Meeting in Bemidji, Minnesota to take on racism and poverty

Meeting in Bemidji, Minnesota to take on racism and poverty
By: Alan Maki Friday June 22, 2012 8:12 am	Tweet

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 23—

Invitation to THE PEOPLE’S VOICE

ALL members of the Leech Lake, Red Lake, and White Earth Reservations, including tribal leaders, and ALL concerned people of the surrounding communities, are invited to THE PEOPLE’S VOICE.

DATE: Saturday, June 23
TIME: 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
REGISTRATION: 9:30 A.M.
LOCATION: People’s Church
824 American Avenue NW
Bemidji
Lunch will be provided

The purpose is to give ALL people the opportunity to speak and listen to issues and concerns of reservation and surrounding community life. ALL ISSUES AND CONCERNS are on the table: poverty, high suicide rate, racist language, crime, education, casino and gaming issues, health and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, sovereignty, tribal government, Constitutional rights, Federal Indian policy, human and civil rights.

Also invited are: Governor Dayton, Rep. John Persell, Senator John Carlson (cannot attend due to a prior commitment), Senators Klobuchar and Franken. We are awaiting responses.

THE PEOPLE’S VOICE is a follow-up gathering of Native American and concerned citizens to the Council of Conversation held in Minneapolis on April 21 at the Division of Indian Works.

THE PEOPLE’S VOICE is sponsored by the Native American Justice Task Force, consisting of Native Americans, concerned citizens, and the Joint Peace with Justice Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Questions and Registration: contact Curtis Buckanaga, 218-407-2801. Hope to see you.

The People’s Voice Process

9:30 Registration (Name tags, sign-in with name, phone number, address, reservation designation, and email)

10:00 Welcome and Introductions (name, where from) – Ron
10:10 Opening Comments
10:20 The PURPOSE for the gathering: First, to give VOICE to the Native American and all concerned to the truth of life issues
within the NA and surrounding communities. Second, to form
ACTION CIRCLES to address the issues. Third, to seek the
COMMON GOOD. We all do better when we all to better.
10:25 Common Covenant: 1) Everyone has VOICE, something to say; 2)Each circle will do a Talking Circle (TC) which means: one person talks at a time with NO INTERRUPTIONS and all
others LISTEN. Then onto the next person until all in the circle
have spoken; 3) After all have spoken, the table is open to
everyone to speak, one at a time, no interruptions, all listen.
THERE WILL BE A NOTE TAKER WHO WILL REPORT WHAT HAS BEEN SAID.
10:30 TC-1: Considering where I am living, what are the ISSUES or SORROWS that concern you? (Each person-2 minutes, then open sharing TC style) Work in reservation groups, Native American and community people together. All issues are connected. We are all part of the circle. Groups of 7.
10:50 Report in – Common sharing
11:15 PERSONAL VOICES: Curtis Buckanaga, Howard Hanson,
Pastor Bob Kelly
11:35 Open sharing and formation of ACTION CIRCLES with each reservation and interest group working independently. One
circle-one issue. Max of TWO issues. Consider separate AC on sovereignty, tribal government, Constitution issues.
12:00 LUNCH
1:00 PEOPLE form into ACTION CIRCLES
1:05 ACs design ACTION PLANS that are DEFINABLE, MANAGEABLE and ACHIEVABLE. Use the IPOPO design:
I: DEFINE the ISSUE/sorrow? List the characteristics that
define and clarify the IS and what needs to be done.
Define the overall goal in addressing the issue. What are the barriers and challenges? Why this issue? P: What PEOPLE are important to talk to who can provide knowledge and expertise about the IS? Local state, and federal leaders? People to address the specifics.
O: What ORGANIZATIONS are important to contact who can help address the IS? What place can the local media play? What is the place of the Tribal Council? Address the specifics.
P: Establish a plan: Who will contact the people and organizations? When will you meet again? Get names, addresses, phone numbers, emails. Must meet often. Choose a leader.
IS IT FAIR TO ASSUME THAT EVERYONE HERE
WILL BE PART OF THE ACTION COUNCIL ON
YOUR RESERVATION? IN YOUR COMMUNITY?
1:30 Report from each ACTION CIRCLE. Cross in-put.
2:00 Are there CRITICAL ISSUES that we need to address apart from what we are have already agreed? Tribal Council? Casino profits? Sovereignty? Civil rights? IF SO, WHO?
2:15 Next Steps: Each reservation AC select three people to serve on a UNIFIED ACTION COUNCIL. Is this necessary? Is there a willingness to work together?
2:20 Clarifications? Evaluation of TPV? Did we do what you hoped? Did you feel had the opportunity to give VOICE to your
concerns? Do you feel you were LISTENED to? Do you feel that ACTION COUNCILS were formed to address your concerns? Do you feel what happened today addressed the COMMON GOOD?
2:30 Talking Circle
4:00 Home

Does "sovereignty" provide any nation with the right to ban union organizing?

A dialog from FaceBook:

• 

  Andrea Marple Wittwer

  That's a tough one. If a tribe is a democratic government, with treaty relations within the United States...can the Labor Unions meddle with Native American employee practices without involving the Federal Gov? It is like unionizing a cooperative where everyone has equal voting rights but union members can set their own wage and labor standards by overrunning the management and occupying the Board. If people would take responsibility and ownership of their own governance, you wouldn't need union bosses to negociate.

   

   

   
• 

  Alan Maki  

  Andrea; do you know of any country in the world where working people have no rights and this is considered acceptable? How is it you consider workers struggling to protect their rights as "meddling?" Only the mobster dominated National Indian Gaming Association pushes this thoroughly reactionary idea that "sovereignty" provided tribal governments the "right" to ban union organizing. In fact, for a nation--- any nation--- to be considered "sovereign," workers would have to have the right to organize to protect their rights and livelihoods. Casino workers have the right to be protected by the same rights all other workers enjoy under state and federal labor laws.
  
  Why is it so "tough" for you to understand that it is a fundamental human right for working people to organize into labor unions for their own protection?
  
  What does "sovereignty" or any form of government have to do with this most basic and fundamental human right--- the right of working people to organize into to unions to defend and protect their rights? No government has the right to take away this most basic and fundamental human right.
  
  Over two-million workers across the country are now employed at poverty wages and without any rights in the loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos of this hideous Indian Gaming Industry intentionally created to deprive working people of their rights.
  
  I challenge you to show me anything justifying these most gross violations of human rights.
  
  In fact, there are no "sovereign" Indian Nations--- what there are is Indian Reservations where people are routinely victimized on a daily basis by racism as a matter of United States government policy and the "Compacts" creating and enabling this hideous Indian Gaming Industry are one more example of genocide.
  
  Not one single Indian Nation owns one single slot machine or table game in this country; these slot machines and table games are all owned by a bunch of rich white mobsters whose wealth is created on the backs of casino workers who are forced to work in these unsafe and unhealthy working environments.
  
  The "Compacts" have turned already intentionally impoverished Indian Nations (Indian Reservations) into nothing but pools of cheap labor for these more than 350 casino operations now comprising this Indian Gaming Industry.
  
  Every school child understands the result of paying people poverty wages--- poverty.
  
  Every thinking person understands that when you force human beings to work in smoke-filled casinos those people are going to end up being very sick people dying agonizing deaths from cancers, heart and lung diseases not to mention the complications working in these smoke-filled casinos causes for people with diabetes.
  
  Casino workers are entitled to real living wages along with safe and healthy working environments.
  
  The Indian Gaming Associations, including the National Indian Gaming Association, are nothing but slick fronts for organized crime.
  
  Largely because workers in these casinos have no rights the highly profitable "secondary" businesses are allowed to operate. Everything from drug dealing to prostitution and loan-sharking.
  
  Not to mention that the bribes (campaign contributions) paid to politicians by these casino managements, tribal councils and the Indian Gaming Associations has now warped our entire political process and perverted democracy.
  
  Here is an article about campaign contributions from the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association. Do you really think that if Native Americans had any control they would be contributing to the campaign coffers of Republican politicians who oppose all measures aimed at ending poverty?
  
  http://politicsinminnesota.com/2012/02/tribal-gaming-dollars-go-bipartisan/
  
  Also, I would like to know how tribal officials like Mike Wiggins have the nerve to talk as if they are environmentalists concerned about "air quality" from the mining industry while he forces casino workers to work in a smoke-filled casino?
  
  The Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council of which I am the Director of Organizing and our local Organizing Committees are not "meddling" in the affairs of Indian Nations--- we are fighting to protect our rights, our livelihoods and our health.
  
  I would remind people who think like you, Andrea, that workers rights are human rights and no government on earth has the right to tell working people they don't have the right to organize unions to protect and defend their health, rights and their livelihoods.
  
  I would also remind you, Andrea, that workers who have no rights or voice in their places of employment have no rights in the communities where they live--- you might have to think about this a little bit to understand what I mean; but, the fact remains, workers who have no rights at work have no rights in the communities where they live.
  
  Do you agree with me that "workers rights are human rights?" If so, aren't human rights universal? Doesn't "universal" imply there are no limitations?
  
  I would suggest to you that one of the main reasons why the Democrats have been so weak on social and economic justice issues is because they created these "Compacts" giving birth to the Indian Gaming Industry. Come on, really; can you expect the perpetrators of such injustice to be concerned about injustices anywhere?

  

  Tribal gaming dollars go bipartisan | Politics in Minnesota

  politicsinminnesota.com

  Indian tribes have been a powerful force in Minnesota politics for nearly two de...See More

Albert Bender, a columnist for News From Indian Country, writing in the Communist Party's publication--- The People's World, wrote about Native American unemployment in Indian Country and Obama. I wonder why so few publications carried this article?

http://peoplesworld.org/native-americans-left-out-of-economic-recovery-as-always-2/

Native Americans left out of economic recovery, as always

by: Albert Bender

June 11 2012
Up until the past few weeks, there had been a lot of hoopla about a blossoming economic recovery. Job creation for the early part of the year had been averaging 200,000 a month. (Keep in mind, though, that responsible economists maintain that 345,000 jobs per month are needed for at least two years to get back to even five percent unemployment - and the latest numbers for May show only 69,000 jobs created.)

Indian America, looking at the historical record, would have found little reason to rejoice at the so-called "good economic news." Why? Because historically, economic recovery, as a national news pundit recently said, "is growth for white America, but there will still be three times the unemployment rate for blacks and Hispanics."

But that statistic can look good, considering that the Native American unemployment rate would be 10x greater than the white jobless rate. Indeed, as is well known in Native circles, on reservations across the nation the unemployment for Native Americans routinely ranges from 80-90 percent - and this has been the economic situation for generations. For urban Native Americans, the jobless rate averages around 48 percent. In general, Indian Country is in a permanent depression even when the national economy is on the upswing.

But once again it seems the economy was just having another false start, as in the last couple of years, and now appears at the edge of falling off the economic cliff. I cannot but take wry satisfaction in a failing recovery, a recovery that bypasses Native American misery.

The above quoted statistics of Native unemployment are years old because reservations in particular and urban Native Americans in general, incredibly, have been purposely excluded from government employment data since 2005. To cite a not atypical example, South Dakota has nine reservations, with unemployment ranging from a "low" of 12 percent on one smaller reservation to 89 percent on the largest reservation. These figures were last compiled in 2005. South Dakota's overall unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, exclusive of reservations.

Native American joblessness is so high, it is off the charts. It is so staggering and is not compiled because to do so would be an additional stunning moral indictment of U.S. government treatment of Native Americans.

The last absurd excuse given by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for not collecting American Indian employment data was that there was no money in the government budget for such compilation.

This government attitude is highlighted by the fact that as far back as 1990, in statistical tables from the U.S. Bureau of Census that contained information on American Indians, African Americans, Asian Americans and others, the category "American Indian unemployed" contained, instead of numbers, the letters MD=Missing Data. No other population had such a classification. Again, this was a shocking, clumsy attempt to hide astronomical unemployment.

The position of the Obama administration to combat joblessness in American Indian communities and others of color is that an economic recovery will uplift all the jobless; a strong, robust economy will translate into jobs for all. This simply will not work due to the institutional racism endemic in American society. The very disturbing question is who always gets the lion's share of the jobs even when the economy is on the upswing? Whites have always received a disproportionate share of jobs.

To cite an example of who does not get the jobs: In early March, the mainstream media was touting apparent job gains, but noted that Latinos were being bypassed. The national jobless rate dropped to about 8.1 percent, but the Latino unemployment rate remained at 10.6 percent. The white jobless rate dropped to 7.9 percent. Incredibly, the media posed the question: Why the disparity? - and remarked that economists and labor experts also weren't sure.

More absurdity: the 'experts' subsequently stated they simply didn't know. Whites have always gotten the lion's share of employment. Without massive employment programs for communities of color, this will continue. After all, white Americans have for over 200 years had their own special "jobs programs" - racism. Communities of color, in particular those of Native Americans, need affirmative action jobs programs; otherwise, "economic recovery" will do little to remedy Native American joblessness.

An electoral victory for grassroots activism

An electoral victory at the polls for grassroots activism.

The longtime violent, corrupt, incompetent, Democratic Party hack Archie La Rose was defeated yesterday in his re-election bid for Leech Lake Indian Nation Tribal Chair.

La Rose's sidekick, Eugene "Ribs" Whitebird, the mouthpiece for the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and the racist John McCarthy, was also trounced and soundly defeated.

La Rose was backed by the racist Rick Nolan who is running for U.S. Congress with former Congressman James Oberstar's endorsement.

Ken Martin, the corrupt Chair of the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party, also supported both Archie La Rose and Ribs Whitebird.

Archie La Rose and some members of his family used the Leech Lake Nation to enrich themselves through all kinds of stealing, theft and graft as local, state and federal law enforcement did nothing.

Archie La Rose and Ribs Whitebird used the violent Native Mob to terrorize the Leech Lake population on and off the reservation in order to maintain their power.

Archie La Rose worked in cahoots with the crooked and corrupt Red Lake Nation Chair Floyd "Buck" Jourdain and enabled the corrupt Stanley Crooks to profit from the massive poverty created by the Indian Gaming Industry and racist local, state and national public officials.

The Leech Lake Indian Nation is a very large Indian Reservation in Northern Minnesota mired in poverty with an unemployment rate of over 70% which is intentionally maintained as a pool of cheap labor for the three casinos the Band owns where the slot machines are owned by a bunch of filthy rich white mobsters who skim the cream off the top leaving the Band nothing but a large pile of debt which exacerbates the extreme poverty.

To make matters even worse for the members of the Leech Lake Band, the Reservation is a "neighbor" to the most racist community in North America--- the City of Bemidji which tourists recognize as the headwaters community on the Mississippi River.

Recently the Bemidji Regional Events Center/Sanford Center was built as a sixty-million dollar plus public works project where a friend of Bemidji's Mayor charged $30.00 a day to rent wheelbarrows and $10.00 a day for sledge-hammers for over a year while racist discrimination and lack of enforcement of affirmative action all supported by the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party with not one single Native American Indian employed. In northern Minnesota corruption and racism go hand-in-hand.

Bemidji businesses have "welcome" signs in both English and Ojibwe yet most these white-owned businesses refuse to hire Native American Indians.

Over 25% of Bemiji's population is Native American but not one single Native American sits on Bemidji's City Council.

I hope this letter to the editor published in the Bemidji Pioneer Press receives wide circulation and discussion...

From the Bemidji Pioneer

Published June 10, 2012, 12:00 AM

What about all of the other injustices?

The recent cross burning has sent some of the local “race relation” organizations scrambling to take a condescending stance against a blatant hate crime.


The recent cross burning has sent some of the local “race relation” organizations scrambling to take a condescending stance against a blatant hate crime.

They normally sit quietly amongst the more covert, more subtle systemic hate crimes afflicting the minorities of the community. Acting as if these issues are out of their hands when they never even tried to get a grasp on them in the first place. Throwing all their supposed token minorities on the frontlines to give their supposed show of disapproval some validity.

And now they’re threatening to throw their political clout around to call to action the usual suspects who could care less about the mistreatment of minorities. It should be a good show to continue to appear to be doing something, when nothing viable will be accomplished in the end, as usual.

Another disingenuous gesture only meant to further conceal, guise and smooth over their complete and total disregard to actually assisting those constantly enduring injustices under their watch.

A cross burning is calling attention to what everyone already knows around here, that Bemidji is a very racist town. Yes, some are unable to come to terms with their own inherent racism; that burden falls on the shoulders of those most affected by this racism most of which these organizations don’t even bat a lash at.
Yes, the burning of a cross to display intolerance is very terrible, but this is the type of behavior deep rooted systematic racism breeds, and encourages. Yeah, that’s great they’re taking a stance against the first cross burning in Bemidji, but what about all the injustices the Native Americans endure on a daily basis? They are clearly not the heroes we need, nor deserve. And those constantly taking it upon themselves to resolve these issues are utilizing this incident only to further promote their ineffective organization.

Nicole Beaulieu
Bemidji



I think this is a really good letter.

We need to get to the specifics.

Dave Culver turns out digested material in the name of Evergreene Digest which repeatedly touts the views of the foundation funded outfits under the guise of providing analysis.

I sent him this which I think is pertinent to discussing the above letter:

Stglitz' article on inequality is very typical of what comes from the intellectuals and the middle class crowd--- brilliant analysis of the problems but with no solutions to the problems.

Dave, not once in any of the articles you have circulated have any of them ever confronted the issue of racist inequality in employment with advocacy of the solution: enforcement of affirmative action.

Where is there any program advocating solutions to any of the problems repeatedly analyzed in what you are distributing under the guise of alternative ideas?

None of what you circulate attacks specific problems--- for instance, in Bemidji, Minnesota the Bemidji Regional Event Center/Sanford Center was a $60,000,000.00 public works project--- not one single Native American was hired for the construction. After completion this Center was turned over to a private firm--- VenuWorks--- to manage. Again, racist hiring practices with poverty wages.

Common sense tells us when working people aren't hired and when hired at poverty wages they are going to be poor--- the result: a spiraling web of inequality. 

I'd like to see a discussion on how this specific problem in Bemidji can be solved.

Do any of your foundation funded middle class intellectuals have a solution in mind since the foundation-funded outfits like SharedVision and the ACLU's Racial Justice Task Force have refused to confront this issue.

Shouldn't you be getting more specific by focusing  on how all of these articles you distribute relate to specific Minnesota problems?

All you are doing is mostly disseminating information coming from these foundation-funded think tanks without linking what they publish to specific problems and the solution to these problems. I'm curious as to why you do this?

What good is an analysis if it is not used as part of a movement building effort to solve the problems?

Alan L. Maki

 http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/event/article/id/100040660/

From the Bemidji Pioneer newspaper

Published June 06, 2012, 12:00 AM

Event will examine American Indian issues that are linked to poverty

The first of many events that concern various issues within Indian country that result from or are symptoms of poverty is scheduled June 23 at the People’s Church, 825 America Ave. NW, Bemidji.

The first of many events that concern various issues within Indian country that result from or are symptoms of poverty is scheduled June 23 at the People’s Church, 825 America Ave. NW, Bemidji.

The event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is open to all, because these issues involve or affect us all. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m.

Yes, there are many groups and organizations supposedly dedicated to help alleviate miseries due to societal failures of responsibility.

And yes, these groups are often endorsed, or represented, by so-called prestigious persons of the community that is appreciated by the sophisticated powers that be for all their dedication and hard work.

But there is little to no progress for these upstanding individuals or organizations to take comfort in, little to no accomplishments to stand upon. And if there was any progress, they allowed it to be overwhelmed by their lack of conviction in seeing progress through long ago.

They have become accustomed to this broken thinking that causes more harm than help. Indoctrinated and conditioned into the broken system they once perhaps were inspired to challenge and change for the better of all.

Another unfortunate and disturbing realization we are forced to endure is the failures of these organizations supposedly created in our honor to assist us out of the perpetuating injustices and inequalities. The paralysis of analysis has set in, creating an acquiescent, myopic, apathetic, bureaucratic sense of duty to upholding status quo jobbery rather than creating progress, solutions or change.

These have become meaningless words in the mouths of those abusing them to create this illusion of worth to those they exploit to maintain funding of their organizations that most times only serve as fronts for deep-rooted systematic and normalized corruption. A lot of these compromised individuals representing these organizations that have allowed treachery to be conditioned into their services try to posture themselves against any aspiring solution that threatens their state of complacency.

So this is an invitation to join us in discussing genuine issues, for genuine solutions, with genuine people. An empirical discussion, to articulate and genuinely enunciate our situations into realistic actions. No longer should we be told what our needs are by those out of touch, out of step, nothing invested, or that have lost sight of us due to their own self aggrandizing.

Curtis Buckanaga
Bemidji

Money did not get Scott Walker re-elected; the Democrats did.

Money did not get Scott Walker re-elected; betrayal by the Democrats did
By: Alan Maki Thursday June 7, 2012 7:42 am	Tweet

I think all this constant dwelling on big money being responsible for this loss is a cop-out. We are living in a society dominated by tremendous wealth.

Wealth is going to dominate politics until people understand that they are more powerful than all this wealth combined— if they get organized.

This wealth in politics is being used as an excuse to evade discussing what kind of people’s movement is required to overcome Wall Street’s dominance.

Working people need their own political party.

If wealth is the reason politicians like Scott Walker (and Obama and Romney and on and on…) win we might as well give up right now.

If wealth is the reason for these people to keep winning how do we explain the success of the old Wisconsin Progressive Party of “fighting Bob La Follette” or the tremendous success of the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party of Floyd Olson, Elmer Benson and John Bernard?

No one in politics has ever raised more money from the Wall Street interests than Barack Obama who promised “hope” and “change.”

Money does not assure “change.”

The fact of the matter is labor “leaders” serving as Democratic Party hacks helped to undermine the struggles of the people in Wisconsin by pushing people out of the streets and into the arms of the Democratic Party whose goals and objectives were the exact same thing— albeit derived from using different methods— to drive down the standard of living of working people as a way to force workers to shoulder the cost of Wisconsin’s budget problems which result from the perverted priorities established by both Democrats and Republicans who are squandering our tax-dollars on these senseless, immoral, illegal, unconstitutional dirty imperialist wars for occupation instead of using the wealth of our Nation to fund human needs now with a collapsing capitalist economy requiring massive government universal social programs.

The Republicans set out to smash the working class in Wisconsin. The Democrats set out to cripple the working class movement… how could a crippled working class movement beat Scott Walker and the Republicans by voting for the very Democratic Party that crippled them?

We can’t win against Wall Street by complaining that they have too much money and wealth unless we confront the fact that we need a political party that isn’t afraid to wage campaigns in which the platform calls for re-ordering priorities away from war and military spending and directing the resulting peace dividends towards meeting the pressing needs of the people combined with a call for redistributing this wealth which working people created in the first place, not only through various schemes of progressive taxation— tax the hell out of the rich; but by placing the mines, mills and factories under public ownership and control. Instead of allowing Wall Street to close and demolish mines, mills and factories we need to be taking over these mines, mills and factories producing based on human needs not maximum profits for Wall Street coupon clippers.

The Democrats, including Kucinich are crying about how they were beat by wealth— and it is very sad to see Jill Stein follow Kucinich’s lead in focusing on wealth as being the determining factor in this Wisconsin election while evading the facts.

The FACT is that unless working people organize their own political party along the lines of the old Wisconsin Progressive Party and the old socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party which will reflect the goals, objectives AND priorities of people demonstrating in the streets, working people are going to suffer defeat after defeat.

Even if Tom Barrett and the Democrats would have won the day in Wisconsin, working people would have lost had they agreed to negotiate a lower standard of living.

Wall Street measures its victories by counting its money; working people measure their victories with how much their standard of living improves.

Tom Barrett wasn’t defeated by Scott Walker’s Wall Street wealth. Tom Barrett was defeated because he and the Democrats with help from corrupt and conniving labor leaders who often back the same candidates as ALEC crippled the only movement that could have— and eventually will— defeat Scott Walker: the working class movement.

Had Tom Barrett had the courage— and in Barrett’s case I think the issue is having the guts and the courage because he is in fact liberal minded— to speak truth to power by explaining how financing these dirty wars is robbing the states of needed funds and calling for a new set of priorities in this country he would have united the people of Wisconsin around a real progressive agenda for real change and he would have won… instead Tom Barrett caved to Obama and insisted that he would restore bargaining rights for workers so they could bargain away their lives and livelihoods… only the most muddle-headed, bungling booby-head would ever think that this is the way to win an election against Scott Walker and his Wall Street backers.

In fact, the Democrats never intended to win this fight in Wisconsin.

Keep in mind… it is the same worthless labor “leaders” who led working people into this set-back in Wisconsin who are counseling a vote for Obama which will lead to the exact same thing working people are getting in Wisconsin whether Obama wins or loses: a reduction in living standards for the working class as the wealth of this country keeps getting pissed away on wars. Wars that the Wall Street merchants of death and destruction profit from. When Wall Street profits working people suffer.

Some people want us to stay focused on big money in politics while evading the fact that when it comes to elections there are more of US then of THEM. All the money in the world can’t defeat a working class united for peace, social and economic justice.

Money did not get Scott Walker re-elected; the Democrats did.

The foundations, organized labor and Barack Obama and the Democrats have teamed up to hoodwink the American people, again.

Originally published on FireDogLake
By: Alan Maki Monday May 28, 2012 3:35 pm

I think we need a broad discussion that includes articles from all perspectives from the foundation flowers linked with the labor movement like Amy Dean who are trying to hoodwink working people into supporting Obama, again, under the illusion of false hopes to those pushing for alternatives to the two-party trap. We need to be seeking alternatives to the two-party trap and this does not even enter the discussion of the Obama supporters. To get discussion going check out this article by Amy Dean which is intended to convince union leaders and rank-and-file activists and union members to become part of the Obama train to prolonged wars of occupation funded by austerity measures which are decimating and destroying our lives, livelihoods and living standards. Those trying to push Obama on us again would like us to forget that Obama has an imperialist agenda that has nothing at all to do with a progressive people before Wall Street profits agenda.

Obama’s Wall Street agenda is in direct conflict with what is required to turn turn our country around and put us on the road to peace and prosperity.

This was the full length version: http://tcf.org/commentary/2012/rebuilding-the-labor-movement

And Truthout published this pack of lies and misinformation packaged as where workers should be headed:

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/9298-what-can-labor-win-if-it-backs-obamas-re-election

The question which needs to asked and answered is: Can labor win anything by backing Barack Obama?

With the follow-up question being: Does labor’s support for Obama undermine and weaken the labor movement?

How can working people expect to be able to win struggles for better lives and livelihoods while supporting a warmonger like Obama who is squandering the wealth of our Nation on militarism and wars?

Are we really supposed to believe the working class can make headway during a second Obama term when we as working people have been dealt set-back after set-back without any fight-back during Obama’s first term?

The Election looks like it will be close; why? Because there is so little difference between Obama and Romney.

Obama is a venture capitalist; Romney is a vulture capitalist. Can anyone explain the difference? Both are mouthpieces for the Wall Street merchants of death and destruction who profit from wars. Both advance Wall Street’s same imperialist agenda. Both derive their campaign contributions from the exact same Wall Street 1 per-centers.

We need Wall Street parasites like Obama and Romney about as much as my dog Fred needs wood-ticks and fleas.

When will Governor Mark Dayton call the "Red Dog" play to sack poverty?

May 22, 2012

Submitted for publication to the Minneapolis Star Tribune as a “Commentary.” 697 words; guidelines allow for up to 700 words.

Governor Dayton, state legislators, the business community, organized labor and the foundation-funded outfits went into a “blitz formation” and scored a touchdown and the billionaire owners of the Vikings got their new stadium.

See: Vikings stadium backers go into blitz formation (Star Tribune article by Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, March 4, 2012)

Link: http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/141313353.html

Apparently the “blitz formation” works as well in politics as on the football field so one has to wonder why after having scored this touchdown for the billionaire owners of the Vikings, Governor Dayton together with his friends in the business community, organized labor and the foundation-funded outfits don’t use the same “blitz formation” to tackle the problem of poverty?

I am assuming the crowds would cheer much louder if the governor and his friends in business and labor sacked poverty.

Governor Dayton was the primary cheerleader for a new Vikings Stadium although he is leading no cheers to alleviate, let alone eliminate, poverty.

Governor Dayton, during his tenure as governor of Minnesota, hasn’t even attempted to articulate an explanation as to why poverty still exists in a state where a billion dollars can be found for a new Vikings Stadium let alone bring forward any legislation to alleviate poverty.

Minnesota legislators have some kind of committee they call “Ladder Out of Poverty.” It seems the ladder must be missing quite a few rungs and constructed from rotting timber because no one can use the “ladder” for its stated purpose.

What does cause poverty?

What can be done to alleviate and eliminate poverty in Minnesota?

Governor Dayton claims to be a “progressive.” The four primary goals and objectives of progressives has been to establish open and honest government responsive to the needs of the people, end dirty imperialist wars, put an end to poverty and establish racial equality.

Progressives want to see governor Dayton head up a “blitz formation” to end poverty which hurts people of all races but is concentrated among people of communities of color because of the racist injustices in our society.

An open and honest government would lead the way in questioning why poverty exists and why there are these racist aspects to poverty.

An open and honest government would pull out no stops in using all levers available in a democratic society to eliminate the scourge of poverty.

Obviously, capitalist society can not provide people with a “ladder out of poverty” while sinking billions of dollars into dirty imperialist wars.

Minnesota had two very progressive governors elected on the Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party ticket; socialists Floyd Olson and Elmer Benson. Olson and Benson were of like minds. They believed it was their job to bring into play reforms to alleviate the problems of poverty as working people--- rural and urban--- continued to unite until they were powerful enough to eliminate the source of poverty: capitalism.

Governor Elmer Benson decided after he couldn’t get any help from Democrats or Republicans he needed to organize a blitz of sorts to help him push through reforms to help people cope with the problems of poverty. For this purpose Benson organized the powerful “People’s Lobby.”

Today, once again, the people of Minnesota need to form our own team by reviving the “People’s Lobby” to show Governor Dayton what a real “blitz” can accomplish when it is the people using this “blitz formation.”

For Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to be a cheerleader for a new Vikings Stadium from which billionaires will get even richer as he sits cowardly, quietly and silently on the sidelines when it comes to the struggle against poverty and its most pernicious racist aspects on Indian Reservations and in the inner cities of Minnesota is completely unacceptable to Minnesotans who cherish our progressive culture and traditions.

Any school child understands people without living wage jobs are going to be poor.

The solution to poverty is very simple: Put people to work solving the problems of the people and society instead of squandering the wealth of our nation on militarism and wars.

Build public health care and public child care centers instead of football stadiums.

Bring back the WPA, CCC and C.E.T.A.

Enforce Affirmative Action.

Tax the rich; don’t subsidize Wall Street’s wars and football stadiums for billionaires.

Government budgets and the actions of public officials are all about priorities.

Why the great sense of urgency in building the Vikings a new stadium when they already have a stadium but these same politicians and their business and labor partners together with the foundation-funded outfits have no sense of urgency when it comes to solving very urgent and pressing problems of human beings mired in poverty? To the poor these politicians and their over-paid hacks counsel "patience" and suggest people be satisfied with baby steps and incremental reforms.

Let’s have a well organized “blitz formation” against poverty: meetings around kitchen tables, in union halls, community centers and church basements; letters to the editors and letters to public officials; personal and mass lobbying; picket-lines and demonstrations; involvement in the electoral process.

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

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

 

Minnesotans have an opportunity to start breaking free from the two-party trap; help Mike Cavlan get on the ballot.

Mike Cavlan needs our help to get on the ballot as a U.S. Senate candidate of the Open Progressive Party.

Mike needs our help circulating his petitions to get on the ballot.

I have petitions. If you would like to circulate a petition in your county give me a call: 218-386-2432. Leave a message if I am not home and I will get back to you.

Mike is running to represent the 99% of us people who are under attack from Wall Street which controls both the Republican and Democratic parties and most of their candidates including Amy "Republican Lite" Klobuchar.

Mike Cavlan is an ardent supporter of Rocky Anderson, the former Democrat who was the mayor of Salt Lake City, who told the Democratic Party to go to hell and helped get the new Justice Party off the ground.

By helping Mike Cavlan in asking our friends and neighbors to sign his petition to get on the ballot we are giving ourselves a voice in the electoral process for peace, social and economic justice, against racism and for full equality for all people, jobs and real health care reform.

Mike Cavlan has been one of the many participants in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Check out some of the many videos on YouTube  with Mike Cavlan speaking and you will see that Mike Cavlan has the courage required to speak truth to power.

So; if you are for peace, social and economic justice assure we have a voice in the electoral process by helping make sure Mike Cavlan attains ballot status--- one more needed step as we challenge Wall Street for political and economic power.

The movement to free ourselves from the two-party trap begins with us--- with you and me. No one is going to do this for us; we need to do this ourselves.

“We Need to Make a Ruckus”: Robert Reich on Democracy Now!, today.

Robert Reich appeared on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!" this morning promoting his new e-book, "Beyond Outrage."

View the episode here: http://www.democracynow.org/2012/5/8/we_need_to_make_a_ruckus

Reich has obviously been sent out to try to do the job of once again hoodwinking liberals, progressives and the left into supporting Barack Obama by creating legitimacy for this by sounding like he is calling people out into the streets making people think they can actually influence Obama by pressuring him to do what is right.

Reich brings up the bit about President Franklin D. Roosevelt telling someone, "Make me do it," even though Reich is fully aware that Barack Obama has no ties or links of communication with any representatives of movements for peace, social and economic justice which Roosevelt intentionally cultivated through his cabinet members like Frances Perkins and Harry Hopkins and many others including his very progressive wife, Eleanor.

Furthermore, Reich ignores the fact Roosevelt had to oppose his own very conservative Democratic Party to push through the required reforms which were, as good and needed as they were and most welcomes by people in the streets even though the reforms were mostly too little, too late and not anywhere near well-defined enough, not broad enough nor universal enough. But at least Roosevelt set up the lines of communication between his Administration the unions and the broad People's Front which included the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and the Communist Party of the United States.

Obama has no such apparatus in place nor does he intend to create such an apparatus; Obama intends to use slick sounding left-wing populist rhetoric just as Robert Reich does in order to ideologically confuse the people.

Obama has no intent to do anything other than beat down the people as they protest his austerity measures to pay for Wall Street's dirty imperialist wars.

Robert Reich wants to hoodwink us into believing that supporting Obama is part of what is required to win reforms when just the opposite is the truth.

In fact, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was already using his Executive Order privileges within days and weeks of being elected to office in implementing real reforms... Obama has done nothing of the kind.

