BAUAW Newsletter: BAUAW NEWSLETTER-FRIDAY, FEB. 25, 2005

Saturday, February 26, 2005

BAUAW NEWSLETTER-FRIDAY, FEB. 25, 2005

March 19, 2005 Global Day of Action
No to War Occupation
Iraq, Palestine, Haiti,
Afghanistan, Cuba Everywhere!
Bring the Troops Home Now!
Money for People's Needs, Not War!
San Francisco: March Assembles: 11 a.m. Dolores Park
Rally: 1 p.m. Civic Center
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Resource:
MONEY FOR HUMAN NEEDS NOT WAR!
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNDER THE KNIFE RIGHT NOW GO TO:
http://www.bauaw.org/2005/02/programs-eliminated-or-cut-in-2006.html

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1) NEXT BAUAW PLANNING MEETING TO GET THE MILITARY OUT OF
OUR SCHOOLS IS: SATURDAY, FEB. 26, 11 AM AT 474 VALENCIA STREET
The Board of Education, as a result of the Feb. 22 meeting,
is organizing a "meeting of the whole" based on the topic
of military recruitment in the Schools. Help plan strategy
for the meeting this Saturday, Feb. 26 at Centro del Pueblo,
474 Valencia street, first floor, to the left and all the way to
the rear of the building at the cheerful, Companeros del Barrio
childcare center.

Plus:

Report of the Tuesday, Feb.22 S.F. Board of Education Meeting:
(see full item 1 below)

2) WE ALL STAND WITH LYNNE STEWART!
NO JAIL TIME FOR LYNNE!
PLEASE WRITE LETTERS TODAY

3) The Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors
Presents: Conscientious Objectors Discuss War
Sunday, February 27 at the Humanist Hall, 390
27th St. @ Broadway, Oakland 3pm-6:30pm
Join CCCO and Conscientious Objector panelists;
Aimee Allison, Dale Bartlett, David Harris, Rev.
Dr. Dorsey Blake and Jeff Paterson, in a
discussion on war, draft and conscience,
moderated by Steve Morse, CCCO GI Rights Program
Coordinator.
Also, film maker Mark Manning, independent
reporter Dahr Jamail and military mom Nadia
McCaffrey offer reports about their recent trips
to Iraq and Jordan.
Refreshments.

4) March 19, 2005 Global Day of Action
No to War Occupation – Iraq, Palestine, Haiti,
Afghanistan, Cuba Everywhere!
Bring the Troops Home Now!
Money for People's Needs, Not War!
San Francisco: March Assembles: 11 a.m. Dolores Park
Rally: 1 p.m. Civic Center

5) COMING TO THE BAY AREA SOON ARE
TWO POWERFUL ANTIWAR MOVIES

"Mission Accomplished" is a a brutally vivid documentary
filmed entirely on the ground in Iraq. The reality of this
war for American troops is contrasted to the
overwhelming reality of the devastation felt and experienced
by the people of Iraq.
"Mission Accomplished" will open March 18th:
4 Star
2200 Clement St.
San Francisco, CA 94121
415.666.3488

"Voices In Wartime" is a compelling portrayal of human
experience with war through poetry, both from the point
of view of those who were in combat and those who are left
behind.
"Voices In Wartime" will play in S.F. on April 15th at:
Landmark Lumiere 3
1572 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

[This poem by fourth-grader Cameron Penny was read
by Marie Howe in this very beautiful film
directed by Rick King.

"If you are lucky in this life
A window will appear on a battlefield between two armies
And when the soldiers look into the window
They don't see their enemies
They see themselves as children
And they stop fighting
And go home and go to sleep
When they wake up, the land is well again."
By Cameron Penny]

To learn more about these film visit
Cinema Libre Studio
http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/

6) PROTEST the Anniversary of the U.S.-led COUP in HAITI
Monday, Feb. 28, 4:30 p.m. Rally in UN Plaza,
San Francisco (under the Simon Bolivar statue at Hyde Street)
- proceeding at 5 p.m. March stops at sites representing
attempts to destroy democracy in Haiti, including SF Chronicle,
the Chilean, Brazilian and French consulates, and U.S.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office.

