34th District Newsletter

Community Events and Resources, Recent 34th District Events

Representative's Corner Dear Community member, In my continuing effort to keep you informed regarding developments affecting the residents of the 34th District, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. My mission as your State Representative is to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve. We continue to work collectively with the communities making up the 34th District in order to strengthen community and governmental relations as we continue to put our families and communities first. The work I am doing in Springfield seeks to improve the quality of our schools, strengthening the middle class by creating good jobs, bringing fiscal discipline to Springfield, and passing common sense public safety initiatives to make our streets safer. Again, thank you for entrusting me with this great responsibility, and supporting the work that we do here in the 34th District. Warmest regards, State Representative Elgie R. Sims, Jr. | 773-783-8800 | repsims34@gmail.com | http://www.repelgiesims34.com 8658 South Cottage Grove Suite 404B Chicago, IL 60619 Community Update How Would Americans Fix Social Security? Social Security is a vitally important federal program that impacts millions of Americans, yet absent action, the program's trust funds are projected to be exhausted in less than two decades. Please join us next Tuesday, October 18 for an event co-hosted by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and Voice of the People focused on where the public stands regarding the need for changes to protect and secure Social Security. The event will feature findings from Voice of the People's new nationwide public survey on the need to fix Social Security, which will include public opinion on specific reform proposals. Following the presentation, there will be panel discussion by policy experts on the importance of fixing Social Security. Event Participants Include: Dr. Steven Kull (Director, Program for Public Consultation, University of Maryland, School of Public Policy) Romina Boccia (Deputy Director and Grover M. Hermann Research Fellow in Federal Budgetary Affairs, at The Heritage Foundation) Kathleen Romig (Senior Policy Analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) Marc Goldwein (Senior Vice President and Senior Director of Policy, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget) RSVP Here Tuesday, October 18 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (Lunch will be served starting at 11:45 am) Capitol Building Room HC - 8 (On the House Side of the Capitol Building - use the South entrance) Please don't hesitate to share this invite with interested colleagues. TRAIL Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment 2017The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period for the 2017 plan year will be October 14- November 15, 2016. Below is information regarding informational seminars which will be held statewide to give eligible retirees and survivors an opportunity to learn about the Total Retiree Advantage Illinois (TRAIL) Program. Below are links to more information about TRAIL. The customer service helpline number is available Mon-Fri 8am-6pm CST at 844/251-1777. Community Resources ISAC Illinois Student Assistance Commission To help students and families navigate the college application and financial aid processes, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is launching the first annual College Changes Everything® (CCE) Month in October. During CCE Month and throughout the fall, ISAC will provide hands-on assistance to students at free college application and FAFSA completion workshops around the state. Students will be able to fill out a college application or a FAFSA at these events, with guidance through the entire process. College and financial aid experts will be right there with students, assisting them and answering questions. Scheduled events and workshops are listed at isac.org/calendar, and more are added each day. If you want to try it, our nearest location can be found at CICS-Longwood at1309 W. 95th St., Chicago. More locations may be found here: http://www.isac.org/calendar/ Chicago Property Tax Rebate Are you a Chicago homeowner with a household income of $75,000 or less? And did the City portion of your most recent property tax bill increase compared to last year's bill? The City of Chicago Property Tax Rebate Program provides eligible families and seniors some property tax relief through a City-funded rebate. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago City Council are implementing this rebate program to help offset the property tax increase needed to fund the pensions of our first responders. Beginning October 1, 2016 eligible Chicago homeowners can apply for a City of Chicago rebate at any of the 26 neighborhood locations, including City Hall. Homeowners must apply for the rebate in person. For residents of the XX Ward, the closest rebate location(s) is/are: LOCATION(S). To learn more about the eligibility requirements for the rebate and other supplemental grants as well as required documentation, please visit:www.cityofchicago.org/ChicagoPropertyTaxRebate Community Outreach Stay Connected|