The ECFA monthly creative music series round two

The ECFA monthly creative music series round two

(8pm chamber music)
-the travis weller trio is...
travis weller: violin |
james alexander: viola |
brent fariss: bass |

(9pm afro beat)
-the mikado-

Location:
Rhizome Collective
(300 E Allen St)

Cost: sliding scale: $0 to $100

Organizer:

URL: rhizomecollective.org/eventsCalendar.html

Community Forum

This open forum will address social justice issues facing Baltimore communities.

[(Re)living Democracy is a project that turns the Contemporary Museum into a public platform for participation in a discussion on urban and social policies. Focusing on the history of East Baltimore and its current struggle over urban redevelopment, the project and its programs question the unjust system that allows the decision of a powerful few to determine the fate of entire communities.]

Location:
Contemporary Museum
100 West Centre Street

Cost: FREE

Organizer:

"Red Squad" & "Anarchism In America" Docs

A Tribute to Pacific Street Films

Childhood friends Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher founded Pacific Street Films in 1969 while studying under Martin Scorsese at NYU. While filming undercover agents who were suspected of showing up at protest rallies, Fischler and Sucher themselves were harassed, photographed, and arrested. This experience became the basis for their first documentary Red Squad, completed in 1971. Since then, they have directed and produced a series of non-fiction films known for illuminating and exploring modern American social history.

This program is co-presented with the Boston Jewish Film Festival.

Directors in Person Friday
Screening on January 7 (Friday) 7 pm
January 8 (Saturday) 9:30 pm

Red Squad

Directed by Steven Fischler, Joel Sucher, Howard Blatt and Francis Freedland
US, 1972, b/w, 45 min.

This investigative (but frequently humorous) film documents the surveillance activities of the New York City Police Department's Bureau of Special Services, known as the Red Squad. The film pitted Fischler and Sucher against the forces of both the police and the FBI's surveillance units, which were ever-present at the many anti-war demonstrations in the early 1970s. While documenting events at a protest rally, the two filmmakers became the subject of police surveillance and eventually amassed a hefty FBI file.

Anarchism in America

Directed by Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher
US, 1982, color, 75 min.

A colorful and provocative survey of anarchism in America, the film attempts to dispel popular misconceptions and trace the historical development of the movement. The film explores the movement both as a native American philosophy stemming from 19th century American traditions of individualism, and as a foreign ideology brought to America by immigrants. The film features rare archival footage and interviews with significant personalities in anarchist history including Murray Boochkin and Karl Hess, and also live performance footage of the Dead Kennedys.

Location:
Harvard Film Archive

URL: http://www.harvardfilmarchive.org

Pren la paraula

Acte públic de valoració del primer any de l'Indymedia de la Plana.

Location:
Casal Popular de Castelló. C\ Jordi Joan 37

Organizer:

Rueda de Prensa

El Frente Canario del No a la Constitución Europea, convoca rueda de prensa para el viernes 7 de enero a las 11:30 horas, en el Bodegón del Pueblo Canario con el fin de presentar el material de propaganda de la campaña del NO A LA CONSTITUCIÓN EUROPEA así como de informar a la opinión pública canaria de los actos a realizar próximamente, entre ellos una concentración el próximo domingo día 9.

Location:
Bodegón del Pueblo Canario, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Organizer:

URL: http://www.canariasdiceno.org

Llibertàries + La Polla Records a CAN VIES

19h Passe de la pel·lícula Lliberàries

... desprès obrirem kafeta amb La Polla Records per l'autogestió del nostre col·lectiu.


Vine, que t'hi esperem!!!

Location:
CSOA Can Vies
C/Jocs Florals 42
L1 Mercat Nou
L1/L5 Pl.Sants

Cost: gratix

Organizer:

Taking Big Money Out of Politics- A Workshop on Organizing for a Clean Money Clean Election System in New York

Featuring Jessica Wisneski, Campaign Coordinator, Citizen Action

The Best Politicians Money Can(not) Buy
by Jon Greenbaum

Across the United States right now seniors are stressing out as they try to decide how to deal with the Medicare prescription drug plan. Media corporations are becoming monster monopolies that feed us consumer pabulum and Bill O'Reilly. In New York, corporations and the wealthy now pay half the amount of taxes than they did twenty five years ago. Meanwhile our property taxes increase and the price of state colleges climbs steadily. Millions of New Yorkers are left without health care coverage because our legislators refuse to pass single payer health care. This past fall Americans lined up to declare bankruptcy before the new bankruptcy law took effect- a law that makes it harder for Americans to get out from under debt and easier for banks and credit card companies to increase their profit margins.

Why would our elected representatives ignore us and vote for laws that undermine the quality of our lives? We pass petitions, we take to the streets, we visit our representatives and we hold press conferences. Yet life continues to get more difficult for most New Yorkers.

Why?

Well, in the case of the bankruptcy law, 17 of the 18 Democrats who voted for the bill had taken money from commercial banks and credit card corporations. Will Rogers said that America has the best politicians that money can buy. Of course our elected representatives say that they are not beholden to the wealthy individuals and corporations that contribute to their campaigns. They say that they make decisions independently and aren't thinking about who will fill their next campaign war chest. Maybe not. But why risk it?

