Pension Fund Debate

MF Trustee Calls out Core at CTPF Board Meeting on Fossil Fuels

By Jim Vail

CTPF Trustee Phil Weiss

When Chicago Teachers Pension Fund Trustee Jim Cavallaro made a motion at the October 21st board meeting for the pension fund to divest from the fossil fuel industry, there was push back.

Cavallaro on his last day serving as a pension fund trustee made the motion that was similar to the resolution the Chicago Teachers Union delegates passed the previous month at the House of Delegates meeting.

CTPF President Jeffery Blackwell then suggested that the resolution be sent to the Investment Committee to be further studied. Resolutions and bills that political leaders consider unfriendly are sent to committees to die or get watered down.

But CTPF Financial Secretary Jacqueline Price-Ward quickly seconded the motion that her party Core considers one of their five top reasons to vote for their teacher candidates in the pension board election that ends Nov. 5 - "Working to divest from the harmful fossil fuel industry."

Cavallaro said the CTPF should engage with a consultant to review its investment portfolio in the fossil fuel industry and then recommend to divest and support investments in renewable energy sources that are considered more environmentally friendly.

"I think it's something on a lot of members minds," Cavallaro said. "It's on a lot of younger members minds. It's not something out of the norm."

He added that the New York teachers pension fund has committed to divest from the fossil fuel industry and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has pledged to move away from supporting the fossil fuel industry. He said it would also support many minority communities who are affected on the SW Side of the city where factories pollution has led to chronic illnesses in the children.

However, another pension trustee said that to compare the NY Teachers Pension Fund to Chicago is ridiculous. The NY pension fund is the best funded public pension plan in the nation at 97 percent funded ratio whereas the Chicago teachers pension is funded at less than 45 percent.

Retired teacher pension trustee Mary Sharon Reilly who is up for re-election as a Core candidate said everyone agrees we should divest from the industry, but "it's not overnight."

The new CTPF Director Carlton Lenoir said he agreed that the issue had to be further studied and benchmarks looked at to see how divesting will affect the fund's bottom line.

Members First Trustee Phil Weiss said this was a "Core issue" and that it should be looked at in the investment committee. 

Trustee Gervaise Clay, who like Cavallaro was at her last pension board meeting, said Weiss's comment was a "cheap shot and unnecessary."

Clay, who is a member of Core and was one of the trustees censured by the board that was led by Blackwell and Weiss, said the motion should be voted on because they have made motions in the past that did not have to be sent to a committee.

The CTPF Counsel Joe Burns then stepped in and suggested that the board vote on a friendly alternative measure that recommends that the pension board formalize a commitment to study divesting in a way that is practical and prudent and report back to the board. 

Cavallaro agreed with the suggested change.

"I have never heard this board address this issue," Cavallaro said. "I never saw a report to see it's something we're looking at."

Retired Trustee Maria Rodriguez who is also up for re-election and was a target of the board's censure said she "was embarrassed" that Weiss would call out another caucus at the board meeting.

"I wish the caucus wouldn't target me," Weiss said at the board meeting. "I saw their emails. They are negative emails."

After Price-Ward told Weiss it should have been addressed at the fund's Investment Committee, Weiss then asked Price-Ward why she didn't bring this issue up under new business during the last investment committee meeting before the CTU held a public forum on divesting from fossil fuels. Ward told him that the issue was not yet brought up.

"I don't buy that," Weiss said.

Core appears to be split on divesting from fossil fuels despite their election rhetoric. While Price-Ward and Cavallaro were in favor of the original motion, Blackwell and Reilly were both against it.

The final vote passed on the amended motion for the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund be committed to ask an investment consultant and its staff to study divestiture in a prudent manner and then make a report to the board.

Clay voted against the motion and Weiss abstained, while the rest of the trustees voted in favor of the motion.

"I have no problem studying it," Weiss told Second City Teachers. "I abstained because I feel the investment committee is the appropriate place to do that."