7) What: Anti-Recruitment Community Forum
When: Saturday, Feb. 26 2pm-4pm
Where: Audrey Lorde Room, Women's Building,
3543 18th St. between Valencia and Guerrero

8) The next meeting of the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
is confirmed for Sunday, February 27 at Noon At the
Modern Times Bookstore at 888 Valencia Street,
between 19th and 20th Streets.
We will meet in the rear meeting room.

9) Latin America Fails to Deliver on Basic Needs (link only)
By JUAN FORERO
February 22, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/international/americas/22bolivia.html?hp&e
x=1109134800&en=a0fbb2c9c35c0f8f&ei=5094&partner=homepage

10) Bush Says Russia Must Make Good on Democracy (link only)
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
BRUSSELS
February 22, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/international/europe/22prexy.html

11) US Senator Says Afghan Bases Should Be Permanent (link only)
By David Brunnstrom
KABUL (Reuters)
Tue Feb 22, 2005 06:32 AM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7697958&src=eD
ialog/GetContent§ion=news

12) Some Inheritance (Social Security) (link only)
EDITORIAL
February 23, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/23/opinion/23wed1.html?hp

13) Failure to Form Cabinet Signals Crisis
for Palestinian Leaders
By ALAN COWELL
February 23, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/23/international/middleeast/23cnd-mideast.htm
l?hp&ex=1109221200&en=c2f9ba17fa86cb77&ei=5094&partner=homepage

14) Vonnegut at 80 (link only)
By David Hoppe, NUVO
Posted on January 10, 2003
http://www.alternet.org/story/14919/

15) Task Force Criticizes Bush's 'No Child' Law; (link only)
50-State Group Says It's Unconstitutional
by Sam Dillon
Published on Thursday, February 24, 2005 by the
San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0224-09.htm

16) Two good liberals visit bad country (link only)
By Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson
Special To The Examiner
(Very interesting and favorable article about Cuba...bw)
http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/02/24/opinion/20050224_op05_anderson
.txt

17) Next Generation Peace Rally and March
FUND OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT WAR!
Friday, March 4, Rally 3 - 3:30 at the San Rafael Library
March through town 3:30 - 5pm

18) THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ (link only)
Army Gives Halliburton $9.4 Million in Bonuses
From Times Wire Services
February 25, 2005
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-halliburton25feb25,1,222
0539.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=2&cset=true

19) 10 Voters on Panel Backing Pain Pills (link only)
Had Industry Ties
By GARDINER HARRIS and ALEX BERENSON
February 25, 2005
"Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week
endorsed continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills
Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for
the drugs' makers, according to disclosures in medical journals
and other public records.

If the 10 advisers had not cast their votes, the committee would
have voted 12 to 8 that Bextra should be withdrawn and 14 to 8
that Vioxx should not return to the market. The 10 advisers with
company ties voted 9 to 1 to keep Bextra on the market and 9 to 1
for Vioxx's return."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/25/politics/25fda.html?hp&ex=1109394000&en=2d
0651f024ad5d31&ei=5094&partner=homepage

20) Kansas Prosecutor Demands Files
on Late-Term Abortion Patients
By JODI WILGOREN
February 25, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/25/national/25kansas.html?hp&ex=1109394000&en
=590ef6d0a42ee0af&ei=5094&partner=homepage

21) Thrown to the Wolves (link only)
By BOB HERBERT
OP-ED COLUMNIST
OTTAWA
February 25, 2005
[Prison and torture America style-send them to Saudi Arabia where
torture is legal...bw]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/25/opinion/25herbert.html?hp

22) [Related to Lynne Stewart Case...bw] (link only)
Terror Suspect's Family Protests Jail Rules
By ERIC LICHTBLAU and JAMES DAO
February 25, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/25/national/25terror.html

23) Published on Thursday, February 24, 2005 by the
New York Amsterdam News
Calling All Soldiers: Military Recruiters Face Resistance
From Young Anti-War Activists
by Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Plus:

Report of the Tuesday, Feb.22 S.F. Board of Education Meeting:
(see full item 1 below)

The Tuesday, Feb. 22 meeting at the S.F. Board of Education turned
out to be a great success. Representatives from many groups and
individuals gave strong reasons why San Francisco schools should
not allow the military access to our children on school grounds.

