Good Jobs Now for the 99 Percent

CT People's World Oct 14, 2011

An outpouring of protest against extreme wealth disparities and support for job creation took place across Connecticut this week, sparked by Occupy Wall St. and a national week of action for Jobs not Cuts.

Joining cities from coast to coast, Occupy Hartford and Occupy New Haven began with a wide variety of young people, social justice and peace activists, and union supporters coming together to say “enough is enough” to corporate greed. Many are unemployed or only able to get part time work. Similar events were held in Danbury and Branford in the name of the 99 percent being squashed by the richest one percent and big corporations.

An “Occupy Waterbury” march on Bank of America led by the Western Connecticut Labor Council, exposed the profitable bank's plans to charge a $5 credit card fee, lay off 30,000 people and charge fees to veterans.

In New Britain, AFSCME members gathered at New Britain High School to support the American Jobs Act to put Connecticut residents back to work rebuilding roads, bridges and schools.

A national teach-in “Students Rising for Jobs and Economic Justice” which was streamed live from the University of California, took place at Southern Connecticut State University with a call to action to participate in the upsurge of activity for jobs and justice in nearly every community.

In New Haven a honk and wave at the financial center near City Hall attracted honks in response to shouts for “Jobs not Cuts” and “Tax the Rich”. Signatures were collected for Congress to pass the American Jobs Act and put people back to work fixing up their communities.

In Hartford, a MoveOn rally at Sen Joe Lieberman's office called on him to take a stand for the people of Connecticut instead of the bankers on Wall St. by supporting the American Jobs Act. A rally and march from City Hall to the State Capitol “Money for Jobs and Education, Not War and Incarceration!” will be held Sunday.

BRING OUR WAR DOLLARS HOME NOW!

JOIN THE MARCH AND RALLY TO BRING OUR WAR DOLLARS HOME NOW!

DATE: SUNDAY OCT. 16, 2011
TIME: 2 pm
PLACE: Leave from City Hall in Hartford and march to the State Capitol
Posted by: Tom Connolly

DO NOT MISS THIS PERFORMANCE!

All the way from South Africa… Sharon Katz & The Peace Train-- with Special Guest: Abigail Kubeka

DATE: Sunday Oct. 30, 2011
TIME: 7 PM
PLACE: Unitarian Meeting House - 50 Bloomfield Ave. - Hartford, CT
TICKETS: $20.00 Adult -- 15 and under are FREE
CONTACT: Brian for tickets and info: 860-233-9897 EXT 102 - bmullen@ushartford.com

Discovered by Miriam Makeba when she was just 16, the now-legendary Abigail Kubeka makes her US debut this year to launch Double Take, a new CD just recorded in South Africa with Sharon Katz & The Peace Train. Their fall 2011 tour includes stops across New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.

Soul-sisters Abigail and Sharon both grew up in South Africa under the old apartheid regime and had to hide from the police to perform their music, but Double Take shows how powerful voices can never be silenced. The songs go far beyond questioning the stories we’re told to believe; they make you want to dance, laugh, cry, shout, and hug somebody.

As a teenager, Abigail joined Miriam Makeba’s group The Skylarks. When the police would raid a club looking for black people who were violating apartheid’s unjust laws, Abigail and her bandmates had to pretend to be working in the kitchen. She later went on to perform throughout Africa, Europe and Asia; share the stage with Sarah Vaughn and Eartha Kitt; and sing for Queen Elizabeth II when she visited President Mandela. Abigail is also an accomplished actress who has starred on TV as well as the West End in London.

Sharon’s multicultural performing group broke apartheid’s barriers and made history in 1993 when they toured throughout South Africa aboard a train – The Peace Train – to promote Mandela’s vision of a nonracial democracy. When CNN filmed Sharon jumping out of a helicopter with her guitar in a remote area, to teach the rural people about the voting process through song, Sharon Katz & The Peace Train were propelled into an international career that has spanned three continents and coast-to-coast US appearances.

Don't miss it!!

Posted by Tom Connolly

JOBS FOR YOUTH - JOBS FOR ALL!

Amistad Awards and Youth Performances
Anniversary Rally & Greeting Book
 
Sunday, December 4th at 4 pm at Cooperative Arts and
Humanities High School, 177 College St, New Haven
Greeting book deadline is November 19, 2011


We are excited to announce the recipients of this year's Amistad Awards which will be presented by the People's World on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 4 pm at a special anniversary rally and youth cultural program, “Jobs for Youth – Jobs for All!” in New Haven at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, 177 College Street.

We rally in hope and unity to reject bigotry and fear and build the growing movement to pass national jobs legislation, rebuild the American Dream and put people before profits.

We celebrate the contributions and example of Renae Reese, Delphine Clyburn and Pastor Abraham Hernandez, three wonderful leaders and role models who challenge economic inequality and are in the forefront of organizing for jobs, health care and opportunities for youth. 
 
Renae Reese inspires grass roots organizing for economic rights and health care as director of the Connecticut Center for a New Economy. She is passionate for workers' safety and union rights, as past director of ConnectiCOSH and an organizer of UHP, AFT Local 3837 at UConn Health Center.

Delphine Clyburn is a Local 1199 union steward with years of dedication to equal rights on the job and in the community where she is leading the struggle for jobs for Newhallville residents in New Haven as an Alderwoman-elect, and involving young people to make social change.

