organizing

Monitor http://www.freemumia.com/ and http://abu-jamal-news.com/ for news, analysis and emergency response plans

The Supreme Court has tossed out a lower court ruling that nullified the death sentence for former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal. The appeals court now has the option of re-imposing the death sentence or ordering a new federal trial to hear other claims of injustice raised by Abu-Jamal.

A National Conference of progressive activists to take place in August of 2010 in Philadelphia has been proposed by local activists who wish to invite anyone interested in participating in the organizing of such a conference to come to a meeting on Jan. 23 at 1:00 PM at the A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. The purpose of the conference is to bring together progressives from all walks of life to discuss how to deal with today’s issues and concerns, and to make it a successful conference, it will take the participation of all of us.

The January 17th planning meeting for May 13, 2010 activities is at 4:00pm at A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. in Phila

learn more about MOVE at www.onamove.org

The Mill Creek Farm and Brown Street Community Garden

By Jade Walker, co-director The Mill Creek Farm, with Suzy Subways

“The [Brown Street Community Garden] has been around for 30 years (I remember when the houses caved in on that site and it was just an eyesore for many years) and it now brings much enjoyment to the community. My mother (now deceased), a country girl, had a space in the garden and planted much of the vegetables that eventually found their way to our dinner table. It brought such contentment to many of our senior citizens and lightened their food budgets. Now I am a senior citizen trying to raise my grandson who just turned 13 (my daughter is deceased) and trying to find everything imaginable to keep him occupied and out of trouble.... He spends as much time as possible with the [Mill Creek Farm] staff and he is learning about farming/gardening and he also helps set up the stand to sell the fruits of their labor.”

—Engrid R. Bullock, neighbor

By Milena Velis and Bryan Mercer

Philadelphia is in crisis. People across the city are feeling the effects of the global economic downturn and wondering what the future will bring for them and their families. The city has finally resolved a long, drawn out, and deeply unsettling budgeting process, and it feels like the dust has finally settled. But even though massive service cuts and layoffs are off the table for now, this economic crisis is far from over, and we in Philadelphia now have a clear idea of the kinds of solutions our city government is willing to present.

The lesson we can learn from a year of repeated deficit announcements, “civic engagement” budget workshops, and political negotiations, is that the poor and working people of the city are paying for this crisis. In a city rife with both wealth and poverty, it's clear that our government’s primary agenda is to attract and protect business, and not to make sure that the wealth generated here meets the basic needs of Philadelphia’s residents. If the city government continues down the path it has chosen, it can only lead us to a broken state that exists to serve business need before public need, abandoning the interests of the majority of Philadelphians. The only solution to the crisis we are currently facing is an independent politics that addresses the real roots of our situation.

AIDS Policy in the Obama Era

by Kaytee Riek

When President Obama took office in 2009, AIDS activists celebrated the historic occasion. The first black president, the first president to have been a community organizer, is also the first president to come to office with an AIDS plan. It was activist pressure that spurred the president to release his ambitious plan on the campaign trail, and it will be activist pressure that helps him live up to it. Nearly a year into Obama’s presidency, it is time to look back on the development of the plan and take stock of where we are in implementing it.

On September 29th, more than 60 Casino-Free activists gathered at the SugarHouse Casino construction site in Fishtown. Making a bold stand against casinos in Philadelphia, they locked arms and blocked construction trucks from entering the site. Fourteen of the activists who were prepared to engage in civil disobedience were arrested, taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct.

From Casino Free Philadelphia’s statement on that day:

Ronald E. Blount, Chief of the 1,200 member Taxi Union was recently acquitted by a jury on charges of choking a woman during a dispute over using a credit card to pay for her fare from the airport. He offered to take her to an ATM to get cash, but she insisted on using a corporate credit card, so he reportedly told her “you just got a free ride.” Blount admitted to violating Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) taxi rules by not being equipped to handle credit in his cab, and to arguing with her. The Alliance has been in disagreement with the insistence that such equipment be installed as drivers have to pay for it and are charged for each use. However, he denied the allegations that he choked the fare and said that instead he helped her from the car when she fell backwards getting out. Despite claims that she had been choked, there was no evidence to support her allegations. The Alliance fights for taxi driver’s rights and protections ; they have battled the PPA over the credit card system and the use of GPS (Global Positioning Tracking Systems) which, again drivers have to pay to have installed and violates their privacy. Blount is glad to get back to his duties.

Check out the Taxi Workers Alliance at http://www.twapa.org/