Monday, January 18, 2010 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Concerned citizen activists rallied at the Washington State Capitol to call for racial and economic justice, and for solutions to the State Revenue Shortfall that will not target, and unfairly prey upon, those who are already vulnerable and disadvantaged by the system.

Racial justice report cards were delivered to legislators.

Some of the messages of the day included:

• Yes to racial and economic justice!

• No to exploitative and abusive economic policies and practices!

• In a time of economic hardship, it makes sense to take care of all people in society. Poor people do not deserve to suffer, and social supports ought to be not only maintained, but increased, in order to help people get out of poverty.

• End the war on the poor - fight poverty and not poor people! End Poverty once and for all!

There were a lot of other journalists there, including two or three TV news cameras at the rally. So keep on the look out for other reports.

UPDATE: video from Elliot Stoller: March on Olympia, and Martin Luther King Day

Here's a list of some sponsoring organizations, followed by photos:

[report back from the event: here]

This Monday!

March on Washington State for Jobs and Justice!

9am Summit, 11:30am March to Capitol
Visit Legislators and attend afternoon workshops

Demand Accountability -- meet with your lawmakers, share your story, make ending poverty a priority.

Key Issues :
•Racial and Economic Justice
•Progressive Revenue
•Health Care
•Opportunity for All
•Foreclosure Protection and Affordable Housing

*Transportation, childcare, food and Spanish interpretation are provided.

Registration is FREE and required for lunch and childcare. Please contact POWER - Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights 701 Franklin St SE Olympia, WA 98501 360-352-9716 or toll free 866-343-9716 welfarerights@riseup.net www.oly-wa.us/power/

POWER is an organization of low-income parents and allies advocating for a strong social safety net while working toward a world where children and care giving are truly valued, and the devastation of poverty has been eradicated.

More information about Monday's event from Statewide Poverty Action: www.povertyaction.org

Save the Date! On Monday, January 4, 2010, there will be an event at at Percival Landing (near The Kiss statue) to mark what is predicted to be one of the year's highest tides.

There will be speakers, including from the Olympia City Council and the Thurston County Commission.

Hope to see you there!

Date and Time: Monday, January 4, 2010, starting at 8:15 AM

Location: Percival Landing, intersection of 4th Avenue and Water Street, near The Kiss statue

More information about this event coming soon.

December 12, 2009, Olympia, Washington

Doesn't everyone - don't all people - deserve quality health care?

More:

Health Care Rally Saturday, Dec12, at Sylvester Park: Noon – 1pm

Calling all single-payer supporters!

Saturday at Sylvester Park, in coordination with similar events across Washington State, there will be a rally “to urge of passage of the historic health care legislation currently being debated in the US Senate.”

Let's be there with single-payer signs!

Please also bring two holiday greeting cards – one addressed to Sen. Murray and the other to Sen. Cantwell – asking them to support Rep. Bernie Sanders’ two single-payer amendments (see below). Olympia Single Payer Action will be at the rally on Saturday to collect the cards and will deliver them to the Senators’ Tacoma offices next week.

OSPA will be at or near Sylvester Park: Capitol and Legion in downtown Olympia. Look for our blue and yellow single-payer signs.  We'll have some extras for those who need them.

Physicians for a National Health Plan has provided a link where people can send an email message to their senators urging them to support the Sanders single-payer amendments. 

Briefly, about the two amendments:

1--One will be based on S. 703, the “American Health Security Act.” This bill would create a national single-payer program to provide comprehensive health care coverage for all of the 46 million Americans who currently lack coverage, and would improve benefits for all Americans by eliminating co-pays and deductibles.

There will be a health care rally tomorrow at Sylvester Park. I have word that Representative Brendan Williams will be speaking. I hope to see a lot of people there.

More info: Health Care for the Holidays Rally at Sylvester Park THIS SATURDAY

For 11 years Patricia worked for Lorig Associates, a property developer in Seattle. She was one of two african-american employees at the company. For decades, she was denied promotions and forced to stay in menial positions. When finally given a temporary assistant position, she was given no training and then forced to train a less qualified, less experienced white worker. She was fired for refusing to voluntarily quit the higher paid position so a white employee could take her place.

The Seattle Solidarity Network, which has lead and won dozens of fights against bosses who steal wages from immigrant workers, scumbag landlords who evict tenants for asserting their rights, and racist employers is having an action this Monday at City Hall (900 Plum St.). Lorig Associates is trying to get a contract with the City of Olympia (our tax money) to build a parking structure. Let the city and Lorig know that we don't tolerate such blatantly racist employers in our community. The rally starts at 6:20PM (during the City Council meeting).

More info on seasol.net

A festive and cheery turn-out of people for a PMR Vigil/Rally to draw attention to the military's use of the Port of Tacoma for shipments related to illegal wars.

I participate in PMR because I am opposed to aggression, imperialism, and the militarization of our society, and because I seek to resist militarization and imperialism by drawing attention to how we are all complicit when our municipal ports are used to enable the war-machine.

PMR is a movement. People who oppose and seek to resist imperialism (and policies of global dominance) are welcome to participate. It's fun, and very meaningful, so check it out.

Olympia Port Militarization Resistance

As long as the USA operates on policies of global dominance, I will resist. I will oppose the wars, and seek to draw attention to, and to educate people about, the wrongs of the wars.

I stand in opposition to imperialism. I stand in opposition to the shipment of the weapons of imperial wars.

(p.s. Digression: I think it is wrong to profit off of war, whether the war is unjust or not.)

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Freedom Bridge, Fort Lewis, Washington

Protesters gathered to demand the freedom of Travis Bishop and Leo Church, who are reportedly being held under abusive condition in a military prison on the Fort Lewis Army Base. Fort Lewis, which is located in between the cities of Olympia and Tacoma, in Washington State, is one of the USA's largest Army bases in terms of working personnel.

For more background on the situation of Bishop and Church, please visit GI Voice. 

[Also, see this video by Elliot Stoller:]

Protest at Fort Lewis

Free Church and Bishop

Iraq Veterans Against the War

It's that Peace Gator Again.

Today is the anniversary of eight years of war in Afghanistan. The war started up few short weeks after the events of September 11, 2001 (which, all in all, was a curiously "catastrophic and catalyzing event––like a new Pearl Harbor" cite Wikipedia: PNAC Rebuilding America's Defenses.)

It is good to live in a town where people protest policies of global dominance, and corporate power, and wars. I thought the war protest rally and march went really well. I thought it was fun. The weather was beautiful, and there was a great spirit and cheer about the event. There were about 300 people who participated. There were several speakers, and a performance by the Olympia Free Choir -- and the Olympia Marching Band provided show stoppingly and foot stompingly excellent sounds along the march route.

Here's a link to a photoset: Protest: Eight Years of War in Afghanistan

Peace Gator

Healthcare NOT Warfare!