If you live in Chicago, make sure to vote on Feb. 5. Of course, you probably know who you're voting for for president, but there's a whole lot of local elections happening that day, too. In Cook County, we elect our judges, and typically, once elected, that judge stays on the bench forever. Chicagoans vote the incumbent. But, really, a lot of judges only make it on the bench because of patronage and nepotism and actually have no place ruling on matters of law.
Every election year, the Chicago Bar Association puts out an evaluation of all the running judges, grading them either HQ (Highly Qualified), Q (Qualified), or NR (Not Recommended). There's a handy pocket guide that you can even take with you when you vote. Get your copy of it here, and don't forget to vote on those! It's actually very good and very accurate.
Also, taxes are soon upon us. My beautiful and caring wife recently pointed out all the crazy characters that come out around tax time (the oversized-headed Uncle Sam, the lady in the Statue of Liberty costume) to lure people into their tax services. Poor people inevitably get ripped off by these chain tax prep places.
BUT...The Center for Economic Progress will do your taxes for free, if you qualify under their income guidelines. For families (more than one person in the home), the income max is $40,000, and for individuals, it's $15,000. AND, they're conveniently located in 39 communities throughout Chicago. So spread the word! Get a flyer for it here.
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2 comments:
On behalf of the Center for Economic Progress, I just wanted to say thank you for mentioning our services. I personally spend a lot of time trying to get the word out about our free tax prep and it is certainly a lot of work. Thanks for making my job a little easier. :)
Melissa
Marketing and Media Asst.
Center for Economic Progress
Wow! You're definitely welcome, Melissa. Thanks for commenting. We'll definitely be making mention of it also at our block club meeting (West Humboldt Park).
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