Jan 10, 2004

WASHINGTON – The New Year was a time of revelry for the corporate rich as government reports confirmed a surge in profits and productivity in the final quarter of 2003. George W. Bush trumpeted the news as proof that his trillions in tax cuts for the wealthy has pulled the nation out of recession. click here for Spanish text

For the movements on the ground determined to defeat Bush in 2004, the New Year came roaring in like a lion. click here for Spanish text

DALLAS – Texas peace activists are celebrating because our national hero, singer Willie Nelson, has released a new single that asks, “What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth?”

AUSTIN, Texas – A three-judge panel Jan. 6 upheld a districting plan conceived by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) to add eight or more Republicans to the Texas congressional delegation.

As Americans at home returned to post-holiday routines, the news from Iraq continued a familiar pattern – U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians killed and wounded daily. But sharing the spotlight is the looting of Iraq by corporate war-profiteers, fueling mounting anger among the Iraqi people, with U.S. states and communities footing the $166 billion bill.

News Analysis

Even before George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, Philadelphia was being set up for school privatization and similar measures now encompassed in the federal law.

OLYMPIA, Wash.: Ballot measure opposes nuclear waste dump / JEFFERSON, Wis.:Striking Tyson workers garner support / WASHINGTON: Poison the air and hop to Wal-Mart

News Anaylsis

Hindsight is 20-20 vision, so the saying goes. When Ronald Reagan declared war on labor, he began by destroying the PATCO (air traffic controllers) union. Everyone can see that now. All of labor and the progressive movements now know that Reagan’s attack on PATCO began a 20-plus year, government-assisted assault on labor rights.

Workers’ Correspondence

Transport Workers Union Local 100’s 38,000 members, employees of New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, voted in union elections on Dec. 10. The overall results represent a vote of confidence for the local’s reform leadership.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Several peace groups, including Brooklyn Parents for Peace and Brooklyn Peace Action, held a rally here on Dec. 18 around the theme, “Support the troops – Bring them home now!”