest amount of any country on Earth. In some European countries, kosher slaughter is
banned and attempts to stop Jewish ritual circumcision are on the rise in the United States as
well.
The battle with Gaza may be what is stated as the reason by some, but any real look at the
facts show clearly there was no just cause in the terror Gaza attempted to inflict on Israel and
the Jewish people.
When Israel withdrew from Gaza, every single last Jewish person left the country. They, in
effect, ethnically cleansed us out of Gaza. There are 1.6 million Arabs living within Israel’s
borders with more political, social and religious freedom than in any of the multitude of Arab
countries surrounding Israel. There are good jobs available to them, they build their own
businesses, and prosper and thrive in the Jewish Homeland. All have that opportunity if they
want.
The Palestinian Authority was put in charge of Gaza.
Jewish people flourished in Gaza and business was great--particularly agriculture. There were
numerous greenhouses that grew flowers and vegetables.
Israel left these greenhouses intact so that the Arab citizens of Gaza could profit and be
successful, ready-made businesses and facilities set for Arab ownership and prosperity that
would have gainfully employed thousands of Gazan Arabs. What did they do? They destroyed,
broke, shattered and/or burned every single last one to the ground.
The United States and the UN, among others, sent hundreds of million of dollars of aid to
Gaza to build schools, home, etc. What did the people of Gaza do with this money? They built
dozens of sophisticated underground tunnels leading into Israel and Egypt to smuggle arms and
run terrorist missions against Israeli civilians.
Come election time, they rid themselves of Fatah, the late Yasser Arafat’s organization, who
were by no means moderate in their actions and stands toward Israelis and Jews, and replaced
them with Hamas that the United States and others recognize as a truly evil terrorist organization.
Hamas’s charter clearly calls for annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people. Fatah’s isn’t
much better.
Forgot to mention that all those wonderful aid dollars also went toward buying and launching
thousands of rockets against Israel, many of them pretty sophisticated.
Gaza was launching dozens of rockets daily into Israel, looking to kill as many Jews as they
could, unarmed civilians included.
Gaza launched over 3,000 rockets during the campaign, repeatedly violating cease fires,
complaining of Israeli restrictions designed to keep the innocent civilians of Israel safe from
their savage attempts to brutally murder us.
All they ever had to do is just peacefully live next door to us and we would leave them alone.
Israel didn’t start up, the Gazan Arabs did, and they still attack.
Many of these attacks came from in, or next door, to schools, UN facilities, densely populated
areas, mosques, etc. They stored rockets in UN facilities and the UN not only turned a blind
eye, when caught they just turned the rockets over to the people who could do the most harm
with them.
Israel dropped leaflets by air warning civilians to seek shelter elsewhere and save themselves.
Israel even made phone calls to protect and warn people to leave and save civilian lives. Do
you think the US did that in Hiroshima or Nagasaki or during Korea, Vietnam, etc.? Only Israel
shows that kind of regard for human life, even if those people despise us.
In the meantime, Hamas urged people to stay put, they wanted civilian casualties, they wanted
babies to die so they could paint Israel as evil to the world.
Hamas even faked and staged deaths and presented dead bodies they killed, or who were
pretending to be dead, to make Israel look like the butchers they are not and Hamas is.
They are teaching hatred of Jews in their schools from the youngest of ages, teaching these
children it is a glorified, holy thing to become suicide bombers and kill innocent civilians
because they are Jewish.
As brutal, cold and cruel as ISIS is, Hamas is in their league and Fatah isn’t much better.
They all preach the destruction of Jews and Israel. The Palestinian Authority was offered 99
percent of their unjust and ridiculous land demands--concessions Israel was willing to make,
because that is how much Israel yearns for peace. Yet the Arabs walked away from negotiations.
I urge all of you to check out web sites like Honest Reporting whose national headquarters
is in Skokie, Executive Director Gary Kenzer. Stand With Us is a another very worthwhile
pro-Israel organization which has a Chicago Branch. The local Executive Director is Peggy
Shapiro. There are other very worthwhile pro-Israel organizations in the area who present the
facts and disprove the lies of the Arabs and Jew Haters and the press throughout the world.
My favorite story of the Gaza campaign is when a missile was fired at a densely populated
area in Tel Aviv with community centers, public buildings and the like.
The vaunted Iron Dome technology misfired and the rocket was closing in on its target. Calls
from the command center had already been placed to emergency vehicles who were racing
toward the location where countless civilians appeared doomed.
Four seconds before the missile was going to strike its target, a strong wind from the West
knocked the missile off its path and it fell into the Mediterranean Sea harming no one.
Cheers burst forth from the Israeli Command Center. One of the people at the main control
panel rose up and shouted “Yes! There is a G-d!.”
In the meantime a reporter asked one of the Arabs in charge of firing the rockets if they were
JEWISH CHICAGO General Election Issue ©2014 All rights reserved
Paid for by Citizens for Pete Sifnotis
Jewish Chicago is a complimentary publication that is
usually published just prior to elections. The opinions of
our columnists and writers do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of Jewish Chicago. email - [email protected]
Phone 773-290-2677.
Our website is at http://avyworld.com/ We invite you
to visit http://ntnm.org/ for all the latest on the North
Town News Magazine hosted by publisher, Avy Meyers.
There are links on the site to watching the last
eight years of shows on Youtube.
Publisher and Editor .................... Avy Meyers
[email protected]
Photography .................................Sonny Hersh
Proof Reader .................... Gitel Hesselberg
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
not aiming properly and if they had guidance systems. The Arab answered, yes we do. “These
missiles are designed to land within 100 yards of their target. But, their G-d won’t let our rockets
get to their destination.”
All this without even getting into the Iranian nuclear threat the Obama Administration is
twiddling their thumbs over, and so much more, but there is only so much that can be written
here and it’s time for the Candidate Evaluations.
United States Senate
Republican James Oberweis is trying
to topple three-term Democratic incumbent
Richard Durbin, Senate Majority Whip this
fall.
Oberweiss is a successful businessman
who lost a number of elections before finally
winning a State Senate seat.
He is the owner of Oberweis Dairy, a family
business that is almost 100 years old. He has
been very successful in expanding the business.
