CONTENTS:
PHILLY & PA ACTION:
Christmas candlelight vigil for peace
Forum with members of Congress to discuss an agenda to end the U.S.
occupation of Iraq
History of GI resistance around Fort Bragg
Northwest Peace & Justice Movement, monthly meeting
Spend M. L. King Jr.'s Birthday explaining peace to Senator Specter
Confronting Bullying/Supporting Friendships teacher workshop
March 2006. End the occupation of Iraq with a month of direct resistance
Business Privilege Tax Reduction UPDATE & Call-In
----------------
NATIONAL ACTION:
"Ideas for Change" for WakeUpWalMart.com in 2006
Challenge AIPAC - Lobby for Justice in Palestine
Palestinian election, call for monitors
Fr. Jean-Juste of Haiti Must Be Released Immediately
CensureBush.org Campaign Launched
FCNL / REACHING YOUR REP IN Washington
Stop the Drug Industry Bailout on Avian Flu
Requesting your FBI File - If interested, here's the website: http://foia.fbi.gov/
---------------------
COMMENTARY:
THREE LABOR VICTORIES, Eric Lee
Spying and Lying by Katrina vanden Heuvel, thenation.con
AIPAC, Zionism, and Jefferson, Mazin Qumsiyeh
* Castro's 'miracle' cures the poor of blindness By Tom Fawthrop in
Havana
* The Price of the Death Penalty* By Earl Ofari Hutchinso
* A Debate on the New York City Transit Strike *
* New Documents Show FBI Spying on Domestic Activist Groups *
* First Step Towards Impeachment? Conyers Introduces Bills to Censure
Bush and Cheney *
* Venezuela Gives Exxon Ultimatum
* ACLU CriticizeS Government's Refusal to Release Documents on Lack of
Pregnancy Prevention Information*
===================
PHILLY & PA ACTION:
December 22. Christmas candlelight vigil for peace, 7:00 pm at Lockheed
Martin (the world's largest weapons corporation), Goddard &
Mall Boulevards (off Route 76, behind King of Prussia Mall), Valley
Forge, PA. More information from Brandywine Peace Community at
610-544-1818 and <brandywine@juno.com>.
January 7. Democracy for America town hall forum
with members of Congress to discuss an agenda to end the U.S.
occupation of Iraq, 9:00 am at U.F.C.W. Local #1776, 3031 Walton
Road in Plymouth Meeting, PA. For more information contact
<info@northwestpeacecoalition.org>.
Sunday, January 8 - Area premier of
"FORWARD MARCH TO PEACE",
History of GI resistance around Fort Bragg, Fayettville, NC, from the
Vietnam War to today's opposition to the war in Iraq.
4:30PM, University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St., Phila., PA.
(*bring main dish, salad, or dessert to share), Program begins at
5:30PM: Brandywine Peace Community - 610-544-1818,
brandywine@juno.com www.brandywinepeace.com
January 10. Northwest Peace & Justice
Movement, monthly meeting at 7:00 pm in the Parish Center behind
Saint Vincent's Church, 109 East Price Street in Germantown. For more
information: 215-843-4256 and <nwgreens@yahoo.com>.
January 15. Spend M. L. King Jr.'s Birthday
explaining peace to Senator Specter, 2:00 -- 4:00 pm, at
Specter's home, 4111 Timber Lane in East Falls. For more information:
215-843-4256 and <nwgreens@yahoo.com>.
January 17. M. L. King Jr. Day of Nonviolent
Resistance, noon at Lockheed Martin (the world's largest weapons
corporation), Goddard & Mall Boulevards (off Route 76, behind King
of Prussia Mall), Valley Forge, PA. More information from Brandywine
Peace Community at 610-544-1818 and <brandywine@juno.com>.
Saturday, January 28, "Confronting
Bullying/Supporting Friendships" teacher workshop 9:30 a.m. -
1:00 p.m.
