Activists in Las Vegas

Mission Statement, Occupy Las Vegas, English/Spanish

2011-10-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

http://occupylasvegas.org/

10/13/2011

Mission Statement: Occupy Las Vegas

The first questions that come out of anyone's mouth whenever a new political movement arises are, “Who are they?” and “What do they want?”

They are good questions that should be answered.

WHO are we?

We are the 99% of Americans who have not benefited from the various financial bailouts, tax breaks, and other subsidies that the dominant 1% of the population have gained over the past several years.

We are students, veterans, homemakers, workers, the unemployed, those on Social Security benefits, those whose savings and investments were either wiped out or greatly diminished by the economic fluctuations starting in 2007.

We are those who have had our homes foreclosed upon, those whose homes are about to be foreclosed, those whose homes are now worth a fraction of what we paid for them, and those who have never owned a home and don’t expect to ever be able to.

We are the newly poor who wonder how everything for which we worked hard vanished so quickly and how we and our families are going to survive.

We are the long-time poor, who have never had much of a chance, let alone a voice, to make our own way in our current social and economic system.

We come from all backgrounds, races, and religions.

We are concerned about and more than a bit scared by the directions in which we see our lives, and the lives of our families, friends, neighbors going, the directions in which we see our nation and the whole planet going, and we are angry with those who have taken us in those directions.

We are part of a much larger global and national movement that wants real changes in how the world is run.

In short, we're you, and you are one of us.

WHAT do we want?

We want an end to corporate money's influence in politics, whether through campaign donations, PACs, or other groups. Money is not speech.

We want truly effective campaign finance reform, so that corporations and other interests have no overwhelming advantage over the rest of us in any part of American politics.

We want far greater legal accountability for public officials and corporate executives, and we demand that, if found guilty of committing crimes while in office, they are made to pay for those crimes in full, like anyone else.

We want our justice system to treat everyone equally regardless of origins or social class, at all levels and at every stage, from investigations to trials and sentencing.

We want an end to the continual attacks on our social safety net and on the rights of workers to organize themselves and, if need be, to strike to get better pay, benefits, and working conditions.

We want secure and sustainable investments and improvements in our social infrastructure, like schools and libraries, and to create an America where everyone may actually live in a decent and dignified manner, an America where everyone's rights count and are respected by all.

This is who we are and what we want. We ask for no more and shall take no less.

We are the 99% and we will not be silenced.

Spanish Version:

¿Quiénes somos?

Somos el 99% de los estadounidenses que no se han beneficiado de los rescates financieros diversos, exenciones fiscales y otros subsidios que el discurso dominante del 1% de la población ha adquirido en los últimos años.

Somos estudiantes, trabajadores, desempleados, y los que benefician de la Seguridad Social, aquellos cuyos ahorros e inversiones fueron eliminados ya sea con o reducido en gran medida por las fluctuaciones económicas a partir de 2007.

Nosotros somos los que hemos tenido nuestras casas en ejecución hipotecaria, están a punto de tener que hacer a nosotros, o cuyas casas ahora valen una fracción de lo que pagamos por ellos.

Somos los nuevos pobres, que se preguntan cómo todo lo que hemos trabajado duro desapareció tan rápidamente, y cómo nosotros y nuestras familias van a sobrevivir.

Somos los pobres desde hace mucho tiempo, que nunca han tenido mucha oportunidad, mucho menos una voz, para hacer nuestro propio camino en nuestro actual sistema social y económico.

Venimos de todas las procedencias, razas y religiones.

Nos preocupa, y mucho más que un poco de miedo por las direcciones en que vemos nuestras vidas, las de nuestras familias, amigos, vecinos, nuestra nación y el planeta entero se va, y estamos enfadados con ellos, como todos nos han sido tratados en el pasado, y están siendo tratados ahora.

En resumen, usted, y usted es uno de nosotros.

¿Qué queremos?

Queremos poner fin a la influencia del dinero corporativo en la política, ya sea a través de donaciones de campaña, los PAC y otros grupos.

Queremos una reforma de financiamiento de campaña realmente efectiva, por lo que las corporaciones y otros intereses no tienen ninguna ventaja abrumadora sobre el resto de nosotros en cada parte de la política estadounidense.

Queremos que la rendición de cuentas mucho mayor seguridad jurídica para los funcionarios públicos y ejecutivos de empresas, y exigimos que, si son hallados culpables de cometer crímenes durante su mandato, se les hace pagar por ellos en su totalidad, como cualquier otra persona.

Queremos igualdad de trato de nuestro sistema de justicia en todos los niveles y en todas las etapas de las investigaciones, a través de juicios y condenas para todos, independientemente del origen o clase social.

Queremos poner fin a los continuos ataques a nuestra red de seguridad social, y sobre los derechos de los trabajadores a organizarse y, si fuera necesario, a la huelga para conseguir mejores salarios, beneficios y condiciones de trabajo.

Queremos inversiones seguras y sostenibles y la mejora de nuestra infraestructura social, como escuelas y bibliotecas, y para crear un país donde todo el mundo realmente puede vivir de una manera decente y digna, y contar con sus derechos y sean respetados por todos.

Esto es lo que somos y lo que queremos. Pedimos nada más, y no tomará menos. Somos el 99%, y que no será silenciada. "

Map, Protest March, Occupy Las Vegas, October 15, 2011

2011-10-15T11:27:00.001-07:00

World Revolution Day - Fremont Street Protest March

2011-10-15T11:20:00.001-07:00

Dylan Ratigan (rightfully) loses it on air

2011-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Gail's Veggie Chili Beans

2011-07-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Gail's Veggie Chili Beans - No meat

I do not soak the beans over night. And, I do not bring them to a boil and let them soak, etc.

Total prep and cooking takes about 4 hours.

1 1/2 gallons of water in a large pot.

Put stove on high heat.

Rinse 1/2 gallon of pinto beans in strainer, add to pot of water. Stir.

Do not cover.

Cook on high, lower heat to medium high when necessary so the water and beans do not boil over the pot.

Add about 4-5 onions, chopped. Stir.

Add water to pot if necessary. Stir beans occasionally throughout the 4 hours.

When beans start to soften (this takes about 3 hours) add fresh diced tomatoes or one or two large cans of Crushed diced or crush peeled tomatoes with tomato puree or tomato paste to the pot of beans.

Alternative to the tomatoes is about 3 cups of spaghetti sauce.

Cook until beans are soft.

Add seasoning to pot of beans. I add the seasoning by eye. About 2-3 tablespoons.

I make a large batch of chili seasoning to last for a few servings. I use an empty spice bottle to put all the ingredients in. Then shake well to mix all the ingredients.

Seasoning:

12 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cumin
4 tsp. oregano
4 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. onion salt

Sharing Food - Soup

2011-07-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Soup

In a large pot add water and put stove on high. Lower heat to medium if/when necessary.

ALL ingredients are optional.

Add:

2 onions, chopped
5-6 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 carrots, chopped
6-8 large potatoes, cubed

Optional, any other vegetable, fresh or frozen, ie. broccoli, mixed vegetables, green beans, peas, corn.

Optional, one or two cups of mixed lentil beans, raw split peas.

When vegetables are cooked or almost cooked, add to boiling water about 16 ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni or cut up spaghetti or any other macaroni.

Add seasoning. Seasoning can consist of a "touch" of salt, garlic, onion salt, oregano, and basil. Optional, if I have extra spaghetti sauce, I add 2-4 cups of sauce to this pot.

Sharing Food - Rice

2011-07-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

When sharing food at the park, I never use meat or meat base, fish or dairy products - when I prepare the food.

In the past, when we received already prepared products - donations from the stores - meat, fish, cheese, etc., we would immediately distribute the food to the needy rather than having it all go to waste.

Long grain brown rice when we have it, white rice if brown rice not available.

Optional - add chopped onion to water before adding rice.

1/2 gallon of water in large pot
Add a little vegetable oil to water
High heat until boiling
Add 1/4 gallon of rice and stir thoroughly for vegetable oil to prevent rice from sticking
Lower heat to a low, cover pot.
Rice is usually done when all water in the pot is gone.

White rice takes 15-20 minutes to cook.

Brown rice takes about 45-50 minutes to cook.

Seasoning for rice is optional, ie. salt.

If rice is done cooking for "awhile" and you need to get it hot again:

In a small pot, boil water, chopped onion, and seasoning to taste. Seasoning can consist of a "touch" of salt, garlic, onion salt, oregano, and basil. Optional, if I have extra spaghetti sauce, I add that to this pot and heat, reducing the amount of water.

THREE MORE ARRESTED FOR SHARING...

2011-06-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

THREE MORE ARRESTED FOR SHARING FREE VEGAN MEALS WITH THE HUNGRY IN ORLANDO

by Keith McHenry on Monday, June 13, 2011 at 4:44pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 13, 2011

CONTACT:

Food Not Bombs

Keith McHenry - cofounder

575-770-3377

menu@foodnotbombs.net

www.foodnotbombs.net

Orlando Food Not Bombs

Benjamin Markeson

407-252-1379

www.orlandofoodnotbombs.org

"I'm always willing to talk, but we've offered them alternative sites to feed," Dyer said.

Thanks Buddy, then lets talk but we aren't going to accept an alternative site where it would be impossible to reach the public and seek a change in priorities so no American is forced to stand in line to eat at a soup kitchen.

THREE MORE ARRESTED FOR SHARING FREE VEGAN MEALS WITH THE HUNGRY IN ORLANDO

FOOD NOT BOMBS PLANS TO SHARE DINNER AT LAKE EOLA PARK WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, AT 5:30 PM

The City of Orlando has made a total of 15 arrested this June. Orlando Food Not Bombs offers once again to meet with the mayor. Buddy Dyer claims everyone has enough to eat in Orlando yet food providers claim otherwise. Food Not Bombs should have as much right as the corporations that just won Citizens United to reach as many people as possible with the message that in the world's wealthiest country that spends over 50 cents of every federal tax dollar no one should be forced to stand in line to eat at a soup kitchen.

More arrests for homeless activists at Lake Eola in Orlando Florida

Pat Fitzpatrick, active with the No Meal Limit Campaign in Gainesville was arrested along with two local members of the group Orlando Food Not Bombs, Ashley Albinson, and Palmer Harrell. Orlando Food Not Bombs also hand delivered a letter to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer requesting a meeting. The city failed to send anyone to the mediation ordered by the federal district judge and ignored other requests to talk with Food Not Bombs.

Mayor Buddy Dyer is telling the public that there isn't a problem with hunger in Orlando and that it is unnecessary to seek public support for changes in federal and local policies. Yet Second Harvest reports people are being turned away from the facilities Mayor Dyer claims are able to provide for everyone. Food Not Bombs invited everyone to attend the meals and talk with the people coming to eat to find out for themselves the true face of hunger in America.

Second Harvest in Orlando reported that over 55,000 people required food through their central Florida program. They also reported that 20.7% of the pantries, 10.1% of the kitchens and 33.0% of the shelters responded that they turned away clients during the past year. Their website also shows that 49% of the Central Florida Second Harvest clients had to choose between paying for food and paying for their rent or mortgage. This morning Orlando Regional Realtor Association announced that housing sales for May 2011 were 14.99 percent below May 2010. The people eating with Food Not Bombs eat with us because they need food. Many must choose between food or housing. Mayor Buddy Dyer and other officials must come to terms with the fact that we are in a crisis and hiding the problem of hunger is not a solution.

Nearly 1 billion people go without food every day world wide even though there is enough to feed everyone. Over 25,000 people die each day because they do not have enough to eat. Many of those going hungry live right here in cities like Orlando. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that over 15 percent of Americans were going with out food each month in 2009. That number has increased. Federal authorities also report that 387,849 new recipients were added to the food stamps program in March 2011. Over 44 million Americans rely on food stamps to feed their families and the number continues to grow. Efforts to organize to end hunger should be supported not arrested. These staggering and painful statistics reflect the failure of priorities. No one should hungry in the world's wealthiest country.

###

Orlando Food Not Bombs delivers letter to Mayor Buddy Dyer requesting meeting.

http://www.foodnotbombs.net/letter_to_mayor_received.pdf

Weapons of Mass Dining

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgQDwtq16Es

More arrests for homeless activists at Lake Eola

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-homeless-feeding-demands-20110613,0,602586.story

Group issues demands as more activists arrested at Lake Eola

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/os-homeless-feeding-demands-20110613,0,602586.story

Food Not Bombs - Public Service Announcement

2011-06-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 June 12, 2011 
CONTACT:

Food Not Bombs
Keith McHenry - cofounder
575-770-3377
menu@foodnotbombs.net
www.foodnotbombs.net

Orlando Food Not Bombs
Benjamin Markeson
407-252-1379
www.orlandofoodnotbombs.org

FOOD NOT BOMBS TO SHARE BREAKFAST AND PRESENT ORLANDO BUDDY DYER WITH A LETTER REQUESTING A MEETING.

Orlando Food Not Bombs also announces several events including A Day WIthout Food on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 and the Black Out Arrests Speak Out at City Hall on Monday, June 27, 2011.

More arrests possible during the June 13th Breakfast at Lake Eola Park. The meal starts at 9:30 AM and everyone is welcome. After the arrests everyone is invited to march to City Hall to deliver the group's letter to Mayor Buddy Dyer requesting a meeting. Copies of the letter adopted at the June 10th Food Not Bombs meeting will be provided to the media outside city hall.

The Orlando police may arrest more volunteers at Lake Eola Park for sharing breakfast with more then 24 people. Support from all over the world is still pouring in. A group of friends emailed to say they would be driving down from Georgia to share food at Lake Eola Park on July 4th. The on-line petition started in Japan passed 1,000 signatures yesterday. People are making Youtube videos and sending them around the internet. A second online petition was started yesterday.

Local support is also building. A group of local home owners came out from their condominiums to express their support at Wednesday's dinner. Members of the Orlando Police, jailers and inmates have all told us that they think Buddy Dyer is wrong to arrest us. Everyone from the unions, churches, punk bands, and grocery store clerks to the guy at the copy shop and a woman waiting for her husband near Winn Dixie have offered help. Suggestions of every kind are being emailed or called in. The Detroit Underground gave out 150 sandwiches in solidarity and many other people have organized events in their cities in support.

I walked through the Parramore district of Orlando this afternoon talking with families on their porches and the community living under the 408 bridge. Parramore is on "the other side of the tracks" where many homes and business are owned by the African American community and the area of town where Mayor Buddy Dyer and his business associates intend to move their "homeless problem." Everyone I meet in Parramore was friendly, welcoming and once they realized I was with Food Not Bombs I was greeted with enthusiasm. A man that introduced himself as Tyler or "The Professor" called over to me as I left my van eager to talk with me. He told me he had been living on the streets of Orlando for years. He knew the important dates in the history Orlando Food Not Bombs from the early meals to the day when Eric was arrested to the announcement that we had lost the case in Atlanta. His friend took a photo of both of us with his cell phone. The staff at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission helped out giving flyers announcing our meals to everyone staying for the evening. The message we are hearing from Russia and Italy to Parramore was don't give up, keep on sharing food, we are behind you all the way.

And we wont give up!

###

CALENDAR OF FOOD NOT BOMBS ACTIONS IN ORLANDO

MONDAY, JUNE 13TH at 9:30 AM Risking arrest sharing breakfast at Lake Eola Park, corner of Central and Osceola, Orlando
Presentation of the letter requesting a meeting with Mayor Buddy Dyer.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15h at 5:30 PM - Risking arrest sharing dinner at Lake Eola Park, corner of Central and Osceola, Orlando

MONDAY, JUNE 20th at 9:30 AM Risking arrest sharing breakfast at Lake Eola Park, corner of Central and Osceola, Orlando

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22nd at 5:30 PM - Risking arrest sharing dinner at Lake Eola Park, corner of Central and Osceola, Orlando

MONDAY, JUNE 27th Breakfast at 9:30 AM and Black Out Arrests Speak Out at City Hall in the Council Chambers at 2:00 PM - 2nd floor, 400 S. Orange Ave. Wear black and come to speak at the city council meeting to ask for an end to the arrests.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29th at 5:30 PM - A Day Without Food at Lake Eola Park, corner of Central and Osceola, Orlando

FRIDAY, JULY 1st at NOON - Free meal, cultural events and over night vigil outside Orlando City Hall

A DAY WITHOUT FOOD
FOR ONE BILLION PEOPLE JUNE 29th WILL BE A DAY WITHOUT FOOD
Join our fast, join us at Lake Eola Park and call Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer at 407.246.2221

Nearly 1 billion people face a day without food every day. Over 25,000 die each day from hunger. Hunger is not limited to less developed countries, with over 15 percent of Americans going with out food each month. Federal authorities report that 387,849 new recipients were added to the food stamps program in March 2011. Over 44 million Americans rely on food stamps to feed their families. Second Harvest in Orlando reported that over 55,000 people required food through their central Florida program. They also reported that 20.7% of the pantries, 10.1% of the kitchens and 33.0% of the shelters responded that they turned away clients during the past year. Their website also shows that 49% of the Central Florida Second Harvest clients had to choose between paying for food and paying for their rent or mortgage. These staggering and painful statistics reflect the failure of priorities. No one should hungry in the world's wealthiest country.

The City of Orlando started arresting people for sharing meals with the hungry on June 1, 2011. The city had arrested 12 volunteers by June 8th. The 11th Circuit Court ruled that the city could restrict Food Not Bombs to sharing only twice a year per park. The law is not limited to Orlando. Cities like Gainesville, Fort Lauderdale, Saint Petersburg, and other Florida cities are also introducing laws restricting the sharing of food with the hungry. We encourage you to participate in these three actions in Orlando. If we defend the right to share food in protest to war and poverty in Orlando other cities will withdraw their anti-feeding laws.

(This campaign and letter to the mayor adopted at the Orlando Food Not Bombs meeting June 10, 2011)

FOOD NOT BOMBS
1-800-884-1136

Human Needs Not Corporate Greed vigil July 1, 2011 at your local city hall!
www.foodnotbombs.net/resist.html

I'm Going to Disney World…to get arrested sharing food with the hungry
http://www.foodnotbombs.net/im_going_to_disney_world.html

Orlando Food Not Bombs
www.orlandofoodnotbombs.org

Chris Giunchigliani Speaks About Homelessness in Las Vegas

2011-05-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Posted by Cliff Harrison

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Chris Giunchigliani Speaks About Homelessness in Las Vegas

I took this photo during my last week of homelessness in June 2010

Tired Eyes

By Cliff Harrison

The following is a statement from Las Vegas mayoral candidate, Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, in response to my communication with her.

I had sent her this message:

Chris;
Oscar Goodman and his administration was hostile toward the homeless and in many cases abusive and even illegal. How do you intend to treat the homeless and poor citizens of Las Vegas if you become mayor? What exactly would you do? --Cliff Harrison

She replied with this eloquent response:

Hi Cliff,
Thanks for your question. First, we should not lump all homeless into the same category. I’ve taught homeless children who were part of an entire family sleeping in one small car. I’ve known elderly whose apartments were torn down and converted and they lacked the money for a new deposit and the transportation to get there. I’ve met with homeless veterans suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), and I’ve gone out after midnight to assist in taking a census of the homeless. I know that some have mental disorders, are unable or unwilling to take their medications, and sometimes self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Some simply just don’t want to be a part of “regular” society. And others are just like some of your neighbors—one paycheck away from economic collapse.

These different groups must be approached differently. But I believe each person must be treated as compassionately as possible. I do know that forcing homeless out of one area only forces them into another—it doesn’t solve the problem. For some, there may be no “solution.” For others, shelter, showers, and durable footwear make the difference. Working with the County Administrator to handle Social Security checks can help. Medical and psychological assistance is needed. We can’t allow people to use homeowners’ lawns as their toilets, but throwing the homeless into jail doesn’t solve the problem either—and it’s very costly to taxpayers.

We have to break this into parts, and coordinate activities to reduce duplication and increase coverage. I strongly believe that charitable groups can show us the way, and in this case government should often follow instead of lead. Government can fill a function by providing humane shelters from the stifling heat of summer, the cold of winter, and spread them out instead of clustering all of the homeless into a single area. I know it isn’t always popular, but as Mayor I will not bulldoze down a homeless encampment until there is an alternative available to the human beings who live there.

Hope that answers your question. Early voting is now underway, would love to have your vote.

Thanks for reaching out,
Chris

　I appreciate Commissioner Giunchigliani's prompt reply. As evident she applied careful thought and time in her response and I thought an accurate description of the homeless situation which means she could, as mayor, deliver an end to the atrocities of the homeless in the Las Vegas Valley.

Until election day we'll be discussing this issue but for now let's absorb this statement and judge what alternative we have if we do not elect Chris Giunchigliani as mayor. What do we have to look forward to with a Goodman win? Another 12 years of human rights violations? You've got the conch. It's your turn to speak.

Posted by Cliff Harrison

http://riverorganization.blogspot.com/2011/0http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif5/chris-giunchigliani-speaks-about.html

The Unforgiven: Hopes for Forgiveness and Healing

2011-05-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Posted by Cliff Harrison

I feel I am well enough to make a series of statements in my blogs on the network in regards to the local race for mayor of the City of Las Vegas. I have missed many opportunities to discuss the events as they unfolded and failed to participate in active discussion due to my sickness as many of you are aware of. However, I believe I can complete these articles, commentaries or statements so that those who follow my various blogs through subscription notices or otherwise can be aware of the most recent development concerning homelessness--my communication with Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani.

(Chris Giunchigliani: june-kil-e-ah-nee )

The next post will show Commissioner Giunchigliani’s communication with me and why I now support her for mayor in the June 2011 Las Vegas election.

My previous words have not been kind about Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani. We are at the extreme opposite ends of political convictions. I have been extremely outspoken in the past against Chris Giunchigliani for her work as a local politician, as a county commissioner, a board member of RTC, UMC, and several other issues concerning the community especially homelessness.

With the mindset of a manager, of which I’ve spent my life, I’m a chain of command type of guy. As a manager I’ve always held the conviction that whatever occurred below me was directly my business and responsibility. It was my fault rather the end result was good or bad. Whatever occurred above me was also my responsibility as in the duties of the powers of persuasion. It was my job to persuade my boss to adapt a certain level of administrative attitude or style in our management policy and practice.

Therefore, I always hold those at the top responsible for whatever happens below them. Lack of knowledge is not an excuse because it is their duty to know what is going on in their area of management. With that in mind, one ought to see clearly why I blame those in charge when something goes wrong--or praise the leaders when something goes right.

I’ve tried to forgive those in political power in the Las Vegas community for their unrighteousness against the community's homeless and poor. I have weaken in my own duties to God and try as I may, forgiveness is something I continue to struggle with. Forgiving them would be like asking the devil to burn a cross on my forehead. It’s the right sign but the wrong hand writing the signature.

I was severely hurt while homeless in Las Vegas and so were an awful lot of other people. I was abused. I was treated illegally and inhumanely by the local officials and my absolute rights were refused or taken away and those scars will never go away.

One formerly homeless individual who was my associate while I was homeless, and continues to be my friend today, Shay Elliot, in speaking about my decision on rather or not to sue the City of Las Vegas and the County of Clark (as well as individual politicians responsible and neglectful), said “Forgive them after you sue them.” As humorous as it sounds, it is a choice option. I am under no pressure to sue as I have plenty of time before the statue of limitation runs out and under legal authority, allowed by special circumstances, I could receive extensions on that statue of limitations. I’m not going to elaborate here. I’d rather forgive and see real change than to litigate something which is an evil caused by a handful of people.

The best solution is to change those at the top, the managers. In this case, Goodman. Then perhaps I can begin forgiving. But never, ever forgetting.

It’s hard to like bees while you are still being stung.

I would not publish something that was communicated and taken in private--that did not concern a public issue--without permission from the one I communicated with. Commissioner Giunchigliani has agreed to have this correspondence published on the network. I do so because I want others, those who have not yet voted, or who are still undecided who to vote for as the next mayor of Las Vegas to read her statement. I also do so for the many concerned people out there, particularly the Christians who work with the homeless to know Commissioner Giunchigliani’s position--her attitude.

I was impressed with Commissioner Giunchigliani response to my inquiry. I not only share that statement, but under the consideration I hereby endorse Chris Giunchigliani for mayor of Las Vegas and ask that you vote for her as well as suggest to your friends to do the same.

Any of us who are homeless, have been homeless or helped the homeless during Oscar Goodman’s administration personally know the atrocities that Goodman and his thugs have welded upon the innocent and often defenseless homeless citizens of this community.

Chris Giunchigliani offers a change, a real change to those evil acts Goodman’s reign has inflicted upon the ten’s of thousands of homeless people in his twelve-year dictatorship.

