Notebook

By: Elsie Sy-Niebar

 

*Another loss in our Filipino American Community: Indictment of ‘Our Very Own’ Cook County Judge Jessica Arong O’Brien, First female Fil-Am elected Judge

*JB Pritzker, endorsed by the Interfaith Illinois, Inc.; talks about his vision for Illinois

*Gov. Rauner: ‘kill the (Dem’s) progressive income tax legislation, House Res. 975’ *2019 forthcoming Chicago Mayoral election getting crowded. Emmanuel on a hot seat!

*’Sic semper tyrannis!’(Thus, always to tyrants’) by Don Azarias, Guest political commentator)

 

As our Filipino American Community in Chicago, still mourns over the loss of our seven PHILIPPINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO Fil-Am doctors, who went to the Philippines to save lives but lost their own – today, those of us who keep tab on how we stand in mainstream politics are saddened and shocked to learn that OUR VERY OWN first Fil-Am young Lady, Judge Jessica Arong O’Brien, was found guilty of fraud, a case before she was elected judge. Her case is not related to her elected position as Judge at the Cook Circuit Court but about her previous business as a realtor which according the Chicago Sun Times, “Federal prosecutors say she pocketed $325,000 as she lied to lenders amid a $1.4 million mortgage scheme.” According to the news, after she was found guilty, she will be removed from the bench and will face possible prison time. She will be sentenced on July 6 .Jessica is the wife of Cook County Judge Brendan O’Brien. Several Filipino Americans who know Jessica personally, expressed their sorrows saying “mabait siyang kaibigan” (she is very nice and friendly. “Ipinagdadasal namin siya sa Itaas. We are praying for Mercy from Above for Judge Jessica.” A Filipino lawyer told me Jessica is appealing her case. If you love Jessica, our very own First Filipina to be elected as Judge, pray for her for a fair judgment from our Father’s Court in Heaven. Amen.

INTERFAITH ILLINOIS ENDORSES JB PRITZKER FOR GOVERNOR: Democrat candidate for Governor, JB PRITZKER was endorsed by a religious group called INTERFAITH ILLINOS at a UNITY BREAKFAST last Saturday, April 2, held at the New Home Baptist Church located at 4308 W. Polk St., in Chicago. There was a huge attendance of interracial folks represented by African Americans, Arab Americans, Assyrians, Chinese, Ecuador, Filipinos, Greek, Asian Indians, Koreans, Mexicans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Puerto Ricans, Russians, Vietnamese, and others. The Interfaith Illinois is headed by 300 Baptist Clergy representing their respective churches and Bishop, with total members between 300, 000 to 400,000 church members. Leaders, Pastors, government officials present at the Breakfast Unity are the following: Pastor John Jarrell, Interfaith Moderator; Bishop Dr. Reginald J. Saffo, Exec. Director; Pastor Michael Eaddy, Peoples Church of the Harvest, Pres. Walter Turner, New Spiritual Light; Pastor Mack McCollum, New Home MB Church; Our Very Own RAY NONATO, Director of Multicultural Affairs; Pastor Gregory Livingston, Dir. Community Relations/ Political Leadership; President T. Bill foster, Baptist General State Convention; Larry Huggins, Wright Way Construction/Chicago Football Coach; Pastor Leslie Sanders, Hope Presbyterian Church; Susan Mendoza, State Comptroller; Josephine Wade, “Captain Hard Times” owner; The Hon, Jesse White, IL Secretary of State; Fritz Kaegi, elected Cook County Assessor; Mayor Rahm Emanuel (no show); Toni Preckwinkle, President, Cook County Board (no show) Billy Dyson, Director, IL Secretary of State; Chief Apostle William McCoy, vice chair, Interfaith IL; Bishop Dr. Claude Porter, Chairman, Interfaith, Illinois, Inc. and Mr. JB Pritzker, Honoree as candidate for Illinois governor.