Many of their packaged ice cream products are
certified kosher.
He defeated Doug Truax in the spring to become the party candidate.
While he has shown some decent support of Israel in past campaigns, this spring he supported
Obama’s failed policies on Iran and Syria this spring and there was no mention of Israel on his
website during the primary election.
Senator Durbin has been a supporter of Israel in Congress for thirty two years. He originally
defeated Cong. Paul Findley in the congressional district
that includes Springfield in a campaign where Findley was
funded mainly by Arab dollars and Durbin backing was the
Pro-Israel crowd. Twelve years later, he became a United
States Senator.
His vocalness on Israel is somewhat calmed due to his
leadership position, and as such he needs to be in swing
step with the Obama Administration and Senate Democratic
leadership.
In his leadership role he has gone on national news shows
as a flag bearer for the Obama administration, making
statements I doubt even he believes on a variety of topics, but
to be a leader, you have to be chosen by the leaders above you
and heed and support their stands.
While this enables him to do good in some arenas, it stifles
him in others and it is a shame that true leadership and proper
direction are not coming from the isolated and small main
circle of Obama in the White House.
Oberweis has little to offer; we supported his opponent in
the primary and will once again support his opponent in the
fall.
Jewish Chicago endorses Senator Richard Durbin for
reelection this fall.
5
consideration from us.
Jewish Chicago endorses 9th District Democratic Cong. Jan Schakowsky for reelection.
10th Congressional District
This a real barn burner, the hottest
congressional race in the area if not the state.
Incumbent Democrat Brad Schneider nosed out
then-incumbent Republican Congressman Bob
Dold 2 years ago. It was a Democratic year and
Obama’s coat tails carried Schneider across the
finish line.
Schneider has a decent record: he is Jewish; he
is good, not great on Israel. His press releases try
to paint him as a true champion, but that’s what
well-written press releases do. He has usually
tried to stay within Obama’s political policies while highlighting his personal support of Israel,
but highly tempered by Obama’s wishy-washiness and lack of real support for Israel.
Bob Dold, on the other hand, flies the Israeli flag hard and strong. He is a true friend and a
staunch ally.
Local pro-Israel PAC Protect Our Heritage, founded and run by Rabbi Victor Weissberg,
supports Dold with strong action and serious money.
Obama is dragging down national and local Democratic candidates with his impassionate,
unrealistic inactions throughout the political spectrum, Israel being one of those subjects.
While Obama’s name on the ballot won the day for a lot of Democratic candidates in 2012,
his near-record unpopularity due to a failed presidency is dragging them down this time.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Bob Dold for election to Congress.
Re-Elect Jesse White
Illinois Secretary of State
United States Congress
5th Congressional District
In the wide Fifth Congressional District which runs south
of Peterson across the city and into the Western Suburbs,
Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley, who thinks for
himself and is more independent than most, has been a good
friend of Israel and his Jewish constituents. His Republican
and Green Party opponents are nondescript.
Jewish Chicago endorses Congressman Mike Quigley
for reelection November 4th.
6th Congressional District
Located in the Western Suburbs, Congressman Peter
Roskam has been the subject of national attention in a
positive fashion. He is extremely bright and creative, and
stands strongly with Israel. Democrat Michael Mason has
not impressed us.
Jewish Chicago endorses Cong. Peter Roskam for
reelection.
9th Congressional District
Along Chicago’s Northern lake front
and adjacent Northern suburbs, Cong.
Jan Schakowsky has been in office since
winning election in 1998. She is the political
boss of all she surveys in the Ninth. All the
committeemen, and the majority of elected
officials, kiss her ring and have her to thank for their elected
offices.
It is the single most liberal/progressive congressional
district in Illinois--a crowd that regularly frowns upon Israel
and increasingly the Jewish community.
As much as some of her politics are way too idealistic and
not very practical in real life, give her credit for standing up
to her anti-Israel detractors who otherwise are her staunch
supporters.
Unfortunately, the Republican nominee is not all there
and is rightly shunned by her own party so she gets zero
• Making our roads safer
• Improving customer service
• Restoring integrity
For more information, please visit www.JesseWhite2014.com
6
16th Congressional District
The 16th District is just outside of the South and Western
suburbs. Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has
distinguished himself nationally. He is a frequent guest on the
network Sunday morning news shows and he appears to an
exceptionally talented individual. He is a veteran of Afghan
and Iraqi combat missions.
He is a staunch supporter of Israel and deserves your support.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Cong. Adam Kinzinger.
State of Illinois Executive Offices
Governor
Governor Pat Quinn and running mate Paul Vallas face a
fierce battle with Republican Bruce Rauner and running mate
Evelyn Sanguinetti that could go either way.
The campaign thus far has been extraordinarily vicious and
as low and off the point as can be. Rauner gets a halo compared to the vicious, beneath contempt,
misrepresentative, lying attack ads of Pat Quinn, which is a new low for him in 40 some years of
political life, though Rauner is no angel.
Let’s forget about all the lying ads and most of the manure presented by the media and take a
Half Page Ad-Rev01.indd 1
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
seriously hard look at both men.
First, running mates don’t count. People don’t vote for a president because of a vice-president
and they don’t vote for a Lt. Governor in a governor’s race unless they are family or personal
friends. Ignore Vallas and Sanguinetti, they are just window dressing.
The contrasts and differences between the candidates are stark and clear.
Quinn has lived his whole adult life in the public arena. He is not a thief or a crook. Chalk
up the charges against Quinn to being an inept bungler. He tried challenging fellow Democrat,
House Speaker, Michael Madigan, the most powerful person in the State of Illinois and one
of the most evil and corrupt men you will ever find in public life. Madigan stuffed and stunted
Quinn.
You can knock Quinn for running on a platform favoring
term limits, which now that he is an incumbent, he totally
ignores. That’s human nature and to be expected, though it
is a lie. This is politics. Expect campaign lies, that’s why
I look to character and personality as opposed to issues
preached that almost never come to fruition once the true
reality of a situation comes into play.
Illinois was once a proud state, ranking near the top of
the U.S. in many categories. Now we are in the bottom five,
if not last or next to last in almost every important category.
