March 20, 2006: Rustbelt Radio

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 live every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA, every Thursday from 11am to noon on WARC-Meadville from the campus of Allegheny College, and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're now on WPTS 92.1FM from the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, also Saturdays at 5pm.

We're also available on the internet, both on WRCT's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.

On today's show...

• we hear about massive student protests in France
• we hear exceprts from speeches given at this weekend's rally against the war as well as talk to some of the people who marched.
• we hear from an Iraq veteran who is marching across the Gulf region of the U.S. in protest of Bush policies

Headlines

Local News

[1:30] So-called Marriage Protection ammendment passes penn state committee

Last week, the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee approved a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania state constitution which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. Now that the bill has passed this first hurdle, it must be approved by state representatives in two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly and then be approved again by popular vote in a state-wide referendum.

If the amendment is eventually passed, the Pennsylvania State Constitution will be changed to include the sentence:

Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth, and neither the Commonwealth nor any of its political subdivisions shall create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially equivalent to marriage for unmarried individuals.

[2:30] SEIU Janitors rally outside CMU's Collaborative Innovation Center

• intro clip - seiu chants - 10s fade down...

On Thursday, March 16th, janitors with the Service Employees International Union were joined by supporters in a rally outside of a new building recently erected on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. The building is called the Collaborative Innovation Center, or CIC, and the janitors in the building earn around 7 dollars and 50 cents per hour, with no health care and no sick days.

Janitors at the other buildings at CMU are members of SEIU, and have organized for many years to get wages that are almost twice the CIC wage, plus heath care and pension benefits. The union considers the new building a threat to other janitors on campus and around the city.

Rustbelt Radio spoke with Robyn Gray of SEIU on a Forbes Avenue sidewalk, after CMU Police ordered the janitors off of CMU property.

• cic_janitors.wav: janitors rally at CIC building

The CIC building, although on the CMU campus, does not contain any classrooms, but provides office space for tech companies like Intel and Apple Computer. The building is owned by the Regional Industrial Development Corporation, or RIDC, which built the building using 8 million dollars in grant money from the state, as well as tax increment financing. SEIU said that if the RIDC is supposed to be fostering economic development in the region, using public funds, then they should be creating well paying jobs, instead of under-cutting the wages of local janitors.

[1:30] turkish center in south neighborhood

A Pittsburgh-based Turkish cultural society has decided to cancel its plans to turn a vacant school into a Turkish cultural center in the South Park suburb of Pittsburgh. Their decision comes after a public hearing for the plan held by the South Park Township board of supervisors. During the hearing, which was intended to discuss zoning issues, some South Park residents accused the Turkish cultural group of deception and suggested that as Muslims, the group might harbor terrorists.

The board of directors of the cultural society issued a statement announcing that they would not continue their efforts to turn the vacant school into a cultural center and wrote [quote] “We are sincerely disappointed that the neighbors of Broughton school could not open their hearts to us. If they would just get to know us, if they would have accepted our invitations to get together and talk, we believe they would have understood us better.”

The chairman of the township board of supervisors, who oversaw the public hearing, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette [quote] "Some of the remarks were hurtful. It was unfortunate. That is not how one man should treat the other." However, he also acknowledged that the decision not to build the cultural center will [quote] “make a lot of people happy.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06078/672427.stm http://www.wpcc.org/letters.html

[2:10] counter-recruitement protest

On Friday March 17th about 50 people gathered outside the army recruiting center on Forbes Ave in Oakland to protest the war and the tactics used by recruiters. Rustbelt Radio correspondant Jessica McPherson spoke to some of those who were there.

Titus North, green party candidate for congress.

* [:09] titus.wav

Lauren Jarista, a student at CAPA high school:

* [:59] lauren.wav

Noah, a student at Upper St. Clair high school:

* [:38] noah.wav

[5:10] aclu-TMC foia results

This week the Thomas Merton Center, a peace and justice organization in Pittsburgh, and the Pennsylvania ACLU announced the results of a Freedom of Information Act request they had filed with the government. The FOIA request returned several documents which show that the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task force have been tracking the Merton Center from 2002 through at least 2005.

Some of the documents the FBI had on file were flyers advertising activities of the Pittsburgh Organizing Group which referenced the Merton Center as a contact.

There were two memos from the Joint Terrorism Task Force, both with the heading “international terrorism matters.” One memo, summarized as (quote) results of investigation of Pittsburgh anti-war activities, (endquote) describes FBI surveillance of Merton center affiliates handing out leaflets in downtown Pittsburgh. The memo says photographs were taken, although no photographs were released in the FOIA request. The memo describes the Merton Center as an advocate of pacifism. It also focuses on the Merton Center’s associations with Pittsburgh’s muslim community, reporting that the merton center had organized a community day with the Islamic center and that “persons of middle eastern descent” attended events.

Thomas Merton Center director Jim Kleisser reacts to the memo:

* [:22] j-muslims-short

Also revealed in the FOIA request was an FBI memo from 2003 informing another agency that the Thomas Merton Center was opposed the United States’ war with Iraq and took part in organizing demonstrations against the war.

