Tag Archives: Sara Feigenholtz

Bastardette on Illinois NPR: Foundling Birth Certificates

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My central gripe about the bill is that it would create a “foundling birth certificate” to serve as an original birth certificate for all newborns “relinquished” at a state-authorized safe haven ” drop off point. The certificate, to protect parental anonymity, will contain no identifying information about the relinquishing parent even if that information is known to hospital, fire, police, or social service authorities. Continue Reading →

Welcome Back, Triona! Some Wise Words from 73 Adoptee

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Yay! 73adoptee73 is back.  She’s come out of retirement–at least a little bit–to write on the Feigenholtz-Mitchell scam in Illinois.  She also gives us her analysis of AdoptionLand and why she has reassessed her role as a activist. I wholeheartedly agree with her on both counts.  . Honestly ,why do any of us continue with this–well–shit in our lives. It’s great to have Triona back, but she’s got a sobering message with 73adoptee Returns! But Nobody is Coming Back for Left Behind Illinois Adoptees. Two different topics covered, yet tightly related. First, on the glad-handing in Illinois where the seller-outs refuse to admit they sold out: Illinois is not open. Illinois is sort-of open to adoptees who unwittingly end up playing roulette with their own rights. Some will win. Some will inevitably lose. I’m on the losing team, so I know how it feels. Everybody’s celebrating and they’ve forgotten you. Or, if they remember, it’s to slap you on the back and say, “better luck next time” before they go off to congratulate the winners. But adoption isn’t football. There’s only one game, the Adoption Game, and if you make a mistake you don’t get a do-over. I remain disgruntled Continue Reading →

Sara’s Bastards: Feigenholtz Continues to Lie about her "law"

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When Neal Young released his 1979 LP Rust Never Sleeps we doubt if he had Sara Feigenholtz in mind. Yet, that’s the phrase that came to mind when I read Feigenholtz’s latest interview with the press in Saturday’s Springfield State Journal Register and other Gatehouse publications. Corrosion. Corruption. Decay. Listen to Sara: I think that non-adopted people take the right to know the first chapter of their life for granted … To know where you came from is a basic human right. Feigenholtz’s HB 5428, which she claims restores the right of original birth certificate access to Illinois adoptees, guarantees no such right–unless she considers playing wack-a-mole and Mother May I with state functionaries and birthparents and filling out War and Peace-length government forms how the non-adopted exercise their actual right to access their own birth certificates, Listen to Sara: We have to stop stigmatizing adoption. Adoption is a beautiful thing. We have nothing to be ashamed of. This legislation turns the corner on the stigmatizing of adoption. From an email sent by Feigenholtz or a member of her staff, to Washington State bastard activist Lori Jeske, after Jeske objected to HB 5429’s failure to recognize obc access as a Continue Reading →

Election Day 2010: Adoptee Wins and Losses

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Well, the votes are in and the ballots are counted. We have mostly bad news, but a little bit of good news, too. Good News: Our friend Bobbi Beavers, in her third try, was elected to the Maine House (Dem: Elliot, South Berwick) Congratulations Bobbi! Bobbi who led OBC for ME to victory can be contacted at [email protected] Bad News: Unfortunately, our other Maine friend, Craig Hickman (Dem: Reidfield, Winthrop) lost his race, but created a positive people-centered campaign. You can read Craig gracious statement on the race on his Hickman in the House blog: …I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support, your well-wishes, and your votes. I couldn’t have made such an impression on the people of this district without your help. We ran the best campaign this district has ever seen and we have done a big part to change the conversation… Contact Craig at [email protected] Dave Lenkowski (Rep Chicago) went down in a good and honorable fight. Sneaky Sara, apparently scared of even having an opponent, much less an honest one, pulled out some dirty tricks. I hope to write about this later this month, but am working on Continue Reading →

