Latest news with #InquiryRedressBill
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: An appeal to survivors of Magdalene laundries and workhouses in Northern Ireland
I am trying to contact those women and their loved ones who have suffered great historical injustices in institutions in Northern Ireland. My appeal is to those in the United States — and across the world. This year we, the politicians in Northern Ireland, have the opportunity to right a great wrong of the 20th century, imposed upon young women in mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses between 1922 and 1995. We have launched an international appeal to victims and survivors of these institutions, asking for their views on legislation to establish a public inquiry and financial redress scheme. Both are aimed at addressing the terrible wrongs done to them during one of the most distressing and hurtful episodes in our history. The Inquiry (Mother-and-baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill was introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 2025. Our scrutiny of it has begun and as part of our work, we are asking those who will be directly affected by the legislation to respond to an online consultation. We want as many as possible to have their say before it closes at the end of September. The consultation is available online here: but we can also email or post hard copies to anyone who is interested. Email us at: cteotrconsultation@ You can also contact the Committee for the Executive Office by writing to us at: Room 247, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT4 Zaldwaynaka 'Z' Scott has a wonderful idea. It would be fabulous to accomplish it ('Can Chicago State University build a vibrant community a la University of Chicago in Hyde Park?' Aug. 11). But first, repair and renovate all Chicago State University buildings if only to respect the students, faculty and staff who spend time there. Make the university, with its fine faculty, a destination school with quality support for students. Then, the neighborhood can develop as a highly desirable place. All the best to CSU.I felt compelled to point out a rather diminished comment made by Carmen J. AgoyoSilva, from Chicago, on Aug. 6, 2025 ('Voice of the People'), regarding the 80th Anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While she admits that the impetus for the bomb's development was the fear that Germany was working toward one, three months had passed since Germany's unconditional surrender, when these two cities were bombed. She asks, 'were these necessary acts? The U.S. government defended itself by saying that the bombings were to prevent more deaths.' So very true. It's here that she minimizes that fact. My father, as well as hundreds of thousands of soldiers, were being put 'on hold,' here in the states after serving overseas. They were to be used in a major invasion of the Japanese island, if a surrender could not be obtained from the emperor, As it was, Japan still did not give in after the first bomb was dropped, and 140,000 of his people perished, He needed the push of the second one to occur, and another 70,000 of his people were massacred, to finally surrender. The estimate for a full invasion would have been over a million people, from both sides, to perish. This is no small fact. War is the ultimate tragedy. Each death is horrific. But all the facts of history must be spelled out. All I know is that if my father would have been forced to be part of that invasion, after serving four years in the Pacific as an Army infantry sergeant, I may never have even been Trump's ineptness as a politician is shattering the public's confidence in his skill as a chief executive. Writing in the Aug. 10 The Atlantic, Peter Wehner and Robert P. Beschel Jr. report on a survey from the Democratic pollsters Douglas Schoen and Carly Cooperman. According to Wehner, the survey was conducted shortly after the election. By an 11-point margin, independents said they would be less confident that the Trump administration would share accurate information compared with the Biden administration. Yet, by a 10-point margin, those same voters said that they thought the Trump administration would be more effective at getting things done. 'Americans already understood Trump to be corrupt, and proved themselves willing to tolerate that,' the authors argue. 'But now they are coming to believe that he is inept. In American politics, that is an unforgivable sin.' Trump, of course, denies he's inept.I read with fascination about the intricate operations the cartel goes through to smuggle fentanyl across the U.S. and Mexico border ('Sinaloa adapts under government pressure Coordinated moves, cartel lookouts keep drugs flowing to US,' Aug. 12). These included constructing false panels in car doors where packages could be hidden, treating the packages with a chemical to mask the smell from drug-sniffing dogs, and paying off Mexican police at various checkpoints; only to discover that the last barrier to U.S. entry was a U.S. border guard who had been paid off to let the drug-laden car through. Listening to the Republicans and President Trump, I thought it was those families arriving on foot who were stashing the drugs in their luggage? Who knew? So much for 'strengthening' our southern insurance costs are hitting small businesses hard. A recent National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) report found that 94% of small business owners find these costs challenging. While larger employers often self-fund their health insurance coverage, smaller employers normally rely on state-regulated fully insured small-group health insurance plans. These plans have become increasingly unaffordable for small businesses and their workers. Participation in this market has declined sharply — from nearly 15 million in 2014 to 8.5 million in 2023. One contributor to these rising costs for small businesses is the growing number of state-imposed mandates on small-group health insurance plans. Over the past four years, the Illinois General Assembly has enacted 57 mandates on these state-regulated plans. These mandates increase the cost of coverage, pushing premiums higher for small businesses and their employees. As rates climb, many small businesses are forced to scale back benefits, shift costs onto workers, or drop coverage entirely, putting their access to affordable care at risk. Because large employers with self-funded plans are exempt, these mandates widen the cost gap between small and large businesses, putting smaller employers at a competitive disadvantage. JP Morgan Chase research found that small businesses with annual revenues below $600,000 bear a significantly higher payroll burden for health insurance than their larger counterparts. These smaller firms face a median payroll cost of 11.8% for health insurance, compared to 7.1% for businesses with revenues exceeding $2.4 million. Small businesses and their employees cannot continue to shoulder this growing cost burden. It's time to shift the focus from mandates to meaningful reforms that actually lower health insurance costs.
