LaborGroups News 19Jan04

www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews19Jan04.pdf
www.laborgroups.org/LaborGroupsNews19Jan04.doc

1) Please Vote: Labour Website of the Year
2) Chicago DSA: New Ground 92
3) Chicago: Mon 1/19 DAY LABOR RALLY in ALBANY PARK!
4) Alert: Last Stand for Overtime Pay in the Senate
5) Extend Unemployment Benefits- Send Message on January 19!
6) Student Labor Week of Action
7) Labor News Brief
8) Building Bridges Radio - Bush's Plan for Immigrants
9) News & Letters
10) On The Lighter Side: you need some time off?
11) Thoughts on the coming 'discovery' of Bin Laden: the best propaganda a campaign can buy
12) MSN Urgent Action: Violent Repression in Morelos, Mexico
13) MSN Alert: Mexican Labor Rights Activist Attacked and Brutally Beaten
14) Upcoming Catholic Labor Network Activities
15) Stop the FTAA Campaign Tools
16) Elite Fundraisers Deliver "Bundles" of Donations
17) Kucinich Wins TruthOut.org Poll
18) DISSENT IS PATRIOTIC Newsletter: Volume III, Issue 1
19) January 17, People’s Weekly World/Nuestro Mundo
20) WHATS UP WITH BUSH'S 'IMMIGRATION REFORM'?
21) A Message from Michael Douglas About Guns
22) Featured Links: The Bush Tax and Tele Truth
23) World Social Forum
24) Celebrate the King Holiday with Senator Barack Obama
25) Reasons Why Jobs Are Going Overseas
26) Ten Steps To Freedom
27) Virtual & Global Social Democratic Party
28) Rob Saqnchez's JOB DESTRUCTION Newsletter
29) TruthOut
30) CLG News
31) Carolyn Kay's "Make Them Accountable"
32) Call to Action for Solidarity with the Arab-American and Muslim Community
33) DNC: How to beat Bush on pennies a day
34) Iran Contra Pardons Saved Poppy Bush
35) Will PUC stop racism at wastewater plants?
36) Misc. News Reports

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1) Please Vote: Labour Website of the Year

www.laborstart.org/lwsoty/ballot.shtml

www.LabourStart.org

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2) Chicago DSA: New Ground 92

The January - February issue of New Ground is now available on the web.

For html format:

www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng92.html

For pdf format:

www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng.pdf

The contents of this issue:

A Victory for Liberty in Oak Park by Tom Broderick
Global Day of Action by Bob Roman
OUL Debate on Empire: Protest vs. Politics by Mark Weinberg
Did Something Important Happen? by Tom Broderick
Labor War in Lake Wobegon by Will Kelley
Other News compiled by Bob Roman

Homeland Regime Change
OUL: Literature in 3 Dimensions
OUL: Third Parties
Life After Bush: Youth Activism and the Fight for Our Future
March for Women's Lives
Health Care Justice Act
Congress Hotel
Letters
Chicago DSA: www.ChicagoDSA.org

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3) Chicago: Mon 1/19 DAY LABOR RALLY in ALBANY PARK!

Martin Luther Kink Jr. struggled for a just and
dignified life for millions of people, especially the
poor and people of color. Today still, this is our
struggle! Come celebrate the spirit of Justice set
forth by Dr. King with Albany Park Day Laborers and
the Friends of Albany Park Day Laborers coalition on MONDAY, JANUARY 19th 10 a.m.
GTs Restaurant Northwest corner of Argyle and Pulaski

The event will include an open dialog with day
laborers starting promptly at 10 a.m. A short walking
tour of Albany Park Day Labor history will follow for
all those who are interested. Shortly thereafter, we
will hold an interfaith prayer vigil and reflections
on Dr. King's legacy from a variety of religious and
ethnic perspectives. There will also be a community
art presentation focusing on children's visions of
justice as well as the kick off of the WAGE THEFT
TASKFORCE aimed at confronting wage injustice. (We
plan on wrapping up no later than noon).

This is sure to be an outstanding event, so please
show your support for democratic Workers' Centers by
joining us. For more information, call 773-728-8400
x20 or (312)491-9044.

In Solidarity,


Latino Union of Chicago


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4) Alert: Last Stand for Overtime Pay in the Senate

Next Tuesday, Jan. 20, will be a critical day in the fight to
stop President Bush's overtime pay take-away-and to prevent a
pay cut for millions of America's workers. The U.S. Senate is
scheduled to vote on unfinished business from last year
including a massive federal spending bill. A group of pro-worker
senators is pledging to block that legislation with a filibuster
because it does not bar Bush's overtime pay take-away. Later
that night, President Bush will deliver the annual State of the
Union address. If he's honest about wanting to help our economy,
he'll withdraw his overtime pay take-away.
Please act immediately. Time is crucial.

Right now, please send a fax to your senators--with a copy to
President Bush--by clicking on the link below. Urge them to
support the filibuster. Even if you've acted before, it is
important that we keep the heat turned up now. Please take one
minute right now to send a fax (it's free) by clicking on the
link below.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/voteforovertime/

You can help keep the heat turned up on U.S. senators and
President Bush by telling your friends, family and co-workers
about Bush's outrageous overtime pay take-away. Do that right
now by clicking below.
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/voteforovertime/forward/

One e-Activist, Connie from Ohio, wrote us a note describing her
efforts to get the word out about Bush's overtime pay take-away.
"I ask [people] what they think of the president trying to take
away overtime pay. Amazingly they never heard about it before I
told them. They only know now because I told them."

Millions of people STILL don't know. They will only know about
President Bush's overtime pay take-away if you and others get
the word out during the next week and over the coming months.

Take Action: www.unionvoice.org/campaign/voteforovertime/

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TUESDAY?

That really depends on what the U.S. Senate does and what
President Bush says in the State of the Union. No matter what
happens, CHECK YOUR E-MAIL ON WED. JAN. 21, for an important
message about the next phase of this campaign and what you can
do. Unless Bush backs down or our Senate allies succeed and get
the House to join them, we'll have just a couple of months to
really escalate our efforts and get the word out. The Bush Labor
Department intends to make the Bush overtime pay takeaway
official in March.

OVERTIME PETITION UPDATE

Keep up the great work with the Petition to Save Overtime Pay.
So far, more than 280,000 people have signed the online petition
or a downloaded petition form. When we send your overtime update
next Wednesday, we'll give you the latest news about the
petition campaign and next steps. As a reminder, the deadline
for submitting petitions has been extended. Sign the petition or
download a print petition form on the Save Overtime Pay website
at the link below.
www.saveovertimepay.org/

NEWS STORIES

Lately, many more media reports and editorials have been
exposing what the Bush administration is planning to do to
overtime pay and protections. Here are a few you will find
interesting.

