community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Rustbelt Radio for July 30, 2007
by Pittsburgh IMC: Rustbelt Radio collective
Monday, Jul. 30, 2007 at 9:48 PM
radio@indypgh.org (email address validated) 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3 FM
On this week's show... * locals celebrate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act * The US Farm Bill is set to be renewed for the 1st time in 5 years and could have dire consequences for farmers across the globe * Condom commercials are banned in Pittsburgh * Voices and music from the benefit show "How to Free a Political Prisoner" held in Pittsburgh this past week * plus more in our local and global headlines
audio link: 
MP3 at 25.6 mebibytes
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.
On today's show...
Rustbelt Radio airs live every Monday from 6-7 PM on WRCT 88.3 FM in Pittsburgh, PA, and again on Tuesday mornings 9-10 AM. We're also on Pacifica affiliate WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area, on Thursdays from 6-7 PM. And we're on WPTS, 10-11AM on Wednesday mornings at 92.1 FM from the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.
We're also available on the internet, both on WRCT'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.
We turn now to local stories.
Ending – at least for now – a year-long controversy over the legality of laws enacted by the small Pennsylvania city of Hazleton to evict undocumented immigrant workers, District Judge James Munley ruled on Thursday that such laws are in fact unconstitutional. “Even if federal law did not conflict with Hazleton’s measures,” Munley said, “the city could not enact an ordinance that violates the rights the Constitution guarantees to every person in the United States, whether legal resident or not.”
Under the Constitution only the federal government, not state or municipal governments, has the authority to regulate immigration. Additionally an ‘English-only’ regulation included in the ordinance violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech.
The ordinances to evict immigrants were first approved in Hazleton after a May 2006 murder in which two immigrants from the Dominican Republic supposedly killed a 29 year old man on a Hazleton street. The district attorney of Luzerne County, however, dropped these charges earlier this month, citing a lack of evidence to prosecute.
Hazleton’s laws would have forced all prospective renters to obtain a residency permit at city hall in addition to penalizing landlords who rented to undocumented people and businesses that hired them. Although many other cities around the country have approved similar immigration ordinances, these have been largely un-enforced pending a decision in the Hazleton case, which was the first of its kind in the country to go to trial.
Hazleton mayor Louis Barletta says the city plans to appeal.
If Pittsburghers want to see a new Trojan condom advertisement, they will have to see it on YouTube or during a national spot on NBC or ABC. The commercial was refused by local affiliates of NBC and ABC. CBS and FOX outright refused to air the ads on their networks.
The commercial, which has been named "Evolve" features women and pigs in a bar. When one pig is unsuccessful in his pursuits of a woman, he buys a Trojan condom out of a machine, and is instantly transformed into an attractive male, who then gains the attention of the female. The tag line Evolve then appears on the screen.
Trojan released the commercial in June, and chose 2 markets to test the new commercial's effectiveness for increasing sales- Pittsburgh and Seattle. The commercial would air during late night hours, when the primary audience is comprised of adult viewers.
The commercial was accepted for airing on all four local network-affiliates in Seattle, including CBS and FOX. But in Pittsburgh it has encountered resistance. Both local affiliates of ABC and NBC refused to air the ad, despite it being aired nationally. CBS refused as well, and Trojan did not ask WPGH-FOX.
General Manager Rick Henry, of WTAE, the local ABC affiliate said in a written response to Trojan: "WTAE will not accept or air advertising for Trojan or any other advertiser in the category."
Ray Carter, Vice President and General Manager of WPXI, the local NBC affiliate, stated that his station felt the commercial wasn't appropriate material for this market.
Refusals to air the commercial locally and on national networks has drawn criticism from sexual health educators and reproductive rights groups.
Rustbelt Radio asked La'Tasha Mayes of New Voices Pittsburgh- Women of Color for Reproductive Justice about her thoughts on the local ban in Pittsburgh.
La'Tasha also discussed the mainstream media's representation of safe sex practices.
According to a 2001 survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 71 percent of Americans believe that condom advertising should be allowed on television. The controversy surrounding the Evolve commercial has piqued the interest of the public. The YouTube site for the commercial has over 120,000 views. The commercial can also be viewed at www.trojanevolve.com
For more on local news, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.
[ HMB BREAK RUSTBELT - 0:20 (fades down 0:10 in to start global intro) ]
You are listening to Rustbelt 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.
Rustbelt Radio now brings you a commentary from death row prisoner and journalist Mumia Abu Jamal. He discusses an injustice currently unfolding in Jena, Lousiana, where 6 black highschool students are facing prison sentences for a fight that resulted after receiving racial threats from their classmates.
16 year old Mychal Bell, is facing a 22-year prison sentence. His sentencing was originally scheduled for Tuesday, July 31st, however, it has been rescheduled to September 20. On July 31st, a massive protest will be held. Hundreds of people from around the US plan to attend. A petition, signed by tens of thousands of people from around the world, will be delivered to LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters on that day.
To perform a lethal injection an executioner must first insert catheters, then prepare three different chemicals and inject them, in the correct dosage and sequence, into intravenous lines. If the first chemical is ineffective as a sedative, the other two can cause extreme pain. The person experiencing such pain, however, is paralyzed by the second chemical and may appear to be unconscious. Only an anesthesiologist is truly qualified to inject such chemicals, but many states fail to find qualified candidates for the job - in part because medical codes of ethics bar anesthesiologists and other medical personnel from participation in executions. According to lethal injection procedures issued by Florida’s corrections department in May, requirements stipulate only that an executioner must be [quote] a person 18 years or older who is selected by the warden to initiate the flow of lethal chemicals into the inmate [end quote]. The botched execution of Florida inmate Angel Diaz in December has made it clear that these qualifications are not enough.