The members of the board clearly showed concern and interest
about what we were saying. They expressed their antiwar sentiment
as well by voting to sponsor the American Friends Service
Committee's "Eyes Wide Open" exhibition of the Iraq War, which
will be at the Civic Center Friday, March 25, beginning at 11:00 a.m.,
with an all night vigil; Saturday, March 26th, 10:00 a.m., until 5:00 p.m.,
and at Union Square, Sunday, March 27th, (Easter Sunday)
from 10:00 a.m., until dusk.

They also announced the March 19th March and Rally against the
War on Iraq that begins at 11: 00 a.m., at Dolores Park and marches
to a Rally at 1:00 p.m., at the Civic Center. This demonstration is
part of a worldwide protest of the war. Millions of people across
the world will show their opposition in the streets March 19th and
20th-the anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Liberation (O.I.L.)

We are going to the School Board meeting again, on Tuesday,
March 8th to further discuss how we can prevent the military from
turning our schools into hunting ground for cannon fodder for
an illegal and immoral war. We are in the process of getting the
point on the agenda at the March 8th meeting (or the "meeting of
the whole"--date not set yet) so that the Board
members themselves can participate in this very rich discussion
we began on Feb. 22.

Some of the many, many groups were that were represented were,
ANSWER, United for Peace and Justice, Code Pink, BAUAW, AFSC, ISO,
Campus Antiwar Network, representatives from San Francisco's Queer
community, as well as many individuals, who all gave impassioned
reasons for opposing the war and military recruitment at our schools.
Everyone left the meeting feeling strong, unified and on the same
page. Many members of the board seemed very receptive to the
varied and well thought-out arguments.

This meeting was a great beginning to public community dialogue
about these issues that affect all of us.

There will be a planning meeting to discuss further strategy this
coming Saturday, Feb. 26, at 11:00 a.m., at Centro del Pueblo,
474 Valencia street, first floor, to the left and all the way to the
rear of the building at the Companeros del Barrio childcare center.

Everyone is welcome.

Peace and solidarity,

Bonnie Weinstein, Bay Area United Against War

The following is an article that was published in the Chronicle Feb.24.
It describes a 50-State Group that challenges, as Unconstitutional,
the "No Child Left Behind" law claiming it, "...had imposed an
impractical 'one-size-fits-all' education accountability system
across the country that was stifling local initiatives." Forcing schools
to open their doors to the military in order to get federal funds
is also part of the "No Child Left Behind" law.

Task Force Criticizes Bush's 'No Child' Law; 50-State Group Says
It's Unconstitutional

By Sam Dillon

Published on Thursday, February 24, 2005 by the
San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0224-09.htm

A bipartisan group representing 50 state legislatures called
Wednesday for major changes in President Bush's landmark
education initiative, No Child Left Behind, which it lambasted as
unconstitutional and impractical.

Republican New York state Sen. Steve Saland, who co-chaired
a task force that took 10 months to review implementation of
No Child Left Behind, said the law had imposed an impractical
"one-size-fits-all" education accountability system across the
country that was stifling local initiatives.

The task force's report, based on hearings in six cities, praised
the law's goal of ending the gap in scholastic achievement
between white and minority students. But most of the 77-page
report, which the Education Department rebutted Wednesday,
was devoted to a detailed inventory and discussion of the
program's flaws.

Over the past two years, more than a dozen state legislatures
adopted resolutions criticizing the No Child Left Behind law
and demanding changes. But the bipartisan nature of
Wednesday's report marked a step-up in the war of words
surrounding the law.

The report said the law's accountability system, which
punishes schools whose students fail to improve steadily on
standardized tests, undermined school improvement efforts
already under way in many states and relied on the wrong
indicators.

The report said the law's rules for educating disabled students
conflict with another federal law. It also said the law presents
bureaucratic requirements that fail to recognize the tapestry
of educational challenges faced by teachers in the nation's
15,000 school districts.

"Under NCLB, the federal government's role has become
excessively intrusive in the day-to-day operations of public
education," the National Conference of State Legislatures
said in the report, which was written by 16 state legislators
and six legislative staff members.

