Four Directions Walk to End Poverty

Four Directions Walk to End Poverty… make sure you watch the videos

There is a lot of important information here put together by the folks in Winnipeg, Manitoba struggling against poverty. Lots of good ideas for activists in cities all across Canada and the United States. Some really good work going on here… Alan

Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2011

From: Four Directions Walk <fourdirectionswalk></fourdirectionswalk>

Subject: Four Directions Walk Cte meeting – Tues, Nov 1

Four Direction Walk to End Poverty in Manitoba

Dear Friends, Sisters and Brothers,

Thank you everyone who attended, walked and helped out with this year’s 4DW last Saturday! We’ll be having a meeting to see how things went and make plans:

Four Directions Walk Committee

Tues, Nov. 1, 4:30 pm

St. Matthews Maryland Church

641 Maryland

(Use the South door on McGee)

Everyone is welcome.

Numbers, media, etc.

This was our largest annual Walk to date; more than 100 people participated including 10 Walkers from the perimeter with another 20 joining along the way.

A larger number of groups participated, swelling the numbers including Occupy Winnipeg, Action 1:21, FemRev Winnipeg, Feed My Lambs (thank you for the food!) and The Urban, among others. We want to thank all the groups that helped out, some of which are not listed here!

For the first time, we both major newspapers in Winnipeg covered the Walk.  The articles are appended, below. Cheryl-Anne Carr, a Walk Committee member, is quoted accurately:

“The problems have been studied long enough, the situations have been looked at long enough, the problem is that there are not enough jobs, and the pay is not high enough. The problem is the province wants to keep people poor so that theres a huge pool of labour that’s frightened and can be used to keep wages down, and prices high. There’s a shortage of housing, theres a shortage of education spaces.”

Paul Graham with the help of Ken Harasym has produced a 30 minute video of the Walk, which will be broadcast repeatedly on Shaw Cable’s community channel: http://paulsgraham.ca/2011/10/24/video-four-directions-walk-to-end-poverty/

Many thanks! This is a must-see!

There is another video on youtube, but I don’t know who produced it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gva-25OyKEU

It looks like we’ll have to have another Walk next year, because we had zero response from the government. We invited all elected politicians to listen, not speak). Only Harvey Smith from Winnipeg City Council attended (J Gerbasi and J Browaty sent their regrets they could not attend).

Of Winnipeg’s MPs, 3 Conservatives sent regrets (Fletcher, Toet and Bateman). Of MLAs, only one Progressive Conservative sent regrets (R Eichler, chair of the caucus).

If you have qs, we are at 792-3371 or reply by email.

Yours For Ending Poverty in Manitoba,

Four Directions Walk Committee

* * * * * *

Anti-poverty rally held at Legislature

By,Winnipeg Sun, Saturday, October 22, 2011

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2011/10/22/anti-poverty-rally-held-at-legislature

(81 internet comments omitted)

With flags waving and protest signs in the air, people marched from four directions of the city with one message eliminate poverty.

Protesters walked for hours before joining for a rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building Saturday afternoon.

“The problems have been studied long enough, the situations have been looked at long enough, the problem is that there are not enough jobs, and the pay is not high enough,” said Cheryl-Anne Carr, Four Directions Walk committee member.

“The problem is the province wants to keep people poor so that theres a huge pool of labour that’s frightened and can be used to keep wages down, and prices high. There’s a shortage of housing, theres a shortage of education spaces.”

The event marked the fourth annual Four Directions Walk to End Poverty. Clothing and food donations were being taken at the rally for the less fortunate.

Protester Terry Weaymouth said he hopes the protest will open people’s eyes to Winnipeg’s poverty problems.

“I think everybody’s affected by poverty, especially in my life,” he said. “I grew up in poverty and my friends have been affected by poverty. Its a big issue.”

Shon Villier held up a sign that read Solidarity in different languages.

