CONTENTS:
PHILLY AREA ACTION:
Casino Free Philadelphia rally, June 1, noon
Protest Proposed Delay of Working Families' Wage Tax Rebate- 9AM
Interfaith PEACE WALK THIS SUNDAY
Join the Wal-Mart Quarantine!
Minimum Wage Rally and Lobby Day
Support the Philadelphia Public School Notebook .
Free Rx Info Touring PA June 5- June 9*** Bus Available for "Help is
Here Express"
NPower PA Training Calendar
Growing Vegetables & Flowers in Containers
ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ: the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the
truth
Attend PUP's - PHILADELPHIA UNEMPOYMENT PROJECT - 2006 Fund raiser:
Buy Tickets to the anti-Santorum Musical
New Organization: SustainUS Philly (and monthhly meeting) (Jun 22)
"An Inconvenient Truth", the new film about global warming featuring Al
Gore,
---------------
NATIONAL ACTION:
Oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment
Tell EPA: stop pressuring scientists to allow dangerous pesticides
YOU WANT GREAT HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYBODY? Marilyn Clement ,
National Coordinator, HEALTHCARE-NOW
New Dialogue Opened with Iraqis- CODEPINK Women for Peace
High gas prices? Don't just complain, act!
----------------
COMMENTARY:
* Globalization's Watchdogs
* This appeared in the Philadelpiha Daily News Friday
* Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In America's War? As Many As
250,000
* Life Expectancy in Cuba Near 80 Years
* Block the Vote- New York Times
* War Crimes: My Lai is a Lesson from History (and more)
==================
PHILLY AREA ACTION:
Casino Free Philadelphia rally, June 1, noon <http://www.nabrhood.org/>
The Citizens of Philadelphia have a right to plan the development of our
neighborhoods. We oppose casinos in our community and all communities in
Pennsylvania as they would be the result of legislation passed without
public involvement.
Please join Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront
(NABR)
(www.NABRhood.org), the Multi-Community Alliance
(www.casinofreezone.com),
and other groups from around the city and region at 12pm on Thursday,
June
1, as we launch Casino Free Philadelphia (website coming soon at
www.casinofreephila.org). The noontime rally will take place at the
Pennsylvania State Building, 1400 Spring Garden Street (at Broad
Street). As
you may know there are five casino operators competing for two licenses
to
locate slots parlors in Philadelphia: 2 in Fishtown, 1 in Nicetown/East
Falls, 1 in Northern Liberties, and 1 in South Philadelphia. But make no
mistake: the casinos will impact all Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians.
From
the beginning we have been kept out of the process by our elected
representatives in state government.
____________________________________
Thurs. JUNE 1, 9AM-Protest Proposed Delay of
Working Families' Wage Tax Rebate
Join us this Thursday, June
1 at 9 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, at a City Council hearing to protest
the proposed delay of my father, the late Councilman David Cohen's,
wage tax cuts for working families. As it is, the law is not even
scheduled to go into effect until 2010. Now, Council proposes to
further delay the law's starting date until 2013. This is an outrage!
Just last week, Council
passed more tax cuts for businesses. The priorities of Council
are clear: tax cuts for business are OK; tax cuts for working
families are not.
Come to the hearing on
Thursday and let your voice be heard! The city's budget should
not be balanced on the backs of working families!..... Please spread
the word. ... Sherrie Cohen
[sherriecohen@comcast.net] 215-620-3396
---------------------
PS: Stan Shapiro adds:
The city is doing everything
it can to cause real estate taxes to go up. Property taxes hurt
residents in general much more than business, and poor residents much
more than wealthy ones, particularly wealthy ones coming into the city
buying properties with ten year tax abatements. So this battle over
wage and business tax cuts is just the tip of an iceberg. The taxman is
coming to price many of us out of our homes.
So, what to do? Council will
hold a hearing this Thursday on the virtual repeal of Councilman
Cohen's working family tax cut this coming Thursday morning at 9 AM in
Room 400 City Hall. You can sign up to testify by calling Sharon Ortiz
at 215-686-3407. You don't need to present a complicated analysis of
the legislation. Just let Council know you're outraged at any such
repeal at a time of continuing business tax cuts. Or send a letter or
fax to that effect. You can do that easily by going to the "Hallwatch"
website fax tool at the following URL: http://www.hallwatch.org/faxbank/philadelphia
Or you can phone Council at phone numbers you can find at this URL: http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/about.html
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interfaith PEACE WALK THIS SUNDAY
SUNDAY, JUNE 4 at 1:00 pm
BEGIN at AL-AQSA Mosque, 3rd & Jefferson (above Girard Ave.)
