Impending cuts would affect approximately 40,000 Illinois students currently receiving support from the Monetary Assistance Program, or MAP, the state’s largest need-based aid program that provides $440 million in grants and scholarships.

MAP recipients could expect to receive 80 percent of their funding for the 2009 fall semester. But as of January, “the state of Illinois no longer has need-based scholarship support for students,” said Andrew A. Davis, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Davis said the cuts could be preventable if state lawmakers would pass current proposals pushed by Gov. Quinn.

“All the legislature has to do is get up on their hind legs and vote to raise taxes and fund our programs. In the past, agencies like ourselves have avoided that political move… but the problem is tax raising doesn’t have an advocacy group,” he said.

“If we want these programs in our state, we have to fund them. And the only way to get there from here is to raise taxes,” said Davis after an ISAC board meeting.

The loss of funding “will be painful” on students said Paul H. Frank, vice president for government relations with the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, an advocacy group for 57 private Illinois colleges and universities.

“We don’t know the whole extent but they will range from students that will have to drop out and fail to complete their studies… some students will continue and they will add on to their [current] loans,” said Frank.

Frank said MAP funding hasn’t increased in seven years, while college and university tuitions have continued to rise.

At Friday’s board meeting, eight college students from Roosevelt University and Columbia College Chicago sought to rally for support from ISAC board members.

Ann Marie Meyer, a senior and photography major at Columbia College Chicago, said she decided to return to school at the age of 25. She has depended solely on scholarships and loans and anticipated receiving $2,000 in MAP grants after being advised to change her resident status.

Mayer said she has “maxed out” her credit cards and is working two jobs but doesn’t see dropping out as an option. She said state lawmakers should see funding education as means to prevent people from having to seek other types of support, such as welfare, in the future.

“By supporting education you are enabling people and students to become contributing parts of society,” said Mayer.

Dimitra Georgouses, a junior at Roosevelt University, said she knows of several students affected by the cuts, and some who have changed schools in order to avoid dropping out.

According to the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities data, Columbia College Chicago is projected to receive $4.4 million, down from $10.5 million, for the 2010 financial year.  Roosevelt University is projected to receive $1.7 million, a drop from $4.2 million.

Seven grants, such as the Illinois Veterans Grant Program, the Illinois National Guard, and Illinois Future Teachers Corp Scholarship are to lose all funding.

Illinois is facing $11.6 billion budget deficit and state legislators have until June 30 to pass a budget. A proposed budget by Gov. Quinn that would raise state income taxes was rejected.

Davis spoke briefly with students during a break at the meeting, explaining the cuts and emphasized for them lobby their state legislators to prevent the impending cuts.

“Those folks need to hear from you, “ said Davis.

Rider and Advocate discuss CTA Equipment and Service Woes from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo.

The board meeting was a first time CTA President Richard L. Rodriguez met with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Advisory Committee since his appointment two months ago. He fielded questions from board members and advocates in the audience about problems documented in a ChicagoTalks investigation published last week.

“There have been a lot of issues over the years where CTA has fallen short of what should be really high standards for making its services accessible,” said Kevin Irvine, ADA advisory chairman.

Over a two-week period, a team of students from Columbia College Chicago found that 41 percent of the CTA’s stations designated as fully accessible were in fact not. And several of those stops remained inaccessible weeks later on subsequent visits. The team also reviewed the roughly 2,000 ADA-related complaints filed against the CTA over the last five years, finding repeated problems with bus lifts, rude CTA employees and guide dogs not being allowed to accompany their disabled owners, among other things.

Irvine said the committee wants to see from CTA’s leadership that accessibility is “critically important” and “shared vision of what accessibility means.”

Rodriguez, a former commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation, spoke about his experience with ensuring accessibility at Chicago’s airports and said his commitment to dealing with disability related-issues hasn’t changed, “not one bit.”

Acknowledging the budget woes facing the CTA, Irvine said there are many issues, such as stop announcements by train operators, correctly updated elevator status boards, and equipment repair status, that CTA could resolve at no cost.

“These are small examples that add up to a lot and that really affect people with disabilities when they are out there trying to buy passes, riding on the ‘L’, riding the buses and things like that,” said Irvine. “I think that some of it is common sense, some of it is getting people information.”

Rodriguez said the CTA tracks performance of its 134 elevators and in twice-weekly staff meetings statistics are provided on the status of working and malfunctioning elevators.

But budget and time constraints limit repair time.

Last week, the CTA announced it was dealing with a $155 million shortfall this year, which will delay upgrades to some of the 56 train stations that are not accessible.

“Given the resources, both human resources and material resources that we have,” said Rodriguez, “are we able to fix an elevator in what the public would define as a reasonable period of time at this point? What is a reasonable period of time?”