“We don’t have to live in a society where people are hungry and living in the streets,” Villier said. “We have the resources to share, we have the money and it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Politics blamed for plight of poor

Marchers rally at legislature

By: Alexandra Paul, Winnipeg Free Press, Sunday, October 23, 2011

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/politics-blamed-for-plightof-poor-132398748.html

(72 internet comments omitted)

Under grey skies, about 50 people with banners and placards that called for an end to poverty rallied on the steps of the Manitoba legislature Saturday.

The fourth annual Four Directions Walk to End Poverty saw groups of a dozen or more gather at each of the four cardinal points of the Perimeter Highway and walk through the city to meet at the government seat.

“I came all the way from the Perimeter at Headingley,” said Neil Adams, a community worker from the North End. “I told people on the way here, who were honking their horns on Portage Avenue, to honk for better housing, better water and more wages.”

The annual event draws together a coalition of anti-poverty groups that believe it is a lack of political will that keeps welfare rates low and the working poor dependent on food banks.

“The problem is the government wants to keep people poor so they’ll have a pool of cheap labour,” organizer Cheryl Ann Carr said.

“We’ve talked to hundreds of people and put together a justice charter, and we can eliminate poverty in this province and we can do it quickly,” Carr said.

The charter is a six-point plan that calls for housing, expanded health care, jobs and annual incomes to be human rights. It also calls for an end to racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination. The sixth demand is for proportional government and pay cuts to match the average workers wage and benefits for all MLAs.

The Lutheran Urban Ministry collected sweaters, coats, shoes and boots to distribute at the rally.

Another group was handing out food next to a sign that read, Feed My Lambs.

Walkers began at St. Mary’s Road and the Perimeter in the south, Portage Avenue at the Perimeter in the west, Main Street at the Perimeter in the north and Pembina Highway at the Perimeter in the south.

“The major problem we face in this city and in this province is poverty… What it requires is for some level of government action to do something about it,” Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) said.

He pointed to municipal housing programs in cities like Calgary that could be adopted in Winnipeg to cut the rate of homelessness.

Longtime poverty advocate Nick Ternette said he puts the blame for a lack of political will squarely on the shoulders of the provincial government.

“The NDP has paid no attention to poverty issues in an effective way. During the election campaign, I asked one cabinet minister (if he supported) a guaranteed annual income and he said No. A single person on social assistance gets $481 a month; thats $4 a day for food. It hasn’t increased in over a decade,” Ternette said.

What is the movement against Wall Street all about?

What is the movement against Wall Street really all about? The New York Times assigned one of its top reporters to "clarify" what the movement in opposition to Wall Street is all about. The NYT reporter, Mark Landler, went even further in attempting to falsely explain: the ideology behind our movement, our goals and objectives and how we are going to get what we want. I would note that over the past weeks the NYT first tried to ignore our movement against Wall Street, then tried to claim the movement was "leaderless" without any ideology and there were no concrete demands that could be addressed--- of course this was all just the typical hypocrisy that is normal and typical for the NYT which always pretends not to know what working people want because the NYT is Wall Street's voice--- owned lock, stock and barrel by the Wall Street coupon clippers who hire "the best" capitalist Sooth-sayers

and apologists for capitalism's highest stage, imperialism, the money derived from the exploitation of the working class can buy. Mark Landler in his article below has proven himself well suited and equipped for the task required by his Wall Street bosses. Check out Mark Landler's background then read what he wrote... below Landler's article in the New York Times I will explain why Wall Street is our enemy, what we think, what we want and how we are going to get what we want. Our vision is very clear as anyone can see for themselves; but, the New York Times never lets us state our vision, what we want and how we are going to achieve what we want even as it's editors and reporters continually--- and hypocritically--- boast that the United States is the world's greatest bastion of democracy even though 99% of the people are denied a voice through the MainStreamMedia while the 1% always get their say because they own the MainStreamMedia the same way they own the mines, mills and factories. As usual, this article from the New York Times uses "kernels of truth" to convey its falsehoods in an attempt to manipulate and control the "news" to suit the aims of Wall Street and the politicians--- like Barack Obama--- who they own and control just like their newspapers, radio and television stations... and even the Internet Service Providers and FaceBook. And of course, this manipulation and control of the media is conveniently called: democracy.      

