What can we expect from the Democratic majority in the Minnesota State Legislature with a Democratic Governor at the helm?

Here in Minnesota we now have a Democratic governor plus the Democrats are now in majority control of the State's House and Senate.

Does anyone really believe these Democrats will improve the lives and living conditions of working people?

Does anyone actually believe these Democrats with their huge majority handed to them will now enforce Affirmative Action and move to end racist inequalities in Minnesota?

Does anyone really believe these Democrats will move to eliminate poverty or at least alleviate poverty rather than making poverty worse?

Does anyone think these Democrats will remove the primary and main obstacle to union organizing in Minnesota by rescinding this draconian "At-will hiring; At-will firing" legislation presently on the books giving most employers free reign to fire any worker engaged in union organizing or fighting for full equality?

What these Democrats could do with their new majority and complete control of the state legislative apparatus to improve the lives and living conditions is just about without limit or restriction--- but, what working people will be getting from these Democrats is nothing but a kick in the ass.

This "liberal" Democratic Governor Mark Dayton has demonstrated very clearly what these worthless Democrats intend to do with their new found majority power:

* Harass and intimidate public employees and cut their standard of living.

* Refuse to enforce Affirmative Action on public works projects including the new billion dollar plus Viking Stadium and the billion dollar bridge across the St. Croix River boondoggle; both projects which will further enrich contractors and construction companies while deny people of color, women and the handicapped the jobs to which they are entitled.

What we can expect from Governor Dayton who came to power promising to "tax-the-rich" and enforce Affirmative Action is higher taxes on the working class and more discrimination and expanding poverty.

There are possibly two state legislators who we can count on to stand up for the rights of working people in general but probably none who will take a stand for full equality in employment.

A very sad state of affairs in a state which once boasted of having two socialist governors--- Floyd B. Olson and Elmer Benson--- elected on the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party ticket who made improving the plight of ALL working people and eliminating racist inequality their primary order of business.

Author laments the absense of Reds in the labor movement.

I found this interview very interesting although I don't care for Alternet as a source of information. But, what I find most interesting is that neither the person doing the interview nor the author bring forward what is probably the most important question to ask given the author's comment:

"McAlevey sat down with AlterNet to talk about organizing in so-called “right-to-work” states, the too-close relationship between unions and Democrats who leave them high and dry, the brutality of fighting the boss, and why the worst thing to happen to labor in the U.S. might just have been purging the Communists from the movement."

A comment which begs the question:

If we are going to strengthen the labor movement, organize working class communities and organize the un-organized; don't we need to re-build the Communist Party U.S.A. along the class struggle, anti-imperialist line suggested by one of the greatest union organizers of all time--- William Z. Foster?

Phil Raymond (a leader of the Communist Party who is widely recognized as the founder of the UAW told me the way he and Nadia Barkan (who headed up the Young Communist League in Michigan) built up the organization that led to organizing the United Auto Workers was by first building Communist Party Clubs in each plant and each community the auto plants were in.

The same thing was done on the Iron Range in Minnesota according to John Bernard who became the primary organizer for the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and who was eventually elected to Congress.

For all practical purposes the success of labor today hinges on the working class having a strong Communist Party--- after all, without a Communist Party we never would have had these Communist union organizers in the steel, auto, electrical, chemical, transportation, forestry, mining and communication industries that Jane McAlevey who wrote this book is talking about.

Even Jimmy Hoffa acknowledged that the historic breakthrough in organizing the Teamster's Union could not have taken place had Gus Hall and Minneapolis' Communists not laid the groundwork for organizing the historic Minneapolis Teamster Strike.

At one time in this country almost every single CIO labor council was headed up by Communists.

I haven't read this book yet; but, the insinuation here that few seem prepared to discuss is that we need to re-build a strong Communist Party U.S.A. because strengthening and organizing unions is what we need and it is Communists who can get this work done.

http://www.alternet.org/labor/how-organizing-change-very-different-winning-elections?akid=9719.52132.nPDb7W&rd=1&src=newsletter749897&t=2&paging=off

How Organizing for Change Is Very Different Than Winning Elections

www.alternet.org

Jane McAlevey talks about her new book "Raising Expectations (and Raising Hell)," how to organize the right way, and big

The "fiscal cliff" and the murderous Israeli killing machine

Barack Obama can continue funding the murderous and barbaric Israeli killing machine engaged in genocidal pogroms against the Palestinian people forced to live in what amounts to a concentration camp every bit as evil and pernicious as the Warsaw Ghetto was yet there isn't enough money to fund a national public health care program, quality public schools or adequate child care nor create the kind

of huge job creating programs required like WPA and CCC.

While squandering our tax dollars on this barbarity in Gaza Strip these same politicians hypocritically talk about preventing out Nation from taking a dive off this "fiscal cliff" when their immoral policies are shoving our Nation crashing onto the sharp, jagged rocks below the "cliff."

How much more of this senseless, cruel, insanity paid for with our tax-dollars are the American people going to take from these Wall Street bribed politicians like Obama and their puppets in Israel before saying "ENOUGH!"

Does anyone really believe Obama and the Democrats were not aware Israel was going to go on this rampage and murderous killing spree in Gaza Strip? How goddamn stupid do these barbaric and demonic monsters in power think we are?

The fiscal cliff.

We hear a lot of talk about this "fiscal cliff" but when was the last time you heard Obama or any Democrats talk about the "fiscal cliff" working class families have been shoved off of unto the rocks below for the last four years by Obama as he forces austerity measures down our throats to pay for his dirty Wall Street wars?

    Aren't people losing their homes, being unemployed, being forced into poverty, being forced to pay rapidly escalating health insurance and health care costs and rising child care costs along with rapidly rising college tuitions not to mention soaring costs of food, gas, home heating fuels and electricity being shoved off the "fiscal cliff?

Tune in to a lively discussion...

I will be Stewart Alexander's guest tonight for one hour on his radio program.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/airamarteifio/2012/11/20/the-socialist-insight---lahona-times-compass

4 p.m. Pacific
6 p.m. Central
7 p.m. Eastern

Tonight; Monday, November 19th----

1 st hr. Stewart Alexander with "The Socialist Insight"
Alan L. Maki, socialist/communist intellectual, union organizer, is Stewart's guest.

Alan is with the New Progressive Alliance.