Russian Covid Woes

COVID 19 CRISIS WORSENS IN RUSSIA

The Russian government is taking new measures in Moscow

By Stephen Wilson 

 

 

"It is time to be honest: the government has lost the information campaign to persuade people to get vaccinated in the fight against Coronavirus," declared a well known Russian politician Peter Tolstoy. 

The candid confession acknowledges that previous claims of winning the war against Covid 19,  have been highly misleading. The admission comes just when the number of daily deaths rose above 1000 on the 16th October and infections have risen beyond 30,000. Independent estimates of the number of people who have died from the beginning of the pandemic to the present come to a staggering 900,000 people. This represents a demographic disaster.

 

Faced with such a crisis many people ask the two old traditional questions: "Who is to blame?' and 'What is to do be done?' The Russian government's answer to the first question is that the people themselves are only to blame. Most Russians refuse to get vaccinated despite a massive campaign of publicity. I have been told by some Russians that the vaccination does not work because they knew this person who had the vaccine, but still fell ill or argue it is ineffective. Many remain convinced that the vaccine is worst than the actual illness. Persuading those people to take the vaccine is very hard. 

Some are implacably opposed to taking the vaccine. That is why doctors have a hard job ahead of them. At present only one third of Russians are fully vaccinated. Of course, it would be easy to point to examples of  irresponsible behavior. Just drop into the metro and you can observe 50% of passengers have not covered their faces with the masks. Instead they only cover their faces when they go through the barrier then take them off when they reach the train. When inspectors on the rare occasions stop them, they often answer, "I'm not ill so I don't have to wear a mask". That doesn't wash with inspectors! They still face a fine of 5000 rubles. When I went to put on a mask before entering a shop my friend reproached me with "You don't have to do that. No staff will scold you".

One year ago I would have been told off by an owner of a shop who was afraid they would be fined. About two months ago when I dropped into a supermarket wearing gloves, the cashier told me, "You don't have to wear gloves anymore. This law no longer applies." Actually, very few people were wearing gloves even when this first law was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic. As far as I know, nobody was punished for not wearing gloves. It was only if you did not wear a mask it was deemed a serious violation. By the way, I still wear gloves.

 

But blaming the ordinary people in the streets is very convenient for the state. This answer is too glib. The facts are that the Russian state has constantly relaxed and withdrawn protective measures. A measure which insisted on all customers visiting restaurants show a QR code in the summer was quickly withdrawn. Many open air festivals, parades and performances were allowed to go ahead. Mass scale tourism was promoted at tourist resorts where visitors attended overcrowded beaches. Everything was supposed to be back to normal.

 

The Russian state has sent contradictory messages to the public. Just before the Day of Victory, Russians were told that the war against Covid had been won. The Day of Victory parade was not postponed but given the green light. The government conveyed the misleading opinion that things had returned to normal despite anxious warnings from medical experts. Even political elections were permitted. People who have been told that the war against Covid has been won and that things have returned to normal, I'll reluctant to hear that they have to go back to fighting the war again. In fact, many Russians so deeply distrust the government that they believe the war was really won. It is just that the government has an ulterior motive or agenda they are attempting to push through. So even when the government tells the truth people might no longer believe them.

.

And what is to be done? The panacea is 'Get the vaccine' and continue to take basic precautionary measures, mask wearing, washing and social distancing as well as not going out. The problem with obtaining the vaccine is not everyone is entitled to it. It is not free! In order to obtain the vaccine you have to show a compulsory medical insurance card, and a passport. But the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 homeless people in Moscow can't do this because they don't have such documents. So they will remain without the vaccination. 

The government is proposing a Lock-down at work from the 30th of October to the 7th of the November. Workers won't be allowed to go to work. It will be a 'paid vacation' rather than a Lock down. If this measure doesn't have any impact it will be extended perhaps to the 23rd of February next year. People aged over 60 will be asked to stay at home and it looks like shops, cafes and restaurants will be closed down again. In some companies the vaccination is compulsory. For instance, teachers at the Institute of Power and Energy have been told that if they don't obtain both the vaccination against the flu and Covid 19 they will lose their jobs. I was informed that workers at Rosneft were also being told to either take the vaccination or face dismissal. Despite those exceptions, there is no widespread compulsory vaccination program in Russia.

