4th Ward of Chicago

March, 2010

Affordable housing seems to be a big issue in areas in the 4th ward of Chicago. 

Introduced legislation in 2002 that required private developers to provide affordable housing in any development that involved 10 or more units was a triumphant realization for the alderman. 

An active member in the community Rosette Camper whose current address resides in hyde park said informatively “Our alderman co-sponsored the affordable housing ordinances as well as living wage ordinances which resulted in a 50% increase in the city spending on low and moderate income housing, which benefited our neighborhood in so many ways, we are so  grateful for our alderman’s contribution for what is important and should be a priority.”  

While Shirley Newsome is the temporary Alderman, Jason Ervin and Timothy Cullerton were also possible sit ins. The names of the candidates running for 4th ward are William D. “Will” Burns, Brian Scott, Norman H. Bolden, James E. Williams, George Rumsey, Adam L. Miguest, and  Lori S. Yokoyama.  

Melisa Johnson talking about issues facing the ward said “crime in this area has been an extremely big deal around here, she (Newsome) has in her short time in office worked with residents and police to remove narcotics trafficking and troubled liquor stores, she’s awesome. 

She has also tirelessly advocated for and actively participated in community policing.”

The Hyde Park Kenwood Community Conference likes to hear concerns and views on several issues that the people believe are important for the ward. 

Seka Thompson elaborated more on this by shedding some info about the organization by saying “The HPKCC is a community organization established in 1949. 

For the last 60 years, it has worked to enhance the attractive, secure, diverse, and caring community of Hype Park and Kenwood in Chicago. 

The HPKCC does not endorse candidates in political races.” which she made sure to emphasize. 

Occupy Chicago

10/10/2011 

Holding up a sign that said "Tax all financial speculation,” Navid Moralles, a South Side resident, was one of the many protesters outside the Bank of America branch on Jackson and Lasalle streets on Monday.

Part of the Occupy Chicago movement, she said her main complaint is that 99 percent of the working class pay 20 percent of the federal taxes, while the wealthiest 1 percent pay only 5 percent of total taxes.

Occupy Chicago is part of a national movement in cities across the United States. 

The movement was launched last month in Manhattan, where it was given the name Occupy Wall Street. 

Protesters have called for more jobs, higher taxes for the wealthy and more financial assistance for the middle class.

The Occupy Chicago movement has demanded an end to tax cuts for the wealthy that were passed during the administration of former President George Bush. Other demands include a full investigation of Wall Street practices that led to the financial crisis of 2008, more limits on the influence of lobbyists, more regulatory power for the Security and Exchange Commission and a repeal of the Citizens United v. U.S. – a Supreme Court ruling that enables corporations to make unlimited campaign contributions.

Andy Jones, another protester, said that in 2008, corporate banks “stole money” from investors. “They were given money and haven’t reinvested it in the economy,” Jones said.

Members of the Occupy Chicago committee conduct meetings daily at 1:30 and 7 p.m. They generate a list of grievances and vote on ones to focus on. 

 “Our country is spiraling out of control, it’s time people wake up and realize that we do have the power to change, before it’s too late,” said Des Plaines resident Don McCollough. McCollough works third shift, and has been protesting for four days. 

This protest started out with just a few protestors and has escalated to hundreds and continues to attract more people. 

People will continue to voice their opinions until they feel a difference is made. 

Buddhist Temple of Chicago

12/19/2011

Buddhist Temple of Chicago

“The purpose of the teachings of Buddhism is to enable all people, regardless of our present life condition, to fuse our lives with the life of the Buddha and experience the Buddha nature that exists within our own lives to achieve true happiness,” said Yukei Ashikaga of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago.

Saba McAfee a chapter leader of the Buddhist temple explained exactly where Bhuddhism derived “Siddhartha Gautama the chiefs son of a tribal group reached enlightenment one day the moment he saw a sick man, a poor man, a beggar, and a corpse, he was filled with infinite sorrow for the suffering that humanity had to undergo, from then on he began his teachings which has lasted centuries.”

Yukei Ashikaga is the head minister of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago 1151 W. Leland Ave, who conducts services the first sunday of every month emphasizing the importance of Buddhism and its teachings. The basis of the teachings uses the eightfold path which are views, thoughts, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and meditation.  

Buddhism combines a Western-based, church-like experience with traditional Buddhist teachings in a Japanese tradition. This small temple contains honey-wood pews, a small piano and a simple altar at the end of a carpeted aisle, along with administrative offices. Services are structured much like Western services, with an introduction, hymns and a minister or layperson's message. However, the service explores the central tenants of Buddhism and includes chanting, readings, incense and gongs. 

The Buddist temple of Chicago has an organization called Sokagakkai(SGI) meaning value creating society. This organization works on the buddhist principles focusing on Daimoko(chanting) and Gohonzon(prayer). 

Daimoko chanting consists of the phrase “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” which is said aloud and repeated for no specific given time. The “purpose of chanting is to align yourself with the earth,” said Daifaku Ikeda the president of the SGI. 

