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Story Type:  Article Story Author:  Michelle Chen Story Publisher:  In These Times

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Story Type:  Article Story Author:  Kyle Cheney Story Publisher:  Politico

The Obama administration’s drive to cut down on America’s uninsured is about to get multilingual.

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More protections for tenants living in foreclosed properties

The Oakland City Council unanimously passed a measure last night expanding the Foreclosed Property Registration and Maintenance Ordinance to now include tenants.

The additional add-on’s will require lenders to:

• •Keep utilities on for tenants living in foreclosed properties,
• •Require banks to maintain foreclosed properties that tenants live in,
• •Conduct monthly inspections of NOD (Notice of Default) and foreclosed properties,
• •Banks will be required to register homes in a city blight database the moment they send homeowners a Notice of Default.
• •Banks will to do monthly inspections of NOD and foreclosed properties and gauge whether the home is occupied. If not occupied, the bank would now have to pay a $568 annual registration fee and maintain the vacant property.
• •If it is occupied the bank would have to use a local certified property management firm. It also will set-aside fees from penalty funds for foreclosure prevention activities.

This is in addition to the existing FPRM ordinance which makes big banks clean up vacant and blighted properties and fines them $1,000 per day for not doing so. This has so far brought in $1.6 million in fees and penalties.

While 99% of the people who lined up to speak urged council members to approve the expanded measure, Paul Junge, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce official told council members that 80%of the homes in Oakland are only “serviced” by the banks but held by other agencies “such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

Councilmember Jane Brunner, who sponsored the ordinance said, “If you don’t want to be in the servicing business — get out of it.”

The expanded ordiinance goes back before the council for final passage in June.

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(Editor’s Note: First in a series, this article was originally written for the Corrales Comment, where Radford has published articles about Intel’s air emissions for over a decade.)

Intel wants to know whether Corrales residents are interested in knowing how its elevated releases, or “spikes,” of highly toxic hydrogen fluoride (HF) may affect them.

A different answer might be obtained by asking whether villagers want Intel   to study the health effects of its HF pollution.

Skepticism persists among Corraleños and federal air quality regulators about the trustworthiness of studies conducted or funded by Intel into health effects of chemical emissions from its microchip production on the mesa above Corrales.

HF is apparently integral to Intel’s production process. The chemical has been on its list of Hazardous Air Pollutants used since the early days of its operations here. Intel is allowed by its air pollution permit from the N.M. Environment Department Air Quality Bureau to release up to 10 tons a year of HF into the air that Corraleños breathe.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists HF as a toxic chemical for which the acute inhalation exposure “produces severe eye, nose and throat irritation; delayed fever, cyanosis and pulmonary edema; and may cause death.”

The agency reports lesser health effects occur with chronic exposure to low airborne concentrations.

In a presentation to the mayor and Village Council April 28, Intel’s Thom Little described a proposed Hydrogen Fluoride Spikes Study that has been discussed in sessions of its Community Environmental Working Group (CEWG) over the past six months.

“One of the things that popped up within the group,” Little said, “was to study the emissions of hydrogen fluoride that can come from our campus, whether or not they have an impact, and are they able to make it out into the neighborhood community.”

“The reason we selected HF is not just a random thing. It had been mentioned in two separate reports that concerned regional and federal agencies like the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) as well as the Environmental Protection Agency. It was mentioned in their reports and it is something that is emitted from our site. And we do have a lot of data available to us.”

Is the data reliable?

But the reliability of that data was called into question last year after a surprise inspection at Intel by the EPA and its technical enforcement arm, the National Enforcement Investigations Center. (See Corrales Comment Vol.XXVIII, No.23, January 23, 3010 “Dallas-Region EPA Stages Surprise Inspection at Intel”)

Intel’s contracted CEWG facilitator, Stephen Littlejohn, explained that the new HF project was being presented to the Village Council to determine whether the study should proceed. One of the reasons, he said, was “frankly to find out whether there is interest in the community in our doing this.”

Littlejohn and Little said the HF spikes study would likely be carried out in much the same manner as the CEWG’s earlier crystalline silica study, including participation by one or more Corrales residents. Two Village councillors were involved in the silica emissions sampling, and the task force that guided the study was headed by Corrales’ Jim Tritten.

However, criticism was leveled at that earlier emissions testing exercise because it was not conducted in compliance with the group’s own “citizen protocol” that called for collection of emissions samples and analysis by specialists not under contract to Intel.

Over the past two decades, at least four whistleblowers who worked for Intel or state air pollution regulators have cast doubts on the validity of emissions testing done internally or by consultants hired by Intel. (See Corrales Comment Vol.XXII, No.10 July 5, 2003 “Second Intel Whistleblower Goes Public”)

Little told the council April 24 that the proposed HF study “is modeled closely after what we did with the silica testing.”

He said the first step in the study would be to determine the level at which the public’s exposure to HF would be a concern. That would then be used “for comparative modeling since we don’t have direct measurements for exposure at homes. Where we have the measurement is at the facility, so you’d need a [computer] model of how that gets dispersed and what the concentrations are.”

Little said Intel is reaching out to the Village Council to name villagers who could serve on the HF spikes study. Apparently using existing data that Intel possesses —rather than new air samples and testing— previous readings would be fed into the computer model for pollution dispersion.

As Little explained it, “We would run the model, iterate with several tries at this and look at different ways to see if this spike issue results in what people feel it might result in.”

Councillor Jim Fahey, a retired physician, asked, “So what is the impact of HF?”

