From jdav@noc.org Thu Nov 7 23:58:04 1996 Date: Thu, 7 Nov 96 20:26 GMT From: Jim Davis To: pt-dist@noc.org Subject: People's Tribune (11-96) Online Edition ****************************************************************** People's Tribune (Online Edition) Vol. 23 No. 12/ November, 1996 P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654 Email: pt@noc.org ****************************************************************** +----------------------------------------------------------------+ The PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE is now available on the World Wide Web at http://www.mcs.com/~jdav/league.html +----------------------------------------------------------------+ INDEX to the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE (Online Edition) Vol. 23 No. 12/ November, 1996 Page One 1. ELECTION RESULTS SHOW: THE PEOPLE NEED THEIR OWN PARTY! News and Features 2. REFLECTIONS ON THE LATINO MARCH - 1: 'GREAT SENSE OF UNITY' MARKS D.C. RALLY 3. REFLECTIONS ON THE LATINO MARCH - 2 4. ST. PETERSBURG: 'YOU CAN'T KILL US ALL!': REBELLION IN FLORIDA 5. GLOBAL TEACH-IN EXPOSES CORPORATIONS 6. MUMIA ABU-JAMAL: "MORE WAR FOR THE POOR" 7. ROBERT F. WILLIAMS: A HERO IN THE STRUGGLE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE 8. LABOR PARTY CALLS FOR REAL WELFARE REFORM, AN END TO CORPORATE WELFARE AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A JOB AT A LIVING WAGE 9. L.A. LABOR PARTY CHAPTER HOLDS 'KICK-OFF' MEETING 10. WELFARE 'REFORM' WILL DEVASTATE CALIFORNIA COUNTY, SAYS READER 11. YES, THE GOVERNMENT IS BEHIND THE CRACK EPIDEMIC! 12. AMERICA, LAND OF THE LESS FREE Women and Revolution: Visions for a New America 13. ACTIVIST AND REVOLUTIONARY SPEAKS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE 'GENDER JUSTICE' Culture Under Fire 14. SOUTH AFRICA'S DENNIS BRUTUS DISCUSSES THE NEW PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION 15. RUFF HUSTLIN' AIN'T NO JOKE 16. NEW BOOK DOCUMENTS STRUGGLE OF HOMELESS AND POOR FIGHTING FOR A NEW AMERICA >From the League 17. A NEW SPIRIT OF UNITY IS GROWING IN AMERICA 18. LRNA GREETS ALLIANCE CONVENTION Announcements, Events, etc. 19. IT'S TIME TO RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE! ****************************************************************** We encourage reproduction and use of all articles except those copyrighted. Please credit the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE. The PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE depends on donations from its readers -- your generosity is appreciated. For free electronic subscription, send a message to pt-dist@noc.org with "Subscribe" in the subject line. For electronic subscription problems, e-mail pt-admin@noc.org ****************************************************************** ****************************************************************** 1. PAGE ONE: ELECTION RESULTS SHOW: THE PEOPLE NEED THEIR OWN PARTY! >From the editors As we go to press the day after the 1996 elections, not all the dust has settled, but some things are clear. For one thing, it's obvious that not everyone is being misled by the right-wing propaganda of the Democrats and Republicans. Where there seemed to be some kind of alternative to vote for, people very often did. People in Minnesota, for example, voted against "welfare reform" by re-electing U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, who touted the fact that he voted against the "reform" bill. And almost 4 million Californians, led by women and young people, voted against the anti-affirmative action Proposition 209, which, unfortunately, passed. Another thing that is clear is that the re-elected Clinton administration will have one primary role to play: to drive down the standard of living of the American people even further, so that U.S. capitalists are "competitive" with the rest of the world. And what is more clear than ever is that a workers' or people's party is desperately needed to give voice to and represent the interests of the working class -- the employed and the unemployed -- in this country. The Labor Party, founded in Cleveland in June, could well become such a party if enough of us fight to build it. There's no question that a political realignment has taken place, with the Democrats and Republicans moving well to the right. These two parties of the ruling class may differ on tactics, but they are united on a broad strategy: cut government spending, cut wages and benefits, replace labor with technology and limit or eliminate political freedoms so as to stifle any resistance. For the ruling class, this strategy is a necessity, not an option. For them, it is the means to stay competitive with other capitalists, and the means to preserve capitalism in the electronic age. Electronic technology is sweeping the world, steadily replacing labor in the workplace. At the same time, the economy has become global -- the capitalists can and do carry on production anywhere in the world, wherever it's cheapest. This means the standard of living of the American worker must fall toward the standard of workers in the "developing" world, or the jobs go overseas. Electronics means rising permanent unemployment. It means more competition for fewer jobs, driving down wages. And it means the capitalists will not spend money (such as on public aid programs) to support labor they don't need. Electronics and global competition are already destroying the "middle class" in this country -- the stably employed worker who was the mainstay of the existing system. A mountain of unsold goods is piling up, threatening a global depression. The developing economic crisis is beginning to produce a political crisis that could threaten the ruling class. The wealthy few who rule this country know that the American people won't stand by and watch their lives and the lives of their children being destroyed. This is why we are seeing the push from both Democrats and Republicans for more cops, more prisons, tougher laws, the "war on drugs," etc. This is also why we are seeing the "divide and conquer" campaign that has turned people against one another through attacks on immigrants, people of color, the poor, the unions and so on. Yet despite the shadow the election results have cast over our future, there is room for hope. The people are still struggling -- fighting welfare cuts, fighting for homes and decent jobs and health care, confronting police violence. And the same technology that is making us unemployed today could, in the hands of the people, give us unlimited abundance. No one need be hungry or homeless. No child need be uneducated or do without health care. No one need suffer discrimination. Electronic technology, in a society organized on the basis of cooperation, not competition, can mean the true liberation of humanity. For the people to move forward, we must first become ideologically and politically independent of our enemies in the ruling class. We must stop thinking with our enemies' ideas. This is the significance of building a workers' or people's party. It is part of the people's declaration of independence from their enemies. We at the People's Tribune believe that the Labor Party at this time represents the best hope for building such a party. We are in for some desperate times, but we also have a tremendous opportunity. The scattered struggles of the people can and must be brought together into a single mighty torrent of struggle against the system that is the root of the problem. Building the Labor Party is a key step in this process. It is the next important historical step the people must take. The individual plays a role in history. Each of us must make a choice. It is more clear than ever that the rich and the poor in this country have separate interests. No one in the ranks of the ruling class can speak for the workers. This is our moment. This struggle is about freedom, about justice, about equality. We can have a just and prosperous society for all of us. First we must separate ourselves from our enemies and begin to chart our own course. Now is the time. ****************************************************************** 2. REFLECTIONS ON THE LATINO MARCH - 1: 'GREAT SENSE OF UNITY' MARKS D.C. RALLY By Sam Willis When I was given the opportunity to go with the UNITE union to the Latino March in Washington, D.C., I