Although our political differences couldn’t be farther apart, in regards to the humanitarian issues involving the homeless and poor, Chris Giunchigliani and I seem to tightly bond with the same attitude. Sometimes one must make a sacrifice--give up something to gain something--and this is one of those times.

No matter what political, social, economical or religious issue you discuss, nothing, but nothing is more important than how a community treats its people once they have lost everything they ever owned. When you have nothing you have nothing to lose and when you have nothing to lose the powers that be in your community decides your destiny, your fate. The humanitarianism decides rather you live or die, sometimes literally if not symbolically.

I’m eager, as Commissioner Giunchigliani mentions in her statement to me, “win or lose” (her mayor race), of opening a line of communication and discussion to help solve problems of the homelessness in our community as well as issues concerning UMC and other community problems.

I’d much rather contribute to bring about change in a constructive way in this manner of communication than by the use of the courtrooms. I’d much rather compromise and forgive than carry the Ax of Hostility into yet another battle. Besides, doing so would be the Christian way. But before I put the ax down a brutal, relentless dictator--Oscar Goodman--must go. And that means his wife can not be mayor for we all know that Oscar would continue to be actively involved in Las Vegas politics and we can not allow that to happen.

We have a choice between two people, Goodman and Giunchigliani. We know without a shadow of a doubt where Goodman will lead us--not down the road we want to travel. Giunchigliani’s correspondence gives us a sincere hope for real change for the homeless and poor citizens of this community. A change for the better. A change for a breath of fresh air without the pungency of Oscar Goodman’s hostility.

So, join me in supporting Chris Giunchigliani as the next mayor of Las Vegas. Read her statement http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifin Chris Giunchigliani Speaks About Homelessness in Las Vegas in the next post. It is a door that I knocked on. It is a door that has opened.

I wish I was in better health and could keep my blogs more up-to-date, but until then help make real change in the lives of the poor homeless souls in the Las Vegas Valley.

Posted by Cliff Harrison

http://riverorganization.blogspot.com/2011/05/unforgiven-hopes-for-forgiveness-and.html

Tired Eyes

2011-05-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Posted by Cliff Harrison

Safety On A Bus. On the Paradise 108 Bus.

For lots of homeless people, especially the elderly, the city buses are the only place to sleep. Safety is in the numbers. Normally, the CAT bus drivers would be screaming if they caught anyone sleeping on the bus. Under the Mayor Oscar Goodman administration American citizens are denied their most basic rights. The corrupt city and county officials of Las Vegas and Clark County have held an aggressive, hostile campaign over the Vally's homeless. On any given night there are as many as 15,000 homeless people in Las Vegas. More than 50,000 people experience homelessness ehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifvery year in Vegas. With the Great Recession and with Vegas being number one in the nation in unemployment and home foreclosure those numbers might be much, much higher. Not a single Nevada State or Federal Government agency has intervened on behalf of the homeless citizens to halt the illegal police state actions of corrupt Las Vegas officials.

Posted by Cliff Harrison

http://homelesseyes.blogspot.com/2011/04/tired-eyes.html

Kroger Butter is Produce?

2011-05-20T09:52:00.001-07:00

When did butter become produce?

Chris Giunchigliani ( june-kil-e-ah-nee ) for Las Vegas Mayor

2011-04-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

New Direction for Las Vegas with Chris Giunchigliani
vs.

Status Quo, nation's worst unemployment and foreclosure rates,
martinis and showgirls with oscar's wife

oscar's wife

No position on the DREAM Act immigration bill

No position on same sex marriage

Mild support of legalizing prostitution

"I'm not a politician. I never was a politician..."

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/14397758/mayoral-candidates-ready-for-tough-battle

oscar's wife "offered little substance in the primary campaign. She frequently answered policy questions by saying she’ll surround herself with smart people and learn on the job."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/06/expect-escalated-election-battle/

Founder of a private school "attended by the children of casino owners..."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/06/us-las-vegas-mayor-3rd-ld/

As of 2010-2011 Annual Tuition $8,990.00 - $21,200.00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Meadows_School

oscar's wife said that Chris G does not "share her grasp on education because" Chris G has never had children.

oscar's wife said "...I am not a politician. It's going to be a learning curve for me."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/06/us-las-vegas-mayor-3rd-ld

About Carolyn (oscar's wife)

http://www.carolyngoodman.com/about/

oscar goodman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Goodman

oscar's wife = wife of current mayor, mother of four adopted children, founder of private school with one of the highest tuition rates compared to any other private school in Nevada.

Chris Giunchigliani

Pronouncing Giunchigliani: june-kil-e-ah-nee

15 years of political experience

Chris G's biography

http://www.chrisgformayor.com/?sec=biography

Chris G = Accomplishments

http://www.chrisgformayor.com/?sec=accomplishments

Chris G's Philosophy of Service

http://www.chrisgformayor.com/?sec=philosophy

Endorsements for Chris G

Vietnamese Mutual Association
http://www.usnewslasvegas.com/photo/finally-chris-giunchigli%E2%80%8Bani-versus-carolyn-goodman-mayoral-race-in-las-vegas/

Las Vegas Korean Association
http://chrisglive.com/?p=241

Nevada Political Action for Animals
http://www.nevadapoliticalactionforanimals.org/nevada_animal_friendly_candidates.htm

Clark County Education Association
http://mothersforchrisg.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/clark-county-education-association-endorses-chris-giunchigliani-for-mayor/

Las Vegas City Employee's Association/PAC
http://www.lvcea.org/PAC/endorsements.htm

Seniors United
http://www.lasvegastribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=197:local-politics&id=1678:chris-giunchigliani-energetic-mayoral-candidate-

Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons INTERNATIONAL LOCAL 797
http://www.opcmianevada.org/library/document-library/20110310162420.2011%20Municipal%20Endorsements.pdf

SEIU Nevada
http://www.seiunv.org/It_s_Time_to_Ramp_It_Up_.aspx

Quotes

Chris Giunchigliani: “All rights are human rights,” she says. “When you build a community, you make sure everyone is created equal.”

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/18/giunchigliani-campaigns-little-guys/

Carolyn Goodman: "I am not a politician. It's going to be a learning curve for me."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/06/us-las-vegas-mayor-3rd-ld/

Of the major mayoral candidates, Giunchigliani has the most specific and well-developed proposals for improving Las Vegas.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/18/giunchigliani-campaigns-little-guys/

New Direction or Status Quo ?
Our Choice, Our Vote on Tuesday, June 7, 2011

June 7, 2011, General Election (Municipal)
Vote 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• May 7: Registration Deadline: Last day to register to vote or to update your registration, without having to appear in-person at your City Clerk's office.

• May 8 - 17: In-Office Registration: You may register to vote or update your existing registration in-person at your City Clerk's office only.

• May 21 - June 3: Early Voting: You may vote before Election Day at various locations within your own City. Hours, days and locations vary by City.

• May 31, 5:00 p.m.: Mail/Absentee Ballot Request Deadline: Last day for your City Clerk or the Election Department to RECEIVE WRITTEN mail ballot requests.

http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/depts/election/Pages/Dates.aspx

Save Education Protest - Las Vegas, Nevada

2011-03-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

Note: The "Save Education Protest" is being organized by the students.

To Whom It May Concern (students, parents, faculty, staff, community members, everyone):

If you want to fight to keep education alive, help us send a loud and clear message to Carson City by joining us:

Date- Sunday, March 6^th

Time- 12pm

Location- In front of Bellagio Fountains on the Las Vegas Boulevard sidewalk

Background Information- The legislature is preparing to vote on a budget that could drastically cut education in Nevada. What does this mean for us?

1. Our higher education system will be losing several additional programs, many highly-qualified faculty and numerous current and potential students.

2. For K-12 education, we will have one of the lowest national per pupil spending in a state that is already 48^th in the nation for education.

3. Businesses will stop developing in Nevada without an educated workforce or a decent education system for their families.

It’s embarrassing and shameful. No service is more fundamental to the development and maintenance of a vibrant community than public education. The time has come to mobilize and show the state that we are not willing to make any more sacrifices to education.

For more complete details on Shut Down The Strip, join us for a meeting on Thursday, March 3^rd from 7:00pm-7:30pm in the Student Union food court.

If you have any questions, please contact us at shutdownthestrip@yahoo.com

Follow us on twitter: shutdownstrip.

Join the Facebook Group: Shut Down the Strip for Education

As a coalition, we need to tell our elected officials to STOP MESSING WITH THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE!

Earned Income Tax Credit Can Put Money in Your Pocket

2011-01-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

Earned Income Tax Credit Can Put Money in Your Pocket

http://www.labordawgs.com/articles/article/7394046/151329.htm

Veterans Stand Down, Las Vegas, NV 2011

2011-01-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

Veterans Stand Down, Las Vegas, NV 2011

http://www.labordawgs.com/f/About_Stand_Down.pdf

Gone But Not Forgotten 2010

2011-01-13T12:35:00.001-08:00

Gone But Not Forgotten 2010

http://www.forgottenvoice.org/archive/Gone_But_Not_Forgotten_2010.pdf

Prince William: “Street newspapers inspire me”

2011-01-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

Prince William: “Street newspapers inspire me”

http://www.forgottenvoice.org/archive/Prince_William_12_2010.pdf

Feeding the Hungry for Only 55¢

2011-01-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Christian River Blog: Feeding the Hungry for Only 55¢

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Tomorrow $55 will Feed 100 Homeless People

For Only 55¢ Per Hungry Person
By Cliff Harrison

If my health allows me, tomorrow I will service (the Lord) from 40 to 100 homeless people. My mission that is scheduled for tomorrow is not one of my normal feeding missions. Normally I carry a trunk full of fresh fruits, not the rotten stuff local “charities” and “homeless shelters” and soup kitchen push off on to the homeless where some businesses instead of throwing it in the garbage where it belongs donated it to a food bank or "charity" and then wrote off on their taxes the donation to charity.

No, my fruits are not rotten. They are fresh from the store and purchased right off the shelves and delivered within moments of my leaving the store. I pay a premium price but for a premium product—but I bargain shop—for the best possible price.

I don't give my people the garbage—long expired foods—local charities serve them. I refuse to, for I ate that garbage they dump onto the homeless for years while I was homeless myself.

When I make normal food runs that include fruits, I generally have an assortment of fresh apples, pears, oranges, Sweet Clementine’s, bananas and sometimes grapes, sometimes plums and other fruits I find on sale. Sometimes I carry sunflower seeds, peanuts and other food items I find on sale around town. I most generally feed from 40 to 100 hungry homeless persons at a time. I can get this same delivery that I'm doing tomorrow for $55 in food as low as $41 or 41 cents per person.

A Trunk Load of Fresh Fruits Only $50

I often have a trunk load of fresh, assorted fruits purchased for as little as $50 simply by smart shopping and bargain hunting. Buy on sale and save a
bunch!

Many of my friends that I have taught and encouraged have joined the cause and independently service the Lord while servicing the homeless. They too deliver used clothes, blankets, socks, knit hats, gloves, personal care products, sandwiches, bottled water and most of all—prayers. The Direct-to-the-Streets needs list is here at Christian River: Direct-to-the-Streets Needs

We do all that on a regular basis. Some of us are out there once a week, others several times a week.

But tomorrow I’m really making my delivery to deliver new boxer shorts, maybe new T-shirts and socks, if I don't feel like making several trips this week, and bottled water, apples, and snack chips. Many homeless folks either have no teeth or bad teeth, so I usually purchase fresh cut fruit when marked down one or two days before expiration, and bananas, oranges, grapes and softer fruits that they can eat.

When the homeless see my car sometimes they are hungry and think I’m bringing food. The last time I delivered complete personal care products, razors, shaving creme, shampoo, lotion, chap lipstick, toenail clippers, bath soap but a few were disappointed that I didn’t have food that trip. It wasn’t that they were rude. They were hungry and when they saw my car coming their bellies growled.

Food Banks Are Robbing the Poor

The big food banks in Las Vegas with quarter-of-a-million dollar salaried staff and the big charities never reach these people, the most needy because they sit behind their desks in a locked room with a fortress of security protecting them and scribble and doodle on paper all day long what they are going to do with their zillions of dollars. They might chat on their cell phones or play on their computers, but they never go out to see what is going on in their "charity".

The frontline servants are the forced labor, the slaves that were homeless yesterday and just recruited from the streets "rescued" and entered the "rehabilitation" programs and part of their earning their own keep is doing the labor the supervisor behind closed door should be doing.

The parking lots are not full of cheap Kias, and $400 motor scooters and bicycles and ten-year-old used clunkers like real volunteers doing real charity work drive, but the parking lots are lined with highline vehicles like Land Rovers, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Hummers and Escalades.

But that's them at the charities that the people of the communities think are doing such a good and colorful deed. The fruits of their labor are the velvet linings of their wallets.

Direct-to-the-Streets, The Only Way To Go!

Me? I drive around like all the other Direct-to-the-Street's volunteers, in a 13-year-old 120,000 mile car that I love. The windows don't work. The heater doesn't work. The air conditioner doesn't work. The "change oil soon" light comes on when I just changed the oil yesterday, and lots of things don't work or work too much on the old clunker that gets me around—but it sure beats taking Oscar Goodman's and Larry Brown's Black Panther Buses and taking the abuse from the RTC and DTC bus drivers, it sure does.

No, tomorrow, like the days before tomorrow, those times of my homelessness in Las Vegas under the fat pigs of Animal Farm do not stop me from returning to the streets to helping my poor brothers and sisters I left behind there. The real humanity in this world. The real down-to-earth folks who will give you the shirt off their backs, when they don't even have two dimes to rub together at once.

I don't ever want to repeat like last time and know my people were so hungry and when they saw my car coming their bellies growled.

Enough to Fed Over Half-a-Million People!

This time, I throw in $55 dollars of something for the hungry bellies of 100 homeless people. That way, they get their new boxer shorts they so sorely need, sizes small to XXXL and their food. Did I say $55 dollars for 100 people? Actually it could even be less that that! If I had $212,000 I could service nearly a half-million homeless persons the same foods. And if given time to really bargain, well over a half-million!

In addition to the boxer shorts and maybe the t-shirts and socks, gloves and hats, and hygiene supplies which I carry just in case the others who I’ve trained in the Christian River fashion and that do this on their own now hadn’t made their rounds of late, I’ll have them ready. They always come in handy especially when an unprepared newly homeless person finds him or herself landing on the streets.

I won’t get into the expense of the clothing items and stuff, but I always bargain hunt. I shop for the best prices and I use store fliers, the Internet and personal visits to local stores to locate the best products for the lowest cost. I’m a big customer of Wal-mart, K-Mart and the 99 cent only store. Albertsons I take advantage of the 10 for $10 sale and only buy a few items there since I would be boycotting them completely if I had a choice, and this store was my ONLY store for the first seven or eight years that I lived in Vegas, but we won’t get into that.

I do find things at Albertsons that I can't find in any other store, such as the Gillette 2oz. shaving creme and triple-blade razors shown in the photo in a couple of posts below at a reasonable price.

Bargain Hunt for the Best Deals!

That's the key in helping the homeless in the Christian River way. Every store has a special bargain that the other stores don't have. You invest time, yes, but once you learn your way around you know just where to go to quickly find the things you need. You establish a personal relationship with a contact at each store. You find out the little secrets you need to function.

The 99 Cents Only Stores for example will ship to the store of your choice cases of the products you need. You don't get a price break, but you get what you want in the quality and quantity you want, when you need it.

Here is what I will do tomorrow. I will go to Smart & Final store and pick up three cases of water in which they keep in the cooler for me (The only special attention any store does for me) and I’ll pick up some apples and chips that are on sale.

(Those tortilla chips on the left-hand side of the photo image next to the boxed 50 count snacks are only $3.79 regular price for a huge 4

pound bag at Smart & Final. Break them down and put a handful or two inside sandwich bags and you serve 64 people 1oz servings for only $3.79 or only 6 cents each. If I were using them tomorrow instead of the chips and snacks it would only cost me 37 cents per homeless person, or $37 for 100 homeless people. Since I don't have the time for that this time, I'll pay the Piper.)

Corrupt, Aggressive & Hostile Public Officials

Gail Sacco has been feeding the homeless every week, often several times a week for years. She was arrested once for feeding the homeless, an action brought forth by the Nazi regime of Mayor Oscar Goodman and the corrupt Rory Reid. Reid and Goodman applied pressure against the people who were feeding the homeless or helping them in other ways.

The courts later ruled the arrest and charges as unconstitutional. But the City of Las Vegas and Clark County continues to perform unlawful acts against the homeless and poor citizens of Las Vegas and Clark County.

They also applied pressure to local charities, and so-called shelters. Catholic Charities which used to have outside lockers that stored street homeless possessions at a fee took those lockers out. That’s another subject for another day, the point is many good people were hurt by the corrupt public officials.

Life Changing Experience

Vegas advertises the world over for people to come here and gamble, for senior citizens to move here while offering “life changing experience” advertisement. It’s a life changing experience alright, if pushing a shopping cart while being homeless on the streets is your idea of a life changing experience, then yeah go for it. The very casinos that cause homelessness in Vegas do very little to eradicate homelessness.

All but one person missed the idea behind my first YouTube video, Vegas Snap Shots. "Snapshots" was purposely spelled wrong to signify that something was wrong in Vegas. The video was shot while I was homeless and the statement is the fact the city that has the most hotel rooms in the world also has the most homeless per capita. See the video Vegas Snap Shots @ YouTube and/or at Christian River I’ve since explained the video in Christian River and will update it on YouTube site soon, but nevertheless, people missed my point, and for that that is my own fault.

Smart & Final; A Good Place to Volume Purchase
Now for tomorrow, already called in and saved at the store (Smart & Final) and/or placed in a cooler for pick up tomorrow or the next day at the latest.

(See the photos for the actual items selected, all on sale.)

Chips 50 Ct for $11.49 x 2 = $22.98
100ct. @ $0.23 per individual item.
($22.98)

Crystal Geyser Water $4 ea for 35 ct.
3 cases x $4 = $12
for total of 105 individual item count ($12)
(Bottled Water 11 cents each.)

Red Delicious Apples 3# bags $1.99
3 bags with about 10 apples each = 30 apples total ($5.97 ) or
10 bags with about 10 apples each bag = 100 apple total ($19.90)
100 people are fed with an apple, a bag of snack chips and a bottle of pure water for $54.88 or 54 cents per person.

When I find these items on even better sales with a greater savings I can pay as little as $40.95 or 41 cents each.

Not only will I bring this food, plus I'm delivering new boxer shorts, new t-shirts, socks, and I always have on hand knit hats and gloves for any newly homeless persons as we have a stock of hygiene or personal care products. Now that's just tomorrow. $55 for 100 people. (Apples 20 cents each, chips 23 cents each and water 11 cents each.)

.23 + .11 + .20 = 54 cents each person or $54.88 for 100 people.

When I Hungered, You Fed Me. When I thirst, You Gave Me Something to Drink.

Again, this food isn't my normal food delivery, this is basically a snack, but those seeing my car and expecting food while I'm delivering clean new underwear will at least have something to put into their hungry tummies. It takes the hunger pangs away until they can get to a soup kitchen. I also have some used clothing people donated, used backpacks that were donated and other donated items.

Spread the Word!
Let's Get The Movement Going Humanitarianism Depends Upon Us!

$212,000 divided by .41 each = 517, 073 homeless people, that's over a half a million homeless people that could be treated with snacks to take the edge off of hunger. Or I could do this same thing and treat 100 people an apple, a bag of chips, a bottle of cold water as a mid-morning snack, ready? 5,171 times. Or every day for 14 years! That's right, I could treat 100 hungry homeless persons on the streets every single day of the year for 14 solid years, and then have some left over to snack on during the drive home. $41 x 4 times a day =$164, fed 1,292 times, or fed 4 times a day for 100 people for over 3 and a half years. 41 cents x 2 times daily = 82 x 600 people x 365 days per year is $183,960. $212000 - 183 960 = $28, 040 left over or enough to feed another 68,390 homeless people.

$212,000 divided by 55 ¢ = 385,454 people fed. Or over 100 people fed twice a day everyday for over five years.

Yes, I have big problems with anybody in charity making more than $30-$40,000 per year with donated money, simply because you could end hunger and homelessness, even all of poverty if the fat cows who graze at "charities" and the pigs of Animal Farm in the government didn't hoard the public money for themselves.

Ask any body who is hungry if a bag of chips, an apple and a bottle of water will stop their hunger pang?

The Crime of a $212,000 Charity Salary!

For $212,000 I can buy 212,000 Banquet TV dinners at Albertsons during their 10 for $10 sale and feed nearly a quarter-of-a-million hungry, homeless American citizens. And I bet Albertsons will throw in some free food they have been giving to Three Square, too, I bet, I bet, I bet!

Or, I can bypass Albertsons and go to Wal-Mart and buy 268,354 of the same identical Banquet TV dinners for 79¢ each on sale ALL THE TIME! And feed 134,177 hungry, homeless American citizens TWO TV dinner meals and get some church group to cook them and donate the milk and bread to make it a filling hot meal. Yes, for only $1.58 and a few pennies extra even a fat boy's belly will feel filled.

I could probably buy 424,000 dinners directly from ConAgra Foods, the makers of Banquet dinners for 50¢ each and feed from a quarter-of-a-million to a half-million people with a little help.

This article is (CC) which means Creative Commons. You are free to print it, republish it, circulate it, decorate your walls with it so long as you leave it intact, change nothing and include the byline credit, that’s me, my name, as the author and post or state a link back to this site. The photo images, used for educational purposes, are also (CC) licensed under the same conditions. (Photographer, Cliff Harrison.) Otherwise, ask for permission for any other form of use by e-mailing me.

Posted by Cliff Harrison at 8:44 PM

$212,000 Salary and They Call It Charity

2011-01-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Written by a friend of mine, I am reposting this here.

Friday, December 31, 2010

$212,000 Salary and They Call It Charity

I'll Tell You What Is Wrong With Charity Outfits These DaysBy Cliff Harrison

Perhaps I close the year with this post because I vow to open next year with hard-hitting educational posts that are coupled with video and photo images.

One of the themes I'm going to incorporate into the blog entries for 2011 is a comparison of just what I can purchase for the homeless and what I can fed the hungry with if I had $212,000 to spend on the needy.

For $212,000 I can fed 600 hungry, homeless persons on the streets for 365 days.

For $212,000 I can make 5,435 complete turkey dinners with all of the trimming that each will feed 12 persons or a total of 65, 230 persons fed a complete turkey meal.

For $212,000 I can buy one hundred and twenty-one thousand one hundred and forty two (121,142) homeless persons triple-blade shavers and shaving creme.

For $212,000 I can buy 24-hours of private motel rooms night for 5,300 people, equipped with kitchenette. OR, I can house and shelter in fully equipped PRIVATE apartments 35 homeless persons for an entire year!

For $212,000 I can provide 26,500 homeless persons with haircuts. 3,533 homeless persons with 30-day bus passes. 3,533 homeless persons will cell phones. 42,400 homeless persons with complete personal care kits. 70,666 homeless persons with emergency winter kits, of knit hats, clean socks and gloves. Nearly 2 million homeless persons with bottled water.

For $212,000 yearly salary in a so-called charity, I would feel I was corrupt!!!!

I am so appalled at the people in the "non-profit" business who start an organization and call it charity and then assign themselves a fat salary that makes us who are in real charity sick to our stomachs.

Three Squares is a popular local charity that was started in the home of a Las Vegas woman. The idea was to feed the hungry. She drew donations from concerned citizens and that grew into a mammoth organization. But there are two major problems.

People give out of the kindness of their hearts only to have their gifts sold. Just like when people donate clothes to local homeless shelters thinking they are doing good, those clothes are placed in a thrift store and sold to the homeless, not given to them.

Three Square sells the food that is donated to them to smaller charities. Now, the local food bank is part of a larger, national charity that used to go by the name Second Harvest. They run a monopoly on food banks across the country since the control some 95% of the food banking going on in America.

And now, for the real shocker, this lovely, nice lady that we all respected and admired so has just announced her salary, $212,000 per year.

That's not charity. That's stealing from those who donate in the name of charity to fatten ones self.

In the bylaws of the RIVER Organization I wrote a locked in couldn't be changed salary for the highest-paid salary of any executive for the organization; $33,000 locked in for 5 years and then no more than the median American income, no matter if there were a thousand such organizations nationwide. Of course, I never got the charity off and running, YET, but if I ever do, that will be in the Constitution and Bylaws come hell or high water.

