Category Archives: All Politics is Local

US-China Trade Negotiations in Chicago Today

It’s not every day that important negotiations take place outside of national capitals. The The US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade summit is no exception. Today’s negotiations in Chicago are just the second time in a quarter of a century that they have been held outside of Washington or Beijing. And the stakes areContinue reading “US-China Trade Negotiations in Chicago Today”

The challenging road of referenda in Illinois

Somewhere in the throws of taking care of my infant son, I missed the circuit court’s decision to declare the Redistricting Amendment unconstitutional. As you may recall, I went over its advantages and disadvantages (mainly that it doesn’t apply to Congressional District Boundaries) right here. While this would have been a good measure to sendContinue reading “The challenging road of referenda in Illinois”

Become Globally-Minded in the Northwest Suburbs

Starting on June 4th, Harper College has invited me to lead monthly lectures on the great current events shaping our world. If you are a mature adult and are interested in lifetime learning, please consider joining me on this interactive, fun journey into everything from headline political stories to foreign cultural secrets revealed. Sign upContinue reading “Become Globally-Minded in the Northwest Suburbs”

Independent Maps on the Fall Ballot

Despite a very challenging ballot initiative process compared with Western states (Colorado, Washington, California, etc.), the group behind the initiative to reform redistricting in Illinois has claimed over 346,000 Illinoisans have signed their petitions. If correct (not too many false signatures), then we should expect the initiative on this Fall’s ballot. While my infographic makesContinue reading “Independent Maps on the Fall Ballot”

Top 5 Reasons for an Open Primary

Since publishing my article on youth voting, I have come to the realization that I was wrong. As much as my civically-minded, Eagle Scout self would like to be cheering on voter participation, we should not be encouraging our young people to vote in primary elections. Instead of inspiring 17-year olds into a lifetime ofContinue reading “Top 5 Reasons for an Open Primary”

Illinois’s primary elections are Tuesday, March 18th! Make sure to check out the Tribune’s recommendations: http://elections.chicagotribune.com/candidates/ Sadly, judge positions are especially numerous and opaque in nature, but a few minutes on the site can help you get to the core of who is in it for the right reasons and alternatively who is in it forContinue reading

Lowering the Voting Age: Should Youth Vote Starting at 17 or Even 16?

Lowering the Voting Age: Should Youth Vote Starting at 17 or Even 16? As Illinois begins to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections for the first time this year, it’s worth considering this move’s consequences. Check out my article published recently on Yahoo.

Should I Sign the Illinois Redistricting Petition?

Should I sign the Illinois Redistricting  Petitition? After listening to a discuss of this topic on WBEZ, I asked myself this question regarding this potential amendment to the Illinois Constitution. The truth is that this amendment is no panacea,  but it may increase political transparency and reduce partisanship. Shady redistricting practices is not just aContinue reading “Should I Sign the Illinois Redistricting Petition?”

The American Dream or Just DREAMing?

DREAMers, or children of undocumented immigrants, have entered the American lexicon over the last two years. Their stories are often of heartbreak – families torn about or themselves deported to countries where they may not even speak its language! But also of hope – they are often safer, healthier, and have a better education thanContinue reading “The American Dream or Just DREAMing?”