Friends Center 1501 Cherry Street, Phila. Led by Nonviolence and
Children Working Group (NVC) of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
The $5.00 fee includes refreshments and materials, Please RSVP to Elke
215-241-7223 or elkem@PYM.org
March 2006. End the occupation of Iraq with a
month of direct resistance against the war machine. Stop the
recruiters in our schools, stop the military contractors, and stop the
Pentagon. This month (the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of
Iraq) will include lots of nonviolent civil resistance. For more
information, please contact DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) at
<stopthewarnow06@gmail.com> and Global Call to Action at
<dm@aglobalcall.org>.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Business Privilege Tax Reduction UPDATE
& Call-In
On Thursday, December 15, Council
member Michael Nutter introduced an insignificant amendment to his bill
in City Council, No. 050669, to reduce the Business Privilege Tax. The
bill is now expected to be voted on Thursday, December 22.
This bill still needs to be
defeated. Contact the City Council members listed below with
brief messages: Vote NO on Nutter's bill (see above); and if necessary,
sustain the Mayor's veto. Include Nutter. Skip Cohen; that
seat is vacant. All numbers are 215-686-.
Real tax relief
for real small businesses is needed, but this is not the way to do
it. What this will do is give away the City's treasury to the
likes of Comcast, and we can't afford it, and the big corporations
don't need it. And, they are pushing a well-financed effort to
get support for reduction/repeal, based on false arguments. Part
of the problem is that the state constitution requires flat taxes -- no
progressive rates. This needs to be changed, but that's a
separate issue for action.
The rationale is that a BPT
reduction will create jobs, and the City has a big budget
surplus. Both of these premises are false. (Other issues as
well.) What it will do is provide a big giveaway of the City
treasury to the likes of Comcast; and they are only pushing it because
they think that Council will fall for their phony arguments. What
it will do, if passed, is cost us all, heavily, as workers and as
residents of Philadelphia. Basic public services here are already
in crisis from underfunding, and our municipal workforce is already
understaffed in many areas. Like so many previous schemes to bring
prosperity to Philadelphia, this too is a fake.
Also, the following. The
City's pension fund is already seriously underfunded. City
contributions to our Health & Welfare Fund are up for
re-negotiation next spring (2006). This, especially, is no time
to be giving away the City's finances to big business, for false claims
of "jobs", etc.
Contact the following City Council
members with brief messages: Vote NO on Nutter's bill (see above); and
if necessary, sustain the Mayor's veto. Include Nutter. All
numbers are 215-686-
President | phone no. | fax no. | |
Anna C. Verna | 3412 | 1932 | |
At-Large | |||
W. Wilson Goode, Jr. | 3414 | 1928 | |
Jack Kelly | 3452 | 1925 | |
James Kenney | 3450 | 2013 | |
Juan Ramos | 3420 | 1930 | |
Blondell Reynolds Brown | 3438 | 1926 | |
Frank Rizzo, Jr | 3440 | 1929 | |
District Members | |||
1 |
Frank DiCicco | 3458 | 1931 |
2 |
Anna Verna (President) | 3412 |
1932 |
3 |
Jannie Blackwell | 3418 | 1933 |
4 |
Michael Nutter | 3416 | 1934 |
5 |
Darrell Clarke | 3442 | 1901 |
6 |
Joan L. Krajewski | 3444 | 1935 |
7 |
Richard Mariano | 3448 | 1936 |
8 |
Donna Miller | 3424 | 1937 |
9 |
Marian B. Tasco | 3454 | 1938 |
10 |
Brian J. O'Neill | 3422 | 1939 |
You may also fax your district Council member + all the at-large
members through www.Hallwatch.org.
===============
NATIONAL ACTION:
"Ideas for Change" for WakeUpWalMart.com in 2006.
This summer a Pennsylvania WakeUpWalMart.com supporter suggested we
hold grassroots fundraisers at Wal-Mart stores to raise money for
uninsured Wal-Mart workers. It was a good idea. So, we did it. With
your help, we organized grassroots fundraisers at 116 Wal-Mart stores
in 93 cities and 30 states raising thousands of dollars to help
uninsured Wal-Mart workers.
* * Please email your ideas
to: ideasforchange@wakeupwalmart.com **
We have heard from many of you at film screenings, public forums, town
halls, rallies, and house parties. We want to hear from all 161,000 of
you. Tell us what you think will be the most effective way to change
Wal-Mart in your community in 2006. ..... Be creative. Be imaginative.