Our bond rating is the lowest of the low, and lower than
some
third-world
countries. Businesses
and families are leaving Illinois in droves. The scene has
been 100 percent Democrat for the last dozen years--the
State Senate, the State House and the Governor. The first
six years were led by convicted felon, former Gov. Rod
Blagojevich, who was succeeded by Pat Quinn.
When Blagojevich was elected 12 years ago, the state had
73 percent funding of their pension system. Today it’s in
the 40’s and not really getting better despite a 67 percent
“temporary” increase in the State Income Tax that Quinn
now seeks to make permanent.
Despite losing numerous families and businesses, the
state has never taken in more money than of late and yet the
deficit keeps growing, about $200 billion dollars of debt,
approximately half being employee pensions.
Twelve years of 100 percent Democratic rule, yet these
Democrats keep fighting amongst themselves and never
find a serious path to start fixing the obvious, glaring,
impoverishing problems.
More taxes here, more taxes there, yet no dent in the
deficit. They spend your tax dollars like drunks downing
cheap alcohol. It’s one thing if the spending actually
accomplished something and did some good for society. It
does not.
It’s a totally different thing when more political operatives
get appointed to political jobs that are largely unnecessary
and get huge pensions the state can’t afford.
These Democratic campaigns are heavily funded by
government employee unions who don’t care if they are
helping drive the state into fiscal ruin, as long as they and
their members line their pockets with fat pensions that are
way over and above the kind of pensions and benefits paid
by private industry.
Former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who
was as liberal and progressive as they come, was dead
set against unions for government employees. He wisely
foresaw the problems and the impossibilities that have led
to impoverished governments across the nation.
All of Illinois’s neighboring states are prospering
compared to us, in part because of all the businesses and
families that have crossed the border, disgusted with the
way Madigan, State Senate President John Cullerton and
Pat Quinn are running this state into the ground.
Do not believe the economic upturn figures Quinn and
company are pointing to. The criteria used to determine
these figures are false.
Unemployment down? Not really. These figures do not
include anyone who has been out of the workforce for at
least six months who cannot find work or have simply given
up looking.
It counts part-time jobs the same as full-time jobs.
Increasingly larger numbers of companies are hiring mostly
part-time employees working less than 30 hours, so they
don’t qualify for crushingly expensive health benefits.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, the man of the house could have
a full-time job with a stay-at-home wife, lots of kids, work
a blue collar job, afford a home, a car or two, and send the
kids to college.
Today, with both parents working full time, they struggle
to own a home, and college tuition is absurdly expensive.
The cost of living index does not include food costs
which have risen sky high compared to the rate of inflation.
Even items whose price hasn’t gone up much achieve that
10/08/14 1:19 pm
including recent events at the University of Illinois;
• R e f u s e d t o s u p p o r t S t a t e S e n . I r a S i l v e r s t e i n ’s r e s o l u t i o n c o n d e m n i n g
Israel, cowering to anti-Israel forces that eventually killed the resoluti
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
7
by making their packaged products smaller and smaller. • R a i s e d y o u r i n c o m e t a x e s b y 6 7 % a n d w a n t s t o d o i t a g a i n ;
Thirty-two-ounce mayonnaise jars are now 30 ounces, peanut butter went from 18 ounces to
16.3, 64-ounce orange juice containers are now 56 ounces,
andethe
listn
isd
long.
•S
co
-highest property taxes in America;
Of course, almost no one in Congress, or in high State Office, actually goes to the supermarket
or has a clue what a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk costs,
• Cnorudot they
e dreally
u ccare. They
a t i o n have
f u n d i n g b y $ by
5 0award-winning
0 m i l l i o nmystery
.
writer Charlene Wexler!
A new murder mystery
their fat paying jobs with ridiculous benefits and pensions, all at the cost of ordinary people’s
tax dollars.
Republican Bruce Rauner is an extremely successful
businessman, worth close to a billion dollars, who netted
over 60 million dollars last year. His investment companies
have gotten fantastic returns for employee pension funds
such as the Chicago Teachers Union.
What has this gotten him in the public eye? Attack ads
by Quinn and friends condemning him for his success and
searching his companies for anything they can misrepresent
or twist to make him an evil ogre in the public eye.
Rauner paid $17 million in taxes last year, about $2,7
million to the state. That’s more money than most of us will
make in our lifetime. Quinn complains Rauner doesn’t pay
his fare share.
There are so many loopholes in the tax code, you’d
consider anyone who didn’t fully take advantage of them
an idiot.
Don’t you have an accountant looking to get you every
single deduction possible? That’s being smart.
Still, Rauner paid over 25 percent of his net income in taxes.
This is Rauner’s first effort to be an elected official. He spent a lot of his own money on his
campaign.
So many people don’t understand that he is not spending government money; he is spending
his own dollars.
When people see these attack ads condemning what he has done in business, this is private
enterprise, not government money. It’s amazing and saddening that commercials can adversely
affect so many brains into non-functioning status--how a lying, 30-second song and dance by a
man’s enemies can say right is left, and up is down, and people just plain buy it.
Don’t you want a winner running the state? Rauner’s business acumen surely could help this
state if he is allowed to operate.
There have been questions about Rauner’s religion.
This summer I started hearing stories that Rauner is Jewish. That he met his Jewish wife at a
meeting of the American Jewish Committee.
There are references to him being Jewish on the web and Wikipedia lists him as Jewish.
In the Chicago Tribune candidate questionnaire he lists himself as Presbyterian.
In the past 20 years he has given 19 million dollars to charity. I went over the list line by line
and found 2 Jewish charities, The American Jewish Committee $110,000 and The Ark $600.
Unless I missed something, that’s it.
His campaign staff informed me that Bruce Rauner is FFPFB, full fledged Presbyterian from
birth. He is married to a Jewish woman and their child is being raised Jewish. They attend a
synagogue in the far North suburbs.
Pat Quinn is a total incompetent who has run this state further into the ground and has
repeatedly shown he is powerless and out flanked by Madigan and company.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Bruce Rauner for Governor of the State of Illinois
over Gov. Pat Quinn who is a proven failure.
“Both a classic murder
mystery and a book
that breaks the mold.
International mystery
with plenty of sexual
tension, too.”
