“We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it, now!' " Molly Ivins, final column
SONORA PROGRESSIVES NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 27, 2007, I:4
Join at www.sonoraprogressives.org
SP blog: http://sonoraprogressives.blogspot.com/
SP Newsletter items – please send to me at gerrypaxis@mindspring.com with “newsletter” in the subject line
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Please consider becoming a sustaining member of our parent organization, Progressive Democrats of America. $10 Per month they can budget with is better than a single contribution, although more per month if you can afford it, would be better support. www.pdamerica.org.
While you are on the site, please sign up for national newsletters.
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Salette Latas has a site up for her run from Oro Valley City Council. Way to go Salette! “I have spent the past few months talking to people in Oro Valley and listening to their concerns. Their encouragement for me to run for the Oro Valley Town Council was overwhelming...
http://www.votelatas.com/
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Gerry is writing brief daily King and Gandhi quotes and reflections for the Gandhi/King Season for NonViolence, now in day 23 of 64. (until April 6) Sign up at
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RECRUITING: S. AZ progressives to go to Washington DC for the March 23-25 PDA leadership conference.
Also, recruiting either cash of miles to support the person(s) representing us travel to and from DC. It should not be that only persons of “means”: can participate in national conferences. It is really important that we send someone, both for the sake of representation and for the sake of networking and being up to speed with the priorities nationally of our organization.
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From PDA National
Urge Giffords/Grijalva to amend Holt’s HR 811
Join our Clean, Fair and Transparent organizing team – contact Diane@pdamerica.org. Read PDA article by John Bonifaz, constitutional lawyer and PDA advisory board member. http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/news/2007-02-22-13-11-02-news.php and one on needed amendments to Holt Bill here: http://www.pdamerica.org/articles/news/2007-02-27-08-16-39-news.php
Election Integrity Holt Bill Alert: FULL STORY, THE THREE FALSE DICHOTOMIES:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4163 Dems currently unable or unwilling to show the necessary courage to insist upon the banning of disenfranchising, failed DRE/touch-screen voting system technology from all American elections.
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Great Grijalva news (but no Tucson stop) : http://www.hiphopcaucus.org/
Race, Class, and Out of Iraq Coordinating Committee
Please join Rev. Yearwood and the Hip Hop Caucus :strategy meeting to launch the
"Make Hip Hop Not War" National Tour
Cosponsored by: Congressman Raul Grijalva and Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Thursday, March 1, 2007 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm On Capitol Hill
National Tour lights on 4/9/2007 – in Phoenix, Arizona (University of Phoenix)
“It is time for African-American and Latino leaders in this country to establish a stronger, more unified voice in the movement to end the war in Iraq. The disproportionate impact of war and war spending on communities of color needs to be a central discussion within the peace movement and among our legislators.”
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CALENDAR:
Sonora Progressives: Regular Meeting Feb 28, Election of Officers, 6:30 pm socializing, 7pm meeting, Dem HQ
The nominating committee met and has found persons who will accept nominations as your officers as follows:
Jeff Latas is running for Chair
Gerry Straatemeier is running for First Vice Chair
Virginia Capeller is running for Membership Chair
Steve McClure is running for Public Policy Committee Chair
We have a maybe from Vince Powlowski for Communications and Media Chair
Kristie Foss is running for Treasurer
Tom Cultice is running for Secretary
Salette Latas will remain our Webmaster
Steve McClure will remain our CD 8 PDA rep
We need a CD 7 PDA Rep/lobbyist to represent our group to Rep. Grijalva. If you want to serve, please let Jeff or Gerry know. This is not an elected post, and you will work with Jeffrey Rich in Maricopa County, already named by PDA national.
Sonora Progressives: Citizen Participation in Public Policy Team meets Wednesday, March 14, 7pm Dem HQ with Dr Ted Downing
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Tickets now available on line for the James Twyman Concert in Tucson on Monday, March 19 at Catalina UMC Methodist Church, 2700 E. Speedway http://www.gandhi-king-season-nonviolence-tucson.org/page2.html. Seating limited to 150. For more about James Twyman, please visit www.jamestwyman.com
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On Thursday, March 1, 2007 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, the World Harmony: Can It Happen? TV program will present - HUMAN RIGHTS WORK IN A FORMER SOVIET UNION COUNTRY Our featured guest will be Nancy Lee Hendricks, former Human Rights Worker in a former Soviet Union Country, Tajikstan. Cox Cable Channel 97; Comcast Channel 72
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Saturday, March 3, 2007 Community Potluck: Coalición de Derechos Humanos with Middle East Justice Now present: Wall-to-Wall Solidarity Event! Palestinian Delegation visits Tucson on their 2007 USA Speaking Tour
5:30 pm St. Cyril's Catholic Church 4725 East Pima (Pima & Swan) Tucson, Arizona, USA
Join us as we welcome two Palestinian activists from the West Bank, FeryalAbu Haikal and Mohammed Khatib, now on a national speaking tour with the International Solidarity Movement for an evening of solidarity-building between communities challenging militarization. While we engage in organizing to change and demand human rights at the borders, "national security" and military occupations continue disregarding the communities most directly impacted. Through community-to-community solidarity we strengthen our vision, raising voices to demand justice, demilitarization and the dismantling of all walls between peoples. $5 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds Please bring a dish to share.