There is a reason I wrote it that way. I don't believe, no matter how good someone is or how big of an organization they are running should ever make more than the median American income. Not if you are in charity.

And I don't believe a food bank that monopolies a food supply that is intended to feed the poor and the hungry is a legitimate organization, nor are the ones who work with them. To me, this is the purest form of corruption.

I can't always stop purchasing food for the homeless at certain supermarkets that supply Three Square, I don't have much choice. I can not boycott everyone every time I disagree with someone. But I can show you how I make purchases, how I volunteer my time for free and I am in very poor health. I'll show in videos, photography, and articles just how simple it is in purchasing food for the poor. And if I can do it on a very low fixed income, then anyone with a job can do it too.

You'll need to make up your own mind rather or not this lady is worth $212,000 income when she could spend most of that on feeding the hungry, helping the needy and giving to the poor.

The Salvation Army lost $13,000 of donated money, obviously an inside job. The public is outraged and many say they will no longer donate to the Salvation Army because they blame the supervisors for the loss claiming they should have been more responsible. It's not the first time the local Salvation Army has been a victim of foul play.

Charities all across Clark County are run by over-fed people who are not worth what they are being paid to do their jobs. Volunteers and those in rehabilitation do most of the real work in charities, it's foolish to be paying the incompetent top staff excessive salaries.

Station Casinos promised to give the Salvation Army $13,000 replacement. They made a press release making it sound like they were doing a great deed to a charity that is suppose to be doing great deeds. All 18 Station Casinos are said to take part, that means just about $722 per casino to contribute. About what one person could loose in a slot machine, especially a tight one, in a single night.

There are many stories about the local charities that need to be brought up to the public. I'd rather be doing something else. But when I learn that it is nearly impossible to get help from a local supermarket where I do business with to help me feed the hungry on the streets, no in shelters, not in schools, not in someones homes, but on the streets, and I'm told no, "We give all of our products to Three Squares."

Three Squares CEO making $212,000 a year is no charity. The top person in any charity should make no more than $33,000, certainly no more than $49,000. If they do, they are not in it for charity, but to fatten themselves.

If they want to make money, then they ought to go work in the free enterprise system. In a private company. Not in non-profit and not in government. But we seem to thing non-profit workers and government workers should be compensated equally as well as those in the private sector, but that is not wise.

As we begin the New Year we're going to show you in show and tell style and how-to-do something style Direct-to-the-Streets humanitarian care. It's not new, Christian River is something which has been doing it for a time and more and more people are joining the effort. And not only are they gaining knowledge and satisfaction in helping others, they love the feeling that they accomplish in giving directly.

Eliminate the high rollers who run the charities that are bleeding America. Station Casinos and every casino in Las Vegas can give who they want to. Every charity in Las Vegas can spend the money donated to them as they like. They can even loose the money if they like. All the big supermarkets can keep their food for Three Squares. No problem. We who work in real charity and do so for nothing, volunteering our time and using our own money to buy the goods we give to the homeless, the hungry and the needy and poor will continue to do so. We will proudly pay our income taxes and our taxes on the items we purchase for donations. We will not tax exempt anything nor will we write off on our income taxes what we donated to charity.

That is because we are not corrupt. That is because we don't do it for ourselves. We don't even really do it for the needy. We do it for Jesus Christ, because we obey him.

Christian River is a movement that is growing in favor with common people who are sick and tired of being sick and tired with so-called Charities and "non-profits".

So, tonight, have an extra drink and bring in the New Year. For this New Year, 2011, I'm going to show you how easy it is to deal directly with the homeless and not through a charity. I call it Direct-to-the-Streets and it is the most rewarding thing you could ever do. You can do your alms in secret just as the Bible tells us to do. I'm going to show you how.

Good Night. God Bless and Happy New Year 2011!

Posted by Cliff Harrison at 11:50 PM

The Coroner's Inquest and the Fifth Amendment

2010-11-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

The Coroner's Inquest and the Fifth Amendment

Submitted by David Kaplan on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 13:56.

The Coroner’s Inquest Review Panel recommended changes to the inquest process designed to answer the public outcry for fair and balanced representation during inquest proceedings while also addressing concerns that the process not become too ‘adversarial.’ Nonetheless, the Police Protective Association has warned that its officers won’t participate. The ACLU of Nevada explains why the proposal will work and will not violate the Fifth Amendment. For more info, open the PDF below.

PDF link is on the page below:

http://aclunv.org/inquestandthefifth

Also the link to the discussion on KNPR's State of Nevada is at the link above.

ACLU of Nevada: "DO YOU THINK THE CORONER'S INQUEST NEEDS REFORM? Please contact your commissioners and tell them that we need representation AT THE INQUEST PROCEEDING ITSELF, for the deceased's family. The PPA and the DA are fighting this, and we need your help. The ordinance will be introduced next Tue. [11/16] and then will be voted on 12/7."

You can find our County Commissioners here.

Click on their name and you can find their e-mail address to voice your opinions.

http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/Pages/default.aspx

Committee Created to Review Coroner's Inquest System

2010-10-14T08:07:00.001-07:00

Committee Created to Review Coroner's Inquest System

From the ACLU:

All members of the public are invited to provide input to the committee, and we strongly encourage you make your voices heard.

You can provide comments to the committee directly at a public meeting:

* Monday, October 18, from 5 pm to 9 pm (agenda)
http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/dep...810.Agenda.pdf
* Monday, October 25, from 5 pm to 9 pm
* Monday, November 1, from 5 pm to 9 pm
* Monday, November 8, from 5 pm to 9 pm

All meetings will take place in the Commissioners Chambers at the Clark County Government Center, located at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas.

And you can submit written comments to:

* Via email: inquest@ClarkCountyNV.gov
* Via U.S. mail: Coroner’s Inquest Committee, c/o the
County Manager’s Office, P.O. Box 551111, Las Vegas, NV 89155-1111

Additional information about the process is available on the Clark County website.

http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/dep...7sInquest.aspx

The committee needs to hear all of the voices and concerns about the Coroner's Inquest system. Please submit your written comments and come to the committee meetings. This is your committee and your voice deserves to be heard!

http://aclunv.org/node/326

Being Gay / LGBT / It Gets Better / Bullying / SuicidePlease watch the video further down in this post!

2010-10-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

Being Gay / LGBT / It Gets Better / Bullying / Suicide

In the past three weeks we have had five gay suicides. These are just the ones that have been seen in the media. And because of our internet system now, a lot of articles, personal stories, and videos have been surfacing. I want to do my small part and post on my blog (and other websites) about this terrible issue of bullying. I am hoping that if you read this blog that you will also do your small part - whatever that may be - to help stop this horrible form of abuse.

I am also reaching out to the legal community to do your part to try to stop this. These great articles and videos that I have posted here are helpful to one extent. The theme of "It Gets Better" is good, but we need more info on how to prevent the abuse in the first place or stop it from escalating in the schools. Many of the folks in the videos say it got better for them after they got out of high school. LGBT should not have to wait until they are out of high school for it to get better.

On the positive side, I want to encourage anyone who is being harassed or bullied for ANY reason at all to find a trusted adult who you can talk with. There are many people and organizations in your community who will listen to you. Yes, it gets better but you deserve to have it better now. There are many people out there in the community who are just like you. And they will care about you and love you just for who you are.

Call your local LGBT center, your local ACLU center, your local homeless youth center, or your local or National Suicide Hotline Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Your call will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.

Do NOT give up! You can survive. Keep calling and looking until you find someone that you can talk to. You have a right to be happy without being harassed or bullied.

"There's a lot of things that happen in your life that you can't choose. But the one thing that can never be taken away from you is your ability to choose how to respond... There's one thing that everybody can do and that is that they can always reach out for help. There's always somebody there that will offer support. Everybody's in a position to reach out for help and get support and not be alone with how they're feeling." --Terry Wise, A Suicide Attempt Survivor

I have watched so many good videos that it is hard for me to know which one to post here. So, I will post this one from the ACLU, but I strongly suggest that you watch the other videos I have linked to. They are all short enough so that you can watch the whole video.

I am also posting links here that I found from the article "Tools Against Homophobic Bullying" written by Lisa Belkin belkin@nytimes.com October 1, 2010, 11:39 am.

You can find the article here:

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/01/tools-against-homophobic-bullying/

More Info and Videos

It Gets Better: Dan and Terry (Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IcVyvg2Qlo

itgetsbetterproject | September 21, 2010

If you're gay or lesbian or bi or trans, and you've ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, "Fuck, I wish I could've told him that it gets better," this is your chance. We can't help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don't think they have a future—and we can help them....

READ MORE about the It Gets Better Project, in Savage Love, here: http://bit.ly/bYtxBd

Filmed by Kelly O.

It Gets Better: Wicked Cast Members (Video)
From: kevinyeedotcom | October 01, 2010 | 305 views

In response to the sudden influx of gay suicides, cast members from the 2nd National Tour of Wicked tell their stories of how they overcame their teens to become the artists they are today!

http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject

ACLU Staffers' "It Gets Better" Videos

http://www.aclu.org/aclu-staffers-it-gets-better-videos?v=1

Learn more about the ACLU LGBT Project's work on behalf of students and youth at:

www.aclu.org/safeschools

Links in "Tools Against Homophobic Bullying"

Lambda Legal

http://www.lambdalegal.org/

Stop Bullying Now!
(resource for parents of younger children)

http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/

Order Out, Safe & Respected
Your rights at school

http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/out-safe-respected/

Bending the Mold
An Action Kit for Transgender Students

http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/bending-the-mold/order-bending-the-mold.html

GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Four Steps Schools Can Take to Address Anti-LGBT Bullying and Harassment
Media Contact:
Daryl Presgraves
646-388-6577
dpresgraves@glsen.org
Feb 19, 2008

Educator piece of the problem

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2263.html

Training programs

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2587.html?state=research&type=research

Latest report

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2624.html?state=research&type=research

END

Project Homeless Connect/Stand Down 2010

2010-09-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

For PDF format, click on the link below:

http://www.labordawgs.com/f/Save_the_Date_Flyer.pdf

Statement from AFAN RE: Canyon Ridge Christian Church

2010-08-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

*Thanks to AFAN for choosing to do the right thing.

Statement from AFAN RE: Canyon Ridge Christian Church

by Aid for AIDS of Nevada on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 2:45pm

Posted on Facebook

“After evaluating Canyon Ridge Christian Church’s backing of Pastor Ssempa of Uganda and his support of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, we feel that it is in the best interest of our clients, supporters and staff to dissolve our relationship with the church immediately. Unfortunately, we will be unable to continue to work with the church, as long as they are associated with Pastor Ssempa. Since what he and the Anti-Homosexuality Bill represent violates the basic human rights that should be afforded to all Ugandans. Our mission is to provide client service programs that assist in enhancing the physical health and psychosocial wellness of the individuals living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Nevada, while promoting dignity and improving the quality of their lives. We will further this mission without the support of Canyon Ridge Christian Church.” - Aid for AIDS of Nevada

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Founded in 1984, Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) is the oldest and largest AIDS service organization in the state of Nevada. Nearly two thousand men, women and children infected with HIV are registered as clients with our agency. AFAN provides direct client service programs, food programs, prevention and education programs, and community outreach.

http://www.afanlv.org

Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda_Anti-Homosexuality_Bill

Anti-Homosexuality Bill

http://wthrockmorton.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Bill-No-18-Anti-Homosexuality-Bill-2009.pdf

Should Cities Restrict Food to the Homeless?

2010-08-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Should Cities Restrict Food to the Homeless?

Cities Seek to Contain the Homeless; Advocates Call Policy 'Misguided'

By AMY RIGBY

July 5, 2010

Read the full article here:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/restricting-food-homeless-stirs-controversy/story?id=11077284

Gee, Thanks for Permission to Feed People, Las Vegas

2010-08-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Gee, Thanks for Permission to Feed People, Las Vegas

by Josie Raymond June 15, 2010 11:30 AM (PT) Topics: Criminalization of the Homeless

Doesn't asking for permission to feed the needy feel a little off, like asking to go to the bathroom or to eat lunch?

Read the full article here:
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/gee_thanks_for_permission_to_feed_people_las_vegas

"Cliff" by invisiblepeople, Face and voice of homelessness, Las Vegas, NV

2010-08-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

Mass Incarceration in NevadaIs a Failed Strategy/SB398 (Exhibit C)

2010-06-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

People & Power - Homeless Hero - 03 Feb 08 - Pt 1

2010-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Story of Cheri Honkala's rise from homelessness and single motherhood to leadership of a growing popular movement in the USA.

Welcome: Japan Council Against A&H Bombs

2010-05-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome: Japan Council Against A&H Bombs

http://pjep.org/actions/?id=4618&t=1273035600

The Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo) was established in September 1955. Since then it has waged various kinds of campaigns for: the prevention of nuclear war; the total ban on and the elimination of nuclear weapons; and support and solidarity with Hibakusha (victims of the atomic bombing). Yayoi Tsuchida, assistant general secretary of Gensuikyo, will be leading their delegation in Las Vegas.

Over 5000 people from Japan are visiting the United States on the occasion of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference http://peaceandjusticenow.org/wordpress/ at the United Nations throughout the month of May including 1500 members of Gensuikyo. Eighty of them, including several Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) are coming to Las Vegas. Like their compatriots visiting other cities, they want to speak with people about the need for a swift and total ban on and the elimination of nuclear weapons; and the need for people to support and have solidarity with Hibakusha (victims of A- and H- bomb attacks and testing).

Please review and consider signing and circulating their Appeal for a Nuclear Weapon-Free World. http://www.antiatom.org/sig/2010/E_index.html

...Thursday, May 6, the delegation will stand with the weekly peace vigil outside the federal courthouse in Las Vegas.

Thanks to the Atomic Testing Museum http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/ for donating their space for this reception. Organized by Nevada Desert Experience http://nevadadesertexperience.org/ along with Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service. http://paceebene.org/

...Vigil for Peace Every Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., in front of the Federal Courthouse, 333 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, Nevada.

Every week, a group of people stand with signs about peace, about the cost of war, asking people to honk in a sign of solidarity if they're in a vehicle. This particular vigil has been taking place for over eight years. Please join us in promoting nonviolence and world peace.

Education Not Incarceration

2010-02-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

Education Not Incarceration
by Dahn Shaulis

Sunday, February 14, 2010, 10:10 AM

[The RJ failed again to mention common sense legislation that could be used to reduce the State budget. I provided Mr. Benjamin Spillman with the written information below which he failed to use in his article "Residents Give Budget Input". I am doubtful that the RJ or the Sun will publish this]

I am asking that Nevada lawmakers gather the courage to push Senate Bill 398 in the emergency session, to reduce a dysfunctional and wasteful aspect of state government, to treat low-level drug offenders rather than throwing them into gang-infested, drug infested prisons. I am also asking Nevada voters to call or write their legislators about this measure.

According to the SAGE Commission, which approves of this measure, the State would save an estimated $51.2 million in the first year by diverting non-violent probation violators from prison to treatment. The SAGE Commission also estimated a $280 million savings over five years. Substance abuse treatment would be provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. The heads of Corrections and Parole and Probation have already publicly stated that they approve of this measure.

I speak to you not only as a concerned citizen, but also as an educator who has spent considerable time working in and studying the Nevada justice system. As a case manager in high security mental health units at two state prisons, I have seen this waste of resources, where prisons have become “the new asylums” and where high security prisons serve as graduate schools for organized crime.

For 45 years the State of Nevada decided to invest in adult and youth prisons instead of communities, public education, and human services. Crime grew as a result of the growing casino culture, racial segregation and discrimination, and the refusal to treat people for substance abuse and mental health problems. Overall index crime peaked in Nevada in 1980, yet the fear of crime enabled lawmakers to push for more prison funding, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in capital expenditures. Currently, some lawmakers want to build prisons even as other facilities lie vacant.

Prisons in Nevada do little to habilitate prisoners, providing them with few opportunities to get the skills and resources they need to make it on the outside. It is appalling to see that Casa Grande, which is supposed to provide opportunities for short-timers, always has dozens of empty beds, while waves of low-level probation violators flood the high security High Desert State prison. Let’s have the courage to start the savings now. The time is now to downsize this costly part of government—and to replace it with community reinvestment and public education.

Nevada Interim Finance Committee Meeting

2010-02-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA

Name of Organization: NEVADA LEGISLATURE’S INTERIM FINANCE COMMITTEE

Date and Time of Meeting: February 18, 2010 – 9:00 a.m.

Place of Meeting: Grant Sawyer State Office Building
Room 4401
555 East Washington Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada

Note: Some members of the Committee may be attending the meeting and other persons may observe the meeting and provide testimony through a simultaneous videoconference conducted at the following locations:

Legislative Building
Room 4100
401 South Carson Street
Carson City, Nevada

If you cannot attend the meeting, you can listen to or view it live over the Internet. The address for the Nevada Legislature website is http://www.leg.state.nv.us. Click on the link “Live Meetings – Listen or View.”

Note: Please provide the secretary with electronic or written copies of testimony and visual presentations if you wish to have complete versions included as exhibits with the minutes.

A G E N D A
Note: Items on this agenda may be taken in a different order than listed.

*Denotes items on which the Committee may take action.

A. ROLL CALL.

*B. DISCUSSION OF THE STATE BUDGET SHORTFALL AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS.

C. PUBLIC COMMENT.

(Because of time considerations, the period for public comment by each speaker may be limited, and speakers are urged to avoid repetition of comments made by previous speakers.)

Note: We are pleased to make reasonable accommodations for members of the public who are disabled and wish to attend the meeting. If special arrangements for the meeting are necessary, please notify the Fiscal Analysis Division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau, in writing, at the Legislative Building, 401 South Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89701-4747, or call the Fiscal Analysis Division at (775) 684-6821 as soon as possible.

Notice of this meeting was posted in the following Carson City, Nevada, locations: Blasdel Building, 209 East Musser Street; Capitol Press Corps, Basement, Capitol Building; City Hall, 201 North Carson Street; Legislative Building, 401 South Carson Street; and Nevada State Library, 100 Stewart Street. Notice of this meeting was faxed for posting to the following Las Vegas, Nevada, locations: Clark County Government Center, 500 South Grand Central Parkway; and Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 East Washington
Avenue. Notice of this meeting was posted on the Internet through the Nevada Legislature’s website at www.leg.state.nv.us.

Human Rights Advocates Given Maximum Federal Prison Sentences

2010-01-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

Speaking Truth to Power

Human Rights Advocates Given Maximum Federal Prison Sentences of Six Months for Direct Action Opposing the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC)

Judge Finds SOA Watch Activists Guilty for Carrying Protest against the SOA/WHINSEC onto Fort Benning, Issues Arrest Warrant for Michael Walli for Refusing to Appear for the Trial. Father Louie in Georgia Jail.

On Monday, January 25, 2010, U.S. Magistrate G. Mallon Faircloth sentenced three human rights advocates to six months in federal prison for carrying a protest against the School of the Americas onto the Fort Benning military base in Georgia. This school, re-named the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, is a controversial U.S. Army training school for Latin American soldiers.

Father Roy Bourgeois, a Roman Catholic priest and the founder of SOA Watch, the organization that works to close the School of the Americas said "Judge Faircloth has sentenced our sister and brothers to 6 months in federal prison for speaking the truth about the SOA/WHINSEC. We are saddened by the court's continued blindness and hardness of heart, but we are stronger than ever in solidarity. These sentences are symbolic of our nation's misdirection, but they are also great steps forward for our resistance movement. It is truer today, than ever before, that although they jail the resisters they have not, and cannot, jail the resistance!"

The "SOA 4" are:

Nancy Gwin, long-time activist from Syracuse, New York - sentenced to six months in prison

Father Louie Vitale, veteran and priest from Oakland, CA - sentenced to six months in prison

Ken Hayes, SOA Watch Council member from Austin, TX - sentenced to six months in prison

Michael Walli, a member of the Catholic Worker movement from Washington, DC refused to appear for the trial in Georgia. Walli had told the court during his November arraignment that he would not pay any bail and that he would not voluntarily return for the trial. "I walk out and it's goodbye" Walli told Judge Mallon Faircloth. Michael Walli made good on his promise and on Monday, Judge Mallon Faircloth issued a warrant for Michael Walli's arrest.

The "SOA 4" were among the tens of thousands who gathered on November 20-22, 2009 outside the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia to demand a change in U.S. policy in Latin America and the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC. The group peacefully crossed onto Fort Benning while thousands stood vigil at the gates of the base in memory of those killed by graduates of the institution.

The SOA/WHINSEC, a military training facility for Latin American security personnel, made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released training manuals used at the school that advocated torture, extortion and execution.

Nancy Gwin's trial statement

(Nancy is on trial for her work to close the School of the Americas along with Louie Vitale and others.)

Your Honor, I’ve brought a woven fabric, a tapestry from Guatemala, with me today to remind those in the courtroom of the beauty of the people of Latin America, of their gifts. And, this weaving is also a reminder of what violence does to beauty.

Your Honor, my name is Nancy Gwin. I was born in Nebraska, growing up in a small town there. My home is now Syracuse, New York. I wish to speak to you of my journey to the prayer vigil to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC on Sunday, November 22, 2009.

I am a war orphan---my father, Boyd Gwin is MIA/Missing in Action in North Korea, an Air Force/National Air Guard Pilot whose plane was shot down in January, 1953. I am a peace activist in my father’s honor. As a young woman I committed to do what I could in my lifetime to make the strong statement, “No more war orphans, no more widows or Gold Star mothers.”

Many veterans are working to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC. I like to think I stand with them and understand their indignity of knowing such a training school exists within the United States Armed Forces.

I have been to El Mozote in the Morazan Department of El Salvador, walked on the grounds where people were massacred and visited the small museum there. Graduates of the School of the Americas, Salvadoran armed forces trained by U.S. military, killed at least 1000 civilians at El Mozote. It is estimated that 130 were children under the age of twelve. I have a granddaughter who will turn twelve this week.

Your Honor, I am a person of faith, a church woman. My faith tradition is the United Church of Christ, although I have great respect for other religious traditions. Whenever I have been able, I have journeyed to other countries in Latin America to interface with the people, to witness the impact of the economic and foreign policies of the United States first hand.

The United Church of Christ has adopted a Resolution “Calling for the Close of the U.S. Army School of the Americas” which I have attached to my statement. I quote:

“Whereas it has been established that people of faith, working in solidarity with people of Central America, have been murdered by soldiers trained at the School of the Americas, namely those responsible for the assassinations of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the four North American church women, the six Jesuit priests, their Housekeeper and her daughter, all in El Salvador; . . .

“Be it further resolved that the Twenty-first General Synod endorses continued efforts by the School of the Americas Watch in Fort Benning, Georgia, Washington, D.C. and local Central American solidarity organizations across the country, to push for closing the School of the Americas; . . .”

I visited Acteal, Chiapas, Mexico where forty-five Catholic indigenous people, including fifteen children, gathered at a prayer meeting were massacred on December 27, 1997. They were members of the pacifist group, “Las Abejas”. Mexican graduates of the School of the Americas/WHINSEC have played an active role in the civilian-targeted warfare in their country.

Your Honor, I treasure the ideal of a truly democratic process where a person may decide to run for elected office, cast an unfettered vote for the candidate of his or her choice. I have served as an International Election Observer, trained and certified, in elections in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Haiti and witnessed people there working hard to assure fair and free elections; to revitalize democracy.

I was not surprised to learn that the general, Gen. Romeo Vasquez Velasquez, who led the coup in Honduras on June 28, 2009 which overthrew democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya is a two-time graduate of the School of the Americas. This institution, funded by our tax dollars, has trained thousands of coup leaders and human rights abusers. This coup has happened only seven short months ago. Thousands of people in Honduras have been resisting while the SOA/WHINSEC is continues to train Honduran officers.

The School of the Americas/WHINSEC has in the past and continues to train in low-intensity conflict; in counter-insurgency warfare against the poor, the laborers, the teachers, union-organizers. The School of the Americas/WHINSEC continues to send military officers from Latin America back to their homelands to use tactics and policies which result in war orphans, widows and Gold Star mothers.

I have always loved, been intrigued by the Spanish verb ”esperar”. It translates both “to hope” and “to wait”. In English, we use different verbs and distinguish between the meanings---sometimes, I think, because waiting and hoping are so separate in our impatient culture---not as intertwined.

Your Honor, I have worked hard to educate my elected officials on the urgency of closing the School of the Americas/WHINSEC, investigating its operations, and changing the foreign policies which underpin it. It is past time to send a message to our brothers and sisters in Latin America that we are ready for change, for right relation, for new beginnings. Sometimes waiting and hoping are not enough.

