Daily Archives: July 30, 2017

Living in fear: Area volunteers are helping immigrants improve their lives – Glens Falls Post-Star

Posted: July 30, 2017 at 2:39 pm

Editors note: This is the first of a four-part series that will run on Sundays on immigrants who are living illegally in the Glens Falls region. Some names in this report have been changed to protect undocumented immigrants from exposure.

As their kids splashed around in a pool, the nine women, mostly in their 20s and 30s, sat down to tell about their hardships, their happy times and their perhaps pie-in-the sky dreams.

At first, they mostly looked down at fidgeting hands.

They werent eager to speak in the presence of a reporter.

But once Lonnie, the petite, scrappy 29-year-old, began talking about how she survived after her husbands latest deportation back to Mexico, others began to speak.

She told how she came across the Mexican desert as a pregnant 16-year-old to make a better life for herself and her unborn child and how hard it was when her husband was sent away.

She works as a landscaper these days and earns extra money by selling homemade tamales so her two kids are cared for, even though she hates to cook.

Normally, the women in the group would be learning English at the weekly gathering from a group of local volunteers and soaking up a chance to socialize with other Spanish-speaking women while their kids played soccer and swam.

But on this day at a local home, they were spilling their souls while hoping for changes in immigration policy.

She embodies the American dream, said Susan Sanchez, a Queensbury High School Spanish teacher and one of the volunteers. What does she do when she has no income? She uses what she knows how to do and turns it around. And she makes a mean tamale.

The volunteers, a small group made up mostly of local teachers, sacrifice their family time to improve the lives of these immigrant women who speak limited English and live in fear of deportation. They teach them English, role-play parent-teacher conference scenarios and they even serve as legal guardians for the children if the Mexican women were to be detained or deported.

They have assigned legal custody to us, said Sanchez, who is herself the widow of a Mexican immigrant and is now guardian for children from three families.

The local women work under the radar, almost like a modern-day Underground Railroad, knowing that their efforts if done in the open might hurt the immigrants theyre trying to help.

But theyre desperate to draw attention to what they see as the unfairness of the system and the scope of the problem. They estimate about 1,000 mostly undocumented immigrants are living now in Washington County alone.

Alice, who worked at the now-closed El Mexicano restaurant in Hudson Falls, was one of three immigrants stopped by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in March, and now fears deportation every waking moment.

She teared up as she worried out loud, through an interpreter, what will happen to her kids if she is sent back to Mexico.

One child who is now 18 but who came into the country with her as a 4-year-old might have to go with her; while her other child, an 11-year-old, could stay in the U.S. because he was born here.

Its stressful, she said through an interpreter. Her face, which her friends said used to be brightened by a continuous smile, was full of pain. I dont sleep. Im the only thing my children have.

Sally, who waited a while to speak, bowed her head when telling about her 12-year-old son still in Mexico whom she hasnt seen since 2009. She came alone on a temporary visa to work as a hotel housekeeper and stayed, because it was clear to her life is better here.

She met a dairy farm worker, married, but is now torn and troubled to have a life here with her husband and second child, when her first-born is still in Mexico. At least hes with her parents, she said, but she wants him to join her, if she could trust someone to get him here.

Their children born in the U.S. are in a different situation.

None of these kids here know their grandparents, Lonnie said through an interpreter, as one dripping wet little girl pushed a toy shopping cart past the group.

The women, some here on expired visas, some on current visas and others who came across the border illegally, said with the new immigration climate in the country, they fear daily life.

They seldom leave their homes except to work.

They scan grocery store parking lots for ICE officials before shopping.

They have stopped going to church.

Im not doing anything bad. I work hard. Its not right to separate families, Alice said.

But despite all these hardships and sacrifices, when asked how many are still glad they came, all of their hands rose quickly.

They told of corruption, poverty, working up to 12 hours a day for $9 and ruthless drug cartels back home.

The phrase we use is, even though were poor in both countries, poor here is much better than poor in Mexico. It would appear to them back home that we have it all, Amy said.

And when asked what would happen in the area if all immigrants, legal and illegal, were sent back home, they said farm owners have told them, the farms are done.

We would not drink milk, Sanchez said.

