Voters to Demand That Representative Schilling Backs an Economy That Works for the 99% -- And An End to Outsourcing, Healthcare Cuts and Corporate Tax Breaks

(Quad Cities, IL) - On Thursday evening, as Mitt Romney accepts the Republican party's presidential nomination, local citizens who are calling themselves "99% voters" - low wage workers, seniors, community activists, students and more - will roundly reject the Romney Economy.

Cynthia Rivers and Sandra Leathers are best friends and among the laid-off and low-wage workers who have just returned from protesting the Romney Economy at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

"I tried to meet and speak with my Congressman Bobby Schilling about these severe Medicare cuts, but was never granted a face-to-face meeting," says Rivers. "I've been to his office twice. I want him to stand with me and the 99% instead of his wealthy friends and colleagues."

As part of a nationwide movement rejecting "Mr. 1% -- and any members of Congress who also cater to the 1% at the expense of the 99% -- these citizens will speak out against the elements of the Romney Economy that are dangerous to the working and middle class. They will call on Romney and other Republicans - especially Representative Bobby Schilling - to reject outsourcing, tax breaks for the rich coupled with take hikes for the middle class, cuts to education and healthcare funding.

"I marched in the street and rallied at the RNC event in Tampa. Now I want to speak with Congressman Bobby Schilling about how to make the economy work for everyone, not just the richest 1%," explains Leathers.

WHAT: Say No to a Romney Economy

WHERE: Republican GOP Headquarters

1721 5th Avenue #100 in Moline, Illinois

WHEN: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, August 30, 2012

WHO: The 99%: low- wage workers, community activists, students and more

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CHICAGO - August 29, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn issued the following statement regarding Standard & Poor's action today.

"Today's action is no surprise.

"Over and over again this summer, I made clear that if we do not act on pension reform, the state of Illinois would suffer the consequences. Now it has.

"Eliminating our $83 billion unfunded pension liability is vital to getting our financial house in order.  Today's action by Standard & Poor's is more evidence that we must act.

"I cannot act alone. We must work together to make the tough decisions necessary to correct poor financial decisions made by previous governors and legislatures over decades that created this situation today.

"We cannot fix these challenges overnight but, as we have shown with the Fiscal Year 2013 budget by reducing our Medicaid liability by more than $2 billion, paying down $1.3 billion in bills, and taking discretionary spending to below 2008 levels, steady progress can lead Illinois to sound financial footing.

"The only thing standing between Illinois and comprehensive pension reform is politics.

"We must put politics aside. Pointing fingers will not resolve this problem. Inaction on pension reform is unacceptable and unfair to our children.

"We must address the unfunded pension liability and we can only do it together. I am inviting the four legislative leaders to a meeting in early September to work on pension reform. Illinois cannot move forward without it."

Moline, IL - Junior Achievement of the Heartland has been awarded one of Junior Achievement USA's (JA) highest honors, the Silver Summit Award. The award is given to local JA offices that have reached outstanding success in financial health, program quality, management effectiveness and program growth for three consecutive years.

"These Summit Award winners represent the best Junior Achievement has to offer," said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement USA. "They set the standard by which Junior Achievement's success is measured at the local level. Their commitment and dedication to young people is reflected in their achieving this honor."

"We are thrilled to receive the Silver Summit Award," said Barbara VenHorst, president of JA of the Heartland. "We would like to thank all the classroom volunteers and hundreds of corporate partners who joined with our board and staff to empower more than 55,000 young people in our 24-county area to own their economic success. We look forward to helping even more students develop the confidence they need to succeed in the 21^st century workplace."

About Junior Achievement® (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.  JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.  Today, JA reaches four million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional six million students served by operations in 119 other countries worldwide.  Visit www.ja.org for more information.

Locally, Junior Achievement of the Heartland serves 24 countries in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and Grant County in Wisconsin. Approximately 55,000 kindergarten through high school students benefit from JA programs each year.  Visit www.jaheartland.org for local information.

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Dreams come true, but not through wishful thinking, says John Berglund, a corporate executive turned "flip-flop perfumer."

After successful careers as an attorney, lobbyist, trade-association executive and bowling industry magnate, Berglund tired of the corporate rat race.  He was also tired of winters bundled in layers of long johns, shoveling snow.

"Everybody has their own version of paradise," says the author of A Beach Less Traveled: From Corporate Chaos to Flip-Flop Perfumer, (www.abeachlesstraveled.com). "Whether it's New York City, the Great Smokey Mountains or my personal favorite, the French-Caribbean island of St. Martin, paradise is within reach - with a little planning."

An essential part of that was deciding what to do for a living once he got there. Berglund would embark on his new career path as a perfumer with his wife of more than 30 years, Cyndi. How did he do it? He shares the strategies that worked - and some that didn't.

• Dream big ... and do it: Berglund remembers sunning on a pristine beach with his wife, listening to the gentle sounds of wind and turquoise seawater lapping on the shore. When Cyndi heard him order an adult beverage in French, she shook his arm to wake him for the morning commute to work ... in the dead of winter in Wisconsin. He was dreaming - literally. "I'd always had a high standard of living, which I've enjoyed, but it was time for me to risk a completely foreign scenario - in terms of business and lifestyle - and follow this dream."

• Business trends: Boutique perfumeries are where boutique wineries were three decades ago - they're personal, fun and interactive, Berglund says. They're not just about walking into a store and choosing a bottle from a shelf. He offers his customers a hands-on experience customizing their scents, and by using local ingredients, he offers visitors a meaningful souvenir of their stay. Berglund envisions his new business as a model at several vacation destinations.

• Fortitude amid real-world challenges: A dream is the spark to the journey, but moving to St. Martin, where the natives speak French and Dutch, and starting a business takes work. The hurdles for Berglund included the search for property, anxiety on closing the property deal, remodeling, acclimating to life there, obtaining a business license, moving and the language barrier. "These problems may be deal-breakers for many people, but part of the excitement of doing anything worthwhile is the fact that it's not easy," he says.

• A history of business sense: Creating an unprecedented cottage industry may seem like a long shot layered in wishful thinking. "But this isn't my first rodeo," Berglund says. "I've made several career moves throughout my life, and no matter how unlikely, I always came out okay." He acknowledges, however, that he was in the right phase of his life to pull off such a change. Plan and prepare so you're ready for change, he says. Risk is involved.

• Loved ones: Even though Berglund's children were grown and he was capable of achieving his dream, he needed to make sure Cyndi was on board. "You can do all the planning and troubleshooting that is necessary for a dream to work, but the one thing that can change the minds of the most passionate is the opposition of a loved one," he says. "It's worth a discussion with your family early in the planning process."

About John Berglund

John Berglund began his career as the chief county prosecutor at age 24 and then transitioned into a lobbyist and trade-association executive. Another career shift led him to being voted the bowling industry's most influential person for a decade. He followed his passion for chemistry, which he studied in college, and left the "rat race" for his Caribbean perfumery in St. Martin. Berglund lives with his wife of more than 30 years, Cyndi, who has significantly contributed to his dream job in paradise. The couple has two grown children.