While the Democratic Party will try its best to co-opt the Occupy movement, posing as the party of the 99%, various left-wing campaigns are challenging this narrative. The Freedom Socialist Party 2012 presidential campaign of Stephen Durham for President and Christina López for vice-president stands for full employment, and end to all wars, and end to discrimination against all oppressed groups, and nationalization of key industries under the control of workers' councils. This socialist feminist campaign truly offers an alternative to the twin parties of capitalism. Have a question? Come out tomorrow and ask Stephen, the only presidential candidate campaigning in Poughkeepsie this election season.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Stop the Foreclosures! House the Homeless!
On Saturday, June 23 the first step was taken in the fight to end foreclosures in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley at large. After gathering at the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie, a group that swelled to about 100 marched through the city of Poughkeepsie, shining a light on the injustice of having people on the streets while homes lie vacant. While we marched, signs in hand and the spirit of solidarity in our hearts, we chanted lines such as "Money for jobs and education, not for banks and corporations!" and "They say foreclosure, we say takeover!" In between marching and chanting we stopped at three vacant homes. A speaker, megaphone in hand, discussed the profits of the bank that foreclosed on the home, and in one case, the amount of money made by the CEO ($76 million), underlining the lie that banks are forced to foreclose on a working family's home. At the last house, speakers from Community Voices Heard, one of the organizations spearheading the efforts planning the march, discussed their experiences with homelessness and the heartlessness of the banks. One especially eloquent woman wondered how our society could send men to the moon and fund great scientific and military advances and yet fail to figure out how to house its own citizens. She wondered also how her son would see the world, whether he would see the powers that be as utterly narcissistic or whether he would consider his mother to be worthless, undeserving even of a roof over her head. She didn't see either scenario as desirable. Following a last chant of "Money for jobs and education, Not for banks and corporations" led by housing defense advocate Blair Goodman, we were invited to a barbecue in the back of the bank-owned property. I suppose the scene was an affirmation of the Freedom Socialist Party's Steve Strauss' comment that there is nothing better than a "stuffed socialist."
Saturday's march was, above all, a call to local politicians to do something about stopping foreclosures and housing the homeless in Poughkeepsie. However, this call was by no means dis-empowering, because in the next breath was the declaration that should politicians do nothing about foreclosure and homelessness, we the people will act in defense of the community. There are around 300 vacant buildings in Poughkeepsie alone. That means 300 families currently living on the streets could be given a home right now should the government act to fix up vacant properties and give these families a home. This is our demand, and the responsibility falls on the government to act. Right now the ball is in their court. However, should they fail to act, we the people have the strength and courage to act independently. Should the government fail to act, the ball will fall in our court, and given the energy and strength of the activists who rallied on Saturday, we will score.
Read more articles from the June 23-30 issue of The Hudson Valley Radical in print
Saturday's march was, above all, a call to local politicians to do something about stopping foreclosures and housing the homeless in Poughkeepsie. However, this call was by no means dis-empowering, because in the next breath was the declaration that should politicians do nothing about foreclosure and homelessness, we the people will act in defense of the community. There are around 300 vacant buildings in Poughkeepsie alone. That means 300 families currently living on the streets could be given a home right now should the government act to fix up vacant properties and give these families a home. This is our demand, and the responsibility falls on the government to act. Right now the ball is in their court. However, should they fail to act, we the people have the strength and courage to act independently. Should the government fail to act, the ball will fall in our court, and given the energy and strength of the activists who rallied on Saturday, we will score.
Read more articles from the June 23-30 issue of The Hudson Valley Radical in print
Friday, June 22, 2012
Tomorrow in Poughkeepsie: March Against Foreclosure!
We couldn't print this paper if there weren't a lot of radicals in the Hudson Valley. Unfortunately, before now, many were either working in separate organizations without much contact, or were disillusioned with activism completely. However, all this changed with the advent of Occupy Poughkeepsie, which, like other local branches of the Occupy movement around the country, reinvigorated local opposition to the policies and politicians of capitalism, war, and inequality.
At an Occupy Poughkeepsie meeting on June 15th, members of Dutchess Peace, the International Socialist Organization, and WVKR's Activist Radio worked together to move the movement forward.