The approval of JB Pritzker as the next IL governor was very sound and strong among the attendees from various immigrant communities. His speech reflects his vision attendant to the needs of the people, in his victory speech in the Illinois Democratic elections, with his running-mate, Vice Gov. candidate, Juliana Stratton.

JB’s victory speech: “Tonight, we’ve taken the next step of beating Bruce Rauner and putting Illinois back on the side of working families,” I chose to stand with Illinoisans across this state and I chose to fight. We are fighting for unions and the families they have so tirelessly defended for so long, Dreamers and immigrants of all kinds seeking a better life, women who deserve their seat at the table and to have their voices heard, and black and brown communities who deserve fairness in enjoying the wealth this great nation denied them for so long. I will fight today, and tomorrow, and every day of this election and every day after to get our state back on track. I will never forget that you elected me to fight. Together, we have built a campaign in all 102 counties and we are ready to unite this state to defeat Bruce Rauner and move Illinois forward.”

Speech by (for vice gov, not present) Julian Stratton: “To the thousands and thousands of people across this state who knocked on doors and made phone calls, who shared ideas and shaped our policies, who gave their time, their energy, and their passion to this campaign, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. You’ve demonstrated something that I’ve seen proven true over and over again. Here in Illinois and in communities all across this great state, the wisdom is in the room. We have the wisdom. We have the passion. We have the power. We are building a campaign that is bigger and better and more inclusive than anything this state has ever seen. This is a movement that is going to take down Bruce Rauner and get Illinois back on track.”

As Filipino Americans, Via Times publisher Veronica Leighton and this columnist, were very proud to know that OUR VERY OWN REY NONATO is Interfaith’s Director of Multi-Cultural Affairs. I was amazed to know how Rey worked to get all our fellow ethnic communities’ cooperation. And, of course, with the support and involvement of his wife, Tina, who just kept fluffing her wings greeting and seating all the guests at the event. Their involvement in the mainstream is one very important AGENDA WE ARE LOSING IN OUR FIL-AM COMMUNITY. More on Rey’s mainstream and political involvement next issue. More power to the INTERFAITH ILLINOIS INC., for serving the Lord which includes the workings of our government.

Statement of Gov. Rauner re House Resolution 975: Springfield, April 10, 2018. Meanwhile, Gov. Bruce Rauner issued the following statement on House Resolution 975 issued recently, to kill the progressive income tax legislation. He said: “I am proud to support Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, the House Republican Caucus and House Resolution 975. The Democrats’ progressive income tax is a calculated killer: it kills jobs and businesses and, ultimately, it will kill the middle class. It has been less than a year since Illinois families were forced to begin paying for the 32% income tax hike I opposed. We need to send a message that emptying our citizens’ pockets with new taxes is not the solution to our problems. Instead of forcing families to fork over more of their hardearned money to the government through a progressive tax, let’s build our economy, grow jobs and put money into their pockets. Together, we’re saying ‘no’ to the proposed progressive income tax.”

CHICAGO’s 2019 MAYOR ELECTION GETTING CROWDED! MAYOR RAHM gotta work double-time with his “disciples”: First thing Chicagoans, specially “immigrant communities” like our FIL-AM community — will remember about Rahm Emanuel is “Chicago’s first Mayor who is the most non-transparent mayor in ethnic affairs in many parts of Chicago. Many of us have invited Mayor Emanuel to be our Honorable Guest in our celebrations to let him know what we do. We always got a “NO” answer from City Hall. One time his office even denied my request for Mayor Rahm’s message in our souvenir program book for my late husband’s Memorial Charity fundraiser. So I wrote back to his press office telling them that – actually, we are helping the Mayor “promote himself through his message paid by our small non-profit organization.

However, if you read either Chicago Tribune or the Chicago Sun Times, or listen to the news, you’ll find out that the mayor is not “invisible” in some politically- influential communities like the Hispanic and African American communities. No, we’re not jealous. These communities are politically above us and deliver big chunk of voters. Now that the 2019 mayoral campaign starts brewing, Mayor Rahm travels to Puerto Rico to donate supplies and other goodies after the beautiful Island was blasted by hurricane and badly needs help. Trying to win the votes of the Hispanic communities.