Verbatim, Little replied: “The impact of HF as a chemical to humans?  It could be everything from…  depending on the exposure and time of exposure, could be very serious. HF can combine if ingested, and/or it touches you as a liquid form touches you, it will combine with… it doesn’t interact with your skin, it goes right through and can interact with your bone material and cause some… I forget what you call it.

“But also if you breathe it in at some lower levels, it can cause irritation, etc. So there’s a spectrum of what might happen. And of courses it’s always time and dosage that’s the culprit in any exposure.”

Fahey followed up. “So do we have any idea what dosages are… what critical dosages are?

Little: “So, I don’t know what the dosages are off the top of my head. The ATSDR has a provisional level that they suggest using [to determine exposure levels at which health effects might be experienced], but it’s something like 20 parts per billion; I think that’s a number I saw in some of the literature. Twenty parts per billion in the air… would throw out there as a provisional level. That doesn’t mean that’s a health hazard.

“They are quick to identify that… that’s not a health hazard; that might be below the health hazard, but that’s something they’re identifying as something you’d be looking for.”

Fahey: “So they don’t really know when you cross the line and it’s a health hazard, basically. Is that what you’re saying?”

Little: “No, there’s different ways… but you’re getting in to some really good questions. But depending on the time and the dosage, then they can say ‘this much is harmful…’ Actually those numbers are quite a bit higher. Typically all the work that’s usually done around this is for the occupational exposures, so they’re using eight-hour days, and so in the ATSDR’s version, they’re also looking at light exposures that might be taken in by citizens from, say, a spike at closure or something like that.

“But I’m not a toxicologist, so I start getting out of my realm at about that level.”

Little responded to another question by Councillor Ennio Garcia-Miera who asked what the steps in the study would be. The Intel representative replied, “So this is what we want to do in phases; run the models… see if anything exists… and if something exists, then let the team come back and say, ‘We propose x as the next step.’ What would that be? Nobody knows yet.”

Mayor Phil Gasteyer: “Where does the New Mexico Environment Department fit into all this? Since they are the permitting agency, are they staying abreast with what you’re doing with the silica test or this new round of testing?”

Little: “I can answer that. So silica is not considered a toxin at the levels that were even suggested and is not a regulated substance. So we did that from a volunteer perspective because we had heard for many years that this was a concern.

“With respect to this [HF study] NMED really doesn’t have any interest, and this is why: because what we emit is a very minor amount  from our scrubbers. When they ask us to do an air permit, we do a model just like we’re going to perform on this, and we model for what they call ‘worst case;’ what are the emissions at our property line? And those models come back and say we’re well within the mandated levels, which are… actually I don’t really know the concentrations, but we have always been permitted to do what we do, because we’re well below those levels.

“However, this is something the group [CEWG] thought of that would be a worthwhile study, so this is above and beyond anything that NMED is interested in.”

No state or federal regulations exist 

That presumed lack of interest on the part of New Mexico’s air quality regulators may be wishful thinking on Little’s part. As the former chief of the Air Quality Bureau, Mary Uhl, explained no state or federal regulations exist for the vast majority of chemicals that are listed as Hazardous Air Pollutants like HF —even if they are lethal in small doses.

Decades have passed since Congress enacted the Clean Air Act, but no air quality standards have been established for HAPs, primarily due to chemical and manufacturing industry lobbyists.

The result: regulations on release of these chemicals to the air citizens breathe cannot be enforced because, for the most part, there are no regulations.

The writing of regulations for HAPs that would implement the 1963 federal Clean Air Act and amendments in 1970, ’77 and ’90 has mostly not been accomplished for technical, and largely political, reasons.

Ambient air quality standards exist for just six air pollutants for which criteria have been set: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, lead, ground-level ozone and particulate matter.

As then-Air Quality Bureau Chief Mary Uhl explained, “We do have the authority to say ‘This facility is exceeding national health-based standards for one of the [above] criteria air pollutants,’ but the toxics are not included in that.

“There are no criteria for those toxic chemicals.”

Uhl was later removed from her position as head of the Air Quality Bureau after Governor Susana Martinez took control of state government.

Fred Marsh, a retired Los Alamos labs chemist who led Corrales Residents for Clean Air and Water during the last decade, repeatedly raised concerns about Intel’s use of chemicals for which public health standards do not exist. “For more than two decades Intel has been allowed to release multi-ton quantities of chemical compounds whose safe limits have never been determined,” he said. “Even worse is that Intel releases these as mixtures whose toxicities can be increased by orders of magnitude by synergistic effects.

“In a very real sense, Intel’s neighbors have served as guinea pigs during their long exposures to these untested chemical compounds and mixtures.”

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joined a protest outside a bipartisan "fiscal summit" organized by billionaire Pete Peterson, a top enemy of Social Security.

