CONTENTS:
PHILLY AREA ACTION:
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
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PHILLY AREA ACTION:
STOP THE ATTACKS ON WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE! - Join us for a Rally in Support of Women’s Health Care
WHEN: February 17th, Thursday
TIME: 11:30 AM
WHERE: Thomas Paine Plaza- in front of the Municipal Services Building, 1417 JFK Blvd (across from City Hall)
• Legislation in both Harrisburg and Washington DC aims to stop
women from using their OWN money to purchase health insurance that covers abortion.
• Some members of Congress are proposing to entirely eliminate all
federal funding for family planning and reproductive health services which will lead to more unintended pregnancies.
• Whats at stake? Women’s lives! Please join us Thursday.
www.raisingwomensvoices.net
Here's why you need to come out and fight back!
1. Conservatives took control of Congress in the November election on a platform of fixing the economy and creating jobs. Instead, they have launched a series of attacks on women’s health care and abortion rights.
2. Legislation in both Harrisburg and Washington that aims to stop public funding of abortion is unnecessary. There is no public funding of abortion today and the Affordable Care Act did not change that. Under the ACA, women have to write a separate check for abortion coverage. The proposed legislation would bar women from using their own money to purchase health insurance that covers abortion. The likely result is that no such coverage would be offered to women at all.
3. The Continuing Resolution that will come before the Congress this week has massive cuts in health care and other programs for women and children. Some of these programs were enacted under Republican presidents and have long had bi-partisan support..
• It entirely eliminates all federal funding for family planning and reproductive health. In other words, Republicans who oppose abortion are doing everything they can to encourage more unwanted pregnancies while attacking Planned Parenthood, the most respected provider of women’s health care in the country.
• It chop $1.1 billion cut from Head Start.
• It cuts $758 million from the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a program created by the Nixon administration that provides supplemental food to infants as well as health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant and postpartum women.
• It reduces the Maternal and Child Health Block Grants by $210 million. This program, a descendant of one created during the Harding Administration, supports children with special needs, provides newborn screening and genetic services, and funds lead poisoning and injury prevention.
• It slashes $1.3 billion from Community Health Centers that provide affordable health care to low income women, men and their children. Last year, Republicans claimed we didn’t need health care reform because Community Health Centers provide care to people with low incomes. This year, they are ready to slash funding for them.
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Street Trees Available in Philly
The WMAN Streetscapes Committee is collecting applications for the fall 2011 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society/Tree Vitalize Tree Planting Program. Trees are provided free of charge and planted by trained volunteers. The program has added over 230 new trees to our streets in the last four years.
For details, interested homeowners should contact Dave Tukey, Project Coordinator, at trainbow2@yahoo.com and 215-844-2807 or Doris Kessler, Streetscapes Committee Chair at doris.kessler@verizon.net and 215-242-0651.
Completed applications need to be filed with the Streetscapes Committee and must be received by Friday March 25th.
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Solidarity Philly Calendar – February 14, 2011 Upcoming Area Events
Events: Vigil for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Organization: Build Bridges Not Walls
Date &Time: Every Friday, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: Outside the Israeli Consulate (19th & JFK Blvd), Philadelphia
Description: A one hour vigil in which participants distribute timely information and interact with passerbys. Co-sponsored by the Catholic Peace Fellowship.
***
Event: “Occupation 101” Screening
Organization: Temple Students for Justice in Palestine Date & Time: Thursday, Feb 17th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: “Underground,” Student Center South, 13th St. and Montgomery Ave., Temple University, Philadelphia
Description: A thought provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict, Occupation 101 presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long- perceived myths and misconceptions. Co-sponsored with Philadelphia Jews for a Just Peace.
***
Event: “Past Negotiations: A Civil Rights Movement in the Making.”
Organization: Temple Students for Justice in Palestine
Speakers: Tarek Abuata & Jamal Najjab
Date & Time: Friday, Feb 25th, 3:30-5:30 PM
Location: Room 821 (Women’s Study Lounge), Anderson Hall, 12th St. and Berks Walk, Temple University, Philadelphia
Description: Tarek Abuata works in Palestine for the Christian Peacemaker and is the executive director of Love Thy Neighbor, which supports nonviolence trainings in Palestine and educates Americans about the larger nonviolence efforts in the region. Tarek has performed many trainings in Martin Luther King nonviolence in Palestine as he works with Dr. Bernard LaFayette (at one time was chief of staff to MLK). He has also worked 1 year for the Negotiations Support Unit in Ramallah.
***
Event: Report Back from the Jewish Boat
Organization: Mishkan Shalom Synagogue
Date & Time: Friday, February 25, 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Location: Mishkan Shalom, 4101 Freeland Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Description: An evening with activists who were on the Jewish boat that sailed last year to break the siege of Gaza.
Speakers:
Reuven Moskowitz – from Israel, is a founding member of the Jewish- Arab village Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace) and a Holocaust survivor.
Lilian Rosengarten – from the US, was a refugee from Nazi Germany.
Yonatan Shapira – from Israel, is an ex-IDF pilot and activist with Combatants for Peace.
Glyn Secker – from the UK, is the boat’s captain and a member of Jews for Justice for Palestinians Executive Committee.
***
Event: "The Ongoing Disintegration of the West Bank and the Horror in Gaza" with Julia C. Hurley and Mohammed Omer
Organization: Temple Students for Justice in Palestine Date & Time: Thursday, March 3, 6:00-8:30 PM
Location: Temple University, Walk Auditorium, Ritter Hall, 13th St.
and Montgomery Ave., Philadelphia, PA
Description: Julia C. Hurley is a representative of AAPER (American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights) and Mohammed Omer is a world- renowned Palestinian journalist.