Rodriguez offered an apology for “any inadequate service,” but it was the behavior of CTA employees that several committee members and people in the audience, pushed the new president to address. They urged him to improve the way employees interact with customers as well as do more training and be more responsive to complaints.

Rodriguez said it is a “management issue” if employees are not notifying the CTA of malfunctions and other issues. But he said he didn’t want to create a “gotcha” environment amongst his employees when asked to implement system that would monitor their performance.

According to an internal monthly performance management report, elevators were in service 98.1 percent of the time from Jan. 1 through March 31, 2009, while 93 ADA-related complaints were filed. Twenty-eight percent were related to elevators, 25 percent involved buses failing to stop for disabled customers and 20 percent had to do with general ADA compliance. Twenty-seven percent were related to other and rude operators.

Henry T. Chandler, Jr., a member of both the CTA board and the Access Living board, said he has “serious trouble” with the mass transit system’s compliance but is hopeful Rodriguez will familiarize himself with the access-related issues and improve the system.

“I think if they look at the process that was in place during the last compliance period (2000 lawsuit), and take some cues from that,” said Chandler. “I think the desire is there on his [Rodriguez] part and CTA’s part, in general.”

Chandler believes ADA-related issues fell “to the wayside” due to past capital funding woes and state political turmoil in recent years.

Irvine said after the meeting that customers need to be able to access internal CTA information about faulty equipments and know the reasons why the breakdowns are occurring. Such transparency would send a better message to both its able and disabled customers.

“And if there’s no explanation for why it’s not working people just assume that CTA doesn’t care, ” said Irvine.

A team of reporters from Columbia College Chicago found multiple equipment breakdowns among 41 percent of stations designated handicap accessible.

“It’s a huge problem for many of the transit riders who depend on transit to be able to live,” said Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston), chairwoman of the Illinois House Mass Transit Committee. “And it’s a further problem for me as a policy maker because if the main line system isn’t working well for people with disabilities, then they would be in a position to have to resort to Paratransit services, which are more costlier.”

CTA Chairwoman Carole Brown said Wednesday that elevators do break down but the CTA tries to address problems “as quickly and as soon as we can.”

Brown said accessibility was a “major goal” of the agency, citing recent Brown Line renovations. However, Brown said a lack of capital funding makes it hard for the CTA to make more stations accessible. Sixty-one percent of the 144 “L” stations are accessible. The CTA says by the end of this year, 93 of its stations – or 65 percent – will be accessible.

“We’re always having to make hard decisions about where we deploy those capital dollars,” said Brown. “If we had money, of course, that would be one of our top priorities.”

CTA announced Wednesday it is facing a $155 million shortfall this year despite showing a recent growth in its number of riders.

CTA president Richard Rodriguez said the agency could not rule out future fare increase or service cuts, adding the agency is looking “aggressively” to see where they can “reduce and tighten belts.”

Brown and Rodriguez said CTA would not be able to purchase new buses and make improvements to CTA infrastructure because of the shortfall.

“We have garages that are basically in a condition that our employees should not be working in,” said Rodriguez. “Not to say they are not safe but for goodness they’re over a 100 years old…and those are types of investments we have to forgo to continue plugging our operating budget.”

This reduction could include delay bus purchases and rail station upgrades that would make more stops accessible to the estimated 600,000 disabled Chicagoans.

After weeks of declining to comment on ChicagoTalks’ findings, the CTA responded Thursday to written questions.

“With a system as expansive as CTA’s, there are thousands of pieces of equipment that need to be maintained,” wrote Shelia Gregory, general manager of public affairs.

Gregory said the system’s 132 elevators were in service “more than 96 percent of the time,” and she noted the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require repairs be made in a specific time frame.

“Unfortunately, some of the mechanical repairs take longer to resolve than others,” Gregory said in a written statement. “The CTA makes a reasonable effort to ensure elevators are working properly at each of the accessible stations.”

Of the three elevators found to be out of service in the ChicagoTalks investigation, Gregory said the CTA is not responsible for the Midway/ Skybridge on the Orange Line. She noted that it took seven days to for the Harlem station to be repaired and two days for the Montrose stop to be fixed. The CTA did not provide details about how long it took for broken automatic doors at several other stations to be repaired. But Gregory wrote that broken turnstiles aren’t a problem because a disabled customer could simply ask a CTA employee for help.

As for discourteous employees, Gregory wrote: “Rudeness demonstrated by a bus or a rail operator, or a customer assistant toward any customer is not acceptable. Disciplinary action is taken when appropriate for employees who are rude to customers, but CTA must be notified. Riders need to e-mail or call CTA immediately. The more information that a customer can provide, the easier it is to identify the individual and take the proper action.”

The CTA did not say whether any employees were disciplined in the instances of rude behavior detailed in the investigation.