"Overtime Pay For Millions of Americans in Peril" from
Inter-Press Service
www.unionvoice.org/ct/Ldad1a51GprD/

"U.S. Offers Tips on Avoiding Overtime Pay" from Associated
Press
www.unionvoice.org/ct/L1ad1a51GprJ/

"Instead of taking a whacking, workers should fight overtime
plan" editorial from St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota)
www.unionvoice.org/ct/L7ad1a51GprK/

Finally, please remember to spread the word. We can stop Bush's
overtime pay takeaway if millions of us join together and speak
out for good jobs, the 40-hour workweek and workers' right to
overtime pay for overtime work. We can block President Bush from
taking away that right.

Thanks for all you do.

Onward,

Working Families e-Activist Network, AFL-CIO
Jan. 16, 2004

P.S. Here are the action links again.

Send your fax: www.unionvoice.org/campaign/voteforovertime/

Tell-a-Friend: www.unionvoice.org/campaign/voteforovertime/forward/

Overtime Petition: www.saveovertimepay.org/


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5) Extend Unemployment Benefits- Send Message on January 19!


TAKE ACTION NOW
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Congress left town before the holidays without reauthorizing the federal extension of unemployment benefits, which means that 90,000 families a week (or two million over the next six months) will no longer qualify for any federal jobless aid.

Congress reconvenes on January 20 and we need your help to extend this critical program. On January 19, please send a message to your representatives (capwiz.com/ibew/mail/oneclick_compose/ ) telling them to extend unemployment benefits!

Thank you for your continued support.


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6) Student Labor Week of Action

NATIONAL STUDENT LABOR WEEK OF ACTION
MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2004

> From March 29 - April 4, 2004, students and workers will

celebrate the lives of Cesar Estrada Chavez and Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. by joining together to demand justice for
workers on their campuses and in their communities. March 31st
is Cesar Chavez Day in California April 4 marks the 36-year
anniversary of Dr. King's assasination.

In 2003, students and workers came together for over 280 actions
during the fourth annual National Student Labor Week of Action.
Addressing a range of issues from sweatshops to living wages to
the right to organize for campus workers, students and labor
came together to win concrete victories a build a more powerful
movement.
VISIT THE JOBS WITH JUSTICE WEBSITE TO:

SIGN UP AT www.unionvoice.org/ct/I7zVzln1Tpf9/signup

DOWNLOAD AN ORGANIZING KIT AT
www.unionvoice.org/ct/IpzVzln1Tpfo/orgkit

SLAP is a joint project of Jobs with Justice and the United
States Students Association. Partnering organizations for the
National Student Labor Week of Action are: United Students
Against Sweatshops, National Movimiento Estudantil Chicana/o de
Aztlan, TransAfrica, Student Action with Farmworkers, Not with
Our Money, and the Organization of Chinese Americans.

"My friends, the time for action is upon us. The enemies of
justice want you to think of Dr. King as only a civil rights
leader, but he had a much broader agent. He was a tireless
crusader for the rights of the poor, for an end to the war in
Vietnam long before it was popular to take that stand, and for
the rights of workers everywhere. Many people find it convenient
to forget that Martin was murdered while supporting a desperate
strike on that tragic day in Memphis, Tennessee. He died while
fighting for the rights of sanitation workers. Dr. King's
dedication to the rights of the workers who are so often
exploited by the forces of greed has profoundly touched my life
and guided my struggle. During my first fast in 1968, Dr. King
reminded me that our struggle was his struggle too. He sent me a
telegram, which said: 'Our separate struggles are really one. A
struggle for freedom, for dignity and for humanity.'" - Cesar E.
Chavez


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7) Labor News Brief

Published on Thursday, January 15, 2004 by the Inter Press Service
Overtime Pay For Millions of Americans in Peril
by Katherine Stapp


NEW YORK -- An electronic technician with the U.S. Navy, John Garrity has two young children and another on the way. He often works extra hours to help make ends meet, but worries that under new overtime pay rules proposed by the Labor Department, he will lose about six thousand dollars a year.


"It's a pay cut and an attack on workers' rights," he said in an interview. "They're trying to roll the clock back. People fought and went to jail to have a 40-hour work week so they could spend more time with their families. The president just wants to pay back his corporate friends."






Overtime pay is very hard to get even if you are entitled to it. The fact that the Bush administration would rather take away this right than enforce this law is an obvious sign of their domination by corporate interests.



Jonathan Rees, a history professor at Colorado State University
On Wednesday, an international trade union criticized the United States for having ratified only two of eight global conventions on core workers' rights, calling that one of the "worst rates of ratification in the world."


The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) said the country has "a serious record of continuing labor rights violations involving some of the world's best-known companies, such as Wal-Mart."


The Bush administration has touted the new overtime rules as a long overdue update of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, pointing out that they would extend overtime pay eligibility to an estimated 1.3 million low-income workers.


Under federal law, hourly employees are entitled to time-and-a-half pay (150 percent of the normal rate) if their work week extends beyond 40 hours.


But a study last year by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a non-partisan Washington think tank, found the new rules would also remove overtime pay protection from some eight million workers by reclassifying them as executives, professionals--in the case of Garrity, for example--and administrators.


Workers earning more than $65,000 a year would also be exempt from overtime pay.


"Our experience is that the Department of Labor has been pretty unresponsive to our criticisms," said Jared Bernstein, a senior economist at EPI. "We've written extensively about the serious, fundamental flaws in their analysis of the impact of this change, yet they've done little to address the issues we've raised."


Labor Department officials contest the study, saying the changes would affect fewer than one million higher-paid workers.


But many Democrat and Republican politicians oppose the new regulations.


Last year, both the Senate and House of Representatives passed an amendment to the proposed rules that preserved overtime pay protection for most workers. The amendment, named after its sponsor, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, was later dropped from a spending bill under intense pressure from the White House.


The Labor Department is now pushing the regulations as an administrative rule change--for which it does not need congressional consent--that would likely take effect in March.


In a move that provoked outcry among unions, the department has also published information for employers on how to legally avoid paying overtime to low-income workers who could be eligible for it, though it insists it does not recommend such tactics.


"This is a draconian proposal," said Lou Gerber, chief lobbyist of the Communications Workers of America.


"The administration has been deaf to the votes of Congress. The real issue is why isn't the administration proposing to raise the minimum wage, rather than cutting overtime pay?"


Legislators are currently on winter recess, but a hearing on the overtime rules is planned for Jan. 20.


"The idea behind our lobbying efforts right now is to get them to put the Harkin amendment back in the bill," said Kelly Ross, a legislative representative with the AFL-CIO, which represents more than 13 million workers.


