my sister is running. a little local press.

[mopinko]

this is her profile in the daily herald, a suburban chi newspaper.

http://e-edition.dailyherald.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=dfc73078-c5e6-48e9-ae5e-cadbf5adec56

Q. Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?

A. I think we need another way to help the homeless in our county. There are no numbers that this problem will get any better, so a new approach is needed.

I would love to take the blighted house initiative that the county is using to take

possession of blighted properties and find the right place to build a tiny home village to house our homeless veterans and other homeless with dignity.

As a real estate investor, I have spent the past three years evaluating distressed properties and turning them into quality homes for the first-time buyer market and I think that background makes this issue a good fit.

I have already spoken with contractors who are interested in participating in this with a net zero, or energy-independent plan. Several cities in the U.S. are using this approach to solve their homeless problem.

I understand not everybody would want something like this in their neighborhood, but sometimes blighted properties are blighted particularly because of where they are. Better to turn properties into useful communities than to allow them to rot, and take down whole neighborhoods.

It is a myth that such a purpose is a net negative. Lifting up those who need a hand is how communities succeed. It would give the homeless an address, a crucial step in getting a job that would give them the leg up they need to be contributing members of our county.

This would also result in great savings to the health care system in reduced ER visits and better health outcomes. The stabilization that comes from just this one issue can pay for such an effort. Hospitals in other cities are directly investing in such endeavors to protect their own bottom lines, and it is working.

I would look for grants to help fund the project and seek out collaboration with those who are promoting this idea across the country. But even at the bottom line, this is a win-win proposition.

i have been her writing collaborator. it has been a gas.

[hedda_foil]

1. DuPage Dems just posted a great video of all the Dem women running for county board.

The whole video is just a little over a minute and a half. Sheila starts at :30 seconds in. I just sent the link to my local friends.

[mopinko]

2. i posted it when it came out. aint democracy grand?

do watch this vid, folks. it's great.
rumor has it thugs are expecting 6 new board members, all dem women.

Link to tweet

thanks for sharing, hedda.

[hedda_foil]

3. You're welcome, Mo. It would have helped if I'd remember to post the video.

I'm glad you did. I think we may just be on the way to turning DuPage true blue!