We need a new party like the Canadians have

We need a new party like the Canadians have with their socialist New Democratic Party whose best known leader is Tommy Douglas.

We need a new party in order to make this presently very corrupt government functional.


I would suggest there are three major points of unity people who are liberal, progressive and on the left can come together around:

1. Peace: ending these dirty wars.

2. Socialized health care or some variant of it which would include a vastly expanded public healthcare sector which includes single-payer universal healthcare based upon Canadian-style healthcare.

3. Jobs, jobs, jobs... creating a single-payer universal health care system would create about three million jobs--- a fully socialized healthcare system would create about ten million jobs.

Paying for this kind of healthcare reform which would create jobs is very easy if we stop these dirty wars.


Peace = Healthcare reform + Jobs


If a new political party did nothing more than deliver these three things that most Americans want it will have been a success.


The first thing we need to do is sign a "Declaration of Independence" from the Democratic and Republican parties controlled by Wall Street.


The second step is to serve notice on the Democrats and Republicans:

•No peace; no votes.
•No real healthcare reform; no votes.
•No jobs; no votes.

This is called "accountability" which is fundamental to democracy... voting out of fear does not create "accountability."

Then we need to convene a national conference to plan how to move forward in establishing regional, state and local committees for a new party--- perhaps we need to begin by challenging the Democrats in their own primaries and running as independents and even as write-in candidates committed to these three unifying things: peace, healthcare reform, jobs.


If everyone who are members of this FaceBook page would copy and paste this all over the Internet and on their FaceBook pages, blogs and WebPages and e-mail it to everyone on your e-mail lists we would start building a new political movement one person at a time... it would be like rolling a little snowball down a long, steep hill on a warm spring day--- the movement would keep getting bigger and bigger.


Each of us is like one little snowflake--- we don't amount to much... but, let a blizzard come along and try shoveling those little tiny snowflakes.


No one is going to do any of this for us; this needs to be a grassroots initiative.


Presently, we are living in what Tommy Douglas refered to as Mouseland... check out this brief video narrated by Tommy Douglas' grandson--- actor Keifer Sutherland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqpFm7zAK90

The dishonest way Obama's supporters promote supplemental healthcare reform in Minnesota for Obama's Wall Street health insurance reform initiatives

Hide

Laura K Kochevar Woo Hoo!!! The Minnesota Health Plan Passes the State House Health Policy Committee 11-6 Thanks to all for their hard work!!!!!

 

The above was posted to a FaceBook comment to which I responded:

Alan L. Maki

 

What we need is socialized healthcare... this is the wealthiest country in the world. Any country that can afford to fight wars in three countries at the same time and fund over 800 military bases dotting the globe can do better than this Minnesota Health Plan which places the burden for healthcare costs on the backs of working people instead of where the burden belongs--- on the backs of the corporations and the rich.

What proves to me just how dishonestly this Minnesota Health Plan has been promoted by John Marty and others is that they have refused to tell the people how much their premiums will be... I don't think most of the people supporting this legislation have even bothered to read this bill which will place the cost for healthcare premiums at around $750.00 a month for the average working class family who at present is having problems paying on home mortgages and paying their heating bills. Just what working people need; one more big monthly bill they can't afford... this is not healthcare reform.

Tell John Marty to come clean and tell us how much this legislation is going to cost people in mothly premiums... why wasn't this figure mentioned at the hearing of the State House Policy Committee... this is NOT single-payer universal healthcare; it certainly is not based on the Canadian style health system... it is a gimmick that John Marty is using for another failed bid to get elected governor.

Okay so far as far as discussions go... but, then this poster sent me her response--- which follows below to which she has prohibited me the opportunity to respond... so much for democracy from those who preach it the loudest but then refuse to practice what they preach... but, here is her response, followed by the response from me which she blocked:

Laura K Kochevar commented on her status:

"A good review of frequently asked questions about the Minnesota Health Plan is provided by the Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition at http://www.facebook.com/l/7ab55;muhcc.org/faq/minnesota-health-plan.

They are not affiliated with any candidate for any office.

The complete text of the legislation can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/l/7ab55;muhcc.org/minnesotahealthplan/billlanguage

Premiums for the plan will be on a sliding fee basis, based on ability to pay.

As the bill indicates, businesses will contribute to financing the plan.

The specific balance of how much will come from any specific family's budget, versus state and private sector contributions is currently being worked out as part of our democratic process, in our legislature. Also, the politically autonomous but publicly accountable Minnesota Health Board established by the plan will have a role in setting premiums and the sliding scale.

Studies are currently underway to assure that the public gets its moneys worth here. The expectation, based on previous empirical, scientific research, is that similar health care systems save states and individuals tons of money. For example, see the report of the Colorado study by the Lewin group at http://www.facebook.com/l/7ab55;www.healthcareforallcolorado.org/?p=34

please note: this study was conducted before Lewin was purchased by UHC and has been extensively peer reviewed and vetted by experts. It's a very high quality study.

With the Minnesota Health Plan, we will pay for the costs associated with just one health payer, not a whole bunch of redundant systems and that system will be accountable to the public. It will be open and transparent. All Minnesotans will have the choice of where to get their care, and the information they need. Everybody will be covered. Quality is part of the plan, because health care reform has got to be about more than just insurance, quality care keeps health up and costs down.

Bottom line: we can all expect lower costs and better health with the Minnesota Health Plan."

New Feature: Reply to this email to comment on this status.

To see the comment thread, follow the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/n/?profile.php&v=feed&story_fbid=325987126127&id=100000545967819&mid=1ee8971G29ea13c0G4ff9600G37

Thanks,

The Facebook Team

 

And this is my response which the poster blocked:

I read your response; but, I also read the complete legislation. In fact, I studied it very thoroughly. Your claim is that sliding scale costs will be provided in due time. In my opinion, the time to disclose the costs is when looking for support, not later. Since a big part of this health care reform debate is about "costs" it seems to me like anyone claiming this legislation will cut costs would want to prove this.

Also, what makes me believe this is little more than a campaign "gimmick" by John Marty aimed at rallying his middle class and professional base of loyal supporters (midle class as distinct from working class) is that this legislation makes a point of talking about the need to educate people about the things that make them less healthy... well, John Marty was among those who opposed including casinos in the "Freedom to Breath" legislation... there are over 40,000 workers employed in the casino industry in Minnesota forced to work at poverty wages and without any rights in these smoke-filled casinos. Apparently John Marty isn't interested in educating the managements of these casinos on healthcare issues... but, then again, some of these casino managers are among his most loyal campaign contributors.

