Women for A Better Illinois

We the undersigned Illinois women are joining in one voice to call upon ALL of you to lead the Illinois General Assembly to act NOW to pass a comprehensive tax reform package that will provide adequate revenue to vital services supported by the state of Illinois.

Your leadership is critical to ensuring that a new, responsible and balanced approach to funding state government, education, and vital human services is achieved.

As citizens and spokespersons for all the citizens of Illinois, we need your leadership to put aside political agendas and support the balanced revenue reform solutions that will help Illinois' struggling families and businesses and put us on a path to stability and prosperity.

We are counting on you to act responsibly for the good of the people you were elected to serve, to work together, and get the job done now.

State Senator Deanna Demuzio (D-49)
State Senator Heather Steans, (D-7)
State Senator Iris Martinez (D-20)
State Senator Kimberly Lightford (D-4)
State Senator Linda Holmes (D-42)
State Senator M. Maggie Crotty  (D-19)
State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-3)
State Senator Toi W. Hutchinson (D-40)
State Representative Annazette Collins (D-10)
State Representative Betsy Hannig (D-98)
State Representative Cynthia Soto (D- 4)
State Representative Elaine Nekritz (D-57)
State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez (D-29)
State Representative Esther Golar (D-6)
State Representative Karen A. Yarbrough (D-7)
State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia (D-83)
State Representative Maria Antonia Berrios (D-39)
State Representative Monique D. Davis (D-27)
State Representative Naomi Jakobsson (D-103)
State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D-12)
State Representative Susana A. Mendoza (D-1)
Dorothy Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
Alderman Vi Daley, City of Chicago, 43rd Ward
Alice H. Kautsky, President, Cicero Council; Vice President Local 571; IFT Vice President
Alicia Gregorio Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Andrea Kuebbeler, Co-Chair, Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers
Anita Burks, IFT Vice President; Field Rep., Chicago Teachers Union (PSRP)
Ann Ford, Executive Director, Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living
Ann Hilton Fisher, Executive Director, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago
Anne Ladky, Executive Director, Women Employed
Anne Statton, Executive Director, Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative
April Verrett, Executive Vice President, SEIU Healthcare IL/IN
Audrey Soglin, Executive Director, Illinois Education Association
Barb Quinn, Chair Better Funding for Better Schools Coalition
Barbara Castellan, CEO, Gads Hill Center
Barbara Otto, Executive Director, Health & Disability Advocates
Becky Berry, Community Services Case Worker, Mid Central Community Action, Inc
Becky McGinnis, Executive Director, Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living
Brenda Fashola, Director Community Affairs, Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc
Carol Ronen, former State Senator and Democratic Committeewoman
Carolee Caplan, Illinois State Public Affairs Chairman, National Council of Jewish Women
Cathy Contarino, Executive Director, IMPACT CIL 
Cathy Curran, Executive Director, PADS Crisis Services
Cathy Ficker Terrill, President and CEO, Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities
Cheryll Boswell, Executive Director, METEC Housing Counseling Resource Center
Christine Boardman, President, SEIU Local 73
Cinda Klickna, Secretary-Treasurer, Illinois Education Association
Concepcion Saldivar, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Dawn Dannenbring, Community Organizer, Illinois People%u2019s Action 
Deborah Foertsch, President, Champaign Federation of Teachers, Local 1925; IFT Vice President
Deborah Lawson, IFT Vice President; President, District 187; Vice President, Local 504
Debra Wessel, Service Coordinator, Light The Way, Inc.
Diana Mendley Rauner, Ph.D., Executive Director, Ounce of Prevention Fund
Diana Sheffer %u2013 Chicago Teachers Union; IFT Vice President
Diane Slezak, Chief Operating Officer, AgeOptions
Donna Barrows, Board member, Family Focus, Inc.
Donna Catalano, Executive Director, Search, Inc.
Donna M. Joerger, Executive Director, Illinois Valley Center for Independent Living
Dory Rand, President, Woodstock Institute
Edna Otero, IFT Vice President; Trustee/Executive Board Member, Chicago Teachers Union
Eileen Durkin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Neumann Family Services
Ellie Sullivan, President, UPI Local 4100; IFT Vice President
