The Chicago Sun-Times came out with its endorsements the other day and gave a half-hearted high five to Sara Feigenholtz (new doo to the left), based in part on her “improvement” of the rights of adoptees. Read it for yourself:
12th: Incumbent Sara Feigenholtz has been a powerful voice in Springfield since 1995 for improved health care, human services and the rights of adoptees. In the race to represent this liberal North Side district, Feigenholtz faces a bright and promising young challenger in Dave Lenkowski, a moderate Republican and high school teacher. At a time of budget cuts, Feigenholtz’s advocacy for those in need is more important than ever, though Lenkowski is right to demand more fiscal discipline from veterans like Feigenholtz.
Maybe the editorial board took Sneaky Sara’s word for it–that she “improved” the rights of adoptees–instead of checking to see what her new law really does: kill our rights. To ameliorate this error, we suggest the board go directly to the new website New Illinois Adoption Law.com aka New Illinois Adoption Law for Dummies.com, see for itself, and then rescind its endorsement.
If you are not a member of the Sun-Times editorial board and are adopted, go directly to Adopted Persons Born On or After January 1, 1946 and learn about the new intensive and infantalizing state bureaucracy you’re about to become intimately acquainted with if you dare ask for your own birth certificate. Buying a house is easier.
If you’re a mother-in-hiding (sorry, dad’s get short shrift here) go to Birth Parents of Adoptees Born On or After January 1, 1946 to check out the full array of new special rights over other peoples’ public records Feigenholtz has given you to protect yourself from your prying, porch pissing bastard.New Illinois Adoption Law.com appears at first glance to be an unacknowledged bastard attached to no parent organization or agency. A Whois search, however, indicates that the domain belongs to the search company, The White Oak Foundation and Melisha Mitchell, Sneaky Sara’s bill writer and “assistant.”Oddly the new site is not posted on or linked to the White Oak Foundation’s website Ashamed? Embarrassed? Hiding?
It doesn’t appear linked on Feigenholtz’s legislative page, campaign page, or the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Exchange/Vital Records page either.
Whatever, we’re “glad” the page is up so we can prove to the public, in their own words, the crime perpetrated on Illinois adoptees and their families by Sneaky Sara and her BBF.
The orphan was advertised through the Illinois Issues Blog and David Ormsby’s Springfield Political Buzz Examiner page. What makes the latter so interesting is that Ormsby, the proprietor of the political commentary Illinois Observer is Sara Feigenholz’s and White Oak’s PR flak, According to White Oak’s FY2009 990, Ormsby is employed as its Deputy Director at a salary of $37,817/yr. In FY2008 he picked up $17,500 and in FY2007, $35,000. (990s available on Guidestar.org. Registration free but required)
In Illinois it seems that non-disclosure goes deeper than adoptee birth certificates.
Thanks to Triona Guidry for Whois!
I just recently blogged about the obstacles that I’ve run into to get my OBC.
A letter from Rep. Feigenhotlz states, “There are ongoing discussions regarding this matter with the goal of having it resolved quickly”.
I can’t help but think that the length of and manner in which the text of the law was written has caused more misinterpretations than just the one that is related to my situation.
Yes, those born prior to 1/1/46 are being treated like first-class citizens now but there are many of us who were left behind. My birth mother is not alive to deny me my OBC and doubt that she would if she were still among the living. My guess is that the majority of those still living will not. But it is simply wrong for an adopted adult who is old enough to vote, go to war, pay taxes and have grandchildren to need a birth parent’s permission to obtain an OBC that rightfully belongs to them in the first place.
Where are the adoptees who should be speaking out and doing what they can to prevent Rep. Feigenholtz from being reelected? Do you want those who voted YEA to this inhumane law to be reelected also?
Why hasn’t that nasty email she sent been forwarded to her opposition?
Seriously, the public should know who they are really dealing with.