Dear Governor Rauner,
Let me introduce myself, my name is Patrick pronounced with the Atrick, (sorry I'm a sucker for Digital Underground). Anyway there's a few things that we need to discuss.
I've been a loyal, hard working State of Illinois employee for 21 years. I make a middle class salary that supports my wife and two daughters. You claim that you are for the middle class, but recent behavior on your part suggests that you are ready to lay off or lock out 30,000 plus middle class workers and I really wonder why that is?
I mentioned that I've been a loyal employee, but I should probably expand on that. I'm a child abuse investigator for DCFS. I've routinely seen things that few people have the stomach for and fewer still have the emotional capability to handle. Horrible things Governor, death, broken bones, sexual assault. Things that people don't want to admit exist, much less see and investigate.
I'm not pretending that I have the toughest job in the state. I know that all State employees have their difficult days. People don't realize that we work for children, elderly, poor, and disabled people. We protect your highways through the State Police and we build your highways through the DoT.
You, Governor Rauner have vilified State Employees. You routinely belittle what we do with hare brained schemes like trying to hire back retirees to replace us. You demean our dedication and service to the public. We're not the problem, sir.
I'm sure you know, sir, that all State Employee's salary combined makes up 7 % of the State of Illinois budget. 7% of a 31 billion dollar operating budget is 2.17 billion. Your personal wealth is rumored to be over a billion dollars perhaps as much as the 2.17 that all state employees make.
You have lost your ability to empathize with common people. You said publicly that you would debate anyone any time regarding your economic plan. As evidenced by your dodging debate with Representative Mike Smiddy you've shown you're all hat and no cattle with regards to challenging people to debate.
Maybe it was an empty promise or maybe you felt that Smiddy would be polished enough to clean your clock. So here's the thing, I will challenge you to a debate. I'm a common man. I have a mortgage and debts and I make a middle class wage. I'm no orator and I'm no politician. I will give you the respect your office deserves if you will give me the common decency my service deserves.
My job is difficult but I love it. All of us love it. We love working for the people of the State of Illinois. We're not greedy, we're not lazy, we're not dumb. We love our state. We love serving the people. I'd love to have this debate in person and I hope you take me up on my offer.
Sincerely,
Patrick Perion AKA Quad City Pat
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
The Duggar Debacle
Trigger Warning
I wasn't going to write about the Duggar clan and the story about Josh molesting his sisters and a babysitter when he was a teen. Then Megyn Kelly of FOXNews interviewed Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. It's hard to put into words how colossally self serving the interview was. Not only that but it minimized one of the most serious issues of our time, the sexual abuse of children.
First lets start with the facts as they have been presented by the family. When Josh Duggar was a teen he confessed to Jim Bob that he had touched his sisters and another girl over and under their clothing while they were "sleeping".
In the interview Jim Bob and Michelle claimed that the girls didn't know because they were asleep. I've literally interviewed hundreds if not thousands (the cases run together trust me) of children. Many of them say, "he touched me when I was sleeping" or "I was pretending to sleep". For the elder Duggars to assume that the girls didn't know is ridiculous at best and an outright lie at worst.
Jim Bob stated that "it wasn't like rape". I'd like to respectfully call bullshit. Sexual abuse does have different degrees but the it's still a violation and one victim may be just as traumatized by touching as another is by rape. The degree of victimization is in the mind of the victim, not the parents and not the public.
Jim Bob and Michelle talked about being devastated when they found out. The did send Josh away for a while, but paid no mind to the trauma their daughters experienced. If this had been handled properly at the time Josh and his sisters would have been sent to specialized treatment for offenders and victims.
The Duggar family has made terrible mistakes in this case, but they are hardly alone. Sibling abuse is very common. The families that take it to the authorities, despite how difficult it is are the families I truly admire. Covering up for you child isn't being a good parent. Confronting the issue, is.
Since the Duggar's failed all of their children miserably, here's what should be happening now. If this case was in Illinois, there would be a hotline report on Josh's own children for Risk of Sexual Abuse. This is taken when an offender has access and it is unknown if he has completed treatment and or an evaluation determining that he is at low or no risk to reoffend.
As is evident in the show, Jim Bob and Michelle still allow Josh to be around his siblings who are still minors, so a report of risk would be taken on them too. If Josh sees an evaluator who determines him to be low risk, the reports would be unfounded. If not he would be indicated (founded) as would the elder Duggars and the family would be ordered into counseling.
Despite their best efforts to paint themselves as victims, the Duggars have only shed light on small part of their creepy family. If any good comes of this, I fervently hope that kids who are being abused speak up. I hope that parents that find out about sibling abuse come forward. Coming forward takes courage. In the end, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar aren't just failed parents, they're cowards.
I wasn't going to write about the Duggar clan and the story about Josh molesting his sisters and a babysitter when he was a teen. Then Megyn Kelly of FOXNews interviewed Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. It's hard to put into words how colossally self serving the interview was. Not only that but it minimized one of the most serious issues of our time, the sexual abuse of children.
First lets start with the facts as they have been presented by the family. When Josh Duggar was a teen he confessed to Jim Bob that he had touched his sisters and another girl over and under their clothing while they were "sleeping".
In the interview Jim Bob and Michelle claimed that the girls didn't know because they were asleep. I've literally interviewed hundreds if not thousands (the cases run together trust me) of children. Many of them say, "he touched me when I was sleeping" or "I was pretending to sleep". For the elder Duggars to assume that the girls didn't know is ridiculous at best and an outright lie at worst.
Jim Bob stated that "it wasn't like rape". I'd like to respectfully call bullshit. Sexual abuse does have different degrees but the it's still a violation and one victim may be just as traumatized by touching as another is by rape. The degree of victimization is in the mind of the victim, not the parents and not the public.
Jim Bob and Michelle talked about being devastated when they found out. The did send Josh away for a while, but paid no mind to the trauma their daughters experienced. If this had been handled properly at the time Josh and his sisters would have been sent to specialized treatment for offenders and victims.
The Duggar family has made terrible mistakes in this case, but they are hardly alone. Sibling abuse is very common. The families that take it to the authorities, despite how difficult it is are the families I truly admire. Covering up for you child isn't being a good parent. Confronting the issue, is.
Since the Duggar's failed all of their children miserably, here's what should be happening now. If this case was in Illinois, there would be a hotline report on Josh's own children for Risk of Sexual Abuse. This is taken when an offender has access and it is unknown if he has completed treatment and or an evaluation determining that he is at low or no risk to reoffend.
As is evident in the show, Jim Bob and Michelle still allow Josh to be around his siblings who are still minors, so a report of risk would be taken on them too. If Josh sees an evaluator who determines him to be low risk, the reports would be unfounded. If not he would be indicated (founded) as would the elder Duggars and the family would be ordered into counseling.
Despite their best efforts to paint themselves as victims, the Duggars have only shed light on small part of their creepy family. If any good comes of this, I fervently hope that kids who are being abused speak up. I hope that parents that find out about sibling abuse come forward. Coming forward takes courage. In the end, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar aren't just failed parents, they're cowards.
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