"It will be a lot harder to fix it once it's passed."


The National Organization of Women (NOW) has also opposed the changes, noting that many of those affected would be women working in middle-income jobs, like nurses, secretaries, cooks and paralegals.


"Think about a working mom whose boss requires her to work an extra four hours one night," said NOW President Kim Gandy in a statement. "Without the guarantee of overtime, she has to pay the babysitter while she's doing work for which she isn't getting paid extra."


The ICFTU reported that, "women hold nearly half the executive and managerial jobs in the United States, but they fall short of men at the top ranks of the salary ladder."


"Discrimination in respect of employment and occupation is prohibited by law. However, there is still a wage gap between men and women and between different ethnic groups," it added.


Industry groups that support the Labor Department's position argue that the EPI study was faulty, and assert the new rules would actually result in a net increase of people entitled to overtime pay protection.


"These regulations have not been comprehensively modified since 1949 and are out of step with today's workplace," said Sandra Boyd, a vice president at the National Association of Manufacturers.


"Employers want these regulations reformed for two reasons: to reduce compliance costs--you shouldn't need to hire a team of lawyers and consultants to figure out how to classify employees--and to reduce litigation exposure," Boyd said.


Last year, the Labor Department investigated more than 31,000 worker complaints and recovered $212 million in unpaid overtime wages, a 21 percent increase over 2002.


A particularly notorious case was retail giant Wal-Mart, which is fighting dozens of lawsuits around the country brought by employees who say they were forced to work unpaid overtime.


Tammy McCutchen, who heads the Labor Department's wage and hour division, says increased productivity and fewer lawsuits under the new rules could mean savings of up to 1.9 billion dollars for employers.


"Overtime pay is very hard to get even if you are entitled to it," says Jonathan Rees, a history professor at Colorado State University who has written extensively on labor issues.


"The fact that the Bush administration would rather take away this right than enforce this law is an obvious sign of their domination by corporate interests."


Copyright © 2004 IPS




Gary L. Koniz

Apt. 815

9480 Princeton Square Blvd. S.

Jacksonville, FL 32256-8310

(904) 730-2055

lspbookstore.netfirms.com/religion.htm


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8) Building Bridges Radio - Bush's Plan for Immigrants


WBAI Radio’s Building Bridges:


Community & Labor Report – National Edition


Produced & Hosted by Mimi Rosenberg & Ken Nash


To listen or download*:

www.laborradio.org/audio/bbridges/immigntl.mp3

56 kbps for high speed connections 26:58

la.indymedia.org/uploads/immigntl.mp3

24 kbps for dial up connections 26:58

*note: to download keep as mail document


President Bush’s Plan for Immigrants:

Work Hard, Pay Taxes and then GET LOST!

with

Nancy Foner, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at State

University of NY at Purchase & Author of numerous books on the history

of immigration to the U.S.

Ana Avendano, Sr. Advisor on Immigration Issues, AFL-CIO


Hector Cordero-Guzman author “Migration,Transnationalization


and Race in a Changing New York” and Chair of the Dept. of Black and

Hispanic Studies, Baruch College, CUNY

Pres. Bush proposed new temporary worker program to reform the

nation’s immigration system. Immigrant, labor and religious leaders blasted

the proposed program, demanding a reform package from the White House

that provides a path to citizenship for immigrant workers and addresses the

enormous backlogs and service delays in other parts of the immigration

system.

President Bush’s message to immigrants “is that they are welcome in our

economy but not in our society,” said Margie McHugh, Exec. Dir. of the N.Y.

Immigration Coalition " his proposal would explicitly deny the American dream

to immigrants from this generation onwards,” McHugh continued. “Under the

guise of immigration reform, the President has proposed a guest worker

program which does not lead to permanent residency and citizenship and

essentially says to immigrant communities ‘work hard, pay taxes and then

get lost,’"

“ President Bush’s announcement … of his principles for immigration reform

is a hollow promise for hardworking, undocumented workers, people seeking to

immigrate to the U.S. and U.S. workers alike. It creates a permanent underclass

of workers who are unable to fully participate in democracy. The plan deepens

the potential for abuse and exploitation of these workers, while undermining

wages & labor protections for all workers.” said AFL-CIO Pres. John Sweeney

******************************************************************

Building Bridges is regularly broadcast over WBAI, 99.5 FM in the N.Y.C

Metropolitan area on Mondays from 7-8pm EST and streamed at www.2600.com/offthehook/hot2.ram

for more information email knash (at) igc.org knash (at) igc.org>

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9) News & Letters

Monday, January 19
6:30 PM
"Narrow Nationalism vs. Social Revolution"

Speakers: Kevin Michaels, author of "Will the U.S. lose control of Iraq?," (December News & Letters);
Faramarz Dadvar, Iranian socialist activist who helped organize recent demonstrations in support of the Iranian student movement

Monday, January 26
6:30 PM
"Fundamentalism, Women's Liberation, and Democracy"

Speakers: Ali Reza, Iranian Marxist-Humanist, member of Anjoman Azadi;
Sonia Bergonzi, feminist activist and writer

Now in print: Marxist-Humanist Writings On the Middle East, Selected Writings by Raya Dunayevskaya 1961-1982 and From News & Letters 1988-2002. Available for $5.

News and Letters library,
36 S. Wabash, Room 1440
(Chicago loop)

--
NEWS & LETTERS / NEWS AND LETTERS COMMITTEES
36 S. Wabash, Room 1440
Chicago IL 60603
U.S.A.

TEL 312 236 0799, FAX 312 236 0725
EMAIL nandl (at) igc.org
INTERNET www.newsandletters.org

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10) On The Lighter Side: you need some time off?

Two factory workers were talking. "I think I'll take some time off from work." said the man.

"How do you think you'll do that?" said the blonde.

He proceeded to show her... by climbing up to the rafters, and hanging upside down. The boss walked in, saw the worker hanging from the ceiling, and asked him what on earth he was doing?

"I'm a light bulb" answered the guy. "I think you need some time off," said the boss.

So, the man jumped down and walked out of the factory.

The blonde began walking out too. The boss asked her where did she think she was going?

The blonde answered, "Home, I can't work in the dark".

