Tag Archives: United States

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Special report: Company stores leave farmworker​s trapped by debt


Los Angeles Times

Dear Readers:In 1910, when Mexicans launched their revolution, a major grievance involved the company store, which kept the working poor enslaved to a plantation economy.
Today, the Los Angeles Times reveals that this vestige of an oppressive past remains a fixture of Mexican agriculture, including export mega-farms that supply tomatoes, cucumbers and other produce to American consumers.Read: Company stores trap Mexican farmworkers in cycle of debt
Workers at camps are held in a kind of indentured servitude thanks to the low pay and high prices. Desperate workers scale barbed wire at night to escape their debts. Please read the story
by Times writer Richard Marosi and see the pictures by Don Bartletti.
The piece on company stores is the third in our “Product of Mexico” series. Our first installment told readers about unbearable conditions at labor camps operated by Mexican mega-farms. Our second offered an inside look at Bioparques, one of Mexico’s biggest tomato exporters and a supplier to Wal-Mart.
Our reporters’ expose of the company store left me thinking of Faulkner’s line about history: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
Davan Maharaj, Editor
P.S. Don’t miss the faces of farmworkers captured by the Times photojournalist Don Bartletti as he traveled across nine Mexican states.
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Never Forget. Act


By

Two Years After Newtown, Take Action Right Now To Defeat The NRA

9:35 am on Sunday morning will be exactly two years after the start of one of the most horrific mass shootings in American history. On the morning of December 14, 2012, a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle and killed 20 children and six educators before taking his own life.

Many people hoped this tragedy would be a transformative moment for the United States, but by some measures not that much has changed. In the two years since, about 60,000 Americans have died by gunfire. There have been at least 94 school shootings (and another reported today in Portland, OR). Congress failed to pass comprehensive background check legislation even though 90 percent of Americans supported it. And if trends continue, 2015 will be the year when gunfire passes motor vehicles as the leading killer of young Americans under 26.

But despite these deplorable incidents and disappointing trends, there are many indications of progress in the fight for stronger gun laws. This year, Washington state voters passed a referendum to strengthen background checks with 60 percent of the vote, and in Nevada, a similar measure just qualified for the ballot with a record number of signatures for the state. Legislatively, there have been 64 laws passed to strengthen gun laws, including significant reforms in swing states like Colorado.

And while there was some political backlash to those — like in Colorado where two Democratic state Senators were recalled in 2013 following their votes to strengthen gun laws — the gun violence prevention community has punched back. This year, in those same two seats, candidates supporting gun safety measures like stronger background checks beat the NRA-backed candidates. Colorado governor John Hickenlooper also won. Connecticut governor Dan Malloy narrowly won reelection, and there is evidence that his support of stronger gun laws was a key reason voters pushed him over the edge. And with new groups like Gabby Giffords’ Americans for Responsible Solutions, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and Sandy Hook Promise, along with this new, proven strategy to focus on states and bring the issue directly to voters, the future looks bright.

Which brings us to the next big test: confirming Dr. Vivek Murthy for surgeon general. We wrote just a few days ago about this fight — and about how the NRA has made it their mission to block Dr. Murthy’s confirmation simply because he has taken the medically accepted position (and the position taken by the surgeon general under Ronald Reagan) that gun violence is a public health issue. Dr. Murthy has excellent credentials to be the nation’s top doctor, and the country shouldn’t go through any more public health crises without a surgeon general’s leadership. With Congress in the middle of negotiating how they are going to finish their business before the year ends, now is the critical moment to get them to stand with Vivek and deal a big defeat to the NRA. Will you help?

Here is what you can do:

1. Call your Senator and urge them to stay in session to confirm executive nominees including Dr. Vivek Murthy. (202) 224-3121.
2. Get engaged on social media. Click here for sample messages and graphics to share with your networks.
3. Share this email. Send this around to anybody you know who wants to give America the public health leader it needs regardless of what the NRA says.

BOTTOM LINE: This weekend offers an important time for remembrance of the devastation the Sandy Hook shooting caused two years ago, and reflection on how efforts to reform our gun laws have gone since then. While federal legislation remains out of reach, many positive reforms have taken place and momentum is building for more in the coming days and months.

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Ferguson:


Violent Missouri police are trying to silence #JusticeForMikeBrown.

OBS marches through the streets demanding justice for Mike Brown in front of Missouri police

Chip in $15 to help St. Louis’ Organization of Black Struggle hire a full-time police accountability organizer:

 

The situation in Ferguson is extreme. Community organizers, journalists, and residents face brutal assaults on their safety and civil rights due to a dangerous and militarized Missouri police force; officers in tanks, clad in riot-gear, are firing rubber-coated bullets and smoke grenades, unleashing tear gas on children, and unlawfully arresting peaceful protestors.1

At the front lines of the fight for justice is Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) — whose tiny volunteer staff have been working around the clock to hold Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson fully accountable for brutally killing Michael. But OBS is stretched to the limit and their resources are rapidly depleting. In order to sustain the fight for justice and continue organizing peaceful protests in the face of escalating police violence, OBS needs additional staff and resources.2

Can you chip in $15 today to help Organization for Black Struggle continue their critical work and hire a full-time police accountability organizer?