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Sunday, March 4-12:15 to 2 p.m.-(Part 1) The Impact of NAFTA and Globalization on US Immigration (Slide show)
Sunday, March 11-12:15 to 2 p.m.-(Part 2) "Crossing Arizona": Minutemen, Militarization and Deaths on the Migrant Trail
In the Awareness Room of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, 4831 E. 22nd St., Tucson
SPACE IS LIMITED, so please register (no charge) by contacting Leila at lpine@tds.net or 299-6281, giving name and e-mail address.
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Thursday, March 8, 7pm, Network of Spiritual Progressives, 2nd Thursday 7 pm First United Methodist Park 4th
http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/index.php?topic=guidingideas
Sign Iraq peace Ad - http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/article.php?story=iraqpeacead
What makes this ad different from the message of the best progressive Democrats' resolutions is this: they all focus only on the need for immediate process of withdrawing troops (with which we fully agree), but they do not present a clear view of what will happen next, and more importantly, they don't use the Iraq war to provoke a rethinking of the fundamental assumptions that led us into that war and could lead us into other wars (even with a Democratic President) in order to show that the President was "tough" and "standing up to the threat of global terror." Our ad insists on a whole new world view: that safety and security comes not from toughness but from generosity and caring for others, and that when we've done something wrong, we need to acknowledge it as a society (in a way that we never did with Vietnam, which made it alot easier to then get involved in another mess, this time in Iraq. It is this new way of thinking that we highlight in the ad.
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Corporate Accountability Speaker - Thursday, March 8th, 7 pm - "The Environment and Confronting Corporate Power" - Dick Worthen, a representative of the national Sierra Club‚s Corporate Accountability Committee (CAC) presents an invigorating look at this issue. The CAC was formed just a few years ago and has now grown into a fullfledged national committee with three task forces under its umbrella: Water Privatization, Shareholder Action, and Confronting Corporate Power. Come hear what Dick has to say on this burgeoning issue and join the conversation.
Tucson Botanical Gardens - 2150 N. Alvernon
Ample, free, on-site parking. Refreshments served.
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March 17 - communitywide protest 4th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq - Demand that Bush bring the troops
home NOW! Demand that we spend the money instead on education, health care, housing and social needs. Demand - No war on Iran! Tentative plan is to march from Freedom Park to DM Air force Base where we will picket. We will hold a rally at one end or another. The annual Air Force "air show" Is taking place that weekend. Shall we co-sponsor this march? Put on agenda for the 28th.
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DFA (Free) Night School is back! By Nationwide Conference Call.
We're kicking it off Tuesday, March 6 with our guest expert Tom Swan, Director of Connecticut Citizen Action and former campaign manager for DFA-List candidate Ned Lamont. You'll learn the skills for citizen lobbying and the tactics to make sure you're effective.
Holding Elected Leaders Accountable, Tom Swan
Tuesday, March 6th – 8:30pm Eastern
RSVP: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=18353
Building Progressive Coalitions
Tuesday, March 13th – 8:30pm Eastern
RSVP: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=18354
Anyone Can Run
Tuesday, March 20th – 8:30pm Eastern
RSVP: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=18356
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NEWS AND VIEWS
Here is a not-to-be-missed Keith Olbermann on Condi http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/022707A.shtml
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Cox vs Cable Access http://accesstucson.org/mailform/ SB1543
On February 26th, the Arizona House of Representatives was persuaded to narrowly pass the Cox-sponsored bill that cripples the City of Tucson‚s effort to negotiate a fair cable renewal which meets the identified needs and interests of our community. The cable legislation now moves to the Senate and if passed there will go to the Governor for enactment or veto.