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
An appeal to women and their loved ones to right a wrong
This year we, the politicians in Northern Ireland, have the opportunity to right a great wrong of the 20th century, imposed upon young women in mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses between 1922 – 1995. We have launched an international appeal to victims and survivors of these institutions, asking for their views on legislation to establish a public inquiry and financial redress scheme. Both are aimed at addressing the terrible wrongs done to them during one of the most distressing and hurtful episodes in our history. The Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill was introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 2025. Our scrutiny of it has begun and as part of our work, we are asking those who will be directly affected by the legislation to respond to an online consultation. We want as many as possible to have their say before it closes at the end of September. The consultation is available online here: but we can also email or post hard copies to anyone who is interested. Email us at: cteotrconsultation@ You can also contact the committee for the executive office by writing to us at: Room 247, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT4 3XX. Kind regards, Paula Bradshaw MLA, Chairperson, committee for the executive office, Northern Ireland Assembly
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Stop the carnage: make cat owners keep their pets under control
Surely the time has come to stop people just throwing their pets out to look after themselves. Cats are born hunters, that's what they do. The trouble is the owners who allow their pets to cruelly kill their prey. The problem is the strong cat ownership lobby, and this appears to stop strong legislation taking place. It will have to be put in place in the future; why not now? In Australia roaming cats in certain states are banned after some species have become extinct. In the UK there would not be a problem if house cats were the norm. However, cat owners appear to be in denial and would support their right to allow their fluffy pets to kill whenever they can. Dog owners are duty-bound to keep their pets under control. Cat owners should be made to do the same. Matthew Sneddon, Bearsden. Read more letters Seeking to right NI wrongs I am trying to contact those women and their loved ones who have suffered great historical injustices in institutions in Northern Ireland. My appeal is to them right across the world (Neil Mackay: "Thought of what happened to my gran in a Magdalene Laundry haunts me" heraldscotland, August 3). This year we, the politicians in Northern Ireland, have the opportunity to right a great wrong of the 20th century, imposed upon young women in mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses between 1922 and1995. We have launched an international appeal to victims and survivors of these institutions, asking for their views on legislation to establish a public inquiry and financial redress scheme. Both are aimed at addressing the terrible wrongs done to them during one of the most distressing and hurtful episodes in our history. The Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill was introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 2025. Our scrutiny of it has begun and as part of our work, we are asking those who will be directly affected by the legislation to respond to an online consultation. We want as many as possible to have their say before it closes at the end of September. The consultation is available online here: but we can also email or post hard copies to anyone who is interested. Email us at: cteotrconsultation@ You can also contact the Committee for the Executive Office by writing to us at Room 247, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT4 3XX. Paula Bradshaw MLA, Chairperson, Committee for the Executive Office, Northern Ireland Assembly, Belfast. Teaching to the test I see that the old chestnut of 'teaching to the test' is raising its head again as the new head of the SQA takes up his role ("New chief executive backs reform of exams", The Herald, August 9). Would I be correct in thinking that a well-designed curriculum or course is defined by a set of suitable and appropriate criteria, stated as 'objectives', "content and skills', 'benchmarks' or whatever? If I am correct, I assume that these criteria will be tested, examined or assessed in some form and at agreed frequencies. I also assume, therefore, that teachers will focus on ensuring that they focus on the criteria and use an appropriate means to determine how well their students are meeting them. In my experience, able teachers have been following that arrangement for years. Therefore, if a course is well designed and includes relevant content and skills or processes – let's hope that the balance and interaction between them is sound – and the means of determining whether they are being taught, learned and achieved are agreed, then, essentially, are teachers not ' teaching to the test'? Why do we continue to use these emotive terms? Why not focus on ensuring that courses are well designed, include effective means to determine their success, and incorporate the best technology that is available? GPD Gordon, Bearsden. Mute the music, please I enjoy watching documentaries and factual programmes on my television. Three programmes in particular that I tried to watch recently were Humans, Parenthood and The Antiques Roadshow. These are beautifully-photographed, educational programmes and considerable research has gone into making them. Why then do we have to suffer orchestral music which has been added in an effort to enhance the show? This has the effect of taking over the programme, making the presenter's voice inaudible and has meant me having on numerous occasions to use the subtitles,which has the effect of blocking out some of the programme. I am fortunate to have reasonable hearing and good eyesight. I wish the producers of these programmes would take time to listen to their work and realise that we don't need an audio background to enhance them. Neil Stewart, Balfron. Is there anything wrong with teaching to the test? (Image: PA) Why did Berlin outscore us? As in previous years, The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland distinguished itself during a sell-out concert in Berlin's Konzerthaus last Wednesday (August 6). The audience response was impressive. The same programme had been performed in Scotland during the previous week where the audience was similarly appreciative, but sadly hugely depleted in numbers. I wish I could explain this discrepancy. David Rimer, Edinburgh. Running the gauntlet Your coverage of the Sandie Peggie tribunal has generated as much debate (online and offline) as I've ever come across in all the five decades I've been reading your newspaper. But it reminded me that as a young trainee in the late 1960s, I had to carry out the annual inspection of a large knitwear factory in Saltcoats in terms of the Factories Acts (staff welfare and the like). I always insisted the manager accompany me when I entered the women's changing area and toilets as I didn't want any of the (mostly female) workforce to actually do to me what their catcalls inferred. I had every right to go into these areas, but couldn't get out quick enough. How times have changed. John Crawford, Preston.