What we need is what is socialized health care... it is the only solution to this healthcare mess. Real single-payer universal healthcare--- which this Minnesota Health Act is not--- would be a first step towards socialized healthcare or public healthcare depending on the term one wants to use.

Socialized healthcare would also create thousands of new jobs in Minnesota... good jobs with good working conditions and good pay.

Minnesotans have long voiced their support for socialized healthcare:

No-fee/no-premium, all-inclusive, comprehensive, pre-natal to grave, universal healthcare; publicly funded, publicly administered and publicly delivered.

John Marty is proposing a boon-doggle as a campaign gimmick and as soon as soon as the complete costs of the proposed legislation come to light the Minnesota Health Act will be as dead as all these people who are dying because they can't afford healthcare now.

And, as you see, the John Marty and his DFL'ers aren't even able to protect the poor from Pawlenty's very mean cuts to healthcare so how would they ever enact legislation that is real healthcare reform... the Democrats are not going to move forward on real healthcare reform even if they completely dominated both the House and Senate and had a Democratic governor... even if John Marty was governor he would not push forward his own legislation because it would come under such overwhelming attack.

By-the-way, this legislation doesn't have any support at the grassroots or rank-and-file level among working class voters; why not?

We already have a very good single-payer universal healthcare resolution that is part of the DFL's "Action Agenda" based on what most Minnesotans consider to be Canadian-style healthcare so why would you be putting forward this resolution of yours which claims to be for single-payer nationally but a very reactionary piece of state legislation which the PNHP's national leadership will not even certify as being single-payer universal healthcare or "Medicare for All?"

Alan L. Maki

Also, notice the resolution these people are pushing to undermine the present resolution which is part of the DFL's "Action Agenda" supported by 72% of the delegates to the 2006 Minnesota DFL State Convention. They dishonestly try to "piggy-back" their very reactionary state legislation on support for national single-payer knowing full well Barack Obama and the Democrats have killed single-payer:

For your caucus tonight: 2010 DFL RESOLUTION FOR ENACTMENT OF THE MINNESOTA HEALTH ACT

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 2:43pm

2010 DFL RESOLUTION FOR ENACTMENT OF THE MINNESOTA HEALTH ACT
(from the 2008-2010 Party Platform, the Action Agenda, and Legislative Priorities)


WHEREAS, lack of health insurance is a cause of 45,000 deaths per year in the U.S.

and

WHEREAS, 62% of personal bankruptcies are due to medical expenses and over 75% of these people have health insurance

and

WHEREAS, Over 47 million people in this country lack health insurance, millions more are under-insured, over 450,000 Minnesotans lack insurance coverage and minorities are disproportionately likely to be without insurance

and

WHEREAS, Federal reforms will not achieve universal coverage nor adequately control costs, and will perpetuate a fragmented and inequitable health care system

and

WHEREAS, a single payer system is the only system of health care that can assure universal and equitable coverage, portability and choice of provider, while also controlling costs,


BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Farmer Labor Party supports and works to enact a universal, single-payer health care plan on the federal level and the single-payer Minnesota Health Act at the state level.

"Senator Paul Wellstone, who was widely known as the "The Conscience of the Senate," wrote that he spent 85 percent of his time fighting Republican attacks on working families. Were Paul still alive, he'd be fighting for the thousands who die or are driven into bankruptcy every year due to a lack of health coverage" George Erikson

Once again, I ask: Where are the costs to working people associated with this Minnesota Health Act and where are the costs for business?

In fact, the costs for healthcare leveled on business will be reduced while working people will bear a sharply increased burden... and this is the main fact the supporters of this legislation do not want to divulge.

In the name of "progressive healthcare reform" they are attempting to sell us another very reactionary piece of state legislation meant to compliment Obama's sellout of single-payer.

Slick and shrewd politics; dishonest politics. 

The very same people who sold us Obama as being "progressive" are now trying the exact same dirty and dishonest tactics in trying to perpetuate one more hoax.

It is a good thing State Senator John Marty is floundering in trying to become an insurance salesman like Barack Obama.

Notice how they even invoke the name of former United States Senator Paul Wellstone to support their lies and dirty deeds in undermining the struggle for single-payer universal healthcare based upon the Canadian healthcare system as a first step to socialized healthcare.

I would also note that State Senator John Marty uses the word "reform" as deceptively and dishonestly as any health insurance salesman promotes their health insurance plans--- all very good on paper but quite another thing when you get sick.

The very word "reform" means to make something better; quite the opposite of Obama's health insurance legislation and John Marty's supplemental state legislative proposal.

Something to think about...

Alan L. Maki

"Chaos as an Everyday Thing"

Professor Wallerstein;

You write in your most interesting commentary [see very bottom]:

"Chaos as an Everyday Thing"

Only because unemployment, poverty, racism, starvation, lack of healthcare, inadequate education, war and occupation of other countries have become the “new normal” for so many more people across the globe.

I find it interesting you are still clinging to supporting Barack Obama even though he projects Wall Street’s policies of: anything for the sake of corporate profits--- which you don’t even mention or touch upon as if this drive for maximum corporate profits and the people be damned isn’t even a contributing influence to the “chaos” you cite. Instead, you focus on the need to increase taxes without even so much as a mention of who should be taxed more and for what purposes. Nor do you mention the huge, gross and destructive waste of resources on military spending and wars.

I find your present essay very strange for someone who is looked upon as one of the visionaries of the anti-globalization movement.

You are for sure correct in stating that the world’s states, all countries, are moving into a period of great turmoil; however, you fail to state the primary reason for this: Wall Street, Bay Street, Financial Street , The Square Mile, Frankfurt, Nihonbashi, Shanghai and Hong-Kong--- and, as a result, have hoarded all the wealth created by labor so that this wealth is now concentrated in the hands of a few capitalists which is the primary reason for this “chaos as an everyday thing.”

You imply taxation is an answer to most of the problems when private ownership of the mines, mills and factories is the major problem.

The problems have been created by the wealthy few who now expect the working class to suffer while these problems are resolved on the back of the working class. This is the cause of instability.

Never has there been a greater divide between the obscene and filthy rich and the poor.

We need a complete reordering of priorities away from war and military spending which has served to further increase corporate profits at the expense of what most people need: healthcare, housing, education and for many of the world’s peoples, simply a shirt on their backs not to mention water to drink and food to fill their empty bloated bellies.

Until this question of “ownership” of the means of production is resolved, these problems will persist and worsen with greater instability and more wars.