When we first heard about the tragic police killing of Michael Brown, ColorOfChange reached out to OBS. For decades, this stalwart organization has organized and fought against a punitive and discriminatory culture of policing rampant across the St. Louis area. Since Michael was executed, OBS has been overwhelmed by media requests and progressive groups looking for leadership. Yesterday, when news broke of another tragic police killing in St. Louis OBS was the first to respond.3 Despite limited resources, they continue to bring to life a strategic vision for securing justice for Michael and bringing about sustainable and systemic policing reforms in Missouri. The only thing holding them back is resources. Groups like OBS that fully commit to the long, hard, work of transforming policing practices and securing accountability deserve our support.

In a few short weeks the media spotlight on Ferguson may fade away and we need the strongest possible organizing front on the ground. Please chip in $15 to help OBS hire a full time #JusticeForMikeBrown organizer.

Over the weekend, Ferguson residents experienced some of the worst police violence since Michael Brown was killed.4 Local officials continue to prove incapable of a fair investigation and instead of arresting Officer Wilson for executing Michael they are focused on victim blaming and increasing police militarization.5 Today, all eyes are on Ferguson as National Guard soldiers occupy the city and continue to unjustly crackdown on peaceful protestors and bystanders.6 And it doesn’t have to be this way. The strong organizing of groups like OBS is crucial to resisting ongoing attempts to arrest and criminalize Black organizers and maintain a focus on securing justice for Michael. Furthermore, by supporting OBS today you can ensure a lasting police accountability presence in Ferguson long after the media attention has dwindled.

All funds will be sent directly to OBS. Once you chip in, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and peace,

Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Jamar, Lyla and the rest of the ColorOfChange team

References

1. “Ten Facts About Police Violence in Ferguson Sunday Night,” Huffington Post, 08-18-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3773?t=9&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

2. “OBS and Hands Up Don’t Shoot Issue Demands,” Organization of Black Struggle, 08-18-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3777?t=11&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

3. “Police Officers Involved In Fatal Shooting Just Miles From Ferguson,” ThinkProgess 08-19-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3781?t=13&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

4. “7 Arrested in Ferguson Were Sitting in Cars, Some Were Dragged Out by Hair,” Missourians Organizing for Refom and Empowerment, 08-17-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3775?t=15&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

5. “Ferguson police chief: Officer didn’t stop Brown as robbery suspect,” CNN, 08-15-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3771?t=17&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

6. “Chaos erupts again in Ferguson,” USA Today, 08-19-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3778?t=19&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

The situation in Ferguson is extreme. Community organizers, journalists, and residents face brutal assaults on their safety and civil rights due to a dangerous and militarized Missouri police force; officers in tanks, clad in riot-gear, are firing rubber-coated bullets and smoke grenades, unleashing tear gas on children, and unlawfully arresting peaceful protestors.1

At the front lines of the fight for justice is Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) — whose tiny volunteer staff have been working around the clock to hold Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson fully accountable for brutally killing Michael. But OBS is stretched to the limit and their resources are rapidly depleting. In order to sustain the fight for justice and continue organizing peaceful protests in the face of escalating police violence, OBS needs additional staff and resources.2

Can you chip in $15 today to help Organization for Black Struggle continue their critical work and hire a full-time police accountability organizer?

When we first heard about the tragic police killing of Michael Brown, ColorOfChange reached out to OBS. For decades, this stalwart organization has organized and fought against a punitive and discriminatory culture of policing rampant across the St. Louis area. Since Michael was executed, OBS has been overwhelmed by media requests and progressive groups looking for leadership. Yesterday, when news broke of another tragic police killing in St. Louis OBS was the first to respond.3 Despite limited resources, they continue to bring to life a strategic vision for securing justice for Michael and bringing about sustainable and systemic policing reforms in Missouri. The only thing holding them back is resources. Groups like OBS that fully commit to the long, hard, work of transforming policing practices and securing accountability deserve our support.

In a few short weeks the media spotlight on Ferguson may fade away and we need the strongest possible organizing front on the ground. Please chip in $15 to help OBS hire a full time #JusticeForMikeBrown organizer.