One of the top objectives of Occupy Poughkeepsie today is to stop home foreclosures in the city. The Foreclosure Working Group of Occupy Poughkeepsie has been working for weeks towards this goal. Thanks to this Working Group and to the work of Occupy Poughkeepsie as a whole, a march against foreclosure and the occupation of a vacant building is set to take place on June 23rd! This will be a major event and the kick-off of a serious campaign of foreclosure defense in Poughkeepsie, and eventually, in the Hudson Valley at large.
Speakers fresh out of a foreclosure defense conference in New York City spoke about the "shield and sword" strategy of foreclosure defense. Basically, the shield is organizing an legal defense against foreclosure intended to stop or stall the process. This is designed to have an impact on the individual level, and often is successful in stopping the bank from foreclosing on an individual or family's home then and there. If the "shield" is not enough to stop the foreclosure, there is the "sword", which is essentially the mobilization of the community in defense of the homeowner. To put pressure on a bank to stop a foreclosure, Occupy Poughkeepsie would organize rallies and marches. If this is still not enough, a third defense would be a community fundraising campaign to help the individual or family affected by foreclosure buy back their home.
However, none of this is possible without the mass mobilization of citizens in the Hudson Valley. Regardless of whether or not you live in Poughkeepsie, your participation in the march on the 23rd is crucial. This is the beginning of a campaign which holds the potential of having a huge impact on the community we live in.
Fight the bankers!
Defend the people!
Meet June 23rd, 2012 at 11:00 AM @ Family Partnership Center, 29 North Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie NY
Occupy Poughkeepsie
Occupy Poughkeepsie Facebook
Read more articles from the June 16-23 edition of The Hudson Valley Radical
At an Occupy Poughkeepsie meeting on June 15th, members of Dutchess Peace, the International Socialist Organization, and WVKR's Activist Radio worked together to move the movement forward.
One of the top objectives of Occupy Poughkeepsie today is to stop home foreclosures in the city. The Foreclosure Working Group of Occupy Poughkeepsie has been working for weeks towards this goal. Thanks to this Working Group and to the work of Occupy Poughkeepsie as a whole, a march against foreclosure and the occupation of a vacant building is set to take place on June 23rd! This will be a major event and the kick-off of a serious campaign of foreclosure defense in Poughkeepsie, and eventually, in the Hudson Valley at large.
Speakers fresh out of a foreclosure defense conference in New York City spoke about the "shield and sword" strategy of foreclosure defense. Basically, the shield is organizing an legal defense against foreclosure intended to stop or stall the process. This is designed to have an impact on the individual level, and often is successful in stopping the bank from foreclosing on an individual or family's home then and there. If the "shield" is not enough to stop the foreclosure, there is the "sword", which is essentially the mobilization of the community in defense of the homeowner. To put pressure on a bank to stop a foreclosure, Occupy Poughkeepsie would organize rallies and marches. If this is still not enough, a third defense would be a community fundraising campaign to help the individual or family affected by foreclosure buy back their home.
However, none of this is possible without the mass mobilization of citizens in the Hudson Valley. Regardless of whether or not you live in Poughkeepsie, your participation in the march on the 23rd is crucial. This is the beginning of a campaign which holds the potential of having a huge impact on the community we live in.
Fight the bankers!
Defend the people!
Meet June 23rd, 2012 at 11:00 AM @ Family Partnership Center, 29 North Hamilton Street, Poughkeepsie NY
Occupy Poughkeepsie
Occupy Poughkeepsie Facebook
Read more articles from the June 16-23 edition of The Hudson Valley Radical
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Welcome to the Hudson Valley Branch of Unite Left!
This is the internet home of the Hudson Valley, NY branch of Unite Left!, a socialist feminist organization. We will soon update this site to include articles from our newspaper, The Hudson Valley Radical and links to local left-wing organizations and demonstrations in the area. Visit Unite Left's main site at www.uniteleft.com
Read the latest edition of the Hudson Valley Radical in PDF format
Read the latest edition of the Hudson Valley Radical in PDF format
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