*****************************************************************
For a few more "labor laffs", check out this site:

www.cartoonwork.com/archive/archives.htm

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11) Thoughts on the coming 'discovery' of Bin Laden: the best propaganda a campaign can buy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Eric A. Smith
Hot Damn! Design
81-03-3959-5371
snowdog (at) juno.ocn.ne.jp snowdog (at) juno.ocn.ne.jp>

OPINION: THOUGHTS ON THE COMING "DISCOVERY" OF BIN LADEN
--The Best Propaganda Money can Buy

Unless preparations are made for its eventuality, the announcement of Bin Laden's capture will be the death-knell for the 2004 Democratic campaign. And, like the "heroic rescue" of Jessica Lynch or the toppling of Hussein's statue by "jubilant throngs" of Iraqis, it needn't even be real:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/correspondent/3028585.stm
www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-scheer20may20,1,2187120.column
www.startribune.com/stories/1762/3907255.html

www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2838.htm
So Democrats must have a pre-emptive strategy in place; the most obvious being, early in the game, to accuse the White House of sitting on Bin Laden for political gain.
A better one is to launch an independent investigation to find Bin Laden first and announce the discovery before Rove's political operatives; this would be a huge coup.
In case you haven't been paying attention, this election year, Republicans are playing a deadly game of attrition -- death by a thousand tiny cuts, so to speak: extreme reprimanding in Texas, the recall of a governor in California, the installation of inauditable, easily "preprogrammed" DRE e-vote machines in as many counties as will allow them to be stuffed down their throats, relentless and bloody character assassinations in a bought-and-paid-for Murdoch-dominated media empire, absentee ballots counted by an untouchable firm in Kuwait, stacked courts ready to deliver decisions for which 2000's Gore vs. Bush set the precedent.
The odds look dire for Democrats (and, by extension, the majority of Americans, though they are as yet blissfully unaware of the slender thread from which all our liberties hang).
But, in case you haven't connected the dots, this time the GOP is playing for keeps.
Once the fix is in, there will be no turning back: by an invisible, carefully planned coup, the neoconservatives will have transformed America into an autocracy, and any remaining political opposition will be window dressing.
And so, I challenge you: this is a battle we perhaps cannot win, but, at all costs, MUST NOT LOSE.
The consequences of surrender will be incalculable: one by one, like dominos, institutions we cherish will fall -- environmental laws, social security, independent media, healthy advocacy groups, assistance for the unemployed, impoverished and disenfranchised -- and, foremost, the right to choose our leaders.
We will be left with one remaining liberty: the right to choose which products to buy to keep the militaristic money machine well-oiled, and its minders well-heeled.
This year, unless YOU act -- BOLDLY, DECISIVELY, PERSISTENTLY AND INCESSANTLY -- the dream our forefathers nurtured to life will die.
Don't let the dream die.
Stand up and fight for America.
Stand up and fight for the vote.
This will be your last chance.
sincerely,
Eric A. Smith
Tokyo
About the author:
Eric A. Smith is a freelance journalist, editor and IT instructor living in Tokyo, Japan. An activist for over 25 years, he has worked with such diverse publications as the RTP Beacon, Common Ground and Adbusters magazine.
Smith is currently volunteering to assist Bev Harris of Blackboxvoting.org, Attorney Phillip Berg in 9-11 widow Ellen Mariani's RICO suit against Bush, et al, and is a charter member of the Open Voting Consortium.
Smith earned his BA at the University of North Carolina in 1992, and holds MCP, field service technician, A+ and Network+ certifications from Microsoft, COMPTIA and the Control Data Institute.
He can be reached for comment at 81-03-3959-5371 or snowdog (at) juno.ocn.ne.jp snowdog (at) juno.ocn.ne.jp>

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12) MSN Urgent Action: Violent Repression in Morelos, Mexico

Urgent Action: Violent Repression in Morelos, Mexico

As the autonomous Zapatista communities of Chiapas, Mexico celebrate the 10 year anniversary their uprising, the town of Tlalnepantla, Morelos, Mexico, declares itself autonomous as well. Armed riot police storm the town and leave at least two dead and many dozens of people missing and wounded. U.S. President George W. Bush says nothing of the massacre while in Mexico.

Synopsis:
--------------
The town of Tlalnepantla, [ Tlahl-ne-PONT-lah] Morelos is located to the south of Mexico City. It is one of the most important producers of edible nopal cactus (an important staple of the Mexican diet.) Tlalnepantla provides a large percentage of the nopal consumed by Mexicans in the United States.
Like thousands of indigenous communities in Mexico, and according to ancient custom, it has always elected its leaders in an open town council consisting of the
entire adult population. In last July's elections this way of selecting authorities was rejected by the Mexican electoral commission. The candidate who officially won at the polls was not selected by the full town assembly. The winning candidate, with less than 10% of the electorate's vote, is an unpopular political boss who has been accused of corruption in other political offices he has held. A majority of the population of Tlalnepantla subsequently called for an annulment of the electoral results and legal recognition of it's ancient form of selecting leaders, but the Morelos state government ignored their plea.
After months of discussion within the town, and in full accordance with the legal guarantees of the Mexican constitution, the people of Tlalnepantla declared themselves "autonomous" in the same way that EZLN affiliated indigenous communities in Chiapas have done. Tlalnepantla's declaration of autonomy came just as communities across Mexico and the world were celebrating the ten year anniversary of the uprising in Chiapas.
After repeated threats from the government to dismantle the autonomous government in Tlalnepantla, Governor Sergio Estrada Cajigal ordered nearly 1500 riot police January 14 at 1 A.M., armed with assault rifles to evict the autonomous government from Tlalnepantla. Snipers and police gunmen filled the air with bullets, beat women and men over 80 years of age, and left two dead, many wounded and scores of people disappeared and as of yet unaccounted for. Illegal searches were conducted in dozens of houses in the town.

This, as U.S. President George W. Bush was participating in the summit of the Americas in Mexico, vowing to punish "corrupt" states Venezuela and Cuba, but failing to condemn the continuous armed oppression of indigenous communities throughout Mexico.

PLEASE E-MAIL THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MORELOS (gobernador (at) morelos.gob.mx) TO LET HIM KNOW THAT THE WORLD IS WATCHING! AND CALL YOUR LOCAL MEXICAN CONSULATE TO DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF THE STATE POLICE FROM TLALNEPANTLA, MORELOS!

#############################################################
Mexico Solidarity Network www.mexicosolidarity.org

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13) MSN Alert: Mexican Labor Rights Activist Attacked and Brutally Beaten

URGENT ACTION ALERT:
Mexican Labor Rights Activist Attacked and Brutally Beaten
January 14, 2004

On December 30, at 9:30 a.m., Martin Barrios, Coordinator of the Human and Labor Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley was attacked and brutally beaten by an unknown assailant. Barrios was about to enter his house, which also serves as the Commission office, when he heard a voice behind him, turned and saw a man coming at him with a brick.

He was brutally beaten on the face and head, but managed to throw off the attacker who fled to a taxi driven by an accomplice that had been parked outside the house. Barrios suffered serious injuries to his face and skull as a result of the attack, and has laid a formal complaint with the local authorities.