They will discuss how to best unite the left, after this past election season and the ensuing splits.

What are the Democrats and Republicans doing to further tear the US down?

Israeli attacks on Palestine and other current topics will also get some time.

Call in to 718-664-6436 with your questions and comments-----
The Socialist Insight-----Liahona Times-Compass

Some thoughts on the election, etc.

I am passing this commentary by Immanuel Wallerstein along because I think it represents a pretty sober assessment of where things are at although I would note that Wallerstein doesn't take into consideration the fact that a very large number of people in this country who are of age and qualification to vote don't vote and for the most part these are working class voters who are thoroughly just plain fed up. So fed up they refuse to participate in the electoraL PROCESS because they don't think anything they say or do will matter.

Also not considered here is THE FACT that of those voting for Obama there were huge numbers of people who voted for Obama for no other reason than their opposition to Romney. In my opinion, it is these people who we must open up a dialog with when it comes to third party initiatives.

The fact that the leaders among liberals, progressives and leftists from the three main third parties--- Greens, Justice and Socialist--- who ran very good campaigns in 2012 have not been able to come together around a very specific program aimed at creating jobs by putting people to work solving the problems of the people paid for through massive government programs like re-established WPA, CCC and C.E.T.A. financed  with cuts from militarism and wars and taxing the hell out of the rich should point us in the direction of where are weaknesses are--- beginning with UNITED ACTION.

In my opinion, the main obstacle to third parties making a major break-through in the elections is that people don't view our parties being splintered as the way to present real alternatives.

As we saw, Jill Stein's assessment wasn't based in reality and I think Rocky Anderson's suggestions that there needs to be more cooperation and his assessment that the Green Party doesn't provide a framework most liberal, progressive and left voters will relate to remains valid. We have certainly witnessed the fact that Jill Stein's advisers like Ben Manski were wrong about what was realistic for Green Party breakthroughs. 

While Wallerstein seems to think it was good that the third parties didn't influence the outcome of the elections in the "swing states;" I think it shows a severe weakness that our third parties didn't focus on the states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and the states of Minnesota and Michigan where the working class is suffering and all indications are that people in these states are thoroughly fed up with both the Democrats and Republicans; ready to break free from this two-party trap. And if we add to these states the states of Washington, Oregon, California and New York where working people have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to vote outside of the two Wall Street parties we have a very solid base to build from when it comes to breaking free from the two-party trap.

I would further note that a rather large number of "leaders" from liberal and progressive organizations (no left-wingers were present as far as I can tell) who held a meeting with Obama while holding to some kind of secret pledge not to divulge what was discussed--- a meeting in which recordings weren't allowed, and even note-taking was not permitted. Yet these liberals and progressives--- who included the leaders of the unions and outfits like MoveOn.org who remain silent on the Israeli attacks on Gaza and drone strikes--- came out of this meeting shielding Obama from criticism even claiming Obama was some kind of barrier to austerity measures when in fact Obama is leading the charge to shove Wall Street's austerity measures down our throats in the guise of bi-partisan "reaching across the aisle" for "reforms."

Obviously, we can't trust any of these "leaders" who would meet with Obama while agreeing not to discuss what was discussed in their meeting when it comes to developing real struggles intended to solve the problems of the American people.

Obama tried to hold the editorial board of the Des Moines Register to such an agreement and even they refused to play this game with Obama. Obviously Obama made some very outlandish statements to this carefully chosen and selected group of liberal and progressive "leaders" in order to try to divert any struggles for real reforms. In my opinion, especially shameful in this secret meeting with Obama, was the participation of Ben Jealous of the NAACP and Jim Wallis of Sojourners.

I don't think the "exit polls" conducted during this election tell us the facts concerning "foreign policy" because I saw some of these "exit poll" questions at three different polling places here in Michigan and the way the questions were framed did not enable voters to consider if they preferred militarism and wars to universal social programs and all the polling data I have seen for decades tells us the American people want an end to militarism and wars, and want the wealth of this Nation used to finance everything from healthcare to education and infrastructure, instead, which provides us with a very solid foundation upon which to build a third party alternative.

There really shouldn't be any reason why the three parties who put forward major efforts in this campaign--- the Greens, Justice and Socialists (along with many other liberals, progressives and leftists) --- shouldn't be able to come together to agree on a national ticket and present a cabinet united around a very basic platform to the American people while working at other levels promoting their own individual party candidates, programs and platforms.

I would also note that there was an extremely important court victory where a U.S. Appeals Court has overturned the racist "ban on Affirmative Action" in the state of Michigan which I haven't heard any of these so-called liberals and progressives who met with Obama talk about. And, I would further point out that while the majority of black, Hispanic and women voters who voted for Obama have not stepped forward demanding Affirmative Action be enforced when it comes to all these huge publicly funded projects, be these projects undertaken through "stimulus funding" or projects like the billion dollar construction projects now underway in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota--- the Detroit to Windsor Bridge, the Viking Stadium or the bridge from Minnesota to Wisconsin.

I find it interesting, not to mention disgraceful and shameful, that people like Ben Jealous and Jim Wallis did not push Obama to have his Justice Department enforce Affirmative Action especially given the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals that was already in place striking down the Michigan ban on Affirmative Action in education, housing and employment.

But, there was little motivation from liberals, progressives and the left pressuring these "progressive leaders"--- so designated and anointed by Obama---  to bring forth anything that might embarrass Obama and the Democrats.

Isn't it rather obvious by now that it will require massive grassroots organization and initiative on all of these real issues--- nothing short of shaking this country up--- to force Obama and the Democrats to come to working people struggling for peace and real reforms instead of begging them for anything when their preoccupation is only to "reach across the aisle?"

Look; poverty is the number one issue in this country. People are poor because militarism and  these dirty wars are making us all poor. As any school child understands  people without jobs are going to be poor... concepts neither Obama nor the Democrats and Republicans are able to comprehend... and apparently Obama's chosen and selected "progressive leaders" don't understand either or they would have pressed him during their meeting with him to re-establish the WPA, CCC and C.E.T.A, enforce Affirmative Action and driven home the point that of the need to end militarism and these dirty wars--- which none of them did. Nor did they educate Obama on the need to increase the minimum wage to make it reflect all real cost of living factors. Nor did they attempt to couple Social Security benefits to all cost of living factors.