Emilie Junge, Regional Coordinator Doctors Council, SEIU
Ethel Mitchell, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Evelyn Gooden, AARP Executive Council
Felipa Mena, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Fran Hook Hume, CEO, Maine Center, Inc.
Gail Kear, Executive Director, LIFE Center for Independent Living
Gail T. Smith, Executive Director, Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers
Gaylon Alcaraz, Executive Director, Chicago Abortion Fund
Harriet Meyer, President, Ounce of Prevention Fund
Heather O'Donnell, Policy Director, Health Care and Human Services, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
Heather Shadur, President, Shadur Communications
Heidi Lawson %u2013 Outreach chair, AFT Local 6297; Chair, Graduate Employee Constituency Council; IFT Vice President
Jackie Petty, Peoria Park District Board of Trustees
Jane A. Rottschalk-Cohlmeyer, President, Cahokia Federation of Teachers, Local 1272; IFT Vice President
Jane A. Russell, President, West Suburban Teachers Union, Local 571; IFT Vice President
Jane Genzel, Director, Peoria Opportunities Foundation 
Jane Nesbit, Executive Director, Developmental Disability Services of Metro East
Jane Ramsey, Executive Director, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs
Janet Kittlaus, Lutheran Advocacy, Illinois Statewide Advisory Council
Janet Maruna, Executive Director, Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
Janet S. Stover, Executive Director, Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
Jennifer Hill, Executive Director, Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County
Jeri J. Wooters, Executive Director, SAIL - Soyland Access to Independent Living
Jing Zhang, Program Director, Asian Human Services
Joset Wright, Executive Director, Orchard Village
Joyce Skoog, Board Member, Ounce of Prevention Fund
Judith Geithner, Executive Committee: United Power for Action and Justice
Judith M. Gall, MSW, Executive Director, Alternatives, Inc.
Judith Walker-Kendrick, Director, Chicago Coalition of Site Administered Child Care Programs
Judy Cates, Former President Illinois Trial Lawyer Association 
Julie Dworkin, Director of Policy, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Karen Freitag, Executive Director, Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, Inc.
Karen Kendall, IFT Vice President; Vice President Local 943
Kathleen A. Doherty, Executive Director, Between Friends
Kathleen Stenson, Secretary, AFT Local 604; IFT Vice President
Kathryn Straniero, Executive Director, Together We Cope
Kathy Chan, Associate Director, Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
Kathy Ryg, President, Voices for Illinois Children
Kathy Setlak, President, Local 943; IFT Vice President
Kathye Gorosh, CEO, New Age Services
Katie Jordan, President, Chicago Coalition of Labor Union Women
Kelli Brooks, Executive Director, Lake County Center for Independent Living
Kelly Regnier, IFT Vice President; Director of Communications, Lake County Federation of Teachers Local 504; Secretary, Zion-Benton Federation of Teachers
Laura Garza, Vice President/Director Commercial Division, SEIU Local 1 
Laurel L. Prussing, Mayor, City of Urbana
Laurella Scaggs, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Laurene M. Heybach, Director, The Law Project of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Lee Ann Gemmingen, Vice President, Southwest Illinois Federation of Teachers; IFT Vice President
Linda Bookwalter, Executive Director, Stopping Woman Abuse Now
Linda C. Porter, Treasurer, Chicago Teachers Union, IFT Local 1; IFT Vice President
Linda Henning Cohen, State President, American Association of University Women
Linda Murphy, Legislative Director, Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600
Linda S. Coon, Executive Director, Families' and Children's AIDS Network
Lisa Thompson, Vice President, Project Oz
Lori Clark, Executive Director, Jane Addams Senior Caucus
Louise Evans, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Louise Nolta, Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, Justice and Peace Coordinator, USA
Lyn Schollett, General Counsel, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Lynda DeLaforgue, Co-Director, Citizen Action/Illinois
Lynn Jarman, Executive Director, Living Independently Now Center
Lynn Kearney, IFT Vice President; Co-president, IFT Local 540
Lynn Morton, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Lynn O'Shea, President/CEO, Association for Individual Development
Madeline Talbott, Lead Organizer, Action Now
Mandee Russell, BSW, ICDVP, Program Manager, Sarah's Circle
Marcena W. Love, Chair Emerita, Personal PAC
Marcia K. Boone, President, Southwestern Illinois Federation of Teachers, IFT Vice President; Trustee, Teachers%u2019 Retirement System
