DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
contact me at dcmetroaction@comcast.net
Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Friday, February 28, 2003
Weekend Roundup
Fight the tyranny of winter weather and get out this Saturday to support progressive events, actions and parties going on all over town. Start with your pick of peace actions mid-day, then roll out to a couple of late-night parties.
Ela Gandhi from South Africa is calling upon the women of the world to demand an end to war and senseless violence by urging all of the men in their lives to remember our humanity and not engage in war in Iraq. Come together with women everywhere on Saturday, March 1, for one hour and not contribute to our economies (no shopping, no work, etc.). At 11 a.m., wherever you are, start marching until noon, when we will all stop and pray for peace -- bowing our heads, kneeling or in whatever means you pray -- for five minutes. In our unity, let us begin to create a peaceful world for our children and future generations. For more information, call Mel Duncan of Nonviolent Peaceforce at 651/487-0800.
Come witness for peace at an African-American-led, faith-based, multi-racial event. Meet outside the State Department, 2271 C St. NW, at noon on Saturday, March 1. Black Voices for Peace, part of a developing coalition of black faith leaders, is helping to organize this event. The Rev. Walter Fauntroy of New Bethel Church, the Progressive National Baptist Convention and others, including members of the Muslim community, are also part of this effort. For more information, call Black Voices for Peace at 202/232-5690.
Americans who are against the war in Iraq want the Bush administration to focus on the economy here at home. W is cutting social programs to support a war in Iraq, but with rising poverty, school and shelter closings, and increasing layoffs, we need to say no to the war and yes to the poor. Join a discussion about the social attacks at home and how the war in Iraq will affect our community on Saturday, March 1, from noon to 2 p.m., at the Anacostia Library on Good Hope Road SE (at 18th Street). This event is sponsored by TRIBE, Mawonja Café and the Institute for Tsumanic Justice. For more information, contact Jared Ball at 202/682-9056 or send an e-mail.
3rd I is a non-profit organization committed to promoting diverse images of South Asians through independent film. 3rd I DC, which will provide a venue for independent South Asian film in the Washington metro area, will focus on screening socially and politically relevant films and fostering discussion and debate on the issues they raise. Come eat samosa, chaat and subzi at the group’s fundraiser/party on Saturday, March 1, at 8 p.m., at 3350 18th St. NW (near Monroe; take Metro’s Green line to Columbia Heights). Donate whatever you can afford ($5-10 per person would be great). BYOB. E-mail to RSVP or get directions.
Visions in Feminism is holding a fundraising party on Saturday, March 1, at 11 p.m., at the Sheesha Palace Cafe, 1359 Monroe St. NW. Admission is $5. Take Metro to the Columbia Heights station; the cafe is two blocks north of Irving off 14th Street. DJs from the First Ladies DJ Collective will be there.
Should Academics Be Interested in Social Change and Justice?
The George Washington University’s 9th annual Human Sciences Conference, "Academic Labor and the New Politics of Consensus," will confront the emerging criticism of the intellectual and the university since Sept. 11. Should intellectuals serve the larger community? Should academics be interested in social change and justice? Is academic freedom threatened by a new politics of consensus? What is academic labor worth? These are just a few of the many important questions that will be discussed.
The conference will be held Feb. 28 – March 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, at the Mount Vernon Campus of George Washington University. For more information, including directions, call 202/994-6134 or 202/518-7414, send an e-mail, or click here.
The mission of DC Vote is to teach the public and Congress about the need for District citizens to enjoy full voting representation in the US House and Senate. The group is gearing up for DC Voting Rights Day on April 15, and it needs your help.
Numerous events will take place that day to raise public awareness and engage District residents, including an annual rally on Freedom Plaza at 5 p.m. So please come out on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 6:45 p.m. to the DC Vote office at 1500 U St. NW for the first volunteer/supporter meeting focusing on DC Voting Rights Day. Help is needed in the following areas: planning/logistics, publicity, speakers bureau, outreach to high schools, colleges/universities, ANCs, civic organizations, businesses, faith-based organizations and coordinating events with DC councilmembers.