Do you have any thoughts on any of this?

Alan L. Maki

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Becky Dunlop <dunlop@binghamton.edu>
Date: Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 4:59 AM
Subject: Immanuel Wallerstein's Commentary No. 341
To: COMMENT@listserv.binghamton.edu

Please do not reply to the listserv. To correspond with the author, write immanuel.wallerstein@yale.edu. To correspond with us about your email address on the listserv, write dunlop@binghamton.edu. Thank you.

Commentary No. 341, Nov. 15, 2012

"Obama Won: What Will Happen Now?"

Obama won the U.S. elections with a significant margin both in the popular vote and in the Electoral College. The Democrats won every closely contested seat for the Senate except one. This relieved the Democrats, who had been worried, and astonished the Republicans, who had felt certain of victory. Now the whole world wants to know what this means for the immediate future of the United States and the world. The answer is not simple.

Let me start with foreign policy. The U.S. government still wishes to pursue an imperial policy throughout the world. The problem it faces is very simple. Its ability to do this has drastically declined, but the elites (including Obama) don't wish to acknowledge this. They still speak of the United States as the "indispensable" nation and the "greatest country" ever known. This is a contradiction that they don't know how to handle. As for the ordinary U.S. citizen, an exit poll that asked what motivated the votes of those polled found that only 4% said foreign policy. Nonetheless, most ordinary citizens still believe the mantra that the United States is the world's golden example.

We can therefore expect that Obama will continue to do what he has been doing: talking tough, but acting in fact prudently vis-à-vis Iran, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, China, Mexico, and indeed most countries. This of course exasperates most other countries and all sorts of political actors across the world. Whether he can continue to walk this narrow tightrope without falling off is not at all assured, especially since the United States can no longer really control what most other actors will do.

Obama is almost as helpless regarding the economy - the U.S. economy and the world-economy. I doubt that he can seriously reduce U.S. unemployment, and in 2014 and 2016, this will help the Republicans rebound. The crucial issue at the moment is the so-called (and misnamed) fiscal cliff. The real issue here is who is going to bear the largest burden of U.S. economic decline.

On these issues, Obama was elected on populist promises but actually is pursuing a right-of-center position. He is offering the Republicans a deal: higher taxes for the wealthy along with significant cuts in health and maybe pension expenditures for the majority of the population. This is the U.S. version of austerity.

This is a bad deal for the vast majority of Americans, but Obama will pursue it vigorously. The deal may nonetheless fall through, if the Republican right wing stupidly refuses to go along with it. The business elites of the United States are putting pressure on the Republicans to accept the deal. The trade-unions and the liberals (inside and outside the Democratic Party) are pushing against the deal. But thus far, the liberal anti-deal push has been far weaker than the business elite pro-deal push. This is essentially a class struggle of a very traditional kind, and the 99% do not always win these struggles.

On so-called social issues, which were a true divider between the Republicans and Democrats in this election, the U.S. voting population defeated the troglodytes hands down. Gay marriage won on the ballot in four states, and the shift in public opinion indicates this trend will continue.

Even more important was the absolutely lopsided vote for Obama and the Democrats by African-Americans and by Latinos. It seems that the ferocious attempts by Republican governors to impede voting by these groups stirred a backlash, in which even more of them voted than previously. For Latinos, the key issue was immigration reform. And major figures in the Republican party (including Jeb Bush, himself a potential future presidential candidate) are now saying that, unless the Republicans cooperate with immigration reform, they can never hope to win national (and many state) elections. My guess is that some legislation will in fact now pass Congress.

Obama has been a big disappointment to that large group of his supporters who are motivated by environmental and ecological concerns. He has talked a good line but has done rather little. One reason is that another group of supporters - the trade-unions - have been arguing in the other direction because of the risk to jobs. Obama has waffled, and he will probably continue to waffle. This is marginally better than Romney, who would have shut down the agencies that still try to protect the environment.

Obama's record has been bad on civil liberties issues, indeed in some ways worse than that of George W. Bush. He has moved aggressively against whistle-blowers. He has not shut down Guantanamo and he has actively supported the Patriot Act. He has used drones to assassinate presumed enemies of the United States. In these actions, he has been supported by most members of Congress and the courts in general. There is no reason to assume he will change his behavior in this regard.

One major reason evoked every four years to support the Democratic candidate for president has been appointments to the Supreme Court. It is true that, had Romney been elected and one non-conservative judge died or resigned, the Court would have been moved far to the right for a generation.

What will happen now that Obama has been re-elected? There are four justices over 70 years of age. There is no mandatory retirement age. None of the four seems about to resign, not even Justice Ginsburg who has been ill. The opportunity for Obama to make a difference depends however on whether Justice Kennedy will resign or die and whether Justice Scalia will die (he certainly won't resign). This is entirely unpredictable. But if this happened, Obama's re-election will indeed have made a difference.

Finally, what is the future of U.S. politics? This is the most uncertain element of all. The Republican Party seems to be starting an internal civil war between the tea party conservatives and everyone else. Everyone else notes that the Republicans blew their chances to win the Senate because of losses in the primaries of "sure winners" to quite extremist tea party-endorsed candidates. Only 11% of votes for Romney came from non-Whites. And percentages of Latino voters are rising even in presently sure Republican states like Texas and Georgia. But if the Republicans do begin to talk a more centrist line, will they lose a significant part of their base, who will abstain from voting?

The Democrats have a similar problem, although not as serious. Their votes came from a "rainbow coalition" - women (especially single mothers and working women), African-Americans, Latinos, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, trade-unionists, young people, poor people, and well-educated people. Their demands are at odds with the preferences of those who control the party, including Obama. This time, the base stayed loyal. Even those who supported third-party candidates seemed to do this only in states where the Democrats couldn't lose. There was no swing state in which third-party candidates seemed to tilt the election.

Will the liberals within the party move now to third parties? It seems unlikely at the moment, but it is not impossible. It depends in part on how dramatic a fall the United States takes in the coming four years. It depends on how far Obama will cede on "populist" issues.