 

One of the biggest problems is that there is no real compensation for those who lose their jobs, homes or income due to the Lock down. Unlike in Germany, there is no real social safety net for anyone who goes out of business because of a lock down. If you don't work, you don't eat. And this is why many Russians continue to violate Lock-down measures. They are in a Catch-22 situation. If they work, they could fall ill and die, but if they don't work they can also lose their jobs and sanity. A move to a full scale Lock down would be highly unpopular and spell disaster for many small businesses as well as workers. What we are more likely to witness is the government taking stronger half measures rather than a complete move to a Lock down in Moscow. Meanwhile the state reassures people that they are not facing a Lock down but are on vacation. It is just a gift!

Pension Election

Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund Trustee Election 

Maria Rodriguez

The voting for new Chicago Teacher Pension Fund Trustees is October 18 - November 5, 2021. There will be two new active teacher Trustees elected and seven candidates vying for three retired teacher Trustees. 

Second City Teachers takes a closer look at who is running.

Maria J. Rodriguez is the only Independent running for retired teacher Trustee. Rodriguez has a proven record of fighting for the members and protecting the Pension Fund’s assets for 16 years, according to her candidacy statement. In 2003 she was sued by the leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union for being a whistle blower of a merger between CTPF and TRS. She was the president of the Pension Fund at the time. Despite the political backlash that awaited her she alerted and mobilized the membership to stop the merger. Eventually the lawsuit was thrown out of court as a “frivolous lawsuit” by the judge. CPS has not made an attempt to merge CTPF since. Rodriguez asks a lot of questions at the pension board meetings and has been perceived as a disturbance by some Board of Trustees, and employees of the Fund. A year ago, Maria J. Rodriguez requested the First forensic audit of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund. 

CORE is the current caucus of the Chicago Teachers Union leadership. Their three retiree candidates represent a diverse slate, which also includes a male candidate. 

Mary Sharon Reilly

Mary Sharon Reilly has 25 years of experience on the Board and is the current VP and Lois Nelson has almost 8 years of experience and had earlier served as VP of the fund as well as financial secretary, and chair of personnel and finance & audit. Lawrence Milkowski is a first time trustee candidate, who is a registered professional tax preparer since 2006. Both Reilly and Lois Nelson have served on many committees as well as chaired many committees during their tenure. Reilly, served as president of the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund for 11 years, during her tenure as an active teacher. 

Lois Nelson

Core is also endorsing two active Teacher Trustees, candidates, Tammy Vinson and Quentin S. Washington. Both would be newcomers to the Board of Trustees. Vinson has been an educator for over 20 years with the Chicago Public Schools. She currently teaches Early Childhood Special Education. Vinson has a strong background of activism in her school and community. Quentin S. Washington is a Chicago Public School educator. He has taught music in both elementary and high school settings and has also taught theatre classes to his students. Washington served as a trustee for the Chicago Teachers Union. He is the founder of Stuart Quinn Realty LLC and a member of the National Realtor Association. 

Gervaise Clay and James Cavallero are not running for reelection in the active teacher election, so there will be 2 new active teacher trustees elected to the Chicago Teachers Board of Trustees on November 5, 2021.

Therese Boyle

Members First who is the opposition of the Chicago Teachers Union caucus is running a slate of three non-minority women for the three seats of pensioner trustees. 

Therese Boyle ran in 2019 for president of the Chicago Teachers Union against Jesse Sharkey and lost the election. Boyle worked as an educator for a few years before becoming a school psychologist for CPS until retirement. She has an undergraduate degree in finance and a minor in economics and currently serves on the board of directors of her credit union.