Nine state legislatures are considering challenges to the law,
and the Utah Senate is about to vote on a bill, already approved
by the Utah House, that would require state education officials
to give higher priority to Utah's education laws than to the
federal law. An Illinois school district filed suit against the
Education Department this month in federal court, arguing
that No Child Left Behind contradicts provisions of the federal
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

The conference, which has criticized the federal law in the
past, represents the nation's 50 state legislatures, has
a membership that includes 3,657 Republicans, 3,656 Democrats,
as well as a few dozen who were elected from smaller parties,
as independents or without any party affiliation.

In compiling its report, the task force conducted public
hearings in Washington, Chicago, Salt Lake City, New York,
Santa Fe, N.M., and Portland, Ore.

An assistant secretary of education, Ray Simon, met with
members of the task force in Washington on Wednesday
to discuss the report.

"The department will continue to work with every state to
address their concerns and make this law work for their
children," Simon said in a statement. "But the report could
be interpreted as wanting to reverse the progress we've made."

He added: "No Child Left Behind is bringing new hope and
new opportunity to families throughout America, and we will
not reverse course."

The law will come up for reauthorization in Congress in 2007.
But task force members hoped to persuade Congress to make
changes in the law before then.

Several groups that strongly support the federal law disputed
the report.

"My big concern is they did a better job of pinpointing problems
than identifying solutions," said Susan Traiman, a director at
the Business Roundtable, a group that represents top corporate
executives. "Most of what they call for would be a reversal that
would turn back the clock on what NCLB is trying to accomplish,
all in the name of federalism."

One chapter of the report notes that the Constitution does not
delegate powers to educate America's citizens to the federal
government, thereby leaving education under state control. The
report contends that No Child Left Behind has greatly expanded
federal powers to a degree that is unconstitutional.

"This assertion of federal authority into an area historically
reserved to the states has had the effect of curtailing additional
state innovations and undermining many that had occurred
during the past three decades," the report says.

"The task force does not believe that NCLB is constitutional,"
the report said.

But Steve Kelley, a Democrat who serves in the Minnesota Senate
and is a co-chairman of the task force, said the conference had
no intention of going to court over the law's constitutionality.

The report also examines what the task force called conflicts
between the federal law and the Individuals With Disabilities
Education Act.

Under No Child Left Behind, a disabled eighth-grader whom
educators deem to be working at a sixth-grade level must take
examinations for eighth-graders. The report said the requirement
contradicted provisions in the disabilities act requiring school
authorities to design a unique instructional program suited to
the needs and abilities of each disabled child.

"NCLB requires students with disabilities be tested by grade
level, while IDEA mandates that students be taught according
to ability," the report said.

The Washington Post contributed to this report.

Draft Resolution for San Francisco Board of Education
Cut Ties with the Military:

WHEREAS, the United States military is actively recruiting high
school students into the military to fight in Iraq; and
WHEREAS, many young San Francisco high school alumni are
presently serving in military units fighting in Iraq; and
WHEREAS, it is San Francisco City policy by virtue of
Proposition N, to bring all U.S. troops home from Iraq now; and
WHEREAS, over 1,448 U.S. soldiers and approximately
100,000 Iraqis have been killed in this war and over
10,000 U.S. soldiers and unknown thousands of Iraqis
have been wounded; and
WHEREAS, the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on
the war have robbed our children of resources that should
be spent on education and other human needs; and
WHEREAS, military presence in our schools legitimizes the
message that violence is acceptable; THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED THAT:
It shall be the policy of the San Francisco Board of Education
to support cutting all ties with the United States military,
including, but not limited to: Ending military recruitment
on campuses; ending the Junior Reserved Officer Training
Corps (JROTC); and guaranteeing that all students and
parents are informed of their right to deny military recruiters
access to their names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Bay Area United Against War (BAUAW) € www.bauaw.org €
P.O. Box 318021, San Francisco, CA 94131-8021 € 414-824-8730

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2) WE ALL STAND WITH LYNNE STEWART!
NO JAIL TIME FOR LYNNE!
PLEASE WRITE LETTERS TODAY:

SUGGESTION AS TO FORMAT OF LETTERS
TO BE WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF LYNNE STEWART

MARGIN: Please leave at least a one-inch left-hand margin to
allow us to bind the letter into the appendix to the sentencing
memorandum that is being filed on
Lynne's behalf.

