Hello fellow Peorians and friends from all of central Illinois.
I wanted to update you on an event that I started a little over 3 weeks ago; Giving from the Heart
This is an ongoing event, every Sunday morning at 8:30am, we head downtown Peoria and take sack lunches, beverages and anything else someone without a place to live might need, ie. blankets, warm socks, warm clothing, any non-perishable food item that doesn't need cooked or opened with a can opener and doesn't require an eating utensil, and backpacks or tote bags.
This is a heartbreaking, yet heartwarming opportunity to do one little thing for those who don't have what we have.
This past Sunday was very special. Some of the people that I've been seeing are starting to talk to me. I even got 2 hugs. This meant a lot to me.
I hope you'll join us one of these Sundays.
There is also a need for this on Mon., Wed. and Thurs. evenings at 6pm. On those days, people who work, yet don't have a place to live, can't check in early enough to receive a dinner. Please let me know if you would be available and interested in helping on those evenings. gail.newtson@gmail.com
thanks to all of our wonderful President's supporters, we are making a difference one little step at a time.
Gail/Obama in the Heart, Peoria, IL/Illinois Chapter of Families for Obama and Phi Theta Kappa member 4 Obama.
Yesterday, Sun. Jan. 18th, 5 Peorians, met downtown and searched for homeless and/or hungry people in our community. We handed out 35 sack lunches, 48 bottles of water and 3 bags of clothes to those in need. This was our service project for today's National Day of Service called for by our, soon to be, 1st Family.
We met 28 men, 5 women and 2 children in downtown Peoria. It was heartbreaking while it was heartwarming, as well. It was a small deed. But to see their smiles, and hear their words, is an experience that I will not forget, nor will my niece, age 19, and her boyfriend, age 23(who started this project over a year ago), my daughter, age 20 and my 'adopted' granddaughter, age 10. It was a family affair! I am thankful and proud of my family. I wonder where the families of those we met are.
We will continue to try to end hunger one little step at a time. Fellow Peorians, will you join us?
I know that many of you have or will be participating in a service project that is near and dear to your heart. Let me say to you, keep up the good work, don't slow down, continue to spread the word and the love to others. TOGETHER we can "be the change that we've been looking for."
Welcome to the 21st century!
Our time has come!
I feel that we will, finally, be moving America into the 21st century when President-elect Obama is sworn in!
I will be watching the inauguration on CNN from my television. If you have a facebook account you can join others watching CNN here:
Congratulations to all of you who will be there in person! Enjoy, and please share your stories and photos with the group! We would all appreciate it!
As you may know, Mon. Jan. 19th is a national day of service, as well as Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Those of us who are busy on Mon. will be participating on Sat. and/or Sun.
In Peoria, on Sun., the 18th, at 8am., some of us will be going downtown, taking food, clothes, blankets, etc. for the homeless. You can sign up to join us here:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpt87m
Hope, Pride, Honor, Justice: just a few adjectives that describe America's new course, to me.
What adjective would you use?
Happy New Year
Happy New Day: January 20, 2009!
I have been reading through so many questions on Change.gov, and I have noticed so many questions that I look at and wonder...what was this person thinking.
So here are some thoughts I would like to express...
One...so many have asked the question "why do I have to pay for individuals who did things wrong, when I did everything right?" My question is why, because someone is caught up in this economic downturn, do you automatically assume that the person has done something wrong? What about the people who did everything right, but because of others greed, they are in trouble...why do you assume the people asking for help do not fall into that category?
My second thought...Maybe we should all take a step back and understand what a President can truely do. I understand, and partake in the excitement of a President who promises change from the same old politics, but all of the questions requesting things completely out of the control of a President does nothing to advance the cooperation that will be needed between the Government and the communities they serve. I understand that everyone has the right to ask what they choose, but questions that request the President to do things beyond his control are not productive.
Common questions I have come across...and my thoughts on them...Please give me your input...these are meant to get ideas going, so that we can be more proactive in our Government...
I have come across several questions that have had to do with legalizing Marijauna and taxing it the same way we tax cigarettes and alcohol. The common argument is that this would give an instant boost to the economy, both by the tax revenue this would raise and also by the billions of tax dollars saved in law enforcement costs each year. I personally see the argument, whether or not I believe in the cause, as a plausible way to stimulate the economy. What are your thoughts on this?
The next question that I have seen over and over is in regards to U.S. stimulus...Why not give a stimulus check to each American adult...the amount varries based on the questioner, but range from $30,000 each to 1 million each...included in the stimulus package to be voted on later this month. The arguement...That giving that much would allow those who have been hit hard to pay their mortgage payments and get bills caught up, and will then continue to stimulate the economy by spending, saving, or investing the rest. What are your thoughts on this?
The last question I am going to address here is whether or not we should abolish the current tax system and go to a sales tax instead of income tax system? I would like to hear all your ideas on this subjects as I am still trying to weigh the pros and cons of each. What are your thoughts on this?