PROCEED to St. Peter's Church, 5th & Girard
- to Christ Church, 2nd & Market
to Independence Mall, 6th & Market - to Society Hill
Synagogue, 5th & Market
Speakers, music, prayers, entertainment - During the Peace Walk, buses
and vans will be available to drive people who are physically unable to
walk. The buses also will shuttle people to their cars. Food and drinks
will be provided at each stop.
PLEASE WEAR WHITE (OR AT
LEAST WHITE SHIRTS). Bring water or snacks.
Banners/signs are limited to say the words: "Salaam,
Shalom, Peace" NO POLITICAL BANNERS For info: 215-854-8038
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please support the third annual June 6
fund-raiser for the Philadelphia Public School Notebook .
June 6, 2006 , 4:30-7:00 PM
University of Arts. Food,
entertainment,networking, raffles etc..
For tickets contact Sook Yung Oh at 215-951-0330 ext 107
______________________________________________________________________
Philly for Change - Upcoming events
Philly for Change will be having its next monthly meeting on
Wednesday, June 7th at 7pm. Please RSVP if you haven't yet:
www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=7935
Join the Wal-Mart Quarantine!
Friday, June 2, 4pm
South Philly Wal-Mart
(Columbus Blvd)
While CEO Lee Scott is convening Wal-Mart's annual shareholders
meeting, thousands of concerned citizens dressed in hazmat suits and
armed with yellow caution tape will be putting Wal-Mart sites across
the country under "quarantine." The purpose of the day of action
is
to mobilize activists and to send a message to shareholders that there
continues to be great concern over Wal-Mart's corporate practices.
RSVP: e-mail kidlaloe@yahoo.com or call Eduardo 215-735-3615 or sign
up online at www.quarantinewalmart.com
Minimum Wage Rally and Lobby Day
Monday, June 5th
Buses leave Philadelphia
from 15th and JFK at 8:30am (approx return time 5:30pm).
Join folks from the Raise the Minimum Wage Coalition and travel to
Harrisburg to lobby state senators so that the minimum wage is finally
raised in PA! Rally at the Rotunda starts at 1:30pm. If interested,
call 215-557-0822
.. Jen Murphy, Chair, Philly
for Change, jmurphy@pfcvotes.com
___________________________________________________________________________
Free Rx Info Touring PA June 5- June 9*** Bus
Available for "Help is Here Express" event with Montel Williams June 5
Phila
******* If there is a large group interested in coming out to the bus
on Monday, June 5th, I can arrange for a charter bus to pick them up
and take them to City Hall. Please let me know.*******
The bus will continue on through Pennsylvania with stops at the
following locations:
Tuesday, June 6th
Lackawanna County Courthouse, Scranton- 10 AM -Noon
Wednesday, June 7th
Public Square, Wilkes Barre - 10 AM - Noon
Thursday, June 8th
Senator Jake Corman's office, Bellefonte- 10 AM - Noon
Friday, June 9th
Station Medical Center, Altoona- 10 AM - Noon
Please feel free to contact
me with any questions, 717-214-2200.
Fran Hazam
[fhazam@mhasp.org] Consumer Advocate, MHASP, 215-751-1800 Ext 272
_____________________________________________________________________________
NPower PA Training Calendar
Plan ahead for the hot summer and enroll in one of our cool technology
training courses. Our current Training Calendar is now online! Our
classes are affordable, nonprofit specific, and available at a discount
to our members. To learn more about a FREE class or to register simply
visit our website or call Lauren Cannon at 215-557-1559.
When signing up for the
classes please indicate in the payment section that you would like to
be considered for a scholarship. If you qualify, you may be able to
take the class for free. Please call Lauren Cannon at 215-557-1559 for
more information.
June Classes:
· Excel Advanced, June 1st
· Nonprofit Website from Start to Finish, June 6 & 7
(VERIZON)
· Access Introduction, June 8th
· Access Intermediate, June 22nd
· Excel Introduction, June 29th
· Keep Your PC Running Smoothly, June 30th (VERIZON)
July Classes are available here: http://www.npowerpa.org/education/training/default.asp?iDate=7%2F24%2F2006
____________________________________________________________
Growing Vegetables & Flowers in
Containers (Jun 3)
Saturday, June 3rd 10:00-11:00 am
Pennsylvania Horiticultural Society City Gardening Series: Growing
Vegetables & Flowers in Containers
Location: Holly Street Neighbors Community Garden at 421 N. 42nd Street
Horticultural Educator Janet Carter will demonstrate various aspects of
gardening in containers, with tips on plant selection, design and
maintenance. For more information or to register, contact Marilyn
Reynolds at 215-988-8872.