felt a certain obligation. Not because of my common ethnicity, because there I am different. I was received as a comrade with similar struggles and objectives. On arriving at the March, I was taken by all the visuals and had a great sense of unity. I later met up with friends and listened to some speakers and came to conclusions about what the March represented for me. On October 12, 1996, a historic event took place. People from all over the country joined the March to protest the attacks against Latinos. I felt very fortunate to be able to attend because of the large number of people who could not make the trip. On the way there, I was introduced to a couple of young people who are about my age who had flown in from California. We exchanged experiences about school, work, friends, and the struggles that our families face. I felt a kinship toward them as well as the rest of the group in the UNITE bus. Upon introductions, we didn't tell each other why we were there. It's common sense to the people who feel the oppression. In a roundabout way, we were protesting injustices that treat human beings as if they are less than dogs. With backs and necks stiff from riding in a bus for 14 hours, we stepped down onto enemy ground. Trying to stay in a group so that we didn't get lost among the thousands of scattered protesters, we found our way to the back of the line. After we started moving, I noticed the onlookers, some with an expression of awe, others holding protests on the sidelines, and some just cheering us on. With our sign held high so that the government helicopters circling overhead might make out the words "No justice, no peace!," we chanted of unity and justice in Spanish and English until our throats got sore. Even when they did get sore, somebody from the sidelines would make sure we kept the fire in our throats. One woman stood on the patio of her apartment and threw down T-shirts with the Puerto Rican flag to an anxious and charged crowd. When we finally reached the park adjacent to the Washington Monument, people from UNITE relaxed and mingled with the crowd of people getting ready for the speeches. I walked around, trying to see just how big the crowd was and who was from where, and ended up running into seven kids I used to hang out with in high school. It was nice seeing them again and it made me think a little about how close to home these injustices are. The people who are being spat on are my neighbors. When the speakers got started, I was ready for a rallying cry pleading for people to go back into the communities and organize with other oppressed people around issues that relate to their plight like police brutality, unemployment, homelessness, decent health care, etc. Unfortunately, I didn't hear that message as much as I heard music, the bilingual national anthem, and thank- yous. I can't see how long the superficial boundaries that isolate us and are devised to divide the mass movement can hold. The potential chemical reaction is possible. We just have to unite all the elements around our common interests. ****************************************************************** 3. REFLECTIONS ON THE LATINO MARCH - 2 By Trinidad Rodriguez Many of us met each other for the first time on Friday afternoon, October 11 as we converged at an Indiana University, Northwest parking lot. Most were from East Chicago and Gary, Indiana; others came from Muncie and Hammond, Indiana; and two of us came from Chicago. Most of the young people were students, quite a few were artists, some of us were also parents. All 18 of us, from varied experiences, piled into two vans to make the 15-hour trip to the first-ever Latino March in Washington, D.C. On the trip back from the March, I asked for their thoughts on the March. What follows are excerpts of comments made by some of the people interviewed. TRAZ JUAREZ: I felt really glad that we as a Latino nation can follow one common ground for the lucha. What I feel can be done next is through grassroots communication, we can build a whole source of communication so that we can grow as one whole nation. We are all descendants of the indigenous peoples of this land, from Alaska to Argentina. At the root of it all, we have the love and respect of who we are. We should not let geographical boundary lines divide us, because united we stand and divided we shall fall. TRINO CAVAZOS: I was very very pleased with the turn out. I would have liked to have seen the seven demands or goals presented a bit more thoroughly. We needed to hear some really clear objectives on how are we going to accomplish this. The other positive thing I saw was the unity of the Latino people. I saw people opening up to the socialists, to the communists, to the revolutionists that were there. I saw brothers from the Nation of Islam, I saw Haitian immigrants, brothers from El Salvador, from Paraguay, from Guatemala, from all over -- all demanding the same things. The unity was great. Now we have the puertorriquenos behind the Chicanos out East; we have the Chicanos behind the puertorriquenos out West. If we can get that coalition to think on the same page, we don't have to wait to the year 2040 to be a positive force. RAQUEL CAVAZOS: The feel I got from the March, from everyone, was radiant. It gives me hope that these many people were willing to sacrifice and do whatever they had to do to be heard. The next step for me personally, is to go back and share this experience with other people and further educate myself on what needs to be done, so that I can further educate other people. I hope that's what other people continue to do too. That way, the next time we get together it's not just a celebration; the numbers will be more massive and people will be more demanding. MAYELA GARZA: I think that all Latinos should be very proud of where they came from. Being Hispanic, being Latin doesn't just mean if you can speak the language, or if you have the right culture. I think it comes from the heart. I was born here in the U.S., but I say I'm from Zacatecas, Mexico because that's where my heart is. We should all be proud that we are who we are because of our ancestors. I think the March might help Latinos open up their eyes and see they can stand up for what they believe in. YOLANDA CORRAL: I think we have to look at local unity now that we know we can do it nationally. KAREN REID: I think it was a great effort of my Latino brothers and sisters to get together and unite and show a collective voice. Not only that, but people of all ethnicities to also show their support and their concern. I think it was a great march! ****************************************************************** 4. ST. PETERSBURG: 'YOU CAN'T KILL US ALL!': REBELLION IN FLORIDA By Allen Harris As this edition of the People's Tribune went to press, a state of emergency was in effect in St. Petersburg, Florida, following a rebellion there on the night of October 24-25. About 200 police were patrolling the 25-square-block area where the rebellion had broken out. Another 200 were on standby, along with 200 Florida National Guardsmen. The uprising followed the killing by police officer Jim Knight of 18-year-old Tyron Lewis, a motorist whom police stopped allegedly for speeding. While police tried to justify the shooting as provoked by Lewis' car "lurching" at Knight, witnesses on the street said that Knight was not in any danger from Lewis' car. Lewis was the sixth victim of a police shooting in St. Petersburg in 1996. On October 25, the day after the rebellion, demonstrators in St. Petersburg denounced police terror and carried signs reading "Stop the Genocide!" and "You can't kill us all!" Although local politicians immediately attempted to paint the rebellion in black and to portray the underlying causes in terms of race, others acknowledged that where there is poverty, there will be no peace. In an editorial, the St. Petersburg Times said: "The anger and despair that emanate from St. Petersburg's most blighted neighborhoods are entirely understandable." ****************************************************************** 5. GLOBAL TEACH-IN EXPOSES CORPORATIONS The National Teach-in on Corporations, Education and Democracy holds forums on dozens of campuses By Chris Mahin >From Maine to Southern California, and from Texas to the Pacific Northwest, students, teachers and other