Pastor Abraham Hernandez is recognized across Connecticut for his compassionate work with the Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care and a decade of struggles for jobs for Latino and African American residents and for bringing Latino youth into the political process.

The annual awards are presented to allies by the People's World on the occasion of the 92nd anniversary of the Communist Party USA.

We hope that you and your family and friends will attend. We invite your participation in this special annual greeting book to recognize the recipients, honor those who have gone before, and celebrate the leadership coming forward from youth today. The deadline is November 19, 2011.

GREETING BOOK:
Centerspread $350 - center two pages of the book
Patron page  $225 - special placement in the book
Full page    $125      
Half page    $65       
Quarter page $35          
Name         $10
Send  by e-mail to: ct-pww@pobox.com or mail to 37 Howe St, New Haven, CT  06511

TICKETS:
$10 each
$25 each for solidarity tickets (includes name in book)

Checks to People's World.  Mail to 37 Howe St, New Haven CT 06511

People's World Amistad Awards Committee
37 Howe Street, New Haven CT 06511
(203) 624-8664

OCCUPY WALL STREET GOES COAST TO COAST

The Occupy Wall Street movement has gone coast to coast. Join the action! See below.
The two photos below are from a recent organizing meeting of the Occupy Hartford movement. The next action is Friday Oct 7. The People's World story that follows is about the organizing effort in Los Angeles.

"MARCH WITH "OCCUPY HARTFORD"


WHEN: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 BEGINNING AT 5PM
WHERE: FROM BUSHNELL PARK. MEET AT ENTRANCE CLOSEST TO TRAIN STATION ON ASYLUM ST.
WHY: PROTESTING THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT MAKE MASSIVE PROFITS AND LEAVE US BROKE
WHO: THE NEWLY-FORMED "OCCUPY HARTFORD" ACTIVISTS

The following article is from the PEOPLE'S WORLD ON-LINE
People’s World On Line – It’s Free – Sign-Up: www.peoplesworld.org

LA JOINS THE "WE ARE THE 99 PERCENT MOVEMENT"

by: Rossana Cambron & Luis Rivas –

LOS ANGELES - On Oct 1 people in Los Angeles came together from all walks of life to join in solidarity with the Occupy Movement on Wall Street, calling on the banks to pay their fair share.

Chanting "Banks got bailed our, we got sold out" and "We are the 99 percent" referring the fact that 1 percent of the people make up the wealthiest while the 99 percent are losing their jobs and their homes, while students are burdened with crushing debt but have no prospects to finding a job.

Over 2,000 people came out, marching from Pershing Square to City Hall, where 300 plus camped out the first night. People are urged to join the Occupation, when they can, participate in the many committees formed to deal with the varied tasks.
According to participants, the occupation is a people's movement to show that you are sick and tired of this system and it needs changing. Over 100 cities across the country are organizing their own actions.

Occupy Los Angeles has been in the making since Sept. 23, working in solidarity with all the occupation movements around the country. As the case across the country, the majority of Occupy Los Angeles is made up of young people and students.
Andy Diaz, a journalism major at East Los Angeles College said, "We were promised a change in this country and I haven't seen it thus far. If you look at the doctrine of capitalism, it's just 'get wealthy by all means.' I believe we should work collectively, for the wellbeing of humanity in general."

Many local officials and other community members that feel affected by the economic crisis have begun to participate. Mario Brito, Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Councilmember, said, "You have 99 percent of the nation's wealth in the one percent's hands. You have to deal with the fact that banks were bailed out while people are being evicted. This country, you know, if there ever was ever an American Dream, that American Dream has surely become a nightmare."

Occupy Los Angeles made use of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Tumblr to mobilize and encourage people to attend the meetings. The Los Angeles group's Facebook has grown on a daily basis.

Protest signs and fliers depict the popular Twitter hashtag: #OccupyLA, #OccupyLosAngeles, #OWSLosAngeles. They are riddled in thousands of tweets, and every occupation effort has a Facebook page, where local members post events or news updates, some doing so by the hour, by the minute and featuring live video streaming. Self-described Internet activist hacking group Anonymous has publically endorsed the occupation movements.

An anonymous video was uploaded on Sept. 26 by YouTube user xouchthathurtzx announcing its support of the occupation movement.

"Already we have made tremendous progress. In just a little over a week occupy initiatives have sprung up in over 30 U.S. cities. This is now bigger than you, or me. It is about us, a collective 99 percent that will no longer stand for the corruption, greed and inequality that is rampant within our governing bodies," Anonymous said in the video.

Nadir Romo, international affairs major at New York's New School of Social Research, has been following Occupy Wall Street and had this to say, "If people think we live in a democracy, then this is an example of how we do not live in a democracy because our resources are being diverted for financial gain against the people. I think that this is a very important event - the occupation is something that, I think, will continue to grow."

Joe Briones, cinema production major and member of the Ralph Bunches Scholar's program at Los Angeles City College, commented on how the Occupy movement affects students directly:

"One of the demands that the Occupy Wall Street group has come up with is that the wars end immediately and that the money be spent on infrastructure and schools. If they ended the wars, you know how much money there'd be for financial aid? Eliminating this whole student loan system. You're thousands of dollars in debt and there's no job to pay off the debt? That's a fucked up situation. If you're unhappy with those things, come to Occupy Los Angeles!"

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Posted by Tom Connolly