It appears the attacker had been waiting for Barrios to return home, and that the attack had been planned ahead of time. The attacker made no effort to enter the house or to steal anything from Barrios. The Commission believes the attacker was paid to carry out the assault in order to intimidate Barrios, his family and other members of the Commission.

BACKGROUND

During the past year, the Human and Labor Rights Commission of the Tehuacan Valley has defended the rights of hundreds of workers who were unjustly fired from various blue jean factories owned by the Los Angeles-based Tarrant Apparel Group as well as workers from other smaller Tehuacan maquilas. It has succeeded in pressuring Tarrant and local labor authorities to ensure that fired workers received severance payments that are at least close to what is required by the Mexican Federal Labor Law.

The Mexico Solidarity Network (MSN) has been supporting the work of the Commission in Tehuacan as well as that of the Worker Support Centre (CAT) in Ajalpan where Tarrant workers were fired for attempting to organize an independent union. An international campaign has resulted in increased pressure from brand-name buyers and consumers on Tarrant to respect its Mexican workers' rights.

Also in 2003, the Commission and the MSN released a joint publication "Blue Jeans, Blue Waters and Worker Rights," exposing the systematic violations of workers' rights and environmental standards in Tehuacan's blue jean industry. The report has been widely distributed in Mexico, Canada and the US.

The Commission believes that the attack and threats that had been made against Barrios previous to the attack are part of a campaign by maquila owners to silence Barrios and other Commission members and discourage them from continuing to expose worker rights violations and defend workers' rights. According to the Commission, the attack on Barrios should be added to the list of recent attacks on human rights activists in the State of Puebla, including the murder of lawyer Griselda Tirado Evangelio in Huehuetla and threats and abuse against members of CADEM in Cuetzalan, and threats and intimidation against the CAT and members of the independent union at the Tarrant Ajalpan facility.

Source: Maquila Solidarity Network

TAKE ACTION:

The Commission is calling on its supporters in Mexico and internationally to fax letters of protest to the Governor of the State of Puebla, Melquiades Morales Flores, with copies by e-mail to the Maquila Solidarity Network and the Campaign for Labor Rights, which will then be forwarded on to Mexican President Vicente Fox, as well as to US Ambassador to Mexico -- Antonio Garza, Jr. and the Mexico Ambassador to the US -- Juan Bremer.

Please send a letter today, demanding the following:
* a full investigation into the attack and prosecution of those responsible, including the intellectual authors of the crime;
* protective measures by local authorities to ensure the safety of Martin Amaru Barrios and his family.

WRITE TO:
Lic. Melquiades Morales Flores, Governor of Puebla
Fax: 011 52 222 213 8805

With copies to:
Maquila Solidarity Network
E-mail: info (at) maquilasolidarity.org
Campaign for Labor Rights
E-mail: Clr (at) clrlabor.org

AND

US Ambassador to Mexico -- Antonio Garza, Jr.
E-mail: TanabeFT (at) state.gov
Fax: 011-52-55-50802005

Mexico Ambassador to the US -- Juan Bremer
E-mail: mexembusa (at) sre.gob.mx

SAMPLE LETTER

Melquiades Morales Flores, Governor of Puebla
14 Oriente, No. 1006, Colonia El Alto, Puebla
Puebla, Mexico

Dear Governor Morales Flores:

I am writing to bring to your attention disturbing reports of a brutal assault carried out under suspicious circumstances against Martin Amaru Barrios, a leader of the Comision de Derechos Humanos y Laborales del Valle de Tehuacan, A.C.

On December 30, at 9:30 a.m. Barrios was attacked by an unknown assailant outside his home in Tehuacan. As he was about to enter his house, Barrios was assaulted from behind by a man carrying a brick. Barrios was able throw off the assailant, who fled to a taxi that was waiting for him in front of the house. Barrios suffered serious injuries to his face and skull, and has registered a formal complaint with the local authorities.

It appears the man and his accomplish who was driving the taxi were waiting for Barrios when he returned home. As well, the assailant made no attempt to enter the house or to rob Barrios. Barrios had also received threats prior to the attack. It would therefore appear that the attack had been planned in advance, and the assailant and his accomplice to the crime had been paid to carry out the assault.

As you may be aware, Barrios and the Commission have been playing a very important role in defending the rights of maquila workers in the Tehuacan region. It is therefore highly suspicious that this attack occurred recently after the Commission was involved in efforts to ensure that hundreds of maquila workers who were unjustly fired received their full severance pay as required by the Federal Labor Law. Prior to the assault, Barrios had received threats related to the work of the Commission in defending workers' rights.

We are very concerned that this assault might be part of a broader campaign to silence and punish Barrios, members of his family and other members of the Commission. In order to ensure that justice is done, and that there are no further attacks on Barrios, members of his family and/or other members of the Commission, we would strongly urge that you take the following actions:

1. Immediately launch a full investigation of the attack and threats against Barrios and ensure that those who are responsible, including the intellectual authors of the crime, are brought to justice; and
2. Direct local authorities to take immediate preventive measures to protect the life and security of Martin Amaru Barrios, his family, and other members of the Commission.

I look forward to receiving a prompt reply to my letter detailing the measures your government is taking to investigate the crime, bring those responsible to justices, and provide protection to Barrios, his family, and other members of the Commission.

Yours truly,

[Your name]

We thank you in advance for your solidarity and support.

#############################################################
Mexico Solidarity Network www.mexicosolidarity.org

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14) Upcoming Catholic Labor Network Activities

The Catholic-Labor Network will be holding two events during the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, D.C. You can go to our web site (www.catholiclabor.org), and follow the links on the left hand column for registration and information.

On Sunday, February 22, 2004, those of us in attending the SMG or who will be in the Washington, D.C. area are invited to join together for Mass at a local parish, and then gather around coffee and bagels at a local shop. It will be a time for us to pray together, and to spend a couple of hours in casual sharing and conversation.

At Noon, on Sunday, February 22, Tom Shellabarger has prepared a Catholic-Labor Network Lunch. You need to register through the SMG (links are available at: www.catholiclabor.org). Lunch is only $15.00. There will be a speaker at the lunch who will be addressing issue of labor law reform.

The details of the Sunday Mass and Bagels is being set up through Clayton Sinyai in Washington. When they are formalized, a post card will be mailed to those on our mail list, and emails and updates to the web page will be made.

YBIC

Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L.

******************************************************

Fr. William O'Donnell passed away

Dear Friends:

In early December, I picked up a copy of the New York Times. It announced that Fr. William O'Donnell had died in Berkley, Ca. on December 9, 2003.

I did not know Fr. O'Donnell, but after reading his obituary, I concluded that this was a man who I would have loved to have known and been mentored by. I would like to share a few paragraphs from the NY Times:

"Ousted from various conservative churches, Fr. O'Donnell asked to be assigned to the poorest parish. Thirty years ago, he became pastor at St. Jseph the Workman Church, later helping to changing the name to St. Joseph the Worker Church.

