CUSD 300 students in Carpentersville are pressuring Sears Holdings Co. to take responsibility (from the Daily Herald):

A group of high school students is demanding the company sever ties with an apparel manufacturer in Jordan, where managers have been accused of sexual assault and other abuses.

Members of the Dundee-Crown High School Youth Labor Committee have started a petition through the website, change.org, demanding the company pull orders with Classic Fashion Apparel Industry and investigate the working conditions in the factory. The group also is requesting a meeting with company executives.

“We want to help people who don’t have a voice,” said 16-year-old junior Nina Massion. “It comes back to myself. What if I was one of the girls in the factory? I would want someone to stand up for me.”

These kids get it. There is one clarification: the newspaper says “sexual assault”, but the actual petition says “rape and torture of young women”.

Sign the petition!

…and have a happy and restful Labor Day. And remember, if it weren’t for the unions, we wouldn’t have holidays or weekends, let alone a holiday weekend.

Tomorrow night, the Illinois Tollway Authority will be coming to Kane County to solicit feedback on its $12 billion capital plan. The improvements — including reconstructing and widening I-90 from I-294 to Rockford, as well as completing the Elgin-O’Hare Expressway — will be paid for with a massive fair hike on most Chicago area tollways.

The first public comment forum will be held Thursday, August 18, 4-6 p.m., in Kane County at the Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia, Building A in Geneva.

For more information about the plan, see www.illiniostollway.com.

A group of more than 100 Batavia residents showed up at their city council meeting and each placed a wildflower in a vase to show concern for a wetland area near Mooseheart Child City and School, which is run by the fraternal organization Moose International (from the Daily Herald):

It [Moose International] is seeking to annex nearly 500 acres on the west side of the property, and build stores, offices and residences.

The activists want the city council to require Moose International to place a conservation easement on 46 acres in the middle designated for open space. The easement, a legal encumbrance, would conserve the land by prohibiting certain activities and uses.

Mill Creek, which feeds into the Fox River, flows through the property, and demonstrators worry that development of the parcel will degrade the quality of the creek.

Congratulations to these demonstrators for making their voices heard.

Democracy is not supposed to be a spectator sport. It seems like much of the action in Illinois takes place in Chicago or Springfield, which can be difficult to get to with our busy schedules. But there is plenty of things that can be done here in “the Far Western Boonies.” There are several groups here in Kane County that have progressive issues that are in line with Green Party values that you should know about.

One such group is composed of union members, educators and citizen activists concerned with a living wage for all, and is forming the Northern Illinois chapter of Jobs with Justice. Their mission is stated as being “committed to development of and advocating for policies that create sustainable living wage jobs and challenge the existing economic inequalities”. They are reaching out to other organizations and individuals to build a network to fight for the rights of workers. They have led a monthly job rallies on unemployment trends in Illinois, calling for more job creation and freezing mortgage foreclosures.

Another group is the Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice. Their mission statement reads that they desire to “promote peace, a stronger democracy, and social and economic justice through education, dialogue and action.” This group has been active in alternative recruitment in high schools, met often with elected officials to discuss legislation, marched in parades and held informational pickets against the war and supporting universal health care, among other issues. It has also sponsored seminars by peace and social/economic activists in the area.

An organization that has been around for quite awhile is the League of Women Voters. There have been issues with fairness in debate invitations, but there are many in the League who agree there should be more voices heard in debates. Remember that the League allowed all parties to debate, until the Democrats & Republicans agreed to limit the League input in the debate structure in the 80′s. Here in Kane County, the League invited Dan Kairis to participate in the debate for 14th CD. The League continues to advocate important issues such as fair district mapping, voter education and insuring voter access, advocating to reduce harmful budget cuts and abolishing the death penalty. It is still a vibrant and important group.

We all know that lack of media coverage has been an issue for many groups trying to educate the voters. Two fine labor newspapers that try to provide that coverage. They are the Fox Valley Labor News and The Voice published in Aurora. (The Voice has no internet presence at this time. I have seen it in gas stations and the few remaining newstands. Contact Carter Crane at the_voice@att.net) Let’s support independent media out there, folks! A good blog can be found at ProgressiveFox.com. It has an informal schedule, but can be an important source of information on progressive issues. Keep yourself educated in local issues.

One of the key characteristics Greens share is concern for and helping others. Walk the Green talk and get involved with helping others in your community, however you can.

The Daily Herald reports that the Kane County Forest Preserve closed on some land outside Elgin that was slated for development. This quote is extremely interesting (my bold):

“The forest preserve, by acquiring this land, has just prevented many new homes from being built out there,” said Forest Preserve Commissioner Barb Wojnicki. “That will keep several of our local schools from becoming overpopulated, which, in turn, would have led to higher taxes. Open space is the best tax cap.”

Wojnicki seems to be one of the very few public officials who understand that uncontrolled growth and development has real consequences for a municipality and tax payers. You always hear from politicians that housing developments will add to the tax base and generate revenue for a town. But you rarely hear anything about increased crowding’s cost impact on roads, schools, and other services.