Over the weekend, Ferguson residents experienced some of the worst police violence since Michael Brown was killed.4 Local officials continue to prove incapable of a fair investigation and instead of arresting Officer Wilson for executing Michael they are focused on victim blaming and increasing police militarization.5 Today, all eyes are on Ferguson as National Guard soldiers occupy the city and continue to unjustly crackdown on peaceful protestors and bystanders.6 And it doesn’t have to be this way. The strong organizing of groups like OBS is crucial to resisting ongoing attempts to arrest and criminalize Black organizers and maintain a focus on securing justice for Michael. Furthermore, by supporting OBS today you can ensure a lasting police accountability presence in Ferguson long after the media attention has dwindled.

All funds will be sent directly to OBS. Once you chip in, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and peace,

Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Jamar, Lyla and the rest of the ColorOfChange team

References

1. “Ten Facts About Police Violence in Ferguson Sunday Night,” Huffington Post, 08-18-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3773?t=9&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

2. “OBS and Hands Up Don’t Shoot Issue Demands,” Organization of Black Struggle, 08-18-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3777?t=11&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

3. “Police Officers Involved In Fatal Shooting Just Miles From Ferguson,” ThinkProgess 08-19-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3781?t=13&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

4. “7 Arrested in Ferguson Were Sitting in Cars, Some Were Dragged Out by Hair,” Missourians Organizing for Refom and Empowerment, 08-17-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3775?t=15&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

5. “Ferguson police chief: Officer didn’t stop Brown as robbery suspect,” CNN, 08-15-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3771?t=17&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

6. “Chaos erupts again in Ferguson,” USA Today, 08-19-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3778?t=19&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

The situation in Ferguson is extreme. Community organizers, journalists, and residents face brutal assaults on their safety and civil rights due to a dangerous and militarized Missouri police force; officers in tanks, clad in riot-gear, are firing rubber-coated bullets and smoke grenades, unleashing tear gas on children, and unlawfully arresting peaceful protestors.1

At the front lines of the fight for justice is Organization for Black Struggle (OBS) — whose tiny volunteer staff have been working around the clock to hold Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson fully accountable for brutally killing Michael. But OBS is stretched to the limit and their resources are rapidly depleting. In order to sustain the fight for justice and continue organizing peaceful protests in the face of escalating police violence, OBS needs additional staff and resources.2

Can you chip in $15 today to help Organization for Black Struggle continue their critical work and hire a full-time police accountability organizer?

When we first heard about the tragic police killing of Michael Brown, ColorOfChange reached out to OBS. For decades, this stalwart organization has organized and fought against a punitive and discriminatory culture of policing rampant across the St. Louis area. Since Michael was executed, OBS has been overwhelmed by media requests and progressive groups looking for leadership. Yesterday, when news broke of another tragic police killing in St. Louis OBS was the first to respond.3 Despite limited resources, they continue to bring to life a strategic vision for securing justice for Michael and bringing about sustainable and systemic policing reforms in Missouri. The only thing holding them back is resources. Groups like OBS that fully commit to the long, hard, work of transforming policing practices and securing accountability deserve our support.

In a few short weeks the media spotlight on Ferguson may fade away and we need the strongest possible organizing front on the ground. Please chip in $15 to help OBS hire a full time #JusticeForMikeBrown organizer.

Over the weekend, Ferguson residents experienced some of the worst police violence since Michael Brown was killed.4 Local officials continue to prove incapable of a fair investigation and instead of arresting Officer Wilson for executing Michael they are focused on victim blaming and increasing police militarization.5 Today, all eyes are on Ferguson as National Guard soldiers occupy the city and continue to unjustly crackdown on peaceful protestors and bystanders.6 And it doesn’t have to be this way. The strong organizing of groups like OBS is crucial to resisting ongoing attempts to arrest and criminalize Black organizers and maintain a focus on securing justice for Michael. Furthermore, by supporting OBS today you can ensure a lasting police accountability presence in Ferguson long after the media attention has dwindled.

All funds will be sent directly to OBS. Once you chip in, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

Thanks and peace,

Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Jamar, Lyla and the rest of the ColorOfChange team

References

1. “Ten Facts About Police Violence in Ferguson Sunday Night,” Huffington Post, 08-18-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3773?t=9&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

2. “OBS and Hands Up Don’t Shoot Issue Demands,” Organization of Black Struggle, 08-18-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3777?t=11&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

3. “Police Officers Involved In Fatal Shooting Just Miles From Ferguson,” ThinkProgess 08-19-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3781?t=13&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

4. “7 Arrested in Ferguson Were Sitting in Cars, Some Were Dragged Out by Hair,” Missourians Organizing for Refom and Empowerment, 08-17-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3775?t=15&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

5. “Ferguson police chief: Officer didn’t stop Brown as robbery suspect,” CNN, 08-15-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3771?t=17&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

6. “Chaos erupts again in Ferguson,” USA Today, 08-19-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3778?t=19&akid=3585.1174326.FPrYUG

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

The Secret Giveaways To Big Money Political Donors Tucked Into 1600-page Federal Budget Bill


By

‘Cromnibus’ Tries To Sneak Through Another Blow To Campaign Spending Limits

With less than two days to go before another government shutdown, last night House and Senate leadership unveiled compromise budget legislation nicknamed the “cromnibus” — a portmanteau of continuing resolution, or CR, and an omnibus spending bill. While the main flashpoint going into these negotiations was conservatives’ radical reaction to President Obama’s executive action on immigration, in the light of day, a number of other odious provisions threaten to derail the bill’s passage.