concerned people organized a series of events in late October and early November designed to call attention to the destructive role played by corporations. The National Teach-In on Corporations, Education and Democracy included panel discussions, public forums, vigils and guerrilla theater on dozens of college campuses. The organizers of the Teach-In had hoped to force a public discussion of a very basic question: "Can we pursue democracy and social justice when corporations are allowed to control so much power and wealth?" Their efforts represent an important beginning. While complete information about all the Teach-In's results was not available when the People's Tribune went to press, Teach-In activities had been scheduled to take place on at least 110 college campuses in the United States and in some other countries, including Canada and South Africa. In each location, the Teach-In was different. In New England, the "First Annual Democracy Fair and Teach-In" took place at the University of Southern Maine in Portland on November 2. Three thousand miles away, in Seattle, the theme of the Teach-In was "Confronting corporate power, creating democracy: How can we get Boeing, Microsoft, and Weyerhauser off of public assistance?" In Austin, a rally at the University of Texas on October 18 was attended by 200 people. It included speakers, theater, music, a life-size "Monopoly" game and a corporate "job fair" depicting the sordid history of major corporations. An "interactive teach-in" followed. In Kansas City, a program on "Populism: Real People Fighting Back" was held October 29 which featured Ronnie Dugger of the Alliance. (This event was co-sponsored by the Green Party and the Labor Party.) It was in Wisconsin, a state with a long progressive tradition, that the most events took place. A dozen schools across the state held teach-ins. On October 13, after a workshop on challenging corporate power, students at the University of Wisconsin's Madison campus walked to the statute of Abraham Lincoln located at the top of Bascom Hill. There, as the bells in the bell tower rang out, they held a candlelight vigil for those who have fallen or been silenced in the struggle for democracy and related freedom struggles. Five more days of panel discussions, forums and workshops followed in Madison. (One workshop featured anti-poverty activists analyzing how Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson's W-2 "workfare" program for welfare recipients aids corporations.) Events in Madison culminated at the university's homecoming parade on October 18. Inside the parade, which wound its way from the western edge of the campus past many dormitories, was a Reebok sneaker float. It depicted two women in chains surrounded by guards dressed in army fatigues. (Reebok corporation brutally exploits women workers in Asia and recently purchased joint ownership of the University of Wisconsin's "Bucky Badger" athletic mascot for $8 million.) On the float, "Bucky Badger" was also depicted in chains, and a roving reporter was shown being harassed while documenting the story. [Preparations are already underway for further teach-ins at other campuses. For more information about this, contact the Democracy Teach-In Clearinghouse at 608-262-9036.] ****************************************************************** 6. MORE WAR FOR THE POOR >From Death Row, a journalist speaks out on the welfare 'reform' bill By Mumia Abu-Jamal [Editor's note: Below we print a statement issued by imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal about President Clinton's signing of the welfare bill. As a radio reporter, Abu-Jamal worked hard to expose brutality within the Philadelphia police department -- until he was accused of killing a cop, convicted in a trial marked by numerous irregularities, and sentenced to die. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have demanded that he be given a new trial.] "The very development of American society is creating a new kind of blindness about poverty. The poor are increasingly slipping out of the very experience and consciousness of the nation." -- Michael Harrington, The Other America In a move that was as chilling as it was Malthusian, President Bill "Bubba" Clinton signed a so-called welfare "reform" (read "destruction") bill that neither Reagan nor Bush, even in their finest hours, could have succeeded in passing. In this one act, by affixing his name to this legislative obscenity, "the man from Hope" dashed the hopes of millions of the poor, all in order to protect his political ass. In this age of triumphant capitalism, "poor" has become synonymous with "bad," which is rather ironic for a president who trumpeted his own poor Arkansan origins, though carefully restyling them as New Age Lincolnesque. Masked by promises of "helping the poor" and emboldened by the Bruderbund of fellow Republicans, the Democrats have sacrificed poor men, women and children upon the fiery brazier of political ambition. In Frazer's classic The Golden Bough (1890), the Scottish anthropologist and classicist describes another ancient sacrifice: "When the Carthaginians were defeated and besieged by Agathocles, they ascribed their disasters to the wrath of Baal; for whereas in former times they had been wont to sacrifice to him their own children, they had latterly fallen into the habit of buying children and rearing them to be victims. So, to appease the angry god, 200 children of the noblest families were picked out for sacrifice. ... They were sacrificed by being placed, one by one, on the sloping hands of the brazen image, from which they rolled into a pit of fire." (p. 236) Let me tell you: That was a nobler sacrifice than is this! For the sacrifice of those in antiquity occurred under the belief -- albeit a misapprehension -- that such an act would allay worse chaos from a vengeful god. Why are the poor among us today to be sacrificed? To satisfy a mere misapprehension? To balance a national budget? Hardly. Less than 2 percent of the nation's budget pays for welfare, so it is not likely to bust under its weight. Then why? In the past, whenever reports of higher employment levels surfaced, the news sent Wall Street into a panicked fall. Good news to most of us, it caused a sea of frowns on financial markets. It is these very markets, the power centers of capital, that dictate the actions of politicians, including their abolition of social safety nets such as welfare. When millions starve, workers duly fall to silent acquiescence for fear of losing what little they have. Fear creates a cowed labor force which, when faced with givebacks, won't even whimper. High poverty signals capitalism triumphant. (c) 1996 by Mumia Abu-Jamal ****************************************************************** 7. ROBERT F. WILLIAMS: A HERO IN THE STRUGGLE OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN PEOPLE One of the great freedom fighters in the African American struggle, Robert F. Williams, has died. Williams is best remembered as the leader of the NAACP chapter in Monroe, North Carolina during the 1950s and early 1960s who organized the armed defense of that town's black community from racist attacks. For this, he was falsely charged with kidnapping and compelled to flee the United States. His exile during the 1960s was a remarkable revolutionary odyssey which included Africa, Cuba, Vietnam and China. In 1963, at Williams' request, the Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung issued a historic statement in support of the African American freedom struggle. Williams met Mao on October 1 of that year. +----------------------------------------------------------------+ General Baker, who is the chair of the League of Revolutionaries for a New America, remembers and honors Robert F. Williams: DETROIT -- Robert F. Williams was pronounced dead in a hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 2:37 p.m. on October 15, 1996. His passing marks a loss for all those who have ever waged the battle against injustice and inequality. His militant stand for self-defense against the KKK in Monroe, North Carolina as early as 1957 is a model of sheer will and courage that only a few have shown throughout contemporary history. His persistence in the quest for collective self-defense could stand the test of history by itself. But his further statements