Poverty

From a global perspective, the America election, is not a dead heat, it is totally one sided. I am an outside observer, living in Canada; America is and Americans are my long-standing neighbors, old friends and allies. I speak to each American individually, as well as all others as we are all descendents of what ultimately presides.
Most Americans need to get something straight before this election, but your closed media will not likely publish this within its narrow perception.

Rochester Poor People’s Coalition, a multi-racial group of the poor and homeless based out of the House of Mercy began a campaign against RG&E winter shutoffs this afternoon. The group cited unaffordable RG&E rate hikes as an Economic Human Rights Violation. “Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees food shelter clothing and an adequate standard of living to every human begin just by being born…” said Sister Grace glaringly “…what we’re seeing today is the very real threat to entire families lives as their heat is shut off just in time for winter.” The group is documenting these stories as ‘Economic Human Rights violations’ for a possible large-scale legal action already in the works.

The meeting was advertised as RG&E shutoff problem solving. About ten women showed up, some rescheduling work to attend, and spoke of their conditions. One woman is taking care of her sister who has a spinal cord injury, and is slated with a shutoff in four days. Another is a working mother of 4 who receives no public assistance and has accumulated at $2300 bill; she is slated for shutoff November 1st. “Choosing between rent and heat aren’t acceptable choices. Poor people have been entirely left out of the decision making process on every level.” Another woman continued venting about the conditions she has to live in beneath her slight Latino accent, “Bush has got us a million miles away in Iraq killing people and spending all our money. Why doesn’t he spend money here? There are poor people dying here.”

Sister Rita commented, “This is whole situation really a byproduct of welfare reform, when I started here at House of Mercy 18 years ago people could get help at least twice a year from HEAP. Now it’s feasibly once in a lifetime. But, we think this problem is only allowed to fester because of its invisibility. Most people in Rochester don’t know how real the threats to health RG&E/ENERGY EAST is posing. If people knew, things would have to change. We have no other option left but to fight back.”

The RG&E staff member in charge of community relations reportedly called Rochester Poor People’s Coalition angered at the new organizing effort. “Every phone number she gave me lead to no solutions. The house can’t keep helping to pay every shutoff’s bill. Something needs to change…” continued Sister Grace.

This is a call for proposals for the National Conference on Organized Resistance on February 3rd through February 6th, 2005!

In this alternate universe, the Greens’ party-building in the late 1990s makes it a national political factor, thanks to their presidential candidate, Barry Frost (think Ralph Nader). The debacle in Florida happens, and—with the Greens on hand to counter Republican shenanigans in a way the real-life Democrats never tried—the election is decided according to the Constitution. When the Greens are accused of being spoilers, the future Ms. President tartly replies: “You can’t spoil anything that’s already rotten.”

“Step One is to recognize that there is a problem.” When a movie star is kidnapped and put through a 12 step recovery program for addiction to Western Civilization, reality gets turned on its ear. The fugitives careen headlong through passion, betrayal, and assassinations toward an explosive event that will transform the world. Everything you know can change in an instant. Are you ready for the next step?

JULY 1, 2004 Washington, DC—A group calling themselves the Party Liberation Front (PLF) took over the lobby of the World Bank Headquarters this morning and threw a party to “celebrate” the 60th birthday of the World Bank and the success of its global capitalist agenda.
60 years ago finance leaders from the major world powers met in Bretton Woods, NH to establish the World Bank and IMF. Since then wealthy elites in the US and elsewhere have reaped billions of dollars from countries forced to abide by World Bank policies.

The group brought with them a cake, champagne, party hats and horns, and a large card to present to Bank President James D. Wolfensohn, thanking the Bank for their excellent work in helping replace colonial rule with free market exploitation to ensure the wealthy stay on top.

“The Bank is a wonderful institution. Since 1944, we can see that the Bank truly has helped thousands of global corporations and wealthy elites to realize their potential for profit in peace,” said Matthew Kavanagh, one of the organizers with the PLF.

Poor People United First Anniversary Dinner Celebration
Saturday, May 22 at 5:00 pm
At St. Joseph's House of Hospitality, 402 South Avenue

Celebrate:
Please join us to celebrate the accomplishments of our first year as a
grassroots organization fighting for economic human rights.

Poor People United (PPU) hosted a talk by Willie Baptist and Mary Bricker- Jenkins of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) last Friday evening. The event, at 152 Baden Street, was the result of weeks of outreach work and planning by PPU. To visually reinforce themes of the talk, clotheslines were stretched across the gym holding dozens of T-shirts covered with handwritten stories of American poverty.

Homeless in Rochester: A Benefit for Poor People United Opening Party 7-10:00pm Sunday February 29

...Women and Poverty Interview with Gwendolyn Mink, author and activist, conducted by Between the Lines' Melinda Tuhus