Deep Dives into what makes our Economy tick and Enjoy Some Great Discussions and Differences of Opinion
Into the Facts about
the US Economic Recovery
and Illinois Proposed Budget..
July’s BLS Report will be presented and examined with data on June’s economy, both jobs and GDP (US & IL). Plus we will continue our discussions of the economic recovery and policy issues that affect the recovery.
7:00 to 9:30 pm at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 N Dunton Ave
We will be discussing the economic recovery and the budget challenges in Illinois and nationally.
June’s jobs report shows 2.9 million jobs added nationally in the last 12 months
223,000 jobs added in June
Illinois’ jobs growth continues to be lower than last year
Illinois has begun our 2016 fiscal year without a budget, so we expect the state of discussions in Springfield to again be a major part of the meeting. Hopefully things will improve between now and the 20th.
As always bring your articles, questions and comments and let’s have another lively discussion.
Attend the NWSOFA Fiscal & Economic Discussions (held monthly) and be the most informed on your block or your discussion group!
“Look What’s Happening this Week
in the Northwest Suburbs”
Week of
July 19th – July 25th
NWSOFA July 2015, Events and Meetings
Attend with NWSOFA Diversity Outreach
To Celebrate
“Justice Day”
NWSOFA Diversity Team Is Joining the 2015 Justice Day Project on Sunday July 26th in
Winnetka Village Green from 2 pm to 5 pm on Sunday, July 26, 2015
50 Years ago (in 1965) the North Shore Summer Project, galvanized thousands of residents to push for open housing and brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the Winnetka Village Green to inspire over 10,000 people to “go all out to end segregation.” As we reflect upon our powerful beginnings, NWSOFA’s Diversity Outreach Team is working with Open Communities – determined to honor the achievements of North Shore Summer Project by expanding upon them, not simply commemorating them.
They have developed clear criteria for the Welcoming Community that uphold justice for all and embrace people of every race, religion, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, and income bracket.
The March Continues serves as a catalyst for a new grassroots social justice movement in Chicago’s northern suburbs.
Goals are to:
Raise awareness of continued housing inequities in our region, and organize action to end them;
Point out that today, unlike in 1965, equal housing is but one of many necessary ways to get to the inclusive and diverse suburb;
Build a constituency that will support political leadership for social change; and
Incrementally help pass policies and programs suburb by suburb that advance justice and build community in a variety of sectors.
To advocate for meaningful change in our suburbs, the 2015 Justice Project created a common set of Principles for the Welcoming Community, a standard similar to the LEED certification of environmental sustainability or the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, that would give suburbs a template to follow. It would also allow constituents to hold them accountable. They envision this as a multi-year process. NWSOFA Endorses this effort.
The July 26th gathering will be on the Winnetka Village Green from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, July 26, 2015, the anniversary of the North Shore Summer Project rally.
– See more at: http://www.open-communities.org/Get_Involved/Justice_2015/#sthash.YMkrmBHQ.dpuf
NWSOFA Is Holding a Leadership Summit for Current and Upcoming Leaders on
Wednesday Night, 7/22
NWSOFA is growing. We have have new issue teams, new membership and a greater sphere of influence as we expand our traditional Northwest
Suburbs boundaries. With this comes new responsibilities and requirements of planning, executing and growing our NWSOFA team and the new extended NWSOFA space.
NWSOFA needs your help, assistance, team work, involvement, IDEAS and above all your volunteerism and passion for Organizing. The meeting is designed to get your ideas on the table. This is a call for our “future” leaders to get involved now .. learn from our experienced “organizers” and be part of the “Progressive” excitement in the Northwest Suburbs.
Here’s How Top Female Executives End Up Getting Paid Less Than Men
A new study examines the root of the pay gap
between men and women at the top of the corporate ladder
Even top female workers can’t catch a break when it comes to pay inequality.
A researcher at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and colleagues in academia are out with a new paper on gender differences in compensation for executives. They analyzed pay for chairs/chief executive officers, vice chairs, presidents, chief financial officers and chief operating officers, and here’s what they found:
New Climate Change Co-Lead Added and New Climate Partnership Added
New Climate Change Co-Lead Added
Joe Salvato, NWSOFA Climate Issue Lead announced that Dan Huntsha has been named as the NWSOFA Climate Change Issue Co-Lead. Joe will remain a the NWSOFA Climate Issue C-Lead and has announced that several other team members are moving into additional CC leadership calls to be announced in July.
New Climate Partnership Added
Joe Salvato, NWSOFA Climate Change Issue Team Co-Lead has announced a New NWSOFA CC partnership as described:
(below per Peter Gorr with the Sierra Club and the Illinois Solar Energy Association).
“As you may know IL has important energy legislation pending. HB2607 /SB1485 also referred to as the “Clean Energy Jobs” bill did not come up for a vote in the Spring session in spite of much work and effort. So we now are focused to the Fall session and seeing that it gets passed then. If not familiar with the legislation a fact sheet is attached but briefly it is focused to:
Increasing energy efficiency goals for the state to 20%.