Links:

http://www.unobserver.com/layout4.php?id=7141&blz=1

http://www.examiner.com/x-10438-Human-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d26-US--human-rights-defenders-get-maximum-prison-sentence-for-truth

Military Industrial Complex

2010-01-09T11:11:00.000-08:00

AMAZING SPEECH BY WAR VETERAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akm3nYN8aG8

Iraq Veterans Against the War

http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier/testimony/racism-and-war-dehumanization-enemy-part-2/mike-prysner/video

Rumsfeld 2.3 Trillion Dollars missing Pentagon 1 DAY b4/9-11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kpWqdPMjmo

Eisenhower on the Military Industrial Complex

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdrGKwkmxAU

Documentary – “Why we fight?”

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9219858826421983682#

"Somebody Like Me" by Jason Crabb

2010-01-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Somebody Like Me" by Jason Crabb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC-MyglVbCc

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Homeless Memorial Candlelight Vigil 2009

2009-12-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

List of homeless who didn't survive the streets totals 42

By Lynnette Curtis
Las Vegas Review-Journal

http://www.lvrj.com/news/list-of-homeless-who-didnt-survive-the-streets-totals-42-79392997.html

Modern Day Slavery in America

2009-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

You may remember Feminists for Life speaker Joyce McCauley-Benner's powerful speech, “Victory Over Violence."

http://www.feministsforlife.org/video/victory-over-violence-frame.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj6jtE3mrls

Today this survivor of sexual assault assists victims of sex trafficking.

Please be aware that information contained within the following op-ed may be disturbing to some adults. And although children are sadly experiencing the abuse she writes about, parents are the best judge of whether their child is prepared to read Joyce's revealing article.

If you are interested in hosting Joyce as a speaker, http://www.feministsforlife.org/cop/speakers.htm please contact FFL’s College Outreach Program Coordinator at coordinator@ffloncampus.org .

Because women deserve better,

Serrin M. Foster
President

The Face of Modern Day Slavery

While browsing the internet one day, I came across an unsettling advertisement for a t-shirt which read “I went to Thailand and all I got was this kidnapped prostitute.”

It sold for $16.99 and, The Onion’s website noted, the “prostitute [was] not included.”

I would imagine the creators of the shirt found the statement amusing. They are, after all, working for a website that satirizes politics and the media. Some readers may gloss over it completely. Some may not understand the reference. And then there are those of us that are outraged.

“Kidnapped prostitutes” are victims of sex trafficking, a form of modern day slavery. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act, championed by Rep. Christopher Smith, defines severe forms of trafficking in persons as ’’sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.”

Sex trafficking is more common than you think. While it certainly occurs internationally, in places like Thailand (driven largely by men “vacationing” or “on business” from America), it is also perhaps America's dirtiest little secret.

I have been working as an advocate for domestic (American) sex trafficking victims for the past year and a half. What have I learned?

- Slavery has been reinvented in America. Today, in 2009, children (both boys and girls) and adults are used for the purposes of commercial sex and forced labor—and most of America is completely unaware of their plight.

- Trafficking victims are vulnerable. They are most often victims of abuse, assault, and neglect before being trafficked.

- Trafficking victims are made vulnerable by other social injustices: poverty, racism, and the over-sexualization and objectification of women in our culture.

- Trafficking victims do not engage in “sex work.” They are manipulated into a life of prostitution, drugs, torture, and disempowerment.

- Trafficking victims do not have free choices; their actions are compelled by circumstances or by force, fraud, or coercion. Abortion, adoption, or parenting is a decision made and forced by another person, an abuser.

Victims of sex trafficking can come, when there is no intervention, from a generational or familial life of prostitution. It is not uncommon to see daughters of traffickers groomed to become future prostitutes and sons become future traffickers. In international trafficking, forced adoption or child abduction is also very common as children and women are considered products of a business rather than free human beings. Forced abortion is often performed with methods unsafe to women. A trafficked woman’s body is never her own.

As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I know the pain and turmoil having your sexuality hijacked. I also know how common sexual assault is in our society. But I found that the victimization I experienced was nothing in comparison to what these women experience as slaves, what these children experience as chattel.

Sex trafficking occurs in truck stops, hotels, suburban homes, rural fields, and cities across the US. Ever drive by a strip club assuming it employs adults? Would you be surprised to find children? I have met several young teens (14-16) who were coerced or manipulated into stripping and then prostituting after hours. Often the girls have fake papers given to them to protect the owner of the club. MySpace and other social web sites are prime recruiting ground to lure teens into these types of situations.

Shared Hope International’s “National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America’s Prostituted Children” reveals that 13 is the average age children in the United States are forced into prostitution, and at least 100,000 American children are used in domestic prostitution every year.

Minor victims of domestic sex trafficking fill our detention facilities. We pay for that, but they pay much more. “Tonya,” a survivor of domestic sex trafficking put it this way. “I always felt like a criminal. I never felt like a victim at all. Victims don’t do time in jail, they work on the healing process. I was a criminal because I spent time in jail. I definitely felt like nothing more than a criminal.” But these children really are victims, not criminals. While they suffer, true criminals who buy sex from minors remain free, and the traffickers, watchers, recruiters, and groomers (many of whom were abused or exposed to trafficking by family members when they were young) who traffic children frequently escape detection.

Pornography contributes to this global injustice against women and children. Trafficking flourishes where pornography objectifies women and children and stimulates economic demand for even more pornography and prostitution. Ignorance or willful disbelief on the part of customers allows traffickers to fill that demand with their victims, who appear in seemingly legal porn.

Ideas to combat trafficking in the U.S. have included the formation of Rescue and Restore coalitions throughout the country. The US Department of Health and Human Services sponsors an awareness and educational campaign in addition to developing the coalitions and building awareness about the national human trafficking hotline. In June 2003, the FBI in conjunction with the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children launched the Innocence Lost National Initiative. Their combined efforts were aimed at addressing the growing problem of domestic sex trafficking of children in the United States. As of September 2009, 818 children have been recovered, over $3 million has been seized, there have been 510 convictions, and 34 task force and working groups in targeted areas have been formed. Passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act is also integral to the fight to end human trafficking.

These strides are a good beginning. Yet, we must continue to dig deeper to fight the root causes of this issue. Trafficking victims are often missed because you have to look under the surface to find the truth of her circumstances. You may see them on the side of your milk carton while you enjoy your morning cereal. They are our missing children and the adults we missed as children. We have to ask more questions and assume less. We have to know that this is America's shameful secret too.

These crimes against women and children are a new wave of slavery. It deserves our full attention—and should not be callously displayed on a t-shirt.

Joyce Ann McCauley-Benner was raped at 20 while working her way through college and chose not to abort, not knowing if her unborn son was the result of rape or of her relationship. She says, “I know what it's like to want to run as far away as possible from a problem, how it feels to hang on to 'if I wasn't pregnant anymore, it would all be OK again.'“ Ms. McCauley-Benner, who graduated from college while raising her son, worked on a racial justice task force and currently works with victims of sex trafficking. Today she presents her speech, “Victory Over Violence” on college campuses and at Capitol Hill briefings. In addition to her lecture, she moderates FFL Pregnancy Resource Forums. A mother of two sons, Ms. McCauley-Benner lives in the Midwest.

Feminists for Life was a charter member of the Initiative Against Sexual Trafficking and was the only pro-life organization who actively worked towards the successful passage of the Violence Against Women Act. More information may be found on FFL’s website, as in The American Feminist issues “Victory Over Violence” http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/1998/fall/Fall98.pdf and “Crimes Against Women Around the World.” http://www.feministsforlife.org/taf/2002/SpringSummer2002/SpringSummer2002.pdf

©2009, Feminists for Life of America. Permission to reprint this article in its entirety with attribution to Joyce McCauley-Benner and Feminists for Life is granted. Please send a copy of or link to any reprints to Feminists for Life at info@feministsforlife.org .

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Go to http://www.feministsforlife.org/support/index.htm and join online or donate today!

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What Does Love Mean?

2009-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Received this in my e-mail today. Thought it was cute and thought I would share it with you.

Power of God

If people were to hate me that is their load to carry, I have no room for hate in my heart because it is filled with love from God. Butch (Lou) Mathews

Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.. Touching words from the mouth of babes.

What does Love mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.

So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss." Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." Nikka - age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine - age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.

Father, God bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Then send it on to five other people, including the one who sent it to you. Within hours you caused a multitude of people to pray for other people. Then sit back and watch the power of God work in your life.

P. S. Five is good, but more is even gooder!

Chomsky on Obama Speech

2009-06-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

News Release

Chomsky on Obama Speech

June 4, 2009

NOAM CHOMSKY
Chomsky, whose recent books include Interventions and The Essential Chomsky, sent the following to the Institute for Public Accuracy this morning: "A CNN headline, reporting Obama's plans for his June 4 Cairo address, reads 'Obama looks to reach the soul of the Muslim world.' Perhaps that captures his intent, but more significant is the content hidden in the rhetorical stance, or more accurately, omitted.

"Keeping just to Israel-Palestine -- there was nothing substantive about anything else -- Obama called on Arabs and Israelis not to 'point fingers' at each other or to 'see this conflict only from one side or the other.' There is, however, a third side, that of the United States, which has played a decisive role in sustaining the current conflict. Obama gave no indication that its role should change or even be considered.

"Those familiar with the history will rationally conclude, then, that Obama will continue in the path of unilateral U.S. rejectionism.

"Obama once again praised the Arab Peace Initiative, saying only that Arabs should see it as 'an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities.' How should the Obama administration see it? Obama and his advisers are surely aware that the Initiative reiterates the long-standing international consensus calling for a two-state settlement on the international (pre-June '67) border, perhaps with 'minor and mutual modifications,' to borrow U.S. government usage before it departed sharply from world opinion in the 1970s, vetoing a Security Council resolution backed by the Arab 'confrontation states' (Egypt, Iran, Syria), and tacitly by the PLO, with the same essential content as the Arab Peace Initiative except that the latter goes beyond by calling on Arab states to normalize relations with Israel in the context of this political settlement. Obama has called on the Arab states to proceed with normalization, studiously ignoring, however, the crucial political settlement that is its precondition. The Initiative cannot be a 'beginning' if the U.S. continues to refuse to accept its core principles, even to acknowledge them.

"In the background is the Obama administration's goal, enunciated most clearly by Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to forge an alliance of Israel and the 'moderate' Arab states against Iran. The term 'moderate' has nothing to do with the character of the state, but rather signals its willingness to conform to U.S. demands.

"What is Israel to do in return for Arab steps to normalize relations? The strongest position so far enunciated by the Obama administration is that Israel should conform to Phase I of the 2003 Road Map, which states: 'Israel freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements).' All sides claim to accept the Road Map, overlooking the fact that Israel instantly added 14 reservations that render it inoperable.

"Overlooked in the debate over settlements is that even if Israel were to accept Phase I of the Road Map, that would leave in place the entire settlement project that has already been developed, with decisive U.S. support, to ensure that Israel will take over the valuable land within the illegal 'separation wall' (including the primary water supplies of the region) as well as the Jordan Valley, thus imprisoning what is left, which is being broken up into cantons by settlement/infrastructure salients extending far to the East. Unmentioned as well is that Israel is taking over Greater Jerusalem, the site of its major current development programs, displacing many Arabs, so that what remains to Palestinians will be separated from the center of their cultural, economic, and sociopolitical life. Also unmentioned is that all of this is in violation of international law, as conceded by the government of Israel after the 1967 conquest, and reaffirmed by Security Council resolutions and the International Court of Justice. Also unmentioned are Israel's successful operations since 1991 to separate the West Bank from Gaza, since turned into a prison where survival is barely possible, further undermining the hopes for a viable Palestinian state.

"It is worth remembering that there has been one break in U.S.-Israeli rejectionism. President Clinton recognized that the terms he had offered at the failed 2000 Camp David meetings were not acceptable to any Palestinians, and in December, proposed his 'parameters,' vague but more forthcoming. He then announced that both sides had accepted the parameters, though both had reservations. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met in Taba, Egypt to iron out the differences, and made considerable progress. A full resolution could have been reached in a few more days, they announced in their final joint press conference. But Israel called off the negotiations prematurely, and they have not been formally resumed. The single exception indicates that if an American president is willing to tolerate a meaningful diplomatic settlement, it can very likely be reached.

"It is also worth remembering that the Bush I administration went a bit beyond words in objecting to illegal Israeli settlement projects, namely, by withholding U.S. economic support for them. In contrast, Obama administration officials stated that such measures are 'not under discussion' and that any pressures on Israel to conform to the Road Map will be 'largely symbolic,' so the New York Times reported (Helene Cooper, June 1).

"There is more to say, but it does not relieve the grim picture that Obama has been painting, with a few extra touches in his widely-heralded address to the Muslim World in Cairo on June 4."

For more information, contact at the
Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020;
or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

May 1st March, Las Vegas

2009-04-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Click image to enlarge

Repost from myspace

Apr 21, 2009 1:23 AM

In response to the Las Vegas Review Journal Article

Dear Lynette,

I enjoyed reading your story about the upcoming march scheduled on May 1st in Las Vegas (http://www.lvrj.com/news/43166087.html). I am in strong support of such social justice efforts and am committed to supporting the students who are organizing this march.

I want to encourage you to reconsider your use of the term "illegal immigrants." I find this term to be incredibly offensive and dehumanizing. I understand that people living in this country without documentation are characterized as "illegal" by the government, but this is problematic for at least two reasons.

One, the immigration laws do not offer all people equal access to visas, residency and/or citizenship. In fact, poor people and people of color are overwhelmingly discriminated against and denied "legal" access to travel for work, etc.

Two, if a person commits a crime, the act is "illegal," not the individual. If you take a wrong turn and break a traffic law, you are not an "illegal" human being. You broke a law, and it is up to the courts to determine and decide what action to take.

When the average person/journalist uses this kind of terminology it opens up the avenue for hate language and anti-immigrant sentiment that is unfounded and largely based on myths about immigration and immigrants (as is evident in the comments left on your article).

Moreover, I believe that people living in this country as economic refugees, that is, people who come here for reasons of economic survival, do not deserve to be unfairly criminalized. The lack of citizenship status does not warrant citizenist (anti-immigrant discrimination) behavior/language nor the right to exploit and discriminate against this community of people.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his letter from Birmingham, "An unjust law is no law at all." Hence, since there is great debate about the justice of immigration law as it exists today, it is unfair to uphold this question of "legality" as a reason to refer to human beings as "illegal."

Overwhelmingly, journalists are taking the advice of the National Association for Hispanic Journalists and using the more respectful and dignified term "undocumented" immigrant/person/student/woman/man/child. I believe that journalists have an obligation to set the example for a more humane discourse on this issue. Thus, I urge you to discontinue the use of the terminology that is so closely linked to hate and discrimination. In a few years, this term will be as distasteful and shameful as the use of other derogatory/racist terms we have worked diligently to eliminate.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anita Tijerina Revilla..

---

FYI...

NAHJ
Urges News Media to Stop Using Dehumanizing Terms When Covering Immigration Calls for stopping the use of illegals as a noun, curbing the phrase illegal alien

Media Contact: Joseph Torres (202)662-7143.; Daniela Montalvo ..(202) ..662-7152 Washington, D.C.

-- As protesters march in the streets and debate intensifies in Congress over how to fix the nations immigration laws, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists calls on our nations news media to use accurate terminology in its coverage of immigration and to stop dehumanizing undocumented immigrants.

NAHJ is concerned with the increasing use of pejorative terms to describe the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. NAHJ is particularly troubled with the growing trend of the news media to use the word illegals as a noun, shorthand for "illegal aliens".

Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed. NAHJ calls on the media to never use illegals in headlines.

Shortening the term in this way also stereotypes undocumented people who are in the United States as having committed a crime. Under current U.S. immigration law, being an undocumented immigrant is not a crime, it is a civil violation. Furthermore, an estimated 40 percent of all undocumented people living in the U.S. are visa overstayers, meaning they did not 'illegally' cross the U.S. border.

In addition, the association has always denounced the use of the degrading terms alien and illegal alien to describe undocumented immigrants because it casts them as adverse, strange beings, inhuman outsiders who come to the U.S. with questionable motivations. Aliens is a bureaucratic term that should be avoided unless used in a quote.

NAHJ, a 2,300-member organization of reporters, editors and other journalists, addresses the use of these words and phrases by the news media in its Resource Guide for Journalists.

The following are excerpts for some of the terms prevalent in the current news coverage:

Alien:
A word used by the U.S. government to describe a foreign-born person who is not a citizen by naturalization or parentage. People who enter the United States legally are called resident aliens and they carry alien registration cards also known as "green cards," because they used to be green.

While Webster's first definition of the term "alien" is in accordance with the government's interpretation, the dictionary also includes other, darker, meanings for the word, such as a non-terrestrial being, "strange," "not belonging to one," "adverse," "hostile." And the Encyclopedia Britannica points out that "in early times, the tendency was to look upon the alien as an enemy and to treat him as a criminal or an outlaw.

" It is not surprising then that in 1798, in anticipation of a possible war with France, the U.S. Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which restricted "aliens" and curtailed press freedoms.

By 1800 the laws had been repealed or had expired but they still cast a negative shadow over the word.

In modern times, with science-fiction growing in popularity, "alien" has come to mean a creature from outer space, and is considered pejorative by most immigrants.

Illegal alien
Avoid. Alternative terms are "undocumented worker," or "undocumented immigrant." The pertinent federal agencies use this term for individuals who do not have documents to show they can legally visit, work or live here. Many find the term offensive and dehumanizing because it criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering or residing in the United States. The term does not give an accurate description of a person's conditional U.S. status, but rather demeans an individual by describing them as an alien. At the 1994 Unity convention, the four minority journalism groups NAHJ, Asian American Journalists Association, Native American Journalists Association and National Association of Black Journalists issued the following statement on this term: "Except in direct quotations, do not use the phrase illegal alien or the word alien, in copy or in headlines, to refer to citizens of a foreign country who have come to the U.S. with no documents to show that they are legally entitled to visit, work or live here. Such terms are considered pejorative not only by those to whom they are applied but by many people of the same ethnic and national backgrounds who are in the U.S. legally."

Illegal immigrant
While many national news outlets use the term "illegal immigrant," this handbook calls for the discussion and re-evaluation of its use. Instead of using illegal immigrant, alternative labels recommended are "undocumented worker" or "undocumented immigrant." Illegal immigrant is a term used to describe the immigration status of people who do not have the federal documentation to show they are legally entitled to work, visit or live here. People who are undocumented according to federal authorities do not have the proper visas to be in the United States legally. Many enter the country illegally, but a large number of this group initially had valid visas, but did not return to their native countries when their visas expired. Some former students fall into the latter category. The term criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering or residing in the United States without federal documents. Terms such as illegal alien or illegal immigrant can often be used pejoratively in common parlance and can pack a powerful emotional wallop for those on the receiving end.

Instead, use undocumented immigrant or undocumented worker, both of which are terms that convey the same descriptive information without carrying the psychological baggage. Avoid using illegal(s) as a noun.

Illegal Avoid.
Alternative terms are "undocumented immigrant" or "undocumented worker." This term has been used to describe the immigration status of people who do not have the federal documentation to show they are legally entitled to work, visit or live here. The term criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering, residing in the U.S. without documents.

Immigrant
Similar to reporting about a person's race, mentioning that a person is a first-generation immigrant could be used to provide readers or viewers with background information, but the relevancy of using the term should be made apparent in the story. Also, the status of undocumented workers should be discussed between source, reporter and editors because of the risk of deportation.

Undocumented immigrant
Preferred term to "illegal immigrant," "illegal(s)" and "illegal alien." This term describes the immigration status of people who do not have the federal documentation to show they are legally entitled to work, visit or live here. Some Latinos say this term more accurately describes people who are in the United States illegally because the word points out that they are undocumented, but does not dehumanize them in the manner that such terms as 'aliens' and 'illegals' do.

Undocumented worker
Preferred term to "illegal alien," "illegal immigrant," or "illegal(s)." This term describes the immigration status of people who do not have the federal documentation to show they are legally entitled to work, visit or live here.

Protest at the prison, Saturday March 7th

2009-02-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

REPOST:

Feb 22, 2009 7:19 PM

Subject: Protest at the prison, Saturday March 7th from 11AM - 2PM

Shut Hutto Down! - Change we can believe in!!!

Saturday, March 7th in Taylor Texas at 11AM at the T.
Don Hutto "Residential" Facility 1001 Welch St, Taylor, TX‎ 76574

Join us to Protest at the Prison.

Students for a Democratic Society of the University of Houston is calling for a protest at the T. Don Hutto Family Residential Center in Taylor Texas on Saturday March 7th. The T. Don Hutto Facility is a retrofitted medium security prison run by the Tennessee based Corrections Corporation of America, that detains pregnant women and women with children awaiting immigration court hearings.

This is a violation of the rights of children, a draconian false solution to the issues raised by human migration, a huge waste of taxpayer dollars going into the pockets of CCA shareholders, and a bad public policy, period. The intersection of xenophobia and anti-immigrant hysteria and the continual growth of prisons for profit is a threat to human rights. We can not sit by and allow private companies to profit of off the incarceration of children.

As part of the 100 actions in 100 days to end family detention we are calling on people and organization from throughout Texas to join us on March 7th in Taylor Texas at 11am at the T. Don Hutto Residential Facility 1001 Welch St, Taylor, TX‎ 76574. Please get in touch if you would like to be listed as a co-sponsor.

SDS in Houston will be leaving from the University of Houston campus at 7:30am to caravan to Taylor. If you would like a space in one of our vans (we are also asking for a deposit for the rental), or to carpool with us, please write us an email SDSUHtx@gmail.com

To learn more about the T Don Hutto Facility and the struggle against detention for profit, check out:

http://tdonhutto.blogspot.com
http://www.grassrootsleadership.org/100Actions.html
www.texasprisonbidness.org

The State of OUR State

2009-01-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

MEDIA ALERT

Citizens’ groups to hold press conference on “The State of OUR State” on Wednesday

For information, call Mary Jo Parise-Malloy, Nevadans for Quality Education, at (702) 277-7862; Launce Rake, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, at (702) 791-1965; or Jan Gilbert, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, (775) 882-3440.

Jan. 12, 2008

For Immediate Release

Advocates for schools, children, families, people with disabilities, seniors and others affected by Nevada state budget cuts will hold press conferences in Reno and Las Vegas Wednesday, Jan. 14 to describe “The State of OUR State” and discuss how our communities should respond to the economic crisis.

In Reno, advocates from several organizations will speak at 1 p.m. at the Washoe County Senior Center Art Room, 1155 E. Ninth St.

In Las Vegas, advocates will speak at 4 p.m. outside the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave.

The organizers, among them Nevadans for Quality Education, and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, are inviting anyone with a concern about the quality of our communities to join us at these press conferences.

The day after the press conferences, Gov. Jim Gibbons is scheduled to present his annual State of the State address in Carson City.

--END

Homeless Candlelight Vigil 2008

2008-12-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

Annual Candlelight Vigil memorializing the homeless who have lived and died on the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada will be held on Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 4:00 pm.

This year, the event will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church at 4925 S. Torrey Pines Drive at W. Tropicana.

Link to map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=christ+the+king+church+las+vegas&fb=1&cid=0,0,11422666161161224214&ll=36.101839,-115.23051&spn=0.006831,0.013819&z=16

Please email Forgotten Voice at forgottenvoice@gmail.com if you have any donations of nonperishable food, warm clothes, sleeping bags, blankets, and hygiene items.

Saturday, December 13th you are invited to help sort and bag
items for distribution after the Vigil. The sorting will also take place at Christ the King Church.

After The Vigil, "Straight From the Streets" will go around the valley and hand out supplies to any homeless or needy person we come across.

Someone once said: "No one is truly dead until they are forgotten." "Do you ever get afraid of death? Death is your friend. When this long hard journey is over, and I'm too tired to go on, Death will say, "I understand." "Then there'll be no more trouble, no more pain."

Conversation between Junior and Nanny from the show Lackawanna Blues.

Still Thinking Pink

2008-11-19T07:47:00.001-08:00

Received the above image in my e-mail. I do not know the original source. One of the cutest images I've ever seen.