The bottom line is that Obama's re-election has made some difference, but far less than he claimed or that the Republicans feared. Once again, I remind everyone that we are living in a chaotic world in transition, in which wild shifts of all kinds are part of our current reality, including in political allegiances.

by Immanuel Wallerstein

-- 
Becky Dunlop
Secretary, Fernand Braudel Center
Binghamton University
PO Box 6000
Binghamton NY 13902
http://www.binghamton.edu/fbc/ 

-- 

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

 

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Hostess Brands going out of business as a union busting tactic to evade collective bargaining; public ownership is the solution.

To: Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO;

Richard,

I received your letter below regarding Hostess Brands going out of business in order to evade collective bargaining.

What puzzles me is your good friend, President Barack Obama, has refused--- once again--- to come to the aid and assistance of the very workers who supported and voted for him.

Why do you refuse to bring forward the only option to save these more than 18,000 jobs, PUBLIC OWNERSHIP?

Certainly workers have the ability to operate these bakeries, do they not?

You rail against the "greedy vulture capitalists" who own Hostess Brands yet you are unwilling to bring forward the idea we don't need nor require them to carry on production or distribution.

These plants and distribution centers across the country should be seized before any equipment is removed with production and distribution continuing.

There are over 47 million people on food stamps in this country who could get a better deal on these products while workers get paid real living--- non-poverty--- wages.

The work week could be reduced to 32 hours with workers receiving 40 hours of pay which would create the opportunity to hire more than 5,000 unemployed workers.

Workers and consumers would benefit from the public ownership of these plants and distribution centers.

Why not put this to Hostess Brands workers losing their jobs to see what they think of this idea?

As you and Leo Gerard keep telling us, there are over 50,000 closed mines, mills and factories in this country--- why let these "greedy Wall Street vultures" continue dictating the plight of working people?

I would be interested in hearing your opinion of my suggestion.

From what I have heard, Hostess Brands has been one of American Crystal Sugar Company's largest customers yet you never suggested boycotting their Twinkies and Ding Dongs.

Are you really "standing with Hostess Brands workers?" When I see you leading the workers in a takeover of these plants I will believe you are standing up for Hostess workers.

Yours in solidarity and struggle,

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council


The letter I received from Richard Trumka which is more of the same militant sounding but non-struggle blow-hard crap...


Alan,

Wall street vultures are blaming workers for getting rid of your sweets—and that’s just not right.

You might have heard that Hostess Brands, the company that makes Twinkies, Ding Dongs and other desserts, filed for court permission to go out of business, and that its blaming a worker strike for the shutdown.

The Wall Street hedge fund managers who run the company have squeezed every cent out of Hostess for eight years. And they’ve put their friends with no experience in the baking industry in high-level management positions.

Hostess workers believe in their company, and we need to stand with them—sign our pledge to support  workers, not greedy CEOs who will cut and run for a quick buck. 

What’s happening here is a classic Bain Capital-style assault—blame the little guy to cover the greedy corporate policies that are gutting the middle class.

It’s not just happening to the workers who make the great products Americans love. What’s happening at Hostess is happening to workers all over this country. It’s wrong. And it has to stop.

Crony capitalism and poor management drove Hostess into the ground, not the workers who are now paying the price. In this struggling economy, the greedy corporate executives are willing to let 18,000 people lose their jobs—just so they can pad their pockets.

Hostess' executives are now blaming workers who’ve offered their company multiple concessions and want it to succeed. This is what’s wrecking our country.

Workers have borne the brunt of bad decision-making by executives who didn’t know anything about the baking business. And they’re the ones getting fired?

These brave workers need to know we stand with them—and we’ll stand with everyone who will take a stand against the corporate race-to-the-bottom.

go.aflcio.org/Hostess-Greed

In Solidarity,

Richard Trumka
President, AFL-CIO

Election 2012; the six-billion dollar presidential election… a perversion of democracy: Where do we go from here?

Election 2012; the six-billion dollar presidential election… a perversion of democracy: Where do we go from here?                          By: Alan L. Maki

I'm not as disheartened by the election results as many people are.

Jill Stein- Green Party, Rocky Anderson- Justice Party and Stewart Alexander- Socialist Party didn't get as many votes as we hoped they would but they have set something in motion--- political independence from the two Wall Street parties--- for which all liberals, progressives and leftists should be appreciative.

Never before, since 1948 and the onslaught of McCarthyism, have progressive alternatives had their voices heard as in this election. This has been an important victory we can build on--- if we seize the initiative in a united way. We have a base to work from.

The American people were faced with two "choices," Obama and Romney, both with the same Wall Street agenda wrapped in different words by Madison Avenue.

I think these alternative campaigns will have impact far beyond the votes these candidates (Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander) received.

What would be disheartening is if Stein, Anderson and Alexander were to withdraw from their next responsibility--- helping to build movements to fight Obama and the Democrats and Republicans explaining that Wall Street is our enemy. I don't think Stein, Anderson and Alexander intend to shirk their responsibility; others appear ready to join with us.

New Progressive Alliance (NPA) should ask Stein, Anderson and Alexander to announce they are coming together to put people to work through pressuring Obama to re-establish the WPA and CCC to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy. 

This could have the potential of forging the kind of people's unity capable of bringing together a grassroots response and alternative to Wall Street's agenda. Finance it all through a special temporary emergency "tax on the rich."

As part of this letter supporting this initiative we could ask the backers of these three parties to sign on to the letter, too. The candidates and their backers working together supporting and organizing around a short concise statement which should conclude the appeal explaining why this special temporary tax on the rich is needed because the Democrats and Republicans continue to squander the wealth of our Nation on wars in the same destructive way to our country as Hurricane Sandy.

Poor people are the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Sandy; people without jobs are going to be poor. Doesn't it make sense to employ the poorest victims of Hurricane Sandy in the rebuilding of their lives and their working class communities?

I still think we can't afford the luxury of multiple progressive/left parties until we break free from the two-party trap. Would the vote have been much better for these alternative parties had they joined efforts and put forward one progressive alternative? Yes.

If we built committees in every congressional district to back an initiative to bring back the WPA and CCC we would have a good base to work from in future elections, too.

Press conferences, petitions, letters, demonstrations... kick it off with a letter jointly signed by Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein, Stewart Alexander and their running mates.

A big part of the problem we face is all the confusion being spun through the mainstream media by the over-paid political hacks and Obama apologists.

Keep it simple: re-establish WPA/CCC to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy financed with a special temporary tax on the rich.

