----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 4:13 AM
Subject: [MLK_Coalition] EMERGENCY RESPONSE COALITION CALL TO ACTION: CITY
BUDGET CUTS PRESS CONFERENCE 5/18 10 A.M.
"Freedom is not won by a passive acceptance of suffering. Freedom is won by a
struggle against suffering."
--- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dear MLK Coalition Members and Friends:
On Thursday afternoon I attended a meeting organized by MLK activist Nyabingi
Kuti (who is also the head of Urban Progressives). Present at the meeting were
a number of individuals from a range of disparate groupings and institutions
based in the L.A. area. What we all shared in common was a sense of urgency
about the upcoming budget discussions slated to take place in the city council
this coming week. I"m sure we are all aware of the proposals to reduce
essential city services for our communities, lay-off some city employees and
reduce pay, health benefits and retirement provisions for thousands of others.
These proposals are merely the first wave of a "tsunami" of economic fallout
that will come crashing down on our communities over the next few months. City
budget cuts will soon be followed by additional state budget cuts. State budget
cuts will in turn be compounded by deep proposed federal budget cuts, which are
currently being debated in Congress. As I said, we will literally be facing a
tsunami of political and economic blows that will be hitting us from every
side. Among other things, this is the product of a failure of political
leadership at every level of our society. We are living in an era when massive
disparities of wealth and political power have been mounting year after year.
The giant banks and corporations have long since mastered the game of
manipulating the economy, the politicians and political institutions, and
everything else that moves --- including us! It is time for us to collectively
call a halt to this insanity! It is time for us --- "the people", "the
electorate", "the masses" --- to intervene in the political process on our own
behalf, while we still have the freedom and the collective will to do so!
Over the past several months, a number of resistance efforts have been
germinating here in the Los Angeles area:
a.. In mid-January, a coalition of local non-profit service organizations and
agencies held a joint rally in downtown L.A. to protest state budget proposals
which would eliminate or cripple their ability to provide essential
services.These agencies have continued to organize collectively to fight budget
cuts by lobbying the state legislature, organizing in the community and
conducting educational work on the impact that cuts will have on community
living standards.
b.. In mid-February, city employees, through their unions, organized a
Valentine's Day action at City Hall to protest proposals to cut many basic city
services. They later joined with other unions on March 26th in a major march
for labor and community solidarity. They are currently facing efforts by the
city administration to impose massive furlows, lay-offs and/or reductions in
pay, health and pension benefits on them.
c.. On March 19th, the Answer Coalition's March Against War mobilized
thousands of people demanding an end to the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and
Lybia, and the use of our public funds to support education, health care and
other necessary public services instead.
d.. Over the past several weeks, students, parents and teachers --- at both
the secondary and college levels --- have organized a variety of demonstrations
and protests against tuition hikes, massive lay-offs of teachers, and the
elimination of programs. There are efforts underway, even as I write, to build
and extend this fight. (On Tuesday, May 24th, the Youth Justice Coalition and
several other progressive organizations will be organizing a "Car March" to
LAUSD headquarters to protest cuts and defend the right of students to get an
education. I've forwarded information on this action, and a planning meeting in
prep for it, to you yesterday. Please make an effort to give it your active
support.)
e.. On Monday, I will be boarding a bus to Sacramento, along with Bilal Ali
and other local activists who will be lobbying the state legislature this
Tuesday (May 17th) on behalf of food access programs throughout the state.
a.. The MLK Coalition has participated in and supported ALL of the above
actions since our formation in January. At our last meeting we agreed to make
the struggle against budget cuts (and their impact) our highest priority.
For all of the above reasons, on behalf of the Los Angeles Coffee Party, the
KPFK Community Advisory Board and the Martin Luther King Coalition, I strongly
endorse the attached call to action from the Emergency Response Coalition (see
below). We are calling on all concerned organizations and community residents
to show up at the L.A. City Council meeting at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 18th.
Sign up and speak out against the destruction and privatization of public
services! Demand better use and administration of our tax dollars! Demand
changes in taxation policy at every governmental level. (Start taxing the giant
corporations, the banks, and the super-rich!) We must continue to demand the
end of massive expenditures of our tax dollars on military adventures in Iraq,
Afghanistan and elsewhere, and also demand an immediate end to the war being
waged against us, right here "at home"!
No More Lay-Offs, No More Cuts, and No More Communities Down the Drain!!!
For more information, please contact me at 213-884-5190 or Nyabingi Kuti at
818-660-3106.
Kwazi Nkrumah,
Chair, KPFK Community Advisory Board,
Coordinator of Locals, Los Angeles Coffee Party,
Coordinating Committee, Martin Luther King Coalition For Jobs, Justice and
Peace.
(Please read the info. below and click the links. We encourage and seek
endorsements and participation in the press conference, as well public comments
before the City Council. I also suggest that if you plan to come, get there
well ahead of 9:00 a.m.)
Citizens of Los Angeles
Call To Action
Press Conference
City Hall 10 A.M. Wednesday May 18
On Wednesday May 18 at 10 A.M., the City Council of Los Angeles will vote
to decrease fire, police and other core essential services to its citizens,
while asking us all to pay more.
The time has come to unite to tell our elected officials that the waste,
fraud, neglect MUST stop.
I urge you to come to City Hall and be heard....
The lack of leadership, the lack of a real fiscal plan, the lack of
services and the disrespect towards the city workers must stop now..
Join us in telling the City Council.. NO to reductions of core essential
services...
Information flier link is below.
Please forward it to all of your lists.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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