Jimmy Carter gave Trump good advice:
Fire John Bolton.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/03/23/john-bolton-policy-views-you-should-know-about/UDDDKdR57kNEHnR3qsJP3J/story.html
Leave a twig for the birds to perch on... don't let the capitalists do your thinking for you... if you are in the neighborhood, stop on in; the coffee is always hot and the cookie jar is full... looking forward to the day when the real decisions in America are made by working class families gathered around the kitchen table... new postings daily...Yours in the struggle...Alan L. Maki
Friday, March 30, 2018
Housing for people, not for profit.
Should private developers like Legend Communities be allowed to
intentionally create and shape entire communities into racially and
economically segregated communities in quest of huge super profits?
Check out this article:
“New Lakeway City Center proposal could expand size” by Bob Maxwell...
Check out this article:
“New Lakeway City Center proposal could expand size” by Bob Maxwell...
https://c4c5h4b3jv11qq3kf399hf3c-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/LTW-2018-03-1.pdf
Outfits like Legend Communities are finding huge profits in helping the wealthy continue to escape from the poor who they create.
These rich few whose wealth has been attained by exploiting working people seek out the heavily police and private security protected suburbs and gated communities.
The wealthy expect to continue to be served by poverty waged workers who must commute long distances to these jobs because they can’t afford the housing in these elite neighborhoods.
This begs the question:
What role does government have in community planning?
And what happens when the wealthy few are the majority in these small communities of the well-heeled crowd as a result freezing out those who work in these communities but can’t vote in these communities because they can’t afford to live in these communities?
This article is about “planning” in Lakeway, Texas which contains within it several guarded gated communities... armed guards to keep the hated people of color and poor out.
These wealthy people approved a forty-million dollar plus bond to build a new police station to house a police force of over fifty for a community with a population of around twelve-thousand requiring the labor of thousands of poverty wage workers to tend to their every need and whims with the main category of crime, according to the public police, being low-waged worker’s stealing from the wealthy living in nursing homes.
So, here we have, again, a proposal for more upscale housing- along with more businesses employing more poverty waged workers- with no thought to providing decent affordable housing for the workers who have to spend many hours a day, lacking even public transportation, commuting from home to jobs and back while having to pay out for child care.
This begs the question:
What is the role of the state and federal governments in promoting racial and economic diversity when planning is in progress when the planners, local government and most citizens lack basic sensibilities for equality and justice?
By the way, I have been viciously attacked by both well-heeled Democrats and Republicans for bringing this issue forward while candidates running for office would rather say nothing or call me names.
The current crooked and corrupt Mayor, Joe Bain, derides me in public as being an “activist;” what he says about me in private is anyone’s guess.
It’s a good thing I haven’t suggested free health care and child care centers... and living wages... for the workers employed who are expected to make do with poverty wages supplemented with miserly tips.
Outfits like Legend Communities are finding huge profits in helping the wealthy continue to escape from the poor who they create.
These rich few whose wealth has been attained by exploiting working people seek out the heavily police and private security protected suburbs and gated communities.
The wealthy expect to continue to be served by poverty waged workers who must commute long distances to these jobs because they can’t afford the housing in these elite neighborhoods.
This begs the question:
What role does government have in community planning?
And what happens when the wealthy few are the majority in these small communities of the well-heeled crowd as a result freezing out those who work in these communities but can’t vote in these communities because they can’t afford to live in these communities?
This article is about “planning” in Lakeway, Texas which contains within it several guarded gated communities... armed guards to keep the hated people of color and poor out.
These wealthy people approved a forty-million dollar plus bond to build a new police station to house a police force of over fifty for a community with a population of around twelve-thousand requiring the labor of thousands of poverty wage workers to tend to their every need and whims with the main category of crime, according to the public police, being low-waged worker’s stealing from the wealthy living in nursing homes.
So, here we have, again, a proposal for more upscale housing- along with more businesses employing more poverty waged workers- with no thought to providing decent affordable housing for the workers who have to spend many hours a day, lacking even public transportation, commuting from home to jobs and back while having to pay out for child care.
This begs the question:
What is the role of the state and federal governments in promoting racial and economic diversity when planning is in progress when the planners, local government and most citizens lack basic sensibilities for equality and justice?
By the way, I have been viciously attacked by both well-heeled Democrats and Republicans for bringing this issue forward while candidates running for office would rather say nothing or call me names.
The current crooked and corrupt Mayor, Joe Bain, derides me in public as being an “activist;” what he says about me in private is anyone’s guess.
It’s a good thing I haven’t suggested free health care and child care centers... and living wages... for the workers employed who are expected to make do with poverty wages supplemented with miserly tips.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Stop violence in the schools... there is a lot more to this than just guns.