_________________________________________________________________
ON THE GROUND IN IRAQ: the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
Get beyond the media hype with images and stories that the news doesn't
dare show you. Get the unvarnished story from filmmakers, soldiers, and
bloggers who have witnessed and engaged in the struggle, including
Colby Buzzell, author of My War: Killing Time in Iraq and activist
Yasmine El-Shamayleh. The film Voices of Iraq will also be screened.
Peter Lems, AFSC Program Associate for Iraq will lead the discussion.
Sponsored by The Middle East Center at The University of
Pennsylvania
Visit http://cbftw.blogspot.com and
www.voicesofiraq.com for more information on the participants.
Thursday, June 8th 7 PM - 10
PM
Arts Bank 601 South Broad
Street, Philadelphia, PA - $15 per ticket, $7.50 First Person
Members
Contact Us! . 267/402-2055. info@firstpersonarts.org.
www.firstpersonarts.org
_____________________________________________________________________
Attend PUP's - PHILADELPHIA UNEMPOYMENT PROJECT -
2006 Fund raiser:
Jump Into Summer Jazz Jam Featuring the Bayard Lancaster Quartet
with Singer Micha'l Beckam
Friday June 2, 6 to 10
PM
1199C 1319 Locust St.
Philadelphia PA
All you can eat soul food buffet Tickets $25- $40 per couple
Support PUP's work to
organize and protect the unemployed and working poor of Philadelphia.
Call 215-557-0822 for
tickets or email to JDoddsPUP@aol.com. - (See you there..Marlene)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Buy Tickets to the anti-Santorum Musical
"The Teachings of Chairman
Rick," on June 9th and 10th
William Way Community
Center, 1315 Spruce St. Buy your $15 tickets to this show today:
www.chairmanrick.com The Teachings of Chairman Rick takes you on a
musical journey into the musings and thoughts of one of today's most
polarizing and controversial politicians. Rick sings, speechifies, and
is interviewed on such issues as abortion, gay marriage, faith-based
initiatives, the Pope, and Terri Schiavo.
____________________________________________________________________
New Organization: SustainUS Philly (and
monthhly meeting) (Jun 22)
SustainUS Philly, the local chapter of the national, nonprofit group
devoted to empowering young people and advancing sustainability, is
having their next monthly meeting June 22nd at 7pm. This meeting will
take place at Joe's Caffe on 11th and Walnut. If you are a student or
young professional between the ages of 18 and 35 and are interested in
making Philadelphia the Next Great Sustainable City, then you have to
check us out! Some projects/issues that we are undertaking include:
* Holding a Forum to kick off efforts to make existing Philly building
codes and zoning guidelines more green and sustainable
* Supporting the Recycle NOW campaign to bring a successful and working
Recycling Program to city and Greater Phila. Area.
* Creating a youth/student/young professional mentorship with business
and nonprofit professionals and community leaders with the goal of
keeping talented, dynamic youth here in Philly working towards
sustainability
* TONS MORE!
* Check us out at http://sustainus.meetup.com/1/
or you can check out our national organization at http://www.sustainus.org
and then click on Philly to be redirected. To RSVP, please email Kat
Harrison at harrison.kathryn@gmail.com.
__________________________________________________________________________
"An Inconvenient Truth", the new film about
global warming featuring Al Gore
Opening in philadelphia on friday at the Ritz East. An
Inconvenient Truth www.climatecrisis.org
Opening:
June 2 Ritz East Theatre (check which Ritz Theater)
near 2nd & Walnut Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19106
June 9 Bryn Mawr Film Institute
824 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
June 9 County Theater
20 East State Street, Doylestown, PA 18901
===============
NATIONAL ACTION:
Oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment
The politics ofpolarization and distraction are emerging once again as
the November elections draw near, with congressional leadership poised
to introduce the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) in early June.
The Federal Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would limit the
definition of marriage to only one man and one woman. As a
federal amendment, it would jeopardize state and municipal laws or
ordinances currently in place which allow equal marriage rights for
same-gender couples. It could also endanger the extension of
domestic partner benefits which many companies, cities and
organizations, including the UCC, give to same-gender couples employed
by them.
