December 19, 2005: Best of Rustbelt Radio Fall 2005
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 every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and archived at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
This week's show falls during WRCT's random schedule, as the radio station takes a holiday. We're using this opportunity to present our listeners with some highlights from the fall season of Rustbelt Radio that you may have missed. On Today's show we will hear .....
- A report on police brutality at the August 20th counter-recruitment protest
- Homeless people's reactions to the new panhandling ordinance in Pittsburgh
- Updates on the Jerry Jackson case
- A report on the Bring them Home Now tour
- and more!
Fundraising
This has been a wonderful year of Rustbelt Radio, and we need your support to keep the program going strong next year!
You can help us! We need recording equipment, storage media (like compact flash cards, CDs, hard drives), batteries, and funds for the above. Call us! 412 923-3000 or email us at radio@indypgh.org
[3:30] Counter-recruiting Story
The Pittsburgh Police and University of Pittsburgh Security clashed with anti-recruitment demonstrators on the sidewalks of Oakland in Pittsburgh on Saturday August 20th. At least six people were arrested and the police fired tasers and other weapons at the demonstrators, including a taser attack on a detainee who was already restrained.
This story made national news and Rustbelt Radio reported on the incident for Free Speech Radio News, a national news program heard on the Pacifica network. We will now hear that story from their August 23rd program.
[5:00] Jerry Jackson case
2005 marked the ten year anniversary of two deaths in Pittsburgh. One was Jonny Gamage, a man who was violently killed by Brentwood police. The second was another black man, named Jerry Jackson, who was shot and killed by Pittsburgh Police in 1995. To this day, Jackson's murder remains unresolved. Perjury, obstruction, a deliberately unreconstructed crime scene, and missing files surround the case. Community members have been fighting to bring justice to Jerry Jackson since 1995. The incident began on April 6, 1995, when the unarmed Jackson was shot dead by Pittsburgh police after fleeing in a suspected, later confirmed, stolen car. The chase ended in a hail of 51 bullets in Pittsburgh's Armstrong Tunnel. Jackson was hit with 14 bullets while pinned against the tunnel wall. Thirteen of the fourteen bullets that hit Jackson were illegal black talon bullets. Housing Authority Officer John Charmo was carrying
the black talon rounds, although as a Housing Authority Police Officer, he was unauthorized to carry such bullets.
The first "official" version claimed that Jackson turned completely around in the Armstrong Tunnel and tried to ram pursuing Officer John Charmo. It has taken 2 inquests, two trials and seven years to establish that version as false.
Tim Stevens, the Chairman of the Black Political Empowerment Project describes what happened to the officer Charmo, who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in 2001.
- tim stevens .46 Chairman of BPEP (0:46)
Since Rustbelt Radio last reported on the Jerry Jackson case in October, a
coalition of organizations presented a letter on December 6th to Judge
Joseph James describing the police cover-up of the murder. The letter asks
the state attorney general to open an investigation into how the
investigation of Jackson and Charmo was carried out. Beth Pittinger of the
Citizen Police Review Board has more:
- quote from Beth P. on letter (3:10)
That was Beth Pittinger of the Citizen Police Review Board discussing the unresolved case of Jerry Jackson. Next year we will continue to keep you informed on developments in the case of John Charmo and the killing of Jerry Jackson.
[5:00] Alixa & Naima
Another local Radio police brutatility case that Rustbelt has continually reported on is the case of Michael Ellerbe, a twelve year old boy who was killed by police in Uniontown. On November 15th the spoken word artists Climbing Poetree performed a piece about MIchael Ellerbe live on the show.
[5:45] City proposes restrictions on panhandling
Last summer Rustbelt Radio reported on a new anti-panhandling ordinance that Mayor Tom Murphy’s administration introduced to City Council. While the new proposal appealed to Downtown business and cultural institutions, the city’s homeless people felt it was another attack on their means of survival.
The ordinance bans panhandling near sidewalk cafes, street food vendors, bus stops, ATMs, and lines of people waiting for admission or tickets to events. It allows people to ask passers-by for money only during daylight hours, defined as 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. during daylight-saving time, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during standard time. The ordinance permits panhandling in public areas like alleys, bridges, driveways, parking lots and entrances to buildings and dwellings.
Panhandlers are barred from a variety of "aggressive" actions, most of which are already illegal. Violations are punishable by a $25 fine for first and second offenses, and a $50 fine for subsequent offenses in the same year.
The legislation is a priority of Downtown businesses, said Michael Edwards, executive director of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Edwards commented, "We wanted to get some kind of ordinance that gives us enforceable and effective legislation that can keep Downtown fun and help us attract business investment. We're trying to balance the rights of everyone Downtown, including panhandlers.”
