Harmon called to remind of town hall about Eisenhower

Had a robo-call last night from Sen. Don Harmon, who’s hosting a town hall meeting tonight at Brooks middle school, 325 S. Kenilworth, about “reconstruction” of the Eisenhower X-way and how it affects Oak Park.

I had already planned to be there. Harmon is wise to push this session on a very hot issue. He works hard at his job and makes a good impression.

The meeting is also a way for him to talk about something besides pension reform, which many say is in crisis mode, but not he. Nor senate president John Cullerton.

In July the Wed. Journal was not convinced:

We’d say that a state regularly facing downgrades on its debt is in crisis. A state that can’t pay its bills to social service providers in a timely way is in crisis. A state that raises income taxes by $6 billion annually and is just barely keeping pace with added pension demands is in crisis. A state controlled on all levels by a single political party that still can’t pass pension reform is in crisis.

Whatever. No robo-call from me, but I am glad to help our senator and urge you to come to Brooks. 7:30.

Celebrate Samhain by Disguising your Child as a Major Household Appliance

This genius-level mother makes an unusual costume.

projectophile

For several months, my four-year-old insisted she wanted to dress up like a letter for Halloween. Yes, a letter. As in, “This letter states that, due to an overdue library book, you never actually graduated college.” *

This past weekend, Estelle “flipped her mind” and declared that she wanted to dress as a princess instead.  A Princess! Within seconds, big brother and I delivered an onslaught of white lies in order to shield her from the Princess Industrial Complex  (despite the fact that her last name means “King” in Poland, she’s not next in line for the Polish crown).

“You don’t want to be a princess!” Max declared. “Everyone else is going to be a Princess.” I took the deceit a step further: “You know Biscuit, there is a strict limit on the number of Princesses on Halloween, and all those spots are already taken.”

Satisfied with our explantion…

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Catholic university To Teach Students How To Promote, Protect Obamacare-Covered Abortions

Georgetown to the rescue of the maybe abortion-deprived:

A Washington D.C.-based private Catholic university is slated to offer a class next semester that is expected to teach students how to promote and protect abortion coverage provided under the Affordable Care Act.

The course, “Regulatory Advocacy: Women and the Affordable Care Act,” is set to be taught at Georgetown Law, and it has upset staunch Catholics, according to The Cardinal Newman Society, which first reported on the new academic offering.

“We have long warned about Georgetown scandals that undermine the Church’s strong defense of innocent life,” Patrick Reilly, society president, told Catholic Education Daily. “But here students are being required to work for a pro-abortion lobby, making America’s oldest Catholic university an active agent of the culture of death.

Lawyers should know about ObamaCare, but the course is to be taught by one Kelli Garcia, an adjunct prof out of Princeton, Yale, and UCLA who is

Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center where she oversees the Center’s efforts to address religious restrictions on women’s access to reproductive health services, including its work on hospital mergers and crisis pregnancy centers.

“Religious restrictions” tells us that Catholic health providers are her target, I’d say. Her organization is one of many who looked forward to Affordable Care:

We’ve Got You Covered: What Women Need To Know About Health Care Enrollment

September 20, 2013

The health care law—sometimes called Obamacare—will make health coverage more affordable and easier to obtain for millions of American women. Starting in October, millions of American women will be able to enroll in new, affordable insurance, with coverage effective as early as January 1, 2014. In each state, women will be able to choose a high quality plan that covers important health services like maternity care, prescription drugs, and preventive health services. These resources provide women and their families with information about the new health coverage options available through a Health Insurance Marketplace in their state.

Oh my. Does Georgetown want such a gullible person teaching its law students?

Consider also her organization’s news clips, offered on its site, including a Mother Jones  piece, Do Bishops Run Your Hospital?

Look, hear her out, say in a campus lecture, with Q&A following, or better yet in a debate format, where her position is considered adequately respectable or at least formidable, above all controversial. Fine. But anoint her as a trusted teacher? Why on earth?