The religious leaders, representatives of Clergy for Fairness, a broad
coalition of religious voices opposing FMA, which includes the UCC,
contend that it is not the federal government's role to prefer one
religious definition of marriage over another. Rather, religious
denominations should decide, based on their own doctrines and
teachings, whether or not to sanctify marriages of same-sex
couples. Last year the UCC General Synod passed a resolution in
support of equal marriage rights for all, which encouraged UCC members
and congregations to oppose legislation which denies civil marriage
rights to couples based on
gender.
Click http://www.ucctakeaction.org/fma to contact
your senators
and urge them not to
enshrine discrimination in the U.S. Constitution.
If your computer has trouble linking to the links above, please copy
and paste the address into your browser.Visit your One-Stop UCC
Advocacy Center at http://www.ucctakeaction.org
Contact us at ucctakeaction@ucc.org
If you are using a Spam-Blocker, please add ucctakeaction@ucc.org to
your list of approved senders.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tell EPA: stop pressuring scientists to allow
dangerous pesticides
From: United Farm Workers [mailto:ufwofamer@aol.com]
According to last Thursday's Wall Street Journal, "Union leaders
representing Environmental Protection Agency scientists and
other specialists assert that agency managers and
pesticide-industry officials are exerting 'political pressure'
to allow continued use of a family of pesticides that might be
harmful to children, infants and fetuses."
Under the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, the EPA must review
acceptable limits for residues of existing pesticides within 10
years. Organophosphates, pesticides that attack the nervous
system, were among the group given the highest priority for
testing. However the story pointed out in a report issued last
January EPA officials said they "still lacked a standard
evaluation procedure for testing the toxicity to developing nervous
systems."
Farm workers and young children should not continue to
be put at risk to bail out the chemical industry.
Go to: http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/epa_pesticides/5gggws4l7widjx?
__________________________________________________________________________
YOU WANT GREAT HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYBODY?
Marilyn Clement , National Coordinator, HEALTHCARE-NOW,
marilyncle@earthlink.net
JOIN THE FUN AND SHOW OUR TEN-MINUTE ANIMATED VIDEO AT A "LEARN-IN" IN
YOUR COMMUNITY. "Don't Be a Chicken" will open the discussion to help
people understand the facts about the healthcare crisis and how to
fight for the healthcare system we need. We had 100 free copies.
Most of them are gone. BUT, if you put in your order no later than
THURSDAY noon EST, June 1st, it will be mailed to you free on or before
June 5th by overnight mail. But you'll need to send Federal Express
postage of $20 or send it by the internet link (See below). Also,
please add a contribution to Healthcare-NOW if you can.
You can see the trailer and also
order a "Chicken" with your credit card by clicking the DONATE NOW
button at Healthcare-NOW: www.healthcare-now.org.
PEOPLE FROM MANY ORGANIZATIONS ARE CALLING and E-MAILING
US. THEY WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON "National Healthcare Action Day"
June 7th, 6-7-6. Many of the events are listed on our
website. COME JOIN US anytime during that week (or beyond)
by showing the film, holding a learn-in, inviting a speaker, visiting
your Congress Members and candidates for Congress and challenging them
to support H.R. 676, the bill that supports national
healthcare. You can help build support for a real
national healthcare system. You can provide materials for your church
or union or City Council or send a letter to Congress or to the media
by going to our TOOL BOX site on the Healthcare-NOW website.
Healthcare-NOW will also have new "I Can't Afford to Get Sick" buttons
available by the end of this week. You can access these resources
on our website or call our office. 1-800-453-1305.
If you can, PLEASE MAKE A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION when you order the DVD,
and do KEEP ON ORGANIZING. We are convinced that we are
closer to a national healthcare system than we have been in 50
years. 6/7/6 is a good place to
start.
P.S.
CONGRESS MEMBERS WILL BE WITH US --If you live in the area of
Washington, D.C. please attend the event being held to launch a
National Healthcare Caucus in the Congress on National Healthcare
Action Day, June 7th -at 10:00 A.M., 2226 Rayburn Building. 71 Members
of Congress now support H.R. 676. Check to see if yours is on the list.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
New Dialogue Opened with Iraqis- CODEPINK
Women for Peace
While the U.S. government was threatening to bomb their country, the
Iraqis were careful to make the distinction between the government and
the people. Today, after this disastrous war has dragged on for over
three years, that distinction is harder to make. Many Iraqis wonder why
the U.S. people are not rising up en masse to oppose the occupation of
their country.