Rep. Hamos said the CTA should realize that disable riders are a “significant portion of its ridership” and has an obligation to them.

“The fact that you did this survey is a public service to them,” said Hamos. “I think at the minimum they ought have been more responsive to you and thanked you for alerting them to some problems they were having.”

May 11, 2009 – Thirty-six students have been killed in Chicago during the 2008-09 school year.

As the Chicago Public Schools’ year comes to an end, community activists, educators and police are still grappling with how to reduce a rise in violence among school-age children.

Last Thursday night, a panel discussion was held at Chicago State University to discuss solutions to reduce the violence in affected communities.

“We have to look at people and we have to look at people within communities. And people have families and those families are distressed at the moment,” said Cortland Campbell, a criminal justice graduate student at Chicago State University who organized the panel.

Campbell said an understanding of why particular crimes occurred would lead to effective policies.

Panelists agreed gang activities are root causes in affected communities, contributing largely to the killings, but it was “a misnomer” to label student’s deaths as “school shootings” since many of the shootings have occurred on public venues.

“That problem starts at home with some form of dysfunction. Some form of dysfunction in the environment as well,” said Ronald Holt, an 18-year Chicago Police veteran and father of slain CPS student Blair Holt.

Other contributing factors can include truancy, drugs, mental illness, homelessness and peer group pressure, according to Patricia Hill, the executive director of the African-American Police League. Hill said the public needed to question recent shift in public school policies concerning safe guards for students.

“They have a hands-off [policy] concerning our children to keeping them safe,” said Hill. “It is our children who have been put in harm’s way by the duty holders.”

Hill drew large applause from audience members when she equated American children’s gang involvement to child soldiers in Africa.

“We have to deal with this on a human rights level with human rights definitions,” said Hill.

Government involvement, stabilization and targeting certain affected communities and viewing the violence as a public health issue were among the range of solutions discussed.

However, several panel members said a change in the perception of violence being acceptable was necessary.

“How do we affect a ‘culture of violence’,” said John Walsh, a professor at Saint Xavier University. “One was is through the idea of violence as a public health problem. And that we need to create a culture where individuals find it to be cowardice.”

Members of the audience voiced frustrations with Renaissance 2010, and the lack of proper parenting as causes for violence in their communities. A confrontation between university police and an attendee occurred when the attendee, wearing a placard and turban, protested the absence of a student representative on the panel.

“Renaissance 2010 has been a factor in terms of school violence… and schools becoming unsafe,” said one unidentified attendee. “And if I had my way, someone would be charged with murder, or a least an accessory to murder, because hundred of children have died just based on bad policies.”

Theresa Wilson, a Southeast side resident said the result of the violence was due to a combination of poor parenting and lack of a strong police presence in her community. Wilson said community centers and support for parents could be solutions for reducing violence.

“It’s up to us,” said Wilson. “We have to be some of the eyes and ears now.”

But an overnight sudden injection of 40 online donations to the struggling non-profit organization had Crane believing otherwise.

“[If] you asked me two weeks ago would we do it? I’d say, ‘I’m pretty sure. I think I can. I think I can,” said Crane, executive director of Streetwise. “But with the outpouring I’ve felt in the last two days, yea, we will do it.”

Since 1992, Streetwise has enabled unemployed and homeless Chicagoans to support themselves by selling newspapers as vendors. And, if Streetwise does not raise new funding, the operation could be shutting its doors in about 40 days.

At the Chicago City Council’s Human Relations Committee meeting April 15, Ald. Billy Ocasic (27th) questioned Streetwise board members several times over the publication’s monthly operational costs.

Rob Federighi, current board president of Streetwise, explained the publication is dealing with declining revenue due to economy, sales and charitable support which has dropped from $200,000 to $65,000 a year.

According to its 2007 taxes, Streetwise reported over $280,000 in profits for 2007 however its operating budget was more than $541,000, as reported to GuideStar, an online database.

In 2008, the 16-year-old publication transitioned from a newspaper to magazine format, raising printing costs to 35 cents, allowing vendors to make a $1.25 profit.

Currently, 8,000 vendors are registered with Streetwise.

However, Federighi didn’t present exact current budget needs to the committee. He told the committee the organization would need $75,000 to move toward sustainability over the next three to four months.

Meanwhile, they have entered into negotiations with their landlord to reduce rent and space, the $75,000 salary for the executive director position has been eliminated and pushed to increase ad revenue.

Crane, who is working for free until July 1, is optimistic about the future of Streetwise, pointing to a $3,000 increase in advertisement revenue last month. But said the work is challenging but he’s not deterred.

“I’ve been involved with lots of charitable boards,” said Crane. “Streetwise doesn’t have any of that glamor. You’re on this board because you want to work and you’re going to be in the trenches, and there’s not a lot besides the personal reward of knowing you’ve made a difference.”