Be bold!
Take a look at what you have accomplished over the past eight months: http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/change/recent.html
We've only just begun. We are the most exciting movement in
America. If you think about it, on every major socio-economic issue
(living wage, affordable health care, gender equality, protecting
children, etc.), Wal-Mart is the poster child for why corporate America
needs to change.
Have a great Holiday and
Happy New Year. The best is yet to come, Paul Blank WakeUpWalMart.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ask Garth Brooks to Give Wal-Mart the
Boot!
Country star Garth Brooks has signed an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart.
But it's likely that he, like most Americans who shop at Wal-Mart, has
no idea about Wal-Mart's utter lack of respect for its workers and
their rights. This holiday season, help Wal-Mart workers by urging
Garth Brooks to reconsider his deal.
Tell Garth about Wal-Mart's anti-worker, anti-union campaign : http://go.care2.com/e/idQ/Eo/LQpK
Take this
opportunity to let Garth know that when Wal-Mart workers try to form a
union to negotiate for better wages, more affordable health care, and
basic job protections, they often face threats, discrimination,
intimidation, and even firings. [mailto:mediaculture@care2.com]-
http://www.care2.com
____________________________________________________________________________
Challenge AIPAC - Lobby for Justice in
Palestine - It's in the American National Interest !
Year after year,
Congress passes pro-Israel legislation by large
> margins--few oppose it. There is virtually no debate about
whether such
> uncritical support for Israel is even in America's best interests.
> Some Congress people support Israel because they're Zionists
and
> believe in the Jewish state, some understand what is going on in
> Palestine and vote against their consciences because they fear for
their political lives. Most, however, are grossly
misinformed about the
> facts because they hear ONLY from the Zionist community and
its supporters.
The case for Palestinian
human rights has never been
> presented to them, and they are unaware that there are voters in
their
> districts who support Palestinian rights. The American
Council on
> Middle East Policy (ACME) has been formed to change that. We want
to
> recruit teams across America to visit their Congressmen in their
home
> offices, district by district, to talk about Palestinian
rights, ask
> for achievable goals, and build a relationship. ACME
will help by
> providing materials and guidance on setting up a meeting,
approach, and
> follow up. Meeting with your Congressional representative is an
extremely interesting experience.
If you would like to become an anti-AIPAC lobbyist or simply want to
learn more, please email: Pallobby@aol.com.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Palestinian election: Call for monitors
David Grant will be co-hosting the NP delegation. The monitoring
provides a wonderful opportunity for you to gain direct experience
while providing a needed service. Monitors will need to raise
their own funds. If you are able to go you will receive:
NP uniform shirt and ha. Opportunity to meet with other members of NP
network. Briefing from IGC member Renad Qubbaj and Strategic Relations
Director, David Grant. Opportunity to be listed on our international
registry.
Reception for NP monitors.
Please apply directly to PNGO office at phone number +972-2-2963847 or
fax number +972-2-2963848 or at e-mail gipp@pngo.net. Let them
know that you are a part of the Nonviolent Peaceforce.
______________________________________________________________
Fr. Jean-Juste of Haiti Must Be Released
Immediately: Diagnosed with Life-Threatening Medical Problems.
By Bill Quigley, professor at Loyola University New Orleans School of
Law and a volunteer lawyer for Pere Jean-Juste
<duprestars@yahoo.com>
There is new urgency to the calls for the freedom of Haitian political
prisoner Pere Jean-Juste, he is now facing very serious medical
problems. Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste, sometimes called the Martin Luther
King Jr of Haiti for his outspoken advocacy for the poor, for human
rights, and for democracy, has been in jail in Haiti without charges
since July 21. He was arrested after being attacked by a mob in a
church - none of the mob were charged.
Contact the US Embassy in
Haiti and demand they take every step necessary to secure the immediate
release of Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste. The unelected government of
Haiti serves only at the pleasure of the US. If the US
wants Fr. Jean-Juste freed, he will be free.
