Intro
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs live every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA, every Thursday from 11am to noon on WARC-Meadville from the campus of Allegheny College, and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. We're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
On today's show...
- We speak to an organizer with the South Central Los Angeles Farmers who are fighting the destruction of their urban farm
- We hear from Johanna Fernandez's lecture about the Young Lords Party and Late Sixties Radicalism
- and Code Pink protests the war outside Kaufmann's on the day after Thanksgiving
- and workers at Starbucks are struggling against the company to unionize with the IWW
... but first, these headlines
Headlines
Local News
[1:00] Protest at City-County Building calls for Death Penalty Abolition
Earlier today, November 28th, people gathered on the steps of the City-County building in downtown Pittsburgh to call for an end to the death penalty. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, the United States has executed 997 prisoners. The 1000th execution may occur in the state of Virginia, as soon as this Wednesday November 30th. The man on death row is named Robin Lovitt who is in prison for murder, despite the fact there is no DNA or other physical evidence that proves he was involved in the killing.
Since 1977, there have been three executions in the state of Pennsylvania. Texas claims over one third of all executions, with 354 killings. Other states are moving towards a moratorium on the death penalty, such as Illinois. On January 30th, 2000, Governor George Ryan imposed this country\u2019s first death penalty moratorium after 11 prisoners on death row were exonerated in his state.
Listen to Rustbelt Radio next week for an interview with Ray Crone, a Pennsylvania citizen who was exonerated from death row after DNA evidence proved his innocence.
[3:15] Pink Friday
On Friday November 25th, the day after Thanksgiving, twenty women in pink braved twenty degree weather to challenge consumerism and public indifference to the war in Iraq. RustBelt interviewed two of the organizers, first Edith Wilson then Francine Porter.
Friday's protest was part of the seventh annual "Buy Nothing Day." Thousands of people throughout America, Europe and Japan mark the ocassion as the one day of the year to "turn off the economy and talk about it."
But not everyone is thrilled with the idea. Four people in Delaware were arrested for peacefully seeking to persuade shoppers to put away their credit cards.
[3:00] Black Political Empowerment Project Schools Forum
The Black Political Empowerment Project held a community forum last Monday at the Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in the Hill District to discuss Pittsburgh public schools superintendant Mark Roosevelt's proposed right-sizing plan. The plan's provisions include permanently closing 20 schools, opening two new schools in existing buildings, and turning seven low-performing schools into (quote) accelerated learning academies.
About 100 community members attended the event. The forum began with comments from the three african-american school board members' Alex Matthews, Randall Thomas, and Mark Brentley, Sr.\u2014as well as school board member elect Thomas Sumpter, who will take Matthews\u2019 seat in 2006. Brently and Thomas opposed the plan, while Matthews and his successor Sumpter supported the plan. Thomas describes his concern that the new plan bases school closings on student achievement, closing low-acheiving schools, rather than making decisions based on assessment of facilities or impacts on surrounding communities, as has been done in the past:
Thomas also voiced concern about plans to combine elementary and middle schools:
- [randall thomas_k-8 clip] (0:26)
After comments from the school board, the forum opened up to community members to provide their thoughts and input. The Black Political Empowerment Project, in partnership with facilitator Ron Porter, will produce a working paper with recommendations for the city schools based on the community input provided at last Monday's forum and at another forum to take place on December 15. Tim Stevens, the project's director, described this goal to community members and asked for constructive suggestions and ideas for change in the schools.
About 50 people spoke, with ideas ranging from expanding afro-centric education, requiring school uniforms, implementing a year-round school calendar, and creating a culture of high expectations for students in schools.
Many voiced concerns over plans to combine students across a wide age range in schools, plans to relocate schenley high school, and about the detrimental and disproportionate impact of busing on African-american students and communities. Audience members, as well as school board member Mark Brentley, also decried a consistent lack of community consultation in school district decisions affecting African-american neighborhoods.
Tune in to Rustbelt Radio next week for more expansive coverage of the Black Political Empowerment Project forum and the issues facing Pittsburgh's Public Schools today.
Wrapup
For more on local news, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.
[ music... ]
Global News
Intro
You are listening to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to news from other independent media sources around the world.
[3:00] IWW takes on Starbucks in NYC
Starbucks Workers in New York City have been fighting for months to unionize. Three stores so far have joined with the Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW, to demand guaranteed hours, access to health benefits, and an end to the anti-union tactics they say Starbucks has used to suppress their organization.
