More than 1,000 Chicago-area seniors and their allies took part in an act of civil disobedience today to push back against cuts to safety net programs, like Medicare and Social Security. The group rallied outside of the offices of U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D) and Mark Kirk (R) at Federal Plaza.
“I made the decision to participate in civil disobedience as an act of conscience," said Emily Byrd with the Jane Adams Senior Caucus (JASC). I could no longer stand idly by while vital safety net programs are in danger of being cut. What is at stake is not only seniors' ability to live with dignity and economic security, but the future of our country. I am here today to fight not just for seniors, but for my children and grandchildren.”
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Using the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday as a catalyst, Occupy Chicago and a coalition of African American religious leaders kicked off a week of events yesterday, calling on Congress to pass legislation that will create jobs and revenue as well as provide "real relief" for homeowners facing foreclosure. Some 1,500 people attended the event at The People's Church, including state and federal politicians like U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-9) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-2). 
A stagnant economy has pushed nearly one in ten Illinoisans to remain on the unemployment rolls, including 11 percent of unemployed workers in Cook County. The numbers do not take into account the people working part-time or the so-called 99’ers. National figures put real unemployment north of 16 percent. Slow private sector job growth combined with public sector job losses have left many workers competing against hundreds of other applicants for a small pool of jobs.