Tax Day Tea Party from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo

The Back of the Yards’, Beverly/Morgan Park, Greater Grand/Mid-South and Woodlawn clinics will be closed on April 7 because of a $1.2 million cut in state funds.

Critics of the plan said it would cause “tremendous hardships” for over 6,500 clients who seek treatment from the city’s current 12 clinics. A city official said the four would be consolidate with the city’s remaining eight.

Patients expressed worry about having to travel further and losing bonds with current staff members that have, in some cases, taken years to build.

One the 75 patients and activists who waited over an hour to testify about the fallout the changes would create was Fred Friedman, with his blue shirt that read: “I’m one of those people.” Suffering from a degenerative bone disease and mental illness, coupled with homelessness, has made his recovery arduous. (click here to hear his story)

“We don’t respond very well to change,” said Friedman. “You might not think it’s not difficult to go an extra six miles… but I’m here to tell you… if someone told me that I had to go three more miles or if I had to go see a new psychiatrist I just wouldn’t do it.”

Reminding the committee of their public duty to serve, he said: “It is your obligation, your job, to take care of those of us who can’t take care ourselves.”

Ald. Ed Smith (28th), health committee chairman, after the meeting defended the health department’s decision, saying he believed they have been “diligent” in trying to find funding.

Smith met with Gov. Pat Quinn on February 23 to discuss funding and said he will continue to lobby Springfield.

However, several activists contend a budget shortfall is not the reason for city’s decision to close the clinics.

The Coalition to Save Our Mental Health Centers sent letters to the committee requesting the clinics’ budgets be submitted for review before making a final decision.

Referencing a 2008 study, Rev. Linda Forbes, a member of the coalition said, the report showed clinic workers generated more income than their [billing] costs to the city.

“For fairness, it’s just not good to shut down a money making operation,” said Forbes.

Anne Irving, director of public policy for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 31 called testimony given by Chicago’s Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Terry Mason, a “skewed version.”

Irving asked the board to press Mason to find out why the city received a 15 percent cut in state funding when other governmental services agencies received a 3 or 4 percent cut.

She said because patients are showing resistance to going into certain communities for services, there is a potential to lose future state funds.

“If we lose clients, we won’t be able to bill the state for all the money we’re getting now,” said Irving.

In his closing statements, Mason said he has lobbied in Springfield to maintain mental health services but the problems stem from a larger source.

“The problem is our system, nationally, is broken, “ said Mason. “And it is not going to be within the purview of the city of Chicago, to fix it.”

March 5, 2009 – Chicago Talks interviews Benjamin June, the creator of the Iraq Suicide Attack Project. His work is currently on display at the Co-Prosperity Sphere Gallery on 3219 S. Morgan Street, Chicago, Ill.

Iraq Suicide Attack Project–March 4, 2009 from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo

June was inspired to create his "Iraq Suicide Attack Pillow Project" after listening to a NPR interview with Mohammed M. Hafez, author of "Suicide Bombers in Iraq."  June wanted to create an installation, which explores the physical intimacy of the suicide bombers with their victims yet, highlight the brutal impact of the war in Iraq. He has completed 1428 pillows to date. His work has been displayed at the Flatfile Galleries and is currently on display at the Co-Prosperity Sphere Gallery in Chicago. June is a Seattle native who received his B.F.A. in Ceramic Art From the University of Washington.

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Iraq Suicide Attack Project–March 4, 2009 from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo

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March 2, 2009 – How's this for a deal? An eight-piece dinner set, which funds programs at the Children's Memorial Hospital for $45. Or a pair of vintage cowboy boots for under $10 that saves a cat's life?

Local charity stores have always been a goldmine for budget-conscious shoppers while also providing much-need funding for community programs. However, as local charity thrift stores' sales increase, some report of donations dropping off.

Thrift stores like the Brown Elephant, which supports the Howard Brown Health Center and the White Elephant, associated with Children's Memorial Hospital, both have reported sale increases, yet said the economy was having an impact on current donation levels.

The White Elephant Shop saw a decrease in donations at the end of December and January, a historically busy time. Yet, they have seen a 10 percent increase in clothing sales along with furniture and household items, and are projecting a sales growth for the year.

The White Elephant Shop receives donations from the Lakeshore, Gold Coast and Lincoln Park areas. Leonard Muircroft, director of retail operations, said those and several other area donors are probably to "get more practical" in terms of redecorating during the recession therefore contributing to a drop in furniture donations. 

Donald Rolfe, director of development for the Brown Elephant Retail Stops, said the agency has had "to make adjustments in terms of expectations" for this year's budget.

However, this has had no impact on the 28,000 clients they serve, 50 percent who are uninsured, in the LGBTI community.

Rolfe said they are "casting a wider net" by going beyond their current northern and southwestern boundaries for donation pick-ups to maintain current budget needs.