Ask everyone who signs the letter to host meetings of a few people in their homes using a conference call with Rocky, Jill and Stewart as the catalyst to discuss how we move forward.

All this crap about how liberals, progressives and the left are weak and feeble is not true. It is just as bad to put forward the view that we are weak and feeble as those who used their liberal, progressive and left views to promote Obama.

                                                                                                                                

Barack Obama should be pushed to use his Executive Order privilege to re-establish the WPA and CCC--- then daring Congress to refuse the funding.

Now is no time to withdraw from struggle... now is the time to kick our struggles up a notch.

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

A progressive program for real change...

* Peace--- end the wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan & Libya; shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil. No new Wall Street imperialist wars. End drone attacks.

* A National Public Health Care System - ten million new jobs.

* A National Public Child Care System - three to five million new jobs.

* Re-establish the Works Progress Administration (WPA) - three million new jobs.

* Re-establish the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) - two million new jobs.

* Tax the hell out of the rich and cut the military budget by ending the wars to pay for it all which will create full employment.

* Enforce Affirmative Action; end discrimination.

* Raise the minimum wage to a real living wage based on all cost of living factors & indexed to inflation.

* What tax-payers subsidize in the way of businesses, tax-payers should own and reap the profits from.

* Moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions.

* Defend democracy by defending workers' rights including the right to collective bargaining for improving the lives and livelihoods of working people. Rescind “At-will” employment the main impediment to union organizing.

* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions; no more concessions.

*Defend and expand Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare; repeal Obamacare which is nothing more than the “Health Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Bailout and Profit Maximization Act of 2010.”

Wall Street is our common enemy.

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you?

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.

Thanks for all the support and solidarity...

All charges against me have been dropped.

Where do we go from here?

I'm not as disheartened by the election results as many people are.

Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson and Stewart Alexander didn't get as many votes as we hoped they would but they have set something in motion--- political independence from the two parties--- for which all liberals, progressives and leftists should be appreciative.

Never before, since 1948 and the onslaught of McCarthyism have progressive alternatives had their voices heard as in this election. This has been an important victory we can build on--- if we seize the initiative in a united way.

The American people were faced with two "choices" both with the same Wall Street agenda wrapped in different words.

I think these alternative campaigns will have impact far beyond the votes these candidates (Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein and Stewart Alexander) received.

What would be disheartening is if Stein, Anderson and Alexander were to withdraw from their next responsibility--- helping to build movements to fight Obama and the Democrats and Republicans explaining that Wall Street is our enemy. I don't think they intend to shirk their responsibility.

New Progressive Alliance (NPA) should ask Stein, Anderson and Alexander to announce they are coming together to put people to work through pressuring Obama to re-establish the WPA and CCC to assist the victims of Hurricane Sandy. 

This could have the potential of forging the kind of people's unity capable of bringing together a grassroots response and alternative to Wall Street's agenda. Finance it all through a special temporary emergency "tax on the rich."

As part of this letter supporting this initiative we could ask the backers of these three parties to sign on to the letter, too. The candidates and their backers working together. A short, concise statement should conclude the appeal explaining why this special temporary tax on the rich is needed because the Democrats and Republicans continue to squander the wealth of our Nation on wars in the same destructive way to our country as Hurricane Sandy.

Poor people are the hardest hit victims of Hurricane Sandy; people without jobs are going to be poor. Doesn't it make sense to employ the poorest victims of Hurricane Sandy in the rebuilding of their lives and communities?

I still think we can't afford the luxury of multiple progressive/left parties until we break free from the two-party trap. Would the vote had been much better for these alternative parties had they joined efforts and put forward one progressive alternative?

If we built committees in every congressional district to back an initiative to bring back the WPA and CCC we would have a good base to work from in future elections, too.

Press conferences, petitions, letters, demonstrations... kick it off with a letter jointly signed by Rocky Anderson, Jill Stein, Stewart Alexander.and their running mates.

A big part of the problem we face is all the confusion being spun through the mainstream media by the over-paid political hacks and Obama apologists.

Keep it simple: re-establish WPA/CCC to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy financed with a special temporary tax on the rich.

Ask everyone who signs the letter to host meetings of a few people in their homes using a conference call with Rocky, Jill and Stewart as the catalyst to discuss how we move forward.

All this crap about how we are weak and feeble is not true. It is just as bad to put forward the view that we are weak and feeble as those who used their liberal, progressive and left views to promote Obama.

 

Now is no time to withdraw from struggle... now is the time to kick it up a notch.

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

 

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

Blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Newaygo County, Michigan: Burial ground for democracy

I appreciate all the responses from people concerning my recent arrest on warrants that are over 21 years old.

In Michigan, the statute of limitations--- according to the law is:

The statute of limitations for a misdemeanor, as expressed in the Michigan Code of Criminal Procedure section 767.24, is six years.

But, this didn't deter the Grand Rapids Police Department from arresting me on twenty-one year old bogus misdemeanor warrants carrying a maximum fine of $500.00/6 months in jail and turning me over to Newaygo County authorities who then established an outrageous TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR bond who then went so far as to place restrictions on this bond that I couldn't enter anyplace serving alcoholic beverages--- meaning I can't meet with casino workers in their places of employment--- and prohibits me from participating in demonstrations.

This is obviously unconstitutional and criminal harassment on the part of the Grand Rapids Police Department and the Newaygo County Sheriff, Newaygo County Prosecutor and Newaygo County District Court Judge.

It is assumed that any police officer should have the basic knowledge of the laws when it comes to such warrants and the common sense and human decency to question the validity of a twenty-one year old warrant for which he was so well informed he advised me of what the charges consisted of.

The arresting Grand Rapids Police officer "joked" that "we finally got our man after over twenty years."

He directed his "jokes" to me and those he was communicating with via his radio.

We have now learned that no less than 17 people, including the judge and prosecutor and the Chief of Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan were all aware of my arrest, the charges involved, and when the warrant was issued over twenty-one years ago while I was still sitting handcuffed in the back of the Grand Rapids police cruiser on the corner of Alpine and Leonard Streets--- they all made the “complex” and “complicated” decision to carry out this arrest.

This is an outright abuse by public officials and police who engaged in harassment for political persecution in carrying out this dirty deed under "color of law."

