At 10:42 AM 8/20/2004, robert mast wrote:
>
>Two recent Detroit-area events were arranged by activists whose hard-left
>credentials go way back. First, hundreds of flyers were distributed to
>patrons of "The Corporation" at two local cinemas, to promote a public
>discussion at a local church. Three off-the-street people
>attended. Second, 100 invitations to a rare general membership meeting of
>a local political-labor body were sent via U.S. mail. Exclusive of the
>organizers, five members attended (average age = about 60). The good
>news: <news:> these meetings were held. The bad news: <news:>
attendance was lousy.
>
>Other meetings in the Detroit area were being held at the same time. I'm
>aware of the details of some, but most receive little attention.
Bob,
Here is another recent Detroit, left event.
Charles
^^^^^^
Watson gets heat for support of laid-off workers
By Bankole Thompson The Michigan Citizen
DETROIT - In her defense of laid-off city workers, city Councilwoman JoAnn Watson is giving deaf ears to calls for her resignation from people she described as "detractors." Watson came under fire recently for reportedly asking, during a July 28 city council meeting, for laid-off workers to organize a general strike.
The meeting, attended by council members Barbara Rose-Collins, Sharon McPhail and President Maryann Mahaffey, was open to anyone who wished to "speak against cutbacks of public services and public workers," Watson said.""
She said the meeting was not privately held, as reported by some media outlets. The session was on the city council's daily agenda and was advertised on channel 10, the city's cable television, prior to the session.
"I'm proud to stand up for the rights of laid-off workers," Watson said. "Working-class people are the life blood of our community." In the wake of the meeting with laid-off workers, Shannon Holmes, one of the council's attorneys, reportedly held a private meeting with Councilwomen Sheila Cockrel and Kay Everett. Central to that meeting was the issue of a possible investigation of Watson's alleged call for a "general strike."
Fox 2 interviewed Everett and the attorney, who said on air that the law bans employees from advocating strikes. Watson, who is not an employee but an elected representative, was not interviewed.
"Shannon should be ashamed of herself and so should Sheila and Kay," McPhail said. "I don't think this will go anywhere."
Watson said she was disappointed that Holmes would choose to conspire against her.
"I would assume that all attorneys from the General Counsel's office were aware that their office represents the entire Detroit City Council, and such knowledge should preclude inappropriate legal counsel being provided to some council members to denigrate the rights of other council members," Watson said.
Holmes was a candidate in the city council's special election in 2003, which brought Watson to the council in a sweeping victory against the major media favorite, Gil Hill.
McPhail said Watson, as an elected official and not a city employee, was entitled to speak her mind.
"She has the right of free speech," McPhail said. "No one will let them do anything to her."
McPhail said what Cockrel and Everett need to do "is take a look at their work closely."
Watson said that, in the light of dissipated city services, "It is incumbent upon elected leaders to represent the interests of the citizens with the greatest needs."
William Heard, a supporter of Watson, said, "The city council needs to be about the business of the people, and stop grand standing."
Of Everett and Cockrel, Williams said, "They need to take a judgmental beam at themselves and realize they need to be advocating for those who elect them into office."
He added, "If they did that they would not have time to make accusations against a fellow council member."
E-mail: bthompson at michigancitizen.com
Michigan Citizen EDITORIAL: Watson's support of workers - what government is supposed to do
For the first time in a very long time, Detroiters have been treated to real representative government. It came in the form of JoAnn Watson and her dramatic support for laid-off city workers.
While the liaison from the corporation counsel was conspiring with Kay "Rag tag" Everett and Sheila Cockrel in a back room, to attack their counterpart, Councilwoman JoAnn Watson, Watson was holding steadfast to her commitment to her constituents and city taxpayers, the laid off transportation department workers.
The local Fox station, Channel Two, bought into the conspiracy to try to make Watson look bad, and aired a "report" interviewing the liaison from the mayor's office and Everett without giving Watson a chance to set the record straight.
Most residents of the city saw through the effort to diminish one of the few true people's representatives sitting on council. Watson, as an elected official, not only is not banned from speaking up and advocating on behalf of city workers, she has the obligation to speak out.
Detroit city unions are particularly weak when facing the mayor's job-cutting hatchet, and have been strangely quiet for the last decade. But not Watson. We agree with her: Strike, sit-down, slow-down, do whatever it takes to re-prioritize city spending to maintain jobs.
We do not buy the right-wing spiel that cutting jobs and privatizing saves money. No privatization advocate has ever shown any of us that dumping workers saves money. We do know that the corporations taking the work away from public employees always find a way of hiring fewer folk to work harder for less money and no benefits. Any way you slice it, the only progress is the corporations' bottom line.
Neighborhoods lose employed residents, who maintain homes and provide for families. The city further loses its tax base, family by family. To us, it is insane to undermine the city's stable base.
We urge the public to support Watson. We urge her city council companions to join her and save those jobs. We need more, not fewer, bus drivers. Detroit is like the underdeveloped world when it comes to public transportation, as our local economy demonstrates.
And Channel Two needs to send its reporters to a journalism 101 course - reporters are supposed to dig out the facts, not let conspirators have free, unchallenged access to the airwaves and call it news.
Wake up, Detroit!