I heard on the news last night a story about DC Metro’s proposed fare increase. Metro’s press release details every 25 cents increase for this and each 60 cents increase for that. It goes into great detail about where Metro would add in every extra dime increase for you and me to fork over. Metro also cries poverty, with a $48 million shortfall, as justification for the increases on everything from off-peak bus rides to peak parking.
But nowhere have I heard about improvements to the service. Will the escalator problems be dealt with? How about the full third of the fleet that was out of service during the week after the snow storm? I would be thrilled to pay an extra quarter here and there if it resulted in a significant upgrading of service. I would prefer that Metro’s energies and resources go into deeper discounts for seniors, working escalators and a whole host of needed improvements. And leave the 10 percent bonus on $20-cards and the rail-to-bus paper transfers alone.
That’s what I think. You can rant here about your Metro heaven or hell. Just click the comments link beneath this article – or better yet, show up at one of the public hearings Metro is holding over the next week. Click here for the complete schedule and information about how you can testify.
The Cesar Chavez Public Policy High School was founded to teach young people how to influence public policies that affect their communities, in an effort make this country a better place. The school, which opened in September 1998, is free, open to all District students and represents the diversity of Washington, DC.
The Chavez school relies on the generosity of committed volunteers, donors, mentors and supporters to help create a true culture of learning. For more information about volunteer opportunities at the school, click here.
A group of Chavez students are traveling to Brazil this year, and they need your help. A carnaval party will be held to benefit the Brazil Student Ambassador Exchange at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room, 1825 Columbia Rd. NW, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. Come enjoy free samba lessons, followed by more dancing and a raffle. The suggested donation is $15 and includes one free beverage of your choice. RSVP to Susan Flora 202/387-6980, ext. 13.
The Hotel and Restaurant Employees (HERE) International Union, part of the AFL-CIO, is spearheading a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about immigrants’ rights. The group is planning to bus immigrant workers from around the country to New York City, educating people along the way about the serious issues facing immigrants in the US. Learn more about the Immigrant Freedom Ride on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at noon, 1220 13th St. NW (between M & N Streets), sponsored by HERE Local 27 and SEIU Local 82. Lunch will be provided. To RSVP or for more information, call 202/393-7939, ext. 10.
Join the Rev. John L. McCullough, executive director of Church World Service, at a prayer service with music by the St. Camillus Multicultural Choir and the National City Gospel Choir. McCullough joined a team of prominent research experts in Baghdad in January as part of an emergency mission to assess the humanitarian and human rights consequences of war on Iraq. Churches for Middle East Peace, Church World Service, and Peaceful Ends through Peaceful Means are co-sponsoring this event on Monday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle NW. Contact Anna Rhee at 301/384-3615 for more information.
As the District faces the prospect of more harmful budget cuts, the issue of local taxes is more critical than ever. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 7 to 9 p.m., you can learn more about our local taxes at the Fair Budget DC Tax Forum. Members of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and Citizens for Tax Justice/ITEP will give an overview of DC's tax structure and recent trends in tax rates and revenues. The panel discussion, sponsored by the Fair Budget Coalition, will be held at University of the District of Columbia, Van Ness Campus, on the second floor of Building 39 (the room number will be posted).
The snow melting from my roof has sounded like rainfall for the last few days. Now they say that heavy rains are coming for the weekend -– and even more snow – all likely to produce flooding. But don’t spend another weekend shut in. Break out the raingear, slide your feet into those snow boots and get out this weekend!
The African American Film Festival
Relive the Lincoln Theatre’s heyday as a first-run movie house for African-American films at this weekend’s African American Film Festival. Co-sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates and the theater, the two-day festival will spotlight a few of the most entertaining African-American films screened at the Lincoln Theatre during its 80-year history. The Festival will also feature contemporary independent films and panel discussions with film historians, critics and filmmakers. Films to be shown include That’s Black Entertainment, Imitation of Life, Black Buckaroo, and Cornbread, Earl and Me. Topics to be addressed include “The Changing Image of African Americans in Film” and “Today’s Challenge of Making Black Films.”
The Lincoln Theater is on U between 12th and 13th Streets NW. The festival will be held Saturday, Feb. 22, noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 23, 1 to 9 p.m.