The irony in all of this is that these very same public officials and police who knowingly arrested me knowing the warrants were bogus from the time they were issued and then executed these warrants knowing full well they well past the statute of limitations will now go marching into federal court with expensive, high-powered attorneys who will be charging tax-payers an arm-and-a-leg claiming their positions make provide them with immunity from civil actions.

And then they pass this entire repressive, rotten and corrupt system off to the rest of the world as the United States being “the world’s greatest bastion of democracy.”

Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell is even aware of these dirty deeds and has remained shamefully silent.

About my arrest on Thurday evening; November 1

A message from Alan L. Maki concerning my arrest in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 1, 2012…

Political repression places a barrier to citizen civic participation in the decision-making process; civic participation is a hallmark of democracy.

Please distribute this widely:

By now many of you have heard about my arrest on Thursday evening November 1 and the outrageous, unconstitutional $10,000.00 bond that was placed on me by corrupt Newaygo County officials in Michigan who executed a TWENTY-ONE YEAR OLD warrant to arrest me for “using the telephone to threaten” a right-wing, racist bigot who punched and shoved my ten-year old son Jeremy because Jeremy was “fishing from his dock.”  

This vicious attack by an adult on my son, a child at the time, left his lip bleeding and swollen with a black eye and scraped bleeding knees and a badly bruised chest--- all of which was photographed by the police I called.

The Newaygo County Sheriff and Michigan State Police refused to arrest Scott Plants for this vicious and brutal attack on my ten year old son which he carried out against my son in retaliation for my political views. As Scott Plants viciously attacked my ten-year old son as he kicked our beagle dog who had tagged along on Jeremy’s fishing adventure, Scott Plants shouted for all neighbors within hearing distance--- “go fish in Russia.”

This was one of several vicious attacks on my children in which right-wing bigots attacked my children in retaliation for my political views expressed through speeches and writings with my two children having been targeted by shot-gun toting members of the right-wing hate group Michigan Militia whose members shot at them as they waited for their school bus--- with the Michigan State Police capturing these vile culprits only to let them go with the explanation that “they were only duck hunting.” Duck hunting in the nesting off-season; illegally duck hunting of spring without even being charged for that crime?

The State Police of the Newaygo Post laughed this vile attack on my children off as “right-wing versus left-wing violence” even thought there was no violence at all from the “left.”

A few years later one of the Michigan State cops who thought it was so funny my kids were shot at ended up getting killed in a shoot-out with one of the very same men they apprehended for shooting at my kids… this wasn’t so funny anymore as these bigoted cops mourned the death of one of their own ilk.

Grand Rapids, Michigan police arrested me on this bogus twenty-one year old warrant and I was immediately transferred to the hands and jail of the Newaygo County Sheriff in White Cloud, Michigan.

Newaygo County is home to some of the worst poverty in the United States while being a “wilderness” playground for the extremely wealthy--- many of whom own poverty wage-paying sweatshops in Newaygo County and around the Midwest.

At the present time a national defense committee is being established to try to prevent my imprisonment on these bogus charges.

This kind of political repression is on the increase all across the United States and is sure to intensify no matter if Obama is re-elected or Romney is elected.

Political repression is part and parcel of this corrupt and rotten system.

We have no national committee against political repression which is directed against those of us fighting for peace, social and economic injustice.

We have agreed to establish a “National Committee to defend Alan Maki and All Victims of Political Repression.”

We will mount not only a legal but educational campaign intended to expose how political repression is carried out by the police, the courts, the political establishment and employers all working in cahoots seeking to maintain poverty wages while driving down the standard of living of all working people while punishing anyone who dares to challenge this corruption intended to shore up this rotten system which enables the greedy, money-grubbing few to live off the labors of the many.

For many years, ever since its creation, the FBI has been used to spin a web of political repression--- attacking those who dare to struggle against imperialist wars, racism and for the rights of working people.

Politicians created the legislation and “special committees” to enable the FBI working through its “Red Squads”--- special units led by FBI “Special Agents” consisting of city, county and state police and now including private “detective agencies” like Altegrity/USIS and all kinds of union-busting outfits--- to carry out this political repression.

I, along with tens of thousands of other activists have been targeted by the FBI and their “Red Squads;” so called because the FBI continues to use the Communist Control Act as its cover to carry out these dirty deeds.

As my 50,000 plus page FBI dossier clearly shows, the perverted  Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, personally assigned the FBI to attack me--- an attack that has been dutifully carried out by the police and the courts with the permission of both the Democrats and Republicans with the malicious attack from Minnesota State Representative Tony Cornish--- who admits to amassing his own personal file on me--- being the latest and most recent where he designated me in an e-mail he sent to thousands of politicians across the Midwest, including each and every state legislator in  Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan which obviously emboldened the FBI, Grand Rapids Police Department, Newaygo County Sheriff, a corrupt prosecutor and judge to execute this twenty-one year old warrant which was bogus from its very creation with no other intent than to use the “color of law” to carry out this political repression which is the government’s response to my outspoken views and activities for peace, against racism and for social and economic justice.

To understand the nature of this injustice one only has to ask, and answer, the question:

How many other people in Michigan are arrested on twenty-one year old warrants alleging such petty offenses?

The terms of this outrageous ten-thousand dollar bond being used to enforce these fabricated bogus charges against me, restrict me to having to remain in the State of Michigan--- an obvious attempt to thwart our union organizing campaign in the Indian Gaming Industry--- which seeks to empower workers employed in the Indian Gaming Industry at poverty wages forced to work in unhealthy smoke-filled casinos--- and very conveniently under the terms of the racist “Compacts”--- intended to use racism to maintain the poverty on Indian Reservations creating huge pools of cheap labor are all telling.

The Indian Gaming Industry created by these “Compacts” arranged by corrupt tribal politicians, local, state and federal politicians and the mobsters who own the slot machines and table games and every other profitable venture associated with the Indian Gaming Industry, is every bosses dream come true: legislatively created poverty wages imposed on workers who have NO RIGHTS under state or federal labor laws.

These racist and anti-labor “Compacts” created by the Democrats with Republicans looking on smiling with their “bi-partisan” approval are now being enforced by the private and quasi-governmental detective agency which hires a bunch of thugs which include former FBI and CIA agents as well as state, county and local police with the FBI and other police agencies sharing their “information and files” with Altegrity/USIS and shared the other way around.

