Feb 12, 2005

Radical cuts for vets, schools, health
WASHINGTON — Outraged protests greeted President George W. Bush’s $2.57 trillion budget proposal, with many calling it a fraudulent, radical plan to starve spending on human needs while lavishing billions on the “greedy.” click here for Spanish text

When President Bush took his scheme to privatize Social Security on the road last week he came face to face with “red state” reality.
“The president is trying to destroy the social safety net of our society and the people will not allow that to happen,” said Mark Froemke, a Minnesota AFL-CIO vice president, as he marched in Fargo, N.D., with hundreds of workers, active and retired, clergy and students Feb. 3.

When Mr. Bush gave the State of the Union address, he spoke of Iraq as a country which Americans are really proud of, because they voted Jan. 30 — although we well know it is a very immoral situation.

CHICAGO — A new political landmark will throw its doors open here, Feb. 12, for a gala open house. The Unity Center, operated by the Workers Education Society (WES), is a newly renovated “green” building, which is the new home of the People’s Weekly World editorial office.

CHICAGO — Angry city residents suffering without heat have joined advocates for low-income energy assistance to hold numerous protests to get household heat turned back on in thousands of homes across Chicago. On Jan. 18 they marched on the office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, demanding he take emergency action.

NewsAnalysis

As the Bush administration pushes to privatize Social Security, many people are looking at countries where state-funded pensions have been privatized. One of them is Chile. President Bush lauded Chile’s privatized social security system as a “good example” for the U.S. when he visited Santiago last November to participate in the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. click here for Spanish text

As California labor and community organizations mobilize to uphold Social Security, they are seeing a related development in the concerted drive by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to privatize new state workers’ pensions and eliminate state contributions to teachers’ retirement.

MIAMI: Protests in the land of Jeb Bush / APPALACHIA, Va.: Miners, neighbors demand justice for child’s death / WASHINGTON: Torture architect Gonzales confirmed as U.S. attorney general

NEW YORK — On Feb. 2 more than 5,000 people took part in a “Housing Here and Now!” rally outside of City Hall. It was the largest show of support for affordable housing the city has seen in decades. Union members and leaders, city residents, religious groups and elected officials came together to demand city leaders enact a five-point program to put an end to New York City’s housing crisis.

On the heels of a State of the Union address supporting a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, the Bush administration has asked the U.S. District Court in Boston to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. However, gay and lesbian activists had reason to celebrate this week as a New York judge held that the state’s constitution does not permit the exclusion of same-sex couples from civil marriage.