Notebook

By: Elsie Sy-Niebar

 

*TWO ILLINOIS BILLIONAIRES fought over the GOVERNOR’s CROWN: Richer PRITZKER WON after pouring in $179 Billions vs. incumbent Gov. Rauner’s $70 Billions; the most EXPENSIVE Election ever held in America!

*BILL DALEY, FOR MAYOR: ‘I am running for Mayor of Chicago. I love this city. I was born and raised here, spent my life here. I’VE seen my father and brother led the City; the people have been extremely good to our family’

*Pres. Trump moves to tighten asylum protections for all including migrants who cross the border, illegally.

*Philippine Congressman Gary Alejano spoke at the FAHRA (Filipino American Human Rights Alliance) about the ‘undemocratic’ political situation in the Philippines and of China’s encroachment into the Philippine territory

*The PHILIPINE AMERICAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION (PACF) honors 12 “Most Outstanding Filipino American Seniors” *‘Daddy Guatelara’ celebrates his 100th Birthday!

 

STATE OF ILLINOIS! At long last, the DEMOCRATS WON back the House from the REPUBLICANS! And Chicago, the “City that works” is back to being Big Democrats! According to reports, billionaire/ philanthropist and heir of the Hyatt Hotel dynasty (D) JB PRITZKER spent $171 millions from his wealth to win the Illinois Crown from the one-time ® Governor BRUCE BRAUNER, another billionaire who spent $70 millions from his own wealth! Overall, reports said, each candidate spent like $100 per voter!

Simply said, the 2018 midterm election was the most expensive gubernatorial race in American history! Not to be outdated. Pritzker, announced his candidacy to take over Rauner’s Illinois crown earlier in 2017 at Chicago southside attended by various racial representatives. A very wise start, racially. This columnist was there.

“You want to know why I’m running for governor? Because everything we care about is under siege by Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner,” Pritzker told the crowd last April 6, 2017.

Sounding a little vindictive, following his victory last November 6, he told his supporters: “ I’m not a perfect person. I’m not going to pretend to be. Frankly, I’ve had enough of politicians like Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner who can never acknowledge a flaw, never offer an apology and never take responsibility for anything or anyone under their care. I won’t put on a costume, jump on a Harley and pretend to be someone I’m not. I won’t blame everyone else for my inability to compromise or get anything done. I won’t insult you by doing everything in my power to destroy the economy of this state and then look into a camera and tell you I’m not in charge.”

“I won’t let Donald Trump have an inch of Illinois. And I will take every inch of Illinois back from Bruce Rauner.”

“ The problem rich people have is showing that they can relate to everyone else. They’ve never had real money problems, but everyone has had their own personal struggles. Rauner has never really talked about his own life struggles. Instead, he tries to relate to everyone else by wearing costumes and droppin’ his g’s. Pritzker is different”.

”My mother struggled with alcoholism. In the end, that struggle took her life. Anyone who has lost a parent at a young age, knows that you live all the days that person is gone, working to realize the potential of their life. It’s a hard responsibility to live with…but I believe it makes me strong…my will infused with her’s. And it reminds me to be kind, because our time here is precious. And as another woman I greatly admired liked to say…’we should do all the good we can for all the people we can for as long as we can.”’

The newly-elected IL governor spoke with optimism to save the state from the “Rauner failure”. He added: “We don’t need to be afraid of our history in Illinois. Who we are is how we overcome our biggest challenges. We will work to mend broken places. We light the journey from the hill to the hilltop and recognize that there is grace … in the courage to rise. And rise we will,” he assured the jubilant crowd.

Pritzker pledged to help fight for healthcare, education, criminal justice reform, environmental policies, gun safety and a “responsible state budget.” He promised “to bring fairness to the tax system and tackle the state’s fiscal challenges, and help Illinois to become a leader in protecting worker, civil and human rights”. JB Pritzker’s victory also brings in Illinois’ first African- American lieutenant governor in Juliana Stratton.