Why did these corrupt Newaygo County officials acting in collusion with the FBI and Grand Rapids Police Department decide to execute this twenty-one year old fabricated bogus warrant based on outright lies after twenty-one years?

Because the complainant whose story two Newaygo County Sheriff Deputies and the Newaygo County Prosecutor prompted by the FBI testimony could not have held up in court. Only weeks after the death of the complainant are these law-enforcement officials fully backed by the prosecutor and judge now executing these warrants claiming I used the telephone to intimidate these violent bigots.

How convenient; the police will now have free reign to further fabricate more lies without there being a living complainant or “witness” to these bogus charges--- another dream come true; this time for the FBI led “Red Squads,” and quite conveniently for the managements of the Indian Gaming Industry.

The terms and conditions of this outrageous ten-thousand dollar bond include prohibiting me from participating in demonstrations or entering any establishment serving alcoholic beverages which means I am prohibited from entering any casino.  

I hope all of you will consider participating in getting involved in our efforts defending me from these fabricated bogus charges based on lies in twenty-one year old warrants.

Think about this:

Why would any Judge establish a ten-thousand dollar bond for charges which carry a maximum penalty of six-months in prison and a $500.00 fine?

Why would any Judge even consider enforcing such twenty-one year old warrants which could have been served on me at any time over these past twenty-one years?  

Something to think about:

Newaygo County Judge Drake was the very prosecutor who authorized these bogus warrants faced on charges he helped to fabricate twenty-one years.

Does anyone think the execution of these warrants with a ten-thousand dollar bond being imposed with the undemocratic restrictions imposed by the terms of the bond has anything to do with “justice?”

Plain and simple: This is harassment and political repression taken to the extreme.

But, this is what political repression in this country looks like and what political repression has spun.

Like a snowball rolling down a steep long hill on a warm spring day the campaign of hate and harassment just keeps getting bigger and bigger--- the intent being to destroy the lives of living, breathing human beings as was demonstrated by the violent death of my good friend and fellow activist, Native American trade unionist and human rights activist, Greg Paquin, last spring.

Greg’s death was the direct result of where these campaigns of hate generated by the FBI’s “Red Squads” ultimately lead. The FBI and local law enforcement working together with the judiciary and reactionary politicians collaborated to make Greg Paquin’s life a living hell as they fabricated charges based on outright lies against him, too.

There is no legitimate reason why human beings should be subjected to these kinds of vicious hate campaigns instigated by the FBI.

We are going to see what we can do at a grassroots level to put an end to these kinds of politically motivated campaigns of hate.

I would also note that right-wing bigot Richard Mellon-Scaife has put his billions of dollars to work in creating several public front groups--- including KeyWiki staffed by, Trevor Loudon, a known pedophile working out of a cave in New Zealand  and Accuracy In Media staffed by a pervert in an expensive suit, Cliff Kinkaid--- being used to “expose” “Communists” and it is not coincidental that I have been singled out along with Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie whose “crime” is participating in meetings with Communists--- for outrageous and vicious attacks by both of these right-wing outfits funded by the nefarious right-wing bigot Richard Mellon-Scaife. Attacks that just happen to coincide with these recent attacks by politicians like Minnesota State Representative Tony Cornish who (retired from law enforcement), instead of apologizing to me for calling me “a very dangerous person” because I use my constitutionally protected rights to speak out, write and act in defense of worker’s rights and against racism which are human rights; Cornish has now proceeded to calling me “one of the most dangerous men in the world.” 

Please consider joining with us to put an end to this officially promoted bigotry where corrupt politicians working in league with law enforcement, prosecutors and the judiciary and the nefariously heinous Indian Gaming Industry which has hired Altegrity/USS to stymie and thwart our union organizing campaign are trying to stifle and smother our struggles for peace, social and economic justice.  

Today, Newaygo County is a burial ground for democracy but as we have seen, this could be, and is, Anyplace, U.S.A.--- a country these reactionary sleaze-balls hiding their wicked reactionary agenda under the “color of law” proclaim to people everywhere to be “the world’s greatest bastion of democracy.”

A law suit against, and to halt, these ghastly charges and undemocratic, unconstitutional behavior is being prepared for the federal courts.

If you have been targeted for similar political persecution I would like to hear from you so we can document for the peoples of the world what is going on here in the United States.

My next court appearance has been scheduled for November 12, 2012 at 8:30 A.M. in Newaygo County District Court with Judge Drake presiding.

At the arraignment on November 12 I will be asking these charges be dropped based on the facts:

1.) The complaining witness is now dead;

2.) These warrants should have been dismissed long ago under statute of limitations;

3.) These warrants were knowingly bogus at the time based on lies fabricated by Drake, the police and Karen Plants (Scott Plants was her husband at the time); bogus from the very time these warrants were issued twenty-one years ago;

4.) The bond is reduced to personal recognizance with no draconian stipulations;

5.) Judge Drake removes himself from this case for obvious conflict of interest;

6.) All charges are dropped;

7.) I am fully and completely compensated for this injustice I am being subjected to.

The Michigan Supreme Court will be asked to intervene by investigating the judicial misconduct, malfeasance and misfeasance in this case of Judge H. Kevin Drake with the request that Judge Drake be permanently removed from “the bench” for participating in this wholly egregious, outrageous judicial misconduct intentionally carried out to deprive me of my most fundamental and basic constitutionally protected democratic and human rights.

Anyone who has ever read the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights along with the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and then considering these bogus warrants can recognize the injustice in progress in this case.

My Defense Committee will make this case a focus of the upcoming December 10 Anniversary of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

The foundation-funded outfits whose finances are derived from the donations of the very “philanthropists” who profit from the injustices of working people refuse to take on these cases so grassroots efforts like ours are required.

Many people have called to ask me what they can do.

As a first step, please circulate and distribute this as widely as possible since education and informing a wide circle of friends is the first step.

Second write a letter to Judge H. Kevin Drake.

Your suggestions are encouraged and welcome.

We realize everyone is very busy on a variety of issues but we request you find a way to fit this into your busy schedule.

Thanking you in advance for you involvement and participation.

I appreciate the concern from everyone--- the calls, visits and e-mails.

