PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Random schedule best-of show

Intro

Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and archived at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.

This week's show falls during WRCT's random schedule, as the radio station takes a spring break holiday. We're using this opportunity to present our listeners with some highlights from the last year's season of Rustbelt Radio that you may have missed. This will also be the first time these segments air on WVJW in West Virginia.

These segments span our shows from July to November, 2004.

Breaking News from Bolivia

Bolivia, despite having the second largest natural gas reserves in South America, has long remained one of the nation's poorest countries. It has long been a flashpoint of unrest over neoliberalism, and previous protests over gas and water privitization, both indigenous-led, have changed Bolivian policy and even the Bolivian government.

This past weekend, Bolivian protesters have once again been able to paralyze much of the country, blockcading traffic and seizing control of four energy plants and forcing the shutdown of an oil pipeline. The strikers, believing that Bolivian gas profits should belong to the people of Bolivia, want to see higher taxes implemented on the export of Bolivian gas. This move is opposed by the current government as well as the private multinationals that seek to profit off of Bolivia's resources.

In La Paz today, Bolivian President Carlos Mesa has submitted his resignation to Congress, saying that he could not rule the country while it was beseiged by protesters. Bolivia's Congress will decide whether to accept his resignation on Tuesday.

[2:32] Veterans for peace

[original airdate, July 20 2004]

Veterans for Peace held a rally last July 20th at the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial near Heinz Field.

Sanford Kelson, coordinator of the Pittsburgh chapter of Veterans for Peace and a Vietnam era veteran, explains, (quote) "One of the worst things that can happen to a soldier is to be placed in a violent situation where s/he must kill or be killed based on a lie. President Bush and high members of his administration lied to the troops in Iraq, resulting in senseless death and destruction. We demand that they be brought home. To do less would dishonor all those soldiers who have served in Iraq believing they were fighting for an honorable cause."

Jen Saffron, also from Pittsburgh and whose brother is currently serving in Iraq, spoke at the event along with several members of the national Veterans for Peace bus tour. She added, (quote) "It is beyond difficult to bear witness to my brother risking his life, leaving his three girls and wife under the guise of Saddam as an international threat. Why fund a lie when billions of our tax dollars could be waging a war against poverty, racism, and social injustice right here at home?" The event was introduced by Tim Vining, executing director of the Thomas Merton Center.

Video of this event is available at Pittsburgh dot indymedia dot org.

[2:32 clip]

[7:34] squatting, grandma

(original airdate, August 3 2004)

On August 3, 2004, we spoke with Grace Keller about squatting in Pittsburgh.

[7 minutes]

[18:14] healthcare not warfare

[original airdate, August 17 2004]

Last August, more than 300 people gathered in Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh asking the United States to prioritize healthcare over war. The event, organized by the Thomas Merton Center and PUSH (Pennsylvanians United For Single-Payer Healthcare) reminded Americans that while bombs rain down on Baghdad millions of Americans still lack basic medical care and are without health insurance. Among the rally speakers were representatives from the Service Employee International Union. Nurses in their union at Presbyterian Hospital have been on strike for weeks over a health insurance dispute, and their earlier campaign to win health insurance for Downtown janitors ended successfully.

[18min clip]

[12:02] ringout at ground zero, RNC

[original airdate, September 7 2004]

On August 28th, two days before the RNC arrived in New York City, an event called a "Ringout" was held at Ground Zero of the former World Trade Center as a part of a campaign to prevent the Republicans from exploiting the tragedy of 9/11 for political gain. The following clip was edited by Rebecca, a volunteer at the RNC Indymedia convergence in New York.

[12min clip]

[4:17] Rick Rowley, Big Noise Films

(original airdate, October 17 2004)

On October 17, 2004, Rustbelt Radio spoke with Rick Rowley of Big Noise films when the tour of his film "The Fourth World War" came through Pittsburgh.

[4:17 clip]

could cut this for time

[2:33] Don't Just Vote

(original airdate, November 2 2004)

probably will cut this for time.

[2:00] Fields on NYC Critical Mass

(original airdate, November 2 2004)

After years of successful rides, Critical Mass in New York City has been harassed by the New York Police Department since a huge ride at the end of August greeted the delegates to the Republican National Convention, or RNC. Since then, bike riders and the NYPD have both appeared in Federal District Court in a legal battle over the right to ride bikes in the streets of New York.

Rustbelt Radio spoke to Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields as she visited Pittsburgh, and asked her to comment on critical mass.

[2 min clip]

[7:17] Dr. Devinder Sharma, Food & Trade Policy Issues in the Developing World

(original airdate, November 30 2004)

More than one third of the hungry people in the world live in India. Three days before Thanksgiving day, Dr. Devinder Sharma spoke about food and trade policy before the Association for Indian Development at CMU.

Dr. Sharma is a former Agricultural Scientist and journalist from New Delhi, India. Today he is a food and trade policy analyst and has spoken extensively in India and in the US. He has also addressed six European Parliaments in the past nine months, on the issues of food, agriculture, genetic engineering, the WTO and food security.

Of the human beings on earth, about 1 out of 6 go to bed hungry every night. Dr. Sharma spoke about the misconception that in order to address hunger, agricultural output must increase. He showed India as an example of a country with a large hungry population as well as a large grain surplus.

[7 minute clip]

Outro

Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh and WVJW Benwood.

Our hosts this week are [ Matt Toups ] and [ Abie Flaxman ]. This show featured previously-aired segments from Rustbelt Radio, including the work of:

• Quinten Steenhuis
• Matt Toups
• and Andalusia Knoll

Rustbelt radio welcomes story submissions! To get involved with Rust Belt Radio, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG

Tune in next week at this time for a new edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news overlooked by the corporate media.