Feb 19, 2005

Fight erupts to defend kids from Bush budget cuts

WASHINGTON — “Unjust, unfair and un-American.” That’s how the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) describes President George W. Bush’s $2.57 trillion budget.
“It provides the wealthiest Americans with more money, while cutting programs that provide critical services for our most vulnerable children.” click here for Spanish text

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — Calls for worldwide, coordinated peace actions were a hallmark of this year’s World Social Forum, which reaffirmed its commitment to peace and its opposition to “any form of imperialism.” The 155,000 participants from 135 countries who gathered here Jan. 26-31 heard plans for both a Day of Action against the U.S. occupation of Iraq on March 19 and demonstrations against nuclear weapons on May 1. click here for Spanish text

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Jarvis Tyner, executive vice chair of the Communist Party USA and a founder of the Black Radical Congress, will keynote the People’s Weekly World 31st Annual African American History Month celebration in Connecticut on Feb. 27.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gray skies and cold driving rain didn’t keep more than 2,000 Pennsylvanians from rallying for permanent mass transit funding in front of the state Capitol here Feb. 14. Demonstrators from all parts of the state came by bus, train and car, carrying signs that read “Fund transit now” and “No fare hikes.”

CHICAGO — A new campaign to build opposition in Illinois to President Bush’s Social Security privatization scheme kicked off here Feb. 14 with a picket line at the Charles Schwab Corp.

While an Islamic Shiite coalition won a slim majority in the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq, the results indicate that no single group can control the country’s political process.

NEW YORK — Protesters were on the street outside the office of Hot 97 here Feb. 14, the second day back on the job for suspended morning show deejays.

ST. PAUL, Minn.: Young workers say ‘Hands off Social Security’ / RICHMOND, Va.: State strengthens strip mining rules / WASHINGTON: Clergy protest attack on environment / NEW YORK: Civil rights lawyer convicted

Four big squares marked “vacant” sat alongside photos of remaining board members on the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) web site this week. It seems the squares’ former occupants (two Republicans and two Democrats) had the nerve to vote against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to privatize pensions of all new state workers, including teachers, into a 401(k)-type system starting in 2007, and his proposal to shift onto local school districts the state’s contribution to the pension system.

NewsAnalysis

The REAL ID Act, HR 418, is not only a threat to undocumented immigrants and refugees, but also to the U.S. Constitution. Introduced Jan. 26 and rammed through the House of Representatives last week, the bill will now quickly go to the Senate.