T he Choice For Gover nor I
Attorney General
Speaking of Jewish, Attorney General Lisa Madigan is House Speaker Michael Madigan’s
stepdaughter. Lisa was the product of her mother’s first marriage. Lisa’s mother is Jewish, which
makes Lisa Jewish, though she was raised Catholic and considers herself such.
With Lisa, as charming, nice and successful as she may be on certain fronts, her Daddy will
always be the elephant in the room.
She would never have even been elected dog catcher without Daddy. As chief law enforcement
officer of the State of Illinois, it’s Lisa’s job to police elected state officials.
When your Daddy, the total reason for your having achieved public office, is the most powerful
person in the State of Illinois, and surely one of the most evil and corrupt, if not the most evil and
corrupt, it would be good to have an Attorney General who can put the clamps on him.
Even if everything he does is technically legal, his actions are immoral, selfish, and greedy. It
surely helps when you are in charge of writing the laws.
It’s been said by those in the know that Michael Madigan never allowed a campaign reform
bill to pass unless he already figured a way around it.
No one should vote for Lisa Madigan. She is not the solution, she is a huge part of the
problem.
Jewish Chicago endorses Republican Paul Schimpf for Attorney General of the State of
Illinois.
Secretary of State
I’m not sure if I know a finer elected official anywhere than Illinois Secretary of State Jesse
White.
The ageless founder of the Jesse White tumblers,
who takes no salary in that role, has taken hundreds, if
not thousands, of potentially troubled, disadvantaged
children and turned them into serious and productive
members of society.
He has continually created productive and positive
innovations in his office from unmistakable driver
licenses, to prevent minors from being served alcohol,
to lowering waiting times by hours at driver’s license
facilities.
When he has been over for the show, Republicans are
—“Bill B.”
on Amazon.com
JoinBru
widow mrs. Brill thought
she’d have an uneventful
vacation in London visiting
P a i d f o r b y CBut
i t i z after
e n s f oan
r R
a u n e r, I n cnight
.
her granddaughter.
unexpected
of
passion with old friend Josh, she finds Josh’s bloody
corpse lying in their bed the next morning. who killed
him? you can bet mrs. Brill is going to find out! by awardwinning mystery writer Charlene wexler!
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thrilled to see him and thank him for his good works.
He is the only state elected official who is loudly cheered and applauded when announced at
ball games and public events,
Almost everyone loves him and deservedly so. He has a remarkably efficient staff who go out
of their way to serve the people of the State of Illinois. It’s a shame he is not governor.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Jesse White for reelection for Secretary of State of
Illinois.
Comptroller
Republican incumbent Judy Baar Topinka has shown great competency in her former role
as State Treasurer and now as incumbent Comptroller. She runs a lean and productive office.
She has been a great friend of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. She has been honored
by local Jewish organizations as well as Israeli charities.
Democrat Sheila Simon is the daughter of the late Senator Paul Simon, but that is about all
she has going for her.
This one is a slam dunk.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Judy Baar Topinka for reelection as Comptroller of
the State of Illinois.
Treasurer
Former House Minority Leader, Republican State Rep. Tom Cross has a
good record of accomplishment under difficult circumstances. He is intelligent
and capable.
His Democratic opponent State Senator Michael Frerichs, has strengths,
but Cross is more impressive.
Jewish Chicago endorses Tom Cross for State Treasurer.
State Senate
Ninth District Democratic Senator Daniel Biss is puzzling--brilliant man, a mathematician,
not a lawyer. He is the creator of the best of the state plans thus far to overcome the pension
deficit, though far from the full answer.
Evil Mike Madigan adopted his plan. It helps.
Biss has not accepted any of my numerous requests for an interview and
goes out of his way to avoid me, despite my praise for him.
The worst thing I can say about him is that during an appearance on
Chicago Tonight, he was asked if he favors having our state, about 200
billion dollars in debt, kick in 100 million dollars to fund a Presidential
Library for President Barrack Obama. He said yes.
No other presidential library has ever been established with state grants.
One of the few things Obama is good at is raising money, lots and lots of
8
I want to praise
the Jewish community
for its efforts to help
repair the world.
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Paid for and authorized by Friends of Shajan. A copy of the report is filed with the state board of elections and available
for review on the official government website, or for purchase from the state board of elections in Springfield, IL.
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money. Biss favored creating a precedent here, having the state waste 100 million badly needed
dollars for something that can be easily covered privately. Where is your head at Senator Biss?
What is reality? Sometimes brilliant people can lack common sense in important areas.
Biss is running unopposed so this a moot point.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of Senate races in this area find a Democrat running
unopposed, so we will make no endorsements due to the abysmal performance of the State
Senate.
State Representative
Once again, we have a plethora of unopposed races, though there are a few good races and
some decent State Reps running unopposed. Not too many, but some.
In the 12th District, incumbent State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz is a talented, capable Ida Crown
grad on the far left of the spectrum. She is the go to person for Jewish legislation in the house.
Jewish Chicago endorses State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz.
Democratic State Rep. Kelly Cassidy in the 14th District is a Jewish convert, who attends a
Reform Temple in her district. She is to the far left of the political spectrum. She has been very
hands-on in practical community and police matters in her Rogers Park and Edgewater District.
Jewish Chicago endorses State Rep. Kelly Cassidy for reelection.
In the 15th District State Rep. John D’Amico has generally been a friend of the Jewish
community. He is the nephew of Ald. Marge Laurino.
There are some very serious problems brewing in Hollywood Park and Budlong Woods with
Northeastern Illinois University. NEIU wants to eminent domain businesses and homes on Bryn
Mawr and Foster between Bernard and Central Park for a 50 million dollar plan to privately
develop the land for NEIU dormitories and hipper, more fashionable businesses.
NEIU is a commuter school with no dormitories and 67 acres of land, much of it vacant
including a virtually unused athletic field.
They want to demolish private homes and businesses, some 60 years old and successful, for
private development.
Eminent domain gives governments the power to take over private property for other purposes.
I can understand if it were for a military installation, an airport or the like. An unfortunate
Supreme Court decision now allows them to steal, oops, appropriate private property for the use
of other, private, non-governmental businesses.
NEIU needs dormitories like any of us needs a hole in the head.