"He attributed his conversion from young conservative to radical activities to his involvement with the labor organizer Ceasar Chavez. Before dawn one day in 1970, Fr. O'Donnell persuaded Teamsters not to unload grapes at Oaklan's produce market, an act that Fred Ross, Jr., an organizer of the Chavez grap boycott, said in in interview on Thursday was 'a dramatic breakthrough for unionizing grap pickers.

"Told that Fr. O'Donnell's cortege would have a police escort, Fr. Crespin said, 'On his last journey he'll be accompanied by police as was often the case in life.'"

Eternal Rest grant unto him O'Lord. And let perpetual light shine on him.

YBIC
Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
15) Stop the FTAA Campaign Tools

Stop the FTAA Pass-Along Cards

These convenient cards are an excellent non-threatening way to direct casual contacts to the Stop the FTAA website and build campaign momentum.

Say NO to FTAA! Booklet

This booklet concisely shows the motives behind the FTAA. Use the booklet to motivate action in the Stop the FTAA campaign.

Stop the FTAA Button

By wearing this button, you will make your position known and provide a means to open conversation with others on the threat the FTAA poses to America. Wear this button and keep a supply of Pass-Along Cards and Say NO to FTAA! Booklets handy.

Sign up for the Stop the FTAA Alert List to receive important campaign information and notification of new campaign tools.

www.stoptheftaa.org/alerts/

www.aobs-store.com/ftaa/index.htm

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16) Elite Fundraisers Deliver "Bundles" of Donations

Public Citizen Press Releases
Providing the latest information about Public Citizen activities
-------------------------------------------

Elite Fundraisers Deliver "Bundles" of Donations to Democratic
Candidates Who Abandoned the Public Financing System

WhiteHouseForSale.org Launches Searchable Database with Information
About 32 Dean Bundlers and 119 Kerry Backers; Bush Names 42 New Rangers
and Pioneers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - While not approaching the scope of President Bush's
unparalleled fundraising operations, the presidential campaigns of
Howard Dean and John Kerry haven't been shy about reaching out to their
own elite networks of big money bundlers to help finance their
campaigns, according to an analysis by Public Citizen.

WhiteHouseForSale.org, a Web site created by Public Citizen to track
contributors to Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, has begun monitoring
the fundraising activities of Dean and Kerry because they are the only
other candidates who have followed Bush in opting out of the
presidential public financing system. In addition to keeping a running
tally of their respective fundraising totals, Public Citizen today
unveiled its searchable database of Dean and Kerry bundlers, their home
states, employers and occupations. Both it and the Bush database are
available at WhiteHouseforSale.org.

Official totals won't be filed with the Federal Election Commission
(FEC) until the end of January, but the Dean campaign has reported
raising $41 million in 2003. The Kerry campaign brought in nearly $29
million last year, including $6.4 million the senator loaned to his
campaign after taking out a mortgage on his home. A candidate who
accepts public financing can raise and spend no more than $45 million
before next summer's Democratic Convention in Boston.

Although Dean has raised $12 million more than Kerry, the Massachusetts
senator has relied on four times the number of bundlers, those financial
backers who collect contributions up to the limit of $2,000 from others.
So far, the Dean campaign has released the names of 14 individuals who
have raised at least $100,000; another 18 individuals have bundled at
least $50,000 for the Vermont governor. The Kerry campaign has
identified 32 fundraisers who have brought in at least $100,000; another
87 rainmakers have collected at least $50,000.

"We wish that all the presidential candidates would stay within the
public financing system, but President Bush's outrageous money machine
places an extreme handicap on candidates who want to wage a fair fight,"
said Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook. "The McCain-Feingold law
removed hundreds of millions in soft money from the political system,
but wealthy special interests are still able to purchase influence with
politicians by serving as money brokers who collect $2,000 checks from
their own business and personal networks and forward them to the
candidates."

Kerry's $50,000 Hollywood supporters include actor Dennis Hopper,
director William Friedkin, Viacom Entertainment Chairman Jonathan
Dolgen, Paramount Studios chief Sherry Lansing, CBS Entertainment head
Nancy Tellem and three top executives at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
Kerry's Massachusetts fundraisers include longtime backers Alan
Solomont, the former finance chairman of the Democratic National
Committee (DNC); Jonathan Lavine, managing director of Bain Capital; and
the senator's brother Cameron Kerry, an attorney at Mintz Levin - the
firm that ranks as Kerry's all-time biggest donor.

Kerry also has roped in three former ambassadors, at least 15 trial
lawyers and at least a dozen influence-peddlers from such high-powered
lobbying firms as Skadden Arps (Kerry's biggest supporter in 2003),
Piper Rudnick and Quinn Gillespie, as well as a pair of lobbyists from
the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association.

Kerry garnered support from major Clinton supporters, including former
Small Business Administration head Fred Hochberg and several
participants in the notorious "White House coffees," including Vance
Opperman, former president of West Publishing and Hassan Nemazee, whose
nomination to be U.S. ambassador to Argentina was withdrawn in 1999
after Forbes deemed him "a slick-talking investor with a spotty record."


Dean poached three bundlers from Kerry's backyard, including former DNC
chief Steve Grossman. Dean names just two rainmakers from his home
state, Vermont philanthropists and film producers Bill and Jane Stetson.
Other Dean devotees include U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, the
only member of Congress on either list (press reports estimate she has
raised at least $250,000 for Dean); ex-Rhode Island Attorney General
Sheldon Whitehouse; director Rob Reiner (who racked up $100,000 for
Dean); former Virginia Lt. Gov. Don Beyer; and Diane Straus Tucker, a
New York newspaper publisher who is Monica Lewinsky's stepsister.

Wall Street has filled Bush's campaign coffers, but financiers and
investors have been generous to the Democrats as well. Unlike Bush,
however, neither Kerry nor Dean has attracted any bundlers from the
agriculture, electric utility, oil and gas, or mining industries.

Even though Bush faces no primary opponent, his campaign already has
raked in an unprecedented $137.9 million at a series of 98 exclusive,
big-ticket fundraising events across the country headlined by the
president, vice president and first lady.

The Bush campaign yesterday disclosed the names of 42 new bundlers. The
campaign now has 151 "Rangers," those fundraisers who bundle at least
$200,000 in contributions, and 241 "Pioneers," who have each brought in
at least $100,000. In addition, the campaign has identified a dozen new
"Mavericks" - the title given to fundraisers under 40 who raise at least
$50,000.

