Here’s one of Rene Renteria’s many great photos from the union-led Save Our State march and rally Wednesday, April 6, 2011. We’ll be posting more about this great event attended by 7,000 folks from all around Texas.
See more from Rene at https://picasaweb.google.com/renerenteria/SaveOurStateMarchRallyHIRES?authkey=Gv1sRgCO3DwcT1y8nyuAE&feat=directlink#
| April 16, 2011 | ||
| 11:00 am | to | 1:00 pm |
Saturday April 16th, 11 am – 1 pm
This Protest is being co-sponsored by:
…The National Treasury Employees Union Chapters 72 & 247
The Austin Branch of the International Socialist Organization
Anyone who is interested in helping out in organizing, lets set a tentative meeting 9pm, Sunday April 3rd at Spiderhouse Cafe. You can show up a bit early to converse and hang out. If you are interested in meeting and cannot make this please message us and we will find a time to meet that works for you!
US Uncut Austin. The location will be the Hancock Center Bank of America. The protest is scheduled to start at 11am local time. This will be a peaceful protest, be creative bring your own signs and spread the word through social media.
US Uncut is about taking action against unnecessary and unfair cuts to public services across the US. Washington’s proposed budget for the coming year sends a clear message: The wrath of budget cuts will fall upon the shoulders of hard-working Americans.
Obama seeks to trim $1.1 trillion from the budget in the next ten years by cutting or eliminating over 200 federal programs, many dedicated to social services and education. For instance, it cuts in half funding to subsidize heating for low-income Americans; limits an expansion of the Pell grant program for students; and decreases Environmental Protection Agency funding by over 12%.
Meanwhile, Republicans are using their new House majority to slash spending even more brutally. The GOP has made it clear that they are bent on raiding funds for Social Security, Medicare, education; determined to kill health care reform; and gut needed investments in infrastructure, climate change and job creation, at a time when America needs it most.
These cuts will come on top of very painful austerity measures made at the state-level across our nation–-worth hundreds of billions–since the recession began.
In short, budget cuts demonstrate that Washington has abandoned ordinary Americans.
But there is an alternative: Make corporate tax avoiders pay.
Enjoying record profits and taxpayer-funded bailouts as the economy slowly recovers from a financial crisis, nearly two-thirds of US corporations don’t pay any income taxes, instead opting to abuse tax loopholes and offshore tax havens. According to this study from the non-partisan Government Accountability Office, 83 of the top 100 publicly traded corporations that operate in the US exploit corporate tax havens. Since 2009, America’s most profitable companies such as ExxonMobil, General Electric, Bank of America and Citigroup all paid a grand total of $0 in federal income taxes to Uncle Sam. Tax havens alone account for up to $1 trillion in tax revenue lost every decade, money that could be invested in K-12 education, colleges, public health, job creation and hundreds of other worthy public programs.
If we pay our taxes, why don’t they? If corporations profit here, shouldn’t they pay here?
It’s time for ordinary Americans to fight back and demand an end to the corporate tax avoidance. Join US Uncut and together let’s make corporate tax avoiders pay.
US Uncut is a horizontal movement. There are no centrally planned protests. If you want one in your town or city, you’ll have to take it on yourself. Read our blog about what to do next.
Also remember to visit UK Uncut for some inspiration.
See you on the streets.
Contact:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @usuncutaustin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_161244550598957&id=163356927054386¬if_t=like
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182921201754393&ref=ts
| April 9, 2011 | ||
| 12:00 pm | to | 2:30 pm |
Saturday, April 9
March and Rally:
END THE WARS ! FUND THE PEOPLE !
Gather for march at Noon at the Federal Building plaza (300 E. 8th St.)
Rally at the Capitol at 1:00 PM
While the US is engaging in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and giving billions of dollars in aid to Israel, which continues to threaten the Palestinians, we are left with Governors like Wisconsin’s Scott Walker Texas’ Rick Perry, who want to strip us of our labor rights, lay off teachers, close our schools, and deny us health care. Meanwhile, big corporations pollute our environment, make record profits, and pay low or no taxes. These priorities are upside down! Come to a rally to demand an end to the wars abroad and a re-direction of funding to basic services for the people: education, healthcare, infrastructure, jobs, clean air and water.