Their enrollment declines annually, they are not on anyone’s top 500 colleges list. They have
plenty of vacant land of their own to put the dorms on campus.
Can you imagine how thrilled Telshe would be if one of those dorms, likely co-ed, is located
directly across the street of the Yeshiva in phase two of NEIU’s eminent domain plan?
Neighborhood residents and local businesses are up in arms. Many NEIU teachers and alumni
stand dead set against the University.
When the local residents went to State Rep. John D’Amico, Ald. Marge Laurino and State
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
Senator Ira Silverstein, all of them said they had no past
knowledge of these plans and couldn’t do a thing about it.
Horse feathers!
Public records show this has been going on for at least six
years without a peep to the community. NEIU records prove
past long-term knowledge. A pox on all these officials.
Republican challenger Greg Bedell is an intelligent,
capable lawyer who stands strongly with the neighborhood
residents against the NEIU land grab.
He is fiscally responsible, attentive to his community and
would make an excellent State Representative.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Republican
challenger Greg Bedell for State Representative of the
15th District.
In the 16th District State Representative Lou Lang,
Michael Madigan’s right-hand man, has improved in his
dealing with the Jewish community, but he still has a ways
to go to earn our support.
He is running unopposed.
The 17th District has a very interesting race with two quality candidates, incumbent Democrat
Laura Fine and Republican challenger Kathy Myalls. This race is a true battle of very different
ideologies and approaches to government.
Fine is Jewish and taught at NEIU for years before being
elected to her first term as State Rep. She is intelligent,
capable, and a very good human being. She is to the left. I got
the feeling off camera that she treats the green movement as a
religion, as do many left-wing Jewish people.
Any good student of the Torah will tell you that it is clear
that the weather is up to G-d.
In our most important prayer, the Shema, in the second
paragraph it states that if we follow G-d’s path and are good,
He will bring moisture to our fields and they will prosper-our cattle will thrive, we will thrive. It really doesn’t mention
excess carbon emissions by man changing the environment. It
pretty much leaves that department up to G-d, based on our
performance as human beings who follow in His path.
I’m all for a clean environment, but dead set against throwing a gazillion government dollars
at green technology before its time has come. The Obama administration has wasted a vast
fortune on failed green businesses and manufacturing--money that could have been put to
seriously good use in so many other ways.
Her opponent Kathy Myalls, a lawyer, is a communications
law teacher at DePaul. She is intelligent, and capable, and a
definite right winger.
Usually I’d say you pick, they both shine. In this case the
Half Page Ad-Rev01.indd 1
Pro-Israel crowd has some very positive feed back on Laura
Fine and this is one case where being the Jewish candidate
when you do good for the Jewish committee will get you extra
points in this Jewish publication.
Jewish Chicago endorses State Rep. Laura Fine for
reelection to a second term in the Illinois House.
State Rep. Robyn Gabel is running unopposed in the 18th
District. A Schakowsky hand-picked choice, she has done well
for her Evanston community and the Jewish community of
which she is a member.
Jewish Chicago endorses Robyn Gabel for reelection.
In the 26th District along the lake front from the Gold Coast
to the far South Side, Republican Jacob “Coby” Hakalir
is running for State Rep. He is intelligent, caring, fiscally
responsible, a Yeshiva University High School grad who sends
a child to the Ida Crown Jewish Academy. He would be an
excellent addition to the State House.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Jacob “Coby” Hakalir
for election to the State House.
In the 57th House District, incumbent Democrat Elaine
Nekritz is Jewish and has distinguished herself, though I have
some disagreements with her record.
Jewish Chicago endorses State Rep. Elaine Nekritz for reelection.
There are interesting races in both the 55th and 59th districts in which I don’t have enough
information to feel comfortable evaluating and endorsing the candidates involved.
Cook County
Executive Offices
There isn’t a single Republican running against any of the
Democratic incumbents, so we won’t go to any great length here. All
the incumbents are automatic winners.
President Toni Preckwinkle is a decent human being, that’s saying
a lot for a politician. She means well and tries to do the right thing.
The Cook County insiders feel the press and the public is giving her
more credit than she deserves. This is her first true administrative job
and a big one. Some are unhappy about the spending cuts, some feel
she just can’t run a tight ship.
She would have slaughtered Emanuel if she had run for mayor.
Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios has been getting the bills
out on time; that’s a big improvement. He has found other ways to
10/08/14 1:19 pm
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
make his office more efficient.
As the Chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, he knows what mud looks and feels
like.
Cook County Clerk David Orr has done a decent job. He is no longer the firebrand he once
was.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is the star of the county slate. Nationally recognized for his
innovations and efforts, he is the perfect man to run for Mayor of the City of Chicago, but with
a number of young children at home, he is staying put for the foreseeable future.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has run a quietly efficient office. She is running for
a fifth term.
9
The Law Office
of
James P. Nally, P.C.
County Commissioners
No opponents for the incumbents in our
coverage area.
I want to single out Commissioner Larry
Suffredin who stands head and shoulders as
not only the best commissioner, but one of the
finest elected officials in the State of Illinois.
He understands all the factors in play and
does an outstanding job of balancing the
politics, government and the needs of his
constituents. He has been an outstanding
friend of the Jewish Community.
Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Comm.
Larry Suffredin for reelection in the 13th
County District.
Special mention to the equally unopposed
Comm. Bridget Gainer who has a good head
on her shoulders.
Eight South Michigan
Suite 3500
Chicago, IL: 60603
tel 312-422-5560
fax 312-346-7999
percent of the vote to keep their judicial robes.
Twenty percent of the voters automatically vote no for all of them in a misguided effort to
throw out whoever is in government.
I would understand if it was the State Legislature they were voting against, but not the judges.
I’ve interviewed dozens of them each election cycle and overall they are truly a quality group of
individuals. Not every single last one, but surely the vast majority.