Ads in Iraqi Newspapers
That's why, on Mother's Day, we not only held an amazing 24-hour vigil
in front of the White House (http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=141),
but we also reached out to Iraqis. In a ground-breaking campaign,
thanks to the generosity of many of you, we took out full-page ads in
eight Iraqi newspapers. The newspapers represented a cross-section of
the Iraqi people, both ethnically and politically, and opened up an
important dialogue with political and social groups in Iraq that we are
now cultivating. We plan to take out more ads to let Iraqis know about
other efforts to end the occupation, such as our upcoming hunger strike
called Troops Home Fast (http://www.codepinkalert.org//index.php).
Click here (https://secure.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/codepink/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1479)
if you would like to contribute to this ad campaign that reaches out to
the Iraqi people.
Troops Home Fast
In last week's alert, we announced the Troops Home Fast (http://www.codepinkalert.org//index.php)
that will begin on July 4, and hundreds of you signed on to join at
least one day of the fast. Our fasters now include Cindy Sheehan;
environmentalist Diane Wilson; comedian Dick Gregory; singer Willie
Nelson; Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of
Churches; Dr. E. Faye Williams, National Chair of the National Congress
of Black Women; Colonel Ann Wright; Iraq veteran Geoffrey Millard; Kim
Gandy, President of the National Organization for Women; and CODEPINK
cofounders Medea Benjamin, Jodie Evans and Gael Murphy.
Click here (http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=1005)
for an interview with Diane Wilson on why we are doing this fast and
what we intend to accomplish.
If you haven't already
signed on, please consider joining this historic fast for a day, a
week, or more (http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/codepink/signUp.jsp?key=1289).
You can fast with us in Washington, DC in front of the White House, or
in your own community. You can fast as an individual, or organize a
rolling fast (each one taking one day) in a public place such as a
congressional office, a recruiting station, a federal building or a
church. And if you live outside the United States, we encourage you to
fast on July 4th outside a U.S. Embassy or consulate. While the U.S.
officials are enjoying their barbeques and festivities, we will be
reminding them of the ongoing suffering of Iraqis and soldiers in this
unjust war.
Allison, Dana, Farida, Gael,
Jodie, Katie, Medea, Nancy, Rae and Tiffany
P.S. In preparation for the summer hunger strike in front of the White
House, and taking inspiration from the CODEPINK women doing daily
actions in our nation's capitol this month (www.womensayenough.org),
we're opening an office in DC! We have lots of needs, from laptops to
office supplies to interns. Click here to see our wish list (http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=1003).
Thanks so much for your help in growing CODEPINK!
P.P.S. Click here (http://www.codepinkalert.org/article.php?list=type&type=124)
to find out other
exciting ways to join with
CODEPINK this summer.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
High gas prices? Don't just complain, act!
Traveling this holiday weekend? You will likely pay $.75 cents
more than last Memorial Day for a gallon of gas, $15 dollars more
to fill a 20 gallon tank. While the oil industry gouges consumers, it
reports record profits. Enough is enough!
Tell your member of the
House of Representatives to raise gas mileage standards!
http://cu.convio.net/site/R?i=LlrDGlhaWvQ6XTHxnGYc5Q..
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Can a "good" person support Separation of
Church and State?
Congresswomen Nita Lowey and Hillary Clinton have introduced a
Congressional Resolution to Strengthen Family Planning Services for
Women that will help provide access to reproductive health programs and
help low income women prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Low-income women, denied
access to contraception, are having more unwanted pregnancies -- four
times as many as those for higher income women. And almost half of all
unwanted pregnancies end in abortions. If Congress is serious about
reducing unwanted pregnancies and abortions, they will support this
Resolution that makes it easier for women of all incomes to obtain
contraceptives and use them correctly. One of my favorite quotes is "A
well-behaved woman rarely makes history." Don't sit quietly while a
tiny minority dictates the direction of our country; stand up and make
sure our representatives run our country the way we elected them to.
Sign this petition here:
Urge your Congresspeople to
go on record with their position and ensure that women have access to
contraceptives: http://go.care2.com/e/k3O/l0/LQpK
.....Hilary S.- Care2 and ThePetitionSite.com
==========
COMMENTARY:
* Globalization's Watchdogs
Railing against Bolivia's oil and gas nationalization, the
media's "free trade" ideologues value markets over democracy.
by Mark Engler, submitted by the author to portside,Foreign Policy in
Focus - May 26, 2006 http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3284
When Bolivian President Evo Morales announced plans to
nationalize his country's oil and natural gas resources
in early May, he did more than lay out a promising path
for development. He also provided an ideal opportunity
to illustrate how large segments of the U.S. and
British press have adopted roles as watchdogs for
corporate globalization. Since Bolivia's energy exports
go to Brazil and Argentina rather than the United
States, and since the nationalization is unlikely to
significantly alter the price of natural gas on
international markets, the direct impact on our country
is minimal. Yet in the weeks since Morales took action,
we have been treated to a wealth of hysterical commentary.
