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For Immediate Release
September, 18 2013, 03:03pm EDT
Contact:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
With Record Number in Poverty; Food Stamp Cuts?
McClatchy reports: "Republicans in the House of Representatives want to cut food stamp funding by $40 billion, despite a government report earlier this month that showed 17.6 million households had trouble putting enough food on the table last year."
WASHINGTON
McClatchy reports: "Republicans in the House of Representatives want to cut food stamp funding by $40 billion, despite a government report earlier this month that showed 17.6 million households had trouble putting enough food on the table last year."
TIMOTHY CASEY, ELIZABETH GRAYER, tcasey at legalmomentum.org
Casey is senior staff attorney with Legal Momentum, "the nation's oldest legal defense and education fund dedicated to advancing the rights of all women and girls." He said today: "The poverty report for 2012 just released by the Census Bureau indicates that the poverty rate was 15.0 percent in 2012, the same as in 2011, but well above the 12.3 percent rate in 2006, the year prior to the beginning of the 'Great Recession.' The 15 percent rate was the fourth highest in the past 45 years. The 40.9 percent poverty rate for single mother families was tied for the highest since 1997. The number of poor people, 46.5 million, was the highest ever.
"Adult women had a higher poverty rate than adult men in 2012 as they have had in every year since official poverty measurement began in the 1960s. The poverty rate for women was 14.5 percent compared to 11.0 percent for men."
Legal Momentum just issued a report: "Women's Poverty in the United States, 2012 -Poverty Rate Remains High, Gender Poverty Gap Persists."
Legal Momentum President Elizabeth Grayer states: "The Census data highlight the serious hardship facing many American families in the current economic crisis. The data indicate a high poverty rate and a continuing gender poverty gap in the United States -- facts that underscore the need for a social safety net that is accessible and adequate. Congress must reject the proposals for cuts in Food Stamps as those cuts would increase hunger and hardship. And it is time for Congress to enact sorely needed improvements in the TANF [Temporary Assistance to Needy Families] program that would raise sub-poverty benefit levels and reduce the barriers that prevent eligible families from accessing benefits."
A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.
LATEST NEWS
Under Massive Pressure Amid Ohio Crisis, Norfolk Southern Agrees to Paid Sick Leave Deal
"Norfolk Southern must be in the midst of some bad publicity for it to sign an agreement with around 3,000 unionized maintenance-of-way workers for seven paid sick days," remarked one journalist.
Feb 23, 2023
Facing intense scrutiny and backlash over the toxic derailment of one of its trains in eastern Ohio, Norfolk Southern on Wednesday reached a deal with a leading rail union to provide up to a week of paid sick leave per year to around 3,000 track maintenance workers.
Under the agreement, Norfolk Southern will immediately give four workdays of paid sick leave annually to maintenance employees who previously had none, an industry-wide outrage that nearly led to a national rail strike late last year.
The deal will also allow employees to "utilize up to a maximum of three paid personal leave days per year as paid sick leave."
Tony Cardwell, president of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED), said in a statement that "after 45 years of fighting for this issue, the carrier and union have accomplished what is needed for those who contribute the most to railroad profits, the workers on the ballast line."
Speaking to Freight Waves, BMWED media representative Clark Ballew stressed that while the paid sick leave agreement is "a good development in an industry that is in dire need of positive momentum," it is "not the end" of workers' fight for basic quality-of-life benefits.
"Our members are tasked with rebuilding the track of the [East] Palestine derailment and it is imperative that they have resources available that keep them safe and healthy at a site that many would be apprehensive to work," Ballew said. "Paid sick time is one of those resources, but there are several others, and we expect NS to start doing right by their employees and the public and afford all resources necessary to not exacerbate an already bad situation."
Norfolk Southern, which has around 19,000 employees total, is the third Class 1 railroad in the past month to agree to provide paid sick leave to some of its workers after aggressively fighting unions' demands for years, including during recent White House-brokered negotiations that produced a contract with zero paid sick days.
Congress voted in December to impose the contract on workers after unions representing a majority of U.S. rail employees rejected it and threatened to strike.
The sick leave deal comes as Norfolk Southern is under mounting pressure after one of its trains crashed and spewed hazardous chemicals earlier this month in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio.
"Norfolk Southern must be in the midst of some bad publicity for it to sign an agreement with around 3,000 unionized maintenance-of-way workers for seven paid sick days," respondedThe American Prospect's David Dayen.
The East Palestine wreck, its toxic aftermath, and Norfolk Southern's handling of the clean-up process spurred a close examination of the company's efforts in recent years to kill safety rules that could have prevented or mitigated the impacts of the derailment. The company, along with other rail giants, has persistently lobbied both Republicans and Democrats, successfully beating back attempts to upgrade train braking systems and more strictly regulate freight cars carrying hazardous materials.