MWRD
These individuals are a major cut above other elected officials and the good ones deserve your
The three Democratic candidates include
support
and your vote. All the judicial races are on the bottom of ballot, so many people in a rush
two incumbents and are running against three Republicans who lack
stop short of voting for judges and call it a day.
money and support and have failed to distinguish themselves in any
If you are one of the good citizens who goes to the polling place to cast your ballot, take a few
way to capture the imagination of the voters.
extra minutes and vote in the judicial races. In fact, why not start at the bottom of ballot with the
Comm. Cynthia Santos is the best of the bunch and deserves your
judges and then return to the top.
vote. Comm. Frank Avila is an engineer and actually understands the
Don’t know the judges? There are publications such as Jewish Chicago or the Chicago
science behind the MWRD efforts.
Tribune that rate the judges. You can go online and check out the Chicago Bar Association
Jewish Chicago endorses Cynthia Santos and Frank Avila for
Green Guide or the Alliance which lists the ratings of all 11 bar associations in each race.
reelection to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
hcDistrict
nuP of
Greater Chicago.
There is a high quality Judicial Blog, “For What It’s Worth,” written by Jack Leyhane that is
chock full of valuable information.
Ordinarily there are about a half dozen retention judges who get bad bar ratings and should be
The Judiciary
booted
out of office. This year the Chicago Bar Association, the most independent and thorough
hcnuP Contested Races
of any of the eleven bar associations singled out only one bad judge.
Once again, the Republicans are not running candidates in almost any of the circuit court
On the front page, they mention only 2 races. They urge people to vote for Judge James L.
races. The real election was the spring primary, and if you didn’t vote in those races, you missed
Kaplan in the 12th sub circuit and to punch #203 to oust Judge Thomas E. Flanagan. The
the main show.
other 71 judges get good grades and should be retained.
There is one contested race in our coverage area; it’s in the North Suburban 12th sub circuit.
There are five Jewish Judges running, all highly thought of: Appellate Court Judge Andrew
Democratic Judicial candidate Judge James L. Kaplan takes on James Paul Pieczonka.
Berman, Circuit Court Judges, Judge Robert E. Gordon who was appointed to Appellate
Kaplan, who is Jewish, presently serves in family court and received good marks from all
Court, Judge Michael B. Hyman, one of the few Jewish Judges to win a countywide election
eleven bar associations. Pieczonka gets a thumbs down from ten of the 11 bar associations.
over the last couple of decades, Judge
The Chicago Bar Association
notes Pieczonka’s lack of
Pamela Elizabeth Loza, a supervisor
experience, notes a number of
in family court and Judge Shelley Lynn
his properties are in foreclosure
Sutker-Dermer, who is in charge of the
and is involved in several
Skokie Court House and is the daughter
residual court actions.
of former County Commissioner Cal
“Judge
Kaplan
was
hcnuP
Sutker.
considered a good lawyer
I’ve interviewed Gordon, Loza,
with good legal ability and
Hyman and Sutker-Dermer and they are
temperament,” according to
quality individuals and highly thought
the Chicago Bar Association.
of in the judicial community, as is Judge
They continue: “As a judge,
Andrew Berman.
he is reported to demonstrate a
Since this is a Jewish Publication
good temperament and ability to
we will make special mention of these
manage a courtroom.”
five and urge you to retain them. In
In the primary Kaplan faced
ballot position order: Judge Shelley
three very good opponents and
Lynn Sutker-Dermer, punch #216;
came
up
with
a
solid
victory.
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punchon #302;
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stave off the
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If you get the opportunity to speak with him, you’ll understand why.
Elizabeth
punch #332.
laiciduJ
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are Eastern
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Jewish Chicago strongly endorses Judge James L. Kaplan in the 12th sub circuit. Punch
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are not races
aces, they all have good
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Flannigan.
businesses,for
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will be on the
In ballot position order: Judges Thomas E. Hoffman, James Patrick Flannery, judges
Sebastian
Judicial Retention Ballot
Thomas Patti, Diane Gordon Cannon, John
J. Fleming, Kathleen G. Kennedy, Thomas J.
If you didn’t read our endorsement criteria that starts on page 2, you should take a minute
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Ward
now and read about the importance of the judicial races (top of page 3) and how they can have a
Kirby, Thomas J. Byrne, and Debra B. Walker
profound effect on your life, freedom, liberty, home, family, etc.--a much more profound effect
Bottom Line: Jewish Chicago urges you to vote yes 71 times and no once. Vote no for
than your Senator or Congressman.
Judge Thomas E. Flanagan, #203, and yes for all the rest.
After 6 years, elected Circuit Court Judges go on the retention ballot. They need to get 60
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Over 280,000
Watch it this week on TV
VT no keew si
10
2015 Mayoral/Aldermanic
Elections
This one is coming a lot faster than you think,
February is not that far away. For a while it looked
like the presence of Teachers Union Chief Karen
Lewis, a Jewish convert, was going to make life
very interesting for Mayor Rahm Emanuel who
is deservedly not popular for the high handed,
arrogant, misleading, lying way he has conducted
himself in his first term in office. He doesn’t work
with people, he dictates.
He is not interested in the opinions and feedback
of the people of Chicago. In his high and mighty
manner, he knows all. Tell him differently and he’ll
push, shove, and bully you.
It’s a shame because this guy is a dynamo and is
capable of great things.
One can only hope serious opposition will come to the forefront soon to make it a real race.
We’ll be keeping our eye on challenger Ald. Bob Fioretti.
The most interesting Aldermanic race from a Jewish standpoint, will come in the 50th Ward,
West Rogers Park and part of Peterson Park where incumbent Ald. Debra Silverstein has failed
miserably to be the least bit effective or relevant.
Much as I refrain from saying I told you so, not in this case. I’ve sternly warned you about
George W. Bush, Rod Blagojevich, Barack Obama, and Debra Silverstein and I’m batting
1.000.
I can’t walk into a synagogue or Jewish gathering without hearing complaint after complaint
about Debra Silverstein. The cruel and ruthless way she and her husband Ira have treated Jewish
businesses, non-Jewish businesses, and the absurdity of recent
activities on Devon and Touhy are part of a long list
Her complete lack of responsiveness to the community is
amazing. Other aldermen, including fellow Rahm Emanuel
compatriots who are forced to back her, privately make fun of her
and have absolutely no respect for her as an alderman. “Like a deer
in the headlights,” “Clueless,” “Mean,” Vengeful,” and more.