Sponsored by: Iraq Veterans Against the War-Austin, Veterans for Peace-Austin, Sustainable Options for Youth, Under the Hood Cafe, Palestine Solidarity Committee, CodePink-Austin, International Socialist Organization, Nuke Free Texas, and more. For more information or to co-sponsor: [email protected]
see also United National Antiwar Committee, http://www.nationalpeaceconference.org/
| April 6, 2011 | ||
| 10:00 am | to | 5:00 pm |
Building on the spirit and energy of rallies around the country calling on state governments to prioritize education, health care, public safety, the environment, and jobs, we will demand that Texas take a balanced approach to balancing the state budget by spending our state’s savings in the Rainy Day Fund and finding new revenue. Be part of the movement to move Texas forward! Bring your family and friends and wear your rain gear! There’s a torrential storm in Texas and together we have the power to turn the tides!http://www.april62011.org/
SCHEDULE
9am – 10am Buses arriving, lobby day training and staging for the march
11am – 12pm March from Waterloo Park (13th & Trinity) to the Capitol
NOON Rally on the South Steps
1pm – 4pm Lobby Visits and Workshops
4pm Buses leave
5pm Day ends officially
April 6th will be the culmination of a menu of Save Our State activities. If you’re planning activities that you’d like to be part of Save Our State please contact Kymberlie Quong Charles.
SAVE OUR STATE is a collaborative effort between the following organizations:Center for Public Policy Priorities | Children’s Defense Fund | Cover Texas Now | Save Our Schools
Texas AFL-CIO | Texas AFT | Texas Forward | Texas Impact Texas League of Young Voters |Texas Organizing Project Texas State Employees Union | Texas State Teachers Association Organized and hosted by the Texas State Employees Union, which months ago planned April 6 as its Lobby Day which it does every 2 years in the middle of the legislative session. TSEU joined the Texas Forward coalition, and now more than 60 organizations are joining together to make April 6 a massive show of support for public services, education, and public workers. http://www.cwa-tseu.org/PUBLIC/LobbyDay2011/LobbyDay_2011.html
Contact TSEU at 512-448-4225 or http://www.cwa-tseu.org/ DOWNLOAD TICKET
If you live and work in and around Austin, it’s easy to be there for the Day of Action. If you live in other parts of the state, buses will depart from or pass through a city near you. GET YOUR TICKET TODAY!!! Just $15.00 covers your lunch, registration and bus trip to and from Austin. Those in the Austin area pay only $8.00 for registration and lunch only. No ticket necessary if you don’t need transportation nor lunch–but buy a ticket if you want to help the cost of transportation from distant parts of the state (yes, there will be folks coming from El Paso, Lubbock, the Valley, Deep East Texas, and all points of the state!). April 6th buses will be available from these communities:
Abilene, Alice, Amarillo, Beaumont, Big Spring, Brenham, Brownville, Brownwood, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, Corsicana, Crocket, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Falfurrias, Ft. Stockton, Ft. Worth, Fredericksburg, Giddings, Gonzalez, Greenville, Harlingen, Houston, Kingsville, Laredo, Lockhart, Longview, Lubbock, Lufkin, McAllen, Mexia, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Nacogdoches, Odessa, Prairie View, Raymondville, Richmond, San Angelo, San Antonio, Sweetwater, Temple, Terrell, Texarkana, Texas City, Tyler, Vernon, Victoria, Waco, Wichita Falls
SAVE OUR STATE ACTIVITIES
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http://weareaustin.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=130546 This link includes a VIDEO.
Story from weareaustin.com, March 19, 2011. Photo by Laura Skelding, Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com/news/local/central-texas-digest-austin-baseball-field-structure-burns-1333624.html
The Million Musicians March for Peace (MMM), Austin’s annual musician-organized community event for peace, justice, and liberty through public awareness and involvement, met in Austin on Saturday.
Hundreds took part in a concert rally which was followed by musicians and speakers who will represent various issues of war, peace, liberty, justice, and promote our common ground by dispensing reliable sources of information that support all of our vital concerns.
Organizers say that the annual rally is held to raise the level of information and provide action in support of peace. In addition the rally is meant to raise awareness provide action in support of Peace.
Supporting organizations include: Under The Hood, Artists for Media Diversity, Vote Rescue, Texans For Peace, Waco Friends Of Peace, Iraq Veterans Against War, Code Pink Austin, Monkey Wrench Books. This year MMM also welcomes Instruments of Freedom for Justice, a group espousing immigrant rights, joining in a show of solidarity.
The rally is organized by the Instruments for Peace network of musicians and friends, the annual Million Musicians March for Peace is the result of the hard work of volunteer organizations and individuals helping in a multitude of ways. Musicians use their music, email networks, event production and promotion skills, and public relations infrastructure to organize and promote the event.