INSIDE ADDRESS: Honorable John G. Koeltl
United States District Judge
Southern District of New York
United States Courthouse
500 Pearl Street
New York, New York 10007

GREETING: Honorable Sir or Dear Judge Koeltl:

BODY: Briefly introduce yourself and set forth your
relationship to Lynne.
Briefly discuss yourself - your position in work and in society.
State that you are aware that Lynne is to be sentenced following
a jury verdict of guilty on serious charges: The remainder of your
letter should discuss whatever you believe to weigh in favor of
no jail time. If possible, you should tell of an incident where she
helped you out or engaged in commendable community service.
Do not try to argue that she is not guilty or was unfairly conviction.
Focus on the unfairness of the government's actions in bringing
the charges; the way in which the government portrayed her, etc.

* Typewritten letters if possible are preferred.
*
WHEN LETTER IS COMPLETED: Please mail the final product to
the following address:
Jill R. Shellow-Lavine, Esq.
2537 Post Road
Southport, CT 06890

Do not send your letters to the judge. We ask that you forward
your letter me so that the lawyers can present it to Judge Koeltl
with the other letters being written for this purpose. This is the
manner in which letters will have the greatest impact. If they are
sent directly to the Judge's chambers, they may have less of an
impact and could cause the judge a substantial inconvenience
(and annoyance).

Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact the defense committee
at www.lynnestewart.org.

Sincerely,
Jill R. Shellow-Lavine
Attorney for Lynne Stewart
For more information go to:
www.LynneStewart.org

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

4) March 19, 2005 Global Day of Action
No to War Occupation – Iraq, Palestine, Haiti,
Afghanistan, Cuba Everywhere!
Bring the Troops Home Now!
Money for People’s Needs, Not War!
San Francisco: March Assembles: 11 a.m. Dolores Park
Rally: 1 p.m. Civic Center

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5) COMING TO THE BAY AREA SOON ARE TWO POWERFUL ANTIWAR MOVIES

[This poem by fourth-grader Cameron Penny was read
by Marie Howe in this very beautiful film
directed by Rick King.

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

One year after democratically-elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide
was forced out of his country by the U.S., protesters are calling for the
restoration of constitutional government in Haiti. The protest is
sponsored by the Haiti Action Committee, East Bay Sanctuary
Covenant and the ANSWER Coalition.
Contact: 510-483-7481 or 415-821-6545

FACES OF HAITI 2005 . . . a slide presentation and discussion
scheduled for 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 23, 2005, at the
First United Methodist Church, 9 Ross Valley Drive
(at Fourth Street), San Rafael.

Two members of the Let Haiti Live Women;s Delegation . . .
January 13-22
[to] Port au Prince women's cooperatives and highly successful
village community-based health clinic also their experience at
the World Social Forum [where] MITF sponsored participation
of Haitian nationals

A $5-10 donation is requested. No one turned away for lack
of funds. For more information, please call 415/924-3227.
This venue is wheelchair accessible.

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

7) What: Anti-Recruitment Community Forum
When: Saturday, Feb. 26 2pm-4pm
Where: Audrey Lorde Room, Women's Building,
3543 18th St. between Valencia and Guerrero

Description: Join teachers, students, anti-war
activists, veterans, Ramon Leal from Iraq Veterans
Against the War, Aimee Allison, Gulf War Conscientious
Objector and candidate for Oakland City Council, Susan
King from the San Francisco Green Party, and members
of the Campus Anti-War Network as they discuss forming
a coalition opposed to military recruitment in our
schools.

WEDNESDAY, MAR 2:

What: Political Pub Quiz
When: 3/2 8-10pm
Where: Dylan's Pub, 19th and Harrison
Description: Join Supervisors Ross Mirkarimi & Chris
Daly, School Board Members Mark Sanchez, Eric Mar and
Sarah Lipson, activists Lisa Feldstein, Michael
Goldstein and Calvin Welch, playwright Terry Baum and
others. Categories include Famous San Franciscans, SF
Landmarks, LGBT and Political Scandals. Free and
winning team gets a better than cash value prize.