When voters in this country selected Donald Trump as president, life changed dramatically for the local immigrant population undocumented and documented.

Talk of building a wall and stepping up deportation efforts struck fear in them.

During the Obama administration, they felt relatively free to work and be a part of the communities where they live. He even began a program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, to allow children who came into the country illegally with their parents to stay and work here.

They felt if they abided by the laws and didnt get in trouble, they were safe.

Now they dont feel safe at all.

The weekly English classes, sometimes at local homes and sometimes at a Hudson Falls school cafeteria, have become their only entertainment.

They speak with disdain about Trump.

I understand we are here not being citizens, but we came with no bad intentions, just to work, Alice said.

Beth, another of the women, who is here on a legal work visa, called Trump a showman who cant relate.

Hes not interested in people. He just likes power, she said. And he doesnt want to learn.

But hes winning, because now were all scared, Alice said.

Headlines were made recently when the Department of Homeland Security announced a one-time increase of 15,000 seasonal work visas for the rest of this season. But only days earlier, The Washington Post reported internal sources saying Trump was weighing an expansion of Homeland Security powers to speed up the removal of illegal immigrants who cant prove they have lived in the United States for at least 90 days.

Regardless, the local immigrants, many of whom have lived and worked here for a decade or more, are scared.

Wed be willing to pay a fine to stay. We dont even need to be citizens, just legal, Amy said.

Their advocates say they come here illegally, or overstay their visas because of a broken system that makes obtaining immigration visas cumbersome, expensive and often impossible.

Sanchez has been helping immigrants in the area learn English for the better part of two decades. She started when asked by her father, a local bar owner, who volunteered her services to customers who were farmers and had immigrant workers in need of help.

But for the past three years, she and a small group of others, including teachers, a school social worker and student volunteers, have joined in more structured weekly sessions to improve the lives of local immigrant women and children.

Kingsbury farmer Betty Getty hired immigrant workers from Mexico about 17 years ago and immediately started teaching them English and making them part of the family, with dinners and mixers at her home to make them welcome.

Lisa Catalfamo is a Glens Falls High School social worker, photographer and great friend of Gettys who met her immigrant husband at one of Gettys mixers. She has traveled to the immigrants hometown of Coyula, Mexico to deliver to their families photos of their loved ones who are working here, seeing the tears and smiles they generate.

Julie Leonelli, a retired teacher who still subs almost full-time in South Glens Falls, routinely takes children of local immigrants who are too afraid to leave the house out to dinner or for fun outings to places like Proctors Theater. Her husband taught one child to drive and the couple even bought a bigger car so they could haul more of the children around.

Sarah Rath is a retired teacher from Vermont who drives to the area for the weekly sessions with the immigrant women and helps organize soccer games on Sundays for the men to get a taste of home. She is also planning a trip to Mexico next week to take Lonnies 12-year-old son to see his deported father.

Everybody needs to see their father when theyre 12, she rationalized.

And Glens Falls High School Spanish teacher Shannon McKeighan, a good friend of Catalfamos, brings students from the schools AFS International Club she advises to help watch the womens children and teach them to swim while the women learn English.

The volunteers work to improve the lives of immigrants in the region with an overall goal of changing regulations so the immigrants can do the simple things they want in life work hard and raise their families here.

At the weekly sessions, they teach English to the mostly Mexican immigrants and help with tasks like filling out paperwork for the kids school or doctors visits. They role-play scenarios the women might encounter at school or in the community.

But their efforts often go beyond the sessions. They will go to doctors offices, go with the children to sign them up for summer soccer and drive them to stores. They consider them friends.

I feel I get just as much out of it as they do, McKeighan said, adding that while she knows some are here illegally, she sees it as a victimless crime.

The biggest sign of the devotion of these volunteers to the immigrant families is their decision to serve as guardians for the children if their parents get detained or deported.

We have paperwork on 22 families, Sanchez said. We fill out travel forms, power of attorney, medical releases, school releases and travel across the border with a minors forms.

They help because its the right thing to do, they say.

You look at smiles on peoples faces who dont have a lot to smile about and thats payment, Rath said.

The student volunteers said they look forward to seeing the children each week and have learned a lot about the lives of people who have less than they do.

