THEIR NEWS AND MINE
CYNTHIA MCKINNEY TO SEEK GREEN PARTY NOMINATION
A LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER (1997)

Da Nooz: I heard OJ said he was innocent again, and President Bush said he will stay with his contrived peace making process, and 6000 Sunnis said they will now work with the US probably to get protection against the Sunnis, and Hugo Chavez broke off his relationship with Columbia which was probably poisoned or threatened by Washington and the Head of Oral Roberts University said God told him to quit his job.

Lets not forget also that the stock market went way up when a decsionmaker at the Federal Reserve Bank said they may cut interest rates again. They were salivating on Wall Street for more of a bail out. Mewanhile didn’t the fed say another cut is not in order because it could lead to more inflation. Oh well…..

What a news day. And let’s not forget that the Cable industry managed to delay any FCC ordered changes on their industry—poweful lobbyists have thet—whlile Low Power radio advocates won an incremental victory of sorts. And no one is quite sure what happened to guitar plaing FCC commissioner Adelstein who was for more regulation until he wasn’t and then was again. Duh?

That was the news flow in the world I was in touch with but that was not the news I was covering.

JESSE

Late yesterday morning, I went down to New York’s City Hall to cover Jesse Jackson’s announcement of his plans to organize a March on Wall Street on December 10 (Human Right Day) to fight the expected two million foreclosures that are being threatened as a result of the subcrime scandal. He managed to round up support from City Council Members who flanked him at event that attracted little press—perhaps because the issue is so important, Now had Paris Hilton been there…

Jackson wants government and Wall Street firms to come up with solutions that include allowing homeowners to restructure their loans.. “Restructure, Don’t Repossess” was his slogan. He is suggesting an agency like the Resolution Trust agency that helped resolve the S&L crisis. While he is organizing a protest, he is also calling for a dialogue. When he ticked off the nature of the crisis, many of the City Council reps seem shocked themselves. Obiously they hadn’t been following it even if their offices was just blocks way from Wall Street and their communities were affected by it, Now,they are endorsing the protest.

He told me he hopes to encourage protests in 50 cities and mobilize state and local governments who will be adversely affected if so many people are thrown into the streets.

Almost as importantly, Jackson called on all the Presidential candidates to start speaking out as well. He refused to comment on Oprah’s endorsement of Chicago’ favorite sin Barrack Obama—Jesse did endorse him once—but ridiculed the debates for avoiding these central economic issues. The small crowd cheered his comments. Run Jess Run. The man has been doing this sort of thing ahead of the curve for decades surviving al they could throw at him not to mention his many mistakes. Respect. Word.

ACORN

Earlier, the organization ACORN has a very moving press conference in the same spot calling for action on behalf of tenants at Brooklyn’s Starrett City, a multi-racial housing deveopment built with state funds that is now up for sale. Already the tenants beat back one bit that would not consult with them and have vowed to do so again. They have done their political work well and rounded by support from city, state and federal officials.

They put a stress on affordability and pointed to the economic pressures confronting poor and working class people in a rapidly gentrifying city. I could really relate to their concerns as some who grew up in a union built housing project and who worked as community organize back in the 60s.

CYNTHIA

In the evening I was invited by former Congress member Cynthia McKinney to a lectue she gave at Baruch College. It was noted that 40,000 republicans crossed over to vote againt he bid for reelection in her District primary in Georgia. She lost but she is now moving into a larger arena. She gave me a new card she printed up announcing that she has put together a committee to explore a bid as a presidenetial candidate for the Green Party.

If Cynthia gets the opportunity, he presence will make presidential politics a while lot more interesting than ithey have been. She is a passionate and eloquent speaker and won a standing ovation. He lecture ranged over economic concerns, racial injustice and the need for Green policies. She is also interested in the issues I have been raising and says he want to do national tour screening my film IN DEBT WE TRUST

SOME ARTICLES OF INTEREST

James Rothenberg: The Iraqi Miracle - From Invasion to “Partnership”

Iraq’s government will “embrace a long-term U.S. troop presence in return for U.S. security guarantees [referred to in another business as a protection racket] as part of a strategic partnership… an enduring relationship in military, economic and political terms.”

Mike Whitney:A Dollar the Size of a Postage Stamp

The dollar was savaged by the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve. The Fed’s policies were designed to coincide with Bush’s Middle East Crusade. They were supposed to work like two wheels on the same axle.