Election Update: Illinois and Maine

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ILLINOISDave Lenkowski continues to run a clean and apparently scary-to-Feigenholtz campaign. Chicago Business reports in Heavy hitters hit Illinois, mayoral news, and an election omen? Finally, with Democratic candidates all over the state running scared, some are taking notable steps to protect themselves. Like my state rep, North Side Democrat Sara Feigenholtz, who in some years doesn’t even have an opponent. Ms. Feigenholtz is one of Springfield’s experts on social-welfare spending and chairs the House Human Services Appropriations Committee. But she has a flyer out talking about how, as a former small-business owner, she “knows we need to create more business opportunities and put a stop to business as usual in Springfield.” The back side of the flyer pictures a bunch of boys, giggling and gossiping about a girl in the foreground. The caption: “Sara Feigenholtz didn’t go to Springfield to make friends. She’s there taking on the old boys’ club.” (Bastardette Note: Sara has been in Springfield for 16 years. She IS “business as usual!”) Right. For whatever it’s worth, Ms. Feigenholtz’s opponent is a fresh-faced history teacher named Dave Lenkowski. He actually has a campaign going, stressing that he’ll be “fiscally responsible and socially moderate.” But nowhere on Continue Reading →

ILLINOIS: Sun-Times Endorses Benedict Bastard Sara Feigenholtz

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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 Continue Reading →

Donate to Dave: Help Dave Lenkowski Take Down Sara Feigenholtz!

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I failed to mention in my blog below that even if you’re not in the 12th District or don’t live in Illinois, you can still help Dave Lenkowski beat the Sara Feigenholtz anti-adoptee machine by donating to Dave’s House campaign. Dave’s is a viable threat to Feigenholt’z fiefdom. He’s holding his own, but he needs our help. If I were in Chicago tonight I’d be at the Big Lenkowski Fundraiser. From Dave’s Facebook page (I’ve edited two announcements together): The Nihilists and Little Lenkowski Urban Achievers will be there to greet you at the door for what is sure to be a great night. Feel free to bring whomever you’d like to the Big Lenkowski Fundraiser tonight at 600 N. Lake Shore Dr. (44th floor). Starting at 7:30, $35 will get you all the the Greek food, Koney Dogs, and drinks your heart desires. Actions have consequences. Don’t let Sara Feigenholtz get away with pimping our rights to special interests. Say it loud and say it proud: Hey Hey Ho Ho! Sara Feigenholtz has got to go! I sent a small donation to Dave today and will be sending more soon. Donate to Dave here. His campaign page is here. Continue Reading →

Illinois: Dave Lenkowski Beats Out Sneaky Sara Feigenholtz with Trib Endorsement

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Good News!!! Republican Dave Lenkowski, running for Sara Feigenholtz’s Illinois House District 12 seat, has won the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune. The endorsement reads: 12th District (North Side) — This is difficult because we like Democratic Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, who has been in the House since 1995. She has a top position — chairman of the human services appropriations committee — but she has not been assertive enough in demanding that her party leaders change the way they do business. Our endorsement goes to Republican Dave Lenkowski, who worked in business before he became a high school teacher working with at-risk kids. He acknowledges Republican governors and lawmakers share in the blame for mess. He would be more aggressive on education reform. Feigenholtz will likely win — the GOP didn’t even field a candidate here in 2008. If she does, we hope she turns good intentions into a more assertive challenge of the status quo.The Chicago Sun-Times has not yet issued an endorsement in this race. When it does, we’ll report it here. In the meantime, you can read the pre-endorsement candidate questionnaires submitted by Lenkowski and Feigenholtz to both papers. Not surprisingly, neither candidate addressed adoptee rights. I Continue Reading →

Attention Illinois Original Birth Certificate Rejects! Act Now!

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If you were adopted in Illinois and your request for your original birth certificate under that state’s new Feigenholtz Folly obc “access” law (HB 5428) has been turned down, then Mary Fuller is looking for you! Mary writes: I’ve started compiling a list of those who have been rejected an OBC or to register with IARMIE. (Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange.) Please email me if you fall into this category. This is a result of someone contacting me who has been told he can’t register with IARMIE because he is a grandson. I’m too young myself although my birth mother is deceased and died shortly after the Registry went into effect. I fear that Sara and Melisha’s new law has left out too many folks. There was a big rush to get the bill through so those of us who could have been of help were shut out. You can read Mary’s latest blog about Illinois here. Note that although Mary is a grandmother, and her first mother is dead, she is not yet old enough and thus responsible enough to qualify for her own birth certificate–despite what Feigenholtz says to to the contrary on her own webpage. Continue Reading →