***
Event: "A Concert with Marcel Khalife"
Organization: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture and Trinity Center for Urban Life Date & Time: Sunday, March 13th, 4:30
Location: Trinity Center at 22nd and Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA
Description: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture and Trinity Center for Urban Life are honoring MARCEL KHALIFE, acclaimed Lebanese composer, oud master, and singer, the UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2005 for achievements as an artist and a humanitarian.
Admission: $30/person advance tickets
Contact www.albustanseeds.org or 267-809-3668.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTION:
Call Your Representatives Wed. to Vote Yes on Military Cutting AWmendments
Military-cutting
amendments tonight, tomorrow, and possibly Thursday
Members
of the House have introduced amendments to the "continuing resolution"
to cut the military budget. Some will be voted on tonight, others
tomorrow and perhaps Thursday. There are many worthy amendments to cut
the military budget - link to full list below - but we are focused on
two, which are expected to be voted on Wednesday:
Rep. Jerry Nadler (Amdt 232) has proposed cutting $90 billion for the
war in Afghanistan. This would essentially end the war.
Rep. Jared Polis (Amdt 46) has proposed to limit the number of troops
stationed in Europe to 35,000 and to cut force levels by 7,500 troops
in the next 6 months. This is an effort to begin to implement the
recommendations of the Sustainable Deficit Task Force sponsored by Rep.
Frank and Rep. Paul.
You can reach your Rep. through the Capitol Switchboard:
202-225-3121. Ask your Rep. to support the Nadler and Polis amendments
and all other amendments to cut the military budget and end the war.
Here is the full list of proposed amendments to HR 1:
http://www.rules.house.gov/Media/hdrs/hr1_amendments_stack_ocr.pdf
Nadler, Polis Push Today to Cut Deficit by Trimming Empire
Okinawa and Bahrain show why we need to cut foreign military bases.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/nadler-polis-push-today-t_b_823577.html_
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On Behalf Of Bradley Manning Support Network
Please contact the Berkeley City Council regarding its Bradley Manning
resolution
The Berkeley City Council is about to vote on a proposed resolution in support of Bradley Manning.
Let them know that you believe in Bradley - and appeal to them to act courageously! Please send emails, faxes and voicemails to the addresses below. Time is of the essence as the vote is this Tuesday. Form letters are less effective - it's best to tell them why, in your own words, you support Bradley Manning and urge them to do the same.
Thank you for your quick action!
Mayor- Tom Bates
(510) 981-7100 P- (510) 981-7199 F/ mayor@CityofBerkeley.info
District 1- Linda Maio
(510) 981-7110 P- (510) 981-7111 F/ lmaio@CityofBerkeley.info
District 2- Darryl Moore
(510) 981-7120 P - (510) 981-7122 F/ dmoore@CityofBerkeley.info
District 3- Max Anderson
(510) 981-7130 P- (510) 981-7133 F/ manderson@CityofBerkeley.info
District 4- Jesse Arreguin
(510) 981-7140 P- (510) 981-7144 F/ jarreguin@CityofBerkeley.info
District 5- Laurie Capitelli
(510) 981-7150 P- (510) 981-7155 F/ lcapitelli@CityofBerkeley.info
District 6- Susan Wengraf
(510) 981-7160 P- 510) 981-7166 F/ swengraf@CityofBerkeley.info
District 7- Kriss Worthington
(510) 981-7170 P- (510) 981-7177 F/ kworthington@CityofBerkeley.info
District 8- Gordon Wozniak
(510) 981-7180 P- (510) 981-7188 F/ gwozniak@CityofBerkeley.info
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Defend Academic Freedom at Brooklyn College, CUNY - The Petition Site
http://www.thepetitionsite.com:80/1/defend-academic-freedom-at-CUNY/
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Conyers Reintroduces “Expanded & Improved Medicare For All” Bill
Citing Rising Health Care Costs & Other Systemic Problems With For Profit Health Care As Reason To Move Forward With Non-Profit, Publicly-Financed Health Care
Washington DC- Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), a long-time national leader for non-profit publicly-financed universal health care, today introduced H.R. 676, “The Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act.” The single-payer universal health care bill, which has been introduced since 2003, has 25 original cosponsors, and has sparked a growing national movement in support of the bill. The bill had 85 cosponsors in the 111th Congress, and has the support of over 17,000 doctors, nurses, organized labor, and many activists across the country.
“I am so pleased to announce that we have reintroduced H.R. 676, ‘The Improved and Expanded Medicare For All Act’ in the 112th Congress with 25 original cosponsors,” said Conyers. “The bill is almost identical to the single payer universal health care bill we introduced in the 111th Congress, but we have expanded the benefits package to include coverage of medically necessary oral surgery, nutritional, and dietary health care services, said Conyers
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D.C. Congresswoman Denied Right to Testify at Congressional
Hearing, Black Caucus Outraged
http://www.blackradionetwork.com/norton_denied_to_testify__black_caucus_outraged
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Egypt Through Israeli Eyes: Two Views
1 The Arab Revolution and Western Decline -- Ari Shavit
2 A Villa in the Jungle? -- Uri Avnery
Ari Shavit is a senior correspondent at Haaretz Newspaper and a member of its editorial board.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-arab-revolution-and-western-decline-1.340967
A Villa in the Jungle? Uri Avnery
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1296857067/
Portside aims to provide material of interest to people
on the left that will help them to interpret the world and to change it.
Submit via email: portside@portside.org
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Governor Calls for End of Collective Bargaining, Alerts Guard By Mike Hall, AFL-CIO Blog
http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/02/11/wisconsin%E2%80%99s-walker-calls-for-end-of-collective-bargaining-alerts-national-guard/
First Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced a state budget plan that strips state workers of nearly all their collective bargaining rights, cuts pay and benefits and says there will be no negotiations.