But for one thrift store, donations haven't been enough to continue to support a much-needed community program.

The Ark, a not-for-profit, community-funded social service agency based on Chicago's North Side, will discontinue a vocational workshop in March due to a drop in profits. In January, they lost money and are hoping to break even by the end of February.

Revenues from the Ark's two shops provide support for a wide range of social and medical programs, such as a food pantry, mental health services and housing for the homeless.  

Miriam Weinberger, director of the Ark, said there is concern about making their budget this year due to two factors — an increase in minimum wage, and operations costs have risen. What's more, Weinberger said there has been a 25 percent increase in requests for food assistance.

Weinberger said historically winter months have been "losing months for them" but because the weather was especially harsh this year, "it's been worse than ever." The lack of donations could be linked to the economy, as people are being reluctant to redecorate.

Profits from sales of their most profitable item, furniture, have been down while clothing sales are up.

Weinberger says stores like Wal-Mart and Sam's Club have had impact on their sales.

"It's very difficult to compete with them with used clothing," said Weinerger.

Weinberger said they having to sell more slacks and shirts to make the same profits as they would from furniture.

"I think it's all the economy. People are very worried and cautious so they are reluctant to go out and buy new furniture," said Weinberger about January's losses.

"Even our customers are being cautious of what they are spending."

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Feb. 18, 2009 – Solutions for the U.S. economy were at the forefront of the debate Monday at a Northside church, where candidates vying for Illinois' 5th Congressional District seat sounded off before a packed room of voters.

Early voting for the seat vacated by Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, began on Monday as candidates continued to seek support.

The 5^th Congressional District covers the north part of Chicago extending into the western suburbs.

Over the course of a two-hour debate hosted by AARP, 15 of the 23 candidates in attendance attempted to invoke Obama's campaign strategy of promising to create "change" in Washington.

The merits of the Obama Administration's stimulus plan were discussed, but several said the plan would not meet the long-term needs of the district's residents.

John Steward, a businessman and former professional wrestler, is one of six Republicans running for the seat. He called Obama's plan a "spending bill" because it lacked sustainability.

"Its not creating long lasting jobs," said Steward. "If we give a construction firm, here in Illinois, $250 million to improve a bridge… when that job is done, what are they going to do with those employees? They're going to lay them off and we're going to have the cycle all over again."

The employment rate in Illinois is at 7.6 percent, the highest in a decade. It is projected 150,000 Illinoisans could lose employment in 2009.

Steward said investing in alternative energies would result in long-term employment. 

Several of the Democratic candidates had clear goals for the current unemployment crisis while a few took an opportunity to tap into public anger with government bailouts for banks.

State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-12^th) added that Congress needed to look at job creation through a "green lens."

Feigenholtz, who is known for her health care stance in Illinois, stressed the need for reduction in oil dependency and reduction in carbon emission by 2050.

Candidate Charles Wheelan, an economist and lecture at University of Chicago, supports the stimulus bill but calls it "the first step."  Wheelan said heavy investment in the nation's transportation sector would result in an "increase [in] productivity and put people back to work."

Dr. Victor A. Forys, meanwhile, took the opportunity to make a jab at Wheelen, saying Washington already had enough economists and "we don't need another economist in Washington." 

Forys compared the current economic crisis in the U.S. to another juggernaut-Japan. He said the U.S. could learn from their mistakes in dealing with a housing crisis and recession.

The stimulus plan, signed by President Obama on Tuesday in Denver, includes a provision, which would allow federal government to purchase bank's equities and assets in attempt to recover from losses due to the sub-prime lending crisis. Alderman Patrick O'Connor (40^th) attacked the Trouble Assets Relief Program, TARP, saying it would have little impact on community banks.

"Frankly, the bailout went to the big banks," said O'Connor. "It did not go to community banks that lend to communities, lend to small business."

He said TARP provision needed to have been restructured for small banks to access the funds at lower interest rates.

In their closing arguments, candidates sought to emphasize their Congressional goals while a few used their 60-second opportunity as a chance to attack career politicians. 

Steward called Illinois "the most corrupt state" and promised to end corruption in Washington. Frank Annuzio, a CHA construction manager, called for campaign reform and a moratorium on foreclosures.

The special election for the 5^th district will conclude on April 7.

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Feb. 17, 2009 – Chicago legal aid societies, providing services for some of the city’s poorest residents with non-criminal cases, are bracing themselves.

As a result of lowered federal interest rates, these organizations will see a sharp cut in funding, while requests for their services has, in some cases, doubled.

Legal aid societies have benefited from a program called Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Accounts, or IOLTA. Interest gained from short-term accounts, such as real estate transactions and retainers, are placed in this pooled-interest bearing trust account.