Here is my response to this article from the New York Times.

Here are my thoughts about this movement against Wall Street; I hope Obama backers will pass on my thoughts to their "leader:"

http://movementagainstwallstreet.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-is-movement-against-wall-street.html

 

Alan L. Maki

For good jobs with real living wages provide the American people with free health care and free child care

Obama made the most politically self-serving speech I have ever heard using the problems of the people in a most demagogic way that only a Hitler or Mussolini could appreciate.

 While I support Medicare For All as a step towards a National Public Health Care System, I fail to see why we should continue to advocate it since the Wall Street bribed crowd of politicians is never going to budge or bend in accepting it.

In fact, it is the private delivery of health care with Medicare For All that has failed to bring out the American people in large enough numbers to force Congress to consider it.

People see how greedy doctors are in milking and bilking Medicare; the fraud in the system by the doctors and others who aren’t satisfied with the enormous profits the government provides them with to begin with is disgusting that they then have to engage in outright fraud is well-known to all, and hundreds of these crooked doctors are being prosecuted for this fraud.

The solution is a National Public Health Care System— everybody in, nobody out; no-fees/no-premiums, comprehensive and all-inclusive, pre-natal to grave, universal— publicly funded, publicly administered, publicly delivered.

Such a health care system would require over 30,000 primary health care centers in communities and neighborhoods where primary health care would be provided for free.

Want jobs?

You got jobs; jobs, jobs and more jobs— over ten-million new good paying union jobs.

All this crap about “private industry” is just that; elephant and donkey dung.

The government providing public sector jobs where private profiteers gorging themselves at the public trough has to end.

A National Public Health Care System would be funded by ending these dirty imperialist wars and taxing the rich. The alternative— or in combination— would be financing the National Public Health Care System the same way that Social Security or our public schools or the Post Office is funded.

Isn’t it obvious to all that for any change to take place in this country we are going to have to build massive and powerful movements in the streets supported by a new third party capable of challenging Wall Street for power?

Well, why not make a National Public Health Care System and a National Public Child Care System the centerpieces of our struggle for people’s power?

A National Public Child Care System would provide another five-million new good-paying union jobs. Fund it the same way. Tax-the-hell out of the rich until they cry real tears— after all, it is the wealth that we, as working people, have created.

I am sure all the great “philanthropists” like Warren Buffett will be pleased.

Peace + tax-the-rich = Health Care + Child Care + 15 million Jobs; it is a very simple equation any child can understand— all it takes is for us to understand that it takes a powerful people’s movement creating a ruckus in the streets backed up by a working class led people’s party at the polls to achieve.

We really do have to educate and organize to unite the American people to fight against Wall Street for the kind of country we really want.

We need to understand what the Dumb Donkeys like Obama are desperately trying to obscure: The way to create jobs is by putting people to work solving the pressing problems of the people where the government becomes the employer— not of second choice or last choice— but where the government becomes the employer of first choice. I have yet to hear a teacher or any other public employee complain about receiving a nice government check with good benefits… in fact, I have never seen any of these politicians who decry government programs and “big government” turn down their government issued checks.

Think about it; if every single member of the House and Senate was a politician just like Barack Obama would we have the kind of country we want? Hell no!

The Democrats, even the "best" of them offer no more than "economic populism" free from any discussion about the role played by war and militarism when what we need is an anti-imperialist politics which brings to the American people the true cost of these dirty wars and how they kill jobs just like they kill people as we are deprived of health care and child care and the rest of our social programs and our standard of living is decimated through austerity measures to pay for these dirty wars that no one wanted to begin with and even fewer people support as the bills come due.

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you?

Anyone want to come along for a walk?

I'm thinking of trying to organize a "walk for peace, social and economic justice" across the Midwest starting on May Day until Election Day. Anyone want to join me?


I'm thinking of a route from northern Minnesota through Wisconsin and down through Michigan--- ending up in Chicago. Blogging as I go and asking people in YouTube videos: How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you--- with lots of meetings around kitchen tables along the way leaving behind small grassroots organizations. So, it is not only walkers who would be needed.