Tickets are $3.00 for classical films, $9.00 for independent films or $20.00 for a full weekend pass, which includes a reception and panel discussion.
During the Six-Day War, Israel hit and nearly sank the USS Liberty. Thirty-four American servicemen were killed in the two-hour assault by Israeli warplanes and torpedo boats. Israel claimed the whole affair was a tragic accident based on mistaken identification of the ship. The American government accepted that explanation.
Yet for more than 30 years, many people did not believe the official explanation but were unable to rebut it convincingly. Now, the BBC documentary Dead in the Water uses startling new evidence to reveal the truth behind the seemingly inexplicable attack. The film will be shown at http://www.visionsdc.com/dyno/index.asp Visions Cinema on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. In attendance will be survivors of the Liberty giving their eyewitness descriptions of what really happened. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. This event is sponsored by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
The Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) is a non-profit youth and family center in Washington, DC. Founded in 1974 for the purpose of serving at-risk immigrant Latino youth, LAYC now works each year with over 5,000 infants, children, teens, and adults from the city's Latino, Vietnamese, Caribbean, African-American, and African communities. Based in Columbia Heights, LAYC attracts individuals citywide to programs in academics, health education, job training, social services, leadership development, substance abuse prevention, housing, arts, humanities, and recreation.
Volunteers are needed to help out in a variety of areas, including: The Teen Center, Counseling, Substance Abuse Treatment & Prevention, Art Classes, Youth Radio, Family Strengthening, Teen Health, Street Outreach and the After School program. The goal of the Volunteer program is to provide beneficial services to the participants while providing exciting and rewarding experiences for the volunteers. To get more information about volunteer opportunities, send an e-mail to Kai Blackwood, or call 202/319-2286.
In Washington, both Giant and Safeway sell irradiated ground beef in their stores, marketing it as a "safe" choice for consumers. But there is a long list of unanswered questions about irradiated food.
Irradiation is a tool for large meat processing corporations to mask filthy conditions at slaughtering plants and sell dirty meat with reduced liability. Public Citizen says it is an unnecessary technology that poses health risks and exacerbates the inhumane, unhealthy and environmentally damaging conditions at large, factory-style farms.
Facts About Food Irradiation
* Irradiation depletes vitamins and nutrients in food.
* Irradiation disrupts the chemical composition of food, creating chemicals called "radiolytic products," which the FDA has never studied for safety.
* Research dating to the 1950s has revealed a wide range of problems in animals fed irradiated foods, including premature death, cancer, stillbirths, genetic damage, organ malfunctions and stunted growth.
* The meat industry uses irradiation to mask the carriers of E. coli, feces and other contaminants from filthy feedlots and slaughterhouses, rather than preventing these problems at the source.
* Irradiation puts your local butcher's job at risk because the meat is not processed in the store. Instead, it is ground and packaged at central processing facilities and shipped to the store, ready to go into the meat case without any handling by store employees.
What Can You Do?
* Let the meat manager at your local Giant and Safeway know that you are not going to buy ground meat from them because you understand that they are selling irradiated product.
* Help share this information with other Safeway and Giant shoppers with flyers from Public Citizen. Call Monique at 202/454-5185.
* Send a free fax to Safeway, Giant and other supermarkets selling irradiated meat by clicking here.
Have Fun and Help Create Permanent Affordable Housing
The Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative is committed to building community and supporting its neighborhood, Columbia Heights. The cooperative, which honors the lifelong effort of community activist Ella Jo Baker, is finalizing construction of its 15 units of permanently affordable housing in Columbia Heights.
The cooperative is hosting a Community Bazaar to bring together new neighbors, raise money and have fun on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th St. NW. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. You can participate by attending, performing, sharing your skills (face painting, yoga, dance, whatever), or by donating items for the bake sale, bazaar or silent auction. Items will be collected through Feb. 20. Volunteers are also needed to staff the bazaar. Contact Parisa Norouzi at 202/588-5255 or send an e-mail here for more information.
I remember the Cold War drills when I was in grade school: get under the desks and face away from the window. We insanely thought that if we followed the teacher’s instructions, didn’t talk and kept our eyes closed, “duck and cover” would save us from a nuclear blast.