Rustbelt Radio asked Mark Elliot, Director of Floridans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, to explain what happened:
Fordham law student Ellyde Roko explains how states shield incompetent executioners referencing her paper, "a right to know who is hiding behind the hood":
It's possible that such issues with lethal injection could constitute 8th Amendment challenges to the constitutionality of the death penalty.
Last Friday the House of Representatives passed its version of the 2007 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill - originally intended to support struggling American farmers - has its roots in agricultural calamities like the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and its intensification by the Great Depression. At that time nearly a quarter of the American population made a living through agriculture. Today the scope of the Bill, which is renewed every five years, includes things like the availability of food stamps for low-income families, investments in nutrition, economic investment in rural areas, and issues concerning the conservation of natural habitats and resources, among other things. Perhaps the most controversial – and complicated – element of the Farm Bill, though, are the federal subsidies that are paid to American growers of certain crops.
Rustbelt Radio asked UC Davis professor of agriculture and research economics, Daniel Sumner, about cotton subsidies:
Because U.S. growers receive more subsidies when cotton prices are low, then, the Farm Bill effectively encourages overproduction. Thus, when U.S. surplus floods international markets prices drop even lower, a chain of events which can be devastating to farmers in other parts of the world. Sumner explains the effect of the Farm Bill on West African cotton growers:
Despite the many problematic aspects of past Farm Bills, Sumner maintains that this year’s Bill is even worse:
The future of the 2007 Farm Bill remains uncertain. The senate has not yet debated the Bill, and Bush has already threatened to veto the version passed by the House, citing tax concerns.
Denouncing slavery wages and unsafe living conditions, Marina Lopez -- with the support of the organization Domestic Workers United -- has taken her former employer, Carmela Meluzio, to federal court for two and a half years of back wages. Lopez is a 66 year-old Colombian immigrant who was employed to clean a Long Island suburban home, do household chores, and provide 24 hour care to their disabled son, including bathing, feeding, and clothing the child. Yet, Meluzio only paid Lopez $2 an hour for her critical care and forced her to sleep in a sewage-filled basement.
Lopez's case has stagnated in federal court for four years. With the hope of accelerating her claims, over 50 people representing members from Domestic Workers United or DWU, Long Island Unity Housecleaners, Women’s Workers Project, and supporters held a protest outside of the employers home in Roslyn, NY on Saturday July 21st . Celeste Escobar and Loretta Bravo with Radio Chambera were there.
DWU hopes last Saturday's action will support Lopez in winning her back wages. This protest is part of a growing domestics workers' rights movement comprised mostly of foreign-born, women of color who, in the face of Neoliberal globalization, have been forced to leave their countries in search of work.
As so-called casual workers, these women are not afforded the federal minimum wage mandated in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Nor does the FLSA provide live-in household workers the right to overtime pay. Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Act excludes domestic workers as a matter of policy.
Domestic Workers United is pushing for a Bill of Rights that would mandate a livable wage, payment of overtime, and protections from human trafficking. With this Bill of Rights, DWU hopes that domestic work be recognized, respected, and protected.
You're listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the incarceration of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The award-winning journalist and former Black Panther Party member is currently on Death Row at SCI Greene in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania --- a mere 45 minutes by car from the city of Pittsburgh. Last Friday night, the Pittsburgh Committee to Free Mumia held a benefit performance to highlight the struggles of Mumia and of all political prisoners. The event brought together visual artists, including a painter who started and finished a piece during the course of the night, and poets, activists, educators, and families. Today Rustbelt Radio presents highlights from the event, entitled "How to Free a Political Prisoner":
That was Johanna Fernandez, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, offering background on Mumia's conviction. May 17th of this year marked a crucial and hopeful turning point in Mumia's case:
Local hip hop artists composed pieces for the evening. We'll now hear a song by Cynik Lethal:
Between acts, emcee Paradise Gray reflected on local politics:
An excerpt from a piece by spoken word poet Mikhail:
Poet Vanessa German dedicated the piece "Forget Mumia" to a student who would rather forget about Black history:
The Pittsburgh Committee to Free Mumia, One Hood, and other local organizations will come together again next weekend for The Gathering, a conference dedicated to ending child incarceration. Featured speakers will include Wise Intelligent from Poor Righteous Teachers and Fred Hampton, Jr. For details, visit thegatheringforjustice.org
And now we present the Indymedia Calendar of Events:
Thanks for tuning in to Rustbelt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WVJW Benwood and WPTS Pittsburgh.
Our hosts this week are Ellen Pierson, Matt Toups and Lizzie Anderson with contributions from Ellen Pierson, Carlin Christy, Etta Cetera, Vani Natarajan, and Andalusia Knoll. This week's show was produced by Phill Cresswell. 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 Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
Rustbelt Radio for July 30, 2007 (ogg vorbis)
by imc
Monday, Jul. 30, 2007 at 9:48 PM
radio@indypgh.org 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3 FM
audio: ogg vorbis at 18.5 mebibytesaudio: ogg vorbis at 18.5 mebibytes
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