While it is helpful for people to call Newaygo County District Court Judge Drake; it is even more important to place your thoughts in writing and send to:

Judge H. Kevin Drake

78^th District Court

1092 Newell St.

White Cloud, Michigan 49349

Telephone Number: 231-689-7257

The stated offense I am being accused of is:

“Telephone use for harassment.”

My case has been assigned Case Number: 9014391SM

Please document any phone calls by getting the name of the person spoken to, the date and time of the call and a description of what transpired in the conversation.

My next court appearance is scheduled for:

Monday, November 12, 2012 at 8:30 A.M. at the above address.

Please send a copy of any letters written to:

amaki000@centurytel.net

In my more than 45 years as an activist struggling for worker’s rights and in defense of worker’s livelihoods, for peace, against racism and poverty I have never used a telephone or any other method to “harass” anyone.

In fact, J. Edgar Hoover once lamented during a Congressional hearing that included investigating me that I am such a model citizen that it made “getting me” difficult. As a result, this is the kind of dirty deed these dirty birds have to stoop to in order to “get me.”

Republican Gerald Ford always referred to me as “a true gentleman” even though our discussions, often over breakfast, lunch or dinner, were often very heated with the two of us at odds on just about every single issue.

I challenge anyone to step forward claiming I ever “harassed” them.

The harassment obviously is the other way around as this present arrest on such frivolous allegations based on a warrant over twenty-one years old with the setting of a ten-thousand dollar bond proves.

A number of people have asked me what motivated this campaign against me and my family in Newaygo County.

Several things that I was involved in motivated this vicious and malicious vendetta:

First; I was the lead Plaintiff in a lawsuit in the federal courts in which the ACLU took the case.

This case was about getting Bible Clubs operated by a local group of right wing zealots out of our public elementary school.

United States Federal District Court Judge Richard A. Enslen ruled these Bible unconstitutional and ordered them to end.

The case rose to national and international prominence with the like of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson attacking me.

Second; I signed and distributed a leaflet with the picture of Croton Township Supervisor/Assessor William R. Miller’s home--- a multi-million dollar estate on a prime piece of river front property which he under-assessed at around $30,000.00 asking the very simple question:

“How does your property tax assessment compare to this?”

I went on to suggest that this corruption amounted to gross misfeasance and malfeasance.

The Newaygo County Prosecutor refused to proceed with action against Miller.

I then took the issue to state officials.

State officials agreed with me and removed William R. Miller from his position as Assessor but not before William R. Miller “responded” to my accusations in the leaflet which were distributed to every single home-owner in Croton Township by running huge, expensive advertisements in newspapers declaring:

“I want everyone to know Alan L. Maki is a card-carrying communist.

Signed,

William R. Miller

Croton Township Supervisor”

These huge, expensive advertisements were later found to have been paid for out of tax-payer funds by the Croton Township Treasurer.

The leaflet brought out hundreds of people to the Annual Croton Township Meeting, the largest crowd in the history of Croton Township, who demanded the resignation of William R. Miller and when Miller refused to resign the majority of people present voted on my motion to reduce Miller’s salary to $1.00 a year and not pay any expenses associated with the Supervisor’s duties at which time Miller declared the assembled crowd to be “disorderly” and dozens of riot-equipped police were called in to shut the meeting down.

It would, quite literally, require writing a book of several hundred pages to describe the living hell right wing bigots, including the head of the Newaygo County Republican Party, a self-avowed member of the John Birch Society, Roger Geitzen, who ran the public relations department for Consumers Power Company who lived three houses up the road from us, subjected our family to as they focused on bringing physical harm to our two very young children and our two dogs and two cats.

Geitzen admitted in Newaygo County Court during a trial in which I was accused of assaulting him after I took his pellet gun away from him and smashed it against a cement retaining wall, that he shot our little beagle’s eye out with his pellet gun and then he shot me with it as he called me a “dirty Jew” and “Commie.”

The charges against me were later dropped after the Michigan Supreme court found the Newaygo County Judge to be “biased” and appointed a visiting judge to hear the case.

Our kids walked out the door to go to school one morning and found our cat lying dead in a pool of blood on the porch with a bullet through its head, a note attached: “Maki, you are next.”

The role of the FBI in making these right wing bigots and public officials along with law enforcement think they could get away with this kind of hate campaign was very sinister. FBI agents went door-to-door asking neighbors, “what can you tell us about Alan Maki’s dangerous Communist views?”

Is it coincidental that Minnesota Republican State Representative, today, has decided to issue a statement calling me “a dangerous man?” “Dangerous” based on what; letters to the editor I write, blog posts I write, speeches I make, the organizing of casino workers aimed at creating a safe and healthy workplace with real living wages accompanied with the same state and federal protections all other workers enjoy and a voice at work?

J. Edgar Hoover once placed my picture on a chart with about fifty other activists declaring me to be “dangerous.” When Senator Frank Church asked Hoover, “What makes this Alan Maki so dangerous?” Hoover responded, “Maki is a Communist. We believe he is the link to Moscow to the youth protesting the Vietnam War.” Senator Church asked Hoover to back up this characterization of me being some kind of link to Moscow. Hoover responded, “Our investigation is in progress.”

“Dangerous.” We see how this government deals with those it deems to be “dangerous.”

Anyone who questions poverty and the wars making all of us poor is conveniently deemed to be, “dangerous.”

Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelly proclaimed more than 55,000 people to be so “dangerous” because of their advocacy for peace, social and economic justice he kept “Red Squad Files” on them.

The time has come to determine how much this political repression is costing us in terms of dollars and wasted time as well as how this political repression has affected our democracy.

These chicken-shit, two-bit, half-assed fascist bastards don’t dare to publicly debate my views but instead choose the route of instigating these kinds of campaigns of hate using all these dirty forms of harassment--- and then these dirty birds have the unmitigated gall to call what they have created using intimidation and harassment a “democracy.”

I am willing to publicly debate Republican State Representative Tony Cornish--- or anyone else--- anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

Political repression places a barrier to citizen civic participation in the decision-making process; civic participation is a hallmark of democracy.

I need your help in getting this information out to thousands of people. Please consider passing this information along to family, friends and fellow activists.

Thanks for your support.

Yours in the struggle,

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council    

Contact info: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Address:

Alan L. Maki

1850 4^th Street N.W.

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504