I made this post (in blue) on FaceBook and have been getting quite a response and thought I would provide some further thought, below:
The violence in the schools doesn't just involve guns.
It isn't just gun violence; it is knives, baseball bats, fists and "curb stomping," too.
It is violence.
For sure these guns intended for military purposes need to be curbed; but, what is causing this violence needs to be addressed. We have a very sick society as a result of wars and racism spawned by a very sick capitalist system which needs to be replaced with socialism.
Where are the social workers?
We need large numbers social workers in our schools. This is the primary demand that needs to be made right now... along with some kind of stopping the sales and distribution of these AR-15 type military weapons.
School administrators, teachers and police always say, "We are not social workers." Isn't this an admission we need the intervention of social workers with our youth in school?
Also, young people need more sports programs and all kinds of other recreational, art and cultural programs.
Republicans and Democrats are not advocating solutions to violence because the real solutions need vast outlays of money and resources... money they would rather spend on militarism and wars which, they don't want to admit, because the finger points back at themselves because of their screwed up priorities.
The American people have no say in the decision-making process other than what they can force on these uncaring politicians through huge demonstrations, sit-ins, etc.
If we want a genuine voice for peace and disarmament and a socially and economically just society which will help us eradicate all of this violence in our schools and communities we are going to have to break free from Wall Street's two-party trap by organizing a working class based people's party of some kind.
Let's be very clear about this...
The very people who are saying things like, "Leave these kids to figure things out for themselves," are the very same people trying to manipulate them back into complacency.
This problem of violence in our public schools is going to take everyone getting involved.
How can we expect the youth who have been denied the tools for changing things by being taught lies in school about everything from history to how government works all of a sudden be expected to come up with solutions to these problems let alone implement the solutions?
Who can these young people rely on to implement the solutions to these problems even after they correctly identify the problems?
Come on, really; are these young people supposed to rely on a bunch of politicians who have made the choice to spend our tax dollars on militarism and wars for decades instead of spending money for improving public education people the youth can now rely on to implement solutions?
There is a reason these worthless politicians don't want us joining together with youth to discuss this problem of violence in the schools.
The reason being, they are afraid we will all join these young people out in the streets and the demonstrations and marches will grow bigger and bigger until people get so sick of listening to the excuses being made by these politicians that students and workers will join together and shut this country down until real solutions are forthcoming... this is the only thing these Wall Street bribed politicians will ever listen to--- if they will even listen to people organized in such a peaceful manner demanding a say in what is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
But, chances are good that instead of implementing real solutions the people will be met by violence ordered by these politicians--- billy club wielding police, pepper spray, water cannons and even the rifles of the National Guard just like when students at Kent State University peacefully demanded peace in Vietnam... or like the residents of Ferguson, Missouri who were met by a militarized police force in response to their demands for an end to racist violence and police murders.
This thoroughly rotten and corrupt government at every level maintains its disdain for democracy and the voices of the people with what? Violence.
Why should any citizen of this country have to look down the barrel of an AR-15, M-16 or M-4 because they are insisting on justice when it comes to racist cops killing people?
Why should any worker on strike have to look down the barrels of these guns held by police and union busting thugs?
Why did the people gathered to protect their water in North Dakota at Standing Rock have to look down the barrels of these guns held by oil company thugs, the police and the military?
Why do people all over the world have to look down the barrels of these guns when they demand an end to U.S. occupation of their countries?
What made the CIA think it could get away with putting these weapons in the hand of a fascist butcher like Pinochet in Chile to gun down students in their high schools and colleges and workers in mines and factories?
Here we have a guy like Bolton who says forget the guns and use more bombs including nuclear weapons to enforce U.S. dictate all over the world because our might makes everything right.
These young people who we are now told should be left alone to solve the problems of violence in their schools have not been taught the real source of this violence--- their own government and an economic system that is so sick and corrupt the only thing that keeps either propped up and going... is what? Violence.
The guns are not the source of the problem; the guns are making the violence of a violently sick society worse.
Talk to your children and the students about all of this. See if they don't agree. Then join these young people in the streets.
This country was stolen from Native peoples using violence.
Slavery was maintained with violence.
Employers use violence to keep union out.
Chances are, if you have ever engaged in any kind of peaceful activity to make this world a better place to live you have had to confront the violence orchestrated by a government which boasts to the world of being the greatest bastion of democracy--- a lie peddled around the world and to young people in our schools now being consumed in this violence of our government's own making.
