Category: Elections

Park Forest Mayoral Candidate Only Enters Public Housing Unit After Hours; Turkey, Anyone?

turkey

Turkey for your vote?

Juniper Towers is a public housing complex in Park Forest, Illinois. As such, there is a regular staff, and those wishing to enter without a specific destination must adhere to certain standards, letting staff members know they are present.

Because this is public housing, candidates for public office are not permitted to enter and wander aimlessly, moving from floor to floor, door to door.

Turning Left has learned from several reliable sources that one mayoral candidate in Park Forest, Illinois — and a current public official in that town — has been doing precisely that. Mr. JeRome Brown, a second-run mayoral candidate in Park Forest, IL, has been described by sources as entering Juniper Towers, walking floor to floor, going door to door, but only after staff for Juniper Towers have left for the day. Only after hours.

Obviously, Mr. Brown has someone on the inside who is opening the front door for him, or he waits surreptitiously for someone to exit so he can enter.

We have to ask: why not enter when staff is present? Why wait until staff have gone home for the day to begin his surreptitious campaigning?

We have learned, to our amusement, that Mr. Brown raffled off a turkey before Christmas. The winner was the first person who could prove he or she had a voter registration card.

Why give a turkey only to someone already registered to vote? Why raffle a turkey at all, unless he is engaging in an all-out campaign to buy votes.

A few years ago, a mayoral candidate in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, also attempted to buy votes, this time from seniors. This candidate promised, and delivered, a box of chocolates and seven dollars cash — yes, cash — to any senior who promised to vote for him, and he promised to provide them a ride to the polls.

The seniors took the chocolate, pocketed the $7.00 cash, and voted in droves for his opponent.

His opponent won. Handily.

Mr. Brown appears to believe that seniors and other members of public housing in Park Forest, Illinois, are simple, gullible folks, ready to cave and give their votes to someone obviously pandering for their attention, for their votes.

Turning Left must ask, is turkey the only thing of substance Mr. Brown has to offer?


Mr. Brown Tries To Buy Park Forest

We have learned that a Mr. JeRome Brown is trying to buy Park Forest.

Try this:

brown

We at Turning Left will watch this election cycle. This is among the most tawdry we have found. Ever.

Here, we see Mr. Brown appealing to seniors for something he cannot promise under the laws of Park Forest – jobs. Unless he were to somehow soak the local taxpayers for more, and then create jobs out of thin air.

But even the Meeks of Chicago would object of so foolhardy a use of resources, even for political gain.

Yes?

Perhaps no.

Yoi.


For Plutocrat Bruce Rauner on the Occasion of His Successful Campaign for Illinois Governor

Without commentary.

And, partially, tongue in cheek.

And it’s past time for an awakening of Turning Left.

WARNING: ADULT NSFW LANGUAGE!


Take Action: Sign Jeff Merkley’s Petition – Disclose the Big Money!

From , Jeff Merkley U.S. Senate candidate from Oregon:

Ever since the Supreme Court’s outrageous Citizens United decision, corporate spending on political campaigns has skyrocketed.

But much of that spending never gets disclosed anywhere. We have no idea who is attempting to influence our elections.

Republicans in Congress may have blocked action, but the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has the power to do something about it. They can create a rule that requires corporations to disclose to their shareholders (and thus, to the public) whether and how much they are spending to influence voters.

But so far, the SEC has opted to do nothing. That’s not OK.

Sign our petition and tell the SEC it’s time to stand up and take action.

If we’re going to fix our democracy, we have to make sure that voters know who is trying to pick winners and losers in our elections.

Jeff Merkley

Sign on!


Can I Say That I Love The Pope? After This (Video), I Certainly Do

What you see here seems so simple.

So simple.

But remember this…

What you see is anything but simple…

This man "proves" by example.

"Teaches" by example.

"Loves" by example.

This pope understands the teachings of Christ.

And none of those teachings stipulate that Christ never, ever said, "DO NOT LOVE."

On the contrary.

First, there is no ordination in the Catholic Church higher than bishop.

Cardinals are appointed. Popes are elected.

The Pope is Bishop of Rome, and has an incredible amount of authority, power, whatever.

Which is why this is so striking.

The pope confessed his sins to "an ordinary priest."

Wow. Wow. And, Wow.

Love this guy, forever.

Francis should be the Patron Saint of Popes, moving forward.

I love him.


Palestine: A Land Forgotten; Isreal: The One Forgetting

Peace in Palestine!

Palestine.

How much thought have you given Palestine recently?

We live in a country (USA! USA!) where celebrity news trumps news of the suffering in the world. News of the starving in the world. News of those still facing genocide. Still facing abuse. Still lacking basic human rights.

And we thrive to news of celebrity arrests, as if they matter one damn.

At all.

Had lunch with a now old friend, my friend is very young (comparable to my scalp line), but very, very wise.

And very empathetic.

My friend just returned from a half-month trip to Israel and Palestine (notice I’m naming them separately, as the two separate states the are, should be, shall be, Insha’Allah.

God willing, that is.

I will share with you in this space some of the amazing, alarming, and jaw-dropping things I learned from my friend today.