and conclusions, drawn two years later, in 1959, also stand. He said: "This demonstration today shows that the Negro in the South cannot expect justice in the courts. He must convict his attackers on the spot. He must meet violence with violence, lynching with lynching." To be able to wage such a struggle and still survive is a giant accomplishment. Brother Rob has been so ignored by the historians of the civil rights movement that most of today's youth know nothing of his battles. And just as the early stories from North Carolina have been overlooked, so have the stories of his international travels and accomplishments. His tremendous work internationalized the struggle of the Afro- American people while he was in exile in Cuba, China, Vietnam and Tanzania. I will never forget how I was baptized into the movement by listening to Radio Free Dixie, broadcast from Cuba. I would find my way to my short-wave radio every Friday night back in 1962-63 to hear the words uttered by Brother Rob, which would later show up in the Crusader newsletter. These early events helped to shape my life and my commitment to struggle. We all owe an awful debt to Rob's legacy of struggle. -- General Baker +----------------------------------------------------------------+ ****************************************************************** 8. LABOR PARTY CALLS FOR REAL WELFARE REFORM, AN END TO CORPORATE WELFARE AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A JOB AT A LIVING WAGE [Editor's note: Below we reprint excerpts from a statement isssued by the National Council of the Labor Party on August 22 on the "welfare reform" bill.] Election-year pandering to what he assumes is a widespread lack of public support for anti-poverty programs that fight hunger and homelessness has led President Clinton to sign the misnamed "welfare reform" bill. The problem, though, is not welfare. It is the lack of jobs with decent pay and benefits. While we hope for better from the president and other elected officials, the Labor Party is not surprised after looking at the recent record of political actions that have intensified the economic insecurity facing America's working people: NAFTA and GATT, corporate welfare in the form of tax breaks and direct subsidies, deregulation and subsequent bailout of the savings and loan industry, dismantling public sector services and jobs, and tax cuts benefiting the very wealthy. The corporate quest for profits has resulted in years of "downsizing" working people out of hundreds of thousands of jobs with no social policy reaction by politicians. Social Security and Medicare have been targeted for actual or potential cuts disguised as "reforms" or measures to "protect the solvency" of these funds. The dismantling of anti-poverty programs disguised as "welfare reform" is the beginning of wholesale rollbacks of the social insurance programs all working people pay into and benefit from in times of need, corporate downsizing, illness, injuries and old age. This "welfare reform" attacks all working people -- not just those whose benefits are cut. Despite its proponents' claims to the contrary, this bill's so-called workfare provisions will allow for replacing regular jobs that pay wages and provide benefits with slots filled by recipients of public assistance who will work in exchange for their meager grants instead of wages. Not only are these grants much below the minimum wage -- in some states less than $200 a month for a family of three; states also may avoid cash payments entirely in favor of an in-kind arrangement in which aid recipients will work in exchange for food stamps, commodity foodstuff or other non-cash benefits. This amounts to creating pools of labor inside the American economy that are in effect forced to work for subsistence or less. This will effectively depress other workers' wages as well. The lowest 30 percent of wage earners can expect a 13 percent reduction in income as a result of this legislation, according to a recent analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. This will push more working people to, and over, the brink of poverty. Programs stigmatized as "welfare" have been an important, though inadequate, safety net of last resort for many working people. The main public assistance program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, has been the equivalent of unemployment insurance and paid family leave for many women workers whose employers don't offer these benefits. As the pro-corporate, bipartisan consensus pursues policies that increase unemployment and underemployment, more and more American workers will find themselves in need of this safety net. The trend is clear: We are living through a many-pronged attack on American wages and living standards. Still, the politicians and pundits claim that people who receive low-income public assistance simply do not want to work or are poor because they are in some way defective or inferior to the rest of us. And they persist with this ugly stereotype even as they support policies that render more and more of us jobless. The Labor Party understands that this "welfare reform" legislation arises from and reinforces a punitive mindset that is based on myths about who is poor and why. We recognize that women do not have babies to get the paltry benefits available through AFDC. We also denounce the vile racial and gender scapegoating and victim- blaming this legislation dishonestly manipulates, the stereotypes of African-American and Latino irresponsibility. The scapegoating of the poor diverts attention from the real welfare giveaway -- corporate welfare. This "welfare reform" in fact increases corporate welfare at the same time that it attacks the working class. The legislation allows private employers to make use of "workfare" recipients to fill their employment needs. So not only does this "reform" enable private employers to recruit involuntary, non-wage labor; it has the government subsidize them in doing so. This is clearly an attempt to restore a version of the forced labor of the workhouse or the convict-lease system that the labor movement fought so hard against in the 19th century. The Labor Party resolutely opposes this sort of "welfare reform" and its agenda of dividing the American working class by demonizing those people who have been pushed to the margins of the corporate-dominated economy. We expose this abominable legislation for what it is: a veiled attack on all American workers. +----------------------------------------------------------------+ The Labor Party, which held its founding convention June 6-9 in Cleveland, recently issued the second edition of its paper, the Labor Party Press. The issue includes articles about the Labor Party's national campaign for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing everyone a job at a living wage, about how the new welfare bill is an injury to all, and information on how to join and build the Labor Party. Among other things, the Labor Party program calls for a constitutional amendment to guarantee everyone a job at a living wage, universal access to quality health care, access for everyone to quality public education, an end to corporate welfare and making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. To join the party and subscribe to its press, write The Labor Party, P.O. Box 53177, Washington, D.C. 20009. Categories of membership dues are: $20, regular membership/renewal; $10, unemployed/low-income; $50, sustaining member; $100, Five Score Club. Phone: 202-234-5190. FAX: 202-234-5266. E-mail: lpa@labornet.org. +----------------------------------------------------------------+ "We are the people who build and maintain the nation but rarely enjoy the fruits of our labor. We are the employed and the unemployed. We are the people who make the country run but have little say in running the country. We come together to create this Labor Party to defend our interests and aspirations from the greed of multinational corporate interests. ... We offer an alternative vision of a just society that values working people, their families and communities." >From the preamble to the Labor Party's program +----------------------------------------------------------------+ ****************************************************************** 9. L.A. LABOR PARTY CHAPTER HOLDS 'KICK-OFF' MEETING LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Metro Chapter of the Labor Party held a "kickoff" meeting September 21 to hear reports about the party's June founding convention and the recent Interim National Council meeting. People's Tribune correspondent Dianne Flowers was there, and spoke to some of the attendees. Kit Costello, president of the California Nurses Association and co-chair of the Labor Party, told Diane: "One of our key goals is to have 1,000 worker trainers. There's nothing like deeply educating people about why things are like they are today, in simple and clear language for regular people. Right now, we just have surface education -- politicians appeal to people's surface interests, hot button issues like immigration and welfare reform. They don't deal with real issues. The kind of deep education that we'll be doing is valuable for the long term. Once you understand class, you're never the same." And Maria Guardado, a member of the Bus Riders Union, said, "I'm proud to belong to the Labor Party because I believe this party is an alternative not only for the U.S. but for all the world. I hope this Labor Party can fight for a change in U.S. foreign policy so the U.S. is not so unjust to other workers in the world. Our money should not be spent on arms to kill poor people in the world, but on social services in the U.S., to better the conditions of U.S. workers." ****************************************************************** 10. WELFARE 'REFORM' WILL DEVASTATE CALIFORNIA COUNTY, SAYS READER Dear People's Tribune editors and readers: I am deeply worried about the impact of the welfare "reform" on Merced County in California. Actually, the entire United States will be impacted. The federal changes that this new reform has caused have not yet been implemented; but it's a matter of time. And yet in the last few months, our local newspaper has featured front-page reports of women arrested for welfare fraud, being sentenced to long prison terms for this. This will continue to happen since this fraud investigative unit was recently placed under the district attorney's supervision. I met with the County Human Services Agency director and asked him: What happens to the children of these women? He answered: "I don't know." (I really do think he knows.) He said the fraud investigative unit was interested in protecting the taxpayers -- saving money for us, the taxpayers! ... Catching the "criminals." April Ornelas, a 23-year-old mother of three (a one-year-old, a three- and a five-year-old), was among about 30 women arrested for welfare fraud. Kerrie Regalado, a 29-year-old mother of five, has been given a four-year, eight-month prison sentence for perjury and welfare fraud. Other women await their fate on similar charges, including one who is believed to be the daughter of a member of the County Board of Supervisors who has helped implement "get-tough" policies for the county. It has been reported that the county welfare fraud unit has initiated 118 cases this year, compared to 15 for all of 1995. These claims involve benefit claims of approximately $772,000. How can this be fair? The recent strike against Iraq involved 14 Tomahawk sea-launched missiles at a cost of $1 million each, and 13 conventional air-launched missiles at $3 million each, for a total cost of $53 million! I have not yet researched the cost in lives. Furthermore, now our politicians and government, instead of basing eligibility for benefits for welfare, SSI, or food stamps strictly on need, have now decided to use U.S. citizenship as an additional eligibility criterion. What a bunch of shit! All people, even those with no documents, can't help paying taxes -- even if they wanted to avoid them intentionally. Merced County has one of the highest concentrations of Southeast Asians. During their first five years in the country, these families may qualify for "refugee" assistance, but after this they become "lawfully admitted immigrants," as the welfare reform law calls them. And then, of course, they will not be eligible for benefits because they are not yet citizens. It is projected that Merced County will have 11,000 people (15-16 percent of welfare recipients) ineligible once the new law kicks in. Although I can understand how this impact will be devastating to these families, I can also imagine the businesses and landlords that will undoubtedly miss this subsidized income. Additionally, as there will be fewer cases on assistance, there will be fewer workers needed by the Human Services Agency. Now you can see why I'm worried. What will people do to survive? I know I would try anything. I hope that with these few observations, I have motivated others to find out how these changes will affect their respective communities. We must unite to ensure that we have what we need as human beings. Stop criminalizing our families in need of earning livable wages! Gloria M. Sandoval Merced, California [The writer is a volunteer staff member at the Equal Rights Congress in Merced, and is co-adviser of the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan at Merced College. She has been a community leader for more than 20 years, with a focus on education, immigration, and prisoners and women's rights.] ****************************************************************** 11. YES, THE GOVERNMENT IS BEHIND THE CRACK EPIDEMIC! By Steven Miller OAKLAND, California -- It was in the early 1980s. Parents, teachers, health workers and community residents started reporting a whole new devastating drug addiction. Crack hit the streets. Suddenly poor people could buy a drug that once had been available only to the rich and infamous -- in a new and even more insidious form. People started wasting away. One hit and you were addicted. Men and women would trade their bodies to get the drug. Street gangs were transformed into national organizations engaging in murderous drive-bys. The gangsta' culture was born. Back then, most people knew something was wrong with this picture. Now it has been proven that CIA-backed Nicaraguan contras began selling cocaine in South Central Los Angeles, and then refined it into crack. For them, it was simply a way to finance their fascist war against the democratically elected Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Documents from a variety of federal court cases show that the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the police were all aware of this activity. Yet somehow the investigations were always hampered by those same agencies, the government or the CIA, all in the name of national security. This is simply a slick version of chemical warfare against our communities. The significance of these revelations is profound. The distribution of crack was a government policy. The same contras then began to sell Uzis and high-tech, flesh-destroying weapons. That was a policy. It was not an act of God. They chose to do it, planned it and carried it out. In 1986, California (and later the whole country) passed special laws against crack. Those convicted of crack possession were given far more severe sentences than those convicted for possession of powder cocaine. That was a policy. In 1992, California passed "three strikes and you're out" which has sent over 17,000 people to prison for life (about 60 percent of those for non-violent crimes like possession). That is a policy. The criminalization of poor people is a policy! Yes, mothers, you did what you were supposed to do. It wasn't your fault when things got crazy. You didn't do anything wrong. This is a small but important consolation for the destruction of thousands of lives and dozens of communities. We've got to take this beyond outrage to a cold, clear, analytical look at the system that spawned this evil. Let's look at the big picture. Is the lack of health care a policy? You know it is because the government is encouraging the development of HMOs. What about homelessness? Most cities have thousands of government-owned empty buildings. The decline of our schools, the destruction of welfare, the scapegoating of immigrants -- aren't these policies? What about the lack of jobs? Can't we think of ways to employ people to help our communities? We need youth peer counselors, health programs, job re-training and adult education programs, athletic and cultural programs, programs for the