Get the military recruiters promoting "God, Guns and Guts" out of our public schools, stop the distribution of racist hate literature and bring in an army of well-trained compassionate social workers as the very first step in bringing an end to the violence in our public schools... and stop the well-heeled elites including bankers, real estate investors, greedy doctors and employers on the school boards to stop intimidating and harassing teachers who teach the truth.
The
“March for Our Lives” seems to have all the earmarks and attributes of
the previous “Women’s March” and the “Science March;” as well as the
same sources of funding.
The big push was not for any specific reforms but to register people to vote for Democrats. This is not just my perception but the results declared by the organizers... and the funders... a really strange group of bedfellows... Democratic Party and Republican Party front groups financed by the millionaire and billionaire crowd claiming to be “supporters of the students.”
Somewhere between seven to twelve million dollars was contributed from the likes of George Clooney to Bloomberg and Warren Buffett and even the reactionary Josh Kushner.
So, not to raise the hackles of anyone, but I am wondering whether the funding is the strings which will assure this “movement” doesn’t go beyond the “Woman’s Marches” and the “Science Marches” and become a real movement focused on what has caused this society to become so violent- these never ending wars and racism.
It is noteworthy the materials distributed and speakers never mentioned either of these nor the need for a massive investment to place social worker’s in our public schools where they can take action to prevent violence from occurring to begin with.
Nor has there been any mention of the need to get these military recruiters out of our public schools who are glamorizing “guts, guns, glory and patriotism”- violence.
Also not mentioned is the common thread binding all of these young mass shooters together- racist, fascist right-wing churches and hate groups nor not even being mentioned is Trump’s promotion of violent racist and fascist hate.
Could no materials be written explaining all of this... or would funding not be forthcoming if the message was put together in this way?
We have had huge women’s marches, gigantic science marches and now even bigger marches against gun violence.
Will funding now be forthcoming for anti-racist and anti-fascist demonstrations?
What about a huge demonstration supporting the creation of a National Public Health Care System based on the model of public education?
Will these funders finance a massive demonstration of working class parents for a national public child care system?
What about funding for a huge gigantic peace demonstration opposing these dirty imperialist wars?
What about a massive demonstration calling for an end to poverty?
Will there be a call to create a massive all-people’s united front to bring all of these marchers together in a way to shut this country down until real reforms are implemented?
These millionaires and billionaires will finance “marches” as long as they don’t turn into persistent movements becoming a thorn in the sides of the Democratic and Republican Parties.
These big funders will tolerate a speaker here or there saying they won’t vote but they will not tolerate any speaker calling for busting free from this two-party trap by creating a new working class based people’s party.
The big push was not for any specific reforms but to register people to vote for Democrats. This is not just my perception but the results declared by the organizers... and the funders... a really strange group of bedfellows... Democratic Party and Republican Party front groups financed by the millionaire and billionaire crowd claiming to be “supporters of the students.”
Somewhere between seven to twelve million dollars was contributed from the likes of George Clooney to Bloomberg and Warren Buffett and even the reactionary Josh Kushner.
So, not to raise the hackles of anyone, but I am wondering whether the funding is the strings which will assure this “movement” doesn’t go beyond the “Woman’s Marches” and the “Science Marches” and become a real movement focused on what has caused this society to become so violent- these never ending wars and racism.
It is noteworthy the materials distributed and speakers never mentioned either of these nor the need for a massive investment to place social worker’s in our public schools where they can take action to prevent violence from occurring to begin with.
Nor has there been any mention of the need to get these military recruiters out of our public schools who are glamorizing “guts, guns, glory and patriotism”- violence.
Also not mentioned is the common thread binding all of these young mass shooters together- racist, fascist right-wing churches and hate groups nor not even being mentioned is Trump’s promotion of violent racist and fascist hate.
Could no materials be written explaining all of this... or would funding not be forthcoming if the message was put together in this way?
We have had huge women’s marches, gigantic science marches and now even bigger marches against gun violence.
Will funding now be forthcoming for anti-racist and anti-fascist demonstrations?
What about a huge demonstration supporting the creation of a National Public Health Care System based on the model of public education?
Will these funders finance a massive demonstration of working class parents for a national public child care system?
What about funding for a huge gigantic peace demonstration opposing these dirty imperialist wars?
What about a massive demonstration calling for an end to poverty?
Will there be a call to create a massive all-people’s united front to bring all of these marchers together in a way to shut this country down until real reforms are implemented?
These millionaires and billionaires will finance “marches” as long as they don’t turn into persistent movements becoming a thorn in the sides of the Democratic and Republican Parties.
These big funders will tolerate a speaker here or there saying they won’t vote but they will not tolerate any speaker calling for busting free from this two-party trap by creating a new working class based people’s party.
The violence in the schools doesn't just involve guns.
