Press release submitted by United Way of the Quad Cities

Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to speak in the Quad Cities on the Illinois state budget crisis December 2nd.

Rock Island, IL: Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to speak at "When the Paycheck Stops" A forum on the economic crisis, Wednesday December 2, 2009, 6:30 p.m. General Public Welcome.

Location: Laborer's Hall, 2835 7th Avenue, Rock Island, IL.

On the second evening of "When the Paycheck Stops" a 3-day economic forum for the unemployed, underemployed and anxiously employed, Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability will speak on Illinois state budget crisis. (Bio attached)

Mr. Martire will give a power point presentation that looks at why Illinois state government is in the worst fiscal crisis since the Great Depression.

Included in the presentation will be a discussion on statistics on General Fund Spending FY 2000-FY 2010; a snapshot of current revenue sources; education funding inequalities; State GDP growth projections; unfunded pension mandates; the structural deficit and proposed legislation on increasing revenues.

Please contact Tracy Schonberger, Administrative Director, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability to arrange an interview with Ralph Martire: 312.332.1041 or tschonberger@ctbaonline.org

"When the Paycheck Stops" is a three night forum on the economic crisis organized by United Way of the Quad City Area, Quad City Federation of Labor and QC Progressive Action for the Common Good. This 3-part community meeting will be held Tuesday December 1st, Wednesday Dec 2nd and Thursday December 3rd from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the Laborer's Hall, 2835 7th Avenue, Rock Island, IL.

"In response to the economic crisis, the large number of layoffs and plant shut downs over the past year in the Quad Cities we will hold a three-night program for people who want to learn more about the current economic crisis and potential assistance available through health and human services agencies" states Tracy Kurowski, AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison at the United Way of the Quad City Area. "The purpose of this Economic Crisis Forum is to educate and connect folks to services available to help them get though tough times," said Caroline Vernon, organizer from QC Progressive Action for the Common Good.

Money Matters will be the topic of Wednesday Dec 2nd. Other speakers will discuss opportunities in Job Training and Education, Finding a Job, and Crisis Intervention.

To arrange an interview with any of the other presenters or for more information about the rest of the forum please contact: Tracy Kurowski 309-738-3196 tkurowski@unitedwayqc.org

Ralph Martire

Ralph Martire is executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability ("CTBA"). He is a regular columnist the Springfield State-Journal Register, The Joliet Herald News, and The Daily Observer on public policy and good government, and former columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Ralph served on the budget advisory board to Governor Rod Blagojevich's transition team, where he acted as chairperson of the state revenue subcommittee. Ralph was the principal author of a study CTBA produced that identified revenue enhancement proposals to address the 2002 fiscal crises in the state of Illinois. Five of the proposals identified in that study ultimately became law. Ralph also is a key member of the research team that produces the groundbreaking "State of Working Illinois" reports, which detail industry, employment, wage and benefit trends in Illinois over the last 15 years. A joint project of CTBA and Northern Illinois University, State of Working Illinois reports have been featured in over 300 media (print and broadcast) placements nationwide.

Ralph received the 2008 Friend of Education Award presented by the Illinois Education Association-NEA, for meritorious efforts on behalf of the students, staff and public institutions across Illinois by demonstrating in both word and deed support for great public schools. Ralph also received the 2007 Champion of Freedom Award, presented by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to individuals who carry out Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s commitment to equal educational opportunities through their professional and personal activism, and the 2004 Ben C. Hubbard Leadership Award, presented annually by Illinois State University to an individual whose leadership has significantly benefited education in Illinois.

A frequent lecturer on fiscal policy, Ralph continues to teach at the undergrad and graduate student levels, including a Master's level class on fiscal policy and a Doctoral class on the politics of education at Illinois State University, and an undergraduate class on public policy for Benedictine University. In 2009, Ralph will design and teach Masters' level programs for both Roosevelt University and the University of Illinois. Ralph also has and has taught tax policy seminars for the International Fulbright Scholar Program, the National Labor College and the national Women in Government lecture series. In 2007, he keynoted Arizona State University's first national conference covering the issues involved with Latino high school drop-outs. Ralph has been featured as a tax policy expert for numerous television and radio news programs such as WTTW, the Chicago PBS affiliate, and WPWR, the Chicago NPR affiliate. Prior to joining CTBA, Ralph was a partner in a law firm, with a sophisticated transactional practice focused on intellectual property, structured finance and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Martire has conducted domestic and international seminars on technology, patent and trademark development and licensing, has served as a lecturer at Northwestern University Law School on intellectual property transactions, and as a member of the Northwestern Journal of Technology & Intellectual Property Advisory Board.

Mr. Martire served as the deputy issues director for Dawn Clark Netsch in her gubernatorial campaign, and issues director for David Wilhelm in his run for the United States Senate. He is also a former candidate for the Cook County Board. His prior appointments include serving as a member of both the Cook County State's Attorney's Council on Hate Crimes Prosecution and Cook County Special Task Force on Domestic Violence.

Mr. Martire graduated from Indiana University Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.A. in history and received his JD from the University of Michigan.

He is married to Mary Kay Martire, and has two children, a son Nicholas, and a daughter Valerie.