Sept. 9, 2006

BATAVIA, Ill. — Bearing American flags and pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary while marching to the beat of Korean drummers, some 400 immigrant workers, their families and supporters walked 50 miles from Chicago to the office of Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to demand action on immigration reform and an end to raids and deportations.

“Cheap spin, fear-mongering and deliberate mischaracterization of his critics.” “Shameful tactic.” “Close to delusional.” These were editorial reactions of newspapers across the “heartland” last week as President Bush and other administration officials launched a political offensive.

NEW YORK — This year’s People’s Weekly World/Nuestro Mundo Fund Drive kicked off with a bang, with PWW writers engaging in fundraising events, local fundraising committees formed, and tens of thousands of dollars turned in for the drive, which runs from Labor Day through December.

WASHINGTON — Charging that “inequities” have widened for Black people in recent decades, the 44-member Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) promised a determined campaign to get out the vote Nov. 7 to break the right-wing grip on Congress and turn the nation in a new direction.

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics study compared 4th grade math and reading tests in charter and public schools. Public school students scored significantly higher in both math and reading than their charter school counterparts.

HAZLETON, Pa. — Several hundred Pennsylvanians joined local residents in a Sept. 3 rally here organized by labor, Latino and religious groups to oppose a city ordinance that would make it illegal to sell goods or services to, rent to, hire or aid undocumented immigrants.

TUCSON, Ariz. — In a campaign to counter anti-immigrant Republican congressional hearings, the Coalición de Derechos Humanos, with the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and sister organizations across the country, kicked off the first of several national hearings on border and immigration issues here Aug. 18.

This week’s clips are a brief roundup of a few of the hundreds of Labor Day parades, marches and picnics around the country.
DALLAS: Labor breakfast, immigrant rights march
PITTSBURGH: Workers demand change in Washington
DETROIT: Flight attendants lead 50,000 marchers
LORAIN, Ohio: ‘The air was electric’
LOS ANGELES: ‘We’re building power’

SAN FRANCISCO — Immigrant rights organizations are forming a new network to demand an end to police actions they say violate the city’s values of dignity, respect and equality for immigrants. Representatives gathered on the steps of City Hall Aug. 23 to protest police misconduct.

With precious little else to run on, the GOP has decided to base its midterm election campaign largely on the bogey of “illegal immigration” as a domestic equivalent to Bush’s pro-war and fear propaganda.