Fixing the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and increasing the percentage of renewable, clean energy as part of our energy mix to 35%
Lowering carbon emissions from existing power plants per the new EPA rules about to be finalized this summer.
I cannot over emphasize the importance of this legislation. If you have read the timely Papal encyclical just released you will find this legislation ties in very well with what the Pope states needs to be done regarding policy. Also, getting public support for passing this legislation is a way to help people begin to take individual action on protecting the environment and mitigating the causes of climate change.
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NWSOFA’s strategy in the NW Suburbs 6 township areas is the following:
Form a local coalition of like-minded organizations and groups
Have representatives of each meeting in July to develop strategies to effectively reach out to local residents
Implement these strategies which will be focused to education, signing petitions, making calls and writing letters to policy makers, etc.
“College is a necessity, but it is priced like a luxury.”
Our next team meeting will be devoted entirely to listening intently to young people.
At our first meeting, we heard loud and clear that the cost of college is a very big issue looming large over any dreams young people have for their future. We have asked them to plan the content of the meeting, and we will work to educate ourselves on the topic, and what action we can take to help.
Held their July 16th Meeting the same night as the 5 Soldiers were killed in Chattanooga, TN
The GVP Issues Team meet on Thursday night.. We had a group that were interested and committed.. People were just shaking their heads at the Tennessee shooting. There wasn’t the fury that we heard over Charleston, but I think the determination to do something to diminish gun violence was still there.
We spent much of our time on the proposal from the Illinois Council against Gun Handgun Violence calling for strict, statewide rules that all gun sellers would have to abide by. The Illinois Council is preparing packets for members of groups like ours to take to mayors and other elected officials asking for their support statewide rules for gun sellers. The packets should be ready soon, and we should be able to get someone to do training for those who are willing to go out to meet with their mayors.
We also talked about the economic costs of gun violence for our society. These costs are very high, billions and billions of dollars a year. Several groups that we have partnered with are beginning to talk about this issue. It is sad to say but it sometimes economic costs gain more traction than other arguments.
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
NWSOFA’s 1st Issue Team was right after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. The Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) team felt we needed accurate information and facts, events to teach others and actions we could take to make a difference on pushing for common sense gun violence prevention. That has been our basic format as new issues arose and team developed. We now have the GVP, ACA/Obamacare, Climate Change,Fiscal Issues and Stand with Women Issue Teams.Check out their individual pages to see all the events they have scheduled and to join the teams you want to make a difference with. Other teams are developing such as for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
OFA National coordinates “Days of Action” that Chapters across the country will all do on the same day. Each team also has local events and may work with affiliate organizations i.e. Sierra Club, Al Gore Reality Project, etc. to combine like-minded groups on a local, state or national event.
In this type of organization there are numerous ways you can be involved with the teams and in other roles.We were looking for ways to get our events out and now have a Twitter Master, Kathy,and Press Lead, Kym.
Two new initiatives were introduced in January 2015 from OFA. The first one is to get more young people involved in progressives issues. We prioritized working with colleges to reach out to them. One of the major benefits of joining us is learning to be a community organizer. These skills can be beneficial for a lifetime. The second initiative is working with under served populations that traditionally have not a voice on issues that are crucial for them. If either of these sound like something you would be interested in helping to develop, please let us know.
Maybe you have a special skill we haven’t even thought about give us a call we’re always open to new ideas and teams.
Thanks for stopping and hope you’ll stay and join us.
NWSOFA is a whole, diverse wonderful family of people who want to do more than talk about the social issues. We explore and dig deep on the facts and decide what actions we can take that can have an impact locally and nationally. NWSOFA members not only “talk the talk”, but we “walk the walk”.
All our teams have numerous events that will enlighten and inspire you and yes, challenge you to make the effort to make a difference.
We invite you to join us!
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July Events .. NWSOFA in Photos
NWSOFA Gun Violence Prevention Team Meeting July, 16th
NWSOFA Attends OFA new HQ “Open House” July 10th in Chicago
NWSOFA Walked in the Arlington Heights 4th of July Parade
Fight for Progress in Style:
Click the Above Image to go to the Store
NWSOFA
To leave a message or Sign up for an Issue Team .. Just click the Sign Up button and fill out the NWSOFA Comment log.
We will be in touch with you shortly.
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Over the years the American Citizens have lost their voices, believing that we can not make a difference. We have been beat down by the constant droning noise of the conservative right. This onslaught has made us like sheep .. afraid to express our views. Not anymore! OFA gives us back our voices and by working together we are making change one issue at a time. Together we can and will make a difference.
Thank You to our NWSOFA Issue Leads in 2015
Just Click on the Photo to link the NWSOFA e-magazines daily & archived articles
In January 2013 we started as a gathering of friends and neighbors from the NW Suburbs who wanted to continue to have impact on the progressive issues we voted for in 2012.This grassroots, bottom up movement spread across the country and sparked the creation of Organizing for Action, OFA National which now has Chapters all over the country. This is a non-partisan, volunteer organization that focuses on progressive issues we are committed to taking Action on to make a difference locally, statewide and nationally.
