Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Let's Talk about Engineered Foods, Pesticides and Health at ETHS April 10

ETHS Green Team invites everyone who cares about the food they eat to a conversation with Drs. Thierry Vrain and Susan Buchanan. They will discuss
how does industrial agriculture impact your health and steps we can take to protect ourselves and families.
Tuesday, April 10, 7 p.m.
at 
ETHS Auditorium
1600 Dodge Ave.
Evanston
Tickets: Free
RSVP via Eventbrite
Dr. Thierry Vrain is a longtime soil biologist and genetic engineer at the Canadian Department of Agriculture, past president of national and international associations of soil biologists, and an associate editor of scientific journals in Europe and the USA.
Dr. Susan Buchanan is the Director of the Great Lakes Center for Children’s Environmental Health/ Region 5 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health.

Co-hosts include Go Green Oak Park and Citizen's Greener Evanston.





As a primer to this discussion, consider listening to
what Dr. Vrain has to saw about GMOs here.


Saturday, March 10, 2018

My Spouse Daniel Biss: Our Best Choice for Governor of Illinois

Karin and Daniel with their children,
Theodore and Elliot.


by Karin Steinbrueck


It’s not every day that someone gets to vote for their spouse to be the Democratic candidate for governor in the state of Illinois – but that day is almost here for me. And I couldn’t be prouder. 

Since Daniel and I met thirteen years ago, I’ve always supported him in all his endeavors. I wouldn’t have said yes to this campaign if I didn’t believe that he is truly the best person to be out next governor and rebuild Illinois for working families. Here are a few reasons why:

    •    Daniel has been a standout progressive leader in the Senate of the Illinois General Assembly, passing over 80 bills that have improved the lives of working families like ours. From protecting patients with pre-existing conditions to banning the gay panic defense to protecting reproductive freedom -- Daniel works harder than anyone I know (with maybe the exception of his mother) to get things done. He may not always remember where things belong at home, but he never forgets that his work in government is to help and better the lives of the people of Illinois.


    •    As a middle class father with kids in public schools, he is in a much better position to represent everyday Illinoisans than any inexperienced billionaire – because he knows what it’s like to worry about things like sticking to a budget in order to pay the mortgage, and to cover property taxes that are 10% of our income.


    •    Even though our family isn’t part of the 1%, Daniel's campaign for governor has the resources to succeed. He has actually raised more money than the other guys, and he did it through small grassroots donations from passionate supporters. He has the kind of support that money can’t buy, while others have to write giant checks to themselves to meet their quarterly deadlines.  


    •    I’m in a unique position to tell you that Daniel is compassionate, committed, and works harder than anyone I know. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Any of his colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly will tell you the same thing.


Even though I am biased, I ask that when you vote in the March 20th primary you’ll cut through the noise and consider Daniel’s proven record of progressive leadership, legislative experience, and commitment to working families – and, like me, that Daniel has earned your vote.  Thank you.


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Karin grew up in New Hampshire, but traveled often to Illinois to visit her maternal grandmother in Chicago and family in Mt. Prospect and Addison.  She is a first-generation American and the first in her family to earn a PhD, which she received from Northwestern in 2017. She is a historian of modern European history, specializing in 20th century Communist Central and Eastern Europe.  She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the former Soviet Union, was Fulbright Scholar in Romania, and worked as a photojournalist. Currently, she is an adjunct professor in history in National Louis University's Pathways Program. In her free time she loves to cook, knit, and be in the forest or at the beach. 


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I hope when you go to the polls on March 20 or vote early, that you'll have done your homework, consider all you've learned about candidate in all the races and cast an informed vote for the women and men you think will do the best job for all of Illinois.  

I've known Daniel Biss since as early 2010 when I started working with Abbey Fishman Romanek on her election for Cook County judge. I like him. I appreciate his intelligence and demeanor. He's a good listener and supportive of what others are working on. Translation: He's really smart. He's put up with my smartass-ery very well. He's been nice to me and said nice things about me in public. He didn't mock me when an event for new voters that I planned didn't go as expected.