I didnt think it would become as important to me as it has, said Glens Falls senior Katelyn Mello, who has worked with the children for three years. Her older sister, Haylee, serves as a lifeguard and said she wishes she had joined the group sooner.

Its very rewarding to know we can provide a safe place where they can have fun and not be scared or nervous, said McKeighans daughter, Kelsey, a recent college graduate who still helps out. Its a judgment-free zone.

But Sanchez said it comes at a cost. Her two young daughters are often left with babysitters while she helps the immigrants. And family outings to the lake or to the Great Escape often include immigrant children, who seldom get such opportunities.

But I kind of like it, 11-year-old Mia said. It makes you realize we have it good.

And my mom is changing the world, 10-year-old Ava chimed in with a smile.

News of the arrest in Washington County of one immigrant here illegally for sexual assault of a young teen spread through the weekly session on July 26, and led the volunteers to bow their heads with sadness.

The women said they felt sorry for the victim and know that the arrest will add fuel to the fire of those who oppose immigration reform. They spoke of supporting border security and not wanting immigrant criminals in the country, but said the issue isnt black and white.

There are simply good and bad in all populations, Sanchez said, using teachers and priests as examples. This will make people say, You see, Trump was right, they are all criminals.

Catalfamo cited statistics that these immigrants commit crimes at a rate 2 to 5 percent lower than native born Americans.

And Rath said, although sexual assaults by white men are in the news on a daily basis, a similar offense by an undocumented immigrant gets far more attention.

Isnt that racism? she said.

On a recent sunny day, older boys and girls played soccer. Little ones wearing floaties bounced in and out of the pool and some hung from a jungle gym swing set with a slide.

McKeighan and the Mello girls kept an eye on the pool to keep the kids safe.

A blanket on the edge of the pool was covered by uninflated punch balls, stickers, candy and a variety of toys prizes for a summer reading program if the kids read a certain number of books.

Their skin was darker than groups of kids you generally see around here, but other than that, it was a normal summer kid-filled setting in the Glens Falls region.

But theyre feeling the brunt of the countrys tougher stance on their immigrant parents. They all know about the recent roundup of immigrants and the resulting closure of the popular El Mexicano restaurant, which is now for sale.

Their parents tell of their children being taunted in school by classmates who say theyll soon be sent back to Mexico.

Its bullying, Lonnie said. They get really frustrated.

The kids fear police officers these days, too, Sally said.

Theyre always pointing out, I just saw the police go by, she said, adding that she believes there are both good police and bad police.

Some of the kids dont want to go to school anymore, fearing their parents wont be there when they get home. Lonnies 3-year-old even began pulling her hair out after her fathers detention.

The volunteers have come up with a family emergency plan if their parents are detained, they said, training the children who to contact and what to say.

But the volunteers say these kids, nearly all of them born in this country, are also winning awards in school for educational and behavioral achievements, and the mothers, most of whom have minimal education, said these opportunities make the hardships worth it. Amy spoke proudly of seeing her daughter recently collect awards.

They are thriving in school, despite the climate around them, volunteers said.

School is a safe place to be and the people are generally welcoming, said Catalfamo, the Glens Falls school social worker.

But while school is fun, life outside of school these days isnt.

They want to go to Lake George or Great Escape, but their parents fear leaving the house.

These kids have rights, but their parents dont, and theyre stuck in their parents world, Rath said.

The only place I go is Wal-Mart to get food and then home, Amy said.

Leonelli tries to help fix that problem. She met a lot of the children as director of religious education at St. Josephs Church in Fort Edward, but her efforts on their behalf continue long after the church school season ends.

She takes the kids to the movies and the library, to Proctors Theater for a show and to The Harvest restaurant for dinner.

She has noticed glares from people worried the dozen or so children would act out and ruin their experiences.

But the glares soon led to praise from others about how good the children were.

I absolutely love them. Im a teacher, been teaching since 1987. These kids are so well behaved, so appreciative of anything you do for them, she said.

When they were at The Harvest, all 12 of them, a woman at a nearby table picked up the tab, she said.

She said, These kids are close to my heart, Leonelli said, adding that the woman didnt explain further. I think some of it is because of all thats in the media about whats happening to these Mexican families. People dont know what to do to help.