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

2008-09-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

By Tim Wise

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/this-your-nation-white-privilege

Welfare, Public Hearing Notice & Agenda August 19, 2008 9:00 am

2008-07-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE & AGENDA
Notice Of Public Hearing To Adopt
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families,
Medicaid, Food Stamp, and Child Care Program
Policy and State Plan Amendments

DATE: August 19, 2008
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATIONS: Via Video-conference at the following locations:

Carson City
Legislature Building
402 South Carson Street
Room #3138
Carson City, Nevada

Las Vegas
Grant Sawyer Building
555 East Washington Avenue
Room #4401
Las Vegas, Nevada

http://dwss.nv.gov/dmdocuments/Gen_081908_Agenda.pdf

Nevada’s poor will have to tighten belts more if food stamp, welfare cuts OK’d

By Timothy Pratt, Las Vegas Sun, Fri, Jul 18, 2008

Just when a souring economy is making life tougher for a growing number of poor Nevadans, the state is preparing to cut back on the services designed to help them.

The proposed changes would yank some people out of programs faster, punish others for longer periods when they don’t keep promises and make children and other family members pay when heads of household don’t follow the rules.

Cuts in the food stamp and welfare programs are needed, officials say, because of shrinking federal reserves and state funds. Increased demand for those services, they add, is making the situation worse.

New rules for the public assistance programs will go into effect this fall, and the public’s last chance to comment on the proposals will be at Aug. 19 hearings in Las Vegas and Carson City. On that date, Nancy Ford, administrator of the Welfare and Supportive Services Division, is expected to decide which ones the state will adopt; if she follows the recommendations of her staff, she will approve all of them.

Click here to read the full article:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jul/18/nevadas-poor-will-have-tighten-belts-
more-if-food-/

Public Workshop Meeting Minutes - 04/17/2008

2008-07-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Nevada Department of Health and Human Services

Division of Welfare and Supportive Services

04/17/2008 - Public Workshop Meeting Minutes

http://dwss.nv.gov/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=57&limit=25&limitstart=25

Then click on: 2008 - 04/17 - Public Workshop

Meeting on Cuts to Welfare Programs, April 17, 2008 10:00 am

2008-04-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Division of Welfare will be holding a public meeting on April 17, 2008 at 10:00 am at the Nellis District Office, 611 North Nellis, Las Vegas, NV to reveal the latest measures to decrease the expense to the TANF and Food Stamp programs.

The caseloads have increased dramatically this year and the Governor says we don't have enough money to cover everyone who needs assistance. So, the Division has come up with ideas to ensure that "benefits go to only those who are genuinely seeking to become self-sufficient." Since our state has pared things to the bone already, what they are left with is kicking kids off the programs.

The proposals include kicking the entire family off of Food Stamps if one person in the family has an outstanding felony warrant (we used to only remove the adult, but continue to give Food Stamps for the children.)

One other proposal is to remove the entire family if the head of household does not comply with work requirements (we used to only remove the adult, but still provide assistance for the children) and the family will not be eligible for assistance for three months - even if the adult does become compliant.

Another one is to give assistance for a determined amount of children only; for example, the state will set household size limit at 3 children and the family would receive TANF and Food Stamps benefits for a household with 3 children, no matter how many children the family may currently have or if another child is born later.

General Public Comments will be heard. Let the State know that you do not agree with their decisions.

PUBLIC WORKSHOP & AGENDA

http://dwss.nv.gov/dmdocuments/Gen_0410-1708Agenda.pdf

Notice Of Public Workshop to Explore Impacts
of the Budget Reductions to
TANF and Food Stamps

DATE: April 17, 2008
TIME: 10:00 a.m.
LOCATIONS: Division of Welfare & Supportive Services
Nellis District Office
611 North Nellis
Las Vegas, NV

Posted March 19, 2008

Nevada Desert Experience, Annual Sacred Peace Walk, March 17 - March 24

2008-03-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Nevada Desert Experience,
Annual Sacred Peace Walk,
March 17 - March 24

www.nevadadesertexperience.org/programs/2008/peacewalk.htm

Earth, Wind, Fire and WaterTeach-In, March 14 & March 15

2008-03-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

On Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15, 2008 you are invited to

Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, An Environmental Justice Teach-In at Christ Church Episcopal, 2000 S. Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV.

We hope you can attend what promises to be an exciting and informative day of community building, dialogue, a Cosmic Walk, workshops, food, fun, reflection, sharing and the many other good things that happen when intelligent, caring and thoughtful people come together to improve their community and the world we live in.

A good deal of information about our Teach-In is immediately below. A brochure is attached and still more detailed information is available on our web site at www.NevadaDesertExperience.org . If you have questions or know you are coming please call us at 702.646.4814 and we will be glad to assist you. Also we would very much appreciate if you could pass this along to your friends and neighbors. NDE's Sacred Peace Walk also starts on March 17-24 and complete information is available on our web site.

Thank you.

Sr. Megan and John Amidon
Nevada Desert Experience

Earth, Wind, Fire & Water

When the ancients spokes of the basic elements of life, the stuff of the universe they spoke in terms of Earth, Wind, Fire & Water. Often they worshiped the sun. The clean air blew in their face and they breathed deeply. Pure water was precious and all land was sacred. Now at the beginning of the 21 century, we cannot help but ask what has happened? The weather has become violent. The rains have diminished greatly. Our lakes and rivers are disappearing. In many places the water and air are unsafe to drink or breathe and the land itself, appears tortured and is dying. What has happen?

The Nevada desert is a land of great beauty and harshness, of gentle delicacies and very sharp and pointed edges. Living here, we know the fire of the summer sun, the importance of life water, the winds and the beauty of the land and its mountains. Sadly even with its unique capacity for survival our Nevada desert is now threatened. What can we do?

Please join us beginning Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15 for a time of thoughtful conversation and community building. While focusing on environmental issues we will also do the important work of inner dialogue also so that we might walk more gently on our journey and learn to act with thoughtful recognition of our need to renew and sustain our environment.

Our Time Together

Our time together will be spent in a series of workshops and plenary (large group) sessions. We will have lunch as a community enjoying good food and conversation. In the afternoon we will join together as a in a special and reflective Cosmic Walk.
We will also look at some of the tougher issues which we cannot responsibly avoid if we are serious about undertaking the work of environmental justice. Since 1982, Nevada Desert Experience has worked for environmental justice focusing on the great injustice of nuclear weapons and the degradation of all of humanity and the earth's ecological systems, as a direct result of this deadly and poisonous nuclear technology

Teach - In Overview

Friday, March 14, 2008

4:00 - 5:00 PM Registration
5:00 - 6:00 PM Community Building
6:00 - 7:00 PM Lite supper
7:00 - 7:30 Welcome
7:30 - 8:30 Plenary - Parish Hall
Environmental Justice and the Nevada Desert by Gard Jameson
8:30 - 9:00 PM Q&A Goodnight!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

8:30 - 9:00 AM Registration & Coffee
9:00 - 9:15 AM Opening Remarks
9:15 - 10:15 Plenary - Main Auditorium
"Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the
Environmental Impact of Nuclear Weapons"
by John Hadder
10:15 - 11:30 AM Workshops Session 1
See www.NevadaDesertExperience.org
for our workshop selection
11:30 -12:30 Plenary - Parish Hall
"Yucca Mountain and the Future of
Nuclear Waste" by Judy Treichel , Steve Frishman & John Hadder
12:30 - 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 - 3:15 PM Workshops Session II
See www.NevadaDesertExperience.org
for our workshop selections
3:15 - 4:15 PM Plenary Session
Cosmic Walk
4:15 - 5:30 PM Open Mic
2 minutes per person
5:30 PM Closing and Thank You!

For information and registration please call:
Sr. Megan Rice @ 702.646.4814
John Amidon @ 702.646.4814

Cost:
Adults - voluntary sliding scale
$20.00 - $50.00

Students and Seniors $15.00
Full & partial scholarships are
available also upon request.

By mail:
Please send your name, address, phone and email
along with check to:

Nevada Desert Experience
1420 W. Bartlett Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada 89106

Checks are made out to Nevada Desert Experience

Directions:
Christ Episcopal Church is located
At 2100 S. Maryland Pkwy between
E. St. Louis Ave and E. Sahara Ave.

Complete conference and workshop information is available at:
www.NevadaDesertExperience.org

Pre-registration is deeply appreciated to help facilitate planning for food and the days' logistics.

We wish to express our appreciation to Christ Church Episcopal
for hosting this event.

Empty Bowl Benefit, April 5, 2008

2008-03-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas Catholic Worker
Serving the Poor and Homeless Since 1986

Click on image to view flyer.

Fifth Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq, March Actions

2008-03-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

A Day of Fast and Mourning
Las Vegas, NV

March 19, 2008 07:00PM to 08:00PM
Hosted by Vicenta Montoya
Event Description:

We invite the Las Vegas community to join us in day of fasting and reflection on the 5th Anniversary of the War.An interfaith candlelight vigil will be held at 7PM at the Lloyd George Federal Bldg. We will have a symbolic breaking of bread. Please bring candles, banners, signs, poetry, letters from soldiers you may wish to share.

Event Type: March 19th Actions

Location: 333 Las Vegas Blvd So.

No More Endless War
Las Vegas, Nevada

Saturday, March 22nd 2008 1:00 PM
Hosted by Sean Sabatini

On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, join us in front of the Venetian Casino for a patriotic protest against Bush's plans to bomb Iran and occupy Iraq indefinitely. Profits from the Venetian fund a multi-million dollar media campaign to support the war.

Nevada Workers Against the War invites you to a patriotic protest on the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

When: Saturday, March 22, 2008 at 1:00 P.M.

Where: On the public sidewalk in front of the Venetian casino, 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Why: Profits from the Venetian are helping fund a multi-million dollar media campaign to support the endless occupation of Iraq, and lay the groundwork for an attack on Iran.

The Venetian is a gold mine for Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who in turn provides financial backing for a right-wing group called Freedom’s Watch. This group has spent a fortune on misleading ads linking Iraq directly to 9/11. They maintain “the surge is working” (it isn’t), and they make wildly exaggerated claims about the threat posed by Iran. Their approach to Iran is a rerun of the run-up to the war with Iraq. To top it off, they claim that organizations like ours are “anti-victory groups that are undermining the war on terror”.

We won’t get fooled again.

OUT OF IRAQ -- HANDS OFF IRAN -- NO MORE LIES!

Join us in saying NO to endless war. Protest signs will be provided. If you can, please bring American flags. First-time protesters are more than welcome.

For more info, visit www.lasvegasantiwar.org , or email lasvegasantiwar@cox.net . You can also call Sean at (702) 241-8578.

Photos of our previous actions are on the website. Those with high-speed access can also check out www.youtube.com/lasvegasantiwar .

To facilitate our planning, please reply and let me know if you can attend.

A few important practical notes about the rally:

This rally will NOT be at the Federal building. Protesting on the Las Vegas strip sidewalk means that things won’t be quite as relaxed as they were in our previous actions. The courts have ruled that we have a right to be there, but to make things totally legal we’ll have to keep a picket line going. That means you’ll have to be on your feet for an hour or two. Actually, there is literally no place to sit down, anyway.

We expect media coverage, and most likely a police presence. The rally will be spirited, fun and non-violent. As usual, it is our policy to try to work with law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety and constitutional rights. If any passers-by want to give us a hard time, we do NOT engage them. Most people will be supportive, and the bigger our turnout, the more support we will get.

The rally starts at 1:00 pm, but I would suggest you come a bit early. Most of us will be parking in the surrounding casinos, and it is a bit of a hike to get from the casino parking garages out to Las Vegas Boulevard, and over to the Venetian. If any of our less-mobile members have wheelchairs or similar devices, consider bringing them. If you need help with that, you can give us a call at (702) 241-8578 and we’ll see what we can do. Bringing water would help, too.

Please use the above contact info if you have any questions.

Peace,

Sean

RSVP • PEACE VIGIL
8:30 am
Weekly Event
Thursdays
Hosted by Las Vegas Catholic Worker

Join us every Thursday morning from 8:30a.m. - 9:30a.m. for a Peace Presence Vigil. The vigil meets in front of the federal courthouse at the corners of Las Vegas Blvd. and Bridger. Hope to see you there. These vigils have been an ongoing part of our community since February 2003.

Raising water rates in Las Vegas

2008-02-21T07:16:00.000-08:00

Hearing today on raising water rates;
County Commission looks to reduce waste
Feb. 19, 2008

http://www.lvrj.com/news/15760602.html

How does this reduce water waste? Why aren't we looking at the corporations, golf courses, and government wasting?

Maybe the County could even address the City of Las Vegas regarding its over-watering of the public parks. People all over the city have been complaining about the City's practice of wasting water.

Check out the article in the Forgotten Voice street paper (front page and page 5) about the waste of water in the public parks. These photos were taken on four consecutive Sundays in January 2008.

Southern Nevada Drought Alert?

http://www.forgottenvoice.org/archive/FV_V1_No10.pdf

More reading:

Las Vegas water rates increasing; officials cite drought, supply
Nevada Appeal, Feb 20, 3:28 PM EST

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NV_WATER_RATES_VEGAS_NVOL-?SITE=NVCAP&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-02-20-15-28-35

Water Rate Decision by Launce Rake
February 19, 2008 Rake's Green Vegas Blog: http://rakesgreenvegas.blogspot.com/

http://rakesgreenvegas.blogspot.com/2008/02/water-rate-decision.html

Feds admit mistakenly jailing citizens as illegal immigrants

2008-02-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Feds admit mistakenly jailing citizens as illegal immigrants

By MARISA TAYLOR
McClatchy-Tribune
Feb. 14, 2008, 12:35AM

Original: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5540262.html

WASHINGTON — A top Immigration and Customs Enforcement official acknowledged Wednesday that his agency has mistakenly detained U.S. citizens as illegal immigrants, but he denied that his agency has widespread problems with deporting the wrong people.

Gary Mead, ICE's deputy director of detention and removal operations, testified during a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing that U.S. citizens have been detained on "extremely" rare occasions, but he blamed the mix-ups on conflicting information from the detainees.

Nonetheless, Mead said his agency is reviewing its handling of people who claim to be U.S. citizens "to determine if even greater safeguards can be put in place."

The testimony before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law came after immigration advocates told McClatchy that they'd seen a small but growing number of cases of U.S. citizens who've been mistakenly detained and sometimes deported by ICE. They accuse agents of ignoring valid assertions of citizenship in the rush to deport more illegal immigrants.

Unlike suspects charged in criminal courts, detainees accused of immigration violations don't have a right to an attorney, and three-quarters of them represent themselves.

Last month, Thomas Warziniack, a U.S. citizen who was born in Minnesota and grew up in Georgia, was mistakenly detained for weeks in an Arizona immigration facility and told that he was going to be deported to Russia.

Warziniack, 40, was released after his family, who learned about his predicament from a McClatchy Newspapers reporter, produced his birth certificate.

In another high-profile example, ICE agents in California mistakenly deported Pedro Guzman, a mentally disabled U.S. citizen, to Mexico. Guzman was found months later when he tried to return to the United States.

Mead contended that both Warziniack and Guzman said they were illegal immigrants, and he said ICE agents have to be careful not to release the wrong people. Guzman and Warziniack had been serving time for minor offenses when their jailers turned them over to immigration authorities.

Although Mead said that Guzman is the only U.S. citizen he knows who's been deported erroneously, immigration lawyers have said they've found at least seven others. In the past four years, ICE agents have detained more than 1 million people.

House committee members also heard stories of ICE agents interrogating or detaining U.S. citizens in their homes, at their workplaces and on the street.

Marie Justeen Mancha, a 17-year-old born in Texas, said ICE agents raided her family's home in Georgia in 2006 while her mother was running an errand. Her mother is also a U.S. citizen.

"I started to hear the words, 'Police! Illegals!'" she recalled. "I walked around the corner from the hallway and saw a tall man reach toward his gun and look straight at me."

Mancha said the agents left after grilling her about her citizenship.

"I carry that fear with me every day, wondering when they'll come back," she said.

Mancha is one of five U.S. citizens named in a pending lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center that alleges wrongful interrogations or detentions by ICE in Southeast Georgia.

Rep. Steven King, R-Iowa, the ranking minority member of the committee, described the cases as isolated and urged the agency not to be distracted from detaining and deporting illegal immigrants.

"ICE does not aim to harass and detain U.S. citizens," he said.

But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the committee, said that after hearing such stories, she feared an "overzealous government is interrogating, detaining and deporting its own citizens."

Nancy Morawetz, who runs an immigration rights clinic at New York University, said getting proof of citizenship is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for detainees, especially when they're shipped to a facility far from home.

In 2006, the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York nonprofit organization, identified 125 people in immigration detention centers who immigration lawyers believed had valid U.S. citizenship claims.

"As a country we do not have a national identity card," Morawetz said in an interview. "People don't walk around with a 'C' on their forehead that says they're a U.S. citizen."

Kucinich urges Obama as a second choice

2008-01-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Kucinich urges Obama as a second choice

If the Ohio congressman doesn't receive enough support to be viable on Iowa caucus night, the candidate tells his backers they should vote for the Illinois senator.

http://tinyurl.com/yw5swr

“Antiwar” candidate Kucinich backs leading Democrat in Iowa primary

...Congressman Kucinich is known as the “antiwar” candidate and has suggested that he would withdraw all troops from Iraq and close military bases there. His willingness to back the openly militarist Obama demonstrates—far more than his pseudo-leftist rhetoric—that he has no intention of challenging the geo-political interests of American imperialism...

http://tinyurl.com/ywftwg

Annual Candlelight Vigil, December 20, 2007

2007-12-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Forgotten Voice remembers those who have died on the streets

Someone once said "No one is truly dead until they are forgotten."

"Do you ever get afraid of death? Death is your friend. When this long hard journey is over, and I'm too tired to go on, Death will say, "I understand." "Then there'll be no more trouble, no more pain." Conversation between Junior and Nanny from the show Lackawanna Blues

Annual Candlelight Vigil memorializing the homeless who have lived and died on the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada will be held on December 20, 2007 at 3:45 pm at the Center for Independent Living at N. Las Vegas Blvd. and Foremaster Lane.

Annual event organized by Linda Lera-Randle El,
Founder of Straight From the Streets

List of deceased can be viewed in the December 2007 Issue of the Forgotten Voice street newspaper at

www.forgottenvoice.org

Click on Archives, and then click on Volume 1 No 8

Hutto Prison Candlelight Vigil

2007-12-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Free the Children of Texas' Hutto Prison

Candlelight Vigil for Families in Detention - Toy Drive
T. Don Hutto prison in Taylor, Texas
Sunday, December 16: speakers and vigil, 4-6pm; pre-vigil walk, 2pm

The T. Don Hutto detention center in Taylor, Texas, is a for-profit prison operated by Corrections Corporation of America, through an Inter-Governmental Service Agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Williamson County. Since May 2006, immigrant families, about half of them children, have been jailed in the facility while they await asylum or immigration hearings. The prison has been criticized by human rights organizations worldwide as an inappropriate facility for children. An incident involving an "inappropriate sexual relationship" between a CCA staff member and a detainee, and one where an eight-year-old girl was left without her mother for four days have increased scrutiny of Hutto in recent months.

Hutto is not an immigration solution or a national security solution; it merely uses these pressing issues as an excuse for CCA, Williamson County, and countless politicians to enrich themselves on the misery of powerless people. At an occupancy rate of 400 (maximum capacity is 512), CCA pulls at least $7,000 per month per prisoner, or $28,000 for a family of four. The cost to shelter and feed the same family at the Austin Hilton for a month? $14,934, featuring real beds and an enclosed bath in place of prison bunks and a mid-cell commode.

According to studies conducted by the Vera Institute, more humane alternatives, which ICE detailed in a March 2007 memo, are up to fifty percent more cost-effective. A vast majority of immigrants attend their hearings when enrolled in alternative supervisory programs.

Please join immigrant rights advocates, residents of Williamson County, and members of many faith communities in a vigil for families detained at the Hutto prison. The main program will begin at 4:00 pm, with the candlelight vigil starting as the sun sets at 5:00 pm. A walk to the facility from downtown Taylor's Heritage Park starting at 2:00 pm will precede the vigil.

Advocates will also be gathering toys, music players, and books to give to families detained at the prison. Toys must be in their original packaging and cannot be wrapped.

Schedule of Events

Pre-Vigil:

2:00pm- Walk From Heritage Park in Taylor (4th & Main) to T. Don Hutto Prison

3:00pm- Gather at T. Don Hutto (1001 Welch) for protest and music.

Vigil Events:

4:00pm - Program with speakers focusing on the immoral detention of families.

5:00pm- Candlelight Vigil and silent remembrance of families in detention.

Please contact Jose Orta at (512) 365-2143 or Bob Libal at (512) 971-0487 or blibal@grassrootsleadership.org for information regarding the vigil.

Bob Libal
(512) 971-0487
Grassroots Leadership
Austin, Texas

Dear Canada, Let US War Resisters Stay!

2007-11-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

As part of UFPJ's commitment to support war resistance, we want to make sure that you were aware of an important development and need for action: Recently, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear appeals from U.S. war resisters Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey seeking refuge in Canada. Click here for more background information: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/544/1/

Courage to Resist is urging people in the U.S. to sign their "Dear Canada: Let US War Resisters Stay" appeal, which will be sent to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley, and Stéphane Dion, Liberal Party. Click here to sign the appeal: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/499/1/

The appeal letter begins: "I am writing from the United States to ask you to make a provision for sanctuary for the scores of U.S. military servicemembers currently in Canada, most of whom have traveled to your country in order to resist fighting in the Iraq War. Please let them stay in Canada..." Click here (and scroll down) to view the full text of the letter: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/499/89/

More resources, including postcards, petitions, etc. can be downloaded and ordered here: http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/520/89/

We urge you to do what you can to support this effort. Please forward this information to others. No AWOL service person has yet been deported from Canada. However, that can now change quickly, following the Supreme Court of Canada's decision. Now is the time to add our voices as people in the United States in support of our war resisters.

More News on War Resisters:

On Nov. 8, a U.S. federal court granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Lt. Ehren Watada, preventing a second court-martial from proceeding! Charges had been re-filed against Lt. Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse deployment to Iraq, in Feb. 2007, following a mistrial called during his first court-martial despite the defense's objections. The Army was proceeding with a second court-martial, even though Lt. Watada's appeal based on double jeopardy was still pending. Find out the latest developments in his case and how you can help: http://www.thankyoult.org/

Conscientious objector Agustín Aguayo has decided to appeal the two felonies on his record to th eU.S. Supreme Court. He returned home on May 18, 2007, after serving 7 months of an 8-month sentence for desertion and missing a movement of his unit. Click here to find out how you can support Aguayo and his family: http://www.aguayodefense.org/

Yours, for peace and justice,

Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator, UFPJ

Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison Protest

2007-11-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison - No Child Left Behind Bars - Close Hutto!

The Shameful Problem:

The children at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, 35 miles northeast of Austin, live in cells; they wear uniforms and receive inadequate medical and educational services, are often cold and hungry, separated from their parents as punishment, and until the recently filed ACLU case received only one hour of schooling per day and rarely played outside.

They are guilty of no crimes, and endanger no one. Their parents, who are incarcerated here because they are seeking asylum after fleeing such circumstances as war, torture, political persecution and rape, or are accused of violating civil immigration laws, have committed no crimes. Many of the children are US Citizens.

Teachers at the center are not required to be licensed in Texas, and the state’s family welfare agency exempted Hutto from child care licensing requirements. Along with one other, less prison-like facility in Pennsylvania, Hutto is operated without official regulations.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the arm of Homeland Security that runs the two centers, relies on custody rules designed for inmates

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), a for profit company running the majority of privatized prisons in the US, is paid 2.8 million dollars a month (7k per child per month or 84k per child per year) to keep these children behind bars.

It would cost less to put them up at the Austin Hilton with room service.

In contrast, putting a monitoring bracelet/anklet on a parent costs $660 per month.

In past years CCA has made political contributions to key Texas politicians, 100k to Tom Delay and 100k to Governor Perry. Overall, for profit prison companies contributed roughly 519k to state level political campaigns in one year alone. Lt Governor Dewhurt's cut was 53k, while House Speaker Craddick received 34.9k.

Why free the children when keeping them locked up makes so much money?

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=171847268

Baker Park

2007-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Baker Park, E. Saint Louis & 10th Street

(Left) No adults allowed in children's play area unless supervising a child 12 years or younger. However, there are no signs that clearly express where the children's play area begins.

(Left) West side of Baker Park, children's play area, concrete block wall, tree is approximately 5 feet east of city sidewalk.

(Above) Parked car east of church, sidewalk, tree, concrete block wall, children's play area.

(Left) North side of Baker Park, E. Saint Louis, city sidewalk, grass, concrete block wall, children's play area is to the south of the block wall.

(Above) Parked cars east of church, sidewalk, tree, concrete block wall, children's play area is to the east of the block wall.

(Left) West side of park, sidewalk, block wall, children's play area.