As Condoleezza Rice criticized South American
"demagoguery" and industry groups warned that Morales
was "embarking on a dangerous path," the editorial
pages charged to advance the front. The Wall Street
Journal predictably led the way, calling "abrogation of
contracts" the latest "Latin craze."It echoed The
Economist's warning from London that "Bolivia may be
moving backwards" and "its people are likely to grow even poorer."
These business-oriented publications actually sounded
subdued compared to some rival dailies. The Los Angeles
Times wrote,"Morales put his head in an oven this week
and turned on the natural gas. There are only two
likely outcomes: an explosion that ends his political
career--or a slow suffocation for his people."
New York's Newsday also worked up a rabid editorial
assault.There, columnist James Pinkerton derided
Bolivia as "a country that is nationalizing, or, if you
prefer, stealing, foreign-owned assets." The paper's
editorial page then grouped Bolivia with Cuba and
Venezuela in an "Axis of Idiocy" and asserted that
"nationalization of major industries has proved to be a
road to economic ruin in an era of globalization."
Given that little nationalization of major industries
has occurred in this era of globalization, Newsday left
readers wondering about how this idea has been "proven"
-- at least to anyone who wants evidence instead of
just blind market ideology. Nor did the paper give any
indication why an increasing number of Latin American
countries are inviting sure "failure" by bucking the
policies of neoliberal globalization. For its part, the
Los Angeles Times gave some insight by remarking, "It's
true that[Bolivia's] resources have long been exploited
by foreigners with little benefit to the indigenous
population." But it never the less contended that
"sending in the army to take over the gas fields isn't
the answer to Bolivia's problems."
What the alarmist viewpoints lack most is context. In
predicting economic disaster for a re-nationalized
Bolivian energy sector, the editorials turn a blind eye
to the two-decade disaster known as neoliberalism. In
the 1980s Bolivia was on the cutting edge of the trend
toward privatization, adhering to an International
Monetary Fund(IMF) - recommended structural adjustment
program. The pro-corporatere forms proved profitable
for the multinational energy companies involved, but
they utterly failed to benefit the Bolivian people.
Today 64% of the population lives in poverty, with a
majority of people scraping by on less than $2 per day.
A March 2006 report by the Center for Economic and
Policy Research shows that, according to the IMF's own
data, real per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) in
Bolivia is lower now than it was 27 years ago.
Despite the general trend, there were some level headed
voices in the media. These exceptions went far in
debunking many of the Evo-bashers 'doomsday scenarios.
Usually a defender of "free trade"policies, The New
York Times ran an op-ed entitled, "All Smoke, No Fire
in Bolivia." It noted that foreign energy companies
will not be kicked out of Bolivia under Morales'
framework,but merely will have to cooperate with the
state on less lucrative terms than before. While
private partners will remain, Evo's plan will increase
state control of natural resources and force
renegotiation of the suspect corporate contracts signed
during privatization. As a result, a greater share of
the proceeds from oil and gas will be redirected to
benefit Bolivia's poor. "The companies will still
profit under the new rules," commentator William Powers
wrote; "they won't see the huge profits they enjoyed
under lax Bolivian control and the global rally in
commodities prices, but they will make money."
The London Independent observed, "Energy reserves are
national assets which the state has a right to control
and benefit from." And even the stodgy Financial Times,
while generally suspicious of Morales, conceded "there
is nothing intrinsically wrong in trying to maximize
royalties and taxes" from the use of a country's natural resources.
Not all economists think that Evo's wager was a bad
one
-- and somethink the gamble could pay off big.
Especially galling for critics has been Joseph
Stiglitz's public show of support this week for
Bolivia's re-nationalization. After meeting with
Morales on May 17, Stiglitz, a Nobel-prize winning
economist and former chief economist at the World Bank,
argued that Bolivia "felt all the pains [of neoliberal
structural adjustment] but has experienced no gains --
it's clear that it must have a change in its economic model."
Stiglitz also contended that the sale of Bolivian
hydrocarbons to private interests was illegal, since it
was never approved by the country's Congress. "When a
person was robbed of a painting and then it is given
back to him," Stiglitz argued, "we don't call it re-
nationalization, but return of a property that was his to begin with."