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Grading 2017 VA GOV Libertarian Candidate Cliff Hyra – Blue Virginia (press release) (blog)

Posted: at 2:37 pm

How does the Libertarian Partys 2017 Virginia gubernatorial nominee Cliff Hyra stack up from a progressive, environmentalist perspective? Lets check out his website and other sources, including the Virginia Libertarian Party platform and see (note: my comments in green). Also, for the record, Im all for including Hyra in gubernatorial debates.

Overall, on the issues listed above, Hyra gets 5 in the A range, 2 in the B range, 7 in the C range, 2 in the D range and 6 in the F range, for an overall grade of roughly a C. The reason why Democrats shouldnt vote for Hyra is that some of the areas where he gets particularly low grades Medicaid expansion/health insurance in general, womens reproductive freedom, the environment, guns are very important ones for most of us, while stuff like marijuana decriminalization is great, but not much different than Democratic nominee Ralph Northams position on the issue. So then why choose Hyra over Northam? Got me. On the other hand, perhaps if youre a Republican who detests corrupt crony capitalists like Ed Gillespie, perhaps you should consider a vote for the Libertarian candidate this year?

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Karen Armstrong TED Talk: Reviving the ‘Golden Rule’ For Everyone – World Religion News

Posted: at 2:37 pm

In this compelling TED talk, Karen Armstrong, religious scholar, shares what she feels is the universal urgency spanning both the religious and nonreligious the world over, in adopting the Golden Rule, aka, one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself.

About Karen Armstrong and TED

Religious thinker Karen Armstrong has written more than 20 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths shaped world history and drive current events.

A former nun, Armstrong has written two books about this experience: Through the Narrow Gate, about her seven years in the convent, and The Spiral Staircase, about her subsequent spiritual awakening, when she developed her iconoclastic take on the major monotheistic religions and on the strains of fundamentalism common to all. She is a powerful voice for ecumenical understanding.

Armstrongs 2008 TED Prize wish asks us to help her assemble the Charter for Compassion, a document around which religious leaders can work together for peace. In late fall 2008, the first draft of the document was written by the world, via a sharing website. In February 2009, the words of the world were collected and given to the Council of Conscience, a gathering of religious leaders and thinkers, who crafted the final document. The Charter was launched in November 2009.

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The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and are not necessarily those of World Religion News.

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Letter to the Editor: Socialism, communism, and the young liberal left – New Haven Register

Posted: at 2:36 pm

Political theory lessons have been ignored by the current beliefs of the young liberal left as witnessed by Bernie Sanders popularity and support of the leftist ideas of the Democrats. Their tactics of shouting down any opposing viewpoints and labeling anyone who opposes them discourages debate.

The New Haven Register has assisted in enabling the counter-argument to the misguided thought that socialism is a preferred system to American capitalism. In the July 22 edition, a letter which listed the evils of the Trump extremist agenda contained all the catchphrases that young liberals have spouted since President Trumps campaign and election. In a July 8 confrontation on the Green, a group gathered to resist socialism was labeled a white supremacist, nationalistic, misogynistic, hate group. The writers reiterated the rhetoric of the liberal left verbatim while encouraging resistance to any Trump agenda. The letter was signed: Jahmal Henderson and Joelle Fishman, members of the Winchester-Newhall Club of the Communist Party, USA.

Young liberal left thought prefers socialism. The fact that socialism is a direct step toward communism is ignored. The letter is textbook propaganda that self-proclaimed communists extol. Hopefully, the similarities with the liberal left rhetoric are apparent. Liberals should realize that ultra-left Democrats policies are what Americans historically have fought against. Communism is a failed social and political system. These writers choice of words and phrases correspond to those used by the liberal left youth at rallies and demonstrations. Any policies encouraging a movement toward socialism can only endanger the future.

Sal Squeglia

New Haven

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Liberal elites don’t have a clue about the white working class. So says a liberal elite law professor. – Washington Post

Posted: at 2:36 pm

WHITE WORKING CLASS: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America

By Joan C. Williams

Harvard Business Review Press. 180 pp. $22.99

It was only a matter of time until liberal elites obsession with Americas white working class would burn through every possible analytical framework racial attitudes, economic misfortunes, health conditions, political preferences and end up on a subject they find even more irresistible: themselves.