And, there were several documents dated from 2002-2004 which were entirely blanked out except for the words “confidential source stated” and “confidential source opined,” repeated at several intervals. These documents indicate the FBI has continued to monitor the merton center for several years after it had determined that the organization advocated pacifism.

At the press conference, Mary Catharine Roper of the ACLU asserted that the FBI’s conduct as revealed by the FOIA documents was not illegal, but was highly innappropriate.

* [:55] mary-catherine.wav

Many who spoke at the press conference expressed concern that undisclosed government surveillance will chill dissent.

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Edith Bell of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom:

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Tim Vining feared that revelations that the FBI is conducting covert surveillance, and may be using interviews with participants in the organization or sending agents to infiltrate the organization and report back, may breed distrust among those who organize with the merton center as they try to figure who among the people they interact with might be an informant to the FBI.

* [:18] t-div-short

The FBI also has further documentation of the Merton center that it did not disclose. Several pages were withheld in the interest of national security; several were withheld because of privacy concerns; and several were withheld to protect the identity a confidential source.

[0:30] Immigrant rights

Hundreds of thousands across the country have rallied against House Resolution 4437, which passed through the House in December and is on its way to the Senate. The bill will make it a felony to help undocumented workers, eliminate the diversity visa program that admits 50,000 people into the US each year, and approve a 700-mile fence along the border with Mexico.

Cecilia Wheeler of Pittsburgh Friends of Immigrants says the bill ignores immigrant's contributions.

[cecilia.ogg 0:11]

Pittsburgh Friends of Immigrants will hold a rally against HR4437 this Wednesday.

Wrapup

For more on local news, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.

[ HMB BREAK RUSTBELT - 0:20 (fades down 0:10 in to start global intro) ]

Global News

Intro

You are listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to news from other independent media sources around the world.

[3:00] Indymedia, Food Not Bombs on FBI terrorist watch list

In a guest lecture at the University of Texas Law School last Wednesday, FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent G. Charles Rasner listed Indymedia, Food Not Bombs, and the Communist Party of Texas as Terrorist Watch cause groups in Austin.

Agent Rasner gave a presentation entitled Counter-Terrorism Efforts in Texas to a U.S. Law and National Security class at the Law School.

In response to a questioner, Rasner stated that the FBI will attend activist group meetings whenever it suspects that the group might engage in illegal activity. He said that he saw no problem with an agent failing to represent himself as an affiliate of the FBI and implied that the practice was common.

Elizabeth [WAG-ner] Wagoner is a University of Texas Law Student and Chair of Austin’s National Lawyer’s Guild. She was one of the students present at Agent Rasner’s guest lecture.

• [2:00] fbi_list.ogg

The presentation slides and any other materials obtained through the Freedom of Information Act request will posted to Austin Indymedia as soon as they become available.

[2:15] Tom Fox Dies

On March 10th The body of American peace activist Tom Fox was found in Baghdad. Fox was part of the Christian Peacemaker Team, or CPT, a non-missionary organization whose members serve as public witnesses, protect human rights, and engage in non-violent direct action. They are motivated by the philosophy that Christians should devote the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war. On november 26, 2005, he was kidnapped along with three other CPT members. The other captives are Harmeet Sooden and Jim Loney, both of Canada, and Norman Kember, of Britain. Their whereabouts are unkown. We will now read part of a statement of conviction from Tom Fox from October 7, 2004.

”As a Peacemaking Team, we need to cross boundaries, help soldiers and other armed actors be humane, and invite them to refuse unjust orders. We need to help preserve what is human in all of us and so offer glimpses of hope in a dark time.

”We reject kidnapping and hostage-taking wholesale. If any of us are taken hostage, absolutely no ransom will be paid. In such an event, C.P.T. will attempt to communicate with the hostage takers or their sponsors and work against journalists' inclinations to vilify and demonize the offenders. We will try to understand the motives of these actions and to articulate them, while maintaining a firm stance that such actions are wrong. If appropriate, C.P.T. will work with diplomatic officials from our representative governments to avoid a violent outcome. We reject the use of violent force to save our lives, should we be kidnapped, held hostage or caught in the middle of violent conflict situation.

”We also reject violence to punish anyone who harms us. We ask for equal justice in the arrest and trial of anyone, soldier or civilian, who commits an act of violence, and we ask that there be no retaliation on their relatives or property. We forgive those who consider us their enemies. Therefore, any penalty should be in the spirit of restorative justice, rather than in the form of violent retribution. We hope that in loving both friends and enemies and by intervening nonviolently to aid those who are systematically oppressed, we can contribute in some small way to transforming this volatile situation.

For more of Fox’s writings you can read his blog at http://waitinginthelight.blogspot.com/

[:30] National Uniformity for Food Act

Rustbelt Radio recently reported on the House of Representative's postponement on the vote for the “National Uniformity for Food Act”. The House of Representatives passed the legislation, which removes states' right to impose regulations regarding food safety and food labeling. This law, whose implementation will cost over 100 million dollars, would eliminate more than 200 state food safety labeling laws, including a Pennsylvania law regulating egg safety and laws elsewhere warning consumers about carcinogens, the safety of fish, seafood and dairy, and foods likely to cause allergic reactions or birth defects. The bill would also prevents local laws requiring the labeling of genetically modified ingredients.