In Illinois, the IOLTA fund has two sources of funding – interest from short-term accounts and from state licensing fees, which brings in $2.5 million, with all of it going toward legal representation for the poor or working-class poor. Other states are directed by law or choose to direct their funds toward services in high demand.

During the 2008 fiscal year, which began July 1, $17.1 million was available for some agencies to expand services, recruit and retain lawyers and improve technology.

Thirty-four Cook County firms received grants from IOLTA in 2008, with  $3.1 million allocated among the three largest firms – CARPLS , Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago and Chicago Volunteer Legal Services .

But as interest rates dropped from 5.25 percent to between 0 and 0.25 percent, Illinois IOLTA income could plunge to about $5 million total for fiscal year 2009.

Now, many agencies will seek alternative sources – private firms and donors – in addition to fundraisers to meet the growing public need for legal advice.

Kendra Reinshagen, executive director of Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Family Services , said that she wouldn’t know until April how much in IOLTA grant funds her agency will receive for fiscal year 2009, but they are prepared for it to be lower than previous years.

“We’re reaching out to the law firms and other sources for funding,” said Reinshagen.

Last year, an increase of $50,000 in grant funds enabled the firm hire an eighth lawyer to serve the Southwest suburbs. This year separate funding for this position will not be available. Reinshagen is hoping to raise additional funds from outside sources to maintain the position.

Also, Reinshagen said her firm is telling staff about the possibility of furloughs and no raises for the year. She said many local agencies are already doing so.

The decrease in funding comes at a time where many firms are seeing an increase in requests for legal assistance for foreclosures, consumer debts and family issues. At the Richard M. Daley Center , CARPLS operates four legal advice desks and has seen 6,500 clients in the past year seeking assistance.

Selene James, 62, a project manager at Healthy Families of Illinois, was recently served with a judgment by Midland Financial Bank for unknown debt. She called the CARPLS hotline and was referred to their municipal desk on the sixth floor at the Daley Center.

As she waited more than 30-minutes to speak with a CARPLS’ attorney, she said wasn’t aware any such debt and suspected they bought the debt from some other company. James said the company claimed her sister was served with papers in 2008.

She doesn’t have a sister.

Concerned, James said if the judgment was made against her, she would face having her wages garnished.

Ashlee Highland, supervising attorney at the 1401 collections desk at the Daley Center, said the numbers alone don’t reflect the problem clients are faced with. She is concerned with any cuts in services due to lack of funding.

“I think if we weren’t available, people won’t be aware of certain rights,” said Highland. “And they might waive them or lose them.”

The Chicago Legal Clinic created their chancery desk five years ago, designed to assist clients in understand court procedures such as mortgages and name changes. At that time Executive Director Edward Grossman estimated the desk would see roughly 20 clients a day.  Now, on some days, it’s up to 40 a day, he said.

Allen C. Schwartz, executive director at CARPLS, said they have been able to maintain their current budget, but he worries about the coming fiscal year because of the indications funding will be reduced.

A recent survey of calls to their hotline in the second quarter in 2009 showed a 25 percent increase from 2008. Requests for foreclosure and consumer debt were up 58 percent and 34 percent respectively. Their Spanish hotline saw an increase of 49 percent. Schwartz said Hispanics are a population that is being hit disproportionately.

Besides the concerns CARPLS has over IOLTA funding, they are also worried about funding they receive from the city, state and county. Schwartz said it isn’t clear what the economic crisis impact will have on those sources of revenue.

“We’re hoping for the best, at this point we’re hoping to maintain the current levels of service and staffing but basically we have to play it by ear,” said Schwartz. “It’s a month to month thing.”

Some legal aid societies said there are not enough legal services available to the poor in Illinois. If service is cut because of funding, it will have a direct impact on their ability to protect their rights.

“A lot of times we are the only thing that separates folks between a proper resolution of their legal problems,” said Schwartz. “Most unrepresented litigants are people not familiar with the law and don’t tend to come out on the right side of the law when they have a legal problem.” 

Schwartz said this could manifest in higher levels of wage garnishments, evictions, and foreclosures. 

Ruth Ann Schmitt, executive director for the Lawyers Trust Fund of Illinois , said there will be an impact next year if funds did not increase and by 2011 the impact could be “devastating” for many programs.

Schmitt said most programs will be able to weather the economic storm with slight adjustments in their budgets, but beyond the 2010 budget year, many could close or merge.

“I think we have hit rock bottom in terms of monthly income,” said Schmitt. “Right now, the real question is how long will [federal] rates stay this low. And number two, how can we stretch the limited reserves to meet needs.”

Schmitt said the IOLTA reserves were “beefed up” because of the income generated in 2008 but now these reserves will sustain for one or two years but after that they will be depleted. She said if the income per year were $1 million to $2 million, it would put IOLTA back 10 to 20 years in grant funding.