White Working Class by law professor Joan C. Williams is more an effort to puncture the foibles and misperceptions of upper-class liberals than an attempt to get to know the people her book title comprises. Its just as well. The authors personal knowledge of the white working class appears mainly secondhand: Williams cites her eighth-grade-dropout father-in-law, pores over polls and studies, and can quote on demand from Hillbilly Elegy and Strangers in Their Own Land, but thats about it. By contrast, she has a vise grip on the attitudes of her fellow liberal professionals Williams teaches at the University of Californias Hastings College of Law (yes, in San Francisco) and she structures the book around those nasty little questions they mutter about working-class Trump voters at dinner parties or, Ive heard, in gourmet sandwich shops.

Why dont they push their kids harder to succeed and go to college? Shouldnt they move for better jobs? Why do they resent government benefits? Arent they just racist? Sexist? And why do they dislike us so much, even while admiring gauche plutocrats such as President Trump?

Those questions are of recent vintage, Williams notes, because for a long time left-leaning elites were concerned with just about everyone except the white working class. During an era when wealthy white Americans have learned to sympathetically imagine the lives of the poor, people of color, and LGBTQ people, she writes, the white working class has been insulted or ignored. She accuses her tribe of class cluelessness and in some cases, even class callousness.

One of the strengths of Williamss book is the authors willingness to call out such callousness and hypocrisy among her fellow travelers. One of its weaknesses is her reluctance to call out Trump voters for much of anything.

Williams begins with some definitional clarity or confusion, depending on the order in which you typically peck. Even though, in some circles, working class has become a euphemism for poor, Williams uses the term working class for those living a few rungs higher, Americans with earnings above the lowest 30 percent and below the top 20percent, with a median household income of about $75,000. Some might consider this range to overlap with the middle class, but since almost all Americans consider themselves middle class, Williams decided that the latter term is too vague to be useful.

Williamss working-class America, then, excludes the poor. In fact, the white working class, thus delineated, often begrudges government efforts to help the poor, Williams writes. When such programs are limited to those below a certain income level [and] ... exclude those just a notch above, she contends, this is a recipe for class conflict. So if youve ever wondered whats the matter with Kansas, Williams has an answer. Because the white working class resents programs for the poor, to the extent that benefit cuts target the poor, thats attractive. To the extent that tax cuts for the rich hold the promise of jobs, thats attractive, too.

[White Trash a cultural and political history of an American underclass]

The working classs simultaneous fascination with the ultra-wealthy and disdain for the professional class is not only about trickle-down fantasies its about proximity. Most working-class people have little contact with the truly rich, Williams explains, but they suffer class affronts from professionals every day: the doctor who unthinkingly patronizes the medical technician, the harried office worker who treats the security guard as invisible, the overbooked business traveler who snaps at the TSA agent.

Williams chastises the professional-managerial elite, or PME, for the sort of thoughtless and condescending behavior that breeds animosity among the white working class, or WWC, as she dubbed it in the post-election Harvard Business Review essay that inspired this book (apparently youre not an official socioeconomic segment without an acronym). The president, for one, knows better. Brashly wealthy celebrities epitomize the fantasy of being wildly rich while losing none of your working-class cred, Williams writes. Trump epitomizes this.

When passing judgment on the white working class, elites regard their own values about home life (helicopter parenting, constant uprooting) and work life (creativity, innovation) as the norm, oblivious to the fact that others may hold different ones, Williams argues. Working-class families may not choose to relocate for a job because they care more about their community ties. They may worry about tuition debt and see college as a risky investment. They may prioritize stability and dependability over disruption because in working-class jobs, disruption just gets you fired, Williams writes. And they may cling to religion because for many in the working class, churches provide the kind of mental exercise, stability, hopefulness, future orientation, impulse control, and social safety net many in the professional elite get from their families, their career potential, their therapists, and their bank accounts.

Williams thinks she understands why Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. (Dont we all.) Rather than focusing so much on the candidates rsum and on the history-making aspect of a female presidency, for instance, her campaign should have emphasized how Trump routinely stiffed the blue-collar guys working on his buildings. Gender does not necessarily bind women together across social class, Williams writes, noting that for many working-class women, there is little to be gained by giving privileged women access to the high-level jobs now held almost exclusively by privileged men. Constantly invoking that highest and hardest glass ceiling was, Williams concludes, a class-clueless metaphor.