I have yet to hear one single Alderman speak about her with
any sort of respect. Her husband, State Senator Ira Silverstein
sits behind her at council meetings. That’s unheard of. As one
community member stated: “That’s too much power concentrated
in one bedroom.”
When Ira Silverstein first ran, one of his opponents was 39th
Ward Committeeman Randy Barnette, husband of 39th Ward
Alderman Marge Laurino. Silverstein stated at the time, that electing Barnette would be
placing too much power in the hands of one family. One of the few times you got it right Ira.
Both Silversteins need to go. It’s not too early to work on starting a campaign to down Senator
Ira Silverstein in 2016. There is plenty of money and support awaiting a qualified, intelligent,
well-spoken candidate. Silverstein has lots of enemies.
In the meantime, Debra the Clueless already has three opponents awaiting her in February.
All three are a huge cut above her.
Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
They are: Shajan Kuriakose, (left) an Indian Christian,
born inI want
this country,
to praise
highly
Americanized.
Jewish well
community
Hethe
is intelligent,
spoken,
aggressive,
for its efforts to help
personable, and a hard
worker.repair the world.
Then there is Peter
Sifnotis,
(right)
an
eight-year veteran of the
Marines, runs a business
and is going to school.
He is of mixed European
ancestry, intelligent and
well spoken. He is new to politics but is adapting well. Like
www.50thwardforshajan.com
| [email protected]
Kuriakose, he is out meeting people and
talking to them about
their
concerns.
He
shows
promise.
Paid
for and
authorized by
Friends
of Shajan.
A copy of the report is filed with the state board of elections and available
review on
the official
website, or for(below
purchase from
the state
of elections
in Springfield,
IL. done some serious
forThen
there
is a government
Zehra Quadri,
right)
an board
Indian
Muslim
who has
good work in this community through a charity she founded, Zam’s Hope.
They provide vocational training, feed the hungry, have children’s programs and much more.
They are growing and she certainly does know how to provide service to people. They are
located on Artesian, just north of Devon.
Quadri has a fair amount of backing in her circles, and a serious amount of fans, the question
is can she extend that into the general community.
Forty percent of the vote in this ward is Jewish. Despite the
large Indian/Pakistani presence, most don’t live in the area or
are not citizens or registered to vote.
Debra did not defeat Ald. Berny Stone (lower left) in the
Jewish areas, Stone won a majority there. It was on the East
end, largely non-Jewish where Debra got her win. The leaders
in that community have gotten wise in a hurry about Debra.
They are busy knocking her at public meetings, area message
boards and more.
Debra
is
beatable and all
three of these
candidates, Shajan
Kuriakose, Peter
Sifnotis
and
Zehra Quadri would all do a much better job than
Silverstein.
It will be interesting to see what the next few
months hold. Right now I’m cheering for all three
of her opponents and looking to see if one of them
can separate themselves from the pack.
We are going to close out this issue with a new
column from Paul Miller, a North Suburban
political maven, campaign manager and writer,
read, learn and enjoy.
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Jewish Chicago General Election 2014/5775
Paulie’s Point: Israel, Economics and Ethics
By Paul Miller
11
Author Charlene Wexler Publishes Two New Novels
Award-winning author Charlene Wexler has published two new
novels in the category of Jewish American fiction, Lori and Murder
Across the Ocean.
Lori - A clash of cultures. A domineering mother-in-law. An
alcoholic husband. A fatally ill child. The possibility of economic ruin.
The sheltered, comfortable, liberal Jewish upbringing undergone by
Lori in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago in the United States did
not prepare her for marriage into the difficult and quirky workingclass family of her husband, Jerry—or for the sweeping societal and
social changes of the last quarter of the 20th century.
Lori is available as an e-book from: Amazon Kindle,
http://www.amazon.com/Lori-Charlene-Wexler-ebook/dp/B00LKU9U0U
Smashwords, http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/455567
It is available as a paperback from Amazon.com.
Let’s be honest. This election presents a shortage of candidates
worthy of my Aunt Sharon’s brisket. Still, your vote counts; and
with the shape Springfield and Washington D.C. are in, it’s crucial
you get to the polls.
You won’t see the word “endorsed” in this column. You will read
the unabashed opinion of a veteran political consultant and pundit
who believes that people who strictly vote for the “D” or “R” next
to the name, should oversleep on Election Day.
Life offers few certainties. Other than death and taxes, another
inevitability is that Illinois GOP incompetence will once again
allow House Speaker Mike Madigan to reign supreme the
morning after Election Day. Notwithstanding the ineptitude of
the Illinois Republican Party, what makes 2014 different is that
Murder Across the Ocean - Jewish American Lori Brill thought she’d have a pleasant,
because Illinois is in such dire straits, only the most biased, blind
uneventful vacation in London visiting her granddaughter, Cate.
or bought voter could want more of what has relegated the Land
Lori’s trip started out even better than she could have imagined when she ran into Josh, her
of Lincoln to a late night joke.
old high-school boyfriend, in line for the same flight at the airport—resulting in an unexpected
Races for the Illinois House are pretty simple. Voting for anyone who would cast a ballot
night of passion in a London hotel room. Lori was all smiles as she stepped out of the shower the
to keep Michael Madigan House Speaker falls under the definition of insanity. Illinois is the
next morning, ready to slip back into Josh’s arms—until she saw his bloody corpse lying in the
economic shame of America and people are leaving the state as if her name was Detroit.
bed where they had made love only a few short hours before.
On November 5th, Democrats will still own Illinois. But it’s their current super majority
Murder Across the Ocean is available as an e-book from: Amazon Kindle,
that makes the governor’s office nearly moot. Therefore I strongly advise looking at Republican
http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Across-Ocean-Charlene-Wexler-ebook/dp/B00LKUQPIU
candidates. I will tell you that some of them are as appealing as a Green Bay Packers Super Bowl
Smashwords, http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/455569
win, but other candidates are truly remarkable.
It also is available as a paperback through Amazon.com.