“Money is very tight,” said Schmitt. “And that’s why it’s gonna take all of our ingenuity to preserve IOLTA as a viable funding source through out this crisis.”

For more information about legal services in Cook County contact or visit the following websites:

Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
111 W. Jackson Blvd. 3rd Floor
Phone: (312) 341-1070
www.lafchicago.org

CARPLS
(312)738-9200
www.carpls.org

Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc.
2938 E. 91st Street
Chicago, IL 60617
(773)731-1762
www.clclaw.org

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services
100 North LaSalle Street, Suite 900,
Chicago, Illinois
Phone: (312) 332-1624
www.cvls.org

Chicago Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Services
(312) 986-4000
http://www.metrofamily.org

Illinois Legal Aid.Org

http://www.illinoislegalaid.org

Prairie State Legal Services

http://www.pslegal.org.

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Jan. 29, 2009 – Newly-appointed Chicago Public Schools’ CEO Ron Huberman faced a litany of protests and complaints from educators, community and educational activists in attendance at Chicago Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

The protesters called for a moratorium on 21 proposed school closings and reorganizations under the Board of Education’s Renaissance 2010 plan.

Renaissance 2010 is a school reform plan introduced by Mayor Daley in 2004 to create 100 new schools in Chicago by 2010. The plan has been under attack from education and community activists who call the plan disruptive to CPS students.

Marilyn Stewart, president of Chicago Teacher’s Union, said the closings felt “like déjà vu” and said the Board’s actions made no sense.

“Who’s making these decisions? The CPS used to be accountable to the public,” said Steward at a press conference before the meeting.

As Chicago Board of Education President Rufus Williams welcomed Huberman, the crowd booed and jeered. Williams threatened to clear the meeting if those in attendance did not show respect.

Huberman said he was excited to work with the board and the opportunity was “incredibly humbling.”

Huberman, was also appointed as president of the Chicago Transit Authority by Mayor Daley in 2007, does not have an background in education, which many parents and teachers at the meeting questioned.

“Are any of you CTA riders? How’s that working for you,” said Karen Lewis, a 20 year-CPS veteran and current teacher at King College Preparatory school.  “The most qualified are closest to the children, and the least qualified are furthest away, make the most money.”

After the meeting, Stewart said Huberman has reached out to her since being appointed yet didn’t understand and questioned how his appointment came about.

“[You] can’t manage what you don’t understand,” said Stewart.

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Dec. 12, 2008 – Chicago youth continued to push for a meeting with Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis on Thursday night to discuss his decision to equip police officers with M4 military assault rifles.

Over 20 youth from the Southwest Youth Collaborative protested in the cold, chanting "One, two, three, four; no more M4s" outside the Chicago Police headquarters before attending a board meeting.

Southwest Youth Collaborative has been protesting the department's purchasing of the M4 Carbine assault rifle since October. Weis and Mayor Richard M. Daley announced earlier this year police would be equipped with the rifles to combat armed gangs and criminals.

"[It will] add more heat to the flame," said King Keith, a youth organizer at Southwest Youth Collaborative, about the department's decision.

At a November board meeting, the Southwest Youth Collaborative requested Superintendent Weis meet with community members to hear their concerns. Weis agreed to meet with members before December 11, but requested to have a pre-meeting with only 10 representatives at Kennedy King College, said Keith.

At the meeting, King expressed disappointment with Weis not responding promptly to their invitations, and told the board he feels Weis is taking the matter "very lightly." 

Superintendent General Counsel Debra Kirby told the organization that Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) Chief Lynette Helm had not received a formal request from the organization for a meeting with Weis.

Several youths stressed the need for financial investments in affected communities to reduce violence, and concern about an increase in potential violence in communities where police carry the rifles. 

"We fail to realize that a semi-automatic should not be in the hands of a regular police officer," said Cuitlahuac Heredia.

Board member George M. Velcich said Weis would meet with the organization on December 22.

Tracy Siska, executive director at the Chicago Justice Project, pressed the board to respond to several of his Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Kirby told Siska the FOIA's were still under review because the requested information didn't "fall under FOIA" requirements.

After the meeting Siska said he submitted the FOIAs to determine when the department had decided to purchase the high-powered military rifles. He said, according to his calculations, Weis had been Chicago's Police Superintendent for only 84 days when the announcement came.

"I would really like to know the motivation behind the deployment. Neither Weis or [the] mayor are credible urban policing strategists," said Siska.      

The department has purchased 375 M4s and 300 officers have completed a 40-hour training course, according to November board meeting minutes. Weis said the assault rifle was "more accurate than a hand gun" and "the most appropriate weapon for certain situations," such as when a conflict occurs at a school.

The M4 Carbine is a semi-automatic weapon capable of firing up to 30 bullets a round and has a selective firing option: semi-automatic or a single round.  They are currently being used in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. military. 