Reggie O’Connor was an active Core member and later decided to become a Members First member. She was a CPS elementary school educator for 20 years before retiring and an active member of the Chicago Teachers Union. Kathleen Cleary Powers was a General Education and Special Education teacher of 38 years before retiring. She is currently a substitute teacher for CPS. Cleary Powers is also the Admin for the Members First website, which has blocked Core members since the retiree election kicked off. Core has also blocked any people who disagree with them.

Kathleen Cleary Powers

Victor Ochoa who was once a United Progressive Caucus (UPC) member, and now Members First, ran under Therese Boyle’s ticket as an officer and lost to Core as well. His candidacy statement for active teacher pension trustee emphasizes his struggles as a man of color. When asked by Second City Teachers what he thought of the CTPF decision to censure the three female trustees of color, he said it was a group decision and refused to comment further.

Karyn L. Aguirre, a 17 year social worker, is a woman of color who details her leadership accomplishments with CPS and her previous professional experience before being employed with CPS. 

Cleary Powers states in her candidacy statement that she does not believe it is in the best interest of the CTPF to have pension trustees’ who owe an allegiance to any outside interest or group. Boyle, Cleary Powers, O’Connor, Ochoa and Aguirre are all endorsed by Members First. 

Phil Weiss ran for pension trustee on the Members First ticket last fall and was elected. Since his election last November, Weiss has been involved in controversial votes which included supporting Jeffery Blackwell for re-election as pension board president, despite Members First animosity toward Core and Blackwell. Weiss replaced Tina Padilla as Investment Chairperson. Padilla was the chairperson for nine years when Weiss came in as a new Trustee. At the May 2021 Board Meeting Weiss read censures and a reprimand for four female trustees of which three were woman of color. An action which Members First has touted as their campaign platform. “It is time for a change!”, “Time for new faces on the pension Board”. 

Teacher deaths

Teachers Continue to Die from Covid-19!

By Stephen Wilson

 

 

There seems to be no reprieve. For after almost two years of one of the worst pandemics in world history, teachers feel more, not less, exposed. Indeed, confusion seems to reign. 

School staff are being sent back to schools as if everything has returned to 'normal'.  No clear, coherent and consistent protection policies have been uniformly enforced in America. 

Teachers are being sent back to many schools where masks are not mandatory for school students, social distancing policies are absent, and overcrowded classrooms where there is an absence of basic measures in hygiene such as the deep cleaning of schools. Teachers are also facing no proper protective measures such as small class sizes, contact tracing, mandatory wearing of masks for students as well as staff, intensive cleaning and a mass vaccination policy as well as daily testing, and properly ventilated classrooms.

Teachers and staff will continue to be exposed!  

 

The exposure of staff to an unsafe environment has worsened rather than improved. 

The problem has been compounded by a growing shortage of school teachers. For instance, as many as 10% of teachers in Providence, Rhode island have either retired or left their jobs. Schools now have a huge shortage of school teachers. In Florida the number of school vacancies has risen by 67% since August 2020 compared to only a 38.7% increase in August 2019.

The reasons for such a growing shortage of teachers is no mystery. Low pay, lack of respect and abysmal conditions quickly alienate new teachers, especially in the South where there are no unions! Going into over crowded classrooms with a rising number of infected children who are without masks seems reckless by any standards. There have been 200,000 reported weekly cases among children over a period of 5 weeks. 

Being exhausted and stressed out renders staff more vulnerable to catching this virus. Increased stress significantly weakens your immunity system. By sending staff into such an unsafe environment one wonders whether the authorities regard them as expendable. As those teachers are not being replaced, remaining staff are being asked to teach their classes. So some classes are even combined increasing class sizes! So much for social distancing measures!

 

The tragic results of this rush to return to the classroom without proper protection is clear to see. {see last month's article on the tragedy of Jensen} 

According to Education Week, since the beginning of the pandemic to early October 2021, at least 1,161 active and retired k-12 educators and personnel have died of Covid 19 in America. Of those, 387 were active teachers. 