But, today, there’s a big chance he would lose some support from the African Americans who are not happy about the Laquan McDonald case. Let’s wait and see how this mayor can handle the following Mayoral upcoming strong candidates: highly respected Paul Vallas, former Chicago Public Schools CEO; former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot; and former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who was fired by Rahm, and two others who have not yet officially announced their candidacy. Surely, Mayor Rahm needs to work double-time now. He’s sitting on a hot seat at City Hall.

Sic Semper Tyrannis (“Thus always to tyrants”) by Don Azarias, guest political commentator

A Foreword to my article below:

I know most of you are familiar with President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at the Ford’s Theater in Washington DC, while watching a stage play, by Southerner John Wilkes Booth, on April 14, 1865, a Good Friday. As he was trying to escape after shooting Lincoln in the head, Booth kept shouting and repeating the words, “Sic semper tyrannis”, a Latin phrase which means “Thus always to tyrants.” The phrase is meant to signify that tyrants will always be overthrown and removed from power. As a Confederate States’ sympathizer, Booth felt that Lincoln was a tyrant and that he had the moral responsibility to kill him. And the rest is history.

Today, the tyrants from Syria and Russia are now having a field day. They will have their payback time one of these days. I just hope they are deposed before they kill more people. Look what former tyrant, Robert Mugabe, of Zimbabwe, had done to his own people until he was finally toppled; and what Liberia’s tyrant, Samuel K. Doe, did to his own country’s fledgling Democracy before he was violently killed by rebels.

And who can forget Uganda’s ruthless tyrant, Idi Amin Dada who, after he was ousted, before he was about to be tried by his own people, managed to escape to Saudi Arabia with his tail between his legs, a big coward indeed. Look what happened to the tyrant of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who gassed his own people but ended up hanged by the neck until dead. Remember what happened to the tyrant, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya who was killed by his own people seeking revenge for his oppressive rule?

Of course, who can forget the violent deaths of Adolph Hitler of Germany, who committed suicide instead of surrendering, and his ally, Benito Mussolini, of Italy, who was shot by partisans together with his mistress, in the closing days WWII. Who, do you think, will be the next tyrant to fall? (D.A.)

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! But Mr. Old Winter refuses to go away as shown by the trickles of snow and freezing temperature almost everyday. Oh, well, this is Chicago! Enjoy!#

Judge Jessica Arong O’Brien

JB Pritzker, Democrat candidate for Illinois Governor against incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner (Republican), is shown speaking at the Unity Breakfast held at the New Home Baptist Church in Chicago to a multi-racial audience last April 8. It was sponsored by INTERFAITH ILLINOIS, Inc., which endorsed him. (Photo by Mark Nonato)

JB Pritzker, candidate for IL governor (Democrat ) who was endorsed by INTERFAITN Illinois Inc.; Bishop Dr. Claude Porter; Jesse White, IL Secretary of State, and Mr. Iftekhar Shareef, Chairman of the Federation of Indian Americans, who presented the three dignitaries a bouquet of roses and a “scarf” similar to the Roman Catholic veil. (Photo by Mark Nonato)

The Filipino contingency at the Unity Breakfast for JB Pritzker, Bobby Milagrosa, y-Niebar, Veronica, and Tina Nonato. Danny Tinimbang, Veronica & Elsie Sy-Niebar. Not shown is Mrs. Philippines Ginalene Lopez.

From left to right: Suey Lee of Xilin, Elsie S The Filipino contingency at the Unity Breakfast for JB Pritzker, Bobby Milagrosa, y-Niebar, Veronica, and Tina Nonato.

Group of minority leaders in attendance, posing with Bishop Dr. Claude Porter, Rey & Tina Nonato.

Addressing the crowd, Rey Nonato, Director of Multicultural Affairs.