For more information on the group, visit their website www.instrumentsforpeace.org.
We first met Kyle Wesolowski in January 2010. After returning from Iraq, Kyle spent his leave in New Jersey with his family. Realizing that he could no longer serve in combat, he returned to Fort Hood concerned and discouraged. As fortune would have it, the day he returned to town, a vigil lead by Under the Hood was being held at Fort Hood’s East Gate. The vigilers caught his attention and he stopped to learn more. The rest is history.
Under the Hood has teamed up with IVAW in support of Operation Recovery. Join Iraq Veterans Against the War and Under the Hood in our effort to stop the deployment of troops suffering from PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma. By signing our pledge, you agree to do what you can to defend our right to heal and to hold accountable those responsible for the deployment of traumatized troops. We need your help to build the Operation Recovery Campaign. You can take the pledge at www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery.
Coleen is a former FBI Special Agent and Legal Counsel, whistleblower, and Time Person of the Year. 
(We reprint another gem by Alice Embree after her trip to San Antonio for the event marking 100 years of celebrating women. Did you know that International Women’s Day has its roots in U.S. women’s labor struggles in the 1910′s? Enjoy the photos and read on!) http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/alice-embree-texas-actions-mark-100.html See also San Antonio’s Esperanza Peace and Justice Center: http://www.esperanzacenter.org/
See gallery of photos below.
San Antonio observed International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 5, with its 21st annual celebration — a march of more than 1,000 that embraced issues of reproductive rights, attacks on transgendered people, local union struggles for nurses and hotel workers, and women’s demands for peace and justice. The spirited march through San Antonio culminated with poetry, music, and speeches. CodePink Austin participated for the second year.
I was unaware of International Women’s Day and its roots in U.S. labor struggles until 1970. As the women’s liberation movement was beginning to reshape my consciousness, I participated in a small celebration in the basement of an Austin campus-area church.
The March 8 events gathered scope and were observed throughout the 70s with activities that included women’s theater, skits, and workshops on global struggles for women’s rights from Asia to Iran to Austin. Workshops highlighted gay and lesbian rights and the dual oppression experienced by women of color.
It was a period in which women challenged countless barriers, including those to employment. Women filed lawsuits, or threatened them, to become Austin bus drivers, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, and cable splicers. Out of Austin came the historic legal challenge to abortion laws, Roe V. Wade. Women set up peer counseling services and demanded services for victims of rape and domestic abuse.
International Women’s Day is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In many countries, it is a national holiday, a time when women and men honor the struggle for equality, justice, and peace. The United Nations has observed March 8 as International Women’s Day since 1975, a year designated by the UN as International Women’s Year.
The idea of an international day for women was advanced by socialist parties in the United States and other countries and propelled by the historic struggles for women’s suffrage and workplace rights at the turn of the century. In 1911, more than one million people attended worldwide rallies demanding the women’s right to vote, hold public office, and organize on the job to end discrimination.
Less than a week after these rallies, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 women garment workers. It was a horrific fire with a devastating loss of life because women had been locked into the building. 100,000 people participated in the funeral march for the women workers. PBS has recently aired a documentary on this event.
In 1912, in the textile mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts, 20,000 workers walked out of the mills protesting wage cuts. Most of them were women. The strikers had a committee of 56 representing 27 languages.
The strikers — mostly immigrant women — won significant concessions and a placard, “Bread and Roses,” inspired a poem by James Oppenheim that was later set to music by Caroline Kohlsaat. The song, “Bread and Roses,” captures the spirit of International Women’s Day.
In 1917, with two million Russian soldiers dead as the result of World War I, women chose the last Sunday in February to strike for “bread and peace.” Four days later, the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on the 23rd of February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.
Fast forward to today. We can see the legacy of the second wave feminist victories from women’s leadership in countless progressive organizations to a woman president of the Texas AFL-CIO. But we are witnessing historic backlash with assaults on reproductive choice and funding for programs as important as domestic and international family planning.
At the University of Texas, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies was singled out for severe cuts. In Wisconsin, we not only see an assault on workers’ rights, but on teachers — a field in which women workers are the majority. It is my hope that this International Women’s Day will mark the beginning of an era in which progressive fights converge as effectively as Austin’s pro-choice rally merged with the Wisconsin workers support rally on Saturday, February 26.
The rising of the women is the rising of us all!
