New job, new life, let's do this!

I know I haven't written in here in a long ass time. Life has gotten crazy!

I got a job working for a network of non-profits. I handle the budgets and finances for about 10 different organizations (about 20 separate tax entities if you break it down that way). I love my job, I love what I do. I may not be doing program work like I wanted, but I honestly feel good about what I do. My job is very behind the scenes. I ensure that the finances are in order for our organizations so that they can actually do awesome things. That is the rewarding part. The amount of work I do limits me in my ability to keep up with political news during the day, but I'm going to try my hardest!

I don't even know where to begin. Elections are weeks away and holy crap... this country is a mess. Sharon Angle? Christine O'Donnell? Need I say more? Part of me is glad that I'm not in their states, but then again I'm in Illinois where getting a corrupt politician is a given. Or as Jon Stewart would say, "Chicago Politics: Where being a dick is a requirement." It's true though. Mayor Daley is finally stepping down as mayor. I'd say it's about time, but he's also leaving just in time for Chicago to go under. That's really why he's stepping down. He knows he fucked up and people might actually vote for someone else who will be more responsible with the city's finances that him. People of Chicago are sick of Daley. Parking meter sellout? CPS going under? Chicago Olympics disaster? I could go on... So he'll walk away quietly just in time for the next mayor to take the fall. Then he hopes that everyone will be wishing Daley was back. I mean at least when Daley was in power, shit got done. You might have had to pay a price or sold your soul to The Machine, but you would have gotten what you wanted/needed.

Anyways! I'm going to try to be a lot better about posting ;]

Want a raise for doing nothing? Become a CPS CEO.

"Do as We Say, Not as We Do"


Great article by Ben Joravsky of the Chicago Reader about how the CPS CEO has taken a nice chunk of change from the CPS budget while teachers aren't being properly compensated for their work.

Given his stated wish to "minimize direct impact on schools," you might think Huberman would dedicate as much of the available money as possible to people who actually work with students—teachers, teaching aides, coaches, etc. But instead it seems the further you get away from the classroom, the better your chances of being rewarded.

You would THINK you would dedicate as much money as possible teachers... but no. This is Chicago. I take that back. This is the U.S. Just like with the bonuses given out to high ranking employees of failed Wall Street banks and businesses... we are rewarding failure. CPS doesn't exactly have an outstanding report card either. Hardly any Chicago middle and high schools are ranked in the top 100. It doesn't help that our PPS for Chicago hovers just under $10,000. To put things in perspective, Niles Township is around $17k and Deerfiled/Highland Park Township is $18k.

Yet, here we are.... hearing once again about CEOs and people the furthest from the problem receiving the greatest amount of pay. I understand compensating people in power for the amount of work they need to do. However, what are they REALLY doing when CPS schools continue to fall behind their suburban and parochial counterparts?

I don't know about you... but, while I've definitely struggled, I don't see why people need THAT much money! I think if I can survive off what little I've made, I think Huberman can give up a raise or two. But a 13% raise? In a recession? Get out of here!!!
I couldn't have put it better than Ben:

She said that while it's true Huberman's budgeted pay went way up, he's voluntarily taking a pay cut in the form of unpaid furloughs. Therefore "he did not receive an increase," Bond wrote in an e-mail. "His true salary as a result of the unpaid holidays and furlough days is $216,660, a 5.9 percent reduction in salary. The 5.9 percent reduction also applies to all Central Office employees making more than $50,000." We're taking her word on this, since she didn't respond to my request for documentation of Huberman's furloughs.

Well, it's nice to know Huberman's giving up something for the team, but he's still making nearly $13,000, or 6 percent, more than he did last year. In effect Huberman and these other bureaucrats got their salaries jacked up to insulate themselves against any voluntary pay cuts they might take. It's like the department store that doubles its prices and then announces a half-off sale.

Sigh. One of these days, we'll figure it out. I hope.

Tax Day Tea Party

Tax Day Tea Party Video

I started watching this video and planned on watching it all the way through... but at about 5.40, I stopped.

Interviewer: So you don't think that billionaires should pay more taxes than you?
Woman: No, it I think it should be a flat rate.


WHAT?! Are you kidding me?!

All this talk about a "socialist" agenda really drive me nuts. I took a 300-level political science course in college on Socialism, and this is definitely NOT what Karl Marx had in mind, I can tell you that much. The fact that we have universal health care now is something that every other Westernized industrial country has already. And they aren't socialist. Do these people realize that we have elements of socialism already in place in our country? Libraries, fire/police departments, etc. I wish I could remember where I read it at, but we are dangerously slipping towards a third world country with two classes: the rich and the poor. The middle class is evaporating. The rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

I started to play again and at about 6.00, another woman talks about getting rid of the Department of Education. WHAT?! If you want to talk about getting rid of or cutting back spending... look at our Department of Defense with two illegitimate and unjust wars! We are no longer the most powerful country in the world, and we need to stop acting like it. And the EPA?! Look at where it ranks in annual spending! That's hardly anything. I don't know about you, but I think we ALL need to be a bit more environmentally conscious these days... We only have one planet. And we're running out of time and energy.

I am really just embarrassed by the misguided information these people are given. And their counter-arguments are seriously flawed.

Wall Street Reform - GOP scared

GOP blocking Wall Street Reform

I think that after everything this country has gone through economically... We at least deserve an open and transparent debate about Wall Street Reform. I don't understand why the Republicans (outside of being on Wall Street's side instead of Main Street's side) have such a problem with this. I want to know what these greedy monsters have done. I think the American public has a right to know. I want something to be done about this. And if there are representatives that do not wish reform to be passed, I want to know that too.

Welcome to Sara's Blog!


I have found myself posting a lot of my thoughts on politics on my facebook profile, which was kinda taking up a lot of space. And I'm sure some of my facebook friends could care less about the stuff I post. So I think I'm going to start over here. :]

For those of you who are new out there... I'm Sara from Chicago. Been living here my entire life. I love following Chicago politics in particular, but I also keep up to date on national or world issues. I am currently pursuing a career in Non-Profits and hope that keeping up to speed on all these issues will only help me.

Thanks for stopping by and reading!