Margie Schaps, Executive Director, Health and Medicine Policy Research Group
Maria Whelan, President/CEO, Illinois Action for Children
Marietta Morton, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Marilyn Katz, President, MK Communications
Marilyn Stewart, President, Chicago Teacher%u2019s Union
Mary A. McGuire, Recording Secretary, Chicago Teachers Union; IFT Vice President; Officer Liaison for Chicago Teachers Pension Fund
Mary Crittenden, Executive Director, KCCDD
Mary H. Hollie, CEO, Lawrence Hall Youth Services
Mary Pat Ambrosino, Executive Director, Southwest Community Services, Inc.
Maryann L. Aimone, Assistant to the President/Executive Director, Advancement, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Maureen Betourney, President, Illinois Education Association Staff Organization
Merri Dee, AARP Illinois State President
Michelle Eberlin, President, Quincy Federation of Teachers; IFT Vice President
Michelle Young, President, Action Now
Mona Ballengar, Director Security Division, SEIU Local 1
Myra Glassman, Secretary-Treasurer, SEIU Healthcare IL/IN
Nancy Aardema, Executive Director, Logan Square Neighborhood Association
Nancy B. Ronquillo, President and CEO, Children's Home Aid
Nancy E. Schwab, Board Member, McHenry County Citizens for Choice
Nancy Shier, Director of the Ounce of Prevention Fund's Kids Public Education and Policy Project
Nancy W. Kelley, SHPA Member
Nelida Torres, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Norma Rolfsen, Program Director, HIV Care Program
Pam Heavens, Executive Director, Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living
Pam Sutherland, Vice President of Public Policy Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Pamela F. Rodriguez, President, TASC, Inc.
Pamelyn Massarsky, IFT Vice President, Chicago Teachers Union
Patricia Canessa, Executive Director, Salud Latina/Latino Health
Patricia Crowley, O.S.B., Prioress, St. Scholastica Monastery
Patti Hodges, Director of Field Services, Illinois Education Association
Paula Stadeker, IFT Vice President; member of Local 3236 Illinois Federation of State Office Educators at the Illinois State Board of Education
Phyllis Thistlewood, Director of Housing, Light The Way, Inc
Polly Poskin, Executive Director, Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Rebecca A. Sive, Principal, The Sive Group, Inc.
Rebecca Kupferberg, Community Organizer, Chicago Homeless
Renee Skotnik, Chair of Women and Civil Rights Committee; Cook County College Teachers Union, Local 1600
Rev. Dr. Rebecca S. Larson, Executive Director, Church in Society Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rev. Stacie Fidlar, Board Member, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Roberta Lynch, Deputy Director, AFSCME Council 31
Robyn Gabel, Executive Director, Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition
Rochelle Davis, Executive Director, Healthy Schools Campaign
Rose Mary Meyer, BVM, Project IRENE
Ruby Haughton-Pitts, AARP Executive Council
Ruby Murphy, Executive Committee, Parents Organized to Win, Educate and Renew - Policy Action Council
Ruth Johnson, Case Manager, Light The Way, Inc
Sandra L. Schultz, IFT Vice President, Local 1-Chicago Educational Issues Coordinator
Sandra Shimon, , Medical Transcription Service
Sarah Johnson, MSW, LCSW, Board Member for LINC, Inc.
Sharon Hess, Executive Director, Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless
Sharon R. Crockett, President, East St. Louis Federation of Teachers, Local 1220; IFT Vice President
Sherry S. Newton, President/CEO, Alan G. Ryle Companies
Shirley Forpe, IFT Vice President; Retiree representative, IFT Local 1211
Sister JoAn Schullian, OSF, President Macon County Citizens Opposing Capital Punishment
Soo Ji Min, Executive Director, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health
Sue Augustus, Managing Director, Region 1 Corporation for Supportive Housing
Sue Barauski, Director, Adult Learning Resource Center/The Center 
Susan L. Gilpin, Director of Planned Giving and Executive Director of Cornerstone Foundation Lutheran Social Services of Illinois
Susan Munro, President, SBM Solutions for Nonprofits
Susan Shimon, Executive Director, New Foundation Center, Inc.
Teresa Bousky, Board of Directors Chairperson, AgeOptions
The Rev. Sandra Castillo, Vicaria, La Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de las Americas 
Vanessa Smith, Executive Director, South Side Help Center
Vickie Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Wendy Pollack, Director, Women's Law & Policy Project Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Willie Gunter, Executive Director, Illinois Assistive Technology Program