The defeated Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner conceded the race an hour after the polls closed last November 6. Rauner called Pritzker to concede and promised a smooth transition. With 90 percent of precincts reporting, Pritzker was leading 54 percent, an assured victory! The defeated governor wished Pritzker “Godspeed. I hope and pray you serve Illinois well,” he told Prtizker as his sad supporters tried to cheer him up at the Drake Hotel. Imploring for Unity, Gov. Rauner told the audience: “This is a time for us to come together. This is a time for us to unite. This is a time for us to put aside partisan politics, to move forward together as the citizens of Illinois, to create a better future for our children and our grandchildren:”

VOWING TO FIGHT FOR “SAFE, STRONG, AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOODS”: BILL DALEY ANNOUNCES His CAMPAIGN to run FOR MAYOR OF CHICAGO. He said : “Today, I am announcing that I am running for Mayor of Chicago. I love this city, I was born and raised here, raised my family here and spent my life here. Chicago is a city of great neighborhoods and great people. It’s an economic engine that powers the state and the Midwest. It’s a global city that ranks among the top cities of the world. And, like every city, it has its challenges that can only be met with our collective best efforts. I come from a family with a long history of public service. I’ve worked in business and in government on issues from international trade and community development to public education. I have a history of finding common ground among people on all sides of many issues and bringing us together around shared values like family, community, job growth and fairness.”

“In the coming months I will be visiting with people in every neighborhood of Chicago to hear their concerns and their ideas for moving our city forward. While there is much to celebrate about Chicago, there are serious issues, from crime to long-term city finances to a dysfunctional state government that is standing in the way of our progress. As the people of Chicago look for new leadership, we cannot come apart over our differences. By working hard and working together we can make every neighborhood of Chicago safe, strong and affordable”.

This announcement coming from the Daley family was long anticipated by majority of Chicagoans after the dismal leadership of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the most non-transparent mayor Chicago ever had, particularly in immigrant communities. As expected, William “Bill” Daley formally announced his candidacy to run for Chicago mayor. Today, Bill Daley devotes his time to to run for the office his Dad and brother had run for over four decades. His overwhelming political experience more than qualify him for Mayor. He has served as the U.S.Commerce Secretary under President Bill Clinton, and as Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama.

Bill Daley, 70, is an attorney and former banker, which included JP Morgan Chase & Co. Political thinkers say that, “perhaps, Bill Daley is hurting too much watching the people struggle under Emanuel’s ‘miserable’ (as some people call it) governance, making Chicago the leading city in crime all over America. Bill Daley’s vision is to ‘celebrate Chicago’s Great neighborhoods and people in a global city that ranks among the top cities of the world.’”

He continued: “The state of Illinois is great. It has a lot of problems, and I thought I might be able to bring something there, but this is home. This is where where I’ve lived and this is where I’ll die. That’s the difference. I’ve seen my father and brother try to lead this city, the difficulties of it, but the joy they got from helping the people make a difference. And the people of Chicago have been extremely good and kind to our family.”

“We all have tried in many ways to give something back,” Bill Daley added. “Being Mayor of Chicago may be the ultimate way I can try to give something back.” Great vision, Bill…

Over 50 FILIPINO AMERICANS MET WITH PHILIPPINE CONGRESSMAN GARY ALEJANO last November 5, at the Philippine American Ecumenical Church (PAEC), 3533 N. Albany Ave., Chicago, to hear him talk about his work in the Philippine Congress and his view on the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. As part of a global movement for social and economic justice, the Filipino American Human Rights Alliance (FAHRA) in Chicago invited the Congressman to include Chicago in his U.S. speaking tour and share his vision for a Better Philippines and address his Kababayans’ (compatriots’) concerns about the Homeland especially the encroachment of China into the Philippine territory. As a former captain in the Philippine Marine Corps, Alejano is sensitive to the implication on China’s continuing intrusions in the future security of the Philippines.

In his dialogue, Alejano enjoined every Filipino to stand up against injustices and any form of oppression, stressing that “the Filipinos must be vigilant and should stand up to protect their rights!”

He said, “Bakit natin dapat tayuan o dapat tumakbo sa pulitika? (Why should we stand up or run for poltics?) Because at the end of the day if we will not do that, we will lose by default. Kung matakot tayong lahat sa ginagawa ni Duterte then talo na tayong lahat. (If we fear Duterte’s actitivies, we all would lose.) President Duterte is trying to pretend that he is a leader of a democratic country but in reality we’re under a de facto dictatorship. You cannot expect independence from Congress but it doesn’t mean na lahat (all) the Congressmen and Senators ay pabor sa kanya. Marami sa kanila masama ang loob sa kanya (doesn’t mean that all Congressmen and Senators agree with him.