Now, with a few sheets of plastic, several 24-hour TV news networks, a roll of duct tape, some canned food and a Humvee-mounted missile launcher, you, too, can relive those fun days of yesteryear and climb under your desks.
I can’t help but think about how much our lives have changed so quickly and so seriously. It is a stunning turn of events that W has laid upon us. Still shy of his first thousand days, the second Bush presidency so far has really been a doozy. I wonder if the Supreme Court would have put W in office had it known that he would subject us to terrorist attacks in our cities. The Supremes have a lot to answer for.
In these first thousand days we have learned that:
* Osama will be captured “dead or alive,” i.e., when we get hydrogen cars.
* “Leave No Child Behind” means that public schools must provide student names and addresses to military recruiters. “Leave No Child Behind the Frontlines” is more like it.
* John Ashcroft is the US attorney general! What else need be said?
* As bad as The Patriot Act is, it will get much worse here at home. Wait till you see Patriot Act 2,via Zoe, from the Shirts Off mailing list.
* Senior citizens will get a prescription drug benefit when HMOs and insurance companies can profit from it.
* You can pass an election reform bill, but you don’t have to fund it.
* It’s OK to run a quarter-trillion-dollar deficit as long as the rich get richer.
Who will be the voice of sanity and will it do any good? We seem to be on a road covered with precision bombing, regime change, ground invasions, plastic sheets and canned food. Geeze, I can’t wait to see what happens next week. If you can, go to NYC on Saturday to get spiritually infused -– we’re gonna need it.
First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primary The DC Democratic State Committee (DCDSC) will meet at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, at One Judiciary Square, to again consider legislation introduced by DC Councilmember Jack Evans and co-signed by the full DC council. The legislation would make DC’s presidential primary the first in the nation in 2004 as a way to raise awareness of DC’s lack of, and need for, full voting rights and local self-government. The legislation is supported by Mayor Anthony Williams and numerous DC democracy groups.
ACTION NEEDED, VERY IMPORTANT
Please attend this meeting to show support. Tell our DC Democratic Party to vote to support this effort. Supporters will meet between 7:00 and 7:15 p.m. in the lobby of One Judiciary Square and proceed to the meeting room as indicated in the lobby.
Teach Peace in DC High Schools CHOICES, the Committee for High School Options and Information on Careers, Education and Self Improvement, a project of the Washington Peace Center, is seeking military veterans and peace activists to attend spring Career Day events in DC high schools to counter the presence of military recruiters there. CHOICES will present students with accurate information on enlistment and civilian options for employment and college funding. Help get out information about the new “No Child Left Behind” law requiring schools to give student addresses and phone numbers to military recruiters. CHOICES is also working with the DC office of the American Friends Service Committee on a new campaign to de-fund JROTC in DC schools. For schedules and information, contact John Judge at 202/234-2000.
Anti-War Poetry Reading Join Poets Against the War in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, for an anti-war poetry reading beginning at noon. This is in reaction to the White House gathering of poets with First Lady Laura Bush that was cancelled when several of the poets invited to attend expressed that they would read anti-war poetry. For more information, call Code Pink at 202/393-5016.
Bush Tax Cut Helps Few in DC From the Democratic National Committee, here are the facts: 132,100 people in Washington, DC, will receive less than $100 under the Bush tax scheme, and 71,600 will receive no tax cut at all! Learn more about how Bush's budget and his record hurts DC families in this new report.
Volunteers are needed for a mobilization in support of public housing tenants. Congress is threatening to cut the operating budget of the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) by 30%. Such a deep cut could have a devastating impact on residents, such as:
* Greater delay in maintenance and repairs; * Possible increase in rent from the current 30% of a tenant’s income; * Loss of childcare subsidies; * Loss of security staff in senior-citizen buildings; * Cuts in trash pick-up; and * Reduction in the number of units available.
Let’s take action and make our voices heard. Come to the poster-making party on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7:00 p.m. at Langston Terrace Public Housing, 667 24th St. NE, in the basement.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 1:00 p.m., there will be a mass demonstration and rally at HUD at 451 Seventh St. SW.