Cass Corridor CommonsDETROIT – The East Michigan Environmental Action Council and the First Unitarian Universalist Church will celebrate the official transfer of the deed to the First UU complex to become the Cass Corridor Commons on Sunday, May 20 beginning at 11 am in McCollester Hall. The event will begin with the traditional Sunday service followed by a fellowship gathering where First UU members, EMEAC staff and guest will share their reflections of the transfer, food and musical entertainment. EMEAC officially assumed responsibility for the operation of the facility on August 15 of 2011 following the formal donation by the First UU Board of Directors last July. EMEAC’s plans for the complex include the creation of a Cass Corridor Commons community organizing hub consisting of fellow social justice minded organizations. The First UU congregation will still have full use of the worship and meeting facilities. EMEAC will operate the day to day administration of the building to include meeting facilities, office rentals and building maintenance. “Our vision is to transform the UU space into a multi-use facility and Detroit grassroots organizing hub,” EMEAC Director Diana Copeland said in August. “This Cass Corridor Commons space will embody the principles and values of the Unitarian Church and our environmental and social justice principles. Not only will the facility be used for First UU services and EMEAC administrative office space, it will also house several grassroots organizations which are partnered with EMEAC.”Entrepreneurial ventures by collaborative partners in addition to meeting space for grassroots events and activities will also be accommodated. Some current tenants at the facility like the Sugar Law Center for Social and Economic Justice will remain at First UU. They will be joined by EMEAC partners like the People’s Kitchen Detroit, Whole Note Healing Space, and Fender Bender Detroit. “We are creating a common space for the movements around social justice, food justice, environmental justice and digital justice to educate, strategize, and strengthen the underrepresented and unrepresented voices of our youth, elders, communities of color, and those that differ in their orientation and abilities,” said EMEAC Associate Director Lottie Spady. “Maintaining the structural expenses of a large building is a challenge, but its one that has been anticipated and we are planning accordingly. There will be many opportunities for the community to support this effort by way of events, campaigns, and outreach efforts. We hope that going forward community members would please consider connecting with EMEAC and First UU to share resources around the maintenance of this vital community resource.”

DETROIT – The Detroit Youth Food Justice Taskforce celebrated Cinco De Mayo on Friday, May 4 with their biggest and best Community Dinner Night event by drawing over 100 people to the Cass Corridor Commons for an evening of healthy food, food justice education, music, art and poetry. “We had just over 100 people at the last one,” said DYFJT Coordinator Roger Boyd. “We had some good youth entertainment. Everybody had smiles on their faces. Everybody was laughing and having fun. There were a lot of families there. This was probably about the best one we've had so far.”The Youth Food Justice Task Force Community Dinner Night events started in March and has doubled in attendance each time out. The events are held on the first Friday of each month and has gone from 25 at the first event to over 100 this month organizers. The event was catered by People's Kitchen Detroit along with tradition hispanic dishes in honor of the Cinco de Mayo holiday. In addition to the food, community members at the event got call to action on the 2012 Farm Bill and other food justice related issues by Detroit Food Justice Taskforce Coordinator Charity Hicks. The Youth Food Justice Taskforce coordinating team of Boyd, Anthony Grimmett, Sanaa Nia Joy and Kadiri Senefer served as masters of ceremonies and delivered presentations. The event also featured DJ Lajedi, who provided the music while artists like Honey Combe Bryce, Sage & Buddah J, Taneesha Fashion and Cyndi Anderson performed among others. “Food Justice Friday was phenomenal. We had three times as many people. We actually had so many people we ran out of food,” said Nia Joy. “We had one of our partners from Detroit Future Youth, Young Nation, come in from Southwest Detroit and did graffiti art. They painted a small picture to be a part of a larger mural. “We had the sound system going this time. The music was bumping. We had a good DJ. We celebrated Cinco De Mayo, and acknowledged their contribution into our lives here in the United States. We had fajitas with a vegan option. We had palentas which are little Popsicles. We had rice coleches. Greens and spinach from Feedom Freedom. Radishes from Earth Works. We had a lot of local produce. Anything that was in season, we tried to get.”Organizers say they are very encouraged by the growing popularity of the event and attribute it to good word of mouth from people who attended previous events, use of social networking outlets and the dedication of youth organizers like Boyd and Grimmett, who have been with the Youth Food Justice Taskforce since its inception last fall. “It's beautiful to see everyone come together for this,” Grimmett said. “The community dinner undoubtedly has a family feel to it. For us to have only had three, I think we've gained huge prestige on the basis of quality and quantity. Anyone can come, enjoy themselves, network, dialog, and learn about many things food justice and in other areas.“I feel as if the Youth Food Justice Task Force has something concrete to hold on to as motivation and as an outreach tool. I'm looking forward to the dinners having small youth led workshops/discussions in between to mobilize more people.”Likewise Nia Joy said she would like to see greater youth involvement going forward. While there are challenges in that area, she feels like there is tremendous potential for a youth-led food justice movement in the city.“I would like to have more young people there,” she said. “With the schools we work with, we have some transportation issues so we couldn't get them there this month but I would like to have more young people actually participating in the process. “The goals is to create community. We want to create awareness of food justice and the people who are related to food justice via the Farm Bill, Cinco De Mayo and people having access to culturally appropriate foods and healthy foods. We want to touch on these things in a fun way, and we hope that more people will be involved in food justice actions. We'd also like to coordinate some actions for Metro Foodland which is the only African American grocery store in the state. Lila Cabil of the Food Justice Taskforce is supporting them. We are just hoping to get more people engaged and more aware of what they are eating. If people become more aware of what they are eating, then we can demand more healthy foods in the stores and the schools.”