ThinkProgress has a good run-down of the cromnibus’ troubling last-minute additions: handouts to Wall Street, cuts to IRS enforcement, interference in D.C.’s new voter-approved marijuana legalization, and a cold shoulder to students, the homeless, and those in need of affordable housing.

But today’s focus is on how Congress tried to sneak through the removal of more campaign finance limits and hand more even more control of the political system to the wealthiest and corporations. On page 1,599 of the 1,603-page cromnibus, the last-minute provision dramatically increases the caps on donor contributions to the national political parties. Right now, the most any single person can donate to candidates, parties and federal PACs was $129,600 in a single year (already more than 2.5 times the nation’s median income). But in the current version of the cromnibus, a donor’s maximum contribution would shoot up all the way to $777,600, by raising the cap on donations to party conventions from $32,400 to $97,200. In addition, it allows the national party committees to establish separate accounts for buildings and separate accounts for recounts and legal fees. Add it all up and it means a new flood of money in politics from wealthy donors and corporation– indeed, it’s a crafty way to create a solution where a problem doesn’t exist.

While that provision is particularly noxious, Common Cause also reports that there’s an additional attack on transparency tucked away in the cromnibus. The bill blocks the President from requiring federal contractors to disclose their political donations. So not only could companies that deal directly with the federal government hide their donations in plain sight, their contributions to officeholders could jump dramatically.

BOTTOM LINE: This cromnibus is a canary in the coal mine for how Republicans plan to govern in 2015. It reflects their priorities to increase the influence of the wealthy while cutting transparency at the same time. It will take continued vigilance to make sure that people like incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who profess to be for the middle class, don’t get even more opportunities to take speech away from the average person and give it to those at the very top

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org … What happened yesterday


 To be real with you, I was hoping that I’d never have to send you this email.
If we learn one thing from yesterday’s election, it’s that — now more than ever — is a time to organize.ColorOfChange IMageWe can’t afford to stop fighting. Sustain racial justice organizing with a $3 monthly pledge to ColorOfChange.

Contribute

 

To be real with you, I was hoping that I’d never have to send you this email. With Republicans now in control of the Senate, we will see a change in Congress that signals deep challenges for our families and communities.

Over the coming weeks and months, analysts will have much to say about the role that Black voters played in this election. Already we know that across the country, Black voters defied expectations and turned out at rates higher than in 2010 despite continued attempts by the right wing to suppress our votes.

And, unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t enough for Kay Hagan (D-NC) who lost a must-win Senate seat to Thom Tillis (R-NC) by a razor thin margin — while our communities faced the most aggressive voter suppression laws passed in the country since the Voting Rights Act. It wasn’t enough in Georgia, either, as we watched Michelle Nunn (D-GA) concede while thousands of voter registration forms remained unprocessed. And it certainly wasn’t enough in Kentucky where Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) Democratic challenger wouldn’t even admit to voting for President Obama.

As a movement, we’ve got a lot to figure out; a lot more work to do to hold the people in power accountable.

I know this much: an America in which candidates are afraid or unwilling to speak directly to Black voters about the issues that matter to us is an unacceptable, insufferable status quo; an America where politicians ignore police violence and support a broken criminal justice system, prioritize corporate interests over community values and fight to make it harder for us to vote is intolerable.

If we learn one thing from yesterday’s election, it’s that — now more than ever — is a time to organize.

Will you help sustain this movement with a $3 monthly contribution?

Obscured by the larger national picture, yesterday had some meaningful victories which demonstrate the strength of our movement. Californians passed Proposition 47 which will force the state to change course from four-decades of misguided, incarceration-only policies which have destabilized Black families and drained resources from Black communities.

Massachusetts passed a bill providing for earned sick time that will relieve working folks of having to choose between their job and the health of their families. Additionally, voters in South Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas and Alaska passing ballot measures to increase the minimum wage shows that there is a groundswell of popular support for issues of economic equality but candidates must exhibit political courage to move this agenda forward.

And despite the Republican takeover, the 114th Congress will have more Black members than at any time in history.

With announcements coming soon about the indictments of the officers responsible for murdering Mike Brown and Eric Garner our movement has never been more important. We can’t afford to stop fighting.

Yes — I will make a $3 monthly pledge to stand with ColorOfChange and continue holding politicians accountable.

Thanks and peace,

Rashad