(Above) E. Saint Louis, sidewalk, children's play area behind block wall.

Beneath the Neon, Book Signing Schedule

2007-10-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew O’Brien is a Las Vegas-based writer and editor. He’s the author of Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas and news editor of Las Vegas CityLife, an alternative weekly with a circulation of 85,000.

Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas is a creative nonfiction book that chronicles his adventures in the Las Vegas storm drains, which he has explored for more than five years with a flashlight, tape recorder and expandable baton for protection.

"The catacombs of ancient Rome served as houses of worship for Jews and Christians. When surveyed by Pierre-Emmanuel Bruneseau in the early 1800s, the sewers of Paris yielded gold, jewels and relics of the revolution. And thousands of people lived in the subway and train tunnels of New York City in the 1980s and '90s.

What secrets do the Las Vegas storm drains keep? What discoveries wait in the dark? What’s beneath the neon?"

Book signing schedule:

• Book fair from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Clark County Library (1401 E. Flamingo Road)

• Vegas Valley Book Festival from 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Nov. 2 at the El Cortez (600 Fremont St.)

• Book signing from 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. Nov. 17 at B. Dalton (in the Galleria Mall)

To buy Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, visit:

www.shoplva.com/productdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=1495 .

For more info, visit:

www.beneaththeneon.com .

Las Vegas Peace Festival

2007-10-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

When? Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007, 4:00 - 11 PM

Where? The Box Office / Las Vegas Peace Festival 1129 Casino Center and California Avenue 1 Block South of Charleston, NV 89101

What? The Las Vegas Peace Project is honored to be working with HRP No. 5 and The Box Office to present The Las Vegas Peace Festival. The Festival is multi-cultural event to support the Las Vegas community's growth in ART, EDUCATION, HEALTH and WELLNESS.

This wonderful family event brings people from all over the Las Vegas Valley who are dedicated to growing in peace and wellness to build a strong community here in Las Vegas.

For more info, please contact Kat at 702-202-5029

Las Vegas Peace Project

http://peace.meetup.com/177/?a=mu_fzxy47nlmm

Meet Presidential Candidate, Mike Gravel in Las Vegas

2007-10-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Clint Karlsen, Las Vegas Review Journal

Former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel, a Democrat running for president, right, speaks with homeless men in Frank Wright Plaza in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon. Gravel was assisting homeless advocate Gail Sacco with feeding the needy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meet Mike Gravel

Mike Gravel, former US Senator for Alaska and current candidate for President, will be meeting with
Gail Sacco, homeless advocate and other social activists.

We will be discussing homelessness and poverty among other social issues.

We will be meeting at Frank Wright Plaza (Fourth Street & Stewart Ave.) tomorrow, Friday, October 12, 2007 at Noon.

Frank Wright Plaza is known as a gathering spot for about 100 homeless and poor people daily.

Free lunch provided to anyone who is hungry.

Mike Gravel's Official Campaign Site:

http://www.gravel2008.us/

Recent Media Coverage, Food Not Bombs & Feeding the Hungry, Eric Montanez, Not Guilty

2007-10-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

October 9, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jury Delivers Verdict In Homeless Feeding Trial

The first man arrested in Orlando's crackdown on food sharing in public parks was found not guilty by a jury on Tuesday afternoon.

Eric Montanez admitted he opposes the ordinance but claimed on the day he was arrested he wasn't protesting the law but instead following it, WESH 2 News reported.

Just minutes before his court appearance, Montanez was feeding the homeless in Lake Eola.

http://www.wesh.com/news/14300798/detail.html

October 10, 2007

Feeding the Hungry is a Crime

The stake-out was almost comical in its absurdity:

On April 4, 2007, undercover police counted how many times Eric Montanez, a 22-year-old volunteer with Food Not Bombs, dipped a serving ladle into a pot and handed stew to hungry people.

Once Montanez had dished up 30 bowls, the police moved in, collecting a vial of the stew for evidence as they arrested him for violating an Orlando, Fla., city ordinance: feeding a large group. Two days into his trial yesterday, Montanez was acquitted by a jury of the misdemeanor charge, but was cautioned to obey the law.

As activists celebrate the verdict, the Orlando Police Department has said it will continue to ordinance, making the fight for the free flow of food in the city far from over.

“He is on trial for the crime of feeding the homeless—literally,” says George Crossley, a member of the Stop the Ordinance Partnership (S.T.O.P.), an alliance of 19 advocacy groups, including Orlando branches of Code Pink, the NAACP, and the National Organization for Women.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3358/feeding_the_hungry_is_a_crim/

October 8, 2007

UPDATED: October 9, 2007

Group Protests Member's Arrest With Food Food Not Bombs Feeds The Homeless Despite Bans

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The local chapter of Food Not Bombs protested the arrest of one of its members in Orlando on Monday.

They said Eric Montanez is going on trial for feeding the hungry.

Food Not Bombs protested by doing exactly what an ordinance stated they should not do; they gathered the homeless in a public area and fed them.

http://www.wesh.com/news/14292465/detail.html

October 8, 2007
UPDATED: October 8, 2007

Group Intentionally Violating City Ordinance During "Ladle Fest"

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A controversial city ordinance has led to a number of protests and now a trial. An Orlando man is the first person to face a jury for feeding the homeless.

It's the first trial of its kind. A man is facing a judge and jury for violating Orlando's ban on feeding the homeless. Eric Montanez, 22, was caught feeding a group in Lake Eola Park earlier this year. The prosecution told Eyewitness News their case rests on video taken of Montanez feeding the homeless, breaking Orlando's feeding ban.

http://www.wftv.com/news/14289861/detail.html

For more information visit:

http://www.foodnotbombs.net

The Difference Between Rich/Poor People

2007-10-08T06:12:00.000-07:00

The Difference Between Rich/Poor People

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

New Orleans After 24 Months

2007-09-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

New Orleans After 24 Months
'They wanted them poor niggers out of there.'

by Greg Palast / August 31st, 2007

“They wanted them poor niggers out of there and they ain’t had no intention to allow it to be reopened to no poor niggers, you know? And that’s just the bottom line.”

It wasn’t a pretty statement. But I wasn’t looking for pretty. I’d taken my investigative team to New Orleans to meet with Malik Rahim. Pretty isn’t Malik’s concern.

We needed an answer to a weird, puzzling and horrific discovery. Among the miles and miles of devastated houses, rubble still there today in New Orleans, we found dry, beautiful homes. But their residents were told by guys dressed like Ninjas wearing “Blackwater” badges: “Try to go into your home and we’ll arrest you.”

To read the full article:

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/08/new-orleans-after-24-months/

Sometimes a voice, by Chip Mosher, Las Vegas CityLife

2007-08-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

Mom's Comment: I made a conscious decision not to go to this Neighborhood Meeting because I knew that the subject of Circle Park would be brought up. And a lot of these people from this neighborhood are truly vicious.

The last Neighborhood Meeting at the Fremont Middle School was suppose to be about the burglaries in the neighborhood. And also about the murder of a man in his home near Baker Park in November 2006.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Nov-15-Wed-2006/news/10834811.html

But instead, the subject quickly turned to the homeless in Circle Park when one woman yelled out to get rid of the homeless. "Take them to your house!" and other comments of the like by neighbors were yelled out of turn throughout the whole meeting.

But when my son very respectfully asked when Circle Park was going to be reopened, the president of one of the neighborhood associations (Gregory Brown) told my son that he couldn't speak out of turn. He then physically assaulted my son by shoving his hands against my son's chest from inside the classroom all the way out the door.

This all happened in front of the police, Councilman Reese, the city attorney, news cameras and dozens of other witnesses but nothing was done about it. Can you imagine what would have happened if my son had done that to Brown?

So, I'm glad I missed the recent Neighborhood Meeting. These meetings are only put together for the hateful to spout their venom toward the homeless and poor.

Thankfully we still have some decent folk like long-time resident Mary Alderman. My utmost respect for you, Ms. Alderman.

And Chip, thanks for filling us in on the meeting!

Sometimes a voice

by Chip Mosher

IN MY CLASSROOM I HAVE two posters to remind me the human race survives by its sheepishness. On a sociopathic planet born of a psychopathic universe that couldn't care less whether we live or die, the herd mentality has served our species well. To be fruitful and multiply is the human way. Occasionally, though, there are glitches. Like when our tribal instincts lead to intense group paranoia where horrible things happen, and the human herd goes collectively crazy. ("Kill all faggots!" "Exterminate the Jews!") Because genocide's just another word for no one left to kill. And we love it that way, once we've been reduced to a frenzy of communal insanity triggered by irrational fear.

The posters on my wall are of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, two men who persistently stood up and, consequently, stood out from the flock. Kind of what one might expect in a high school classroom. But what is the lesson?

Last year, a new teacher waltzed into my room to study these posters, trying to divine the mystery behind reaching kids' minds.

"How nice that you teach students to grow up and be like Martin Luther King and Malcom X!" he said.

"Are you fucking crazy?" I asked. "I should be arrested if I taught my kids to hasten their own deaths, as Malcolm and Martin did. Neither man lived to 40. I want my students to have long, happy lives."

I explained to him what I actually teach my students is that most likely a day will come in their lives when their own family or group -- be it a church, political party or gang -- might want to do something brutally wrong which could have grave consequences. On such a day, I tell students, they will have to make a choice -- to remain silent with the herd, or to raise a voice and, without rancor, insistently ask a question or two: Is this what we should be doing? Is this who we are?

Many a lynching might've been avoided if one person who grew up with and knew everyone committing the dastardly deed stood and said he believed these friends and neighbors to be good people, and murder was not what they really were about.

Of course, those irrational folks could have turned on the person speaking out for justice and, no longer finding him to be one of them, lynched his complaining ass, too. Thus, such choices have never been easy. Even among relatives and neighbors. Especially among relatives and neighbors.

I mention all this because I saw such courage demonstrated at a town hall meeting recently. This gathering was held at the old Bishop Gorman High School, recently sold to the Clark County School District and renovated into the Eldorado High School Freshman Preparatory Academy, on Maryland Parkway, located in the Huntridge/Marycrest neighborhood downtown.

Although the meeting was about residents' concerns regarding public school buses regularly delivering 1,200 students to this academy, at one point the community discussion veered off topic to the subject of the controversial closure of Huntridge Circle Park, down the street from the school. In November 2006, this park was shut down following a stabbing death there. It hasn't reopened since. After one woman shouted to "keep the homeless out of the neighborhood by keeping the park closed," Las Vegas Councilman Gary Reese, whose ward includes the park, announced that a federal court ruled in the neighborhood's favor to limit park access to the homeless.

"The good people finally won one in court," said Reese, implying the homeless are "bad people."

Suddenly, long-time resident Mary Alderman stood and, with genuine passion, said: "This is my neighborhood. I've lived here all my life and enjoy having that park, and want it back. Millions were spent to 'rejuvenate' it. Now it just sits with hideous 'Park Closed' signs everywhere. I know some people think keeping it closed will keep the homeless away, and I disagree with that. Is it worth not having a park at all? Homeless people are people, too. I have lived in this neighborhood all my life and have never had a problem with anyone, homeless or otherwise. I think the age-old 'do unto others' applies here. Hopefully, we can get back to that, at least in this part of town which I am proud to call home."

Sometimes, all it takes is a voice. Hopefully.

Chip Mosher is a simple classroom teacher.

Child Discipline

2007-08-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

~ Tough Love vs. Spanking ~

(a psychological conundrum )

Most of America 's populace think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of "those moments."

One that I found effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk.

They usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together.

I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique.

Sincerely,
A Friend

What Political Party Do Your Beliefs Put You In?

2007-08-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

You scored as Anarchism, <'Imunimaginative's Deviantart Page'>

Anarchism

100%

Socialist

100%

Green

58%

Communism

50%

Democrat

42%

Republican

Nazi

Fascism

What Political Party Do Your Beliefs Put You In?
created with QuizFarm.com

Hutto Prison

2007-07-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

A cell with a baby bed and children’s toys is shown at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas. The detention facility houses immigrant families awaiting deportation. Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement describe the facility as a residential, nonsecure environment that keeps families together. However, advocacy groups say “it’s a prison” and that separation and threats of separation were used as disciplinary tools on adults and children.

LM Otero, Pool via AP

Groups compare Texas, Pennsylvania immigrant facilities to jails

By Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-02-22-immigration-detention_x.htm

Prison gets major contract

By Kurt Johnson

The T. Don Hutto prison facility in Taylor won't be closing anytime soon.

http://www.taylordailypress.net/articles/2005/12/21/news/news01.txt%7C%7Cheight=,width=,location=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=no

World Refugee Day Rally, Elizabeth Kucinich speaks

June 24, 2007

http://www.youtube.com/v/C-8pX_BZJFE

Immigrant Detention Blues

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A441523

CCA's Profits

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=171847268&blogID=262784200&Mytoken=448312E6-7172-4E8E-AE8576160F1F3CE133003523

Corrections Corporation of America Announces Contract Award With Federal Bureau of Prisons

Jan 22, 2007, News Report

http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/103442

Corbin Harney passed

2007-07-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

Corbin Harney passed over today July 10th, 2007

March 24, 1920- July 10, 2007

Public Statement by Corbin¹s Immediate Family

July 10, 2007 (TurtleIsland) . Corbin Harney Spiritual Leader of the Western Shoshone Nation crossed over at 11:00 a.m. this morning in a house on a sacred mountain near Santa Rosa, CA (Turtle Island). He had dedicated his life to fighting the nuclear testing and dumping.

That battle claimed his life through cancer.

Before he passed, he said to remember:

³We are one people. We cannot separate ourselves now.

There are many good things to be done for our people and for the world.

It is important to let things be good. And it is important to teach the younger generation so that things are not lost.

According to witnesses present, in the morning fog, the spirits of four Shoshoni dog soldiers were outside on horseback before Corbin¹s passing. But then one of the Shoshone present, Santiago Lozada, yelled ³Tosawi Tosawi!² (White Knife). And then the fog shifted and there were thousands of spirits waiting.

Corbin passed peacefully at the end. He was only worried that he still had more to do. When he finally let go and went with the dog soldiers, Red Wolf Pope, grandson of Rolling Thunder, was present and sang him the Tosawi death song to call the dog soldiers to come take him home. Golden eagles continue to circle the house hours after his crossing.²

True to form Corbin joked around several days ago that he was going to go at 11:00, and kept his promise.

Over his lifetime, Corbin traveled around the world as a speaker, healer and spiritual leader with a profound spiritual and environmental message for all. He received numerous national and international awards and spoke before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Corbin also authored two books: ³The Way It Is: One Water, One Air, One Earth² (Blue Dolphin Publishing, 1995) and a forthcoming book, ³The Nature Way². Numerous documentaries have been made about his work and message. In 1994, Corbin established the Shundahai Network to work with people and organizations to respond to spiritual and environmental concerns on nuclear issues. He also established Poo Ha Bah, a native healing center located in Tecopa Springs, California. He will be missed but always honored for his work and dedication to traditional ways.

Corbin Harney is descended from generations of Newe (Shoshone) traditional healers and was always grateful for the many extraordinary teachers who shared their knowledge in his lifetime. Corbin is survived by his daughter Reynaulda Taylor; granddaughters Ann Taylor and Nada Leno; grandsons Keith, Jon and Joel Leno and William Henry Taylor; seven great-grandchildren ; two great-great grandchildren; and his sister Rosie Blossom¹s family and many cousins and other family members as well as many, many friends around the world. Corbin was preceded in death by his mother, father, sister, grandparents, uncle, great granddaughter, cousins, and friends. A very special thanks to Patricia Davidson, Corbin¹s caregiver in his final months; Dominic Daileda, Corbin¹s friend and companion for his support and compassion in hard times, and the family of Dixie and Martin van der Kamp for opening up their home and their hearts to Corbin and his family and friends during his time of need.

Dates and times for services are being made with official announcement to follow. Three day services are planned at the home of Larson R. Bill, So Ho Bee Newe Sogobe (Lee, Nevada Western Shoshone Territory) with burial services at Battle Mountain Indian Community, Battle Mountain Nevada.

Family contact information (non-media only):

Donations may be made either to the immediate family through:

Reynaulda Taylor

P.O. Box 397

Owyhee, Nevada 89832

775-757-2610 or 775-757-2064

annietaytay@ yahoo.com

Or, to:

The Corbin Harney Way

6360 Sonoma Mtn. Rd.

Santa Rosa, CA 95404

No other individual, organization or entity is authorized to receive donations on behalf of Corbin¹s immediate family or Corbin Harney.
\

The Shameful Problem

2007-07-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison

The Shameful Problem

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=171847268

June 24, 2007

World Refugee Day Rally, Elizabeth Kucinich speaks

http://www.youtube.com/v/C-8pX_BZJFE

Washington, DC to Transform Services for the Homeless

2007-07-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC to Transform Services for the Homeless in New Public/Private Sector Partnership With Prosperity Studios, Inc.

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - July 3, 2007) - Ambassador Hope, Chairman of Prosperity Studios, has agreed to a $500 million inward investment for Washington, DC to transform the City for the homeless.

Prosperity Studios will provide the funding, DC will provide a guarantee and the homeless will receive support via the Homeless Care Clubs™ and new green studio homes to get people back on their feet. New business opportunities will be created for social entrepreneurs to train, mentor, care for and serve the homeless.

The Program will provide:

-- The assembly of green studios in a Healthy Living Community(TM) throughout the City. The building process will be filmed and available on the internet to inspire other Cities as to what is possible and to reduce the learning curve and implementation time.

-- Each Healthy Living Community(TM) will be built with the latest green technologies for sustainability and reduced environmental impact.

-- Healthcare, retraining and community facilities will be included to ensure that the homeless can get back on their feet, create work opportunities and then rent or buy a property.

-- Contracts for small, minority-owned, veteran- and disabled-owned businesses to provide services on a fee-for-service basis.

-- 30+ Homeless Care Clubs(TM) around the District managed by caring and professional teams to provide respite from the harsh street environment. The homeless will have access to computers to apply for jobs, education and benefits. They will also have showers, and laundry facilities plus a relaxation lounge where they can rest and sleep for a few hours in a safe environment.

-- The homeless will have a Smartcard which credits them for each hour's work in the community that they can save up and pay towards their rent in the Healthy Living Communities.

-- Courses on Healthy Living will also be available at the Homeless Care Clubs: Healthy Living (Sustainability and Self-care), Healthy Finances (Creating wealth and gratitude), Healthy Relationships (Building open dialogue and handling conflict), and Healthy Giving (Being in service to others and sharing).

Ambassador Hope has listened to the homeless in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Washington, DC. She has also visited the Mayors' programs and interviewed existing service providers to learn about the challenges they have. Hope says, "I've witnessed a severe lack of compassion by other citizens who don't appreciate that in the USA, 98% of people are one or two paychecks away from homelessness. The 'failure cascade' can happen very fast with the loss of a job or a death in the family. Suddenly the person finds themselves homeless with no knowledge of where to seek help and most often encounters hostile and unhelpful people. "We want to demonstrate how you can serve the homeless and the poor with professional and caring services focused on getting them back on their feet the fastest. This is a huge problem and cost for the Cities and passing laws to ban homeless sitting on park benches as Las Vegas has done is not a solution."

Hope continues, "Mayor Newsom of San Francisco is doing a great job mobilizing citizen support." She says however, "Mayor Fenty has demonstrated both compassion and the understanding of a systems approach that embraces all homeless. Barbara Pitman, Veterans affairs at the Mayor's office shares the same dream and is willing to unite all stakeholders and resources behind the vision. Leadership, vision and creativity are vital components of serving the poor, a hand up is far more valuable than a handout."

Prosperity Studios, Inc. is a Delaware Corporation which manages Intellectual Capital and provides international public/private partnerships for social transformation. The company combines innovation, collaboration, technology, global supply chains and private sector funding. The company has a stakeholder business model which values every contribution of its stakeholders including customers, volunteers, consultants, service providers, vendors, Fortune 500 companies, associations, and governments. The global health care market is valued at $3.7 trillion. 4.5 billion global citizens do not have access to healthcare. Prosperity Studios solves global challenges at the scale and speed of the need.

Ambassador Hope
Chairman
Prosperity Studios, Inc.
Email Contact: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=F880D72C66ABDE43
Website: www.prosperitystudios.net
Website: www.hlcglobal.com
Videos: http://www.sms.ac/video/MyVideo.aspx?u=hope5000
Blog: www.prosperitystudios.blogspot.com
Cell: +1 213 820 7777

Transforming Homelessness in Washington, DC (video)

http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/mmframe?prid=273661&attachid=527742

It's Good Business To End Homelessness

2007-06-27T08:52:00.001-07:00

Present efforts to address homelessness overlooks the fact that many homeless people are currently employed, underemployed or have just recently attained a job. In fact, numerous shelter rules penalize employed homeless people by imposing non-yielding shelter curfews and allow basic services to be provided at specific times.

Last year Clark County spent $25 million dollars and reduced the homeless population by about 10%. In order to eradicate the scourge of this extreme type of poverty it stands to reason the County Commissioners would need to spend $250 million dollars, cross their fingers and hope that no one else lacks the resources to buy their own housing. This wish and hope strategy is best exemplified by the current funding of a summer day shelter at the cost of thousands of dollars which does nothing more then give single men a place to watch TV. The current strategy if followed to its logical conclusion dictates the need to escalate fees and taxes to astronomical levels.

What is never spoken about except in a quiet whisper is the hidden cost of homelessness. There is no scientific method which can calculate the cost of homeless people sleeping in your business doorway or loitering in your parking lot or outside your shop. As a business owner you know this situation hurts your revenue stream but feel powerless to do anything about it short of calling the police which in itself costs you money in the long run.

How much the quality of life in your immediate community is diminished by homeless people sleeping in the parks is also unknown. Common sense tells us when present and potential customers feel uncomfortable with the area surrounding your business they will go somewhere else even if prices are slightly higher.

Our organization is dedicated to developing and implementing a cost effective solution to this problem. For an extremely long time we have addressed the problem primarily by sharing food in local parks and providing limited assistance in acquiring state issued identification. Recently we realized that our present strategy does not completely address our goal of eliminating homelessness and we have now begun to focus additional resources towards five areas.

1) Establishing this website where job listings are posted by area employers. This website also provides information and strategies to finding and maintaining employment.

2) Establish a link between employers and unemployed workers

3) Develop, create and fund self-employment opportunities

4) Providing direct support by providing all employment related documents. Such things as birth certificates, state identification, work cards, etc.

5.) Providing what ever assistance is needed while recently employed homeless people struggle to get their first pay check. This assistance specifically takes the form of transportation, food and shelter.

In short what we tell homeless people is “You go get the job and let us worry about the rest."

What makes our organization truly unique is that from the top to the bottom homeless people run our organization.. It is they who set the tone and direction of what type of services we provide, how they are provided and to whom. In partnership with our program facilitator (who is a formerly homeless person), community organizations and individuals they decide how funds are dispersed.

We are solution based. Our organization is not content with simply handing out sandwiches. We identify the obstacles that block people in their recovery from homelessness and provide the means and resources to remove that roadblock. We actively encourage people to develop a plan of action that will result in them becoming self-reliant. There is not a single program in existence here in Clark County that is run by homeless people and dedicates resources to reducing the ever growing army of homeless people.

By supporting our organization you provide a means for people to pursue economic opportunities so that it is no longer necessary for them to sleep in your doorways and in turn take a pro-active step to protect your business which you worked so hard to build. This is why you should support our organization. For it is good business to end homelessness.

Sponsorships

Homepage

3 months $240.00

6 months $360.00

12 months $480.00

Single page banner

3 months $60.00

6 months $90.00

12 months $120.00

Business Partners

(one time contribution)

Four Star $1,000.00

Three Star $500.00

Two Star $250.00

One Star $125.00

For more information on where to send your donation and other ways you can help, please call Gail Sacco at (702) 355-2764 or e-mail her at: mom_in_las_vegas@yahoo.com .

To make a donate, visit our website at: http://www.labordawgs.citymax.com

Elizabeth Kucinich To Speak at Hutto Prison in TX June 23, 2007

2007-06-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Kucinich To Speak at Hutto Prison in TX June 23, 2007

This is not a campaign stop -- Elizabeth has been a children's rights activist for many years and has graciously agreed to come in support of these babies behind bars.

Please come out as well to Taylor Texas and help Free The Children!!!