CHICAGO -- On May 20-21, member organizations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will meet in Chicago. Throughout the week before and during, many thousands of people will converge in Chicago to express their concerns about NATO and what it represents: NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between western nations to defend one another against nations they regard as threats to their economic interests. Within this current period of economic and ecological crises, local, national, and global struggles from below are arising across the world. The major response from NATO and the global elite that it represents is increasing repression and militarism, linking more deeply the war abroad and the war at home.
EMEAC is concerned about increased militarism for its social, political, economic and environmental implications. The relationship between militarism and environmental justice is clear according to Executive Director Diana Copeland. She says that "The offensive and defensive role that the U.S. military plays domestically and abroad has significant environmental implications." She goes on to explain that the methods of raw material extraction and production of military weaponry have been responsible for tremendous destruction of indigenous lands and the populations. The testing of weapons and their use during military operations often leaves the earth and water too toxic to safely use for consumption. Further, dangerous materials and unexploded devices often render lands uninhabitable, as expressed by Associate Director Ahmina Maxey.
As part of its concern around war and environmental justice issues, EMEAC is sending four staff members to Chicago to participate on the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance's delegation. Copeland considers this participation to be a step toward continuing the work around climate justice, particularly in figuring out how to work with ally organizations - such as GGJ and the Indigenous Environmental Network - on local, national and global levels to defeat climate injustice.
People will be converging on Chicago to oppose the way that the United States, through NATO, has contributed to the disruption of democratic processes around the world. Many are also protesting the tremendous financial investment in war at a time when many are suffering from joblessness, hunger, lack of medical care and so on. This is what inspired youth organizer Siwatu-Salama Ra to join the delegation. She is concerned about the use of taxpayer money, saying that "funds should go toward building communities instead of destroying them."

DETROIT – The Detroit Asian Youth (DAY) Project will host the monthly gathering of the Detroit Future Youth network on May 26 from 4-8 p.m. at St. Raymond Community Center located at 20103 JoAnne Street (Near Nsoroma Institute). The theme for the May DFY gathering will be an exploration of the Asian-American youth experience in Detroit. “We are looking forward to the opportunity for the participants to explore and share about their personal experiences through interactive writing workshops,” said the DAY Project's Soh Suzuki. “We are also looking forward to DAY Project youth leading discussions and many aspects of the event, where they can share about what it means to be Asian Americans in Detroit.”The DAY Project has been a charter member of Detroit Future Youth and reflects the core values of DFY by representing a diverse, all-inclusive vision of the Detroit community. Their organization evolved through community organizing efforts by Detroit Chinatown Revitalization Workgroup in March of 2004 when the group organized a forum on Asian Americans and their involvement in the community's organizing efforts. After an initial trial year and based on feedback from the group of youth who participated in the initial trial summer program, the DAY Project decided to continue meeting throughout the year with its framework becoming more accommodating to students who have school commitments. Their theme/mission states “Detroit Asian Youth Project is a group of Asian Americans in Detroit developing leadership skills and awareness for social justice, by engaging the participants in community service learning and other programs that foster greater appreciation towards Detroit and its Asian American community”
“I think one of our questions is how do we preserve our identity and traditions in this era of media saturation and how can we use media to tell our stories?” said DAY Project's Meiko Krishok. In addition to interactive writing workshops and discussions, the Day Project plans to share their experience with the other 12 members organizations of DFY with by incorporating youth-led aspects that showcase some of the Asian American talents from the Detroit's Asian American community. Participants will be able to explore and share about their experiences as they find common ground for living/working/organizing in the city.The gathering will also feature Detroit poets Emily Lawsin, Aurora Harris, Matthew Olzmann, and Peggy Hong from Milwaukee. It will also feature a special remembrance of Vincent Chin who was the victim of a hate crime in the city 30 years ago this June 23 and 24. Finally, the gathering will also feature media collected by youth involved in Asian Pacific Islander Americans Vote, who will lead us in a discussion of the power of oral histories“We have invited some of the writers/poets to share their talents, along with DAY Project youth,” Suzuki said.

DETROIT – EMEAC staff members held space with an environmental justice and electronic waste recycling station at the most recent Discovering Technology event of the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition held at the Museum of Contemporary Arts of Detroit in April. EMEAC Associate Director Ahmina Maxey, Communications Coordinator Patrick Geans-Ali and Greener Schools Senior Engagement Program Coordinator Priscilla Dziebek each contributed to the station which featured an interactive e-waste trivia challenge, a comprehensive map of recycling centers and live examples of reused computer hardware. “This station was especially relevant at the Discotech because the events are all about the use of technology, and it is important for us to think about the afterlife of many of our electronics after we throw them away,” Maxey said. “The EJ station educated participants about the magnitude and environmental impact of e-waste, and ways to reduce this impact through proper recycling – showing participants on a map where they can recycle their old electronics in Detroit.”The EJ station was one of three EMEAC stations held at the event. The other two stations focused on social networking as EMEAC Associate Director Lottie Spady and Detroit Future Communications Coordinator Victoria Goff held down a station of how to use Twitter while EMEAC Stand Up Speak Out Youth Team Leader Siwatu-Salama Ra worked at the Facebook Station. In all, the Disco Tech featured approximately 15 stations focusing on a variety of ways community members can better use technology such as basic electronics skills, internet privacy, bicycle technology, internet as an educational tool, beat making, computer hardware and others. “Priscilla did a great job putting together the example of how to reuse old computer parts by making them into a desk,” Geans-Ali said. “It really went well with the e-waste trivia challenge because we could show people a concrete example of how old computer parts can be creatively recycled. “This was my second disco tech and it's a lot of fun to see people of all ages so engaged in learning. I think that's what the diso techs are all about. It's about de-mystifying technology so that community members feel empowered with the knowledge they either already have or that they can learn just like anybody else.”The e-waste trivia challenge focused on educating community members on the environmentally harmful aspects of electronic waste while looking at environmentally responsible ways to recycle them. “It is very important that EMEAC's members recycle their electronics and not put them in the trash,” Maxey added. “Electronics contain many materials that are toxic, environmental contaminants which must be properly disposed of. These include materials such as cadmium, mercury, and lead. So in addition to your everyday recycling, please be sure to recycle your old electronics. For more information about recycling your waste and e-waste in Detroit you can go to the following website.

