Dallas Joins National Protests Against the Hostage Crisis Settlement
On August 3, MoveOn said that "100,000 people called, visited, and protested members of Congress in our fight against the bad debt deal." The previous day, the Senate passed and President Obama signed the "Emergency Debt Bill." We hit the street in front of Senator Kay Bailey Hutcheson's office on HIghway 75. Around 50 signed up, and at least 16 actually braved the 105 degree heat to stand for an hour on the service road. The group tended to be older people, perhaps because we were not working.
Eighty-year old Jan Sanders, an outstanding Democratic Party activist known to all, went up to the Senator's office, but found it locked. A note said that only those with appointments would be admitted, and that they were guarding against terrorists. "Eighty year old terrorist!" harumphed Sister Sanders, and added, "I guess all we have left in this country is democracy by appointment!"
There's a video on our little group at http://youtu.be/aVHqxUD5L-Y
I made a few recordings for my radio show, Monday mornings 7-8 on KNON, 89.3 FM and www.knon.org. It's quarterly fund drive on the radio station, so I'll be hoping to raise the $1,000 needed to stay on the air for another 3 months. Help me if you can.
No jobs vigil on First Friday in August
I really regret that I can't organize the regular monthly vigil in front of the Bureau of Labor Statistics office in downtown Dallas. It was the perfect time to hold it, with more than half of America outraged by a hostage crisis that left us with more cuts, more cuts coming, and a certain worsening of the jobs crisis as even more public employees lose their jobs. Additionally, the statistics indicate that the companies are planinng even more layoffs and the economy is taking a hit. We've been saying for sometime that unemployment is likely to stay at these horrible highs until the next inevitable economic downturn makes it even worse. That downturn may have arrived!
But National Jobs with Justice wants me and other activists at their conference in Washington DC August 5-7, so no vigil.
But activity will pick up
MoveOn had called for actions on August 8, but I can't find out whatever happened to that. They did call for another return to Republican congressperson's offices on August 10. We should support it, but I'm not certain it's the best call for North Texans who have had more than enough of this jobs crisis. We could certainly do an evening vigil at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or a short march past it between City Hall and Ferris Plaza. We could also picket the Federal Reserve Building.
Let me know what you think would work. I'll be ready for action as soon as I get back from DC.
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