Redistribution of the wealth--- stolen from labor--- now controlled by Wall Street, Bay Street, Financial Street , The Square Mile, Frankfurt, Nihonbashi, Shanghai and Hong-Kong has to be our first order of business. Taxation is but one method for accomplishing this; there are many other methods needed, too; including stopping the home foreclosures and evictions, socialized health care, raising the minimum wage to a real living wage--- none of which can be accomplished as long as the Democrats and Republicans control politics the same corrupt, greedy, selfish way they have come to control the wealth created by labor.

You complain you have seen only two intelligent commentaries about the election results in the United States… part of the problem is that you continue to hold up Barack Obama as an example of “hope” and “change” when the only thing Obama represents is the greatest evil of all--- Wall Street’s most corrupt, warmongering and greedy drive for increased profits.

I am surprised you have been sucked into believing in this modern-day Elmer Gantry who is training to become this country’s leading health insurance salesman while posing as some kind of great benefactor and  supporter of “hope” and “change.”

“Chaos” has become “an everyday thing” because there is a crisis in everyday living for the vast majority of the working class across the globe. This chaos is a reflection of a capitalist system that has reached its most decadent imperialist stage. What you see as “chaos” is more about class struggle.

Come on, professor Wallerstein, help end this deception and confusion being pumped out by the mainstream media that contributes to creating this “chaos” and misunderstanding of the nature of what is going on by bringing a clear Marxist analysis into the proverbial, “public square.”

For truthful statements regarding what is taking place, and for an analysis about the election results, we are going to have to do much better than the words from the New York Time’s columnist--- Charles M. Blow, and this flim-flam man and con-artist extraordinaire who has managed to pull off the greatest hoax of the century in becoming President--- Barack Obama.

Capitalism is on the skids to oblivion dragging us all in the dark down this dangerous, curvy, bumpy and treacherous road to perdition--- if there is a stop-over in purgatory we are at this juncture right now which would account for the “chaos as an everyday thing.”

The time has come for a new kind of politics--- the politics and economics of livelihood in response to this global capitalist economic crisis.

Let us be very clear here Professor Wallerstein; the working class had no part in creating the problems resulting in the chaos you describe, and, as such, bear no responsibility in solving these problems except in making sure solution are found in the process of redistributing the wealth in a way that begins the process of needed reforms as we struggle to eliminate the source of the chaos and our problems: capitalism, now at its peak and very destructive and pernicious twilight: imperialism.

We need to think these problems through because…

Ending unemployment would contribute most toward ending this “chaos.”

 Socialized health care would be the biggest jobs creating program ever undertaken in the United States--- funded with money cut from wars and a healthy tax increase on the wealthy. No-fee/no-premium, comprehensive, all-inclusive, universal healthcare; publicly financed, publicly administered and publicly delivered is what we need instead of wars... 30,000 community-based healthcare centers spread out across the United States would create up to ten-million new jobs paying real living wages.

Professor Wallerstein, is there a reason your President Obama can’t think in terms of solving the unemployment problem by solving the health care mess we have?

Trillions of dollars bailing out Wall Street and not one single dime spent on the needs of working people.

Your President Obama has created chaos from the web of corruption spun by Wall Street--- humanity’s common enemy.

And, to add insult to injury, Barack Obama has refused to impose affirmative action as a precondition for his trillion dollar spending spree; thus assuring institutionalized racism will be strengthened rather than smashed and destroyed.

The recent International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties provided an analysis you perhaps missed… please allow me to share this sharp and clear-headed analysis with you which you might want to comment on in a future “Commentary:”

"SOCIALISM IS THE ONLY REAL ALTERNATIVE"

Statement adopted by the 11th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties, New Delhi, Nov. 20-22, 2009

This 11th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers' Parties, held to discuss "The international capitalist crisis, the workers' and peoples' struggle, the alternatives and the role of the communist and working class movement":

     - Reiterates that the current global recession is a systemic crisis of capitalism demonstrating its historic limits and the need for its revolutionary overthrow. It demonstrates the sharpening of the main contradiction of capitalism between its social nature of production and individual capitalist appropriation. The political representatives of Capital try to conceal this unsolvable contradiction between capital and labor that lies at the heart of the crisis. This crisis intensifies rivalries between imperialist powers who along with the international institutions - the IMF World Bank, WTO and others - are implementing their `solutions' which essentially aim to intensify capitalist exploitation. Military and political 'solutions' are aggressively pursued globally by imperialism. NATO is promoting a new aggressive strategy. The political systems are becoming more reactionary curtailing democratic and civil liberties, trade union rights etc. This crisis is further deepening the structural corruption under capitalism which is being institutionalized.

     - Reaffirms that the current crisis, probably the most acute and all-encompassing since the Great Depression of 1929, has left no field untouched. Hundreds of thousands of factories are closed. Agrarian and rural economies are under distress intensifying misery and poverty of millions of cultivators and farm workers globally. Millions of people are left jobless and homeless. Unemployment is growing to unprecedented levels and is officially expected to breach the 50 million mark. Inequalities are increasing across the globe - the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer. More than one billion people, that is one-sixth of humanity go hungry. Youth, women and immigrants are the first victims.

     True to their class nature, the response of the respective capitalist governments to overcome this crisis fails to address these basic concerns. All the neo-liberal votaries and social democratic managers of capitalism, who had so far decried the State are now utilizing the state for rescuing them, thus underlining a basic fact that the capitalist state has always defended and enlarged avenues for super profits. While the costs of the rescue packages and bailouts are at public expense, the benefits accrue to few. The bailout packages announced, are addressed first to rescue and then enlarge profit making avenues. Banks and financial corporates are now back in business and making profits.

Growing unemployment and the depression of real wages is the burden for the working people as against the gift of huge bailout packages for the corporations.

     - Realizes that this crisis is no aberration based on the greed of a few or lack of effective regulatory mechanisms. Profit maximization, the raison d'etre of capitalism, has sharply widened economic inequalities both between countries and within countries in these decades of `globalization'. The natural consequence was a decline in the purchasing power of the vast majority of world population. The present crisis is thus a systemic crisis. This once again vindicates the Marxist analysis that the capitalist system is inherently crisis ridden. Capital, in its quest for profits, traverses boundaries and tramples upon anything and everything. In the process it intensifies exploitation of the working class and other strata of working people, imposing greater hardships. Capitalism in fact requires to maintain a reserve army of labor. The liberation from such capitalist barbarity can come only with the establishment of the real alternative, socialism. This requires the strengthening of anti-imperialist and anti-monopoly struggles. Our struggle for an alternative is thus a struggle against the capitalist system. Our struggle for an alternative is for a system where there is no exploitation of people by people and nation by nation. It is a struggle for another world, a just world, a socialist world.

     - Conscious of the fact that the dominant imperialist powers would seek their way out of the crisis by putting greater burdens on the working people, by seeking to penetrate and dominate the markets of countries with medium and lower level of capitalist development, commonly called developing countries.