Last week the pressure on Starbucks increased when they company was charged with illegally firing workers in retaliation for their union activity. Workers and supporters picketed the Union Square Starbucks in Manhattan in response.
From the picket line, Ken Nash & Mimi Rosenberg of Building Bridges Radio report.
The Starbucks Workers Union has called on the company to fire all managers found to have violated the law to harass workers. Trial on the charges is set for February.
The NLRB charges and picket in New York weren't the only labor problems for Starbucks last week. The first ever Starbucks strike began in Auckland, New Zealand as workers from many fast food and retail chains walked off the job. What began as a small protest by workers from one store became a city-wide strike when Starbucks workers heard that managers would be brought in to break a strike. More than 30 workers spontaneously walked out from 10 different Auckland Starbucks stores to join KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds employees, and around 150 other supporters.
The New Zealand workers have launched a website, supersizemypay.com and decribe their effort as "a small community-based workers union, in a small country in the South Pacific ... taking on the worlds largest multi-national fast food brands."
[3:00] Pombo bill proposes a "fire sale" of public land
Millions of acres of public land may be sold for $1,000 an acre,
under a provision of a bill currently in the House of Representatives.
The national non-profit the Environmental Working Group called that bill perhaps the biggest land
giveaway in U.S. history. The bill's author is Representative Richard Pombo, Republican from
California and chairman of the House Resources Committee.
The bill revises an obscure mining law from 1872 that allowed miners
to stake a claim to mine land simply by declaring their intention to mine.
They could then claim the land from the federal government for five dollars an
acre, if they could prove that it held economically recoverable
minerals. Because the value of five dollars an acre is far below current
market rates, new purchases have been suspended since 1994.
Pombo's bill would raise the selling price to $1,000 an acre or fair
market value, whichever is more. But it also lowers the requirements for
proving the land has valuable minerals, potentially opening up sales to
real estate speculators and oil or gas extractors as well as mining
interests. The Environmental Working Group said federal land could be
resold for a quick profit or used for non-mining purposes.
A spokesman for the House Resources Committee said costs
would prevent corporations from using such maneuvers.
But according to the Government Accountability Office, such frauds
were committed regularly before the 1994 ban on claim sales. The GAO
found mining claim sites purchased throughout the West had been turned
into housing developments and resorts. In 1974, the GAO said that 80
percent of sites it visited showed no evidence that minerals had been
extracted and purchased land was used for non-mining purposes.
Supporters say if companies do build other businesses where mines have
been depleted, they are helping the rural economy. But others feel
privatization and unrestricted development of public lands may not be
in the public interest. West Virginia Representative Nick Rahall,
senior Democrat on the house resources
committee, said (quote) We are literally looking at the prospect of
McDonalds, Wal-Marts, condos or any other type of commercial or
private developments springing up smack dab within some of America's
most cherished units of the national park system. And he called
the bill (quote) a raid on America's public lands and our natural
resources heritage of almost unparalleled proportions (endquote).
Any existing mining claims, some of which are in national parks could immediately be purchased
under the bill. In addition to the six million acres of public land under current claims, the
federal Bureau of Land Management estimates that fifteen to twenty million acres could be opened
for sale by the bill. The Environmental Working Groups estimate is much higher, at 350 million
acres.
The Senate version of the budget bill does not include the land sale law
change, and next month, House and Senate negotiators will try to
reconcile both bills.
[2:00] Half a Million People protest Labor laws in Australia
On November 15th more than half a million people took part in over 300 protests across Australia to demonstrate their opposition to proposed Industrial Relations laws which they consider an attack on workers conditions. Melbourne saw possibly the largest political rally in its history with up to 250,000 people clogging the heart of the City, and Sydney saw around 45,000 people gathered in Martin Place after an early morning blockade of the M4 motorway.
According to Sharan Burrow, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU),these changes would \u201c cause working conditions to be under threat, including penalty rates, public holidays, overtime pay, control over rostered hours, shift penalties, even 4 weeks annual leave." The government argues that the changes will improve the economy and benefit the workers. The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews defended the government's labor record and said "the Government's not going to be distracted by rallies and hysterical overreaction."