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

Elizabeth Kucinich

Democratic Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich
2008 Kucinich for President Campaign Site

http://kucinich.us/

Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison Protest

2007-06-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Posted By: Free The Children of Texas' Hutto Prison

Hosted By: Amnesty international and many other organizations
E-mail: ftc@satx.rr.com

When: Saturday Jun 23, 2007 at 11:00 AM

Where:

Outside T. Don Hutto
1001 Welch St
Taylor, TX 76574
United States

This is a Vigil/Protest/Rally outside the T. Don Hutto prison. Sponsored by Amnesty International and many other organizations. Please RSVP to this event.

http://events.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.detail&eventID=345818.527
56&hashcode=F6A08132-B28A-475B-992E-8813AF33EE8D

SPREAD THE WORD...

Please come and lend your support even if it is only for a short while. Freeing the prisoners of Hutto will require major effort, but it is the small efforts of many that will make this effort successful.

There will be three stages with speakers, music, poets, performance artists.... and you!

Hold a sign. Listen to the speakers. If you feel so inclined be interviewed by the press who come out and are willing to speak truth to power.

Note: there are train cars permanently parked in front of the prison hiding the facility from the sight of drivers on 79 and the people of Taylor. You have to turn either very early off of 79 or well into town to find a way across the blocked tracks.

Please check the main ftc page on the left hand column for a link to a helpful blog for what to bring, expect, etc.

We are multicultural and from all walks of life. All races, genders, creeds, political persuasions, social-economic demographics, you name it -- we are standing united on this issue!!!

You can dance naked under the full moon for a living, but if you'll put on some shorts and hold a sign outside of the Hutto Prison and work to battle this crime against humanity -- we welcome you as our brothers and sisters for Justice!

Be Well -- Be Brave -- Be True!!!

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Homelessness Among LGBT Youth

2007-05-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Task Force homeless study in the New York Times

Times spotlights problem of homelessness among LGBT youth and Task Force's work on this critical matter

The scourge of homelessness among LGBT youth continues to garner massive media attention generated by the Task Force's work on the issue, including the release of our comprehensive report, Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth: An epidemic of homelessness. The New York Times featured a substantial May 17 story on the topic
that spotlighted our report, quotes from Executive Director Matt Foreman, and comments and information from partner organizations and service providers included in our study. The Times online edition included the article, direct links to the Task Force and our report, and a powerful audio slideshow focusing on LGBT youth at the Ruth Ellis Center (Ruth's House) in Detroit, Mich.

Stories about our report, issued nationally on Jan. 30 by the Task Force in collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless, have appeared in thousands of outlets, with media impressions now topping 655 million. This unprecedented coverage on the issue has generated public concern and spurred real movement on Capitol Hill to secure more funds to address the problem of homeless and runaway youth. Our Public Policy & Government Affairs team is working hard this appropriations cycle to make sure the needs of LGBT youth are not ignored and to increase the overall funding through the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act for the next fiscal year.

Read the Times online coverage

www.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/us/17homeless.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

See the article as it appeared in the New York Times

www.thetaskforce.org/Update/2007/21_07_0522/content/NYTimes_homeless_72.pdf

Download a copy of our report

www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/homeless_youth

Your support makes a difference

The Task Force has stepped up to the plate as THE organization bringing attention to the issue of LGBT youth homelessness. Their report on this epidemic demonstrates not only the need for a comprehensive response from our nation's political leaders and the LGBT community, but also lays out the human toll of the crisis. True to the Task Force's history, they are taking a leading role working with social service providers like our agency, as well as with state and federal policy makers, to advance the fight for equal rights and protections for our community's most vulnerable members.
--Grace A. McClelland, Executive Director, Ruth Ellis Center

Your support of our work makes a difference in the lives of others. Help today!

www.thetaskforce.org/donate

MOTHER’S DAY GATHERING

2007-05-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Honor Western Shoshone
(Newe) Spiritual Leader

Corbin Harney

by attending

A MOTHER’S DAY GATHERING
REUNION WITH CORBIN

at Peace Camp, Mercury, Nevada

MAY 11-13 2007

This gathering is to honor Corbin and all who participated over the decades at NTS to end the nuclear madness and the destruction of our Mother Earth.

Corbin Harney has taught many to respect and protect Mother Earth and traditional ways through ceremony and nonviolent direct action.

We're calling everyone who loves Mother Earth to join us!

MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND!!!

* CEREMONIES

* PUBLIC SPEAKERS

* PEACEFUL NON VIOLENT DIRECT ACTIONS

* RAFFLE

& MORE ACTIVITIES

Come self-sufficient for desert camping: water, food, sunscreen, hats

TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS NEEDED FOR:

EXPENSES OF GATHERING,
FOOD FOR COMMUNITY KITCHEN,
RAFFLE ITEMS
NO DRUGS, ALCOHOL, OR WEAPONS!

This is an invitation to Newe Sogobia (Western Shoshone Land) where we observe traditional native spirituality.

You are responsible for your own pets.

WWW.WILDERNESSTHX.COM/NTSREUNIONWCORBIN

E-MAIL: ntsgathering@wildernessthx.com

JULIA MOON SPARROW Cell: 702 521 7627 Home: 702 304 9859
Willy Fragosa cell: 702-812-4664, hm: 702-649-6014

UPDATE: As of 5/4, Peace Camp is the Gathering site for all 3 days, not Cactus Springs

Directions to Peace Camp:

· From Las Vegas, US 95N, 18 miles North of Indian Springs, take Mercury Exit, slow down to U-turn away from entrance to NTS, head back under Hwy 95 straight into Peace Camp.

For Elders’ housing, etc, to Cactus Springs from Peace Camp:

· US 95S, approx. 15 miles, turn right at first dirt road (see grove of cottonwood trees and buildings), head back on this road all the way to the end (approx. 50 yards).

Download and HANG THIS FLIER!

http://www.wildernessthx.com/ntsreunionwcorbin/mothersdayflier.pdf

Unprovoked beatings of homeless soaring

2007-04-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

Unprovoked beatings of homeless soaring
By TODD LEWAN, AP National Writer
Sun Apr 8, 7:20 PM ET

ORLANDO, Fla. - It was a balmy night, the sort that brings the homeless out from the shelters, when the police were summoned to America Street. On the driveway of a condo, just a few paces from the gutter, lay a man. A dying man.

He looked to be 50-ish, and a resident of Orlando's streets, judging by the moldy jacket. And he'd been bludgeoned — so badly bludgeoned that he could hardly move.

Before being rushed to the hospital, where he died of his head injuries, the man, August Felix, described his attackers. Young fellows did it, he whispered to the officers who got to him first. Kids.

...While some investigators believe the attacks are random, Sgt. Richard Ring, who investigated the murder of August Felix in Orlando last year, sees "a more deep seated problem here."

As he puts it, "Our young people get prejudices from their parents in regard to homeless people. They don't identify with the homeless, and they don't seem to see them as important."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070408/ap_on_re_us/preying_on_the_homeless

Catholic Charities Ban Homeless Advocate, AND new emergency program with a 200 bed loss

2007-04-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

Comment: The article below written by homeless advocate, Mike Lee was posted on his blog on Wednesday, March 28, 2007. The article posted on News 3 was posted on April 2, 2007.

So, if I have this right (and as always, I could be wrong) "the winter program helps about 400 people stay out of the cold each night." The winter shelter has closed. But, Catholic Charities is opening up a "new emergency shelter program [which] will provide 200 beds year round for those who need it most."

...but West adds there are other programs aimed at helping the homeless get back on their feet for good.

"There are beds available inside a work program," said West.

The work program with beds is NOT new. We are losing 400 emergency beds and gaining 200 emergency beds. That's a 200 bed loss.

In addition, 40-50 women who were staying in the dining room during the winter are being (or have been) kicked out.

Will the "new emergency shelter program" accomodate men AND women, or as usual, just men?

New year-round homeless programs opens at Catholic Charities

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=6313768&nav=menu107_2

Catholic Charities Ban Homeless Advocate

From the blog: www.on-the-nickel.blogspot.com

Who decided that homeless people are stupid and helpless? At some point in the history of providing services to the homeless someone had to make this decision. Someone had to decide we aren’t capable of running our own shelters or even participating in the process. Somewhere, somehow, someone decided that grown men and women are incapable of making decisions for themselves. That they should be treated like children. Told what to eat, when to go to bed. To be subject to arbitrary rules which govern something as natural as when to wake up in the morning.

If one were to examine the present social policy closely you would discover that due to our poverty we are automatically treated as little children. A dog in Lied animal shelter is fed and housed better than we are. For present policy has decided that we are to be treated as children. Fed and housed in conditions worse than animals. Like Barbary apes at the zoo we are put on exhibit so a few can make money off of our captivity. Our zookeepers smile and tell half truths. Frozen donuts become pastries. Watery soup becomes nutrious meals in proposals that fill the coffers of so called charitable organizations.

As a person recovering from homelessness I look back and become angry. When I slept in the rain I was mad. Mad because at every twist and turn I was treated like a child. Once I escaped (at least temporary) that circumstance I became an angry advocate for my other 14,399 brothers and sisters. It would have been easy for me to turn my back on them. After all I got mine, you go get yours. I didn’t. As a result I have been banned by Catholic Charities for daring to advocate for the over forty women who were sleeping in the dining hall. I was kicked off the plantation in their eyes I’m an uppity homeless person. In mealy mouth fashion they claim I’m a risk management liability. Yep they is worried they might get sued if I do something criminal. Keep in mind that these same people call frozen donuts pastries and as a business practice postulate half truths and deceit. Looking at the history of the Catholic Church we see it is full of rape robbery mayhem and not only turned a blind eye to child molestation but also covered it up. Who is the one here with criminal propensities?

By banning myself and restricting media access creates an obstacle to ending homelessness. Mayor Goodman has stated that any one asking for assistance would be provided for. In doing this he is basically saying to homeless people you have to take responsibility for solving your own problems. Forty homeless women through their advocate did exactly that and now that advocate has been banned. They wanted to explain their situation to the public and ask them for their advice. They were prevented from doing that. The question that now must be posed is what are these people trying to hide and what are they afraid of? The tax payers should be concerned because without the voice of the consumer how is Catholic charities held accountable for the money it receives from the public? What is truly interesting is that two City Council members Brown and Tarkanian sit on the Board and another (Wolfson) has an unknown relationship with them. Shouldn’t we be asking Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian (info@loistarkanian.com) why the media and homeless advocates are banned from Catholic Charities? Shouldn’t we be asking for accountability from an organization that just received $176,000 for its Residential Work Program that doesn’t include women?

I’ve been banished for the Catholic Charities township but I will not be silenced. As such I’ve continued to explore ways that the message ‘We Are Homeless Not Helpless is heard by the largest number of people. One of those ways is the current electoral process. After several tries I finally was able to meet with Sanda Coon candidate for Mayor. Ms Coon is a slightly built grandmother of nine. What was impressive was that as this old bum explained the issues of her future constituents she locked eyes with me. She actually listened and made a few intelligent comments in the midst of my ramble. It was a far different experience then speaking with Masser Goodman.

Continued, next article down.

Please Vote

2007-03-30T17:06:00.001-07:00

written by Mike Lee, homeless advocate

...The current Mayor could care less than tweddle deed um about homeless people and is content with simply paying us lip service and tossing us a few crumbs. “Yo honey hand them kids a lollypop so they’ll shut up and I can continue my self-indulgent way.” On the flip side, Ms. Coon appears to be a concerned person willing to listen.

She appears to be a strong, intelligent, moral individual who wants to do what’s best for her future constituents. As homeless people we understand that a change in the present regime must occur if we are to have any future which does not include being treated like children. Ms. Coon when elected may do nothing for our community but she will listen to our leadership which is a positive step forward to ending homelessness. It is in our best interest to vote for Ms. Coon and I personally encourage our advocates and friends to do likewise.

For the sake of argument let me say you could care less about the homeless. Like Goodman and his underling Gary Reese you scream “Filthy, stinky bums get a job.” I want you to look out your front door. Like what you see? Go drive around the city. See all the graffiti, abandoned buildings, trash, broken windows? Read the Review Journal. Rape, robbery, mayhem. Taking all this into consideration, do you think your quality of life is enhanced by the present administration? Like me as a citizen you have to say no!

The number of incidents and arrests associated with the recent NBA event screams for change. The present administration embraces and promotes such immoral and criminal acts to the detriment of all. It squanders law enforcement dollars by arresting homeless people for misuse of a bus stop. It encourages blight by allowing perfectly suitable housing to be boarded up and trash to pile up in vacant lots. As residents of Las Vegas whether homeless or not, we should be demanding for change. On April 3rd we can make that change happen by voting for

Sandra Coon - Mayor http://www.sandracoonformayor.com/index.html

Stacy Truesdell – Ward Five http://stacietruesdell.com/

Joe Sacco - Ward Three http://www.votejoesacco.com/index.html

Shawn Spanier – Ward One http://www.shawnspanier.com/index.php

To read the full article: www.on-the-nickel.blogspot.com

Please Join Us on Wed., March 28, 2007 for Breakfast and to Support bill AB-126

2007-03-21T16:44:00.000-07:00

March 21, 2007

Dear Family Promise Supporter:

Today I am writing you about something very important to the future of transitional housing and supportive service programs for our state. Currently, before our State Legislature is a bill AB-126. This bill has been proposed by Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie. On February 18, 2007, I traveled to Carson City with a large group of supporters in order to participate in a Tent City Event and testify before a legislative committee regarding this bill. This bill is scheduled to go before the Nevada State Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee on March 28,2007. In a nutshell, AB-126 will designate $10 million for Southern Nevada and $10 million for Northern Nevadato address the regional plan for transitional housing and supportive services. These funds are desperately needed by Nevada Regional Homeless Commissions to meet the crisis need of transitional housing as a first priority and then provide wrap-around services to assure successful outcomes for our clients.

How can you help?

On Wednesday, March 28th at 8 a.m. it is critical that we fill the meeting room #4401 ofthe Grant Sawyer Building on the corner of Washington and Las Vegas Boulevard, across from Cashman Field. Onthis date and at this time all attending will be part of a teleconference directly linked to the Nevada State Assembly Ways and Means Committee in Carson City.

Our Assistant County Manager Darryl Martin will be in Carson City with other representatives from our region. At the same time we in Southern Nevada will be gatheringin a meeting room at the State of Nevada Building room #4401 and it is critically important that we fill this room and overflow it if possible to show the support for this much needed financial assistance from our State.

For those of us that provide services to homeless individuals and families we have long recognized that the seriousdeficit of transitional and affordable housing in Southern Nevada is the number one barrier to getting our clientson the “Road to Success”. We must have transitional housing matched with supportive services and we musthave immediate assistance from all corridors of funding to achieve this goal.

I have read many statements from our major faiths this year that include statements of reaching out and assistingour brothers and sisters that are trapped at or below the line for poverty. Sadly, this housing issue affects all ofus. I cannot tell you how many people I know, including my own adult children that struggle to maintain a quality ofhousing in an economy that has spun out of control. If those of us that are working and have never been homeless cannot afford decent quality housing, how can we imagine that individuals and homeless families can even dream of achieving this goal.

It is my hope that all of you that share this mandate to reach out and help those who cannot help themselves willjoin me on Wednesday morning March 28th and become a visually loud and clear message that the community isasking for our states assistance with passage of Assembly Bill AB-126.

Terry Ruth Lindemann, Executive Director

Family Promise of Las Vegas is a 501-(c)3 non-profit organization. This message is non-partisan in content and intended to request support of important program goals of our agency

Please [see below] for more information about this event and Bill AB-126

Wednesday Morning, March 28th at 7:00 a.m.
JOIN US AT 7 A.M. IN FRONT OF CASHMAN FIELD, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GRANT SAWYERBUILDING FOR A BREAKFAST GATHERING. IF POSSIBLE, THE ORGANIZERS FOR THIS BREAKFASTRALLY ASK THAT YOU BRING DONUTS, PASTRIES, JUICE, ETC. FOR SIX HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.

My Favorite Quote: “WE MUST BE VISABLE PROOF OF OUR CALLING” (Dietrick Bonhoeffer, Lutheran Minister and WWII Advocate for the rescue of our Jewish brothers and sisters from the hands of the Nazi’s)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Talking Points on AB 126, “Homelessness Bill”

Ways and Means Committee Presentation 3-28-07

Nevada has the dubious distinction of leading the nation as the state with the highest percentage of its citizens that are homeless, only Washington D.C. is higher. Nevada’s current population is 2,414,807.

Conservatively, approximately 16,000 people at any given time are homeless in Nevada, although the number of individuals who experience homelessness during a year could be 2-3 times that number. People move in and out of homelessness, with most individuals homeless for short periods of time.

A growing amount of research shows that providing transitional/supportive housing to those experiencing homelessness is effective, and cost effective, approach to breaking the cycle of homelessness and strengthening our communities.

AB 126 proposes that $20 million be appropriated to local governments to fund transitional housing with supportive services for targeted homeless populations throughout the State of Nevada. If approved by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, the funds would be disbursed over the biennium, at $10 million per year.

What is the Intent of Transitional Housing?

1. Reduce financial and societal costs to the community
2. Reduce load on mainstream service providers while using resources more effectively and efficiently.
3. Do what is morally right.

1. Reduce financial and societal costs to the community.

Currently, in Northern Nevada $14 million is being spent on homelessness, between social services, law enforcement, first responder, medical, and judicial services. The long-term societal costs are extensive (children’s education, individual independence, mental illness, and family stressors). Programs such as Drug Court and Mental Health Court are perfect examples of how Nevada can effectively dealing with pressing social issues.

2. Reduce load on mainstream service providers while using resources more effectively and efficiently.

Currently there are load/capacity problems and resource inefficiency driven by homeless individuals, especial experienced by service providers related to health care, detention facilities, judicial services and housing services. In Northern Nevada, the biggest provider of homelessness services is the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department. The situation is similar in Clark County and the rural areas of Nevada.

Cost of housing in Washoe County’s Detention Facility $81.51/day

Cost of housing in Northern Nevada's ReStart ANCHOR Program $31/day

Cost of housing in a State of Nevada Shelter (including care programs)
$26/day

3. Do what is morally right.

Everyone has a right to housing. The fastest growing segment of those experiencing homelessness are women and families, while the number of homeless youth is increasing. Approximately 14% of the homeless population are veterans. The most common factors leading to homelessness in Northern Nevada are domestic violence, inability to find an affordable house or apartment, unemployment, sudden illness in the family, and unforeseen major expenses, such as medical and car repairs. Approximately 20% of the homeless population is chronically homeless, mostly individuals with substance abuse problems and mental illness.

The Unmet Need of Beds in Nevada

Southern Nevada

Transitional housing beds - 1,382
Permanent-supportive housing beds - 2,589 (240 for families)

Reno, Sparks & Washoe County

Transitional housing beds - 120
Permanent-supportive housing beds - 821 (474 for families)

Rural Areas
Transitional housing beds - 489
Permanent-supportive housing beds - 999 (702 for families)

There is a more effective and resource efficient strategy to solving the issue of homelessness: this is to provide well-designed housing and supportive services for those who experience homelessness.

What Can Be Done?

Call, write, and speak to your State Senate or Assembly representative and show you support for AB 126. Visit www.leg.state.nv.us to find out who your representatives are and their contact information.

Contact members of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee and urge them to support AB 126. Go to www.leg.state.nv.us for a list of the committee members.

Write letters to the editor of your local newspapers.

Write a letter of support for AB 126 and email it to ajmcclure@planevada.org by March 21st. The submissions will be given to the Ways & Means Committee.

Attend the Ways and Means Committee hearing on Wednesday, March 28 at 8am, either in Carson City or by teleconference in Las Vegas. We need large numbers of people to show up in support for this important and much needed legislation. Your participation can make the difference!

If you would like more information

Contact PLAN at (775) 348-7557 or (702) 791-1965

Out of Iraq Rally March 17 and, Candlelight vigil March 19

2007-03-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

The Las Vegas Out of Iraq Coalition invites you to a patriotic protest against the continued occupation of Iraq on the fourth anniversary of the invasion. We demand that Congress end the occupation and fully fund medical care for all injured veterans.

On Saturday, March 17 we will meet on the plaza in front of the Federal building, 333 S. Las Vegas Blvd., at 2 PM.

This demonstration, in solidarity with gatherings across the nation and a March on the Pentagon, will be the largest yet in Las Vegas.

Bring American and Nevadan flags, make a sign or hold one of ours, and invite your friends. We will have tabling to sign petitions and write letters to our elected officials and provide information about Las Vegas's many progressive organizations.

On Monday, March 19 at 7 PM Vicenta Montoya and Democracy for America will host a Candlelight Interfaith Vigil at the same location to remember and mourn the deceased, the injured and the displaced and to demand a withdrawal from Iraq. Bring your signs, candles and flags. Poets, musicians and artists are especially invited to perform their anti-war statement.

What: Peace Rally, 2 PM Saturday March 17th and Candlelight Vigil 7 PM March 19th

Where: Lloyd George US Courthouse 333 S. Las Vegas Blvd. for both events.

Why: Take a stand and send a message to Congress. Enjoy camaraderie with like-minded souls.

Bring: Signs, flags, snacks water, a chair if you want, and a candle for the Monday vigil.

For more info:

www.lasvegasantiwar.org

lasvegasantiwar@cox.net

or call: 702-241-8578 or 702-526-8445

Forgotten Voice Newspaper Launched

2007-03-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Forgotten Voice Newspaper Launched

On Sunday, March 4, 2007 the official launch of the Forgotten Voice newspaper was held across the street from Las Vegas City Hall at Frank Wright Plaza.

Forgotten Voice is a street paper in which homeless and formerly homeless people, as well as homeless advocates, write and produce. The mission is to be a voice for homeless people.

The objectives for Forgotten Voice are:

To publish a street newspaper written mainly by homeless people, formerly homeless people, and homeless advocates in order to empower them and give them a voice;

To build and enhance a sense of community and facilitate positive communication between homeless people, homeless advocates, service providers, and the general public;

To build awareness of social services that are available to poor and homeless people, and other such information that would be educational to the homeless population;

To expand and redefine our charitable, educational, and literary program from time to time as necessary to meet the continuing need to empower homeless people.

If you are homeless, formerly homeless, or a homeless advocate, you are encouraged to write and submit an article so that your voice can be heard.

To submit your fiction, journalism, artwork, photography, or poetry please send it to Forgotten Voice 9901 W. Sahara Avenue #1183 Las Vegas, NV 89117.

Or, attach the file electronically via email to Amanda Haymond, President at amanda@forgottenvoice.org, .

Submissions deadline is the 14th of every month.

To view the first issue of Forgotten Voice online, click on the following link:

http://www.forgottenvoice.org/archive/FV_V1_No1.pdf

Visit Forgotten Voice homepage at www.forgottenvoice.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photos taken of the launch of Forgotten Voice March 4, 2007

Photo Credit: Gail Sacco, homeless advocate

As the launch gets started, two Metro bike officers talk with a couple of gentlemen just outside of the Frank Wright Plaza at Fourth and Stewart.

Food Not Bombs and Father Flanagan LTD, homeless advocates

Homeless Advocates and Homeless chatting

William Cole Sr., homeless and strong homeless advocate who has recently received his BA in political science from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is currently a graduate student at UNLV, major undecided. William has been written about twice in local newspapers for being homeless and going to college at the same time.

Amanda, President/Treasurer/Founder of Forgotten Voice, and our friend John

Roussan Joshua Collins (Josh), homeless advocate, homeless by choice, street preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Linda Lera-Randle El, homeless advocate, founder and executive director of Straight from the Streets talks with Amanda

Homeless and homeless advocates sharing food and building community

More homeless and homeless advocates sharing food and building community

Chatting and resting after lunch

Las Vegas City Hall, where all those unjust ordinances against the homeless and poor are usually unanimously voted on and passed

West side of the now closed Downtown Post Office what Father Joe of Mash Village desperately tried to make into a homeless shelter and social service center. But the city council has voted on a Mob Museum instead.

Told to wait, a Marine dies

2007-02-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

Comment: I encourage anyone who is ashamed or fed up with the lack of services to get in touch with local support groups and contribute to the cause. Volunteer, donate, and/or get politically involved. Note: We are now seeing Iraq homeless veterans. If our country is going to continue with war after war then we must support our soldiers when they get home!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Told to wait, a Marine dies

VA care in spotlight after Iraq war veteran's suicide
By Charles M. Sennott, Globe Staff | February 11, 2007

...On the morning of Jan. 11, Jonathan, an Iraq war veteran with two Purple Hearts, neatly packed his US Marine Corps duffel bag with his sharply creased clothes, a framed photo of his new baby girl, and a leather-bound Bible and headed out from the family farm for a 75-mile drive to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud, Minn.

...he confessed to an intake counselor that he was suicidal. He wanted to be admitted to a psychiatric ward.

