Northside Power is excited to announce their diligent work to improve healthcare in Rogers Park, a medically underserved neighborhood in the City of Chicago.
At last night’s Cook County budget meeting Northside Power presented their bold initiatives to overcome these problems and requested financial support from the County Board. A favorable response was received from Larry Suffredin, County Commisioner of Rogers Park’s 13th district. However, the board refused to make any financial commitment to support these initiatives to improve healthcare options for the working class that live in Rogers Park.
Board President John Stroger did encourage Northside Power to continue pressing for improvements in County resources for the Rogers Park community. Over thirty Rogers Park residents came out in support of nine community activists and private citizens who testified about the horrific personal impact of unavailable healthcare in Rogers Park.
Northside Power Subcommittee on Health Chair James Ginderske outlined the crisis of some 88,000 medically needy people residing in Chicago’s North region, almost 19,000 of whom live in Rogers Park. The Chicago Board of Health considers the “medically needy”as people who earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level and who don’t receive Medicaid benefits. Ginderske stated that: “ Many of those unassisted are a diverse people who play by the rules, are employed but either cannot afford health insurance or are chronically ill and can’t get insurance at all. The County is failing these people in epic numbers.”
Ginderske proposed a local drug delivery program, and a County health clinic placed in Rogers Park. He estimated the cost of an adequate clinic at 4.5 million dollars. He said this figure included pharmaceuticals and could be financed by the pending changes to the Suburban Tuberculosis District and planned consolidations within County Health Services.
Northside Power is seeing rapidly expanding grassroots support for solutions to the healthcare crisis in Rogers Park. If you would like more information or would like to help, please contact James Ginderske at (773) 761-2335.
4 comments:
So, let me see. Thirty people turn out to try and get the County Board to put a Health Clinic in Rogers Park, according to this posting, and that makes this community organization a fraud?
Using the same dumb-ass logic you presented, one could infer that you are on the take from the County Board to prevent a health clinic from being built in Rogers Park. You must have close ties to Stroger and be paid to spread this inane, useless rhetoric on a blog.
Why don't you do something about all this corruption you allege is taking place other than hiding behind a computer and attacking people?
Spineless, indeed.
Stop tearing down people that are trying to actually do something in this community. I wasn't at this County Board meeting, but I appreciate the people that are working to make this happen. You can be damn sure I'll be at the meeting when this issue is pressed further.
It's easy to attack people by typing words into a text box on your computer. It takes no courage, a minimal time commitment and no sense of teamwork or community. Hell, you don't even need to use proper english.
To work with others to force change; do SERIOUS research to develop a solution; meet with a cross-section of people in our community; get people to attend; take on community leaders who are failing to do their jobs; and try to propose solutions when our elected officials do -- or will -- not takes courage and commitment.
Insulting these people for no reason hurts us all.
I hope I see you -- and others on this board -- at the next County Board meeting when this issue comes up. However, I get the feeling I won't see you there. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.
I'm sure you and your kin will continue to rot in your own pissed-off little world of Rogers Park conspiracies.
What a sad little world yours must be where anyone actually trying to take action and improve the neighborhood is on the take, in the pocket of the alderman, stealing money from the tax payers or part of a large scale fraud.
If you need a ride to the next meeting, I'll pick you up. I'll even buy you an ice cream treat on the way back if your good.
To not attend and stand up for something we desperately need in the community...now that would be spineless.
It's perfectly normal that James, in his role as Health Chair, would try to get buy in from all the local pols for this project, and this process may or may not occasionally include sharing a meal together in a public place. As for the picture painted of Joe "paying off" James - that sounds like a scary little fever dream to me. Perhaps you should visit a doctor. If the county clinic were up here it would be a lot easier for you to do so.
There may be differences in how people feel about Northside Power's mission and political practice, but I think James has a reputation for integrity and credibility with a lot of people up here. As far as I can tell from talking to him about his various projects to better this community, he's earned that repuation. It just makes you look bad to take pot shots at him.
BTW - the post was a "James Report" of a sort. I'm guessing we haven't seen the other type in a while because he's been busy with more important stuff.
Right on, Kiernan.
I think it's really interesting that this blog gets 45 responses about graphitti or broken windows, but bring up something as important as healthcare issues and no one wants to talk about it.
It would appear that James has been spending his time in the worthwhile pursuit of establishing a healthcare clinic in our neighborhood. A lot research must have gone into his presentation to the board. Does anyone here know that syphillis is one of the highest spread diseases in our neighborhood? You would if you spent time talking with James. Or that our neighborhood has one of the lowest turn-out rates for prenatal care in the first trimester. You would if you talked with James.
If the working poor do not get healthcare it impacts all of us. We'll pay for it in a myriad of ways. Take the time to do some research on urban development, community building and the effects on people as a whole when a portion of a community suffers.
And it would be really interesting if people on Craig's blog would actually identify who they are. Dan2 is right, it's easy to sit in an anonymous world and make judgements.
Instead of yakking about the lack of the James Report, show up at some of these meetings and help make a positive contribution to our community.
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