     This they are trying to achieve firstly, through the WTO Doha round of trade talks, which reflect the unequal economic agreements at the expense of the peoples of these countries particularly with reference to agricultural standards and Non Agricultural Market Access (NAMA).

     Secondly, capitalism, which in the first place is responsible for the destruction of the environment, is trying to transfer the entire burden of safeguarding the planet from climate change, which in the first place they had caused, onto the shoulders of the working class and working people. Capitalism's proposal for restructuring in the name of climate change has little relation to the protection of the environment. Corporate inspired `Green development' and 'green economy' are sought to be used to impose new state monopoly regulations which support profit maximization and impose new hardships on the people.

Profit maximization under capitalism is thus not compatible with environmental protection and peoples' rights.

     - Notes that the only way out of this capitalist crisis for the working class and the common people is to intensify struggles against the rule of capital. It is the experience of the working class that when it mobilizes its strength and resists these attempts it can be successful in protecting its rights. Industry sit-ins, factory occupations and such militant working class actions have forced the ruling classes to consider the demands of the workers. Latin America, the current theatre of popular mobilizations and working class actions, has shown how rights can be protected and won through struggle. In these times of crisis, once again the working class is seething with discontent. Many countries have witnessed and are witnessing huge working class actions, demanding amelioration. These working class actions need to be further strengthened by mobilizing the vast mass of suffering people, not just for immediate alleviation but for a long-term solution to their plight.

     - Imperialism, buoyed by the demise of the Soviet Union and the periods of boom preceding this crisis had carried out unprecedented attacks on the rights of the working class and the people. This has been accompanied by frenzied anti-communist propaganda not only in individual countries but at global and inter-state forums (EU, OSCE, Council of Europe). However much they may try, the achievements and contributions of socialism in defining the contours of modern civilization remain inerasable. Faced with these relentless attacks, our struggles thus far had been mainly defensive struggles, struggles to protect the rights that we had won earlier. Today's conjuncture warrants the launch of an offensive, not just to protect our rights but win new rights. Not for winning a few rights but for dismantling the entire capitalist edifice - for an onslaught on the rule of capital, for a political alternative - socialism.

     - Resolves that under these conditions, the communist and workers parties shall actively work to rally and mobilize the widest possible sections of the popular forces in the struggle for full time stable employment, exclusively public and free for all health, education and social welfare, against gender inequality and racism, and for the protection of the rights of all sections of the working people including the youth, women, migrant workers and those from ethnic and national minorities.

     - Calls upon the communist and workers parties to undertake this task in their respective countries and launch broad struggles for the rights of the people and against the capitalist system. Though the capitalist system is inherently crisis ridden, it does not collapse automatically. The absence of a communist-led counterattack engenders the danger of rise of reactionary forces. The ruling classes launch an all out attack to prevent the growth of the communists and the workers' parties to protect their status quo. Social democracy continues to spread illusions about the real character of capitalism, advancing slogans such as `humanization of capitalism', `regulation', `global governance' etc. These in fact support the strategy of capital by denying class struggle and buttressing the pursuit of anti-popular policies. No amount of reform can eliminate exploitation under capitalism. Capitalism has to be overthrown. This requires the intensification of ideological and political working class led popular struggles. All sorts of theories like `there is no alternative' to imperialist globalization are propagated. Countering them, our response is `socialism is the alternative'.

     We, the communist and workers' parties coming from all parts of the globe and representing the interests of the working class and all other toiling sections of society (the vast majority of global population) underlining the irreplaceable role of the communist parties call upon the people to join us in strengthening the struggles to declare that socialism is the only real alternative for the future of humankind and that the future is ours.

Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell Phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

From: Commentary Subscribers [mailto:COMMENT@LISTSERV.BINGHAMTON.EDU] On Behalf Of Becky Dunlop
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:08 AM
To: COMMENT@LISTSERV.BINGHAMTON.EDU
Subject: Immanuel Wallerstein's Commentary No. 275

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

Commentary No. 275, Feb. 15, 2010
"Chaos as an Everyday Thing"

You know you're living in a chaotic situation when (1) the mainstream media are constantly surprised by what is happening; (2) short-term predictions by various pundits go in radically different directions and are stated with many reserves; (3) the Establishment dares to say things or use words that were previously taboo; (4) ordinary people are frightened and angry but very unsure what to do. This is a good description of the past two years throughout the world, or at least in most parts of the world.

Consider the recent enormous "surprises" - the election of a Republican senator in Massachusetts; the financial collapse of Dubai; the near bankruptcy of various large states within the United States and four or five of the member states of the European Union; severe world currency fluctuations.

These "surprises" are commented on each day in the world press and by leading politicians. They don't agree at all about what is happening, and even less about what one should do to improve the situation. For example, I have seen only two intelligent statements about the election results in the United States.

One was by Barack Obama himself: "The same thing that swept [Republican] Scott Brown into office [in Massachusetts] swept me into office. People are angry, and they're frustrated." And the second was by African-American op-ed columnist in The New York Times, Charles M. Blow. He called his op-ed "Mobs rule." He said: "Welcome to the mob: an angry, wounded electorate, riled by recession, careening across the political spectrum, still craving change, nursing a bloodlust." First they elected Obama; now they're rejecting him. Why? "The mob is fickle."

What are we seeing in California, in Greece, in most of the world's governments? Government revenues are down, primarily because of reduced tax incomes, which are in turn caused by the fact that everywhere people are consuming less out of fear that their money is running out. At the same time, precisely because world unemployment is considerably greater, the demands on the states for expenditures have risen.

So states have less money to meet greater demands. What can they do then? They can increase taxes. But taxpayers are seldom in favor of having their own taxes go up. And states are afraid of the flight of enterprises. Well, then, they can cut expenditures - present ones or future ones like pensions. And then they are faced with popular unrest, if not popular revolt.

Meanwhile, the "market" reacts. But what is this market that reacts - for example, by shifting its currency preferences? It is very large corporations and financial structures like hedge funds, which are working the world financial system for very short-term but significant gains.

As a result, governments are faced with impossible choices, and individuals even more impossible choices. They cannot predict what is likely to happen. They become ever more frantic. They lash out by being protectionist or xenophobic or demagogic. But of course, this solves little.

At this point enters that greatest of world pundits, Thomas I. Friedman, to write a column entitled "Never heard that before." What had he never heard before? He heard non-Americans talking at Davos about "political instability" in the United States. He says that in his past experience such a phrase had been used only about countries like Russia or Iran or Honduras. Imagine that. People actually think the United States is politically unpredictable. And Thomas Friedman never heard it before.