Call the US Embassy in Haiti
through the switchboard at: 011.509.222.0200 or fax them at
011.509.223.9038 or 011.509.223.1641. Email human rights officers Dana
Banks or Kevin Higgins at banksd@state.gov and higginshkp@state.gov
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CensureBush.org Campaign Launched in Response to
New House Legislation- Democrats.com [mailto:activist@democrats.com]
The AfterDowningStreet.org coalition, an alliance of over 100
grassroots organizations, has launched a new campaign called
CensureBush.org in order to support new legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers that would censure President Bush and Vice
President Cheney and create a select committee to investigate the
Administration's possible crimes and make recommendations regarding
grounds for impeachment.
H.Res.635 would create a
select committee - modeled after Sam Ervin's Watergate committee - to
investigate the Administration's intent to go to war before
congressional authorization, manipulation of pre-war intelligence,
encouraging and countenancing torture, and retaliating against critics,
and to make recommendations regarding grounds for possible impeachment.
H.Res.636 and H.Res.637
would censure, respectively, Bush and Cheney for failing to respond to
requests for information concerning allegations that they and others in
the Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding
the decision to go to war in Iraq, misstated and manipulated
intelligence information regarding the justification for the war,
countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of
persons in Iraq, and permitted inappropriate retaliation against
critics of the Administration, for failing to adequately account for
certain misstatements they made regarding the war, and - in the case of
President Bush - for failing to comply with Executive Order 12958.
These two efforts are
complementary - H.Res.635 seeks accountability for the Bush
administration's monumental crimes, while H.Res.636 and H.Res.637 seek
accountability for their coverups.
** Ask your Congress Member
to support these efforts! **
This website provides Congressional voting & contact info. If you
sign up(as i did) you won't have to retype your info.
Click on this URL to take action: http://www.capwiz.com/apha/home/
or copy the URL and paste it into your Web browser.
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IMPEACHMENT HITS THE NEWS, Time for Impeachment, By Doug Ireland
http://www.impeachpac.org/?q=node/87
Rep. John Lewis Calls for Impeachment
http://www.impeachpac.org/?q=node/88
Se. Barbara Boxer Seeks Expert Opinions on Impeaching Bush
http://www.impeachpac.org/?q=node/90
Raising the Issue of Impeachment By John Nichols, The Nation
http://www.impeachpac.org/?q=node/97
______________________________________
FCNL / REACHING YOUR REP IN Washington
The January 2006 issue of the FCNL Washington Newsletter: http://www.fcnl.org/now/pdf/2006/jan06.pdf.
January is a great month to reach your congressional representatives
when they are at home in your state. So this month's Washington
Newsletter is full of tips for how to best communicate with you members
of Congress and the influence your voices have had on important issues
in the past year.
Table of Contents:
Citizens Engaging Congress Make a Difference
http://www.fcnl.org/now/now_item.php?item_id=407&issue_id=53
Writing to Congress: How to Make a Difference
http://www.fcnl.org/now/now_item.php?item_id=409&issue_id=53
Changing the Dialogue about First Americans
http://www.fcnl.org/now/now_item.php?item_id=412&issue_id=53
Eight Tips for a Successful Lobby Visit
http://www.fcnl.org/now/now_item.php?item_id=414&issue_id=53
Small Steps Pave Way for More Success in 2006
http://www.fcnl.org/now/now_item.php?item_id=413&issue_id=53
____________________________________________________________
Stop the Drug Industry Bailout on Avian Flu
Public Citizen <publiccitizen@democracyinaction.org> wrote:
Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.) is seizing on
public fear of an avian flu epidemic to try to ram through a sweeping
liability shield for the drug industry - one that will leave victims of
many vaccine and drug injuries with no compensation. Your action is
urgently needed to stop Sen. Frist and others from sneaking this
harmful exemption into a must-pass defense spending bill.
Please visit: http://action.citizen.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1687&SAAvianMem.
Stay informed and speak out
when it counts. Sign up for the Public Citizen Action Network.
Go to: http://action.citizen.org/signUp.jsp
_______________________________________________
Requesting your FBI File - If interested, here's
the website: http://foia.fbi.gov/