The bill will next stand before the Senate. California Senator Feinstein is circulating a letter in opposition to the legislation.

[1:00] Compulsory pregnancy license plates

A federal appeals court has ruled to allow the state of Tennessee to produce anti-abortion specialty license plates. The law makes a Choose Life license plate available to motorists for an annual fee of $35 more the basic costs of registering a car in the state. Fifty percent of all funds raised, after expenses, go to a private anti-choice organization called New Life Resources.

The Tennessee legislature has twice rejected amendments that would create a Pro Choice specialty plate, and last September a federal judge ruled that the existence of only anti-choice license plates constitutes a discriminatory scheme. The judge issued an order blocking the state from distributing the license plates. Last week's ruling overturns this decision. ACLU attorney Julie Sternberg said [quote] “We are disappointed that the court said that Tennessee can use state dollars to promote one viewpoint while silencing another. The decision permits discrimination and fails to protect free speech.”

http://www.aclu.org/reproductiverights/gen/24696prs20060317.html

[2:00] Chicago Immigration March (FSRN story)

According to police estimates, one hundred thousand people marched through the streets of Chicago last Friday in favor of immigrant rights. The march was the largest in Chicago history, and came in response to House Bill 4437, which will turn immigration violations into a criminal offense. Shannon Heffernan and Lora Gordon have more.

audio clip

Wrapup

You can read more independent global news stories by visting indymedia: I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.

Features

Intro

Welcome back to Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.

[8:00] French Students and Unions rally against new employment laws

Unrest has been growing in France for the last month over plans by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to change the employment laws which govern the dismissal of young employees. The newly proposed laws apply only to workers under the age of 26 and would allow employers to dismiss any employees under this age for no reason at all. Supporters of the law say that it will make French businesses better able to compete in the global market place. But critics of the plan believe otherwise, and protests over the last month have drawn over 500,000 supporters and shut down most of the universities in France. Despite this, the situation received nearly zero coverage in the English language media. That is until this weekend, when the situation erupted into violence and French police stormed the Sorbonne University to remove student protesters who have occupied the school since March 7th.

Dirk Voellscher is a German student who has been in France for 2 years as an exchange student. Dirk was at the Sorbonne University during the police raid. Rustbelt Radio spoke with Dirk about the situation in France and his experience.

• [6:30] dirk.ogg

That was student Dirk Voellscher speaking about the response to new employment laws in France.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/18/AR2006031801201.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/18/international/i184442S05.DTL

You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.

[8:00] Veterans march across the gulf region of U.S.

Every Bomb dropped on Iraq explodes on the Gulf Coast. This statement is the movitvation behind Walking to new Orleans: a veterans and survivors march for peace and justice that took place from March 14th to March 19th 2006.. Participants marched from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana and visited Katrina and rita effected areas . Veterans, Katrina-Rita survivors Gold Star and Military families marched together to illuminate the connections between the war in iraq and the devastation in the Gulf coast area. Rustbelt Radio interviewed march participant Tina Garnanez a 24 yr old Native American pro peace activist and Iraq War Veteran.

* vetgulfmarch.ogg: 7:20

That was just Tina Garnanez speaking about the walking to new Orleans tour. For more information about this tour you can go to www.vetgulfmarch.org

[14:26] Iraq protests in Pittsburgh

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Ending

[m:ss] Calendar of events

And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:

• On Tuesday March 21st, from noon to 1pm, there will be a "Spy-In" to protest government spying. The protest will be held at the Federal Building downtown, at the corner of Grant and Liberty Avenues. If you can, wear trench coats and sunglasses and bring cameras, toy cameras, note pads, binoculars or telescopes.
• On Wednesday March 22nd there will be a rally for immigrants rights, against House Resolution 4437. That rally will be held at 11:30am, at Stanwix and Liberty Avenues in downtown Pittsburgh.
• On Thursday March 23 at 7:30 pm the Union Project will host a community discussion on violence in the East End. The Union Project is located at the corner of Stanton and Negley Avenues in Highland Park/East liberty.
• On Friday March 24 from 8 am to 3 pm there will be a free symposium entitled "The State of Our Air in 2006: A Law and Policy Update for Southwestern Pennsylvania." It will be held at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in the Teplitz Memorial Courtroom on the ground floor.
• And Friday evening, Steel Queer N' At will be having their quarterly queer cabaret at the Pittsburgh Eagle. Doors are at 8 and tickets cost $5. For more information contact notaprincess@msnSTOPSPAM.com

Outro

[ Outro music ]

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

Our hosts this week are Andalusia Knoll and Jessica McPherson with contributions from Abie Flaxman, Jessi Berkelhammer, Don Deeley, Lora Gordon, Andalusia Knoll, Jessica McPherson, and Matt Toups. This week's show was produced by [ Matt Toups and Don Deeley ]. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.

You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To contact us, 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 or podcast on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!

Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.