"Amid the lobbying blitz against stronger transportation safety regulations, Norfolk Southern paid executives millions and spent billions on stock buybacks—all while the company shed thousands of employees despite warnings that understaffing is intensifying safety risks," The Leverreported earlier this month. "Norfolk Southern officials also fought off a shareholder initiative that could have required company executives to 'assess, review, and mitigate risks of hazardous material transportation.'"
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'Victory for the Afghan People' as US Judge Blocks 9/11 Families From Seizing Frozen Assets
"This money belongs to the Afghan people, and no one else," said Afghans for a Better Tomorrow, a coalition of Afghan-American community groups.
Feb 22, 2023
A coalition of Afghan-American community organizations on Wednesday welcomed a U.S. federal judge's ruling rejecting a bid by relatives of 9/11 victims to seize billions of dollars in assets belonging to the people of Afghanistan.
In a 30-page opinion issued Tuesday, Judge George B. Daniels of the Southern District of New York denied an effort by family members of people killed during the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States to gain access to $3.5 billion in frozen funds from Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country's central bank.
"The judgment creditors are entitled to collect on their default judgments and be made whole for the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history, but they cannot do so with the funds of the central bank of Afghanistan," Daniels wrote. "The Taliban—not the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Afghan people—must pay for the Taliban's liability in the 9/11 attacks."
"We support the 9/11 families' quest for just compensation, but believe justice will not be achieved by 'raiding the coffers'... of a people already suffering."
The frozen assets are currently being held by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the wake of the Taliban's reconquest of the nation that, under the militant group's previous rule, hosted al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and other figures involved in planning and executing the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The 9/11 attacks resulted in a U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Afghanistan that lasted nearly two decades, the longest war in American history.
"We are pleased to see that Judge Daniels shares the same assessment we laid out in our amicus brief to the court: That this money belongs to the Afghan people, and no one else," the coalition—Afghans for a Better Tomorrow (AFBT)—said in a statement.
\u201c\u2705 VICTORY FOR THE AFGHAN PEOPLE\n\nOur coalition of Afghan-American community organizations welcomes a judgment by a federal judge that rejects a bid to seize assets by the families of the victims of the September 11th attacks. \n\nOur full statement: https://t.co/mZct0WbZSU\u201d— Afghans For A Better Tomorrow (@Afghans For A Better Tomorrow) 1677095507
In February 2022, the Biden administration said it would split $7 billion in frozen DAB funds between the people of Afghanistan and victims of the 9/11 attacks who sued the Taliban—a move that one critic warned would amount to a "death sentence for untold numbers of civilians" in a war-ravaged country reeling from multiple humanitarian crises including widespread starvation.
Last August, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn said that 9/11 families should not be allowed to use billions of frozen DAB funds to pay off legal judgments against the Taliban.
"Just like the families of the September 11th attack victims, the Afghan people are no stranger to the Taliban's brutality and rule," AFBT co-director Arash Azizzada said. "We support the 9/11 families' quest for just compensation, but believe justice will not be achieved by 'raiding the coffers,' as Judge Daniels put [it], of a people already suffering."
\u201cThis wouldn\u2019t have been possible without the selfless efforts of many 9/11 victims\u2019 families \u2014 from @PeacefulTomorro and beyond \u2014 that refused to let their own tragedy be used to justify another tragedy for the Afghan people \nhttps://t.co/ehphzAqIPI\u201d— Michael Galant (@Michael Galant) 1677029836
Homaira Hosseini, a board member of coalition member Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO), asserted that "an appeal of this decision, which the 9/11 families have stated they will pursue, will only cause further harm to both Afghans and the families involved."
"We continue to encourage these families to seek legal retribution elsewhere," Hosseini added, "and to not further harm Afghans in the process."
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Seattle Becomes First US City to Ban Caste Discrimination With Kshama Sawant Ordinance
The Socialist Alternative Seattle Councilmember stressed that "caste discrimination doesn't only take place in other countries" and said she hopes the new law will become a "beacon" for other cities to follow.
Feb 22, 2023
The Seattle City Council voted Tuesday for the first U.S. ban on caste-based discrimination, a move the measure's socialist sponsor hopes will inspire similar legislation nationwide.
The council voted 6-1 in favor of an ordinance by District 3 Councilmember Kshama Sawant of the Socialist Alternative party that adds caste as a protected class to a long list that includes age, race, religion, gender identity, national origin, immigration status, disability, and military status.
Caste discrimination will now be banned in fields including employment, housing, and public accommodation. People experiencing caste-based discrimination will also be able to file official complaints.
Not only is it the first such law in the U.S., it's the first in the world outside South Asia.