elderly. But they're all gone. Isn't this a policy? Crack is only half the problem. The half is the web of lies that are blared by the media 24 hours a day to justify these low-down attacks. We're all familiar with the litany by now: the lost generation, the underclass, immoral welfare mothers, out-of- control teen-agers, criminal thugs who don't think like us, crime in the streets, etc. A generation ago, the scare tactic was the black rapist. The purpose is the same: to create confusion over who is really responsible for society's decline. Let's tell the truth. The richest 1 percent owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent. They've got the power. They rose to power through the slaughter of the Native Americans, the slavery of Africans, the theft of more than half of Mexico, the exploitation of immigrants and the ruination of families. This class intends to keep this power by any means necessary. All they have to offer is drugs, no way to make our creativity productive, no jobs, no education, no health care, etc. (You can always live in a cardboard box.) Nothing different is going to happen in America until we dismantle their lies and unite our people with a vision of a world where exploitation and oppression is no longer a policy. ****************************************************************** 12. AMERICA, LAND OF THE LESS FREE By Allen Harris America became still less the land of the free in 1995, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The department's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported recently that the number of men and women in the nation's prisons reached nearly 1.59 million in 1995, almost double what it was in 1985. One in 167 Americans was in prison or in jail at the end of 1995, compared to 1 in 320 a decade earlier, according to the bureau. Adding the federal, state and local incarceration figures, the total comes to 1,585,401 people locked up in the United States, which in recent years has had the distinction of having the world's highest incarceration rate. The rise in the number of imprisoned people in America is no historical accident. It is a main feature of the political control exercised by the tiny class of millionaires and billionaires in the country, whose politics is that of police-state repression and ever-unfolding criminalization of the poorest and the weakest members of our society. Think about it: The political parties of the rich -- the Republicans and the Democrats -- both promote "three strikes" laws, and so-called "reform" of welfare and immigration laws. What they call reform is in fact the politics of punishment against the poor and the immigrants. That is their solution to the grave economic and social crisis engulfing us, a solution which serves to swell the nation's prisons. The American people are waking up to the reality that as long as the millionaires and billionaires rule this land, not only will poverty worsen, but our very survival and freedom as human beings will be in great peril. Building more prisons and throwing more of our people into them will not end poverty, nor will continued support of the Republicans and Democrats who are building them and locking us up. ****************************************************************** +----------------------------------------------------------------+ WOMEN AND REVOLUTION: VISIONS FOR A NEW AMERICA The purpose of this column is to open debate on all issues concerning women today. We see it as a place where women can discuss and debate strategies for winning women's equality and improving women's status. This is critical to our playing our historic role of leading in the building of a new America. Send your articles, 300 words or less, to People's Tribune Women's Desk at pt@noc.org.. +----------------------------------------------------------------+ 13. ACTIVIST AND REVOLUTIONARY SPEAKS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE 'GENDER JUSTICE' [Michele Tingling-Clemmons is an author and national authority on hunger. She is a founding member of the National Welfare Rights Union and a member of the National Council of the League of Revolutionaries for a New America. Below are excerpts from a speech she gave at the recent Gender Justice Forum in Washington, D.C.] What is gender justice? I looked to Webster's for definitions of gender and justice (knowing it would not have them together). I found to my surprise that gender is defined as "a person's sex" in colloquial use. It is generally a grammatical term. Justice is defined as the quality of being righteous, fairness, the quality of being right or correct; and more terms dealing with legal systems. OK, so no help from Webster. Is it about equality? Do we women want to be treated the same as men? Not for us in the National Welfare Rights Union or the League of Revolutionaries for a New America. Why? Because, under capitalism, working-class men are not treated fairly. As a woman, who is a human, a worker, a mother and stepmother of nine, a mate, a neighbor, a friend, I want justice for my gender. I also want it for my husband, my daughters, my sons, my brothers, nieces, nephews, neighbors, extended family, and all of humanity. As a person of African descent, I want justice for my subgroup of humanity. As an activist and a revolutionary, I understand that none of us is free until all of us are free, and achieving gender justice is in the best interest of the working class. Having had the opportunity to attend the 4th World Conference on Women in China, I know that all over the world, women are not treated fairly. I am a board member of the National Welfare Rights Union, organized by and for low-income, unemployed and public assistance recipients in 1987. Our mission [statement says, in part]: "We, the poor and working people living in America, refuse to accept any responsibility or blame directed toward us and imposed on our children for the poverty we are forced to live in. ... [W]e recognize high-tech manufacturing as the dawn of a completely new era which can guarantee forever and for all a life free from material wants. Therefore, in order to ... re-establish justice, ensure economic stability, ... and enhance the blessings of financial freedom, ... we do re-dedicate and re-establish our singular commitment to take control of our nation as patriots as we fight for the American dream." The welfare reform "debates" framed welfare clients as African American, taking advantage of the racism embedded in every aspect of our society. Supporters claimed the bill's goal was to teach poor women the necessity and value of work. The bill failed to acknowledge the massive mechanization and robotization which requires fewer and fewer workers in the workplace. In welfare rights, we know that we are all workers, whether employed or unemployed. True welfare reform calls for a guaranteed adequate annual income now. If our economy requires fewer and fewer workers, and income is required to obtain the means of living, this is our only answer. We understand that production without labor requires distribution without money. Our nation has resources so vast it can provide for every man, woman and child. But the capitalist economy has no interest in supporting workers it no longer needs. In welfare rights, we are part of a broader "up and out of poverty now" movement that is fighting back. Our leaders were part of the founding of the Labor Party, which adopted the call for a guaranteed annual adequate income now as part of its platform. This represented a historic joining of employed and unemployed workers and a recognition of their common interests, and offers the possibility of major change in this country's politics. We have forged some promising partnerships, such as that with the National Organization for Women, which this summer led a fast opposing the welfare legislation. I am here to tell you that we are fighting back, those 80 million of us who are in poverty, unemployed, underemployed, working poor, imprisoned and disenfranchised; we are gathering our forces. On the welfare front, it is poor women who are giving leadership. We urge you to join us, and to maintain the struggle wherever you are. The stakes are too high for us not to fight to achieve our vision of a world where the resources we have produced and can produce are used to achieve the justice