The great part about this is that you can vote on which questions you want the Obama team to answer...with the questions that get the most votes being the ones they answer...if you have time you should stop by change.gov and answer a few...
I co-hosted a Change is Coming event Saturday with some friends in Springfield Illinois. We met one block away from the Old State Capitol Building where many of us heard Obama announce his campaign nearly two years ago.
Over 20 of us discussed our top issues including global warming/energy, health care, education, and taking action in the community. For our service activity we're planning to volunteer at a winter overflow shelter for the homeless.
A picture is in the extended text.
I just wanted to let all of you know that I'm in Florida for the winter!
I'll be involved here (looking for fellow supporters in the Daytona Beach area!) and I'll see you in the spring!
I know all of you will keep up the great work that you do and volunteer in your community this holiday season!
Gail/freedom4u_n_me
As a reminder, one is prohibited from wearing clothing or hats with a candidate's name on it as we cast our vote. You may choose to wear blue or purple as a silent show of support.
Thank you for being the change we need!
I wasn't doing anything with it, so I made it into a support site for Obama!
http://www.wooism.org/
I didn't expect I would have an emotional response from Barack's infomercial last night. He's my Senator, we used to run into him occasionally in Springfield at our favorite lunchtime restaurant while he was a State Senator, and I have been enveloped in this campaign along with many of you. Mostly I have been fired up, called to action and energized by his thoughtfulness and his encouragement of Citizen Participation.
But then came the segment of the gentleman who was retired but was now working at Walmart to ensure that they can afford medications for his wife, it caught my heart and I began to weep.
This is because his story hit home. My father is 73 and still working part-time so they can keep insurance for my Stepmom until she qualifies for Medicare which thankfully will be this year. She developed rheumatoid arthritis along with an inflammatory disease a few years ago and it took a long time to get a proper diagnosis. They have paid private insurance for many years in order to maintain continuous coverage. He's worked for 55 years, 20 years as a water district manager of a small township. Their 4 employees had high group insurance premiums especially if dependents were added. The rest of those years he was an operating engineer, good pay by any standards although the work was not always full-time especially when he was young and raising our family. He's been working for 55 years!
And still that is not enough to give them the savings cushion they should have in retirement. It's not as if they don't have savings. They use foresight, are thifty and rely upon themselves to save enough money to pay for the neccessities like the occasional new used car, the high property taxes brought on by half and quarter million dollar homes being built in the surrounding area or the roofing shingles we will be applying on Saturday. And still he chooses to work hard rather than take out a mortgage to pay for healthcare, vehicles or shingles, taking local jobs when they are offered even if it is in the freezing cold or stifling heat of summer. He may jest about the discomfort but doesn't complain. This is the story of America, people ungrudgingly paying their fair share of taxes into systems that provide for the common good. But for our national leaders of the past 28 years, this has not been enough. They have allowed healthcare to be dominated by corporate greed without regard of the cost to hard working Citizens let alone their exorbitant charges to treat the least of us. Paying several thousands of dollars for healthcare each year really bites into your budget and the tears I shed were of frustration and embarrassment of our government whose inadequate respect for our elders costs them dearly even after decades of hard work.
On the brighter side, my Dad is a republican and will be voting on Tuesday for Barack, his first vote for a democrat.
So AIG execs, get an 86 billion dollar bailout, then they take a little vacation. It only cost us $440,000 of our hard earned dollars. Maybe they should have thought about saving that money, maybe then they would not have to come back to us again for another 37.8 billion. Yes you heard me right...they want us to fork over an additional 40 billion so they can again stop themselves from going under. Here is the article, please dont let it get lost.
When Obama said they should pay the government back and be fired, I guess the execs at AIG thought that was double talk for we should give them more money.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081009/fed_aig.html
McCain's smear tactics have reached new lows this past week, with the GOP ticket realizing once and for all that with the economy front and center that they have no chance whatsoever to win. If the economy was just mildly crappy, as it was a month ago, they might've been able to squeek through by smudging the issues and hitting at Obama's character, playing to the lowest common denominator. And sadly, it's worked well for the Republicans previously; both in past elections and in early parts of this campaign.
The only reason that McCain/Palin was able to catch up with Obama during the summer was because they were successful in changing the issue from being about the future of America into being about Obama only. For a good month or so, McCain's surrogates were able to pound Obama, Biden, and the rest of the Dems over a wide variety of nonsense issues. Who cares if many of them were lies? The media'd just roll over, report each story as news, and only offer marginal criticsms days after the fact and after the damage had been done. Despite claims to the other wise, most media outlets strive to be balanced (except Faux) and try to present two sides to every story. Problem is that when one side just lays out utter and complete garbage, the media wastes time that would be better spent calling them out for their filth and instead picks through the refuse for the one or two kernels of truth deep within the cess.