"This bill is not technically complicated, it's a very simple question: Should discrimination based on caste be allowed to continue in Seattle?" Sawant said in a packed City Hall before Tuesday's vote.
\u201cIt\u2019s official: our movement has WON a historic, first-in-the-nation ban on caste discrimination in Seattle! Now we need to build a movement to spread this victory around the country \u270a\u201d— Kshama Sawant (@Kshama Sawant) 1677025300
Sawant, who is Indian-American, called the measure "profound and historic" and expressed hope that it will serve as a "beacon" for other cities to follow.
"If... you marched in the Black Lives Matter movement or you desire to live in a society free of racism, racial discrimination, sexism, or misogyny, then you should be paying attention," she toldCNN before the vote. "Because while caste oppression or discrimination does not affect all Americans, the way it manifests itself is no different than other types of oppression under capitalism."
Emotions and tensions ran high in City Hall before, during, and after the vote. Yogesh Mane, who grew up Dalit—the lowest caste—in India, wept as he heard the council's decision.
"I'm emotional because this is the first time such an ordinance has been passed anywhere in the world outside of South Asia," he told the Associated Press. "It's a historic moment."
\u201cSeattle on Tuesday banned discrimination based on caste, a division of people based on birth or descent, becoming the first US city and the first in the world outside South Asia to do so https://t.co/NjrgWGZatl\u201d— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Bloomberg Quicktake) 1677079461
The caste system, which has existed in South Asia for millennia, divides Hindus into groups including Brahmins (priests and teachers); Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors); Vaishyas (farmers, merchants, and traders); Shudras (laborers); and Dalits (street and latrine cleaners).
Although India's constitution, whose drafting was led by the Dalit scholar Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, officially banned caste-based discrimination, those on the lower rungs—especially the Dalits—continue to suffer endemic discrimination and frequent violence. Such bigotry has been inflamed by the rise of Hindu nationalism in recent decades, and during the tenure of right-wing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Advocates of the ordinance in Washington state's largest city stressed that caste-based bigotry is by no means limited to South Asia.
"Caste discrimination doesn't only take place in other countries," Sawant—who grew up in a middle-class Brahmin family in Mumbai—said in a statement announcing the introduction of her bill. "It is faced by South Asian-American and other immigrant working people in their workplaces, including in the tech sector, in Seattle and in cities around the country."
"We know that caste discrimination has been growing in the United States across many industries, including technology, construction, restaurants, and the service industry, and in domestic work," she added. "Caste discrimination is increasingly a grave contributor to workplace discrimination and bias—data from Equality Labs show that 1 in 4 caste-oppressed people faced physical and verbal assault, 1 in 3 faced education discrimination, and 2 in 3 faced workplace discrimination."
\u201cLove has won over hate as Seattle has become the first in the nation to ban caste discrimination. We have braved rape threats, death threats, disinformation, and bigotry. Thank you to the 200 organizations who stood with us! Thank you to the 30 caste oppressed civil rights\u2026\u201d— Dalit Diva (@Dalit Diva) 1677028030
Sawant continued:
Just as racism is not the result of an "inevitable" racial friction between white and Black people, caste oppression has also been maintained by the class structure of capitalist society in South Asia and now in the United States.
Beyond winning reforms such as this one, working people in our city, nationally, and internationally need to unite and build mass movements to fight for a socialist society. Because as long as an exploitative and rapacious system like capitalism exists, oppression will be endemic. The only way to end caste, racial, gender, and other oppressions is for the working class to fight for a different kind of world.
Caste-based discrimination is at the center of a case making its way through a California state court in which a former engineer at Cisco Systems says he was excluded from meetings and passed up for promotions because he is Dalit.
\u201cCaste discrimination inside tech companies is a huge problem (as I reported in 2020: \nhttps://t.co/iIxy6SSzmZ) \n\nGiven that Seattle is home to Microsoft and Amazon, the city becoming the first in the US to ban caste discrimination is a huge move.....\n\nhttps://t.co/iupKhiOMnM\u201d— David Gilbert (@David Gilbert) 1677072331
One Seattle-area tech worker, who gave only the name Maya for fear of retaliation, toldTheSeattle Times that she has been the target of workplace caste discrimination because she is Dalit. Maya said her manager rebuffed an offer to volunteer for a work project, telling her, "You better not touch the project because you're ill-fated."
"It might not sound like something major, but for us, it completely resonates with the caste and untouchability because not touching is what all of the dominant-caste people have made rules around for so long," Maya explained. "That's why we are called untouchables. We're not supposed to touch anything or anyone."
"Caste is an evil that has been practiced for more than 3,000 years now," she added. "We carry the genetic trauma of caste for such a long time already. But if we don't have caste protections, then this is going to affect even the next generations."
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