[News] New Orleans - Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere! - Defend Public Housing
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Tue Jan 15 16:17:29 EST 2008
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!"
International Call to Defend Public Housing and
Stop Neo-Liberalism in New Orleans
The struggle for affordable housing and the right
to return in New Orleans is far from over! If
anything, the shameful and illegal City Council
vote for the demolition of public housing has
given greater clarity to the social struggle in
New Orleans. To advance this struggle, the
Coalition to Stop the Demolitions is calling on
all of our allies and supporters in the social
justice movements throughout the United States
and the World to stand with us on Friday, January
25th and Saturday, January 26th, 2008 for the
International Days of Action against the demolition of public housing.
Our General Aims and Objectives
The principle aims of our struggle are to stop
the advance of neo-liberalism and disaster
capitalism in New Orleans and the Mississippi
Gulf Coast. To accomplish this mission we must
end the march of privatizations and
dispossessions, including the demolitions of
public housing that are ravaging the Black
majority and working class of the city. We aim to
curtail this march by exerting as much political
pressure and economic reprisal as we can on the
US government, particularly the US Senate and New
Orleans City Officials, and the corporate
interests that seek to gain from the misery of the displaced and dispossessed.
Neo-liberalism is a conservative or right wing
ideology and political program that seeks to
restructure the governing institution of the
state to facilitate profit realization and
maximization for transnational corporations and
other private capital interests. The ideology and
program seeks to accomplish its goals by
eliminating taxes and social service spending,
privatizing state services and institutions (such
as housing, education, health care, pensions,
water, electricity, etc.), deregulating markets,
and eliminating various protections for workers
(such as the right to form labor unions) and the
environment (like various protection laws).
The International Days of Action
The Coalition is calling on its supporters
everywhere to engage in actions that target the
US Government, particularly the US Senate and its
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, on
either Friday, January 25th or Saturday, January
26th. Where these targets are not accessible, we
are asking supporters in the US to focus on other
members of Congress. On the International level,
we are asking that our supporters to focus your
attention on US Embassies and/or raise our issues
and demands within your existing actions.
The International Days of Action were also chosen
by the Coalition to stand in support of the
mobilization calls of the World Social Forum
(WSF) and the US Social Forum (USSF) for an
International Day of Action on January 26th, 2008
to unite the social action of the world's
progressive social movements against imperialism and neo-liberalism.
Other ways you can support the efforts of the Coalition
1. Make a donation to support the ongoing
organizing, coalition building, and mobilization
work of the Coalition. You can make a
tax-deductible donation to: the Mississippi
Disaster Relief Coalition (MDRC). Mail to: The
Mississippi Disaster Relief Coalition P.O. Box 31762 Jackson, MS 39286.
2. Produce media stories (articles,
editorials, and radio, television, and internet
broadcasts) covering the struggle for housing and
human rights in New Orleans and promoting the just demands of the Coalition.
3. Promote the "Stop Da Demolitions" Mixtape.
Available for download at
<http://www.peopleshurricane.org>www.peopleshurricane.org
or <http://www.mxgm.org>www.mxgm.org.
The Coalition to Stop the Demolition calls on our
national and international allies to support our
demands, which are as follows:
1. No Demolitions – reopen the existing units
and rebuild dignified housing at former public housing sites.
2. Guaranteed one-to-one replacement for all public housing residents.
3. All available public housing units should
be made available for the homeless and those
likely to face homelessness from the pending loss
of rent vouchers and trailer recalls.
4. The Federal government needs to suspend
demolition until they complete their own
investigation of Housing and Urban Development
head Alphonso Jackson regarding the illegal
no-bid contracts he awarded to his cronies.
5. Rent control (at pre-Katrina rates) to
provide deeply affordable housing so that all
will be able to return to the city.
6. Stop the privatization and gentrification of the city.
Resident Principles for Guiding Action
1. All actions should be non-violent.
2. There should be no weapons or drugs at any
actions, and no alcohol or drug or weapon possession at any action.
3. No destruction or defacement of resident property.
4. No coalition meetings without resident knowledge and input
5. No media without residents or resident knowledge.
6. Focus on defending public housing and
affordable housing in the city for all.
Federal Government Contact Information
George W. Bush - 202-456-1111
Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of HUD - (202) 708-1112
Mary Landrieu, US Senator, (D-LA) 202-224-5824; Fax: 202-224-9735
David Vitter, US Senator, (R-LA) - (504) 589-2753, DC Office (202)
224-4623
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Committee contacts – demand that they approve Senate bill 1668:
Senator David Vitter: New Orleans Office (504) 589-2753
Senator Christopher Dodd (202) 224-2823
Senator Tim Johnson (202) 224-1638
Senator Jack Reed (202) 224-4642
Senator Charles Schumer 202-224-0420
Senator Evan Bayh (202) 224-5623
Senator Tom Carper (202) 224-2441
Senator Robert Menendez (202) 224-4744
Senator Daniel Akaka (202) 224-6361
Senator Sherrod Brown (202) 224-2315
Senator Robert Casey (202) 224-6324
Senator Jon Tester (202) 224-2644
Senator Richard Shelby (202) 224-5744
Senator Robert Bennent (202) 224-5444
Senator Wayne Allard (202) 224-5941
Senator Michael Enzi (202) 224-3424
Senator Chuck Hagel (202) 224-4224
Senator Jim Bunning (202) 224-4343
Senator Mike Crapo (202) 224-6142
Senator John Sununu (202) 224-2841
Senator Elizabeth Dole (202) 224-6342
Senator Mel Martinez (202) 224-3041
New Orleans Mayor and City Council Contact Information
Mayor Ray Nagin – 504.658.4900
Arnie Fielkow 504.658.1060 <mailto:afielkow at cityofno.com>afielkow at cityofno.com
Jacquelyn Clarkson 504.658.1070
<mailto:jbclarkson at cityofno.com>jbclarkson at cityofno.com
Stacy Head 504.658.1020 <mailto:shead at cityofno.com>shead at cityofno.com
Shelly Midura 504.658.1010 <mailto:smidura at cityofno.com>smidura at cityofno.com
James Carter 504.658.1030 <mailto:jcarter at cityofno.com>jcarter at cityofno.com
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell 504.658.1040
<mailto:chmorrell at cityofno.com>chmorrell at cityofno.com
Cynthia Willard-Lewis
<mailto:504.658.1050cwlewis at cityofno.com>504.658.1050cwlewis at cityofno.com
Resources
1. Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund website
<http://www.peopleshurricane.org>http://www.peopleshurricane.org
2. Defend New Orleans Public Housing
<http://www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org/>http://www.defendneworleanspublichousing.org/
3. World Social Forum (WSF)
<http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=>http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_menu=
4. United States Social Forum (USSF)
<https://www.ussf2007.org/>https://www.ussf2007.org/
Contact Information
For more information email
<mailto:action at peopleshurricane.org>action at peopleshurricane.org
or call 504.458.3494.
In Unity and Struggle,
Kali Akuno
National Organizer, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
Coalition to Stop the Demolitions
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org
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