Notables among the newly named rainmakers - all Pioneers - include
Arizona Sen. John Kyl, Jack Gerard, president of the National Mining
Association, and Hank McKinnell, chairman and CEO of Pfizer. Ten
individuals previously named as Pioneers have achieved Ranger status,
including sugar baron Pepe Fanjul and ex-EPA Administrator Christine
Todd Whitman.

"We need a major overhaul of the public financing system," said Frank
Clemente, director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch. "That's the only
way to eliminate the undue influence of special interests, create a
level playing field for qualified candidates, and restore integrity to
the Oval Office."
###
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization
based in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit
www.whitehouseforsale.org.


Please visit our website at www.citizen.org


------------------------------------------------------------------------
17) Kucinich Wins TruthOut.org Poll

KUCINICH WINS TRUTHOUT.org POLL

While it’s not a scientific poll of voters, it is heartening to know that 23,804 visitors to an important progressive website, www.truthout.org , have voted 44.5 percent for Dennis Kucinich, 32.4 percent for Howard Dean, 14.6 percent for Wesley Clark, 3.6 percent for John Kerry, 2.4 percent for John Edwards, 0.9 percent for Al Sharpton, 0.6 percent for Carol Mosley Braun, and 0.3 percent for Joe Lieberman.

IOWA IS UP IN THE AIR
The prognosticating political pundits are hedging their bets on Iowa – some even going so far as to admit that they have no idea what results will come out of the caucuses. And rightly so. It all depends on turnout and on the passion of those who turn out. Every person you persuade to take the time to caucus for Dennis can make a significant difference in Iowa, and therefore in the 49 states that come after Iowa.

If you want this country to have a real alternative to George W. Bush, now is the time to act. Every phone call you make to Iowa this weekend is worth hours and hours of work down the road.

Come to Iowa! kucinich.us/doortodoor2004.php

Make phone calls to Iowans! www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Contact/ContactUs.asp

Read updates from Iowa! us.denniskucinich.us/phpBB2/viewtopic.php

DENNIS TO ADDRESS CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
Dennis will address the California Democratic Convention tonight, January 16 at 6:30 p.m. PT. At the event, a number of voters who are re-registering Democratic in order to support Dennis will make their intentions public. The convention is being held at the San Jose Convention Center, at San Carlos and Market Streets in San Jose, Calif.

DENNIS TO RECEIVE NAVAJO ENDORSEMENT
Tomorrow, January 17 at 9 a.m MT, Dennis Kucinich will receive the endorsement of the Dine Bidziil Navajo Strength Coalition, a broad coalition of 24 grassroots organizations. Dennis will address 1,000 members of the annual Dine Bidziil convention on Saturday morning and be ceremonially honored. Also speaking will be Winona LaDuke. The convention will be held at the Farmington Civic Center in Farmington, NM.

BALTIMORE SUN COLUMN ON DENNIS
www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.witcover16jan16,0,2260751.column

CORRECTING MICHAEL MOORE
Michael Moore has sent out a misleading Email that has many people asking if Dennis voted for the war on Iraq. He did not. He led the effort that organized 126 Democrats in the House of Representatives to go against their own party leader and vote against the war. And Dennis voted against the war. What Moore has in mind is a later, symbolic vote taken during the war on support for the President and the troops. Dennis supported the troops but not the President, so he voted "Present." That this was the closest thing Moore could find to a reason not to support Dennis says a lot.


Contact us:
Kucinich for President
11808 Lorain Avenue - Cleveland, OH 44111
216-889-2004 / 866-413-3664 (toll-free)
www.kucinich.us


------------------------------------------------------------------------
18) DISSENT IS PATRIOTIC Newsletter: Volume III, Issue 1


Dissent Is Patriotic


The Bill of Rights Defense Committee's e-mail newsletter

January 16, 2004, Vol. 3, No. 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Newsletter Articles:

* 2003 Year in Review
* Looking Ahead to 2004


In Brief:

* Bill of Rights Day celebrations
* Proposed legislation awaits Congress's return January 20
* Council of the City of New York to consider a resolution January 21

------------------------------------------------------------------------


2003 Year in Review

In 2003, millions of U.S. citizens and noncitizens turned to the Bill of Rights and exercised its protections to restore and uphold essential rights and freedoms that help define our country. Congress and the Justice Department noticed.

As we look forward to 2004, BORDC reviews some highlights of the past year.


Grassroots news

*

The number of Civil Liberties Safe Zones
increased more than tenfold,
from 22 communities in 2002 to 230 cities, towns, and counties and
three states by the end of 2003. The number of people protected by
Civil Liberties Safe Zones grew to over 30 million (more than 10
percent of the United States population!).

o March 4: highest number of resolutions passed in one day,
twelve, including the first ballot initiative (Montpelier, VT).
o April 2: first ordinance passed (Arcata, CA).
o

April 25: first state resolution passed (Hawai'i).

*

The distribution of civil liberties resolutions across 37 of the
50 states should surprise former Justice Department spokesperson
Barbara Comstock, who claimed that “about 45 percent of them,
almost half, are either in cities in Vermont, very small
populations, or in sort of college towns in California.”

*

Attention to the Patriot Act also increased among campuses
, labor unions
, religious bodies
, and other types of
organizations .

*

On June 5, Attorney General Ashcroft mentioned the "Bill of Rights
defense movement" twice in his testimony before the House
Judiciary Committee.

*

In August and September, the Attorney General embarked on a
month-long 30-city tour to
defend the Patriot Act. Thousands of protestors showed up at his
campaign stops and held signs outside his closed-door meetings
before hand-picked audiences of uniformed law enforcement. During
the tour, 27 cities passed resolutions against the Patriot Act,
and tens of thousands of Americans looked into the Patriot Act.

*

In October, more than 200 people from 27 states met for the first
time at the first annual Grassroots America Defends the Bill of
Rights conference.
Participants look forward to more regional and national conference
and ongoing communication via a listserve.


Legislation

*

On February 7, the Center for Public Integrity

posted the leaked Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003 on its
website. The public outcry over the bill dubbed "Patriot II" has
prevented its subsequent introduction in Congress. However, a
section of the bill, which expands the FBI's authority to issue
national security letters by changing the definition of "financial
institutions," was inserted into the Intelligence Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2004 ,
which President Bush signed into law in December. Other Patriot II
sections may be introduced piecemeal
in 2004.

*

Last March, Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the first piece
of legislation aimed at rolling back the powers granted by the USA
Patriot Act, the Freedom to Read Protection Act (HR 1157)
. The bill enjoys
bi-partisan support with 144 co-sponsors. Senator Russ Feingold
(D-WI) introduced the companion Library, Bookseller, and Personal
Records Privacy Act (S.1507)
. The SAFE Act and the
Benjamin Franklin True Patriot Act are among more than a dozen
other bills to restore liberties and rights already introduced.
The CLEAR Act and other legislation to strengthen the Patriot Act
have also been introduced.