Business leaders and employers urged their workers not to participate in the protests and called the day\u2019s events a gimmick. Greg Combay, the secretary of the ACTU talks about the importance of the protests and responds to business leaders comments:
That was just Greg Combay the secretary of the ACTU talking about the enormous labor protests that swept Australia on November 15th.
[1:15] Police brutally suppress peaceful march in Durban, South Africa
On November 14th 2005, police attacked a peaceful demonstration of settlement dwellers at the Foreman Road settlement in Durban, South Africa. More than 3000 people marched to demand land & housing, basic services like water, electricity & toilets, a community hall, and to oppose forced land removals. The shack dwellers movement, Abahlali base Mjondolo, had applied for permission for the march but had been illegally denied by the Mayor Mlaba's office.
Representatives of Abahlali base Mjondolo stated that the march would still occur because \u201cWe cannot continue to suffer like this. The time has come to say "Enough!" and to demand that the promises made to us be kept. The time has now come to march on the Mayor. We must tell mayor Obed Mlaba that if we don't get land, houses and basic services then we will not vote in the coming elections\u201d
During the march, riot police without warning charged at the crowd firing rubber bullets swinging batons, and arresting protesters in the process. At least 13 people were arrested and many more were injured. All arrestees have been released.
This march is part of an ongoing campaign of the South African ShackDwellers to demand basic services. Thousands of people have participated in road blockades and protests against the mayor and local government. The ShackDwellers are rising up against the conditions in the South African settlements where poverty runs rampant, AIDS is widespread, and people have little access to health care, education, sanitation, and jobs.
Wrapup
You can read more independent global news stories by visting indymedia: I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.
Bad Cop No Donut
This week Ron Anicich (an-uh-sich) brings us news of police corruption in Allegheny county, and the week's taser news.
Features
Intro
Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
[17:00] South Central Farmers
- starts with audio from concert... (45 sec fade down)
That was Zach de la Rocha, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, and other musicians who recently held a benefit concert for the South Central Los Angeles Farmers.
South Central Los Angeles is a neighborhood typically viewed as one rife with violence, pollution, and poverty. However, at the intersection of 41st and Alameda streets, an oasis of fruits, vegetables and other plants breathes fresh air into the neighborhood. On this land, since December of 1992, over 300 low income Latino families have farmed plots in order to feed their families. The city of Los Angeles has now re-sold the land to its former owner, and the fate of the urban farm is hanging in the balance. Rustbelt radio spoke with an organizer of the South Central Farmers who explained their situation to us.
- South Central Farmers Interview (15:00)
That was Tezozomoc of the South Central Los Angeles Farmers speaking about their current battle against the city of Los Angeles and private real estate developers to destroy their 14 acre urban farm. To find more information about this struggle and take action, log on to www. south central farmers. com
[ MUSICAL Break ]
You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.
[12:45] Young Lords
(intro is included in audio)
Ending
[2:00] Calendar of events
And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:
- This Wednesday, November 30th at 7:00 PM Paul Rusesabagina, who was the inspiration for the movie \u201cHotel Rwanda,\u201d will be lecturing at the University of Pittsburgh's Soldiers and Sailors Hall in Oakland. The lecture is free and open to the community.
- Also this Wednesday, November 30th the art/Activist group ULTRA-RED will be hosting a performance/ dialogue about AIDS in North America. The Performance will start at 6PM at The Warhol Museum.
- This Thursday December 1st The Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh presents \u201cThe Ethics of Dissent in National Security\u201d featuring Professor Janne Nolan. This lecture will be held from 4:30pm to 6pm in the Pittsburgh Athletic Association Bigelow Room.
- This Friday December 2nd at 7:30 pm, the film "Rachel: An American Conscience" will conclude the Palestinian Film Fest. This movie will describe the story of Rachel Corrie, an American activist who was killed by the Israeli Army. In addition to the screening, Rachel Corrie's parents will be present to discuss their daughter's work in Palestine and the international peace movement. This event will be held at the University of Pittsburgh, in David Lawrence Hall, rm 120. For more information log on to www. pgh-psc. org
Outro
[ Outro music ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville and WVJW Benwood.
Our hosts this week are Carlin and Jessica with additional contributions from Andalusia, David and Matt. This week's show was produced by Matt Toups. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To contact us, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download or podcast on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
radio.indypgh.org
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Monday, Nov. 28, 2005 at 6:52 PM
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