There have been some people who have been writing this, and explaining this, for some forty years at least, but Thomas Friedman never heard it before. That's because he has been living in a self-constructed cocoon, that of the political Establishment in the United States and its acolytes elsewhere. Things must be really bad for them to recognize this basic reality. The United States is politically unstable - and likely to become more so, not less so, in the coming decade.

Is Europe more stable? Only somewhat. Is Latin America more stable? Only somewhat. Is China more stable? Perhaps somewhat, but there are no guarantees. When the giant teeters, many things can come down with it.

So, this is what everyday chaos is like - a situation that is not predictable in the short run, even less in the middle run. It is therefore a situation in which the economic, political, and cultural fluctations are large and rapid. And that is frightening for most people.

by Immanuel Wallerstein

[Copyright by Immanuel Wallerstein, distributed by Agence Global. For rights and permissions, including translations and posting to non-commercial sites, and contact: rights@agenceglobal.com, 1.336.686.9002 or 1.336.286.6606. Permission is granted to download, forward electronically, or e-mail to others, provided the essay remains intact and the copyright note is displayed. To contact author, write: immanuel.wallerstein@yale.edu.

These commentaries, published twice monthly, are intended to be reflections on the contemporary world scene, as seen from the perspective not of the immediate headlines but of the long term.]

--
Becky Dunlop
Secretary, Fernand Braudel Center
http://fbc.binghamton.edu

--
Becky Dunlop
Secretary, Fernand Braudel Center
http://fbc.binghamton.edu

DC March for Jobs, Peace and Justice!

South Carolina AFL-CIO Endorses DC March for Jobs, Peace and Justice!

WORKERS EMERGENCY RECOVERY CAMPAIGN

P.O. Box 40009, San Francisco, CA 94140 Tel. (415)
641-8616; fax: (415) 626-1217 email:
wercampaign@gmail.com website: www.wercampaign.org

----------

[please excuse duplicate postings, and please
distribute widely]

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

Rank-and-file unions from various parts of the country,
as well as Central Labor Councils, have been passing
resolutions calling on the AFL-CIO and Change to Win to
organize a massive Solidarity Day III demonstration in
Washington to demand job-creation programs as well as
other programs vital to working people. [See initial
list of endorsers of this call below.]

This campaign just took a qualitative leap forward when
the statewide South Carolina AFL-CIO passed a similar
resolution, which you will find below.

These resolutions have a receptive audience. AFL-CIO
President Richard Trumka recently argued: "It's not
time to leave it to any political party to take care of
us once we put them in office. It's time to organize
and mobilize as never before to make every elected or
aspiring leader PROVE he or she will create the jobs we
need in an economy we need with the healthcare we need.
I know we are the people who can mobilize a massive
army to force elected leaders to deliver."

Together, these developments signal that now is the
time to act. We want to encourage all of you to raise
similar resolutions in your union locals and
labor/community organizations. Every resolution will
help, and any single resolution might just provide the
essential tipping point that results in a nationwide
call for a Solidarity Day III demonstration.

Every recent poll has concluded that job loss is the
top concern of the American public. If we succeed in
winning a call for Solidarity Day III march in
Washington, this diffuse sentiment will achieve
concrete expression in the streets as working people
across the country mobilize under the banner of a
demand for job-creation programs, single-payer
healthcare, an end to home foreclosures and evictions
and war, money for education and vital social services,
and so on.

The labor movement in this country represents the
interests of the majority of the people in this
country. The bankers do not. We have a solemn duty to
press for Solidarity Day III so that the collective
voice of the majority of working people can be heard
across the nation.

In Solidarity,

Alan Benjamin and Bill Leumer WERC Co-Conveners

********************

SOUTH CAROLINA AFL-CIO
Post Office Box 39
Swansea, S.C. 29160

* (803) 798-8300 * Toll free 866-798-8300 *
FAX (803) 798-2231 * E-Mail: scaflcio@bellsouth.net
----------

Resolution in Support of a Labor-Sponsored March on
Washington WHEREAS in the aftermath of the
Massachusetts special senatorial election, AFL-CIO
President Richard Trumka issued a statement declaring,
"It's time to organize and mobilize as never before to
make every elected or aspiring leader PROVE he or she
will create the jobs we need in an economy we need with
the healthcare we need. I know we are the people who
can mobilize a massive army to force elected leaders to
deliver;" and

WHEREAS despite the so-called economic recovery, the
economic crisis for working people has continued
unabated, with growing unemployment and
underemployment, rising home foreclosures and
evictions, and the underfunding of public education and
vitally needed social services; and

WHEREAS the government has bestowed billions of bailout
dollars on the financial institutions whose
recklessness and greed created this economic crisis and
who are rewarding those responsible with obscene
gigantic bonuses; and WHEREAS the labor movement's
legislative priorities -- a massive program for jobs,
true universal healthcare, and enactment of the
Employee Free Choice Act -- are all in great peril; and

WHEREAS while the government has no problem allocating
a trillion dollars for two wars thousands of miles
away, it has not committed funds critically needed to
put America back to work, with healthcare and quality
education for all; and

WHEREAS right wing, anti-labor forces, such as the Tea
Bag movement, have brought hundreds of thousands of
people into the streets to advance their reactionary
demands; and WHEREAS there is a growing movement within
the House of Labor to counter the right-wing offensive
against workers' living standards with our own massive
mobilization; and

WHEREAS various union bodies, including the South Bay
Labor Council (CA), acting on a resolution submitted by
Plumbers and Fitters Local 393, Troy Area Labor Council
(NY), and the San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO,
have adopted resolutions calling upon the AFL-CIO and
Change to Win to organize a Solidarity Day III March on
Washington D.C. in the spring of 2010 to demand jobs,
healthcare, housing, full funding for public education
and social services, and peace; now therefore be it

RESOLVED that the South Carolina AFL-CIO joins with our
brothers and sisters in calling for a labor-sponsored
march on Washington for jobs, peace and justice, which
would have the capability of mobilizing the kind of
massive army Brother Trumka spoke of; and be it finally
RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the
AFL-CIO and to Change to Win. (Adopted by the SC AFL-
CIO Executive Board  -  February 2nd, 2010)

********************

Initial list of endorsers of Call for a Labor-Sponsored
Demonstration in Washington for Jobs, Peace and Justice

- South Carolina State AFL-CIO - San Francisco Labor
Council - South Bay Labor Council (San Jose, Calif.) -
San Mateo Central Labor Council - Hartford (CT) Central
Labor Council - Troy (NY) Central Labor Council - AFT
Local 1021 (Los Angeles) - Executive Council, AFT
Missouri - California Peace and Freedom Party - Harlem
Tenants Council - Harlem Antiwar Coalition - Bay Area
Labor Committee for Peace and Justice - Ohio State
Labor Party - Railroad Workers United - Painters and
Dry Wall workers Local  93 (Bay Area)