It isn't just gun violence; it is knives, baseball bats, fists and "curb stomping," too.
It is violence.
For sure these guns intended for military purposes need to be curbed; but, what is causing this violence needs to be addressed. We have a very sick society as a result of wars and racism spawned by a very sick capitalist system which needs to be replaced with socialism.
Where are the social workers?
We need large numbers social workers in our schools. This is the primary demand that needs to be made right now... along with some kind of stopping the sales and distribution of these AR-15 type military weapons.
School administrators, teachers and police always say, "We are not social workers." Isn't this an admission we need the intervention of social workers with our youth in school?
Also, young people need more sports programs and all kinds of other recreational, art and cultural programs.
Republicans and Democrats are not advocating solutions to violence because the real solutions need vast outlays of money and resources... money they would rather spend on militarism and wars which, they don't want to admit, because the finger points back at themselves because of their screwed up priorities.
The American people have no say in the decision-making process other than what they can force on these uncaring politicians through huge demonstrations, sit-ins, etc.
If we want a genuine voice for peace and disarmament and a socially and economically just society which will help us eradicate all of this violence in our schools and communities we are going to have to break free from Wall Street's two-party trap by organizing a working class based people's party of some kind.
Let's be very clear about this...
The very people who are saying things like, "Leave these kids to figure things out for themselves," are the very same people trying to manipulate them back into complacency.
This problem of violence in our public schools is going to take everyone getting involved.
How can we expect the youth who have been denied the tools for changing things by being taught lies in school about everything from history to how government works all of a sudden be expected to come up with solutions to these problems let alone implement the solutions?
Who can these young people rely on to implement the solutions to these problems even after they correctly identify the problems?
Come on, really; are these young people supposed to rely on a bunch of politicians who have made the choice to spend our tax dollars on militarism and wars for decades instead of spending money for improving public education people the youth can now rely on to implement solutions?
There is a reason these worthless politicians don't want us joining together with youth to discuss this problem of violence in the schools.
The reason being, they are afraid we will all join these young people out in the streets and the demonstrations and marches will grow bigger and bigger until people get so sick of listening to the excuses being made by these politicians that students and workers will join together and shut this country down until real solutions are forthcoming... this is the only thing these Wall Street bribed politicians will ever listen to--- if they will even listen to people organized in such a peaceful manner demanding a say in what is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
But, chances are good that instead of implementing real solutions the people will be met by violence ordered by these politicians--- billy club wielding police, pepper spray, water cannons and even the rifles of the National Guard just like when students at Kent State University peacefully demanded peace in Vietnam... or like the residents of Ferguson, Missouri who were met by a militarized police force in response to their demands for an end to racist violence and police murders.
This thoroughly rotten and corrupt government at every level maintains its disdain for democracy and the voices of the people with what? Violence.
Why should any citizen of this country have to look down the barrel of an AR-15, M-16 or M-4 because they are insisting on justice when it comes to racist cops killing people?
Why should any worker on strike have to look down the barrels of these guns held by police and union busting thugs?
Why did the people gathered to protect their water in North Dakota at Standing Rock have to look down the barrels of these guns held by oil company thugs, the police and the military?
Why do people all over the world have to look down the barrels of these guns when they demand an end to U.S. occupation of their countries?
What made the CIA think it could get away with putting these weapons in the hand of a fascist butcher like Pinochet in Chile to gun down students in their high schools and colleges and workers in mines and factories?
Here we have a guy like Bolton who says forget the guns and use more bombs including nuclear weapons to enforce U.S. dictate all over the world because our might makes everything right.
These young people who we are now told should be left alone to solve the problems of violence in their schools have not been taught the real source of this violence--- their own government and an economic system that is so sick and corrupt the only thing that keeps either propped up and going... is what? Violence.
The guns are not the source of the problem; the guns are making the violence of a violently sick society worse.
Talk to your children and the students about all of this. See if they don't agree. Then join these young people in the streets.
This country was stolen from Native peoples using violence.
Slavery was maintained with violence.
Employers use violence to keep union out.
Chances are, if you have ever engaged in any kind of peaceful activity to make this world a better place to live you have had to confront the violence orchestrated by a government which boasts to the world of being the greatest bastion of democracy--- a lie peddled around the world and to young people in our schools now being consumed in this violence of our government's own making.
Get the military recruiters promoting "God, Guns and Guts" out of our public schools, stop the distribution of racist hate literature and bring in an army of well-trained compassionate social workers as the very first step in bringing an end to the violence in our public schools... and stop the well-heeled elites including bankers, real estate investors, greedy doctors and employers on the school boards to stop intimidating and harassing teachers who teach the truth.