[Washington Post review of Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance]

When discussing racial attitudes, Williams is quick to stress that those lofty liberals are as bad as anyone else. Among the professional elite, where the coin of the realm is merit, people of color are constructed as lacking in merit, she writes. Among the white working class, where the coin of the realm is morality, people of color are constructed as lacking in that quality. And on the sexism so evident in the 2016 race when trump that b- became a slogan and chant Williams is skeptical of straightforward conclusions. Does Trumps victory signal that working-class men are sexist? she asks. Its not as simple as that. Working-class men, she notes, spend more time with their kids than their upper-class counterparts. Moreover, elite men can talk the talk of gender equality because they know in their bones that their careers will deliver them dignity, Williams writes. Economic power, both inside the family and in the society at large, is their trump card. (We see what you did there.)

Williams chastises white elites for always seeking out structural factors to explain the conditions of the poor while denying the working class similar generosity. When it comes to working-class whites, she complains, social structure evaporates. This is a compelling point, but to make it, Williams seems willing to commit the opposite offense, deploying cultural values or equivalences to explain away so very much.

The author calls for a reframing of American liberal politics, a grand statement that feels less grand as it gets specific. Williams wants vocational training for communities undercut by trade and technology, more civics education in schools, and a climate-change debate that stops screaming about settled science and instead enlists farmers to discuss changing conditions on the ground. She wants to boost working-class trust in government with a publicity campaign featuring videos of Americans thanking the feds for highways, sewer systems, schools and the Internet. (Thank you, Uncle Sam! they would say at the end.) At the same time, though, she wants to heighten working-class mistrust in government to boost concern about civil liberties. I wonder how those videos would end.

Williamss book is a quick read and a good-faith effort at cultural and class introspection. I wish it ranged more widely beyond the themes the author raised in her initial essay last year, rather than covering much the same ground with more words. In particular, Id want to know how zealously we need to focus on that first W in the WWC. At times, the author cites the experiences of working-class Latino families to buttress her points, and she notes that working-class black Americans hold many attitudes in common with blue-collar white Americans regarding work, personal responsibility and integrity. Class, more than race, is Williamss crucial divide.

Whether it is the countrys as well is a matter not settled in this book.

Follow Carlos Lozada on Twitter and read his latest book reviews, including:

A Berkeley sociologist made some tea party friends and then wrote a condescending book about them

Yes, Trump is a populist. But what does that mean?

Samuel Huntington, a prophet for the Trump era

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Former television reporter Jas Johal considers running for BC Liberal leadership – The Globe and Mail

Posted: at 2:36 pm

A day after Christy Clark announced she is resigning as BC Liberal leader, one of the partys MLAs says he is considering a run to replace her.

Prominent former TV reporter Jas Johal, first elected to the BC legislature in the spring election that set off events that have ousted the Liberals from power, says he is thinking about a leadership run but has not made any final decisions.

I think this is a great time to focus on renewal and we need a substantial policy discussion. I am looking forward to that whether I run or not, Mr. Johal said in an interview on Saturday. He is the first of the partys MLAs to announce that he may go for the leadership now that the job is open.

Among the challenges for the BC Liberals, he said, is better connecting with millennial and GenX voters.

He said he is thinking about whether he has the time and energy to completely commit himself to leading the BC Liberals, who have had two leaders Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark since they began their 16-year run in government that recently ended.

Ms. Clark led the party into a spring election her second as premier which reduced the party to a minority. Last month, the Liberals were defeated on a confidence vote, the Lieutenant-Governor then asked the NDP to form the government and Premier John Horgan was sworn in earlier this month.

Mr. Johal, 47, who is married and has an eight-year-old son also said he is considering the impact on his family.

Theres a lot to think about, he said. He was a journalist for 23 years, working for Global Television in BC, Beijing and New Delhi. Before seeking and winning the riding of Richmond-Queensborough in the May election, he was a communications director at the BC LNG Alliance.

Mr. Johal said he was surprised at Ms. Clark's decision to leave.