Residents in the 17th (near-north suburbs), 59th and 58th House districts (northern suburbs)
Charlene Wexler is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She has worked as a teacher and
should consider themselves lucky to have Republicans Kathy Myalls, Leslie Munger and Dr.
dental office bookkeeper and as “a wife, mom, and grandmother,” she said. In recent years,
Mark Neerhof, respectively, on the ballot. Independent and impressive are the words that
Wexler’s lifelong passion for writing has led her to create numerous essays as well as fiction.
describe them. All three are desperately needed voices in Springfield, worthy of second helpings
She is the author of the books Lori, Murder Across the Ocean, Murder on Skid Row, and Milk
of my Aunt Sharon’s brisket.
and Oranges.
Giving Governor Pat Quinn another four years as our state’s top executive is comparable to
Her work has appeared in several publications, including North Shore Magazine; the University
giving an alcoholic a six-pack. Nothing good will come of it. No matter how often Quinn claims
of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry’s Vision magazine; Alpha Omegan magazine; the
he is moving Illinois “in the right direction,” the only moving going on is families out of state.
book and CD Famous Poets of the Heartland: A Treasury of Beloved Family Poems, Talent, OR:
In their endorsement of Bruce Rauner, the Sun-Times called him a “smart businessman, skilled
Famous Poets Press, 2014; and the Gazette newspaper of Chicago.
executive and born leader beholden to nobody but those of us smart enough to vote him into
Charlene Wexler’s website is www.charlenewexler.com.
office.”
Liberal Jews are about “social justice.” Well, here is your chance unless you’re full of treif.
Supporting Quinn and Illinois Democrats goes against everything you supposedly stand
for. Unemployment and crime in minority communities, especially African Americans, is
heartbreaking. They need education choice, opportunity, and jobs. They need Bruce Rauner.
The area races for Congress are already decided, with the exception of one. In the 10th district,
Republican Bob Dold wants the job he lost to current Democrat Congressman Brad Schneider
in 2012. Both men have similar social views (pro-choice, marriage equality) and have great
voting records when it comes to supporting Israel. But what sets them apart are independence
from their party leaders and leadership regarding the Jewish State.
Unlike John Porter, Mark Kirk and Dold, the three previous office holders, Schneider has
proven to be a yes man for his party leadership and the president. His voting record is a near
mirror reflection of Nancy Pelosi. When Dold served the district, he broke away from his party
when it came to the GOP platform stance on social issues. Schneider has supported the economic
failings of the current administration and has been mute when it comes to the president’s
lackluster support for the Jewish State and the profusion of asinine statements emanating from
Secretary of State John Kerry.
Supporting Israel is more than just a vote; it’s putting politics aside and being
vocal in her defense, especially when elements within your party are either too
feckless or too ignorant to do the right thing. Schneider has not been that advocate.
In contrast, Bob Dold admirably filled the shoes Mark Kirk left him back in 2010
and served as arguably Israel’s best friend in D.C. during his tenure.
There is no contest in the 9th Congressional District. Jan Schakowsky will once
again ply her reign of progressive terror on north side and north suburban families.
This year’s election serves as a prime example of the incompetence of the Cook
County GOP who failed to prevent Democrats from controlling their primary
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Democrat Mike Quigley will have no problem defeating the very capable Vince
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rarely seen in D.C. I may disagree with him on most issues, but if more Democrats
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and Republicans were like Mike, “elected official” might finally be regarded as a
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The most disappointing race to analyze is U.S. Senate. Incumbent Dick Durbin
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tax hike or big government program he didn’t like. Durbin was elected to Congress
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in 1982 with the help of Israel advocates. While he has a pro-Israel voting record,
Jewish State leaders will tell you privately that he has been a disappointment.
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Durbin’s Republican opponent, Jim Oberweis, will undoubtedly offer voters a
better choice when it comes to economic issues. But other than that, it’s hard to say.
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His statement last year that he agreed with President Obama’s handling of Iran is
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troubling. His website offers no insight on his position regarding the Jewish State.
Neither elicits any enthusiasm.
SWEDISH, DEEP TISSUE & SPORTS MASSAGE
Paul Miller is a contributor to the Franklin Center for Government & Public
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Integrity. His articles have appeared in publications such as the New York Post,
Washington Times, and Jerusalem Post and featured on the Drudge Report. Find him
at www.pauliegroup.com.
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1
B r u c e R a u n e r : T h e G o ve r n o r
We N e e d F o r I l l i n o i s
A n d T h e J e w i s h Co m m u n i t y
Bruce and his wife Diana have been supporters of the Jewish community and Israel
f o r y e a r s . A s m e m b e r s o f A m Yi s r a e l i n N o r t h f i e l d a n d s u p p o r t e r s o f J e w i s h c h a r i t i e s
from Federation to Shalva to the Ark, Bruce and Diana have given back to our
c o m m u n i t y f o r y e a r s . N o w B r u c e R a u n e r w a n t s t o g i v e b a c k a s g o v e r n o r.
Bruce Rauner is the first candidate in America to propose divesting state funds from
international firms that boycott Israel – a powerful initiative to combat the BDS
movement. While Pat Quinn has been silent on these issues, Bruce Rauner is
s p e a k i n g o u t a g a i n s t a n t i - S e m i t i s m a n d a n t i - I s r a e l b o y c o t t s . We n e e d B r u c e R a u n e r ’s
leadership in Springfield.
BRUCE RAUNER’S AGENDA:
• Roll back the Quinn 67% income tax hike;
• Freeze property taxes;
• Increase state support for education;
• Divest Illinois funds from any company in
the world that boycotts Israel;
• Increase Illinois-Israel trade and cooperation,
especially in high-tech sectors;
• Never cower to anti-Israel forces – call out
anti-Semitism for what it is;
• Pro-choice; no social agenda
PAT QUINN’S RECORD:
• Silence in the face of growing anti-Semitism and anti-Israel boycott movements,
including recent events at the University of Illinois;
• R e f u s e d t o s u p p o r t S t a t e S e n . I r a S i l v e r s t e i n ’s r e s o l u t i o n c o n d e m n i n g b o y c o t t s o f
Israel, cowering to anti-Israel forces that eventually killed the resolution;
• Raised your income taxes by 67% and wants to do it again;
• Second-highest property taxes in America;
• Cut education funding by $500 million.
T he Choice For Gover nor Is Clear
JoinBruce.com
P a i d f o r b y C i t i z e n s f o r R a u n e r, I n c .