I kind of look at it like we are each like one little snowflake--- alone we don't amount to much. It's time for the politicians to experience a northern Minnesota blizzard.


Let's get the snowballs rolling downhill like on a warm spring day--- gathering speed and weight as they go.


Let me know if you want to help out in some way: 


Phone: 218-386-2432


E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net


Here are the kind of ideas I would be getting out... kind of like a "Johnny Appleseed" for change---


From the Minneapolis Star Tribune---



The nation's wars are a heavy burden on the state


Article by: JACK NELSON-PALLMEYER and BILL HILTY

July 25, 2011 - 7:02 PM

Link: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/otherviews/126142923.html

Budget gap could have been easily closed with the money we send away.


Citizens in Minnesota are being encouraged to see scarcity as the new normal. If you are an elected official at any level of government, your job has been reduced to managing austerity.

It doesn't have to be this way -- if we address the elephant lurking in the budget deficit hall. That would be the high costs of militarization and war.

Technically, the military budget is a federal issue, distinct from state, county and city budgets. However, we can no longer maintain the fiction that distorted federal spending that prioritizes war and militarism is disconnected from state and local budget crises and is eroding living standards.

According to the nonpartisan National Priorities Project, Congress devotes 58 cents of every dollar of federal discretionary spending to war-related purposes. To better understand the impact on Minnesota of privileging military spending priorities, consider this: We have just experienced a painful government shutdown over how to deal with a two-year $5 billion shortfall. Yet Minnesota taxpayers over the same two-year period will spend $8.4 billion just for our share of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

This will bring Minnesotans' total contribution to those wars to about $36 billion. Additionally over the next two years, Minnesotans will pay $26 billion for our share of the nation's base military budget, a budget that has doubled since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Every Minnesota citizen and every layer of government is impacted negatively by current war-related priorities. Faced with pressing local needs, taxpayers in Fergus Falls will pay $17 million for their share of counterproductive Iraq/Afghan wars over the next two years; Minneapolis taxpayers will contribute $255 million.

We believe it is time for Minnesotans to communicate clearly to our members of Congress and to President Obama that federal funding priorities must shift from unnecessary wars to meeting essential needs. A new citizen-driven effort, the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (MNasap), is a vehicle for doing so.

We have crafted a simple resolution that can be adapted and enacted by individuals, community groups, library boards, city councils and other elected bodies throughout the state. It reads in part: "Whereas our nation desperately needs to better balance its approach to security to go beyond military defense and include the economic, social, and environmental needs of our communities, state, and nation ... Therefore [we] call on Senators Klobuchar and Franken, and Representatives Walz, Kline, Paulsen, McCollum, Ellison, Bachmann, Peterson and Cravaack as well as President Barack Obama, to shift federal funding priorities from war and the interests of the few, to meeting the essential needs of us all."

The state government shutdown has ended, but the pain will be ongoing for many Minnesotans. As a recent Star Tribune editorial ("New budget rests on shaky structure," July 20) states, borrowing against future state revenues and delaying school payments will have serious consequences, and the budget "inflicts too much pain. The hurt will be felt most keenly on college campuses and among those who serve low-income disabled and elderly people."

Imagine what we can accomplish if we stop squandering wealth and talents on militarization and counterproductive wars. Schools could reduce class sizes and have adequate supplies. Bridges could be repaired. Food shelves could be adequately stocked but rarely needed. We could take steps to make homelessness rare and temporary. Cities and states could adequately provide essential services, including meeting their authentic security needs. Critical investments could be made in infrastructure and green technologies. Public libraries could expand hours and programming. Urban and national rail systems could be built. The country could address climate change and end child poverty. All Americans could have access to quality, affordable health care.