He also said he did not think his relative lack of elected political experience would be a liability in what is expected to be a crowded race. When you look at voting here and internationally, people want something new," he said.

People dont want professional politicians. I am proud to be an outsider. I bring a different experience.

After six years as premier and saying she would serve in opposition, Ms. Clark told her caucus Friday that she would quit as party leader on Aug.4. She also will quit her Kelowna-area seat. In announcing her decision to the media in a statement, Ms. Clark gave no specific reason for leaving now. She is expected to hold a news conference early next week.

Liberal caucus members praised Ms. Clark on Friday, but the party will now face the necessity of picking a new leader to face the BC NDP government. Caucus prospects were avoiding discussion about leadership runs in the hours after Ms. Clarks announcement.

The BC Liberal party executive plans to meet within 28 days to come up with details on the leadership race. After Gordon Campbell announced his exit in 2010, it took about four months for the leadership convention that saw Ms. Clark become leader. The BC legislature is expected to resume sitting in September.

Follow Ian Bailey on Twitter: @ianabailey

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Letter to the editor: The Sun Chronicle is neither liberal or conservative – The Sun Chronicle

Posted: at 2:36 pm

Sun Chronicle is neither liberal or conservative

To the editor:

The Sun Chronicle is not a liberal newspaper despite what some letter writers say when they are unhappy with something they find in it. Neither is it a conservative newspaper.

The Sun Chronicle is a moderate newspaper and is reflective of the area it serves. If The Sun Chronicle were a liberal newspaper, it would feature stories that would possibly drive the unhappy writers insane because it would present issues only from the Democratic/Progressive point of view and if The Sun Chronicle were a Conservative paper it would do the same for the Republican point of view.

I do not detect any bias, and I have read some truly biased newspapers. The fact that the paper prints letters from both points of view is evidence. If you want to see a truly biased newspaper, look at The National Enquirer. The owner is a friend of Trump and prints total lies just to support Trump. Also, Fox news is clearly a propaganda outlet for supporters of Trump.

If you think those news source are not biased and The Sun Chronicle is biased, you need help. By the way, it is unlikely that most of the media is liberal (as some seem to think) since all of the media are owned by major corporations that are not known for being liberal. Perhaps the unhappy letter writers should consider that just because they do not like an article, the article may still be accurate if there is sufficient evidence behind it. To accuse the paper of being liberal is an easy way to respond. How about addressing the issues with facts?

Al Hannigan

North Attleboro

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Liberal bias? – Green Valley News

Posted: at 2:36 pm

There is no liberal media bias. But wait!

We are barraged daily by the mainstream media with multiple negative stories against President Trump based mainly on innuendo, leaks and/or anonymous sources. None seem to be based on hard, demonstrable facts or information that the source is willing to come forward to back up.

Even extreme liberal Sen. Dianne Feinstein admits that there is no hard evidence to back up the alleged Russian collusion narrative, yet the media continues to pursue it.

On the other hand, where was the outrage and continuous stream of news reports when Obama lied about like your plan, keep your plan, like your doctor, keep your doctor, and annual cost savings of $2,500 per family when trying to sell Obamacare?

Where were the cries of Russian collusion when Obama was caught on an open mic telling Putins lackey, Medvedev, that he (Obama) would have greater flexibility to deal with Putin after the 2012 election?

Theres not even any doubt of Hillary Clintons mishandling of classified information by passing it through her own private email server rather than using State Department computers.

What about the lies told by Clinton, Susan Rice, Obama, and others that the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, stemmed from a video that turned out to have no connection.

What about any investigations into Attorney General Eric Holders failed Fast and Furious gun-running scheme that led to the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry south of Green Valley?

What about Attorney General Loretta Lynchs secret meeting with Bill Clinton at the Phoenix airport while Clintons wife is under investigation by the FBI, which was part of Lynchs Justice Department?

Hmmm. Perhaps there really is something to this liberal media bias after all.

Thomas F. Fava, Green Valley

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United Way: FIT Program trains at-risk adults for financial stability – The State Journal-Register

Posted: at 2:35 pm

UCP Land of Lincoln is excited to announce a new program funded through United Way of Central Illinois called the FIT (Financial Independence through Training) Program.