Statement from APEN Executive Director Roger Kim to the Chevron CEO and Board of Directors.  Please join us in protesting Chevron's annual shareholder meeting on May 30. Click here for more details.
In the shadow of the Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, thousands of Laotian refugees live, work, and go to school.  Over the last 16 years APEN has been developing the leadership and power of low-income Laotian refugees in Richmond.  The story of our organization and the Laotian community members we organize is one that illustrates the evolution of our society’s relationship with big oil and provides hope for a more healthy and just planet.
In close proximity to Chevron’s Richmond refinery, nearly 80% of the community residents are people of color, 25% live below the federal poverty level, and a majority is working class.  The Laotian refugee community fled war and upheaval in their home country, survived tough conditions in refugee camps, and endured racism and hardship in the United States.  As they struggled to build a life in Richmond, they also became acquainted with the hazards of living near a refinery.
“I’ve been in Richmond pretty much all my life.  I was one of the many children who grew up in North Richmond.  With its low-income housing, it was our only option at the time.  Now, I work just blocks from the Chevron refinery.  As I watch the fumes roll out of Chevron’s smokestacks, I vaguely remember having to “shelter in place” as a child during fires, explosions, and other emergencies, closing our doors and windows hoping not to breathe in the toxics.  It always seems to be our neighborhoods, low-income communities of color that suffer when big corporations want to build, expand, and pollute our cities,” said Lena Phan.
Another resident has testified, “My name is Christina Saeteurn, I am 22 years old, and I live in Richmond, CA.  I was born and raised here in Richmond, and I’ve never lived anywhere else.  I’ve made many memories here throughout the years; one memory in particular that I will never forget took place at my elementary school, when we used to do routine drills in case of an oil spill from the local Chevron oil refinery.  We were directed to line up single file with a piece of napkin over our nose and mouth as the teacher walked us over to a specific area.  I was about 5 or 6 years old, so at the time I didn’t really know how these chemicals are so harmful to a young child’s body.  To think about it now, is very scary, a piece of napkin was going to save my body from the toxic that was spreading through the air?”
Over time, the community learned about the environmental pollution and health effects associated with living near the Chevron refinery.  Data illustrate that children living in Richmond are already hospitalized for asthma at almost twice the rate of children in the rest of the county and more than double the national average. 
In 1999, there was a major chemical explosion at the Richmond refinery.  As people watched the toxic fumes spilling out, the government’s inadequate emergency response system was not able to reach the Laotian community.  Many of the residents did not understand the emergency safety procedures, exposing them to hazards that sent them to the emergency room.   “I remember the refinery’s explosion in the 1990s; I experienced strong headache and dizziness,” says Koy Seng Saechao.  “Sometimes, I still experience headaches and irritation of my eyes.  It is hard for me to breathe and my body aches.”Koi Meng Saeteurn also remembers, “Throughout my 20 plus years living in Richmond, I’ve experienced many struggles and hardships, especially during the earlier years of coming to America.  There were many incidents when the local refinery Chevron had chemical spills, and during that time I had no idea what was going on, I spoke no English, there were no warnings in my language to notify me as to what was happening, and I had no clue whatsoever how to keep my children and I safe.  I was terrified for my kids; I didn’t know what to do, or how to react to something like this.  I had 2 young children playing outside while the others were at school and the thought of them being scared and alone killed me.  That day will never be erased in my mind.” 
In response to the explosions and the lack of information to protect them, APEN and our Laotian members launched a campaign targeting Contra Costa County’s Health Services and Board of Supervisors to implement a multilingual emergency phone-alert system.  After a lengthy campaign, the community secured a historic victory when the County established such a system.
The community soon realized that warnings weren’t enough.  Being notified after an accident or explosion did nothing to prevent the serious health impacts on Richmond residents.  APEN members then decided that they needed to limit the air pollution and toxins that were occurring at its source. As Gloria Chaleunsy has said, “Personally, I grew up in Richmond/San Pablo area and understand the effects of chemical spills, refinery explosion, and hazardous leaky pipes on the overall health of people, animals, and foliage.  We were told not to plant food in our backyard because the soil was lined with lead and mercury.  We hear and see chemical explosions that burn for hours.  The heart of Richmond is surrounded by rolling hills where the wind does not blow westward toward the bay but instead trap pollutants that hover over residential areas.”
In 2005, Chevron wanted to expand the Richmond oil refinery, despite the evidence of increased harm for people living in the vicinity.  The community strongly organized to oppose this expansion.  When that didn’t work because of the influence that Chevron had over the City Council at the time, the community took Chevron to court….and won twice!  Community residents had stopped a multinational corporation from bringing more pollution and negative health impacts to their neighborhoods.
Now, community residents have realized that it’s not enough to simply stop the expansion of the refinery, but that the city needs a completely new alternative – a system of renewable energy that is community-generated to provide justice and equity for our planet and our people.  No longer is it enough to simply provide warnings of the explosions or to limit the expansion of the refinery – It is time to demand changing the entire system of powering this planet.
APEN and our members are embarking on a new journey to energize the planet using renewable sources and making investments to local communities through distributed generation of energy and local green jobs.  We will create a system that is not only environmentally sustainable, but also socially just; a system that puts people before profits so that all can benefit and not only an elite and wealthy few.  Instead of the $29 billion annual corporate profits going to a small group of Chevron shareholders, we can have a system that is community-led and –generated, provides much needed jobs and investments to community residents, and does not pollute the planet.
Chevron, you have much to fear.  People understand that addressing climate change will also require addressing the deep inequalities and injustices that are fueling the destruction of our planet and people.  As a movement unites around a common agenda of climate and economic justice, wake up to the changes that are happening, and get out of the way.