This ordinance proposal came shortly after the “Beggars Need Change not Coins” ad campaign was initiated downtown. The ad campaign encourages people to give their money to organizations that provide services such as food and shelter to the homeless, instead of money to the homeless themselves. The ads appear in Oakland, Downtown, in playbills, and bus and T placards.
The sponsoring groups of the ad campaign included the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Downtown Ministerium Walk-in Ministry, and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, who are a driving force behind the anti-panhandling legislation.
Critics of the campaign maintain that the idea suggested by the ads has its merits. However, they argue the true motivation for the campaign is made apparent by people such as Edwards, who simply wish to see the homeless disappear in order to keep downtown (quote) “fun” for tourists, arts patrons, and investors.
Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C., said anti-panhandling programs are often ineffective. He is familiar with similar programs in other cities, and has found that the campaigns rarely have the desired effect. Dayton and Cincinnati have required panhandlers to get permits, as have other cities. In Orlando they have tried prohibiting panhandling and registering panhandlers, neither of which worked very well.
"Rather than trying to keep people from giving, maybe we should ask why there are so many people begging on our street corners. Homelessness is increasing, and we think it's going to increase more because of cuts proposed by the president." Stoops commented.
Three months after the proposal was introduced, City Council approved the ordinance in early November. Lawmakers also added a last minute provision banning panhandling near churches
In August, Rustbelt Reporter Carlin Christy spoke with a homeless person, Bill Andrews, about his thoughts on the panhandling proposal:
• 3:12 Bill Andrews Final
[1:30] Escape from OPP
During Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of inmates were abandoned inside of Orleans Parish Prison also known as OPP. They were left without food, water, and electricity. By Monday August 29th all correctional officers had left Templeman III, one of the buildings of OPP, yet over 600 inmates remained inside the prison. As floodwaters rose, inmates could not leave and remained inside the building for four days. Human Rights watch called this one of the worst human rights violations that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. The prison was fully evacuated by September 2nd. Yet several weeks later, over 500 prisoners were still unnacounted for.
Indymedia's Jenka Soderberg spoke to prisoners in New Orleans, such as Dale, who was held in OPP during the storm. He was detained for over two months though he had yet to stand trial.
• dale (1:03)
To hear more about this issue you can also listen to an interview with Magelli whose friend had been imprisoned at Orleans Parish Prison during Hurricane Katrina. This interview aired on Rustbelt on October 5th,
[7:30] Bring Them Home Now Tour
When Cindy Sheehan's "Bring them Home Now" tour was in Pittsburgh this past September, Rustbelt Radio was there.
[11:20] Harari Assasination in Lebanon
This detailed introduction to the situation in Lebanon and Syria originally aired on Rustbelt Radio on October 31st.
[15:00] Innocence Project
On the October 3rd episode of Rustbelt Radio, we took an in-depth look at wrongful incarceration in Pennsylvania and around the US. Today we'll bring you a small part of that story, starting with some background on the Innocence Institute at Point Park University.
- The Innocence Institute is.... (3:30)
Tommy Doswell is a Pittsburgh man who was wrongfully incarcerated for 19 years. For that report, he told Rustbelt Radio his story.
That was Tommy Doswell describing his wrongful incarceration and eventual release based on DNA evidence. DNA evidence also played a major role in other cases of wrongful conviction - to hear more about these cases and what people are doing about the problem, you can listen to our October 3rd radio show online at radio (dot) indypgh (dot) org.
Outro
Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh and WVJW Benwood.
This show featured previously-aired segments from Rustbelt Radio's fall season, which included work from:
- Andalusia Knoll
- Matt Toups
- Carlin Christy
- Abie Flaxman
- Jessica McPherson
- Lora Gordon
- Jessie Buckner
- Dan Papasian
- Jessi Berkelhammer
- David Meieran
- Gwendolyn Schmidt
- Don Deeley
- Etta Cetera
- Erok Boerer
Rustbelt radio welcomes story submissions! To get involved with Rust Belt Radio, 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 on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG
Tune in next year at this time for a new season of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots.
radio.indypgh.org
The best of Rustbelt Radio, fall 2005 (ogg vorbis file)
by Indymedia Rustbelt Radio Collective
Monday, Dec. 19, 2005 at 8:42 PM
radio@indypgh.org 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3 FM
audio: 
ogg vorbis at 35.1 mebibytesaudio: ogg vorbis at 35.1 mebibytes
this year's best lossy audio codec is ogg vorbis!
radio.indypgh.org
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