However, those figures are likely to represent a huge underestimate. Education Week regularly publishes the photos, names and profiles of those victims. When you flick through this it seems never ending. A brief glance through it quickly undermines the myth that the main victims of Covid 19 are the elderly. For instance you can find Eric Miller, who was a 40-year-old teacher from School Chain of Lakes Elementary School from Winter Haven, Florda, and 23-year-old Savanna Davis, from the school district of Vinemont Elemetary, Alabama, who died this year, and Kaylee Dabe who was a 25- year-old teacher from a school district Dayton, Ohio. 

All those victims don't deserve to remain just a statistic. They deserve better than this. Their stories should not remain untold!

Betty Resnikoff

Report on the Commemorative Assembly for Betty Resnikoff and her peace and justice work

By Neal Resnikoff

 

Betty Resnikoff and her peace and justice work were well honored at a Commemorative Assembly on Saturday, October 9 on the 4100 block of North St. Louis Avenue in Chicago.

Over 70 people showed up to listen to speeches commemorating Betty’s life and peace and justice work—family, neighbors, political activists and other friends. And eat some delicious pot luck food.

This was organized after Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa introduced an ordinance in Chicago City Council to honor Betty’s peace and justice work with a resolution and street signage saying Betty Resnikoff Way on St. Louis Avenue and Berteau St. The ordinance passed unanimously in City Council. Unveiling of the street sign took place on Saturday.

We should have a video of the program available soon.

Here is the kickoff speech by Neal Resnikoff:

Betty Resnikoff was honored by having part of St. Louis Street
in Albany Park named after her after her years of activism fighting
against injustice and wars for empire. The modern day hero died of Covid-19 last year.

In case you don’t know me, I’m Neal Resnikoff. I was the husband of Betty Resnikoff, the peace and justice advocate we are commemorating here. 

 

As you may know, Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa took an initiative to introduce an ordinance in City Council to honor Betty’s peace and justice work with a resolution and street signs that say Betty Resnikoff Way.

I thank Alderman Rosa, and I thank the Chicago City Council, for extending this honor.

And I want to thank Alderman Rosa’s staff, especially Billy Drew and Naysha for preparing the ordinance, and for helping to enable us to have this assembly here.

And, I also want to thank Julie Thompson, superintendent of Independence Park for generously allowing us to use field house chairs, tables, and this loud speaker.

And I want to thank each and every person here for coming, some from long distances.

And I want to thank those who helped distribute leaflets and collect signatures, those who brought food, and those who helped in other ways.

Now we will have speakers to commemorate Betty—me; some family members, neighbors, friends; and Alderman Rosa.

Alderman Carlos Rosa (35 Ward) helps Neal
Resnikoff  unveal the new street sign named in his 
late wife's name Betty Resnikoff.

                                              ---------

Betty was first and foremost in her life a peace and justice activist, with a spirit of struggle to change the political system we face, to make life better for the people in this society.  I would like to suggest that Betty is a model for what each of us could be doing more of.  

Betty died of the corona virus, unexpectedly, on April 28, 2020. On that very day, in the morning, she was talking on the phone to me about being happy about some workers’ struggles, and the need for unity in the working class. 

Betty, as many of you know, was very lively She was a very friendly person, and had a great sense of humor. You can see that in some of her political cartoons posted on the placards around here.

Betty was always interested in what people thought, and in having friendly discussion with them from there. In distribution she always said, after giving an announcement of the topic of the leaflet, “What do you think?”

In case you don’t know, Betty was an English teacher at UIC for several years until her retirement, after teaching at Harold Washington Community College, DePaul, DeVry, and East-West University in Chicago. Before that Betty taught at junior and senior high schools and colleges in a number of places, including Zanzibar, East Africa.

Betty was a very caring and loving teacher, who saw herself as a coach for her students. She never held students’ weaknesses against them, but showed the students how to practice and improve. Betty would give students a grade based only on their final product.

On content, Betty encouraged critical thinking, for the students to think for themselves and back up any conclusion or judgment they came to with evidence and proof.