- Glen Ford (Black Agenda Report) - Donna Smith,
American SiCKO, American Patients United - Harry Kelber
(Labor Educator) - Sharon Black (Organizer, Bail Out
the People Movement) - Monadel Herzallah (Arab American
Union Members Council) - Andy Griggs (UTLA member) -
Don Bechler (chair, Single Payer Now!) - Larry Duncan
(Labor Beat-Chicago) - Allan Fisher (AFT 2121) - Fred
Hirsch (South Bay Labor Council) - Jerry Gordon (Ohio
State Labor Party) - Bill Balderston (Bay Area Labor
Committee for Peace and Justice)

WERC Interim National Committee Members:

- Kali Akuno, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Gulf Coast
Reconstruction activist - Alan Benjamin,* Executive
Committee member, San Francisco Labor Council - Mike
Carano, Progressive Democrats of America - Colia Clark,
Veteran, Civil Rights Movement - Donna Dewitt*,
President, South Carolina AFL-CIO - Pat Gowens,
National organizer, Welfare Warriors - Bill Leumer,*
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 853
(ret.) - Luis Maga単a, Coordinator, Organization of
Farmworkers of California (OTAC) - Cynthia McKinney,
Former Member of Congress, 2009 Green Party
presidential candidate - Jack Rasmus, Economist,
Professor at St. Mary's College - Al Rojas,
Coordinator, Frente de Mexicanos en el Exterior - Marc
Rich, United Teachers of Los Angeles - Cindy Sheehan,
Gold Star mother, antiwar activist - Clarence Thomas,
Member, ILWU Local 10 - Mark Vorpahl*, SEIU Local 49,
Portland, OR - Nancy Wohlforth*, Co-Pres., Pride at
Work/AFL-CIO, Vice Pres.,California Federation of Labor

Fire Rahm Emanuel

Pretty pathetic, even Sarah Palin has more compassion and common sense than Obama's main man as reported by all the MSM:

"Palin's non-rebuke rebuke of Limbaugh comes after she called on President Obama, earlier in the week, to fire his chief of staff after using the word. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rahm Emanuel called liberal activists who wanted to run ads against conservative Democrats "fucking retarded" in a closed-door meeting at the White House. On her Facebook page, Palin likened Emanuel's "slur on all God's children with cognitive and developmental disabilities" to using the "N-word," something she deemed "unacceptable" and "heartbreaking." Emanuel later issued an apology to Special Olympics chairman and CEO Tim Shriver."

Rahm Emanuel should have been fired on the spot. What kind of person is Barack Obama for refusing to fire Emanuel... this says more about Obama than anything... we know Rush Limbaugh is nothing but a fascist and a bigot.

Alan L. Maki

UAW sells out casino workers--- goes from "two-tier" wage structure to "three-tier" with a sub-minimum wage base pay and the opportunity to continue breathing second-hand smoke

Say, did anyone notice the new "contract" the United Autoworkers union (UAW) just signed with the huge Foxwoods Casino/Resort (an outfit run by a feudal tribal government for the profits of some mobsters)... a corrupt government put in place just like the puppet government in Haiti?

It's a union--- and a union contract--- management is thrilled about because the contract helps management "manage" the workers--- the dealers.

The agreement includes a sub-minimum wage for base pay.

The UAW has been busy "organizing" in Michigan, too, at two casinos we have been trying to organize--- Odawa and Island... their idea of "organizing" is to offer management "a better deal" than you can get "from a bunch of communists."

The "contract" includes a clause prohibiting workers from striking to "keep the contract in line with tribal traditions and laws."

No mention of the fact the feudal tribal government is the creation of the crooked and corrupt Indian Gaming Association.

Under the terms of this "contract" two-thirds of the workers covered by the contract will make less than $12,000.00 a year because the UAW did themselves one better and went from their "two-tier" auto contracts to a "three-tier" contract for casino workers.

Foxwoods is one of the most profitable capitalist enterprises in the world and this is the best the UAW can do for workers... but, its like Ron Gettelfinger has said, "We are going to have to pick up the dues we are losing in auto from some place else."

Workers at the Odawa Casino/Resort in Petoskey, Michigan told the UAW to get lost... at the Island Casino in Escanaba, Michigan workers weren't quite as polite.

The UAW has refused to join us in challenging the "Compacts" creating the Indian Gaming Industry for fear it might offend their "coalition partners," the Democratic Party which gets tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions from the Indian Gaming Associations and the UAW doesn't want to insult corrupt tribal governments which work together with the Indian Gaming Associations to assure a pool of cheap labor through the perpetual breeding of racist unemployment and poverty so there will be enough workers to employ in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights under state or federal labor laws.

Rumor has it the lead UAW negotiator from the Foxwoods' "gentlemen's agreement" has been offered a job with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The UAW thinks its alright for workers to breath in second-hand smoke as long as it "doesn't bother them;" of course, the American Cancer Society and the Heart & Lung Foundation might take a different view of this as does the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council--- no smoking in the workplace, period.

In Minnesota, with the help of State Senator Tom Bakk, now a candidate for Governor supported heavily by the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association; the UAW, USW and the building trades unions have joined with Bakk in looking after the rights of non-union employees in the hospitality industry by helping them save their jobs by freeing these workers from having the minimum wage enforced in the hospitality industry.

The UAW-Foxwoods agreement is the worst union contract in U.S. history; the washer-women in the Jamestown Settlement were able to negotiate a better union contract.

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

58891 County Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my Blog:
http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Bemidji Pioneer Press report on precinct caucus night in Minnesota and some of my additional thoughts...

Precinct caucus night in Minnesota has become a Minnesota tradition, kind of like "hockey night in Canada" is across the border... over 8,000 precinct caucuses are held where citizens and grassroots activists in the political parties have an opportunity to make their voices heard... and last night the voices in the DFL resounded very clearly: put affirmative action into the DFL platform's "Action Agenda" and get out there and enforce affirmative action. 

I hope you will circulate this wide and far. People across this country have a right to know that progressive Minnesotans are rising to today’s challenges and we need all the allies we can get from across the country if we are going to be able to muster the movement in building for the kind of change people were hoping for.

Read full article below after my comments---

Note: In many precincts across Minnesota “watered-down” versions of the original resolution were passed in an attempt by MN DFL Chair Brian Melendez to head off a discussion as to why it has taken the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party to take a stand for the enforcement of affirmative action… but, so far, all reports coming in from across Minnesota indicate that the grassroots, in their majority, expect affirmative action to be enforced and they expect the MN DFL to advocate for the enforcement of affirmative action policies which are not at present being enforced by state agencies or department or other levels of government. The Minnesota DFL has been evading supporting affirmative action because it has become official MN DFL strategy to write-off the urban and working class vote as more and more people are sitting home on election day because they see no difference in the Democrats and Republicans so the MN DFL has decided to go after the votes in suburban and gated communities instead of responding to the concerns of working people. In fact, it was difficult to get people to turn out for these grassroots precinct caucus events because people were saying things like, “What’s the use; we put so much effort into electing Obama and these Democrats and they are hurting us instead of helping us with our problems.”

Note: It is interesting to note that the leaders of the MN DFL are lamenting the fact they have not been able to elect a Minnesota Governor since Rudy Perpich. Ironically, it is these same Democrats who launched a vicious red-baiting campaign against Rudy Perpich after he proposed tax-the-hell out of the rich and drastically increasing the “taconite tax” on the iron ore. These well-heeled Democrats often referred to as “The Summit Hill Club” because they live a life of tremendous wealth (Summit Hill is where all the old mining, lumber and railroad barons resided… and these reactionary Democrats dubbed Rudy Perpich who came from a family of communist union organizers on Minnesota’s Iron Range as “Red” Rudy which provoked Rudy Perpich to begin exploring the idea of creating a party independent of the Democratic Party… unfortunately, Rudy Perpich died of cancer before he could initiate the struggle against this bunch of well-heeled and middle class Democrats who had, and have, no connection to the working class.

Another former Minnesota Governor, Elmer Benson, an avowed socialist who worked tirelessly to give liberals, progressives and the left among the working class, farmers, small business people and professionals a voice in the decision-making process was subjected to a similar vicious racist, anti-Semitic, anti-communist and anti-labor campaign in 1938 as was Rudy Perpich years later.

Both Rudy Perpich and Elmer Benson valued their friendship with fellow Iron Ranger, Gus Hall who, who, as a member of the NAACP in Yonkers, New York, helped lead the fight for affirmative action. Both Elmer Benson and Rudy Perpich during their terms as governor strictly enforced affirmative action and would not tolerate any kind of racial discrimination or bigotry… there is a reason why the healthcare center on the Red Lake Indian Reservation is called the Roger Jourdain-Rudy Perpich healthcare center.

I should also point out that a move is quietly underway by this “Summit Hill Club” to try to end “precinct caucus night in Minnesota”… it is like famed playwright Bertolt Brecht was fond of saying, “The wealthy create the poor but cannot stand to look at them;” we could, and should, add to this, “the wealthy few who own the mines, mills, factories and the casinos cannot stand to have the poor participating as equals in the decision-making process during precinct night in Minnesota.” Many people opine that should these well-heeled Democrats be successful in ending this Minnesota tradition of “precinct caucus night in Minnesota” this will be, for liberals, progressives and the left, “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” and a new progressive party in Minnesota will be born out of the rich history of the real Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party.

Anyways, read the article from the Bemidji Pioneer Press republished below… it best captures “precinct caucus night in Minnesota” better than any other newspaper article I have read from the Main Stream Media (MSM).

It is good news that Iron Ranger and State Representative Tom Rukavina, dubbed “Tommy the Commie,” by the “Summit Hill Club” crowd is still running a strong campaign in northern Minnesota and other parts of the state. Rukavina, the most progressive member of the Minnesota State Legislature has pledged to Minnesotans, “My door, as Governor, will always be open to everyone.” And people know he is sincere because he is the only state legislator who has this open door policy right now--- and for years, Tom Rukavina has been their governor as he has helped not only his constituents, but any and all Minnesotans. Rukavina has stated he is the voice of the Farmer-Labor wing of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party and working people know this. Rukavina is the only candidate in the race for Governor who has openly stated he will take up where Rudy Perpich left off. As a worker who made his living in the iron ore mines, Rukavina doesn’t have the financial resources of the wealthy candidates leading the pack; but he is putting up one heck of a fight… at the Roseau County DFL Convention, Rukavina was tied for first place and as the article below points out he held his own in Beltrami County.

Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
Alternate MN DFL State Convention Delegate, Roseau County; a delegate vote committed to Tom Rukavina for Governor


Link: http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100015521

This is an excerpt from the article (full and complete article below):

All the precincts elected permanent precinct chairmen and delegates to the county convention, but even there very few resolutions to change or add to the party platform were offered.

“Institutionalized racism is still firmly in place and entrenched in all aspects of life in Minnesota,’ ’said Ward 5 caucus attendee Greg Paquin, who is seeking DFL endorsement over Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji.

Saying institutionalized racism is more evident in American Indian communities, Paquin offered a resolution that affirmative action become part of the Minnesota DFL platform and that the DFL supports the strict enforcement of all affirmative action guidelines and policies and that affirmative action plans “must be drawn up and implemented to become part of all projects in Minnesota …”

Paquin was the only supporter of the resolution which wasn’t adopted, mostly because of a lack of understanding, as six people abstained while five voted no.

Precinct captain Michael Meuers said he thought affirmative action was already part of the DFL Party platform.

A measure by Joe Day on affirmative action, however, did pass. He asked ”all governances to recognize and uphold Affirmative Action in all agencies.”

“This is a watered-down version of what I want,” Paquin said.

“Federal law includes affirmative action, and tribes are covered by the Tribal Employment Rights Act,” Day said. “And the private sector has the Human Rights Commission. This would affect state and local governments.”

That measure passed with four abstentions and only Paquin opposed/
The institutionalized racism resolution, however, did pass unanimously in Frohn Township.

Comment: An interesting point to be made is that those who "watered down" the resolution have refused to stand up and call for enforcement of affirmative action on the largest public works project in Bemidji in years--- the Bemidji Regional Event Center.

Michael Muerers is the public relations man for the Red Lake Tribal Council's casino business, among other things. His wife has sat shamefully silent  as a member of the Bemidji City Council knowing full well affirmative action is not being enforced on the BREC at any level... talk about the way the bribes from the casino industry corrupts the political process on and off the Indian Reservations.

Joe Day has not uttered a peep nor come out in support of affirmative action in hiring on the BREC project.

John McCarthy and his Minnesota Indian Gaming Association have contributed millions of dollars funding candidates opposed to affirmative action. In fact, John McCarthy urged support for the racist City Planner, Rita Albrecht who was the primary Bemidji City official responsible for working the way out from enforcing affirmative action on the BREC.

State Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji who put forward a resolution supporting the Indian Gaming Industry represents the area the BREC is being built on and he has not lifted a finger to insist that federal, state and city laws, statutes and policies on affirmative action be enforced... yet, he wants to protect the Indian Gaming Industry in a way that assures casino workers are employed in smoke-filled casinos at poverty wages without any rights. In a conversation I had recently with Representative Persell he told me that I didn't understand economics because he maintains, "low wages don't create poverty. Any job is better than no job at all." When I pointed out to Persell that he works in two smoke-free offices and makes more than ten times the income from his two jobs on the public pay-roll--- as a wet lands specialist and as a state representative, he tapped his head indicating that if one is smart they would not be poor or working in a casino.. When I pointed out to Representative Persell that he is in office because us stupid casino workers create the wealth stolen from us by the casino industry and a big chunk of this wealth is used by the Minnesota Indian Gaming Industry to elect such smart people as he is to public office he gave me a shove and said, "Typical talk coming from a 'commie union man;' you see poverty and cancer, I see jobs, jobs, jobs."


The question has to be asked:

When will Michael Meuers, Joe Day, John McCarthy and Representative John Persell meet with Bemidji City officials and demand full implementation of the "watered-down" affirmative action resolution Joe Day brought forward in an attempt to spare the Minnesota DFL and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association embarrassment?

Alan L. Maki

 
Article from the Bemidji Pioneer Press...


Published February 03 2010

DFL: Rybak wins favor at Beltrami County precinct caucuses

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, meet Beltrami County Democrats.

By: Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer

Michael Meuers, left, Bemidji Ward 5 DFL precinct captain, explains procedure Tuesday night as Democratic precinct caucuses were held at Lincoln School, one of 12 Beltrami County sites. Behind him is Beltrami County DFL Chairman Steve Nelson while caucus attendee Jackie Ryder is at right. Pioneer Photo/Brad Swenson

More...

·        GOP: Caucus discusses issues, looks to election

·        Minnesota caucuses: Party faithful pick favorite candidates

DFL: Rybak wins favor at Beltrami County precinct caucuses
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, meet Beltrami County Democrats.

By: Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer


Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, meet Beltrami County Democrats.

The urban mayor, who only in November won a second term, won the favor of Beltrami County precinct caucus attendees Tuesday night, scoring well in a non-binding preference poll for governor.

At least that was the verdict of several Democratic precinct caucuses which convened at Lincoln Elementary School, one of 12 sites DFLers met for precinct caucuses in Beltrami County.

In a low attended caucus night despite nine major candidates on the straw poll ballot – former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton didn’t want to partake in the poll and will go directly to the Sept. 14 primary — Rybak polled 12 votes, including seven of 11 in Frohn Township.

Iron Range Rep. Tom Rukavina also won favor, coming in second with six votes, all from Bemidji Ward 5. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher got four votes and no one else got more than two.

Full Beltrami County results followed suit. Rybak led with 36 votes, followed by Rukavina with 23, Marty 19 and Kelliher 16. Sen. Tom Bakk of Cook polled 13 votes while former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza got 10 and Rep. Paul Thissen nine votes. Former Sen. Steve Kelley got five votes and Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner two.

“The quest for ‘change’ continues,” said Beltrami County DFL Chairman Steve Nelson. “It’s been 19 years since Gov. Perpich. Today we begin the campaign to put a DFL governor in office.”

In statewide results, with 73 percent of precincts reporting, Rybak with 21.5 percent led Kelliher with 20 percent. Rukavina was fourth with 7.5 percent, behind Sen. John Marty’s 9.8 percent.

Delegates cast their ballots when they arrived at 7 p.m.. but voting in the preference poll had to remain open until 8 p.m.

“Let the tellers count the ballots,” Frohn precinct captain John McCarthy said at the stroke of 8 p.m. “That’s what we’re all here for.”

Thirteen people caucused in Bemidji Ward 5 while 11 were in Frohn Township. Ten Lake Township had five people will Unorganized No. 3 had only two. A spot was laid out for Moose Lake Township, but no one showed, with that precinct needing to elect two delegates to the Beltrami DFL County Convention, which is noon Feb. 28 in Bemidji State’s Beaux Arts Ballroom.

All the precincts elected permanent precinct chairmen and delegates to the county convention, but even there very few resolutions to change or add to the party platform were offered.

“Institutionalized racism is still firmly in place and entrenched in all aspects of life in Minnesota,’ ’said Ward 5 caucus attendee Greg Paquin, who is seeking DFL endorsement over Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji.

Saying institutionalized racism is more evident in American Indian communities, Paquin offered a resolution that affirmative action become part of the Minnesota DFL platform and that the DFL supports the strict enforcement of all affirmative action guidelines and policies and that affirmative action plans “must be drawn up and implemented to become part of all projects in Minnesota …”

Paquin was the only supporter of the resolution which wasn’t adopted, mostly because of a lack of understanding, as six people abstained while five voted no.

Precinct captain Michael Meuers said he thought affirmative action was already part of the DFL Party platform.

A measure by Joe Day on affirmative action, however, did pass. He asked ”all governances to recognize and uphold Affirmative Action in all agencies.”

“This is a watered-down version of what I want,” Paquin said.

“Federal law includes affirmative action, and tribes are covered by the Tribal Employment Rights Act,” Day said. “And the private sector has the Human Rights Commission. This would affect state and local governments.”

That measure passed with four abstentions and only Paquin opposed.

The institutionalized racism resolution, however, did pass unanimously in Frohn Township.

Frohn Township also passed a resolution offered by Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji, to call upon the DFL to oppose the expansion of gambling in the state.

The state already allows several forms of gambling, such as horse racing, charitable gambling and the State Lottery, plus it has compacts with the tribes to allow on-reservation gaming, he said.

“The gambling already offered throughout the state provides economic benefit to many people as well as our local economy,” Persell said. “Our local economies are fragile enough and should not be put in further jeopardy.”

The resolution calls for the DFL “to oppose all further expansion of gambling, be it state-owned casinos, racinos or in any other form.”

Persell said lawmakers twice last session staved off video slots in bars. “If this ever happens, our region loses jobs, period. Both Indian and non-Indian, as 60 percent of the workers in casinos are non-Indian.”

The resolution would not affect American Indian gaming within reservations. “We can’t tell the tribes what to do,” Persell said.

Bemidji Ward 5 also passed a resolution calling on the use of instant runoff voting in state and local elections. The system allows voters to rank candidates, so if no majority winner is declared, a voter’s second choice is added to the mix until a majority winner is declared.


Alan L. Maki
58891 county Road 13
Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432
Cell Phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Please check out my blog: http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/