Please contact the members of the AZ Senate and urge them to VOTE NO on SB1543, and contact the governor and ask her to veto it if it comes to her. This was a strike everything deal, so the number is confusing. Here it is as adopted by the senate committee on finance. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/48leg/1r/adopted/s.1543fin.doc.htm This might be a good place to practice our new skills of testifying on a bill. (See last issue, Pots and Pans)
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Environment
Help Al Gore send a message to Congress: Now is the time to act on global warming. http://www.algore.com/cards.html
Join the Western governors and take action on global warming. On March 21, Al Gore will hand-deliver our messages, on TV, when he testifies before Congress. Your message can be personalized to your rep.
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Discrimination -
VIDEO: The Shame Of The Nation, Apartheid Schooling in America... From Bladblog
Author Jonathan Kozol answers a few questions for C-span about, The Shame of the Nation,
ARTICLE, VIDEO: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4140
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Iraq -
The Logic of Disengagement “The vast majority of Iraqis... naturally believe their religious leaders. The alternative would be to believe what for them is entirely incomprehensible: that foreigners have been unselfishly expending their own blood and treasure to help them. As opinion polls and countless incidents demonstrate, Americans and their allies are widely hated as the worst of invaders, out to rob Muslim Iraqis not only of their territory and oil, but also of their religion (crusaders) and family honor (feminism). Hell, I've never seen them do an unselfish thing even for Americans!” EN Luttwak Iraq: The Logic of Disengagement http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20050101faessay84103/edward-n-luttwak/iraq-the-logic-of-disengagement.html
Question (Gerry) – why do we say we have 128,000 troops in Iraq And ignore the 100,000 extra mercenaries we are paying for as well? From now on, let’s always include them in our sentence about American lives on the line.
From UFPJ legislative conversation: "Unfortunately" most peace people are more comfortable walking the streets than in the halls of Congress. Walking in the street is good and necessary, but that in itself doesn't accomplish our goals. We can demonstrate the wide and broad support for ending the Iraq war and occupation, but until something effective passes Congress, the war and occupation goes on. Only careful and strategic planning to get effective legislation passed in one way or another will accomplish what we want.
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Immigration
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=7ecbebe51c9ccebed709b61141dcde56
‘Immigrants Bring Crime’ Is a Myth Commentary, Walter Ewing, Posted: Feb 22, 2007
Editor’s Note: Government and academic studies prove decisively that the common belief that immigrants, especially undocumented ones, bring criminality is based on a big lie. Walter Ewing is a Research Associate at the Immigration Policy Center. IMMIGRATION MATTERS regularly features the views of the nation's leading immigrant rights advocates.
Among the many troubling aspects of the public debate over immigration is the power of myths over facts. One of the most enduring myths about immigration, despite literally decades of evidence to the contrary, is the belief that immigrants are more likely to commit crime than the native-born. This myth is so widespread and unquestioned that it has been the catalyst for scores of local governments to consider anti-immigrant ordinances over the past year. These calls to crack down on undocumented immigrants, the employers who hire them and the landlords who rent to them, are framed in part as “anti-crime” ordinances. More.....
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Department of Peace legislation –
Give Dept of Peace a Chance (HR 808)- Op-Ed, Rep Jim McDermott
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=mcdermott26&date=20070226&query=McDermott
In a world torn by conflict, I can't think of a better time, or a greater need, for America to act as a force for good at home and around the world... The legislation, which I am co-sponsoring, would fund, support and coordinate programs already in existence — in schools, prisons, police departments, educational institutions, charitable organizations and elsewhere — that are proven to reduce domestic and international violence and enhance the security and health of all Americans... Internationally, a Department of Peace will advise the president and Congress on the most innovative techniques to establish and promote peace among nations, and will research and analyze the root causes of war to help prevent conflicts from escalating to the point of violence. It will create a Peace Academy, on par with the Military Service Academies, to train civilian peacekeepers and the military in the latest nonviolent conflict-resolution strategies and approaches. And it will provide a direct voice at the president's table to offer peaceful solutions to conflicts before they disintegrate into violence. more...
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Mining Law Comment Period
Representative Grijalva from Arizona CD 7 held his first Congressional Field Hearing, "Our National Forests at Risk: The 1872 Mining Law and its Impact on Arizona's Santa Rita Mountains" on February 24, 2007. Grijalva is the new Chairperson for the U.S. House of Representative’s Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands of the House Natural Resources Committee.
This hearing was the first official opportunity to present opinions about the proposed mining operation in the Santa Rita Mountains, south of Tucson, and to present ideas about changing the 135 year old mining law that still governs mining on our public lands throughout the U.S. Representative Giffords from CD 8 also participated in the discussion with Grijalva and the public.
www.house.gov/grijalva
The public comment period for this particular Field Hearing continues until March 9th. Please submit comments to: holly.wagenet@mail.house.gov Holly Wagenet, Clerk, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
Include:
Name
Address
Phone number
Email address
It is also important to write letters (150 words is all it takes) to the Editors of Newspapers, online news sources, and to state and national representatives. Pls forward this email to your friends and to other email lists. Thanks!
