Ken Previti. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) is actually doing things to support education, teachers, seniors, public health safety and more.

– Ken Previti is a retired Illinois teacher living in Florida and blogs at Reclaim Reform.

During this period of shock and awe attacks by legislators who serve the interests of corporations and don’t give a damn about the needs of the people they were elected to serve, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) is actually doing things to support education, teachers, seniors, public health safety and more. We need to elect more legislators like Jan.

What has she done for us lately?

Jan continues to meet with the Skokie Organization of Retired Teachers (S.O.R.E.) and others who realize that members live on the income of their earned compensation, pensions. She has openly stated that cuts are unfair, unnecessary and are not the cause of the state’s or the nation’s financial problems.

S.O.R.E. President Fred Klonsky, Rep. Schakowsky and Harriet Sheeley speak freely about the harsh realities of attacks on active and retired teachers, most of whom are women.

The fall issue of Ms. Magazine has an eye-opening article, Skin Deep: when personal-care products aren’t regulated, women’s health is put at risk by Heather White. (Pretty Poison: The UGLY side of personal-care products.) Since women’s health issues are also issues for their children, our entire society shares these same health risks. Triclosan, bisphenol A (BPA), mercury, and a whole list of carcinogens and hormone disruptors are yet to be effectively regulated in spite of being banned and/or highly restricted in other countries.

As the article points out: “Rep. Schakowsky introduced the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act of 2013 (H.R. 1385), which would require full disclosure of ingredients used in cosmetics and pre-marketing safety assessment for cosmetic products.”

In this political climate where corporate toadies are often disguised as public servants, we need to find and support those people who run for office in order to serve the needs of us all. Jan Schakowsky is one of them – one of us.