DETROIT -- On April 28th, Michigan Round Table and Detroit Future Youth (DFY) hosted over one hundred students from five area schools for a day of workshops, live performances and youth leadership skill building. Michigan Roundtable, a youth centered civil rights organization whose mission is to overcome discrimination and racism by crossing racial, religious, ethnic and cultural boundaries, is one of twelve organizations that participate in DFY.

The gathering also saw launched DFY network's Road to the Allied Media Conference fundraising campaign, organized primarily by youth from Michigan roundtable. http://www.indiegogo.com/detroitfutureyouth?c=home

The day began with an opening ceremony, where youth were invited to give live performances. Afterwards, youth from recent DPS walkouts spoke and held a Q and A about the media organizing process. Many youth in the audience identified with the multitude of reasons youth walked out and asked for advice on conducting their own walk outs.

The gathering then shifted into workshops where organizations involved with DFY practiced and perfected popular education workshops that will be used to create a curriculum mixtape that will serve as a comprehensive guide to youth led media organizing for organizations and youth throughout the US. All of the workshops were run by youth leaders and reflected the work each individual organization is doing within Detroit. Youth participants in the workshops were surveyed for feedback on how they felt the workshops were run and applied to their lives.

Workshop topics included: Value Added Products, Interviews and Storytelling, How to Create and Run your own Event, Sexism and Gender Justice, and more.


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Through every single aspect of the day, youth were centered as leaders and learners. "I felt ready when I came into the gathering and qualified when I left," said Anthony Grimmett, a youth leader who ran the Eastern Michigan Environmental Action Council's workshop with youth leaders, Roger Boyd, Shabrine Salam, and Malik Harris. "I came to the gathering with intelligence and questions and gained wisdom and more questions."

by Stelle Slootmaker, OKT communications officer
In Grand Rapids, Our Kitchen Table is gearing up for the growing season with a new series that brings community together around the dinner table for healthy food and political education. Launched on Friday March 23, the first “Cook, Eat and Talk” attracted more than 50 neighborhood folks.
Middle Eastern chef and director of TigerLilly Arabic Academy, “Mama” Wafa Haddad, prepared Mediterranean dishes with the crowd that featured herbs that OKT gardeners will grow this summer: chives, thyme, mint, basil, sage and parsley.
Haddad’s hands-on approach had the men and women in attendance taking part in the preparation of each dish. The recipes are posted on the OKT website under “Resources.”  During preparation, Haddad shared the health benefits of foods used in the easy to make dishes. In less than an hour, the group was all enjoying a nutritious feast.

Why Cook, Eat & Talk?
Our Kitchen Table, a grass roots environmental justice (EJ) organization, addresses issues such as air pollution, lead poisoning, infant mortality, asthma, obesity, food insecurity and the institutional racism that is at the root of all of these issues. The group approaches the work by working with community through popular education and addressing policy at the local, state and national level. These political issues are not easy to address within community—especially when relationships are just beginning to bud.
However, introduce food, fun and conversation across the dinner table and people go home with more information than they would ever digest from a PowerPoint lecture. Community has traditionally come together at the table. Cooking healthy food together not only provides opportunity to learn about healthier lifestyle choices, it also creates a climate where issues of injustice can be discussed and addressed.
OKT hosted a second Cook Eat and Talk on April 13. The third will take place May 5 at Sherman Street Church in Grand Rapids. If you happen to be on our side of the state, please join us.  Check our website for other upcoming events, including our “Plant, Eat and Talk” series which kicks off in June at one of our demonstration gardens.

Photo courtesy Erik Howard By Greg Pratt
 Read original the blog here.

