First Friday Club of Chicago podcast

“We have no money” seems to be a mantra from all levels of government, city, county, state and national. As public budgets get tighter and money more scarce, decisions are being made on who and what will be funded by government and from whom money will be taken away. The work of social service agencies, jails, health care facilities, subsidized housing, job training, drug rehabilitation, and education appear to be the immediate victims.

Yet are not they, and those who serve their human needs, the ones who should be the recipients of the government? Why does it seem that they are the last being served properly and the first to have services taken away? Why does it appear that the poor among us continue to be the least of all?

The President of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle, is in a position to see this dilemma on a daily basis. Her office has responsibility for Cook County jail, the Cook County Hospital, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, to name but a few.

She was elected President of the Cook County Board in December 2010. Since then she has had to rebuild the credibility of County Government. She faced a deficit of $1.4 billion. She cut $465 million in expenditures while focusing on County services that help the least among us.

The First Friday Club is honored to have President Toni Preckwinkle speak to us on Friday, May 6, 2016.

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FFCC-1610: "Is There Any Light at the end of the Tunnel?" - Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson 0

Oct 7, 2016

On Friday, October 7, 2016, At Noon at The Union League Club

The First Friday Club of Chicago Welcomes

Superintendent Eddie Johnson, Chicago Police Department

Who will address the issue

"Is There Any Light at the end of the Tunnel?"

    During the years of the Vietnam Conflict the Defense Department released, on a weekly basis, the number of U.S. military forces killed and wounded in battle. Needless to say, many weeks, those figures were staggering.

    Presently, media outlets in Chicago report the number of people killed and wounded in Chicago at the end of each weekend. Many weekends and weeks those figures are staggering. Sadly, they rival war zones. Over the Labor Day holiday weekend 13 people were killed, victims of gun violence. Another 52 were shot in Chicago. After eight months and one week 500 people were murdered in the neighborhoods of Chicago.

    In every video scene of the shootings in Chicago, there is one common picture: Chicago police officers. The expectation is that these men and women are called upon to stop this seemingly out-of-control situation.

    The First Friday Club is honored that Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson will speak to this issue. It is no longer a Chicago neighborhood issue, or a city issue, or even a national issue. The violence in Chicago is now headline news internationally.

    At the time of his birth, Superintendent Johnson was born into the toughest community in Chicago, Cabrini Green. At the age of nine his family moved to the south side of Chicago, where he still lives. During the last three decades he has held nearly every position within the Chicago Police Department, from ordinary cop to Chief of Patrol.

    Lord, make me an instrument of your peace...

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