But, instead, he was told that the clinician who prescreened cases like his was unavailable. Go home and wait for a phone call tomorrow...

When a clinical social worker called the next day, Jonathan, 25, told again of his suicidal thoughts and other symptoms. And then, with his stepmother listening in, he learned that he was 26th on the waiting list for one of the 12 beds in the center's ward for post-traumatic stress disorder sufferers.

Four days later, on Jan. 16, he wrapped a household extension cord around his neck, tied it to a beam in the basement, and hanged himself.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/02/11/told_to_wait_a_marine_dies/

"What we need is more public awareness and more of the public doing things to help veterans," said Perna. "If you see veteran housing, go in and give them a donation. Give them clothing. Help them yourself. The politicians are not going to do it. The VA is not going to do it. We have to do it ourselves."

http://lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2007/02/15/news/local_news/iq_12571578.txt

"There will be 200,000 veterans tomorrow who are homeless and 200,000 the next night. They are homeless largely because they served their country in time of war."

Fulkerson said homeless veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness and substance abuse. About half are Vietnam veterans.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-19-Mon-2007/news/12680977.html

Blind Abused in the Name of Employment Training by Bill Meinecke and Cheree Heppe

2007-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Blind Abused in the Name of Employment Training

by Bill Meinecke and Cheree Heppe

Note: The authors have never met, but felt compelled to relate their experiences as a warning to others. Many blind people do not speak out publicly due to subtle threats that the weight of IRS, Social Security and rehab agencies will be used in a retaliatory manner.

Bill Meinecke

I am currently employed. However, about three years ago a friend suggested I investigate the IRS Program at Lions World Services for the Blind, Little Rock, Arkansas. I heard extremely disturbing reports about LWSB over the years but chalked it up to people’s negative opinions. I looked LWSB up on the Internet, found them and contacted the organization to inquire about the program. I spoke with Sherrill Wilson who ran the IRS program. She mentioned that one work site I could relocate to would be in Brookhaven, New York. I grew up on Long Island and hoped to return to my home.

The Virginia Services for the Blind insisted I not go in to IRS collections because they claimed I did not have the right personality. They told me that I would be happier in the Taxpayer Service Representative Program. I could not argue as they paid my way and it would be their way or no way. Blind Rehab claimed a track record of thirty years' experience rehabilitating blind consumers through this Little Rock program.

Blind participants must stay in Little Rock for five months to complete training. I planned to get an apartment but LWSB staff told me I must live on site in its dorm, eating its food, with no explanation given.

Although I enrolled in the IRS program in August, 2004, I first had to take a month of precursory courses in areas I had long experience with, including Braille and orientation and mobility. Part of the months' evaluation required training in LWSB's Tec Lab where I experienced some difficulty with the computer. I read their home grown manual, worked hard learning what they wanted us to know and got through it, however, the month's training failed to adequately prepare me for practical computer use during class. To my complaints about on going computer and equipment trouble, staff said I was not taking care of the computer properly and did not have good computer skills.

I use a Braille note taker very fluently. Staff refused to permit my use of my Braille Note in the IRS class. This denied me a means of note taking in classes packed with essential detail. Four months later, in the last week I attended class, LWSB policy flip- flopped to permit note takers. But, for me, the damage had already been done.

In November, 2004, two blind students undergoing IRS training died within four days of each other. The first blind student died of sleep apnea, staff said. The second blind student committed suicide, but staff called it a heart attack when casually informing assembled trainees during a meeting in LWSB's auditorium. I learned the actual cause of death from friends in the lions club who contacted the District Governor in Arkansas.

I found LWSB's facility to be dirty with poor quality food. Because my dog guide would sometimes lie on my bed to get some sunlight, this made staff crazy and housing staff summoned me from class about it one day. Another time I wanted to go out by myself to do some shopping and get a bite to eat. Staff pitched a fit and I got to go only after arranging to take someone else with me. Another time I stayed in a hotel because of flying out early the next morning, but staff railed that this was against LWSB rules. Once I left and got my Seeing Eye dog groomed, the groomer told me she found rodent feces on my Seeing Eye Dog's coat.

Although I maintained an 85 average throughout the course, Bruce assured me my scores did not place me high enough. Bruce, the designated IRS Instructor, talked down to blind classmates repeatedly throughout, saying things like: if you don’t want to be in the program, you can leave now and kept talking about people who failed the program. I think Bruce knew there were not enough Schedule A jobs to go around and he needed to weed out class members.

The class computer I used always exhibited problems. It would lock up and I would lose my work. Other students who used The Braille Star found their unit positioned under the PC keyboard within fast, easy reach. I found my Braille Star positioned off to the side of my desk. Trainees could not re-position equipment at all, leaving this simple duty to staff. I mentioned the awkward placement of my equipment to the IRS class instructor numerous times. Bruce always responded that he would take care of it, but the position of my Braille display never shifted. When one of my blind classmates asked the Accounts Instructor, Fern, how he could help me, Fern chilled this student from offering me help.

The last month's accounts section proved overwhelming for me. Denied a means of note taking, staff told me that I was not learning the material fast enough for them. Things culminated with a conference call to Lee Gurlanda, the blind person at IRS in charge of the Blind Program, LWSB staff and my Virginia State Rehabilitation Counselor. LWSB staff told me that at the rate things were going I would be fired anyway working for IRS and that I was not where I should be in the course. Faced with the projected threat of being fired once hired by IRS, I felt under extreme pressure and decided to withdraw from the program.

The blind have a huge struggle finding work without the added obstacle of an institutional sink hole such as Lions World Services for the Blind. How do funders and cognoscente parties justify the poor outcomes, sufferings, abuse, deaths and failures of blind trainees enough to keep such an institution open?

Cheree Heppe

Blind and looking for work? Any experienced blind job holder knows not all employment opportunities are created equal. The blind face an extremely uneven playing field, discrimination and major impediments, most surprisingly exacerbated by agencies set up specifically to empower and equip blind consumers for competitive employment.

Since college graduation with a B.S. in zoology, my employment history represents rich and varied professional experience. I currently hold a position as a grant writer with a local firm. I secured this position myself, but in June, 2006, I was unemployed. I sought funding from Nevada Services for the Blind and travelled to Little Rock, Arkansas to undertake training at Lions World Services for the Blind. All indicators pointed toward my success. LWSB began training blind candidates for IRS employment in 1967 and holds out competitive Federal employment as the attractive outcome to completion of IRS training.

Based on what I saw and experienced, I cannot recommend that Lions World Services for the Blind gain access to vulnerable blind populations. LWSB exists in one of the most impoverished, down trodden areas in the United States and may be using the blind as cash cows to draw funding. Lions World services for the Blind manipulates blind trainees and offers a destructive, institutionalizing setting with very chancy likelihood of getting actual work, all the while claiming a superior record of employment placement for the blind based on the few who get through. Further, LWSB may introduce false, damaging, professional seeming material into blind consumer's blindness rehab files which may have a prejudicial impact on willingness of state blindness services to go forward with assisting the affected blind consumer.

LWSB insists that it alone must conduct month long, in house, evaluations of potential blind candidates for IRS training. While LWSB "evaluation" drags on, state blindness services, Lions clubs and private donors receive pleas, solicitations and bills for LWSB's unique brand of blindness training. Under Federal Schedule A, disabled must accept a two year probation before being offered permanent employment while non-disabled undergo six months probation before being offered permanent Federal employment. The IRS pays LWSB to conduct initial evaluation and training as IRS's gateway through which blind people may enter full time employment under Schedule A.

The first few weeks' meandering class time at LWSB consisted of folding money and dialing a phone, rudimentary basics which could have been evaluated in a day.

Assistive technology forms the bulwark of tools now used by blind people to do many jobs, including IRS work. LWSB assistive technology review process is structured to exclusively support the JAWS screen reader through MS Windows. I use the Window-Eyes screen reader but needed to learn the JAWS screen reader for IRS work, even though Window-eyes seems to function with IRS interfaces. Initially, I was told tech tests would be open book, then, the afternoon prior to my IRS interview, Tech Lab personnel unexpectedly administered my final test -- from memory. Tech lab staff accelerated my tech training when they realized their languorous pace would fail to meet the completion deadline prior to the IRS employment interview. However, I had not completed the manual Jan Lynch, the lab manager authored and had zero exposure to Braille Star. I would not have enough time to finish LWSB's confusing tech training manual and successfully solidify my JAWS and Braille Star knowledge, as IRS class work began in three days.

Trainees told me that Jaws in combination with Braille Star barely allows a totally blind person to do the IRS job and that no one is hastening to explore other technologies or ways to improve access. The barriers are used, I was told, to safely eliminate blind candidates because there aren't enough Schedule A positions available for the number of blind undertaking IRS training at LWSB.

Most blind consumers who do not finish at LWSB appear to be minorities, dog guide owners or those with no usable vision. During my month's stay at LWSB, five or six blind people left. Days prior to class completion and IRS training, one totally blind African-American man and North Little Rock resident, got dismissed because LWSB staff claimed this long time musician spoke indistinctly and would be poorly understood by customers during IRS telephone consultations.

LWSB staff seem to keep lists of everything trainees do and to classify All sorts of seemingly ordinary doings as infractions with deep psychological overtones. I needed to run essential errands on a Saturday on what I imagined to be my own time following a recreation outing. I found out, ex post facto, in an impromptu, unfriendly meeting with staff members Ms. Jeannie Bates, Director of Vocational Services and Jerry Leach, an LWSB Counselor that the LWSB recreation program is actually a means for LWSB staff to observe and document trainees' social interactions, not simply a means of having an outing and good time. One LWSB recreation outing took the blind to Pinnacle Mountain near Little Rock on what we understood to be a day hike requiring no special equipment or training. In fact, this hike was an intermediate to advanced hike for which almost none of us were prepared. One terrified, totally blind cane using woman was guided up this mountain by one of the partially sighted male trainees at the insistence of LWSB's sighted recreation director. A retarded blind teenager on crutches could not participate at all and had to sit at the staging area the entire day. My dog guide very sensibly turned around once the climb became all boulders and loose rocks. Coming down, I fell and injured myself and my dog. The makeshift hiking staff I used, a rough branch, injured my hand which could be seen in the FBI fingerprints taken for the IRS.

I left LWSB the day my IRS interview was to take place due to inside staff information that LWSB staff circulated unfavorable commentary to IRS interviewers to sabotage my prospects of getting an IRS placement.

Local Activist Joe Sacco Enters City Council Race

2007-02-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

http://votejoesacco.com

Local Activist Joe Sacco Enters City Council Race

On Monday, January 29, Joe Sacco officially announced his candidacy for Las Vegas City Council, Ward 3. Spurred by the recent closure of his neighborhood park (Huntridge Circle Park) and dismissal by his elected officials, Mr. Sacco hopes to restore hospitality and accountability to the City Council.

“This is the culmination of a very frustrating and disheartening situation,” Sacco stated. “I have repeatedly been ignored by Mr. Reese, my local councilperson, and feel it is my duty as a responsible citizen in Ward 3 to make sure this does not continue. As Ward 3’s next councilperson, I pledge that every citizen in my ward will have their voice heard.”

The main plank of the Sacco campaign’s platform is social justice. Homelessness, police abuse and harassment, and equality across the board are issues that must be addressed. Standing for a united Ward 3, Mr. Sacco plans extensive outreach campaigns to allow Hispanic and other underrepresented populations a chance to participate in the future of their community.

Other points of the Sacco campaign include the preservation of historic neighborhoods, affordable housing, and property rights - particularly opposition to the misuse of eminent domain laws.

Off to an immediate start, the Sacco campaign is calling for a series of debates against incumbent Gary Reese, in addition to an old-fashioned town-hall meeting to introduce Joe Sacco to the residents of Ward 3.

Media Contact:
Charles Imboden
Campaign Manager
cimboden@votejoesacco.com

Las Vegas Anti-War Rally In Solidarity with January 27, 2007 March on Washington

2007-01-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

United for Peace and Justice (1500 organizations) is teaming with over 500 additional groups to march on Congress to insist the U.S. get out of Iraq. Massive numbers are expected to rally and march around the Capital on January 27th at the start of a 3-day event.

This is a call for participation in an anti-war rally Saturday, January 27, 2007 at 1 pm in front of the Federal Building at 333 So. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nevada Workers Against the War will be joining with members of several progressive organizations including MoveOn and Democracy For America.

This march will coincide with a massive demonstration in Washington D.C., and other actions around the country.

There will be signs available, or you can make your own. Everyone is strongly encouraged to bring American flags, as we are exercising our great American right to publicly protest the stupidity of our elected officials. As usual, we will express our intention to support our troops by bringing them home.

For those who don't know, the Federal Building, officially known as the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse, is the huge modern building at 333 So. Las Vegas Blvd. just a few blocks south of Fremont Street.

Though the Federal building has no public parking, there is a City of Las Vegas public parking lot just south of the building, across Clark Street. It has parking meters that charge $1.00 per hour Mon.-Sat., so bring some quarters if you park there. The surrounding side streets also have a lot of parking meters, but most of them are not in use on Saturday. (Some are, so check.) Also, the Fremont Street Experience parking garage is up the street with ample parking for $1.00 per half-hour. Also, the Strip bus (the Deuce) passes by the Courthouse, and the 105 and 108 busses have stops within walking distance.

Bush has chosen to ignore the will of the people by calling for an escalation of the war in Iraq with threats of expanding the war to Iran and Syria. Las Vegas needs to be part of January 27th showing of people power. This war will never end until the people show threw massive and frequent demonstrations that the president cannot ignore what the people say. We cannot sit by while our GI's are called on to sacrifice for an illegal occupation and lost cause and tens of thousands of Iraqi's sufferings from a foreign occupation and the civil war it has caused.

STOP THE WAR NOW
NO ESCALATION
NO SABRE RATTLING

www.lasvegasantiwar.org

http://lasvegas.staughton.indypgh.org/news/2007/01/6500.php

Amendment Protects Grassroots Organizing

2007-01-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

Click here to listen to the audio of Senator Bennett's floor statement to strike section 220-The Disclosure of Paid Efforts to Stimulate Grassroots Lobbying- from the bill.

http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/bennettlobbying01_17_07.mp3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Thanks to the efforts of Feminists for Life members and others, the Senate voted 55-43 to pass the amendment offered by Senator Robert Bennett. This amendment protects grassroots organizing within the Senate’s version of the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Bill (S.1).

The passed amendment strikes Section 220 of the bill, which would have for the first time restricted and regulated paid efforts to stimulate "grassroots lobbying."

Grassroots lobbying was defined as the "voluntary efforts of members of the general public to communicate their own views on an issue to Federal officials or to encourage other members of the general public to do the same."

We thank FFL activists who contacted their senators in support of the Bennett amendment so that we may continue to be a vital voice for women and children.

Because women deserve better, Serrin M. Foster, President
Feminists for Life of America www.feministsforlife.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 19, 2007, 8:31 AM PST

The U.S. Senate has rejected a proposal that may have required some political bloggers to register as lobbyists or face prison time.

By Anne Broache
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

By a 55-43 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00017 vote on Thursday evening, the senators approved an amendment that dropped a controversial section dictating such regulations from a massive piece of federal lobbying legislation.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.00001:

Seven Democrats joined 48 Republicans voting in favor of the amendment, which was proposed by Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah). http://bennett.senate.gov/ No Republicans voted against the measure.

http://news.com.com/Lobby+bill+spares+political+bloggers/2100-1028_3-6151519.html?tag=st.txt.caro

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 18, 2007

The Hill, The Newspaper for and about the U.S. Congress

McCain does about-face on grassroots reform bill
By Alexander Bolton

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has told conservative activists that he will vote to strip a key provision on grassroots lobbying from the reform package he previously supported.

The provision would require grassroots organizations to report on their fundraising activities and is strongly opposed by groups such as the National Right to Life Committee, Gun Owners of America, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

...“Under Section 220, anyone who is paid anything by an organization that spends any money at all to encourage more than 500 members of the general public to communicate with members of Congress, if he or she also has contacted congressional offices directly as few as two times, and has spent as little as 20 percent of his or her time on such direct lobbying and grassroots-motivating activities, would be required to register with Congress as a ‘lobbyist’ and file detailed quarterly reports,” wrote [Douglas]Johnson [director of legislative affairs for the National Right to Life Committee] in a letter to Senate offices, adding, “If enacted, it will disrupt the constitutionally protected activities of thousands of issue-oriented citizen groups from coast to coast. …”

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/011807/mccain.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday January 17, 2007 Highland, California

Highland Community News, WEB EDITION

Traditional Values Coalition opposes lobby bill

“The Traditional Values Coalition is deeply concerned about the grassroots lobbying requirements in Section 220 of S.1, Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act,” said TVC Chairman Rev. Louis P. Sheldon today. “Section 220 is a direct assault on the First Amendment and the right of citizens to freely petition their government for a redress of grievances!

http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2007/01/17/opinion/06values.txt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jan 17, 2007 at 07:22 PM ET

Political Bloggers Could Be Required To Register Or Face Jail Time
By Mitch Wagner

"Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself," according to a statement from GrassRootsFreedom.com

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/01/political_blogg.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 17, 2007

The Chattanoogan.com

Alexander Co-Sponsors Amendment To Preserve Citizens

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced Wednesday that he has co-sponsored an amendment by Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) to preserve the rights of groups and citizens to petition the U.S. government.

“Thomas Paine, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin Luther King Jr. and countless others have rallied like-minded Americans to their causes. Our nation is better for it,” said Senator Alexander. “I will oppose any language that could hinder the next generation of civic leaders from encouraging Americans to petition their government and improve our nation.”

The Bennett amendment would strike Section 220 of the ethics bill now under consideration by the Senate. That section, if left intact, would require burdensome and expensive filing and reporting requirements for grassroots organizations that encourage their members to contact government representatives. This could discourage membership organizations from playing an active role in the democratic process, infringing on their members’ First Amendment rights.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_99943.asp

S.1
Title: A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process.
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/4/2007) Cosponsors (17)
Latest Major Action: 1/18/2007 Passed/agreed to in Senate. Status: Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 96 - 2. Record Vote Number: 19.

- Stop Divine Strake 2007 -

2007-01-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

Did you know that fallout is present everywhere in our living environment?

A U.S. government study, ordered by Congress in 1998 and released in 2002 stated: "Any person living in the contiguous United States since 1951 has been exposed to radioactive fallout and all organs and tissues of the body have received some radiation exposure."

For more: read 'Life in a Nuclear World'

http://www.stopdivinestrake.com/index2.html

- Stop Divine Strake 2007 -

Here We Go, Again!

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has again announced plans to detonate a 700-pound test at the Nevada Test Site: Divine Strake Part II.

The DTRA completed a revised Environmental Assessment (EA)
http://www.nv.doe.gov/library/publications/environmental.aspx in the middle of the holiday season and are ready to "drop the bomb." This revised assesment ignores Governor Guinn's request for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and the valid concerns many people have regarding the safety of the test.

We want to stop this test - because it will kick-up radioactive fallout from the Test Site floor, because it will help to develop a nuclear bunker-buster that will support more warmaking, and because it violates Western Shoshone
http://www.shundahai.org/divinestrakecomments.htm land rights.

The DTRA is holding "open houses" in select cities rather than having public hearings, contrary to what they told our elected officials last spring they would do.

This Tuesday you can help.

Join us for a Press Conference at Cashman Center before the DTRA open house. Bob Hager, the attorney from Reno who is representing some members of the Western Shoshone and Utah downwinders will be on hand to talk about his case in Federal Court. We will be video taping your comments and will submit them to the agency.

After the press conference, stay for the DTRA open house, ask questions, and submit your comments in writing. Let your voice be heard!

Date: January 9, 2007

Time: 5:30 pm (Press Conference), 6:30 - 9:00 pm (DTRA open house)

Location: Cashman Convention Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd North, Las Vegas, NV 89101

Map:

http://www.mapblast.com/(pwvx1p45q5xqpw450wael0rt)/map.aspx?L=USA&C=36.17928%2c-115.13483&A=7.16667&P=|36.17928%2c-115.13483|1|850+Las+Vegas+Blvd+N%2c+Las+Vegas%2c+NV+89101-2062|L1|

The lack of respect and concern that our federal agencies are exhibiting compares to the heyday of nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site, when they assured us it was perfectly safe. It wasn't and it Divine Strake isn't!

After Tuesday we will be planning a follow-up educational community forum on Divine Strake and an organizing/strategy meeting. Please let us know if you are interested! For questions please contact NDE at (702) 646-4814.

Many thanks,
Nevada Desert Experience
Citizen Alert - http://www.citizenalert.org
The National Anti-Divine Strake Coalition

If you are not able to attend, you can submit your comments via these methods:

Due by 1/24/07

Mail:
NNSA/NSO
Divine Strake EA Comments
PO Box 98518
Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

E-Mail:
divinestrake@nv.doe.gov

Fax:
702-295-0625

http://www.nevadadesertexperience.org/issues/2007/stopdivinestrake2007.htm

New report clears test blast

Public meetings set on 'Strake' test in Nevada

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650217412,00.html

Divine Strake now set for the spring of 2007

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/01/05/18344300.php

Jan 6, 2007

Gov. Huntsman Plans Hearing On Divine Strake
SALT LAKE CITY Utah Gov. John Huntsman has directed the state’s environmental quality office to hold two public hearings on the proposed non-nuclear explosion planned for the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas.

The 700-ton “Divine Strake” blast has raised concerns about the possible release of radioactive debris from Cold-War era nuclear tests at the site. The blast will send a 10,000-foot mushroom-shaped dust cloud over the Nevada desert.

http://kutv.com/southernutah/local_story_006193134.html

Learn more about Divine Strake

In late January 2007, based on public review of its environmental analysis, the Pentagon agency will make a decision to go down one of two paths: either go ahead with the test scheduled for mid-2007 or complete a full Environmental Impact Statement. That Environmental Impact Statement is the only way to ensure the safety to ourselves and our children. Please visit our action steps page http://www.stopdivinestrake.com/index3.html to learn about how you can help stop Divine Strake.

http://www.stopdivinestrake.com/

Wrapped Around a Bullet

2007-01-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

Opinion/Editorial

Wrapped Around a Bullet

Kathy Kelly, Electronic Iraq, 2 January 2007

An Iraqi friend whom I've known for ten years looked worn and very weary yesterday when he came to visit me in my apartment here in Amman, Jordan. He hadn't slept the night before because he'd been on the phone with his wife who, throughout the night, was terrified by gunfire in the Iraqi village where she stays with their four small children. My friend longs to soothe and protect his wife and kids. But now he lives apart from them, in another country.

To read the full article:

http://electroniciraq.net/news/2785.shtml

Wrapped Around a Bullet
Kathy Kelly, Electronic Iraq ( 2 January 2007)

"It's hard to put your foot down over something called a 'supplemental spending bill' - over a piece of paper, a bit of writing that you didn't write yourself but are perhaps helping to deliver. My friend's life was ruined by such a piece of paper. Iraqis are leaving their homes in Iraq by the thousands every day, and prolonging this war will cause more to flee." Kathy Kelly, writing from Amman, Jordan, encourages civil disobedience in opposition to more spending on the war in Iraq and wraps her call in a story about a friend forced to flee the war and live separated from his family.

http://electroniciraq.net/news/opeds.shtml

Vigil - Iraq 3000 U.S. Troops "Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar"

2006-12-31T17:17:00.000-08:00

"Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar"

Please join us to mourn all the lives lost in the Iraq war and call for the troops to come home!

Where: Lloyd George Federal Building, 333 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas NV

When: Thursday, January 4, 2007 8:30 am

Map: http://tinyurl.com/y4mjg6

Why: 3,000 U.S. troops have died in Iraq. We must bear witness to this tragic milestone, even though many people are beginning their celebrations of the new year. And when we do take action on this occasion, we must remind others that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children, women and men have also died in this outrageous war and occupation. Our call to end this war and to bring all the troops home now must be heard in every corner of the country! The killing must stop.

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3475

Las Vegas Catholic Worker - Sacred Life Vigil

Join us as we vigil in front of the Federal building each week to to say no to the violence, and disrespect for human life our nation continues to wage in our names through war, abortion, the death penalty and the continuing growth of poverty and homelessess on our streets. Help us say yes to a culture of life. Yes to feeding the poor, yes to shelter, yes to nonviolence!

http://tinyurl.com/y8vxbh

U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD: 2991
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation: 9
Total 3000

http://icasualties.org/oif/

American death toll in Iraq hits 3,000 By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military announced Sunday the deaths of two soldiers, pushing the number of Americans who have died in the Iraq war to the grim milestone of at least 3,000.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061231/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq