Caution or betrayal?

People often ask why it is so difficult for the left to come together. If we look at the way a small grouping of very sectarian leftists with an axe to grind against Communists have so shamefully used the death of Nelson Mandela to spread all these lies and slanders against Mandela, the ANC, the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions we get a glimpse of where our problems with lack of unity come from.

The slander being used is that Mandela made some kind of "secret agreement" with those who imprisoned him that he would tolerate "privatization" and a continued "free market capitalist economy" while pushing a neo-liberal agenda which ignored the plight of all the impoverished people of South Africa.

Not one piece of paper nor one single person has been brought forward to verify any of this. Yet, these very dishonest and self-serving movement wreckers keep harping on this.

Were there those in the ANC, the South African Communist Party and COSATU who betrayed the movement? Of course; this is obvious and they left behind a long paper trail--- one of these is Thabo Mbeki, who became the President of South Africa after Mandela.

Mbeki and his little group who make no bones about being neo-liberals were responsible for disrupting the ANC, SACP and COSATU. They, for the most part, have left these organizations to start their own organizations--- and this is what they should have done in the first place; this would have been the honest thing for them to have done--- but, as we all know, there is no honesty among these kinds of very selfish hypocrites.

But, Mandela remained true; there is not a shred of evidence to suggest otherwise. The very worst that can be said about Mandela which has been acknowledged by one of his closet friends and comrades is that he was "too cautious."

Is "caution" the same as betrayal; it depends. Sometimes it can be but not in this situation that Mandela was brought into. He took a sober assessment of the situation in South Africa and the balance of forces in the rest of the world and I can only assume to know what was on his mind as he looked around him and saw socialist governments he was counting on for help falling, he saw a well trained and well armed opposition inside of his country and he steered a course that was one of caution while trying to bring the infighting within the ANC, SACP and COSATU to an end... too much for an elderly, experienced, revolutionary leader to be saddled with... so he proceeded with caution. Smart thing to have done in my opinion.

And, by the way, there has been nothing stopping all of Mandela's super-revolutionary, ultra-leftist critics from nationalizing the banks, mines, mills and factories in South Africa since most of them are foreign.

But, here in Minnesota, when we called for legislation to bring the closing St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant under public ownership to save 2,000 good-paying decent jobs--- wouldn't you know it, these super-revolutionary, ultra-leftist critics of Mandela sat on the silence hurling their exact same kind of anti-Communist lies and poisoned vendetta against myself and others, including the few Democrats who brought forward the legislation to save the plant--- why? Because public ownership at this time was "unrealistic."

Ironically, it is the Ford Motor Company's South African Division that these super-revolutionary ultra-leftists expected Mandela to nationalize!

These kinds of people sicken me as much as Obama, Bush and Clinton with their sanctimonious response to Mandela's death.

If one can state that Mandela made secret deals behind the backs of the South African people, they should be able to bring forward some kind of evidence. Anyone can fabricate these kinds of lies if you don't have to have any evidence to prove what you are saying.

We all know the African National Congress' "Freedom Charter" has not been implemented; not yet.

But, had it been implemented in full, based on the past experiences I have had with these people making up these lies about Mandela, they wouldn't have appreciated or liked the way nationalization of the mines, mills and factories would have been carried out since it would have involved a great deal of bloodshed. And these people would have cried great big crocodile tears just like they did for the Russian Czar and his family and all these great "freedom fighters" Castro has locked up in Cuba which they call "political prisoners"--- all 87 of them.

Press Release

On Fri, Dec 13, 2013 at 4:02 AM, someone wrote me:

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation earlier this week to provide health care for every American through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system.  Rep. Jim McDermott has filed a companion bill in the House.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/cover-more-americans-for-less-cost

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...............

 

 

Yes; I have read the entire legislation.

I have questions about it and Sanders' staff (in particular Lauri Kearns who is apparently the one and only person in the entire United States who can answer questions about this legislation) refuses to answer my questions which make me think:

1. There are problems with this legislation we should be leery and wary of;

2. Bernie Sanders is not sincerely bringing this forward with any intention of actually fighting for it... it is merely a campaign gimmick; just like HR 676 has been used by John Conyers;

3. Last time I checked, this legislation had NO co-sponsors in the Senate or House which means it has ZERO chance of even getting a first hearing in Committee;

4. I called the offices of the U.S. Senators from North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa along with twenty-two members of the House, including 14 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus including Keith Ellison's And Raul Grijalva and was told they had no intention of supporting this legislation.

Now, why would I waste my time, or why would you waste your time, trying to drum up support for a piece of legislation knowing it is merely a campaign gimmick?

My suggestion is we only promote single-payer as a step towards a National Public Health Care System... the present House, Senate and president will never pass single-payer let alone a National Public Health Care System. I believe it makes more sense to begin advocating for what is really required--- a National Public Health Care System; and out of our advocacy for this will grow the awareness needed for a new political party.

I would like to hear from others who have actually read this legislation, and not just Bernie Sanders' press release if they see any problems with this legislation.

One problem I see is that it requires workers to pay to large a share of the payroll tax; I think it should be 15% to 25% employee and 75% employer and 0% on anyone living in poverty. The way this legislation is written, this could end up costing seniors more than they now pay for supplemental insurance; and this from a guy who says he is for defending Social Security! In essence, this would be a cut in Social Security for anyone on Social Security who has to pay income tax.

It isn't clear if an additional income tax will be levied on everyone; plus, the income tax on the wealthy is way too little and there should be a much heftier Wall Street tax. 

Why is it there is all this talk by the Democrats (and "independent" Bernie Sanders) at election time of "tax the rich" but when it comes to actually levying these taxes they amount to next to nothing? Why this continual appeasement of the rich? Because they are the ones making the big campaign contributions! And, quite frankly, it makes me sick that all these people talking about getting money out of politics are afraid of chasing these campaign contributions coming from the wealthy away. Let them take their money to the Republicans--- this is one very effective way to get money out of politics; let the Republicans have ALL this big money and people will begin to seethe in resentment and it will work against them. 

I have received over 100 e-mails from people and organizations just tickled pink that Bernie Sanders has brought this legislation forward--- not one single person has read anything other than the press release.

This reminds me of the hundreds of e-mails I received forwarding me John Conyers' press release for his "Full Employment Legislation." Well, I read the legislation--- HR 1000--- and found it to be a very good piece of legislation; an excellent job creating piece of legislation which if passed would employ two to three million unemployed people--- no mention that there are now well over 25 million unemployed people. Just outright lies and gimmickry is what we get from these politicians. I asked John Conyers, to his face, to provide me with a copy of the "Full Employment Act of 1945." He told me to read the "1946 Act" that it was the same thing. Another outright lie. I requested a copy of the "Full Employment Act of 1945" and the testimony from the Congressional Hearing from Keith Ellison's office over three years ago and I still never received it.

If we want good solid legislation about anything we need to write the legislation ourselves and run candidates committed to introducing this legislation. And our legislation has just as much chance of passing in this way as anything coming from any of these phony and dishonest creeps calling themselves "liberals" and "progressives." We can trust these politicians any more than we can trust the labels on the food we buy or a Wal-mart ad--- you always have to read the "fine print."  

Read the legislation--- not the press release!

And if you don't have time to read the legislation; don't send me the press release.

And if the legislation is too complicated for you to understand--- the legislation is no good.

Any school child can read and understand the Canada Health Act.

In fact, no one has ever explained to me why we can't just take the Canada Health Act and re-write it by substituting "American" with the word "Canada?"

Let me remind everyone that a National Public Health Care System would be based on the exact same model as public education only it would be a national program that would be publicly financed, publicly administered and publicly delivered. I have yet to hear any teacher ever complain they receive their paycheck from the government; I have yet to hear one single parent ever complain that they don't have to pay each teacher a "fee." And most students and parents have a far more personal relationship with their children's teachers than what they have ever had with any doctor. And, as a bonus, a National Public Health Care System would create 12 to 15 million new, good-paying jobs providing the American people with free health care through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers.

If anyone can tell me why a National Public Health Care System wouldn't work as well as a properly funded public education system I would like to hear the explanation.

Now, all we need to do is end these costly dirty wars, the rampant militarism and close down the more than 800 military bases dotting the globe protecting Wall Street's assets and profits and we will have enough money to fund a world class health care system with plenty left over to put every unemployed person in this country to work doing something socially useful and necessary--- I call this the "21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity"--- an Act which would mandate the president and Congress to work together to attain and maintain full employment. 

Consider this my "press release." Pass it along and share it with everyone you know.

I will be asking you to sign on to a statement declaring that this is what we want. Please consider doing this.

Also, when it comes to the need for a new political party. I think we need this new party now; not later. I don't think we need to wait for any "leaders" or these foundation-funded outfits to take the lead. We need to take the lead and initiative ourselves. This is the way it has always been. If you think something needs to be done and you look around for someone to "lead" the way and you can't find anyone--- you do it yourself. We need a working class based progressive people's party in this country similar to the old socialist Minnesota Farmer-Labor Party and like the Canadian New Democratic Party. Bringing forward the kind of legislation required to solve our problems is what we organize and build this new party around.

We have to remember: The only way we ever win against the Wall Street crowd is when we bring an even bigger crowd.

When will we ever learn?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgXNVA9ngx8

Alan L. Maki

On Fri, Dec 13, 2013 at 4:02 AM, someone wrote me:

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation earlier this week to provide health care for every American through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer system.  Rep. Jim McDermott has filed a companion bill in the House.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/cover-more-americans-for-less-cost

---

From: Alan Maki <alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com>
To: "uniting_people@lists.riseup.net" <uniting_people@lists.riseup.net> 

Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 7:10 PM
Subject: I came across this guy from an e-mail... I'm curious what you think about what he has to say

Seems to me he opens up some good discussion:

Does anyone know this guy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUvdpi98mjY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIbBM2nKuk

http://www.laborforsinglepayer.org/contact-us/

-- 

Alan L. Maki

Director of Organizing,

Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council

 

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell: 651-587-5541

Primary E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

E-mail: alan.maki1951mn@gmail.com

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

A guest blog: Nelson Mandela Will Live On As A Beacon For Social Justice

Brian McAfee
2838 Mason Blvd.
Muskegon Hts., Michigan USA  49444
                              
(231) 737-8726

brimac6@hotmail.com


 Nelson Mandela Will Live On As A Beacon For Social Justice

                              
                                 by Brian McAfee

I, like probably millions of other people, had hoped to have the opportunity to meet Mr. Mandela.

While this never happened he was always part of the American social justice movement, of which I have been a part all of my adult life. In 1980, when I was 20, I was a freshman at Northwestern College, a small Christian school in Orange City, Iowa, when 0n March 24 Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated.

I had a classmate respond that it was OK because he was a communist. Reagan was president and the murderers of Romero, the military of El Salvador, were armed trained and financed by the U.S.

Later that year, on Dec. 2, four Catholic women, Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, Jean Donovan, and Dorothy Kazel had just come to El Salvador to help the poor; their vehicle was stopped by the military--- all four were then raped and murdered. 

In June of 1980 I moved to California and became active in the social justice  movement in Southern California. We held regular demonstrations in Los Angeles at the county building and federal building over El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and South Africa.

In El Salvador 80 thousand were killed. 

Regarding Guatemala, over 200 thousand had been killed; mostly indigenous people during a period of several U.S. supported dictatorships.

Nicaragua, after the Sandinista victory, had to deal with Reagan's darlings, the Contra, they killed about 40,000 civilians.  

I fist met some of the Anti-Apartheid activists and participated in demonstrations at the South African consulate in Los Angeles. At that time, too, is when I first heard Hugh Masekela, the great  South African musician and listened to his most familiar "Bring Back Nelson Mandela."

But, also, people should listen to more then just that one. Another good one is Change. 

Two California politicians that, in my view, are/were heroes to the cause for universal social justice and in the fight to free Nelson Mandela are Maxine Waters and Ron Dellums. Both were very vocal supporters of the Anti-Apartheid movement and the cause to free Nelson Mandela. 

When Mandela was released from prison in 1990 he immediately set about to dismantle the Apartheid system and establish a new social structure based on the equality of all, a true democracy.

There are many places around the world where the struggle for social and political justice are still great; two such places are the Philippines and West Papua.
I welcome any comments or suggestions.- Brian  brimac6@hotmail.com

Sample resolution on Health Care Reform for precinct caucuses and conventions

Note: This Resolution is submitted for discussion, dialog, debate and action by the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council as our part in celebrating the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2013: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ Feel free to circulate.

Resolution on Health Care Reform (267 words)

Where as the for-profit health care system has failed to provide the American people with adequate health care;

Where as this for-profit system of health care has resulted in forcing millions of Americans into poverty as a result of huge health care bills;

Where as a National Public Health Care System would create twelve to fifteen million new jobs providing the American people with free health care which is a human right;

Therefore, be it resolved a National Public Health Care System is required;

Therefore, be it resolved health care should be publicly financed, publicly administered and publicly delivered based on the model provided by public education--- everyone in, nobody out.

Therefore, be it resolved a National Public Health Care System should be funded and financed through these various methods in combination:

1. “Peace dividends” resulting from ending militarism and wars.

2. A hefty tax on the wealthy.

3. A payroll tax levied one-quarter on employees and three-quarters on employers.

Therefore, be it resolved that a single-payer universal health care system of short duration is an acceptable first step in implementing a National Public Health Care System;

Therefore, be it resolved the American people are entitled to free health care as a human right;

Therefore, be it resolved that health care will be publicly delivered through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers and shall include: primary health care including, but not limited to, general health care, eyes, ears, dental and mental health; pre-natal through burial.

Therefore be it resolved this becomes the position of (name of organization/party)

Sample resolution on the Minimum Wage for use in precinct caucuses and conventions

Note: This Resolution is submitted for discussion, dialog, debate and action by the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council as our part in celebrating the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2013: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ Feel free to circulate.

Resolution on the Minimum Wage (209 words)

Where as workers who are without jobs are going to be poor;

Where as workers paid poverty wages are going to be poor;

Where as a “living wage” is a non-poverty wage;

Where as hundreds of thousands of working class Minnesotans and their families are poor because of unemployment and poverty wages;

Where as the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares the right to a job with a real living wage to be the criteria for a decent standard-of-living as a human right;

Where as we can not call for a “living wage” and then legislate a poverty Minimum Wage;

Where as “cost-of-living” is the only way to establish what is a decent “standard-of-living” and what constitutes a “living wage;”

Therefore, be it resolved that the Minimum Wage should be a real living wage legislatively tied to all “cost-of-living” factors, empirical data, based on all cost-of-living factors as tracked by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics indexed to inflation and increased periodically to provide an improved standard-of-living;

Therefore, be it resolved we support a guaranteed annual income;

Therefore, be it resolved that every Minnesotan is entitled to, by legislation, a decent standard of living based on cost-of-living and is also entitled to a guaranteed annual income based on cost-of-living;

Therefore, be it resolved that this becomes the position of the (name of party/organization here).

Sample resolution on the plight of workers employed in the Indian Gaming Industry for use in precinct caucuses and conventions

Note: This Resolution is submitted for discussion, dialog, debate and action by the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council as our part in celebrating the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2013: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ Feel free to circulate.