Israel, the state (not all Israelis, not all Jews), but Israel is persecuting the Palestinians.

And this must be stopped.

Did you know, for example, that Israel controls all water and electricity into Palestinian regions?

And, did you know, that Israel frequentlly cuts off all water and electricity if one Palestinian “misbehaves?”

Did you know that it is illegal for an Israeli to enter Palestine? Did you know that, on average, Israel demolishes four Palestinian home a day?

Did you know that Israel will not do trash pick-up in any region inhabited by Muslims, whether in the Old City, or Palestine?

Did you know that the Israeli government then uses that reality to refer to the Palestinians as filthy, dirty animals?

In short, did you know that Israel, to put it mildly, discriminates against the Palestinians, that the officials of the Israeli state refer to all Palestinians as “terrorists.”

Did you know that, at the Dome of the Rock, Israeli soldiers guard the entrance, allowing only a certain number of Muslims to enter each day to pray?

And did you know that Palestinians just want to live?

To own property?

To build homes (which is illegal now)?

To be human?

Thank you to my friend.

More to follow.

Insha’Allah.


Suffer the Soccer Children: Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta is a Real Piece of Work

Village of Crestwood

First the water, now the vindictive mayor.

It wasn’t too long ago we were all saying, "If you go to Crestwood, don’t drink the water."

Now?

"If you go to Crestwood, beware the mayor."

Especially if you play soccer.

Play soccer in a league that has been in existence for more than 40 years.

A league that is its own not-for-profit (NPF).

Do you get that?

An independent corporation.

In existence for more than 40 years.

Feel so, so very sorry for this Illinois village, stuck with a mayor hell-bent on stepping on children for political gain, clawing his way to the headlines, making a name for himself as a perpetrator of political vendetta.

The mayor wants to see the books.

The mayor wants a cut of the pie.

The mayor has a political vendetta.

Suffer the children.

Here’s some background from Phil Kadner’s recent contribution to the Southtown Star, Kadner: Mayor picks fight with soccer club.

I like and enjoy reading Phil Kadner. Please make a point of reading him.

Ahem. Yes. The background, from Phil Kadner:

At issue are the soccer fields just south of 138th Street and Lavergne Avenue, which are on ComEd land overlooked by high-tension towers.

According to soccer club board members, 32 years ago former Mayor Chester Stranczek agreed to let the club use the property rent-free after the village signed an agreement with the utility company for use of its easement.

Volunteers with the soccer club leveled the land by hand, raised money to construct a $22,000 fence and gate, more money to buy soccer goals and an additional $13,000 to build a garage to house equipment.

The village cuts the grass on the field. But, for 20 years, the field has been in use by the not-for-profit Crestwood Soccer Club, composed of "more than 500 children signed up for its fall season; about 70 percent Crestwood residents and the rest from the surrounding suburbs," according to Kadner.

Seventy percent is an amazing figure for a club, and political suicide for anyone to mess with. Especially a 20-year agreement.

But why should that stop Lou Presta?

There are 40 recreation teams and five travel teams in the club.

That’s amazing.

So why, pray tell, is the mayor, Louis Presta, messing with this fine organization, and the 500+ children (70% from Crestwood) who are members?

First, Crestwood Trustee John Toscas is president of the not-for-profit (NFP) Soccer Club.

And Toscas, it appears, is not a strong-enough supporter of the mayor.

The proposed solution?

Again, from Phil Kadner:

A proposed village ordinance would create a new seven-member parks commission appointed by the mayor, and create a new position of director of parks and recreation.

Presta told me the position would be filled by a current village employee at no increase in salary.

But the ordinance says compensation for the director “shall be established by the board of trustees annually.”

Get this straight.

Crestwood does not own the land. ComEd owns the land. Kids play under high tension wires. ComEd leases the land to Crestwood.

Now Presta wants to call that land a park.

A village park.

Even though Crestwood does not own the land.

And there’s more, and it’s about money:

Not only that, Presta indicated he wants the soccer club to share the money it raises with the rest of the village’s recreational programs.

“Some recreation programs make money and some don’t,” Presta said. “I believe the money should be spread around so that those that make money can help support those that don’t to provide opportunities to everyone.

Of course. So this private corporation must now open its books to the village.

And pay, pay, pay.

Because Lou Presta, mayor of Crestwood, is a real piece of work.

A real, real piece of work.

Please read Phil Kadner’s entire column here.


Video: Mitt Romney – Taking Down Big Bird For America

According to Mitt Romney, it’s not Wall Street you have to worry about, it’s Sesame Street.

This is hilarious.


Video: Mitt Romney – Gangnam Style

Well, somebody went there.

We’re just passing it along.

Heeeeeeeey Wealthy Ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Romney Palestine Flub Making Waves In The Arab World (Video/More)

Will the next protest involve the name Romney?

From Al Jazeera:

US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said that Palestinians "have no interest whatsoever" in peace with Israel, seemingly dismissing the two-state solution, in hidden camera video from May that only now has become public.

The footage, which was posted online on Tuesday, shows Romney responding to a question about the "Palestinian problem" that was posed to him at a reportedly lavish $50,000-a-plate fundraiser in Florida, on May 17.

"The Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and … the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish," Romney said.