The youthful Congressman continues: “There are three things that the Filipino people should watch out to prevent another dictatorship. “Una gusto ng presidente is (Firstly, the president) wants to declare Revolutionary Government. Secondly, this is a nationwide martial law. The nationwide martial law could be declared, but in reality it is a disguise as a revolutionary government. Thirdly, is the shift to Federal government. All of these schemes are meant for him to be a dictator with the veneer of a legal mandate.”

The Congressman cited so many dictatorial practices of President Duterte including the killings of drug addicts which according to reports has reached a total of over 20,000. And the killings continue…

Meanwhile, FAHRAChicago invites freedom-loving Filipinos to join FAHRA-Chicago to strengthen public discourse in the community and raise awareness about human rights here and in the homeland. For more information, please email fahra.chicago2@gmail. com. (Contributed by Jerry Clarito)

President Trump moves to limit asylum protections for migrants who cross the border illegally: President Trump announced lately that he signed a presidential proclamation barring asylum protections for migrants who enter the U.S. illegally.

“We want people to come into our country, but they have to come into the country legally,” the president said. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced new executive actions that would restrict the ability of migrants to seek asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The new restrictions took effect until Trump signed the proclamation following his announcement.

“Our asylum system is overwhelmed with too many meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources, preventing us from being able to expeditiously grant asylum to those who truly deserve it,” Whitaker said in a statement.

U.S. law states that any migrant who enters the U.S. can apply for asylum “whether or not at a designated port of arrival.” Under the new changes, migrants who are seeking asylum will have to make their claims at officials ports of entry. At points of entry, “they would be processed in a controlled, orderly, and lawful manner,” the new rule states.

In his round-up of the midterm elections, President Trump made the caravan of migrants heading to the southern U.S. border as a key campaign issue, saying he planned to amend asylum protections ahead of the caravan’s expected rival at the border. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a number of hard-line immigration moves during his time serving in the Trump administration. Over the summer, the Sessions released guidance that said illegal immigrants who seek refuge in the U.S. from domestic or gang violence will no longer qualify for automatic asylum.

Lastly but the Best … a Huge Congratulations to the recent HALL of FAME AWARDS CEREMONY, honoring 20 Awardees in 2018! And of course, to the Founder/ Executive Producers and publishers of VIA TIMES NEWSMAGAZINE and CPRTV Report, Madam Veronica Leighton Mauricio and her best half, Mr. Joe Mauricio. Both deserve our warm applause. Mr. Old Winter is here! Enjoy the Heavenly Snow. God bless US All! Amen. (ESN)

 

GOV. BRUCE RAUNER, sporting acceptance of his defeat to fellow Billionaire JB Pritzker, concedes to JB telling him ” “Godspeed. I hope and pray you serve Illinois well…this is a time for us to come together. This is a time for us to unite…” (picture shoot from the Tv screen)

William “Bill Daley” 70, for Chicago Mayor

William “Bill” Daley, like his late father, the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, goes out to meet the hard working “Ordinary Folks daily grinds in the neighborhoods”.

Direct from the White House to VT Notebook: President Donald J. Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence and members of his Cabinet, meets with workers about cutting regulatory red tape. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)

FAHRA-Chicago members posed with Rep. Gary Alejano, Magdalo Party list for posterity, following his informative speech about the current political situation in the Philippines. Seated front L-R are Horace Panlilio, Venerando Capili, Mariano Santos (Pinoy), Elsie Sy-Niebar (Via Times) andLeila Panlilio.(Back Row L-R) Natividad Panopio, Rizalina Velasco, Jerry Clarito, FAHRA overall Chair, Ting Joven Giovanelli, CONGRESSMAN GARY ALEJANO, the Rev. Bert Villaluz, and Ray Villar. (ESNiebar)

Never too late for me to give a huge THANK YOU to Rizza Antonov and Greg Rykowski for their Broadway performance at my birthday bash last August 24th. I could not THANK YOU enough! With love… Tita Elsie

CONGRATULATIONS to the newlyweds JOHN NAPOLI and IRMA OCENAR NAPOLI, shown above following their wedding last August 3, 2018, with the brides’ children and grandkids by her first marriage to the late Manuel Miranda. In photo above are: John Napoli, Manuel Miranda Jr. and his brother Sim. Second row from left are Cherylene M. Opina with her children Nychelle and Caden, and Matthew Miranda, son of Manuel Jr. The groom is a retired school principal from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served the US Airforce; the bride is director of a staffing agency in Chicago.