The “World Says No to War” protest, a massive, peaceful and powerful rally, will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, at 49th Street and Second Avenue in New York City, a short distance from the United Nations. United for Peace and Justice has many resources on its website to help you get safely to the rally. It has also posted a list of sponsoring groups and a speakers’ schedule, and will be posting any last-minute updates.
In addition to the buses being organized by the DC Anti-War Network (see our Feb. 5 post), two more organizations have space available.
The Board of Social Action of Plymouth Congregational UCC is organizing a bus for $25 per person (roundtrip). Tickets may be purchased in cash at the church; call for times. Seats can only be reserved upon receipt of full payment. For more information, contact the Plymouth Board of Social Action at 202/797-9127 or send an e-mail here.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee bus will leave DC at 6:30 a.m. and return at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tickets are $30; $25 for students. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets must be purchased in advance by visiting this website, or calling 202/244-2990.
Stand Up! Stand Up for Democracy in DC will hold an organizational meeting on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW at Georgia Avenue and Upshur Street. Bring your ideas, wisdom, expertise and enthusiasm. Call 202/232-2500 for more information.
Asa P. Randolph, by Betsy Graves Reyneau Oil on canvas, 1944 National Portrait Gallery
"...you can't hold anything, you won't keep anything, and you can't take anything without organization." A. Philip Randolph.
Positive Vibrations Come jam at the Bob Marley birthday tribute, “So Much Things to Say,” with special guests: Rocky Dawuni, Meleket, DKGB, Raheem Devaughn and Mc Mutabaruka. It’s Sunday, Feb. 9, at 3 p.m. at Nation, 1015 Half St. SE. General admission is $15; VIP tickets are $25. For more information, call 202/554-1500.
In this era of budget shortfalls and an increasingly frayed social safety net, simply doing direct service is not enough. Join service providers, community leaders, advocates, labor, artists and others in exploring ways to work for structural change as well as preserve essential services. The Fair Budget Coalition invites you to its conference, "From Service to Justice: Realizing a Vision for a Just, Inclusive, and Caring DC," which it hopes will build bridges among different communities and providers; offer useful tools for advocacy and organizing work; and help develop action plans for longer-term campaigns.
The conference will take place Friday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at All Souls Church, 16th and Harvard Streets, NW. It will include segments focused on building relationships and becoming energized as well as skill-building sessions on creating strategic alliances, doing advocacy as a 501(c)(3), conducting effective legislative campaigns, mobilizing grassroots support, and much more.
The registration fee includes lunch and all materials. There is a significant discount for Fair Budget Coalition members; if you would like to join the Coalition, you may join at this time and obtain the reduced fee. Fee waivers are available, and no one will be turned away due to his or her inability to pay. Preregistration is strongly encouraged.
FEES FOR ORGANIZATIONS: $15, Fair Budget members; $30, all others. For this fee, you may send up to 3 staff members. More staff members may be added at the individual rate.
FEES FOR INDIVIDUALS: $5, Fair Budget members; $10, all others.
To register, e-mail the following information to Julia Gordon: name, organization (if any), address, phone number/fax number, e-mail address, vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal.
Make your registration fee check payable to FBC-WLCH and send it to:
Julia Gordon CLASP 1015 15th St. NE, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005
For more information, contact Julia Gordon, 202/906-8025.
The DC Anti-War Network is organizing a DC contingent to the United for Peace & Justice march in New York on Saturday, Feb. 15. The group will make a same-day, round trip, with the buses leaving Washington at 6 a.m. and returning at 10 p.m. Get on a bus with your friends and neighbors from the DC area, but remember, space is filling up fast. The cost is $30 and includes round-trip bus fare with snacks and drinks. A limited number of need-based tickets are also available. Buses will leave from the bus deck at Union Station.
Tickets must be purchased before Feb. 12 at any of the following locations:
Arlington, VA: at 1623 N. Roosevelt St.; contact Amanda at 703/237-3242 for pick-up on Tuesday, Feb. 11, between 6 and 8pm.
Takoma Park, MD: at the National Network to End the War Against Iraq; contact Mike at 301/891-0605 for pick-up during business hours on weekdays (and stop in for anti-war signs, T-shirts and buttons).