*

On July 23, by a vote of 309-118, the House approved a bipartisan
amendment offered by Congressmen C.L. "Butch" Otter (R-ID), Dennis
J. Kucinich (D-OH) and Ron Paul (R-TX) to withhold funding for
"sneak-and-peek" searches
under the USA PATRIOT
Act. The nearly 3-1 vote marks the first time either chamber of
Congress has acted to roll back any provision of the law. Despite
the amendment's overwhelming House support, the conferees who
worked out differences between the House and Senate versions of
the Intelligence Authorization Act dropped the amendment from the
final bill.

*

On September 25 Congress de-funded the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA)'s controversial Terrorism Information
Awareness (formerly the Total Information Awareness) program. A
month earlier, John Poindexter resigned as head of the Office of
Information Awareness. DARPA has transferred some TIA research and
tools to other agencies.


Reports and Court Decisions: Special Registration, Detentions, and
Enemy Combatants

*

In June, Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine released
a report
concluding that the Justice Department had detained hundreds of
Arab and Muslim men who had no ties to the September 11 attacks or
to terrorism for several months without charges or access to
attorneys. In December, Fine released another report

finding that dozens of detainees held in a federal detention
center in Brooklyn were physically and verbally abused by prison
guards.

*

In November, the Supreme Court agreed to test the
constitutionality of powers that the Bush Administration has
claimed since September 11, 2001: in Rasul v. Bush and Odah v.
United States, it will decide whether the non-U.S. citizens being
held in prison at Guantanamo Bay

should be given access to U.S. courts. In early January the
Supreme Court also agreed to hear Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
, to
decide whether the government can hold Yaser Esam Hamdi, a U.S.
citizen captured in Afghanistan, indefinitely without charges
filed and without access to an attorney.

*

On December 18, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
, based
in New York, ruled that it is unlawful for the U.S. government to
detain a U.S. citizen captured on U.S. soil as an enemy combatant.
The court ordered the government to either release Jose Padilla
(the only person whom the ruling affects) or transfer him to
civilian custody within 30 days.

*

On the same day, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
, based
in San Francisco, ruled that the cases of some 600 detainees at
Guantanamo have to be open to judicial scrutiny, and that the Bush
administration is violating international law and the U.S.
Constitution by holding detainees on a U.S. Navy base without
legal protections.

*

Nearly 85,000 men from North Korea and 24 Muslim countries
reported to INS facilities for NSEERS "special registration." The
expensive program did not turn up any terrorists, but 13,000 of
the men who voluntarily reported are in deportation proceedings.
Rumors that the program has ended are untrue: Beginning December
2, 2003, men from 25 countries who have already registered do not
need to reregister annually. Point of entry follow-up interviews
are also suspended. However, several parts of the Special
Registration program remain. Read AILA's summary of changes
to the
Department of Homeland Security's Special Registration program.

*

In December 2003, the NSEERS program was supplemented by US-VISIT,
a program that takes biometric measurements of people including
fingerprints and face scans from certain countries. For more
information, see the Center for American Progress's analysis

of the new program.


Silencing Dissent

*

The Secret Service shelters President Bush from peaceful
protesters .
The Administration also demanded that areas of the U.K. and
Australia be "scrubbed" of protesters during the president's visits.

*

In October, police stifled dissent at the FTAA protests
.

*

An FBI memo dated October 15
asks local law enforcement to report antiwar protests and other
activities protected by the First Amendment which they consider
"suspicious" to the FBI's counterterrorism units.

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Looking Ahead to 2004

Thanks to the work of thousands of people in hundreds of community groups, millions more Americans are aware of threats to their liberties and the importance of protecting and upholding the Bill of Rights than were at the start of 2003. However, there are still millions of Americans who are unaware of the importance of the Bill of Rights or of the Patriot Act and other government measures that may curtail essential liberties of citizens, residents, and detainees.

In 2004, BORDC will continue to help people add their communities' voices to the growing national debate about these critical issue and stay informed of proposed new legislation and court decisions. We will continuously update our web pages with information and new resources to support these processes, and we invite readers to send us creative suggestions and resources they would like us to share with others.

The future of civil liberties and rights in American depends on people like you. According to Georgetown Law School Professor David Cole:

I think the movement to pass these resolutions is the single most
effective tool to raise the consciousness about the importance of
civil liberties in the USA that has been undertaken since September
11th. There is a real shift in public attitudes about the importance
of protecting civil liberties and it's not because of the courts or
Congress or executive orders, but what people around the country are
saying in adopting these resolutions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------


In Brief:

Bill of Rights Day celebrations

Communities observed the anniversary of the passage of the Bill of Rights in a variety of ways, including public readings, street theater, proclamations, and resolutions. For a summary, go to our Bill of Rights Day 2003 page .


Proposed legislation awaits Congress's return January 20

Several bills to expand or roll back parts of the Patriot Act have been introduced or are about to be introduced. Refer to our web pages for summaries, bill numbers, andlinks to the Thomas Register's up-to-date bill status information, including cosponsors.

Council of the City of New York to consider a resolution January 21

Resolution 909-A is on the January 21 agenda of the Council of the City of New York. The New York City Bill of Rights Defense Campaign has worked hard to educate the community most affected by the September 11 attacks. The resolution requires 26 votes, and it has 34 cosponsors.

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Make a Gift in Defense of Civil Liberties

Support the Bill of Rights Defense Committee's work by making a tax-deductible contribution to our fiscal sponsor, the Greensboro Justice Fund, online or via check or money order . If you don't need a tax deduction, you may contribute directly to the Bill of Rights Defense Committee via check to the address below. Your purchase of bumper stickers, buttons, booklets, and Bill of Rights get well cards also help us to cover our expenses. Click here for our catalog .

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editor: Nancy Talanian, Director
Managing Editor: Vanessa Bliss
Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Inc.
241 King Street, Suite 216
Northampton, MA 01060

Web: www.bordc.org/
Email: info (at) bordc.org info (at) bordc.org>
Telephone: 413-582-0110


------------------------------------------------------------------------
19) January 17, People’s Weekly World/Nuestro Mundo

Immigration plan ‘chains workers’

by Rosalio Muñoz, 01/15/04

The “more compassionate” immigration system for undocumented workers
proposed by President George W. Bush on Jan. 7 will grant corporations
greater ability to pit U.S. workers against the global work force for
domestic jobs, say labor and immigrant rights leaders. It will also help
businesses further exploit undocumented workers.

Read entire article at www.pww.org/article/articleview/4624/1/197/



‘Apollo Project’ would create 3.3 million jobs

by Tim Wheeler, Washington c