A few days ago, I posted something here on the site about a mass walkout that took place last week at Western International High School in Southwest Detroit. As you may recall, several hundred students left their classes, demanding an end to the seemingly-endless cutbacks that are adversely affecting their educational opportunities. Well, the students who walked out, many of whom were expelled for having participated in the initial protest, have now created a school of their own, in Clark Park, called the Southwest Detroit Freedom School. Their objective, it would seem, is to create for themselves the kind of nurturing environment they haven’t been able to find within a criminally-underfunded public school system of Detroit. And, as you might expect, this vision is resonating with progressive adults across the state, who want to help them in this quest to build a school from the ground up that offers relevant, compelling, hands-on coursework that awakens their curiosity and passion. Among those to drive out on Monday, in hopes of helping, was a a contingent of supporters from Ypsilanti.
What follows is a report from Greg Pratt, who organized the trip.
First, here’s some context. This video was shot three years ago outside Western International High School in Southwest Detroit, after a meeting in which Detroit’s Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bobb, refused to reverse course and reconsider the reassignment of popular Principal, Rebecca Luna. Bobb had, as you may recall, just prior to that meeting, announced that, in an effort to contain costs, 49 public schools in Detroit would be closed, and 900 teachers and staff would be fired, including 33 principals. And, now, after almost three years of Emergency Manager rule, the students are walking out. I am in awe. The students at Western International High School in Detroit, and those who joined them from Southwestern High, are showing us how to do it.
They’re showing us how to reclaim the commons, and start taking ownership over our public spaces, our education, and our lives. They walked out, as student Raychel Gafford has said in their press materials, to fight “for a quality education for us at Western, and at all DPS schools.” These student are not the only members of our community who have had it with autocratic government officials telling them there is no solution to the crisis but to continue the cutting of services and the limitation of rights. But they’re the first, that I can recall, who have taken the leap, and opted out of the corrupt system. And there’s much that we can learn from them.
What the students add to our collective response to this creeping totalitarian that is taking over our urban municipalities, is a sense of agency and empowerment. They’re demanding that the assault on Democracy end now, and that people regain control over their community resources. I cried as I watched the video that these students produced, documenting their walkout. Take a look again, and watch how Gafford calls for her fellow students to come out of the school and join them in the streets. It’s truly inspiring. The students are showing the way. And I intend to follow their lead. I showed up at 11:30 AM on Monday, at the Freedom School rain site (an after-school community facility). Raychel Gafford and Freddie Burse, both students at Western, were getting off the air with Craig Fahle on WDET FM. There were about 15-20 adults there, and only a few students. They’d made the decision to postpone the first class of the day, in order accommodate the radio show. The morning, we’d heard, had been spent preparing. A media literacy workshop had been held at 8:30, in preparation for the interview with Fahle at 11:00. And, it’s a good thing they prepped. Fahle ended the interview by grilling them about how they expect to solve the budget issue to keep Southwestern and other DPS schools open. They answered his questions and added information, about the disparity between athletic funding and funding for school materials and new books, for example. When asked if they will walk out again, Raychel said, “We are not giving up this fight. We have a list of demands. Those demands will be met to whatever extent we have to take.”
You can listen to the entire interview here.
The day, from then on, went really well, with students choosing, among other things, to learn about the history of hip hop in Detroit, and how to refine and expand upon their song, “10:55.” They also learned about the history of Freedom Schools in Mississippi and the similarities between what their walkout and the walkout in 1966 at Northern High School in Detroit. The workshop on the history of Freedom Schools was facilitated by Stephen Ward. Stephen talked with the students about the history of Freedom Schools in the South as a means of reclaiming, and directly engaging in the education process. The primary difference between a Freedom School and our current version of school, according to Ward, is that, in a Freedom School, all community members involve themselves in all aspects of the learning process (creating curriculum, creating knowledge, teaching, learning). Having observed for a day, I’d say the students and their adult community supporters are still in a “capacity-building” stage. That is to say, the students, community members, and outside supporters, like myself, are learning how to build power, share and create common knowledge, and take back education from the legislators, lobbyists and business leaders who are presently foisting this scheme upon us, like it’s our only choice. (note: One of their 29 demands is the removal of the Emergency Manager to give control of schools back to the Detroit School Board.) The students’ suspensions end on Wednesday. Will they go back to school and play by the rules? That remains to be seen. Regardless, we will continue to build bridges from Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. What is happening in Detroit is not a far cry from what students at Ann Arbor’s Roberto Clemente are experiencing. Information needs to be shared, and alliances need to be built across our communities. I know many of you want to come and learn with the students, facilitate classes and help them stay on track in their studies. All the classes they want, however, are currently full, with plenty of teachers to support them. That said, they are keeping the Freedom School open to the public for support, and they’ve welcomed us to join them as they build it. In the meantime, we can quickly and directly help them by calling the DPS administrators, who need to know that we have the students’ backs. Here is the list of individuals who need to have their phone lines flooded with calls of support for the students. First, however, the students are asking that we echo the following demands during our calls:
1) To have all suspensions removed
2) To keep public schools in Detroit open
3) To demand a seat at the table for students when decisions are being made about their futures, and their schools

• Roy Roberts, Emergency Manager for DPS Phone: 313-870-3772 FAX: 313-870-3726 
• Steve Wasko, DPS Chief Communications Officer steven.wasko@detroitk12.org Phone: 313-873-4892 FAX: 313-873-4565 
•  Rebeca Luna, DPS Assistant Superintendent (Directly over Western Int’l HS) rebeca.luna@detroitk12.org Phone: 313-873-7966 
•  Karen Ridgeway, DPS Superintendent of Academics karen.ridgeway@detroitk12.org Phone: 313-576-0050 FAX: 313-873-6446 

And, finally, here’s a message from the Freedom School that was sent to supporters on their email list, concerning their plans to celebrate the one-week anniversary of the walkout with a party at 5:30 PM on May 2, at Clark Park. And, here’s their message. Thank you for your interest in helping with our Southwest Detroit Freedom School (SWDFS).
Sign our petition. Right now, we are asking supporters to FLOOD THE LINES (and emails) of DPS officials… TELL 5 OF YOUR FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME!!! SWDFS classes are full, at least until the duration of our suspensions, but we will be looking for more teachers once we decide on a schedule to continue Freedom School beyond our suspension period.
 http://markmaynard.com/2012/05/greg-pratt-reports-from-the-southwest-detroit-freedom-school/

[Source - Occupy Portland]

 

May Day Re-Cap May 2, 2012

By opdxmycelium

Thank you to all who came out yesterday to make May Day a spectacular show of love, solidarity and strength from the protesters and a showing of ignorance, hate, and fear from the Portland Police Department. If you captured any footage that could be useful in court, please contact the ELK Legal Krewe at 503-902-5340. Please do not post it online as it can potentially create legal problems for protesters in the future.

There’s a far more in-depth re-cap of all the excitement for those who missed out and for those who want to wax nostalgic. The Portland Occupier did a fantastic liveblog that can be checked out here.