Resolution on the Plight of Casino Workers Employed in the Indian Gaming Industry (140 words)

Where as over 40,000 Minnesotans are employed in the Indian Gaming Industry;

Where as these 40,000 Minnesotans are forced to work in loud, noisy, smoke-filled casinos and associated enterprises of the Indian Gaming Industry at poverty wages;

Where as these 40,000 workers have no rights defined under state, federal, tribal labor or international laws capable of being enforced to protect them;

Where as the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly declares all workers are entitled to such protections as basic human rights;

Therefore, be it resolved that the “Compacts” creating this Indian Gaming Industry be re-opened and re-negotiated to include the state, federal and international protections enjoyed by all other workers;

Therefore, be it resolved this becomes the position of (name of organization/party).

Sample resolution on Full Employment for use in Precinct Caucuses and Conventions

Note: This Resolution is submitted for discussion, dialog, debate and action by the Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council as our part in celebrating the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2013: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ Feel free to circulate.

Resolution on Full Employment (705 words)

Where as the politicians talk about “jobs, jobs, jobs” but have not taken on to themselves the responsibility for "Full employment;"

Where as the “free market capitalist system” has proven to be very unstable with boom and bust cycles--- and with the massive unemployment producing bust cycles of economic “slumps,” recessions, and depressions occurring with greater frequency and with full employment failing to be achieved even during the short periods of economic boom;

Where as "Full employment" is all about governmental accountability to the people;
Where as "Full employment" is all about peace and democracy;

Where as "Full employment" is all about the most fundamental human right of all--- the right to a job at a real living wage;

Where as unemployment is the major source of poverty for tens of millions of people;

Where as unemployed workers are going to be poor;

Where as unemployment has been used by government, business and industry as an “economic lever” to keep all wages down instead of controlling prices of food, housing, health care, college tuition, electricity, home heating fuels and gas to create a more stable economy;

Where as wars kill jobs just like they kill people;

Where as the “Full Employment Act of 1945” would have mandated “Full Employment” which was passed by the United States Senate but defeated by the U.S. House after a massive campaign by big business interests who realized they were about to lose super-profits obtained by unemployment pushing all wages down;

Where as the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares in no uncertain terms:

Article 23.
 (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
 (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
 (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
 (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24.
 Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25.
 (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
 (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.



Therefore, be it resolved a “Full Employment Act” to be known as the “21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity” shall be enacted which shall include:

1. A mandate requiring the president and Congress to work together to attain and maintain full employment.

2. Rely on government programs making the the government the employer of first choice whenever required.

3. Include a provision for the enforcement of Affirmative Action to assure people of color, women and the handicapped receive the jobs to which they are entitled.

4. Include a Minimum Wage provision making the federal Minimum Wage a real living wage based on all “cost-of-living” factors as monitored and tracked by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, indexed to inflation quarterly and periodically increased to provide an improved standard-of-living.

5. A guaranteed annual income the equivalent of a living wage during any period of time when employment is not available for individuals.

Therefore, be it resolved that the “21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity” shall provide the guidance to create jobs by putting people to work solving the most pressing problems of people and society.

Therefore, be it resolved that all funds required to finance “Full Employment” shall come from “peace dividends,” a hefty tax on Wall Street transactions and profits along with taxing the rich.

Therefore, be it resolved this resolution becomes the position of (name of organization/party) on Full Employment.

Nelson Mandela and the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights

NELSON MANDELA
(Born 1918)

ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, NELSON MANDELA, AT THE 53RD UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY:
New York, 21 September 1998

Mr.President;
Mr Secretary General, the Hon.Kofi Annan;
Your Excellencies;
Ladies and Gentlemen,

" Quite appropriately, this 53rd General Assembly will be remembered through the ages as the moment at which we marked and celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Born in the aftermath of the defeat of the Nazi and fascist crime against humanity, this Declaration held high hope that all our societies would, in future, be built on the foundation of the glorious vision spelt out in each of its clauses.

For those who had to fight for their emancipation, such as ourselves who, with your help, had to free ourselves from the criminal apartheid system, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights served as the vindication of the justice of our cause.

At the same time, it constituted a challenge to us that our freedom, once achieved, should be dedicated to the implementation of the perspectives contained in the Declaration.