we need and seek: gender justice. ****************************************************************** 14. SOUTH AFRICA'S DENNIS BRUTUS DISCUSSES THE NEW PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION By Gloria Slaughter and John Slaughter ATLANTA -- Dennis Brutus is a prominent figure in the South African anti-apartheid movement who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela before going into exile. He now teaches at the University of Pittsburgh. On a recent visit to Atlanta he discussed current trends in the world today. If we are going to talk about South Africa, or Atlanta, or the United States, all the discussions must be placed in the context of what is happening globally. What we're really talking about is a whole new global climate politically and economically, which one could trace from the end of the Cold War to a world where there is now only one superpower, and the significance of that is primarily my view of the fact that now you have what is being called this New Order. What we're seeing is the unfolding essentially of a global strategy, and the heart of that strategy is a transfer of wealth from the so-called underdeveloped or less developed countries to the developed countries. So the focus in a sense has shifted to the power bloc generally referred to as the Group of Seven (G-7), the seven most industrialized countries. Strategies developed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are in fact for the greater transfer of wealth to the G-7 countries. Of course, one could put this in Marxist terms, one could talk of capitalism and the extension now of a kind of supranational imperialism, particularly with the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is going to be this global administering body, which although its focus is primarily now on trade, is also shaping the policies of governments. In terms of Third World countries, there are what are called Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP), where countries are require to conform to agendas laid down for them by the World Bank and the IMF. In that process the strongest force exerted on the countries are conditions such as the massive cutting of the education budget, the devaluation of their currency, downsizing of governments, of economies. Particularly in Africa, there is a specific document called the Special Initiative for Africa (SIA). It dictates to African countries what they may and may not grow, what they may develop, or to what degree they may be allowed to expand their educational program. What it does is further impoverishes Third World countries and puts them in the position where simply to repay the interest on the World Bank loan is to eat up one third of their national product. Each year, money that is spent on repaying debt might be spent on building schools or bridges or roads or hospitals. They are reduced to greater bankruptcy. It is of course useful to add that generally for the World Bank and for stability in these countries, a military government is preferable to a democratic government because a military dictatorship will ensure that money is repaid. ****************************************************************** 15. RUFF HUSTLIN' AIN'T NO JOKE By Joe Cool [Editor's note: Below we print another in our occasional series of articles by members of the Villains, a writing group formed several years ago on Chicago's West Side. The Villains take their name from the way that society views inner-city youth. They are a group of survivors who participate actively in the fight to end injustice and misery. Whether they are reporting on important events such as education protests at the Illinois state Capitol, the fight for decent housing, and the release of significant hip-hop music and art, or they are laying down poetry that reflects life, the voice of the Villains needs to be heard.] CHICAGO -- This one's going out to all the youngsters considering the game. Ruff hustlin' ain't no joke; the shit is real. Through- the-door hustlin' should only be considered as your very last option, simply because it's so dangerous. I ain't drawing off morality or legality. I don't see folks picketing liquor stores, but alcohol and squares kill more people and wreck more families than all other drugs combined, and them shits is legal. What I do see is cops beating up more people, planting more drugs, and lying in court more than ever before. Don't think that you have to get caught to go to jail. Hell, no. Last summer, I was arrested with 12 other people and I was the only one dirty. You think the police didn't fabricate 12 cases for the rest of those cats? The court system is worse. The police, judges, prosecution and the public defenders are all on the same team, so you can't win. Their entire livelihood depends upon incarcerating you and anyone who looks like you. Them cats will give you a bullpen continuance in a heartbeat. You can spend a year in jail fighting a case. Do you hear what I'm saying? You can be found "not guilty," but you've still spent a year locked up! Every day, eating dinner 10 feet from the opposition, dodging snares set by a bunch of petty catch- up artists. That shit ain't nowhere. Me and my man watched two cats get beat up by about 15 grown-ass men for over an hour. Since their boss couldn't determine which one was responsible for the screw-up, he buked both of "em. The point I'm trying to make is that you don't have to be at fault to catch the blame in this game. Even worse that all this, there's something that really scares me, the real reason I'm writing this piece. Ruff hustlin' -- nine times out of 10 -- will steal your soul. Honestly, if you're disciplined and bright, you'll probably have at least some success, but the temptation to do evil is great. It's not odd to have five different hypes offer sexual favors in the same night. Young fiends trying to sell the family VCR. Women bringing their babies to the spot with them. Hypes spending bill money and grocery money. When anyone comes short, even a friend, you have to physically hurt them to send out the proper message. You, your family, and your children all become targets when you're paid. Will you feel responsible when someone ODs off of your shit? Because, in time, it will happen. The love of money is the root of all evil. It's best if you can have a legitimate hustle. See what talents you have and, if you're as smart as you think you are, you'll figure out a way to make them profitable. ****************************************************************** 16. NEW BOOK DOCUMENTS STRUGGLE OF HOMELESS AND POOR FIGHTING FOR A NEW AMERICA There is still time to book Ron Casanova, author of "Each One Teach One, Up and Out of Poverty: Memoirs of a Street Activist," on your campus! Casanova is vice president of the National Union of the Homeless and editor of the Union of the Homeless National News. His life is a dramatic tale of struggle for survival. His story illuminates some of the major events of our time, including the police riot at the famous Tent City at Tompkins Square, the "Housing Now" March on Washington, D.C., the New Exodus March where homeless people walked 300 miles to demand housing, and housing takeovers in several cities. Casanova describes how his political awakening about the roots of poverty enabled him to overcome the devastating effects of the orphanages, prisons, and rehabilitation centers he experienced in his early youth. His presentations emphasize that the poor need to organize. He also speaks on the role of art in the process of developing consciousness and empowerment. Today, in spite of being HIV-positive, he remains dedicated to alleviating the ills of society. His story is a message of hope for the future. For more information, call the People's Tribune Speakers Bureau at 773-486-3551, write to P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, Illinois 60654, or send e-mail to speakers@noc.org. Send for a free "Speakers for a New America" brochure and a listing of all our speakers. ****************************************************************** 17. A NEW SPIRIT OF UNITY IS GROWING IN AMERICA There is a new spirit growing in America: It is the spirit of mutual respect, of coming together, of a fighting unity. After 20 years of declining wages, spreading hunger and homelessness, and the grinding down of