As for some of Betty’s peace and justice activities in Chicago, from 1983--

Betty was a founding member of Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice, which got started in the days of opposing the U.S. war on Iraq, from 2003, and produced many newsletters and held many discussion meetings. Among the things she did, Betty created political cartoons and other graphics, including placards. You can see some around you and on the Betty memorial website: www.obituare.com/betty-resnikoff-obituary-75950

As well, Betty was a founding member of the Chicago Anti-war Coalition.

Here are some of the issues Betty was active in, always encouraging people such as yourselves to participate:

--One issue was defense of the day laborers, mostly undocumented immigrants. They once had a nice drive-in center near the corner of Pulaski and Foster on undeveloped city land, where they could stabilize contacts with contractors and ensure that they got paid. The alderman of the 39^th ward, Margaret Laurino,  decided to drive them out of that spot. Betty was part of the rallies and other opposition to Laurino’s plan. And then, when Laurino evicted the workers, Betty supported the setting up of the Albany Park Workers’ Center as a hub for day laborers seeking safe and reliable employment. 

 

-- Along this line of defense of undocumented immigrants, Betty was a founding member of the Albany Park Defense Network. This group has opposed the U.S. government drive to chase undocumented immigrants out of the country, even though they have been great workers, tax-payers, and productive members of the community. This group is still active, and if you would like to participate with them, please let me know.

--Betty was active in opposing another of Alderman Laurino’s plans for moving low-income people out of the area. Laurino decided to demolish some affordable housing in the Kimball/Foster area by building a new and larger library at Foster/Kimball, at an exorbitantly high price that lined the pockets of her developer friends.

 

--One of the main issues of Neighbors for Peace and Justice, and  of the Chicago Anti-war Coalition, has been to oppose all U.S. government interference in other countries.

You cannot have peace and justice when you have a government that serves the profit-making of big banks and corporations. They will do anything to make a buck.

You cannot have peace and justice when the aim of the U.S. ruling class is to create and maintain a U.S. empire for the big banks and corporations.

In case you don’t know, each of the Founding Fathers said, in writing, that their aim was to create an American empire.

You cannot have peace and justice when the U.S. government devotes itself to regime change and war to get more dependable pro-U.S. governments.

Betty was active against the U.S. war in Indochina, against the U.S. attacks on Grenada and Panama, against the U.S. war on Afghanistan, against the U.S. war on Libya, against the efforts at regime change in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and against the illegal and unjust U.S. sanctions and other actions against North Korea, Iran, the Palestinians and others.

A main slogan for Betty was No War for U.S. Empire. She explained that this is a key concept as it is what the U.S. government does. She explained how it is very important for all of us to build unity and organization to achieve a peace and justice government that is of, by, and for the people—power to the people.

One regular place where Betty explained this was at the corner of Lawrence and Kimball, even when she had to sit in a walker to do her leafletting and discussions because of painful legs. And she did that no matter how hot it was or how cold.

She would always use the method of asking people what they thought about this or that political issue, and have calm discussions with people from there.

--As part of throwing a monkey wrench into the aggressive actions of the U.S. military, Betty participated in actively opposing military recruitment in the public schools. We went into the schools with a table with counter-military brochures and talked to students.  If anyone would like to do that, please let me know.

Betty had political discussions against U.S. wars and other issues wherever she could and whenever.   

Her political discussions at UIC with students were so effective that the administration had her arrested for sitting at a table in the cafeteria in the school she taught at and discussing illegal and unjust U.S. government interference in other countries.

A funny story is that Betty convinced the university police that this was a violation of her rights. When the administration called to say to hold her because they wanted to press charges, the police said it was too late, they had already let her go! –while Betty was still there, waiting for a ride back to campus by them.

Betty was arrested one time near a federal building while she was having quiet and non-antagonistic discussion in opposition to a woman who supported the suppression of Palestinians by Israel. Homeland Security police ordered the two to stop discussion and leave the area. Betty insisted it was her right to have discussion on the public sidewalk. Homeland Security arrested her. Betty invited movement activists to her trial.