For all their professed concern about democratic
reform, this is a point that the critics consistently
miss. Morales was elected in a landslide on a platform
vowing nationalization. That he actually kept a
campaign promise may seem bizarre to the watchdogs of
corporate globalization, but it's something that should
be lauded. With their commentaries filled with alarm,
too few papers took note of a remarkable development:
This time, when democracy and neoliberal economics collided, democracy
won.
[Mark Engler, a writer based in New York City, is an
analyst with Foreign Policy In Focus. He can be
reached
via the web site: http://www.democracyuprising.com. Research
assistance provided by Kate Griffiths.]
________________________________________________
* This appeared in the Philadelpiha Daily News
Friday, 5/26/06 Letters | U.S. FOREIGN POLICY & THE IMMIGRATION MESS
ONE OF THE factors in the immigration controversy that continues to be
ignored is how this country's interventions in Latin America have
contributed to the migration. In the 1980s, overt and clandestine
operations supported by the Reagan and Bush I administrations created a
northward movement of thousands of immigrants trying to escape a
hostile environment.
Later, the implementation of neoliberal policies in the region imposed
cuts in social services. In 1994, NAFTA went into effect in Mexico,
with devastating consequences for small farmers and manufacturers,
indigenous people and the urban poor. The United States is, therefore,
not totally blameless for the situation.
Instead of opposing attempts to bring about a more equitable economic
climate in those countries, the United States should support regimes
that work toward that goal, even if it means going against the
interests of corporations and the national elites. The results may not
be evident overnight, but it will be a more permanent solution than
fences or criminalization.
Ada Bello, Philadelphia
________________________
Number Of Iraqi Civilians Slaughtered In
America's War? As Many As 250,000
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article11674.htm
Number of U.S. Military Personnel Sacrificed
(Officially acknowledged) In Bush's War 2460
http://icasualties.org/oif/
The War in Iraq Costs $283,394,491,190
See the cost in your community http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182
===
Why it's over for America By Noam Chomsky
An inability to protect its
citizens. The belief that it is above the law. A lack of democracy.
Three defining characteristics of the 'failed state'. And that, says
Noam Chomsky, is exactly what the US is becoming. In an exclusive
extract from his devastating new book, America's leading thinker
explains how his country lost its way.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13426.htm
____________________________________________________________________________________________
* Cuba-Donated Hospitals in Bolivia, From:
"Walter Tillow" wtillow@bellsouth.net
La Paz, May 30 (Prensa Latina) President Evo Morales is due to open
Tuesday in Escoma, on the border with Peru, the first of 20
top-technology hospitals donated by Cuba to Bolivia, the governmental
headquarters reported.
Armando Garrido, coordinator of the Cuban medical brigade in
Bolivia,
stated that the Aymara Hospital is provided with a medicinal gas
system, labs with gasometry and fixed and portable ray-x equipment.
The center, like the other 19, will have one intensive therapy room
with four beds, as well as services of obstetrics, neonatology,
digestive endoscopy and a fully-equipped operation room.
Qualified Cuban staff and paramedics will work in the hospital
and the
donation also includes maintenance of medical equipment, medicine and
materials, said Garrido.Cuba's ambassador to Bolivia Rafael Daussa
stated the
20 hospitals will be working before the end of June.
______________________________________________________________________________
* Life Expectancy in Cuba Near 80 Years
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=7A329571-B9E5-4A86-8547-33162B8AF3A6)&language=EN
Prensa Latina, May 28, 2006
Life expectancy in Cuba is reaching 80 years, according
to health specialists in the 4th International
Conference on Satisfactory Longevity, which took place
this week here in the National Hotel.
Doctor Eugenio Selman-Houssein Abdo highlighted the
conditions developed in Cuba to maintain good quality
of life conditions, including nutrition, health,
physical activity, culture, motivation and the environment.
"Cuba guarantees education and healthcare free of
charge, full access to sports and culture."
____________________________________________________________
* Block the Vote- New York Times May 30, 2006,
Editorial
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/30/opinion/30tue1.html>
In a country that spends so much time extolling the
glories of democracy, it's amazing how many elected
officials go out of their way to discourage voting.
States are adopting rules that make it hard, and
financially perilous, for nonpartisan groups to register
new voters. They have adopted new rules for maintaining
voter rolls that are likely to throw off many eligible
voters, and they are imposing unnecessarily tough ID
requirements.
Florida recently reached a
new low when it actually
bullied the League of Women Voters into stopping its
voter registration efforts in the state. The Legislature
did this by adopting a law that seems intended to scare
away anyone who wants to run a voter registration drive.