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

Lynne's sentencing date has been changed from July 15 to September,
giving us more time to mount the campaigns that are needed to
maximize the chances that Lynne is not sentenced to jail time. She
faces up to 35 years in prison. At this time our campaign is geared
to mobilizing mass forces to convince the judge, whose record
indicates he tends toward light sentences, to grant Lynne probation
as opposed to jail. The fact that the judge has this discretion is
due to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that rejected mandatory
sentences. Letter writing will be a major focus of the campaign but
we understand that there will be a mass mobilization near the
courthouse when the Judge is scheduled to decide. We will urge West
Coast attendance at this rally.

Lynne's appeal is in preparation. Her aim, our aim, of course, is to
reverse the conviction and win her freedom.

Her plan to visit the Bay Area for a major April 24 rally organized
by the Mobilization to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal at Mission H.S. is firm.
Lynne says that she is confident that Judge Koeltl will grant her
travel rights.

Our agenda on Sunday will include:

a) a legal update report
b) campaign for mass letter writing regarding the sentence beginning
immediately but focusing on April 24 and all other such meetings
where people gather in large numbers. This includes the upcoming
March 19 antiwar march/rally from Dolores Park to the Civic Center.
c) distribution of the new fact sheet
d) organization of major meeting with prominent speaker in the Bay
Area between now and April 24
e) collaboration with the National Lawyers Guild to reach out to the
legal community
f) broadening our defense committee
g) speaking at meetings to explain Lynne's case
h) building the April 24 meeting where Lynne will be joined by Amy
Goodman and a concert with Michael Franti
i) exploration of a SF Board of Supervisors resolution supporting
Lynne's democratic rights and civil liberties and welcoming her to
San Francisco
j)other items to be determined

We expect the April 24 mass rally to be a barn burner with Lynne the
major speaker.

In solidarity,

Jeff

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

10) Bush Says Russia Must Make Good on Democracy (link only)
By ELISABETH BUMILLER
BRUSSELS
February 22, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/international/europe/22prexy.html

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

12) Some Inheritance (Social Security) (link only)
EDITORIAL
February 23, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/23/opinion/23wed1.html?hp

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

14) Vonnegut at 80 (link only)
By David Hoppe, NUVO
Posted on January 10, 2003
http://www.alternet.org/story/14919/

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

16) Two good liberals visit bad country (link only)
By Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson
Special To The Examiner
(Very interesting and favorable article about Cuba...bw)
http://www.sfexaminer.com/articles/2005/02/24/opinion/20050224_op05_anderson
.txt

---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*---------*

17) Next Generation Peace Rally and March
FUND OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT WAR!
Friday, March 4, Rally 3 - 3:30 at the San Rafael Library
March through town 3:30 - 5pm

Join Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, San Rafael City Councilor Cyr Miller, and
local city workers, taxpayers, students and teachers for a creative rally
and march to demand funding for our communities, not for war!

Rally at the San Rafael Public Library (3 - 3:45) - 1100 E ST at Fifth ST

Then march to:
* Falkirk Cultural Center (4 - 4:10) - 1408 Mission Ave at E ST
* City Hall (4:15 - 4:25) - 1400 Fifth ST at D ST
* Police Station (4:25 - 4:35) - 1400 Fifth STat D ST
* Fire Station (4:40 - 4:50) - 1039 C ST bet 4th and 5th
* March down Fourth ST (4:50 - 5:00)
* Concluding rally at Bank of America / Court Plaza (5 - 5:15) - 4th ST at
Court

George Bush has released his proposed budget for 2006. If passed, it will
sharply cut social programs while increasing military spending at a time
when most towns across America - including San Rafael - are cutting back
basic services just to stay afloat.

Next Generation - with support from MPJC, Presente and community leaders -
is fighting back with a creative, grassroots response: a youth and
taxpayer-led rally and march through San Rafael that will highlight how much
the war on Iraq is costing our community, and what we'd like to see instead.