Robert Reich stooped so low to compare the upcoming election with the U.S. election of 1936 snidely and dishonestly insinuating without expressly stating that there is a chance of fascists coming to power in France, Italy, Greece, Germany and Spain when in fact the working classes of these countries are being led in very responsibly militant manners by the Communist Parties in these countries with the KKE in Greece leading the way through its very militant united working class front P.A.M.E. Obviously Robert Reich and his fellow Obama supporters like Occupy Wall Street raising a little bit of a "ruckus" as long as this "ruckus" doesn't take on the character (and working class Communist leadership) being demonstrated in Greece and these other European countries and to some extent in Canada, too, as the Communist Party USA "leadership" falls into line with Robert Reich and these other phony liberals, progressives and leftists supporting Obama as rank-and-file working class Communist activists urge a real "ruckus" along the lines of what those Communist Parties in Europe and Canada advocate--- the kind of "ruckus" this country witnessed during the depression years of the 1930's and 1940's.

I find it of utmost importance to note that Robert Reich does not ever mention the socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party as the kind of politics we need to be engaged in but rather turns to trying to undermine the kind of ruckus we need by dragging people into the useless Democratic Party fold.

Robert Reich sat in silence and urged no "ruckus" to halt Clinton's "welfare reforms"--- although he claims otherwise in claiming he did not publicly vocalize his claimed opposition to Clinton's right-wing Wall Street ordered welfare "reform." Why didn't Reich call for a "ruckus" in the streets in opposition to Clinton's welfare "reforms?" For the very reason Reich has never advocated a "ruckus" against Obama's even more reactionary Wall Street agenda.

And one thing I noted about Robert Reich in his appearance on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!" is that he loathes any talk of linking a discussion over militarism and war with funding the kinds of social programs we need.

There can be no "ruckus" in the streets that can be effective unless we link militarism and war to robbing society of the kind of massive universal social programs we need to solve our problems; social programs like a National Public Health Care System, National Public Child Care System, WPA, CCC and C.E.T.A.--- all of which will create jobs.

I would note that it was Robert Reich during his tenure as Clinton's Secretary of Labor who advocated and supported all of these "free trade" deals claiming these fiascoes and boon-doggles were going to create jobs here in the United States when the writing was on the wall that millions of good-paying union jobs were going to be destroyed.

I don't think it is coincidental that Robert Reich appeared on Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now!" with his Obama supporting "party line"  shortly after AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka parroted the exact same "party line" that we need to all rally behind Obama as a prelude to having our problems placed on the table for solution.

We have seen the exact same kind of crap being run in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania that the Democrats are going to work with us in solving our problems when in each and every case these Democrats are nothing but bad attempts gone awry to clone this Wall Street serving Obama.

In fact, Richard Trumka and the AFL-CIO are afraid of creating the kind of "ruckus" in the streets required to defeat Walker and the Koch Brothers in Wisconsin because they are afraid the "ruckus" will continue to advance to Obama's door at the White House. Trumka is prepared to see Walker re-elected in order to "cover Obama's back."

We definitely need a "ruckus"--- a "ruckus" before Election Day beginning in Wisconsin; a "ruckus" that continues after the 2012 Election no matter who gets elected.

Greek workers led by P.A.M.E. (All-workers Militant Front) and the KKE (Communist Party of Greece) are creating the kind of "ruckus" we need in the streets and on the electoral front.

People are fed-up and outraged in this country.

What we really need is a public discussion taking us from outrage to massive opposition to Wall Street as we challenge Wall Street, along with its two parties, for power.

We need to get beyond outrage to well-organized militant opposition to Wall Street while embracing a united program for real change.

Obama has replaced his meaningless slogans intended to hoodwink the people "hope" and "change" from his previous deceitful campaign behind the slogan "forward." "Forward" to where? More wars? Greater misery? More poverty and despair? More unemployment?

Neither Obama nor his loyal suck-asses covering his back like Robert Reich, Richard Trumka or Leo Gerard are telling us with any specifics where they want to go "forward" to.

None of these Obama suck-asses dare to ask of the American people:

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

Something to think about:

Robert Reich, Richard Trumka, Leo Gerard could easily get together leading a "ruckus" in the streets demanding Barack Obama uses his Executive Order privilege before Election Day to end the dirty imperialist wars for occupation and use the resulting "peace dividends" to put millions of people back to work solving our problems IN RETURN FOR OUR VOTES.

This would be the perfect time to "hold Obama's feet to the fire" in a "ruckus;" any competent union leader or advocate for working people should be able to comprehend this.

For those who take us for stupid fools and expect us to support Obama without getting anything in return we need to send them a good strong message, too: Stop sitting in front of television cameras and go do your own campaigning for Obama and the Democrats because we aren't giving up our precious votes without getting something of real substance in return: PEACE and JOBS.

How could it be by coincidence that Robert Reich, Richard Trumka and Leo Gerard don't understand that the way to create jobs is by paying people real living wages while solving the problems created by the Wall Street 1% for the majority of working people?

People are fed-up and outraged in this country. Why is it so difficult for those claiming to be advocates for working people to understand we need a "ruckus" in opposition to Wall Street's agenda while advocating an alternative progressive agenda in defense of our lives and livelihoods--- an agenda that any politician deserving of working class votes to deliver.

Obama received working class votes in order to get elected. 

Is it too much to expect Obama deliver on what he led people to believe was his intent before he seeks votes from working people again?

Want to create a real "ruckus?"

Tell Barack Obama and the Democrats they won't be getting your precious vote until they deliver PEACE and JOBS.