The board members did not address any of the youth's concerns about the assault rifles. After the meeting, Velcich said he couldn't see how they "would be addressed by the board."

Siska said he didn't think Weis would actually meet with the youth in the near future and said there is cause for concern for the deployment of the rifles.

"Good cops are already worried about where their bullets end up," he said. "So there's concern where a M4 bullet will end up."

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While she gives her mother $120 a week to save for herself, she doesn’t believe she will ever afford a house.

Many Americans are finding affordable housing still beyond their reach. Advocacy groups are saying more government action is needed.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition, a non-profit housing advocacy group in Washington, D.C., released its annual housing report called “Out of Reach” in April.

The report looks at wages and rents in every state and calculates the amount of income a worker must earn to afford a rental unit. This calculation called a “housing wage” is the amount a person must earn in order to afford the market price for a two-bedroom apartment.

The national fair market rate for a two-bedroom is $900, or 6.9 percent higher this year. For an average renter to be able to afford this rent, without paying more than 30 percent of their income, they would have to work 50 hours a week and earn $17.32 an hour-more than three times the national minimum wage of $5.85.

In Illinois, the fair market value for a two-bedroom apartment is $844, according to the report. Not paying more than 30 percent of income on housing, a household must earn $2,813 monthly or $33,758 a year. This translates into a housing wage of $16.23 an hour. In Chicago, the housing wage is $18.15.

“I think what is happening now, because of the high number of foreclosures, the rental market is tightening up,” said Sharon Price, director of policy at the National Housing Conference, an organization for affordable housing based in Washington D.C.

She said in the past there was a “trickle-down” effect where low-income families were able to afford older housing as new housing was developed. But now with families migrating toward urban areas and a slump in the real estate market, places that would normally be affordable are too expensive for low-income families.

“Unfortunately, the results were not unexpected,” said Bob Palmer, policy director at Housing Action Illinois, a non-profit housing advocacy organization in Chicago, who worked with NLIHC to develop the report.

Palmer said each year housing costs continue to increase at a much faster rate than household incomes. Palmer said supply, high demand and the foreclosure crisis are factors for the increase in rates.

Price said Washington advocacy groups would continue to lobby Congress to pass legislation to provide low-income families with more options.

“Overall, I think the problem is universal in most cities,” said Price. “Ideally what we would like to see is housing for all income levels.”

For more information on the “Out of Reach” report, visit NLIHC’s website at www.nlihc.org

“They always said they’ll give to us first,” said Leek.

But in 2003, he found himself homeless after his health began to decline and his marriage dissolved.

Leek, 61, was one of 154,000 veterans nationwide estimated to be homeless on any given night in 2007.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Veteran Affairs have unveiled a $75 million initiative for a nation-wide rental assistance in April.

The HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) would provide 10,000 vouchers for chronically homeless veterans. Chicago is estimated to receive approximately 210.

While it is “a step in a right direction” some advocates say, there still is need for more programs that would help veterans make a smoother transition back to society.

“This is one way for a veteran to improve their self sufficiency,” said Donna White, a spokesperson for HUD.

“We need far more than 10 [or] 20,000 vouchers,” said Cheryl Beversdorf, president and CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, a Washington D.C based non-profit organization. “There are a far more number of homeless veterans out there who could use these vouchers.”

She estimates there were 46,000 chronically homeless veterans in the United States in 2007. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimated 698 veterans for Chicago.

Targeting homeless veterans who are no longer eligible for transitional housing enables them to receive much needed supportive services from the VA, said Beversdorf.

“It’s effective in the sense it works for people who are not necessarily going to get better,” said Steve Berg, vice president of the National Alliance to End Homeless, a non-partisan organization based in Washington D.C.

Berg said veterans are more likely to be homeless while health, unemployment and lack of affordable housing are contributing factors for chronic homeless among veterans.

Alison Aikele, spokeswoman for the Veterans Administration, said the program is a way to bring veterans back into the VA system to use services they are entitled to.

Aikele said veterans would be able to apply through their case managers, at their local VA office. Once a veteran’s case has been approved, they would be connected with VA affiliated organizations.

Currently pending in the Senate and House is the Homes for Heroes Act, a bill which would give homeless veterans access to long-term affordable housing. Berg and Beversdorf agreed it would be effective legislation in preventing veterans becoming homeless.

The Homes for Heroes Act, was introduced in 2006 by presidential front-runner Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas).

But the bill has not moved out of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Committee since being introduced.

Obama’s press office did not return calls.

After waiting a year, Leek, found housing at St. Leo’s Campus, a temporary housing complex for veterans on the South side of Chicago. He is has made inquires about the voucher program after hearing about it through his second-ex wife.

“If I could get Section 8 and I could be in Presidential Towers [a Chicago luxury apartment building], that would be nice.”

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