Community allies demand Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan force Rahm to disclose all TIF information under Freedom of Information Act
In the struggle for public school funding, an important press conference was held at the State of Illinois Building (the Thompson Center) on August, 2, 2013. The purpose of those hosting the press conference was to ask the Illinois State’s Attorney, Lisa Madigan to force Mayor Rahm to disclose where TIF dollars are being spent -- and all future plans of TIF money. The request for that information has been made under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Press Conference announcement spelled out the reasons:
GEM representatives presenting the FOIA request to a representative of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan inside the State of Illinois Building. Substance photo by Ashlee Rezin."GEM will be holding a press conference August 2, calling on Lisa Madigan to investigate how the $1.7 billion in TIF funds the city has accrued will be spent. (Emanuel has said upwards of $1.5 billion of the surplus has been allocated for future projects, but won't say what these projects are.) GEM has filed a FOIA request, demanding that the city explain exactly how, where, and why this money will be spent."
Leading the press conference were seven speakers, part of an umbrella group, GEM (Grassroots Education Movement). The speakers were, Tom Tresser, TIF Illumination Project; Karen Zaccor, Northside Action for Justice; Erica Wozniak, DePaul Alumna and teacher; Jitu Brown, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization; Nelson Sosa, Pilsen Alliance; Denise Julian, CPS teacher and GEM activist; and Dwayne Truss, Raise Your Hand.
After the press conference statements, the GEM group went into the Thompson Center and the Communication Directory, Natalie Bower received a letter asking Lisa Madigan to enforce the FOIA laws that Rahm Emanuel refuses to comply with.
Except for Univision (Chanel 66), the major news cameras were not present. Local reporters were from Progress Illinois, Labor Beat, and Substance. Tim Furman posted seven video clips; go here:
http://preaprez.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/grassroots-activists-marched-a-letter-up-to-lisa-madigans-office-demanding-that-she-investigate-the-tif-surplus-media-is-absent/
This reporter couldn’t help but remember three years ago, spring 2010, when GEM first organized; they spoke outside the Thompson Center; went inside and met a representative from Lisa Madigan’s office. A letter was presented asking for enforcement of a FOIA request from GEM, that CPS was ignoring. This event was posted in the bulletin of CORE, Caucus of Rank and File Educators. To read the CORE report go here: http://www.coreteachers.org/2010/page/7/
Three years ago there were no corporate camera news reports of this event either. But, Labor Beat recorded the press conference which included speeches by Michael Brunson (then a CTU candidate; now CTU Recording Secretary); Carolyn Gaete, Blocks Together; Jackson Potter, CORE and others.
“Open the Books” was the demand of the press conference held three years ago on April 28, 2010. To see the video go here: http://blip.tv/labor-beat/labor-beat-ron-huberman-show-us-the-money-3768173. Two months after that press conference, Karen Lewis and the CORE candidates upset the incumbent CTU leaders (at the time, the union President was Marilyn Stewart); they took office July 1, 2010.
For this reporter, August 2, 2013 was like a repeat in the fight for funding public education. It is the same because public school supporters continue to push States Attorney Lisa Madigan to do her job. Using the FOIA, Freedom of Information Act is the only way they can open the books and show there is money for our schools.
But it is worse now with 49 schools closing and 20,000 students disrupted. It is worse now because the Mayor Rahm and his appointed Board of Ed. have speeded up privatization and union busting. It looks like Rahm is using his bare fists as he gave a green light to lay-off 3,000 teachers and staff.
But, there is a big change from three years ago. The August 2, 2013 panel of speakers now represents thousands of organized teachers, parents and students. In 2010, GEM was just being organized. They are now three years experienced with the lies of CPS and the Mayor. The public knows that massive school closings means privatization.
There is another big difference with the struggle three years ago. The CTU has new leadership and conducted a successful strike. Support from parents and students were strong during the strike. This unity behind the teachers is still alive and growing. New parent/community groups have now grown and speak up at every board meeting.
Students have especially organized in the aftermath of the CTU strike of Sept 2012. School walkouts have occurred and more could come as students realize in September their best school programs are gone and classes are overcrowded.
With 3,000 teachers and support staff have been eliminated since the ending of school in June 2013. No one from the Mayor’s office or Board of Education can talk about better schools and quality of education and be taken seriously, since they are undermining the school system. (Last year they proclaimed the longer school day as a means of improving education.)
Rahm Emanuel cannot hide his union busting vision as he calls for the firing of experienced (union) teachers and replacing them with temporary teachers.
Another big change since three years ago is not only the Mayor’s office, where Rahm Emanuel runs the city and the school system, but his hand-picked CEO. Leading the attack on Chicago public schools is Barbara Byrd Bennett. She is now the fourth CEO hired to run the school system in three years. In April 2010, the CEO was Ron Huberman. Huberman left in November 2010 when he learned that Mayor Richard M. Daley was leaving. Huberman was followed by "Interim" CEO Terry Mazany. in May 2011, immediately after his inauguration, Rahm Emanuel appointed Rochester New York's controversial superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard, at a quarter million dollar a year salary, as Rahm's first CEO. A month after the end of the Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012, Rahm dumped Brizard (who left with a golden parachute that hasn't been completely disclosed) and put Barbara Byrd Bennett in power.
And, it looks like Byrd Bennett has been given the biggest attack job on Chicago public schools since Renaissance 2010 began.
Behind closed doors and only giving out written memos, Barbara Byrd Bennett has never given a press conference to explain the school closings or the massive budget cuts that have now doubled the number of teacher and staff layoffs.
In conclusion, after reporting for several years on the public school struggles, we are now in the mist of a bigger and bigger political fight to defend our schools. Students, teachers and parents are preparing for September. Everyone wants Rahm Emanuel gone and an elected school board.
More and more students, teachers, and parents realize that we only get what we fight for. The public school movement in Chicago is preparing to fight.