“People tend to think that Buddhism is just a religion like christianity or Islam but it is not just a religion; it is a description of life that details our very existence, the Buddha shows us the true nature of conditioned existence, and thus it can be said the teachings of the Buddha are a set of mind training instructions that lead anyone who diligently practices these trainings to a flourishing life not in the sense of the happiness found through good external conditions or physical stimuli but rather, from the inner conditions of functional states of mind,” said Ikeda.

The worship part of the chanting is what can take up hours out of the day and is takes place at the temple or at home. Buddhist members sometimes wake up early in the morning to worship and chant together. 

“The purpose of the worship part of chanting is to make our own impact in our own lives, the impact of objects in our lives is very apparent in every day life you can’t become a great trumpet player or drummer without the trumpet or drum without nourishing food and water our minds and bodies would suffer malnutrition and not function properly even to experience love, we need to meet another person that brings this feeling out of our lives, to our object of worship in life is very important for the direction of our life as it becomes integrated in our life,” said Ikeda.

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago has advocates who represent the teachings. Patti Nakai(nu-khi) is a chapter leader who works with kids,teens and adults to better help them understand the practice and incorporate it in their everyday life. Talking with Nakai, sheds some light on the cause and of effect of karma 

“Buddhism teaches that all life is eternal and that the present moment is a result of causes made in the past and that the future is determined by the causes made and being made in the present moment, therefore, it is futile to blame someone else for what has happened to you, in Buddhism each individual must take complete responsibility for his or her life, the causes that we have made and lie deep in our lives make our life what it is today, we can go for a complete makeover, but the person we are is still basically unchanged, true happiness can only occur when we make causes that will address and change previous causes we have made, in other words, we must change our own Karma and as we do so, we rid ourselves of our false ideas about the reality of life,” said Nakai tearing up with passion about her craft. 

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago really tries to focus on recruiting people who have open minds to empowering their mind, bodies and souls. To live life in a way that encourages you to be independent, faithful and accountable. This is a place for people to come chant and pray and learn how to take steps towards a happy life.  

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago is also trying to expand to other parts of Illinois so that fellow Buddhist members will not have to travel so far to attend services and meetings. 

Anyone can contact the Buddhist Temple of Chicago by mail by writing to 1151 W. Leland Ave. Chicago, IL 60640, by phone at 773-334-4661 or via email at info@budtempchi.org. To learn more about the SGI organization that is ran through the Buddist Temple of Chicago visit the website at Sga_usa.org. Also the president of this organization Daifaku Ikeda goes in to detail about her teachings on her website at Ikedaquote.org. New visitors are encouraged to come to the services held by Yukei Ashikaga every first sunday at 11a.m.

What is the Water Doing?

3/18/2011

The Illinois Pollution Control Board held a hearing Friday, March 9th to determine what the water quality standards should be for the Chicago Area Waterway System(CAWS). 

Before, the waterway system was basically considered a drainage ditch.The city and metro areas would dump all its waste-water that then goes down the CAWS to the Illinois River and to the Mississippi River.  

Chicago does not in fact disinfect its waste-water and does not do the third part of a three part waste-water treatment process that almost all other major cities do. 

Now that people are using the waterways for recreation, environmentalist want a better habitat for fish and aquatic life. 

Main issues assessed in in the hearing were deciding if the water quality standards should be upgraded to support more recreational uses and aquatic life on the waterways.

A standard brought up was water temperature and the affect it may have. Water temperatures have been brought up as a means of cooling. “More fish can live in 70 degrees rather than 90 degrees.” In order to change this, cooling towers will have to be applied and cost for this are an issue. 

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District(MWRD) said  “disinfection is too expensive and the costs are not justified - despite the fact that people get sick every year because of coming into contact with the water (and public health and safety should be cost enough) and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) estimates that it would only cost $1.94 per household per month.”

MWRD also has two main concerns, “whether to disinfect: because they currently do not disinfect from discharge from the big three sewage plants, and whether to treat combine sewage over flows better.” 

Combine Sewage overflow referring to when it rains hard and there is not enough pipes or waste water treatment plants in the system, so it backs up the sewer overflows and goes into the river as untreated waste.” 

Representatives from both Midwest Generation and Citgo attended the hearing. 

A representative of the energy company Midwest Generation said “the heat discharge and how the fish in the system are being affected is most important.” 

“The clean water act representing the saying be all that you can be is stating that we want the water to be fishable and swimmable if at all attainable” says Albert Ettinger a senior attorney for the Environmental Law and Policy Center. 

“In the 70’s this was not thought to be attainable, when it came to establish criteria for the systems in the early 70’s, they have rather lacked criteria” says Ettinger”

The Illinois Environment Protection Agency says “we can improve the criteria and provide better treatments at the sewage plants, industrial discharges and power plants, and what we have already have can be improved as well.”

Overall pollution has been a big issue, but nipping it in the bud has been an even bigger goal for the state of Illinois. The necessary steps are being taken to make sure that the water systems and sewage plants around the state of Illinois are taking the best measures possible to attain clean and healthy water for citizens and wildlife.