Washington, DC: at the Institute for Policy Studies, 733 15th St. NW, Suite 1020, for pick-up during business hours on weekdays; call 202/234-9382.
For more information, send e-mail here or call Trent or Mark at 202/299-1050.
Coverage of today's international day of action against the oil industry (see our post on Jan. 30.), and an article about the demonstration here in DC at the American Petroleum institute, compliments of dc indymedia.
At a recent Ari Fleischer press conference, White House reporter Russell Mokhiber, the editor of the DC-based Corporate Crime Reporter, initiated this exchange:
Mokhiber: The President has repeatedly said that he wants to bring democracy to Iraq. But here in the District of Columbia, citizens have no elected representatives in Congress. On the DC license plate, there is a permanent protest that says "taxation without representation." What is the President doing to bring democracy to the District of Columbia?
Fleischer: Per the Constitution, the District of Columbia is a unique entity. The President has expressed no desire to change the representation that the District of Columbia was given by the framers. And I don't really think you can equate the District of Columbia being a democracy with Iraq's failure to be a democracy -- and it is, in fact, of course, a totalitarian state.
Thanks to Russell Mokhiber, via Stand Up for Democracy. Mr. Mokhiber co-authors the weekly Focus on the Corporation column with Robert Weissman, which Common Dreams publishes. He can be reached by e-mail here.
Here’s a chance to meet the folks from the DC Independent Media Center, do a good deed and get some solid training. Their radio training class will meet this Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m. sharp at the Cada Vez Conference Center, 1438 U St. NW. Here’s your chance to learn computer audio editing at Cada Vez’s newly refurbished computer lab. Cada Vez is graciously letting the Media Center class use the space; in exchange, students will help set up the new computers and, from time to time, volunteer to train neighborhood kids. And it will be much appreciated if anyone can come a little early, say 6 p.m., to help set up.
Also, please bring: 1. walkman headphones (the longer the cable, the better), 2. headphone Y adapters or splitters so multiple headphones can be used from one audio source, and 3. a 1/8" stereo mini plug to 1/8" stereo mini plug, if you have audio to digitize from your recorder.
Have you noticed the tendency of the Bush White House to make gangbuster news announcements on days when there is a huge media story that overshadows its latest dastardly deed? Like on Election Day 2002, when the biggest story in the land was the impending Republican sweep, and Ari Fleischer casually announced the resignation of Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill. The media barely picked up on W’s admission of economic policy failure.
Well, it happened again. On Saturday, during the national mourning for the space shuttle Columbia, Bush gave us something else to cry about – and lucky for him, no one was listening. We’ll no doubt all hear about it after it passes, when it’s too late. The president, so full of compassion for the wealthy, did Corporate America another favor and took a real hard slap at the low-wage earner. W proposes that we overhaul the portion of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act that defines blue-collar and white-collar workers, especially the part that says if you work more than 40 hours a week, you get paid time and a half.
Which brings up this matter of fighting for a “living wage.” Living wage campaigns are sprouting up all over the country. This isn’t a radical idea; it’s just plain common sense. If you have a full-time job, you should make enough money to survive. But it’s minimum wage itself that needs to be overhauled. Doesn’t the president even realize that a minimum-wage worker, logging 40 hours a week -- that’s a full-time job -- makes $10,700 a year before taxes?
The fight for a higher national minimum wage is stymied by those Enron cheerleaders occupying the White House and the majority parties of Congress. But state and local campaigns are succeeding everywhere. Their message is simple: Any company that wants to do business with our state and local governments must pay a living wage to their employees, which right now the federal government defines as $8.40 an hour to keep a family of four above the poverty line.
Last year, in nearby Montgomery County, Progressive Maryland led a successful fight for a living wage bill. It passed the county council last summer, by a 7-1 vote. Now, most for-profits doing business with Montgomery County must pay its employees a minimum wage of $10.50 an hour.
While we’re fighting for the right to vote, affordable health care and safe streets, let’s link arms for low-wage earners in DC. They’re the ones who make the city work. And in the current economic environment, $10,000 a year just isn’t going to cut it.
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