millions of Americans, a vision is emerging of what is possible, of what we deserve as human beings. We will no longer fight among ourselves for the meager crumbs tossed to us by the billionaires that run this country. We deserve it all, and we intend to take it. The choice is becoming clear: We can remain in our separate, isolated groupings and continue to be driven deeper into poverty and despair, or we can come together and fight for what rightfully belongs to all of us. We have seen what the cruelty and greed of this capitalist economy has done to our country. In the aftermath of the elections we can expect the victors, regardless of party affiliation, to tighten their control over every aspect of life in America. They must do this, because they know that there will never be an economic recovery for the overwhelming majority of the American people. How can we build on the developing unity? First, it is important to recognize what is actually happening. The Million Man March was not simply an African American demonstration. It became an inspiration to all who are fighting for justice, dignity and a decent life. The Stand For Children March was a testimony to our dedication to fight for the future. And the recent Latino March was a reaffirmation of the historical truth that this country was built by the blood and sweat of immigrants. The massive outrage against the recently passed welfare bill clearly shows that we will not stand for any section of society to be thrown into the streets to starve. What can be done to firmly cement the kind of unity that the coming battles demand? The founding of the Labor Party and the powerful program it stands for has the potential to become the fighting center for the entire movement. This kind of unity means we will no longer have to fight in isolation but rather will be able to draw on each other's strengths. The Labor Party can become an educating center where we can learn about the different conditions we face in this diverse country and also around the world. Only with this kind of unity, and a clarity about the path forward, can we be confident of victory. ****************************************************************** 18. LRNA GREETS ALLIANCE CONVENTION [Editor's Note: Below we reprint the full text of a statement sent by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America to the national convention of The Alliance.] Congratulations and greetings to your founding convention. The obscene concentration of wealth on one side and utter poverty on the other is stirring the sense of justice that has moved the American people throughout their history. The destruction of society and the earth itself by the giant corporations and their economic system is becoming so widespread that millions are being drawn into the fight against this intolerable situation. It is indeed time for every decent person to "stand up." We wish you well in your deliberations, and we invite you to use the pages of our national press, the People's Tribune and Tribuno del Pueblo, to get out your message to our diverse and active readership. Sincerely, General Baker Chair, Steering Committee League of Revolutionaries for a New America ****************************************************************** 19. IT'S TIME TO RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE! If you are already a regular reader of the People's Tribune, you know what we're about. But if you are new to the paper, or need reminding about how unique our coverage is, here are just a few of the historic struggles we have followed over the last year: ---> The battle of mothers and children in poverty to build a movement to stop the attacks on welfare, and to secure the future of America's children; ---> The fight waged by Detroit newspaper workers to stop union- busting; ---> The ongoing fight for justice led by prisoners and their families, as America's rulers incarcerate those they won't employ; ---> The important peace and truce movements being forged by the youth of America's inner cities; ---> The growing movement against police terror that is expanding to oppose the vicious attacks on immigrant workers; ---> The historic formation of the Labor Party, which offers a vision of hope and a fighting alternative to the two parties representing the wealthy. Like you, we don't have a lot of money. However, the People's Tribune does have a clear purpose. We strive to be the voice of the millions of people struggling for survival. Our publication contains political education drawn from the experience of the millions of people being forced to fight for their very survival. We aim to bring these forces together to create a vision of a new America and a strategy to achieve it. Individual subscribers are our financial lifeblood and the revolutionary hope for success. Without you, there can be no future for this paper or its mission. It is vital that you renew your subscription or begin one today! +----------------------------------------------------------------+ Mail this coupon to: People's Tribune/Tribuno del Pueblo P.O. Box 3524 Chicago, Illinois 60654-3524 Here's my renewal/new subscription: ____ People's Tribune. $2 for four issues or $25 for one year. ____ Tribuno del Pueblo. $2 for four issues or $10 for one year. (You can also get bundles of 10 or more copies of the PT or TP for 15 cents per copy.) Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Phone: +----------------------------------------------------------------+ ****************************************************************** ABOUT THE PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE The PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE, published every two weeks in Chicago, is devoted to the proposition that an economic system which can't or won't feed, clothe and house its people ought to be and will be changed. To that end, this paper is a tribune of the people. It is the voice of the millions struggling for survival. It strives to educate politically those millions on the basis of their own experience. It is a tribune to bring them together, to create a vision of a better world, and a strategy to achieve it. Join us! Editor: Laura Garcia Publisher: League of Revolutionaries for a New America, P.O. Box 477113, Chicago, IL 60647 (312) 486-0028 ISSN# 1081-4787 For free electronic subscription, email: pt-dist@noc.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject. To help support the production and distribution of the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE, please send donations, letters, articles, photos, graphics and requests for information, subscriptions and requests for bundles of papers to: PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE P.O. Box 3524 Chicago, IL 60654 pt@noc.org Reach us by phone: Chicago: (312) 486-3551 Atlanta: (404) 242-2380 Baltimore: (410) 467-4769 Detroit: (313) 839-7600 Los Angeles: (310) 428-2618 Washington, D.C.: (202) 529-6250 Oakland, CA: (510) 464-4554 GETTING THE PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE IN PRINT The PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE is available at many locations nationwide. One year subscriptions $25 ($50 institutions), bulk orders of 10 or more 15 cents each, single copies 25 cents. Contact PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE, P. O. Box 3524, Chicago, Illinois 60654, tel. (312) 486- 3551. WRITING FOR THE PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE We want your story in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE. Send it in! Articles should be shorter than 300 words, written to be easily understood, and signed. (Use a pen name if you prefer.) Include a phone number for questions. Contact PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE, P. O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654, tel. (312) 486-3551. ****************************************************************** We encourage reproduction and use of all articles except those copyrighted. Please credit the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE. The PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE depends on donations from its readers -- your generosity is appreciated. For free electronic subscription, email: pt-dist@noc.org with a message of "subscribe". ******************************************************************