And then the past two weeks happened, and that type of crap wouldn't fly. McCain was stuck with an issue that he readily admits that he knows little about, and as such fumbled with the ball throughout the negotiations process. Rather than coming out of the financial rescue/bailout negotiations as a leader, he came out as a joke. Instead of appearing presidential, he appeared like a petty legislator trying to find his voice amongst 534 other Representatives and Senators.
Meanwhile, Obama played the role excellently. He stayed in constant contact with with the Executive Branch and with leaders on both sides in Congress. He spoke to the American people front and center on an issue that he knew would be unpopular regardless, rather than hiding behind the doors. Rather than angrily denouncing a bad bill, he offered suggestions and demanded compromises to help protect taxpayer rights and prevent too much power from entering the Executive on this issue. He remained calm, resolute, and focused on his two jobs as a Senator and as a potential President of the United States. By doing so, he showed that he could multitask, handle multiple issues at once, and work across party lines to get the job done. While McCain failed to even rally his own party to his side, Obama showed all the qualities necessary of a President.
This crisis has been Obama's best moment and McCain's absolute worst. Obama's up and is promising to try to raise America up if he's elected, while McCain's down and all he has is empty threats and hateful language.
This week will be remembered for two things, one good and one bad. First, it will be for the financial meltdown that threatened our very economic system. Second, it will be remembered as the moment that Obama definitively won the middle during this election cycle. The center was unsure about both candidates up until now. Many had good memories of McCain, but were afraid by his close connections with the failed Bush Administration. At the same time, many liked Obama's rhetoric of hope and change and ability to energize a new generation of Americans to be involved, but were honestly unsure if they wanted a relatively new political figure to be their head of state and government.
This week has soothed their concern over Obama and spread their worries about McCain. Even as McCain returns to his constant barrage of negative attacks that have always worked in the past, Obama is secure in his position. McCain has become an unsafe choice for the status-quo while Obama has become a safe-choice for change, and that's what will win the election.
The next 27 days will be long and dirty, but they won't hurt Obama. He might drop a point or two, but it won't do anything in the long run. Whatever McCain throws at him, Obama can answer right back with counterpunches of his own and an actual plan for what he wants to do. McCain can go as low as he can go, but all that'll do will be to energize his own base that was going to vote for him anyway. On the opposite end, it'll invigorate every single liberal in the country behind Obama and push the critical moderate purple over to the blue side.
Don't believe me? Look at the instant polls from the debates and the reaction to the recent Palin attacks. The right loved it and ate it up. The left hated it and began to back Obama even more fiercly. That's no surprise so far, but here's the kicker: the middle have been turned off by McCain and look at Obama more positively as a result. As opposed to 2004, where the middle ended up falling to Bush's attacks, they are being disgusted by them and siding with Obama in droves.
Come November 4th, get excited. As of right now, with all of the Kerry states nice and secure (with the possible exception of New Hampshire, which I doubt will approach red), and with Iowa and New Mexico appearing to be safe light blues, Obama has 264 Electoral Votes under his belt, McCain has 162 or 163, and there are 111-112 undecided (Omaha is the 1 that's up in the air here). To win this election, Obama needs just five more to tie (and thereby win in the House by the state delegation vote) and six to win outright. Of the eight major battleground states that are still up in the open, McCain MUST win every single one of them. McCain has to win Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Colorado, and Nevada while Obama only needs to win one (with Nevada being the one that could make the 269-269 scenario).
What's more, Obama has the ability to be on the offensive in each and every state as McCain is scrambling to keep offices open where he needs them. Michigan is the ideal point here, where McCain spent $20 million + before being forced to drop out. That $20 million could be the deciding factor here, as that's a huge amount of money that cannot be spent in Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, or elsewhere. And let's not forget the money that he's spent in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire that he won't be able to use and the fact that he's now in a hurry to spend money in states that he's going to win, like Montana, and states that he should've had nailed down, like Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, and Florida.
McCain's on his heels, running on empty, one blow away from a KO, whatever analogy you want to use. This is now officially Obama's election to lose, but so long as he keeps talking about the future, responding to the more mainstream attacks with rebuttals of his own, and hitting back at McCain on the economy, Iraq, Afghanistan, Keating Five, and other issues, then he's got this down.
Get pumped, America. Don't back down from the chance we have to put the United States back on its right track. Stay energized, keep volunteering or donating, and remember to vote! It doesn't matter if Obama's up or down in the polls on Election Day, show up regardless of where you live and vote like your ballot's the deciding factor.
Together, we can win this.
Fired up!
Takin' It Back with Barack, Jack
Very smooth…
http://www.devradowrite.com/
VP Debate Open: Palin / Biden
Sen. Biden and Gov. Palin go head to head
Watch…
http://www.hulu.com/watch/37730/saturday-night-live-vp-debate-open-palin--biden#s-p1-st-i1
Donate Here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/DrPalmer
The Palin Positions