STUDENT STRIKE AND PICKET OF PPS STUDENTS STRIKE AND PICKET THE PPS

WHY?
Students on Strike is the beginning of a student led campaign aganist budget cuts and the falling quality of our schools. On May 1st in conjunction with International Workers Day – a day celebrating the victories that popular and grassroots movements have made – we will rally at PPS Headquarters and nonviolently shutdown work to express our grievances in an act building towards the May 11th mass demonstration at Pioneer Square currently being organized by Teachers, Parents and Students.

Why shutdown? Because we need to show that we will not stand by as another budget cutting austerity measure is pushed through as we have seen before in the past. Because we need to show that we mean business and that we won’t settle till solutions are found.

Why PPS Headquarters? Obviously PPS isn’t the source of the problem. There are larger economic and political reasons why we are being forced these budget cuts. It’d be great to bus thousands of kids down to Salem or to Washington DC, or the homes of every Multi – Millionaire and Billionaire who enjoys low taxes – but right now that’s not an easily realizable thing. However, PPS Headquarters is home to those who can put pressure on the people who are voting on where our money goes. These workers are facing cuts as well. More than anything this is symbolic; PPS Headquarters is after all the epicenter of the district and of its affairs.
We will hand out literature inviting other PPS employees to join us marching to downtown on May 11th.

PORTLAND LIBERATION ORGANIZING COUNCIL (PLOC) GIVES ALICIA JACKSON HER HOUSE BACK

WHY?

Living in a family house fully paid for, Alicia Jackson, facing foreclosure out of fear and confusion (as most homeowners in this situation are) self-evicted. There was no reason why Fox Capital should have so easily acquired her property. Therefore, the Portland Liberation Organizing Council made it’s first reverse-eviction, reclaiming her land in the name of community and her house as her own. With 1 in 7 homes empty, there’s no reason why developers and banks should be allowed to sit on empty property. This is capitalism in crisis and in direct opposition to humanity. To learn more about the Portland Liberation Organizing Council or P-LOC, visit liberatepdx.org . To join the Rapid Response Eviction Protection Text Loop, text @ploc-openrrn to 23559. A fuller story is available at the portlandoccupier.org

GENERAL STRIKE MARCH

Protesters gathered under the Burnside Bridge to march through the city, displaying the diverse tactics that can be used in protest. Several were beaten and arrested for nothing more than “looking guilty”.

UNDOCUMENTED/UNAFRAID ACTION

WHY?

MAY DAY MARCH – INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY

WHY?

Roughly 5,000 Portlanders filled the streets this May Day to show their love, strength, solidarity in this common struggle for social and economic justice. As the cogs of this massive economic machine, we rarely acknowledge the importance of every worker. On this day, we celebrate the power we have when we work together. In 1958, the US Government was so scared of May Day that they changed the US holiday to “Law Day”, in fear of the 99% being reminded that they are the ones that truly hold all the power.

PCASC ACTION

WHY?
Mobilizing around Wells Fargo during the main march, the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee targeted Wells Fargo for investing in GEO Group, a private prison corporation. Groups like GEO work within ALEC to pass laws that land more innocent people in jail. Private prisons create contracts with States to make sure the prison population stays at least 90%. What happens if crime drops? They write new laws criminalizing something else. This is the system we’re fighting, folks. If you or your company banks with Wells Fargo, please move your money.

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION

WHY?
Because as Emma Goldman says, “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution.” This festive activity turned into a skirmish with police as protesters tried to move from Pioneer Square to the Justice Center. A fuller story can be found on the Portlandoccupier.org

Please visit the portlandoccupier.org for full scoops on the day’s events.

How are Irvine public schools saving money? 
No, not by cutting teachers, but by installing more solar panels. The district has already saved $220,000 in electricity bills by installing solar energy at 15 schools and is considering installing more panels at 11 different schools. Estimates say the district could save between $5 and $11 million in the next 2 decades.
Here's one way of cutting costs to public education without closing schools, cutting teachers, or crowding classrooms.
Click here to read the full article. 

Come learn about the latest news in CAAAV and how you can plug in at our monthly Volunteer Happy Hour!

Come learn about the latest news in CAAAV and how you can plug in at our monthly Volunteer Happy Hour!

Originally posted in The Daily at the University of Washington, May 11, 2012 

By Jillian Stampher

As of Friday, May 11, 2012

A large blue check for $1.8 million sits in UW President Michael Young’s office after being presented by members of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) on Friday afternoon.

The check, signed by members of the UW community, was meant to remind Young to present a letter of final notice to the adidas Group, with which the university has an apparel contract. The $1.8 million refers to the money adidas allegedly owes its workers in Indonesia, after their severance. This would be a violation of the UW’s code of conduct.

The UW is not alone in facing these student demands — Georgetown University is investigating labor violations and the University of Wisconsin ended its contract with adidas due to the alleged violations in February of this year.

Earlier this year USAS demanded Young end the contract with the company. To reiterate this, the group sent a letter to the president with its demands. Janis Marks, Young’s scheduler, said he received their letter but she doesn’t know his current status on the response. Young was not in his office during the presentation of the check.

“It’s in the works and that’s rather broad and I don’t know enough to get any more narrowed in on that,” Marks said.

USAS member Grace Flott said the group did not expect to speak directly with Young, but members are hoping for a quick response.

“He’s already been given this recommendation and we hope that having that check in front of him will just serve as a reminder that the student body is really upset about the situation with Adidas,” Flott said. “We hope that he will take that consideration seriously and put him on notice by the end of the week.”

Reach reporter Jillian Stampher at email hidden; JavaScript is required /* */ /* */ . Twitter: @JillianStampher

Want to end sweatshop abuse and help build worker power in the global economy? Join USAS’s Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns Committee!