After a rally near city hall, our colorful, positive, enthusiastic
procession will stop at various agencies in San Rafael whose budgets are
being cut or are being threatened with cuts, including the library, city
hall, police station, fire department. At each stop along the way, students
and community will explain how each agency is struggling, and present a
giant novelty check representing their lost revenues to an "official" from
the Pentagon. We will also present a positive, alternative vision of what
we'd like to see instead.

We are excited about this effort because:
* It brings the cost of war home
* It is timely - Congress will soon begin to debate George Bush's proposed
budget, and next November, voters in San Rafael will decide whether or not
to raise the sales tax by half a cent to stop cuts in basic city services
* It presents a positive vision of healthy, supportive communities
* It builds alliances and expands the progressive movement
* It is fun and creative

This effort is open to all individuals and groups who believe our tax
dollars would be better spent creating healthy, nurturing communities than
fighting destructive wars. Please contact Next Generation if you would like
to get involved in any way, including:
* Working on march logistics
* Creating props, visuals, and other creative elements
* Promoting the march at the grassroots
* Generating media coverage of the effort
* Speaking at the march as a San Rafael taxpayer, volunteer or city employee
* Contributing funds or other resources to support this effort and others
like it

During the three weeks before the action, Next Generating is conducting
interactive workshops in local schools to educate young people about the
President's proposed budget and the cost of war. We will follow the action
with additional workshops, and plan to issue a national call for Cost of War
actions across the US on Tax Day, April 15.

Next Generation 1741 Lincoln Ave, #6 San Rafael, CA 94901 415.455.9498
nextgenerationofactivists@hotmail.com

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19) 10 Voters on Panel Backing Pain Pills (link only)
Had Industry Ties
By GARDINER HARRIS and ALEX BERENSON
February 25, 2005
"Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week endorsed
continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills Celebrex, Bextra
and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for the drugs' makers,
according to disclosures in medical journals and other public records.

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23) Published on Thursday, February 24, 2005 by the
New York Amsterdam News
Calling All Soldiers: Military Recruiters Face Resistance
From Young Anti-War Activists
by Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg

The military spends about $3 billion each year to convince young
people that enlistment will give them college money, job training
and an alternative to working at McDonald's. In the wake of the
growing conflict in Iraq, which has resulted in over a thousand
U.S. casualties, the military has become more aggressive in
scouting out high school students willing and able to serve.

In many New York City public schools that are predominantly
Black and Latino, military recruiters are a heavy presence, promising
young people financial security and a fulfilling career. Recruiters
roam the halls, set up tables and even pull students out of class.
But in recent months, a group of teenagers and anti-war veterans
have been canvassing the neighborhoods where the recruiters
frequent, hoping to convince students to consider other options.

''We've heard everything up to and including having a desk in
the guidance counselor's office,'' said Amy Wagner of Youth
Activists-Youth Allies (YaYas), a group that focuses on
counter-recruitment. ''When the kid comes in to talk to the
counselor about college, before the kid can get there, they've
got somebody in their face saying, 'You want to go to college?
How are you going to pay for college?'''

New York City organizers are educating people about alternatives
to enlisting and the realities of military life. Vietnam veterans and
anti-war activists Jim Murphy and Dayl Wise visit high schools,
where they recount for the students stories about their time in
the service. In one class of juniors at West Side High School,
Murphy told them that before the service he spent time making
money playing seven-card stud.

Once he left community college, he was drafted. ''I wasn't smart
enough to have fear about it,'' Murphy told the class. ''I didn't
have a clue.'' Wise, who was in the infantry, didn't want to go
to war when he was drafted. His father offered to help send him
to Canada. ''I took the easy way out by reporting for duty,'' he
said. ''It takes a braver person. I let it happen to me? I didn't
have a plan. I gave up control.'' He warned the students: ''Please
have a plan. Don't let others make plans for you.'' The YaYas,
staffed almost entirely by high school students of color, work
to make sure young people avoid falling into military service
because it seems like the only option for advancement.