Summary of Talking points:
Miners can find other jobs, in particular, in the area of environmental consulting, monitoring, and field technical work involving the mitigation of groundwater issues of current and abandoned mining operations.
The Augusta proposal to mine in the Santa Rita Mountains is the wrong mine in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Augusta proposal is a lose-lose proposition.
We have a clear choice between truly sustainable use of the Santa Ritas for recreation and ecosystem services or a large open pit copper mine. The two are not compatible.
The Augusta proposal is not compatible with the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.
The Rosemont proposal puts the Santa Rita Mountains at ground zero in the new push to reform the 1872 Mining Law
True reform of the 1872 Mining Law requires:
Special places such as the Santa Rita Mountains should be permanents off-limits to mining.
Federal land management agencies need the clear ability to say no to an irresponsible mining proposal.
Mines must pay a fair royalty for minerals taken from public lands. (The oil and gas industry pays 12% royalties for drilling on public lands while the mining industry pays nothing.)
Clear and definable environmental standards for mines.
Mines must put up a cash bond before mining begins to cover all the costs of reclamation and environmental degradation.
Further Background:
The antiquated 1872 Mining Law is one of the last remaining American dinosaurs of the old public resource giveaways. This 135-year-old law allows private companies to take valuable minerals like gold, copper and silver from public lands without regard for other potential values or uses of the land, without operating standards to protect the environment, without paying a royalty to the taxpayer and without regard for mining’s impact to special places. Because the 1872 Mining Law does not protect special places or the environment from the destructive impacts of mining, many treasured places in the West are currently threatened by mining interests. Mining has also polluted 40 percent of the headwaters of Western watersheds, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
In the mid-90’s a strong coalition of citizen’s groups fought and won a campaign to stop a proposal by now-bankrupt ASARCO mining company to exchange land and build a large open pit copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains. Unfortunately, a Canadian junior mining company has revived the project. The company, Augusta Resource Corporation (Augusta), has never owned or operated a mine of any sort.
The Santa Rita Mountains have long been a source of recreation and respite for Tucsonans. As the economy of southern Arizona has shifted from one based on extraction of natural resources to one based on an outdoor lifestyle, the mining industry’s influence over the economy and power structure of the region has diminished considerably. The current mining proposal from Augusta has been met with fierce opposition from local residents, businesses, user groups, and government.
Since January 1, resolutions, memorials, or letters opposing the project have come from Pima County, Santa Cruz County, the town of Sahuarita, city of Green Valley, and the City of Tucson, with more in the works. In addition, Congressswoman Giffords and Congressman Grijalva are seriously contemplating introducing legislation to withdraw the Santa Rita’s from mineral entry.
On February 24th, the Natural Resources Committee of the US House of Representatives will hold a field hearing investigating the 1872 Mining Law and its impact on the Santa Rita Mountains. This hearing puts the Santa Rita Mountains at ground zero in the new push to reform the 1872 Mining Law.
Talking points:
The Augusta proposal to mine in the Santa Rita Mountains is the wrong mine in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Augusta proposal is a lose-lose proposition.
We have a clear choice between truly sustainable use of the Santa Ritas for recreation and ecosystem services or a large open pit copper mine. The two are not compatible.
The Augusta proposal is not compatible with the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.
The Rosemont proposal puts the Santa Rita Mountains at ground zero in the new push to reform the 1872 Mining Law.
True reform of the 1872 Mining Law requires:
Special places such as the Santa Rita Mountains should be permanents off-limits to mining.
Federal land management agencies need the clear ability to say no to an irresponsible mining proposal.
Mines must pay a fair royalty for minerals taken from public lands. (The oil and gas industry pays 12% royalties for drilling on public lands while the mining industry pays nothing.)
Clear and definable environmental standards for mines.
Mines must put up a cash bond before mining begins to cover all the costs of reclamation and environmental degradation.
For more information about the 1872 Mining Law or the proposed Augusta Resources Mine, please contact Roger Featherstone of EARTHWORKS at 520-884-5415 or rfeatherstone@earthworksaction.org
Roger Featherstone
Southwest Circuit Rider
EARTHWORKS
PO Box 43565
Tucson, AZ 85733-3565
(520) 884-5415
rfeatherstone@earthworksaction.org
www.earthworksaction.org