Since registration drives are particularly important for
bringing poor people, minority groups and less educated
voters into the process, the law appears to be designed
to keep such people from voting.
It imposes fines of $250 for
every voter registration
form that a group files more than 10 days after it is
collected, and $5,000 for every form that is not
submitted - even if it is because of events beyond
anyone's control, like a hurricane. The Florida League
of Women Voters, which is suing to block the new rules,
has decided it cannot afford to keep registering new
voters in the state as it has done for 67 years. If a
volunteer lost just 16 forms in a flood, or handed in a
stack of forms a day late, the group's entire annual
budget could be put at risk.
* War Crimes: My Lai is a Lesson from History
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0529-01.htm
* Lamont vs. Lieberman: Battle for Dem's Soul?
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0527-01.htm
* Photos Indicate Civilians Slain Execution-Style
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0527-02.htm
* MR. ICE CREAM STICKS IT TO THE PENTAGON Deanna
Zandt, AlterNet
Ben Cohen has built a grassroots organization of half a million to
fight the obscene size of the U.S. military
budget -- and he uses Oreo cookies to make the case. http://www.alternet.org/story/36437/
* TOP 10 SIGNS OF THE IMPENDING U.S. POLICE STATE
Allan Uthman, Buffalo Beast
From secret detention centers to warrantless wiretapping,
Bush and Co. give free rein to their totalitarian impulses. http://www.alternet.org/rights/36553/
* INSIDE DONNIE RUMSFELD'S ORWELLIAN PENTAGON Jim
Hightower, Hightower Lowdown
While claiming that they must 'secure' America for a post-9/11 world,
the BushCheney zealots are taking
us back to a pre-1776 world. http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/36593/
*THE GREAT IRAQ OIL GRAB Joshua Holland, AlterNet
The official reasons the U.S. invaded Iraq don't hold water. So,
as the man said, follow the money ... straight
to the oil fields. http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/36463/
* ARUNDHATI ROY: BACK IN THE U.S.A. Democracy Now!
Author/activist Arundhati Roy discusses President Bush's embarrassing
trip to India, the war in Iraq, and why she
avoids America. http://www.alternet.org/story/36643/
* THE GUILTIEST GUYS IN THE ROOM Onnesha
Roychoudhuri, AlterNet
The Enron verdict is a heartening chapter, but it provides the
beginning, rather than an end of reckoning with a
culture of blame-dodging that bleeds far beyond Ken Lay and Jeff
Skilling. http://www.alternet.org/story/36718/
* AHMADINEJAD: NOT HITLER AFTER ALL Jan Frel,
AlterNet
Another failed attempt by the neocons to compare Iran toNazi Germany
suggests the public won't stand for another
propaganda campaign meant to drum up war fever. http://www.alternet.org/story/36654/
* VIDEO: GOD SAYS TSUNAMI WILL STRIKE US David
DeGraw, AlterNet Video
Pat Robertson is up to his old tricks -- God has told him that a
tsunami will hit the Pacific Northwest. Luckily, a newscaster was
able to get his hands on a recording of the conversation. http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/365
* Israeli military says it is expanding four
settlements in Qalqilia area
An Israeli military spokesperson says they are expanding four
settlements in the northwestern occupied West Bank area, including
Oranit Settlement south of Qalqilia, built on lands of Sineria and
Azzun Atma villages. Settlers dredged 86 dunams of land belonging to
farmer Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Sheikh. http://www.imemc.org/content/view/18885/1/
* 18,000 Palestinians in W. Bethlehem villages
about to be enclosed into a 'ghetto'
In West Bethlehem, between al-Khader and the villages to be isolated in
a ghetto on the west side of the Wall, Israeli forces have begun
building a tunnel under the settler-only road. This construction and
the associated land devastation will finalize the isolation of the
villages into a ghetto, completely surrounded by the Israeli Wall and
isolated from the rest of Palestine. http://www.imemc.org/content/view/18883/1/
* Collateral damage:Entire Gaza family By Gideon
Levy
The entire family of Hamdi Aman, a 28-year-old Palestinian from Gaza
who spent his youth in Tel Aviv's Carmel market, was hit in the
assassination of Islamic Jihad operative Mohammed Dahdouh in Gaza a
week and a half ago.
Aman's 7-year-old son Muhand
was killed; Naima, his wife, 27, was killed; his mother Hanan, 46, was
killed. His three and a half year old daughter Mariya is lying in the
pediatric intensive care unit at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer,
permanently paralyzed and on a respirator. Aman is not allowed to be
with her.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/721483.html