The federal judge in the case agreed that she had the right of free speech, but that it was trumped by the need to follow orders of the police! The appeal of the verdict to the federal district court was rejected.

--In addition to Betty’s ongoing anti-war focus, in the 1980s Betty was active in the campaign to enable the workers at the Oscar Mayer plant on Division Street to win their demands for improved working conditions and pay. And then, when Oscar Mayer, in retaliation, decided to close down this most productive plant in their system, Betty was one of the leaders in organizing to let everyone far and wide know, with Betty’s characteristic humor,  that Oscar Mayer was full of baloney,  and to demand that Oscar Mayer products be boycotted by the City and County governments and everyone else.

--Betty participated in the campaign to oppose the CIA going on campus at Northwestern University to recruit students. She developed cartoons for leaflets, including one you can see here. She is remembered to this day by some of those at a rally opposing the CIA and its recruiting on campus. They remember how she marched up to a Conservative student who broke through the picket line. She grabbed his big American flag away from him and told him to get out of there.  Other protesters joined in, and chased away all of the Conservatives.

--Betty was instrumental on developing campaigns around the narrow, anti-critical thinking common core curriculum content being forced on the schools by the Business Roundtable and other corporations who want more docile workers.

And she was active in the campaign against filling up the school calendar with tons of high stakes standardized testing that help to create a narrow curriculum.

You can see one her leaflets on these issues on the placards here. This was part of a national campaign that is still continuing, and that it would be good for us to take up—as well as the current campaign to ensure safety in the school in the face of the covid-19 pandemic. The mayor and School Board have been highly negligent on this. If you are interested in participating in any of this, please let me know.

--Betty was active in the campaign for an elected school board in Chicago, a campaign that has turned out to be successful. When it is put into place, we should all be active to ensure a better school system, as well as to restore power to the Local School Councils. Betty worked with some Local School Councils to help them be as strong as they could be in giving voice to how the schools should be run.

--Along the line of being for decision making by the people, Betty was a strong advocate of a community elected board to decide how the police should act. This is still a live issue that I encourage everyone to consider participating in.

--Betty was for making a dent in the problem of global/warming climate change. One thing she did was to advocate that the City put solar power on public buildings in the 35^th ward and government buildings all over the city. That is a campaign we all need to pursue further.

                                            -----

Betty came to the conclusion many years ago that the capitalist system and the U.S. ruling class of big banks and corporations and their drive for maximum profits was at the root of the racism and other injustices in the U.S. This is at the root of the constant drive of the U.S. government for wars and interference in countries abroad. The aim is to build Empire.

One of Betty’s favorite slogans was No War for U.S. Empire. Buttons from the Chicago Anti-War Coalition(CAWC) with this slogan, as proposed by Betty to CAWC,  are available on the table over there.

Betty openly stood for getting rid of the exploitative and oppressive system ruling in the U.S..  She aimed to have a system in which the working class and others in the society have the power to make decisions, to develop the economy and politics in favor of the people’s needs.

And Betty was in favor of building a political party that can offer the most helpful political leadership in this direction. She worked on this over the years.

                                              ---

I want to add that it was wonderful working with Betty in collective planning sessions. She was always thoughtful and full of discussion on all angles of an issue. Everything was put on the table. She always helpfully insisted that any proposal for an action answer the questions, what is the political aim? What is the reason for doing this? How will it help bring things forward for those we will be working among?

                                             ----

I think it is a great thing that we are getting this opportunity to so publicly honor the peace and justice work of Betty Resnikoff, and encourage everyone to follow the Betty Resnikoff Way. And now I want to welcome brief thoughts from family, neighbors, and other friends. And then we will hear from Alderman Carlos Rosa, who initiated the ordinance in City Council to honor Betty, and unveil the Betty Resnikoff Way street sign.

Then, we will have pot-luck.

I want to end with the slogans, Long Live Betty!

And, No Wars for U.S. Empire!

Please let us know if you would like to be active with us in continuing Betty's peace and justice work.