This sounds like a fantasy only because current choices keep us on the dead-end road of militarization. It is a realistic possibility once we demilitarize priorities, realistically assess security needs and refocus governing on serving the common good.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is associate professor of justice and peace studies at the University of St. Thomas. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson, is a member of the Minnesota House. For information on the resolution campaign, contact MinnesotaASAP@gmail.com


Previously Pallmeyer and Hilty authored this resolution:

Resolution Calling for Re-ordering Priorities:

Whereas Minnesota is faced with a $5.028 billion budget shortfall; and,

Whereas past budget cuts have resulted in painful reductions in essential services and future cuts would further erode the quality of life for and, in fact, endanger the lives of many citizens; and,

Whereas many cities and communities in Minnesota are laying off police, firefighters, teachers and other essential employees; and,

Whereas past budgets have been balanced by cutting social services, under investment in essential infrastructure, and other measures that push the crisis onto local governments and the poor; and,

Whereas Minnesota taxpayers even during these times of economic crisis and fiscal austerity are poised to pay the equivalent of the entire state biennial budget, more than $35 billion over the next two years, for their share of the Defense Budget of the Federal government; and,

Whereas Minnesota taxpayers alone have already spent more than $27.5 billion, and will spend $8.4 billion more over the next two years for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; and,

Whereas 58 cents of every dollar of federal discretionary spending is devoted to military purposes; and,

Whereas military spending priorities at the national level negatively impact budgets and quality of life at all levels of government and society; and,

Whereas our nation desperately needs to better balance its approach to security to go beyond military defense and include the economic, social, and environmental needs of our communities, state, and nation;

Therefore be it resolved that we, the Legislature of the State of Minnesota call on Senators Klobuchar and Franken, and Representatives Walz, Kline, Paulsen, McCollum, Ellison, Bachmann, Peterson and Cravaack as well as Congressional leadership and President Barack Obama, to shift federal funding priorities from war and the interests of the few, to meeting the essential needs of us all.

Approved [date]

Drafted by Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party State Representative Bill Hilty.


A more comprehensive alternative I put together based on talks with people across the Great Lakes Region:

A program for real change...

* Peace--- end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil.

* A National Public Health Care System - ten million new jobs.

* A National Public Child Care System - three to five million new jobs.

* Works Progress Administration - three million new jobs.

* Civilian Conservation Corps - two million new jobs.

* Tax the hell out of the rich and cut the military budget by ending the wars to pay for it all which will create full employment.

* Enforce Affirmative Action; end discrimination.

* Raise the minimum wage to a real living wage

* What tax-payers subsidize in the way of businesses, tax-payers should own and reap the profits from.

* Moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions.

* Defend democracy by defending workers' rights including the right to collective bargaining for improving the lives and livelihoods of working people.

* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions.

* Defend and expand Social Security.

* Wall Street is our enemy.

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you? 

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.

Demonstration in Minneapolis when Obama comes to town August 30, 2011

When: Tuesday, August 30th

Time: 9:30am

Where:

Minneapolis Convention Center

1201 2nd Avenue South

• President Obama is coming to Minneapolis to speak to the American Legion Convention.

Suggestions for protest signs:

Dump Obama!

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you?

W- Wasted

A- American

R- Resources

Primary Obama!

A program for real change...

* Peace--- end the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and shutdown the 800 U.S. military bases on foreign soil. 

* A National Public Health Care System - ten million new jobs. 

* A National Public Child Care System - three to five million new jobs. 

* Works Progress Administration - three million new jobs. 

* Civilian Conservation Corps - two million new jobs. 

* Tax the hell out of the rich and cut the military budget by ending the wars to pay for it all which will create full employment. 

* Enforce Affirmative Action; end discrimination. 

* Raise the minimum wage to a real living wage 

* What tax-payers subsidize in the way of businesses, tax-payers should own and reap the profits from.

  

* Moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions. 

* Defend democracy by defending workers' rights including the right to collective bargaining for improving the lives and livelihoods of working people. 

* Roll-back and freeze the price of food, electricity, gas and heating fuels; not wages, benefits or pensions. 

* Defend and expand: Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare.

* Wall Street is our enemy.

How is Barack Obama's Wall Street war economy working for you? 

Let's talk about the politics and economics of livelihood for a real change.