Governor should sign abortion-access bill
Lost in the discussion of Gov. Rauner not keeping his written word ("I will work to ensure equal access to contraception and abortion services."), are the real women who suffer from the denial of basic health care that most other women have in their health insurance coverage.
When Illinois passed the law that eliminated Medicaid funding for low-income women's abortion care, I was working as a housing counselor in Central Illinois. I assisted low-income women who were being evicted from their apartments for non-payment of rent, getting their utilities shut off, not being able to buy food and clothing for their children, because they had no choice but to use their precious few resources to pay for an abortion.
These women were forced to beg for money for an abortion. A group of us held fundraisers, staffed bake sales and personally provided these desperate women with a few extra dollars to ease their way in doing what they knew was best for them and their families.
I am sickened by what this law is doing to the most vulnerable women in our state. That is why I have dedicated so many years to ending this injustice. It's a simple matter of fairness and equity, not "controversial" as Gov. Rauner is shamefully stating as he now uses these women as political pawns.
In 1977, Republican Gov. Jim Thompson called it "unfair and cruel" to treat low-income women with such contempt in his fierce opposition to this travesty of justice.
In a democracy, each of us pays for things in government with which we don't agree. To cherry pick low-income women and call their health care needs "controversial" when there is not a single fiscal, medical or policy rationale for doing so is the worst form of dishonesty.
Sign HB 40, Gov. Rauner.
Terry Cosgrove, President & CEO
Personal PAC
Chicago
Tax deduction is available
In the May 6 edition of the Daily Herald, Richard Francke writes "If your employer offers a retirement plan/pension plan, noted in box 13 of your W-2, you may not take a tax deductible traditional IRA." This is incorrect. I am an enrolled agent with 34 years of experience in the tax field. For tax year 2017, if your filing status is single and you were a participant in an employer plan, you are still eligible to deduct a traditional IRA contribution if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is under $72,000 (the maximum deduction phases out between AGI of $62,000 and $72,000). If your filing status is married filing jointly and either you or your spouse is a participant in an employer plan, you are eligible to deduct a traditional IRA contribution if your AGI is under $119,000 (the maximum deduction phases out between AGI of $99,000 and $119,000).
Stephen W. DeFilippis
Wheaton