10 THINGS CITIZENS CAN DO TO IMPROVE CITIZENS/POLICE RELATIONS

Marijuana possession arrests are down 32% in Urbana, but justice in the rest of the county and across the state is very uneven.

by ICDP/Roosevelt University

Illinois is one of the least friendly places in the nation for those caught possessing small amounts of marijuana, a new study by Roosevelt University’s Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy suggests.

An emphasis on misdemeanor arrests for possession and a lack of consistency in implementing local pot-ticket laws typify how cases involving small amounts of marijuana possession frequently are handled in Illinois, according to the report that looks at misdemeanor marijuana possession arrests vs. tickets.

Illinois ranked fifth in the nation for the number of marijuana arrests made in 2010, and the state ranked first in the country for its high proportion of marijuana possession arrests vs. marijuana sales/distribution arrests. A whopping 98.7 percent of marijuana arrests in Illinois were cases involving simple possession, according to the study.

As a grassroots movement  working to address racial, gender, and economic injustices produced by our local criminal justice system, we have made one of our main efforts in recent years the prevention of new jail construction and the mass-incarceration mindset that goes along with it. Our ongoing effort has had remarkable success, thanks in great part to the tireless work and vision of fellow CUCPJ member James Kilgore.

In February 2014, a local right wing newspaper launched an attack against Dr. Kilgore, reporting as if it was news on his criminal background and political activities in the 1970s and questioning whether the University of Illinois―where he currently teaches―should employ him. Although in March a spokesperson for the University made a statement in support of Dr. Kilgore, in April in a private meeting with the University provost, James was informed without explanation that the University would not approve any future employment contracts with him.

News reports indicate that Carol Ammons -- and the mass of motivated citizenry supporting her -- has won the 103rd State Representative Democratic Primary when ballots were counted this evening. This hard fought victory against the Madigan machine came about despite the fact that Madigan spent roughly $100,000 more than the Ammons campaign was able to. The difference was people. People on the street. People door to door. People calling, emailing and messaging.

Is there hope for a Democratic Party that represents the people of Illiinois, rather than a weak alternative to Republicanism? There is now. The people of Illinois demand better.

Innovative and detailed graphic is a visual exploration of the life cycle of coal as an energy source; artists will tie artwork to local energy issues in Central Illinois.

WHAT: One day exhibit of Beehive Design Collective work entitled “The True Cost of Coal,” including an artist-led discussion of the piece.

Two years in the making, “The True Cost of Coal” is an elaborate narrative illustration that explores the complex story of mountaintop removal coal mining and the broader impacts of coal in Appalachia and beyond. The image is the culmination of an intensive and collaborative research process, as the Beehive Design Collective methodology centers on first hand story-sharing. To create the poster, the Beehive interviewed hundreds of community members throughout the Appalachia region. These exchanges of inspiration and information were collaboratively woven together into a tapestry of hand-illustrated graphics, designed to strengthen and support genuine dialogue, critical reflection, and strategic action in defense of the Appalachians Mountains and the cultural and biological diversity they nurture.

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

by Local Yocal

_{Photo by John Dixon/News-Gazette}

CHAMPAIGN- In a recent News-Gazette article, City of Champaign Planning and Development Director Bruce Knight and Champaign County Economic Development Corporation Deputy Director Eric Kotewa both lamented how difficult it is to attract new business into old abandoned spaces. Left to sit, properties become hazardous eye sores draining the economy. In addition, the city of Champaign already has too much un-used office and retail space nobody wants. Most start-ups and national franchises want fresh properties built-to-suit on the fringes of town, rather than configure into what is already available.

Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 13th District, David Green, delivered this speech below on Oct. 20, 2013. The question now is will the other 2 candidates for the March 18th primary be willing to debate Green.

"My campaign invokes FDR’s New Deal and the Occupy movement of the 99%; it is rooted in the idea that the idleness of those who want to work is unnecessary and is to nobody’s benefit; that we are a rich country that must choose not to have poor people and especially poor children; and that there is enough for everyone, and that it is the right of everyone to have enough. It is a campaign of analysis, ideas, compassion, and vision.

My campaign is also in opposition to U.S.-driven predatory global capitalism and the immoral wars needed to maintain an unjust and class-driven system of radical inequality, increased poverty, and species-threatening climate change, all while recklessly flirting with the threat of nuclear war.