''It's either jail or the military,'' said Jeannel Bishop, a senior
at Brooklyn's South Shore High School and a YaYa staffer.
Many students at her school think enlistment is the best they
can accomplish. When Navy recruiters visited her school
recently, students were allowed to leave class to visit with
them. Bishop brought pamphlets and confronted the recruiters
about their assurances of tuition and training. She pointed out
to them and other students nearby that getting college money
was a much more complicated and uncertain process.

''I was taking over their whole show,'' Bishop said. ''[The recruiters]
were amazed.'' Three students who had been ''pumped up about
the military'' had second thoughts after Bishop spoke. It took just
a little information for them to have doubts, she said. Besides
speaking out in their own schools, the YaYas hold workshops for
teenagers and make presentations to PTAs. They encourage
students to post literature in the guidance office and set up
counter-recruitment tables next to military recruiters. Most
importantly, they want young people to make an informed
choice, Wagner said.

For instance, most students don't know that:

* Two-thirds of recruits don't get any college money,
according to the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors.
* Most people in the military do not have time to attend
college while in the service.
* To qualify for college money recruits have to pay $100
per month for a year.
* The unemployment rate for veterans is three times higher
than the national average.
* People who sign up with the Delayed Entry Program are
told they can't change their minds, but getting out is as simple
as writing a letter.
* The enlistment contract is for eight years.
* There are other ways to finance college, like federal
financial aid, private scholarships, going to community college
or joining AmeriCorps.

But educating youth is not just about these facts and figures,
Wagner said. The war in Iraq makes their work much more
urgent, she said. ''They're still telling people you can go to
Germany, Japan, but the reality is the vast majority are going
to Iraq,'' Wagner said. ''You risk losing life and limb; you risk
being a murderer.'' Giving young people a complete picture of
enlisting rests on the courage and initiative of activists,
guidance counselors and principals.

Often, the recruiters' sales pitches, brochures and posters go
unchallenged. Many educators fear principals will retaliate
if they speak out, Wagner said. Some schools are reticent to
limit the military's presence because they think they will lose
federal funding, she said. No Child Left Behind, the educational
policy touted by the Bush administration, requires that
recruiters and college representatives have equal access
to students. This is often misinterpreted as unlimited access.
Policy on recruiter access in New York City public schools
is determined school by school and varies widely.

But some school districts have taken a more active role
and regulate recruiters' visits. In Madison, Wisconsin,
recruiters are only permitted to be in each high school
three days during the school year. Their policy states that
guidance counselors can distribute both military and
counter-recruitment information. There is also no uniform,
enforced policy in New York City governing opt-out forms,
which let students choose whether to release their personal
information to recruiters. Many principals, Wagner said, are
not even aware of the opt-out form. Some schools give out
the form, without any explanation and make no effort to
collect it from students, she said.

Wagner said some students think that signing the forms will
mean their information is not released to any institutions,
including colleges. Other students, often immigrants, fear
they will get in trouble for signing, she said. Currently, New
York City students are often only given the opt-out form in
the ninth grade, Wagner said. Because recruiters ask for
eleventh- and twelfth-grade lists, schools should send out
the forms each year, she said.

In Montclair, New Jersey, the high school sends a fact sheet
with the opt-out form. Tenth-graders who have not returned
the forms are called. If the form is still not turned in, it will
be passed out the following year. Activists have discussed
working on a New York City Council resolution to require
schools to collect the forms from every student. Members
of the YaYas and the New York Civil Liberties Union have
met with the Department of Education (DOE) to discuss
putting together an information packet for principals
about opt-out.

Wagner said the DOE was receptive. Calls to the DOE were
not returned. Local counter-recruiters also plan to make use
of the recent Third Circuit Court's ruling that Yale Law School,
which has a non-discrimination policy, can ban recruiters from
its campus without risk of losing federal funding, because the
military discriminates against gays.

However, without the help of the Department of Education or
the City Council, counter-recruiters' efforts can only go so far.
This frustration is evident in veteran Dayl Wise when he said
that giving presentations, classroom by classroom, is like
"throwing grains of sand on the beach.''

Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg may be reached at
elizabethwg@gmail.com.

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Saturday, February 26, 2005

BAUAW NEWSLETTER-FRIDAY, FEB. 25, 2005

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