Today, we celebrate the fact that this historic document has survived a turbulent five decades, which have seen some of the most extraordinary developments in the evolution of human society.

These include the collapse of the colonial system, the passing of a bipolar world, breath-taking advances in science and technology and the entrenchment of the complex process of globalisation.

And yet, at the end of it all, the human beings who are the subject of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights continue to be afflicted by wars and violent conflicts.

They have, as yet, not attained their freedom from fear and death that would be brought about by the use of weapons of mass destruction as well as conventional arms.

Many are still unable to exercise the fundamental and inalienable democratic rights that would enable them to participate in the determination of the destiny of their countries, nations, families and children and to protect themselves from tyranny and dictatorship.

The very right to be human is denied everyday to hundreds of millions of people as a result of poverty, the unavailability of basic necessities such as food, jobs, water and shelter, education, health care and a healthy environment.

The failure to achieve this vision contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights finds dramatic expression in the contrast between wealth and poverty which characterises the divide between the countries of the North and the countries of the South and within individual countries in all hemispheres.v It is made especially poignant and challenging by the fact that this coexistence of wealth and poverty, the perpetuation of the practice of the resolution of inter and intra-state conflicts by war and the denial of the democratic right of many across the world, all result from the acts of commission and omission particularly by those who occupy positions of leadership in politics, in the economy and in other spheres of human activity.

What I am trying to say is that all these social ills which constitute an offence against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are not a pre-ordained result of the forces of nature or the product of a curse of the deities.

They are the consequences of decisions which men and women take or refuse to take, all of whom will not hesitate to pledge their devoted support for the vision conveyed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This Declaration was proclaimed as Universal precisely because the founders of this Organisation and the nations of the world who joined hands to fight the scourge of fascism, including many who still had to achieve their own emancipation, understood this clearly that our human world was an interdependent whole.

Necessarily, the values of happiness, justice, human dignity, peace and prosperity have a universal application because each people and every individual is entitled to them.

Similarly, no people can truly say it is blessed with happiness, peace and prosperity where others, as human as itself, continue to be afflicted with misery, armed conflict and terrorism and deprivation.

Thus can we say that the challenge posed by the next 50 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by the next century whose character it must help fashion, consists in whether humanity, and especially those who will occupy positions of leadership, will have the courage to ensure that, at last, we build a world consistent with the provisions of that historic Declaration and other human rights instruments that have been adopted since 1948."

Building Progressive Political Power in Minnesota -- around the politics and economics of livelihood...

Calling all activists--- including activists from North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Manitoba and Ontario. Consider coming to this event and setting up table selling books, distributing leaflets about your activities on these issues. Let's all get acquainted so we can participate in joint actions.  There is no charge. It would provide a good basis for united activity on these four important issues: https://www.facebook.com/events/398475413619599/399265223540618/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

Taking our activities face-to-face into our neighborhoods and communities is essential to winning these struggles.

Exciting Forum scheduled for Saturday, January 11th in Duluth -- Copper Top Church -- 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

"Building Progressive Political Power in Minnesota -- around the politics and economics of: 1) Full Employment; 2) Minimum / Living Wage; 3) "Real" Health Care Reform; and 4) Environmental Sanity!

Presenters include: Liane Gale (Minnesota Green Party); Buddy Robinson (Minnesota Citize...ns Federation - Northeast); Dr. Jim Hart (Physicians for a National Health Program); Reyna Crow (Northwoods Wolf Alliance and Idle No More); Allen Richardson (WaterLegacy); Michael Cavlan (New Progressive Alliance); Alan Maki (Uniting People); and Virgil Boehland (Duluth MoveToAmend).

Arrive a bit early; we have a full schedule; we'll try to start on time. The coffee will be on; the cookie jar(s) full!

For specific questions, call me, Vern Simula: 218.591.5722.

First United Methodist Church, Duluth (The Coppertop)

230 East Skyline Parkway, Duluth, Minnesota 55811

View Map · Get Directions