The FIT Program focuses on helping at-risk adults with finding and maintaining successful employment in the community and includes a financial training component that concentrates on financial planning, money management, saving and investing and understanding credit. The program encourages people to become self-sufficient and active members of their community so they are able to become financially independent, invest back into their community and live their lives without limits.

The program serves at-risk adults living in Sangamon and Menard counties. Based on the success of UCPs evidence-based Supported Employment Individual Placement and Support Model, the FIT Program uses a five-stage Supported Employment process to determine participants needs.

The five stages of the process are intake, assessment, job development, job placement and job support services. Individuals may enter and utilize different stages of the process depending on their needs

UCP is partnering with local banking institutions and financial planning businesses that will assist in providing training to participants on these topics. The financial stability training module teaches individuals how to improve their financial security and practices, learn how to reduce debt and build their assets.

Likewise, support services in the form of job coaching and case management services are provided to ensure that individuals find the right career path, make a plan to successful employment and learn how to budget and manage their money so they can become financially secure. UCP staff works with individuals to develop an Individual Service Plan that includes realistic, prioritized goals that address any barriers to employment and financial stability.

The FIT Program is located at the UCP Enterprises Center at 1411 E. Jefferson St. and select job sites throughout the community.

Training presentations will take place at the UCP Enterprises Center and the UCP administrative building at 101 N. 16th St. The UCP Enterprises Center offers classroom space for training and a computer lab with adaptive equipment and a variety of educational software. Both UCP buildings are located on the public bus route.

Participants in the program will have the opportunity to attend training sessions at job training sites throughout the Springfield area and experience job shadowing activities during these sessions. Individuals will be working at job sites throughout Springfield and will be able to access services that surround each job site. They will be working in their community and experience company culture, be a part of a work team and have the opportunity to progress in their career.

The program serves at-risk adults, 18 years or older, who want to improve their financial stability and are residents of Sangamon or Menard counties. This can include people who are homeless, have a disability, are low-income or are susceptible to abuse, neglect or exploitation because they are not able to access necessary services.

Participants must fully commit to the FIT Program, attend the training schedule of activities and be willing to obtain employment and follow employment policies and procedures once hired.

The FIT Program started July 1, and UCP Land of Lincoln is currently identifying eligible candidates to the program.

If you are interested in the program, know someone who may be a potential candidate for the program, or just want to obtain more information about the program, please contact Jenny Niebrugge at 525-6522.

Kathy Leuelling is the president/CEO at UCP Land of Lincoln. Look for United Way columns weekly in Our Towns.

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Late night shopping scheme in Chester sees Park & Ride services extended – ChesterChronicle.co.uk

Posted: at 2:34 pm

Cheshire West and Chester Council has extended its Park & Ride services on Thursdays to support CH1ChesterBIDs Head Out Not Home summer campaign.

The Park & Ride service, which runs from Chester Zoo , Wrexham Road, Boughton Heath and Sealand Road sites, usually finishes at 7pm, but on Thursdays until August 31 the service will be extended until 8pm.

The fleet of 12 buses will transport visitors and residents every Thursday to enjoy additional shopping and dining opportunities in the city centre as part of the Head Out Not Home campaign.

The campaign aims to bridge the gap between the daytime and evening economies by encouraging people to stay in the city centre at the end of their day.

A large number of businesses will be staying open for longer and many have special promotions on offer.

Cabinet member for environment Cllr Karen Shore said: Im delighted that we are able to support this campaign.

"The extension in our Park & Ride timetable offers visitors a range of parking options combined with low cost travel and will make it easier for them to get into the city to enjoy late night shopping, food with family and friends or the wonderful programme of music, movies and outdoor theatre on offer.

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Dont forget, your 2 daily ticket means you can hop on and off the buses as many times as you like, your ticket is valid all day.

The extended hours will also mean buses will be still running after the shops close at 7pm, which will help staff working late in retail businesses.

The council launched an improved cross-city Park & Ride service last summer, in partnership with Stagecoach, which includes a greater choice of stops for customers and buses with climate control, free 4G wifi, USB charging, premium quality seats and the latest enviro clean engine technology.

More information about the Park & Ride can be found here.

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