[Alice Embree is a long-time Austin activist, organizer, and member of the Texas State Employees Union. A former staff member of The Rag in Austin and RAT in New York, and a veteran of SDS and the women's liberation movement, she is now active with CodePink Austin and Under the Hood Café. Embree is a contributing editor to The Rag Blog and is treasurer of the New Journalism Project.]
Peeking through the pink peace symbol above is The Rag Blog‘s Alice Embree.
International Women’s Day in San Antonio. Group of photos above by Susan Van Haitsma / The Rag Blog.
Lower group of photos by Alice Embree / The Rag Blog.
Note from Texas Labor Against the War: Here are a couple of historical photos we
Bread & Roses strike, Lawrence, Mass., 1912 (photo from socialistworker.org)
found:
International Women's Day in St. Petersburg, 1917 (photo from cpcml.ca)
| March 19, 2011 |
http://www.austinpeacecenter.org/
What: Festivál por la Paz y la Justicia en City Hall / Festivál at City Hall for Peace & Justice
When: Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ Noon until 3:00 p.m.
Where: City Hall Plaza, 301 W. 2nd St. (Cesar Chavez side)
WHO: Coalition of community organizations – listed at bottom
(Austin, Texas) Festivál at City Hall for Peace & Justice, slated for Saturday March 19 in the heart of downtown Austin, will be the city’s first multicultural gathering of its kind. Festivál at City Hall will bring together many of the city’s musicians, activists and organizations in an effort to unite the city’s swelling ethnic communities in a musical celebration.
TxLAW note: We are listed above as a sponsor of this event. We are not aware of having been asked to be a sponsor. While we support any actions opposing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many other social justice issues, we are not promoting one action over another on March 19, 2011, when there are 2 worthwhile events occurring in Austin, TX, at the same hour.
| March 14, 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Recently my friend Kath Stone, a chaplain at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York, informed me that the Global Day of Action on Military Spending is coming up on April 12th. Kath told me about her vision to wield the chapel’s prominent location just across from the UN on 1st Ave in order to make a statement against military spending.
I was inspired upon hearing this, but disappointed to learn that out of the dozens of events planned all around the world on April 12th, not one is set in Texas. I PROPOSE THAT WE FORM A COALITION AND PLAN A DEMONSTRATION IN AUSTIN ON APRIL 12TH, 2011.
I assert that no matter what you work for and are passionate about, your cause is wrapped up in this issue: the out-of-control military spending of the US government, which will be between 1.06 and 1.5 TRILLION DOLLARS in 2011. It will account for 40% OF THE WORLD’S SPENDING ON DEFENSE. UNACCEPTABLE! It is embarrassing that our government makes acts of violence abroad its number one spending priority while it slashes funding to provide education, heath care, and community services to its people at home. I am convinced that if we continue on this path there will nothing left to ‘defend’ before long.
Please consider three things:
1) COME TO A PLANNING PARTY ON MONDAY, MARCH 14TH AT CASA MARIANELLA. At 7pm, we can brainstorm ways to make the demonstration creative, effective, visible, audible, peaceful, fun, etc.
At 5:30pm there will be a screening of Why We Fight, a 2005 film which opens with President Eisenhower’s farewell speech from office, and then documents the unmatched strength of the US military industrial complex in today’s world.
If you want to contribute to the planning but want to skip the film, please come at 7pm. Casa Marianella is located at 821 Gunter St. Here is a map. Food will be provided. No alcohol please.
2) COME TO THE DEMONSTRATION ON APRIL 12TH. Location, time, and theme are to be determined by the coalition.
3) DISTRIBUTE THIS FAR AND WIDE.
In solidarity,
Christopher Newton
(201)-486-3669
| March 12, 2011 | ||
| 11:00 am | to | 2:00 pm |
Our Schools, Our Kids, Our Future
Texas students are tough, but they’ve never faced a crisis like this. In every school district across the Lone Star State, the same grim headlines repeat: campus closures, teacher layoffs, drastic cuts to core academic programs.
The culprit is a $27 billion state budget hole, which some say could have been avoided. But casting blame now doesn’t help. The challenge is to keep our schools open for all students.
There is help for Texas students if our leaders have the courage to use it.
Tell your elected officials to:
These tools can save our schools. Call, write or email today!
Find your elected representatives here: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/
Contact Governor Rick Perry here: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact/
In hard times, we must invest in Texas students…our future depends on it!
website: http://savetxschools.org/;
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181240711911593&ref=ts