Our elected representatives are like umpires in a baseball game. They have to deal with competing interests. Could you imagine what would happen if baseball teams were allowed to give money to umpires? The teams with lots of money would dominate. Hmm. ok, bad example. But you get the idea.

In order to heal our body politic we have to take big money out of politics. Of course that means that we will have to finance elections through our taxes. OK, that's an odious proposition. Nevertheless, wouldn't you rather pay taxes toward government financed campaign funds than have politicians decide who gets tax breaks and government favors with one eye on who might contribute to their next campaign. That might be the best investment you ever made.

It would be great if we could just outlaw private campaign contributions from corporations and the wealthy but a Supreme Court decision from the 1970's ruled that campaign contributions are free speech. Apparently Pfizer has an inalienable right to unload a dump truck filled with cash outside Republican Party headquarters.

Fortunately, there is an alternative. The Clean Money Clean Election system (CMCE) has been working quite well in all statewide elections in Maine and Arizona for the past few years. The system is also used in North Carolina for judicial elections, in New Mexico for the Public Regulation Commission, in Vermont for governor and lieutenant governor and for a two year pilot project in New Jersey for legislative elections. Just last month Connecticut passed a Clean Money Clean election law.

Candidates in those states can opt into the state financed campaign system or they can take money from special interests.

CMCE candidates prove their viability by collecting a specified amount of $5 checks in an initial stage of grass roots fundraising. If they can convince enough voters that they are worthy of a five dollar contribution their campaigns are then funded by the state.

The clean candidates can proclaim they are not beholden to any special interests. On the other hand, a candidate who chose to raise money from private sources would risk being labeled as "in the pockets of special interests."

If the privately funded candidate tries to outspend the CMCE candidate, they are, in effect, funding their opponent because the CMCE candidate is then allotted more money to level the playing field. That's how it worked for Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano who ran as a CMCE candidate. Her opponent raised millions of dollars at fundraisers with President Bush. As a result, the Arizona CMCE system kicked in another $3.2 million to Napolitano's campaign, enabling her to mount a well-funded media blitz near the end of the race. "I was very grateful when the President came to campaign for Matt," Governor Napolitano joked. "I said, 'Let me sell tickets.'"

Clean Money Clean Elections work and the results have been dramatic. In Maine and Arizona today, the state legislatures are comprised mostly of CMCE candidates. One result is that Maine is moving forward with universal health care. CMCE has also increased voter choice- more primaries are being contested. Another result is that the state legislatures are becoming more diverse. More women are being elected. Representative Deborah Pelletier- Simpson was a single mom juggling night school and a waitressing job before she was elected to the Maine state legislature. She currently chairs the Judiciary Committee. According to Pelletier-Simpson, “With the Clean Elections, it seemed less daunting a task to run. I could do what I can do, which is talk to people, as opposed to raising money, which in my life, I didn't have any experience in.”

According to Representative Leah Landrum Taylor of Phoenix, AZ, CMCE "opens up the playing field for women and minorities." Landrum Taylor says first-time candidates just don't have the necessary connections to PACs and other special interest groups. "You probably would never have an opportunity (without Clean Elections) to actually win or be able to at least run a competitive race. It would just be very difficult. Not impossible, but certainly extremely difficult."

Can we clean up politics in New York? Polls consistently show that an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support the CMCE system. Eliot Spitzer is running hard for Governor and he has endorsed publicly financed campaigns but he hasn't yet gotten behind CMCE.

There's a window of opportunity here. New Yorkers all over the state are sending $5 checks to Eliot Spitzer and are urging him to make CMCE a priority. If Spitzer listens and he continues on his trajectory into the Governors' mansion, then it is quite possible that New York will become the next state taking big money out of politics.

Location:
Metro Justice Office, 167 Flanders Street

Cost: $7 contribution - includes lunch

Directions: Flanders runs off of Thurston Rd on the west side, There's a 7/Eleven on the corner of Thurston and Flanders www.metrojustice.org/MJ_Office.htm

Organizer:

URL: http://www.metrojustice.org

Taking Big Money Out of Politics- A Workshop on Organizing for a Clean Money Clean Election System in New York

Featuring Jessica Wisneski, Campaign Coordinator, Citizen Action

The Best Politicians Money Can(not) Buy
by Jon Greenbaum

Across the United States right now seniors are stressing out as they try to decide how to deal with the Medicare prescription drug plan. Media corporations are becoming monster monopolies that feed us consumer pabulum and Bill O'Reilly. In New York, corporations and the wealthy now pay half the amount of taxes than they did twenty five years ago. Meanwhile our property taxes increase and the price of state colleges climbs steadily. Millions of New Yorkers are left without health care coverage because our legislators refuse to pass single payer health care. This past fall Americans lined up to declare bankruptcy before the new bankruptcy law took effect- a law that makes it harder for Americans to get out from under debt and easier for banks and credit card companies to increase their profit margins.

Why would our elected representatives ignore us and vote for laws that undermine the quality of our lives? We pass petitions, we take to the streets, we visit our representatives and we hold press conferences. Yet life continues to get more difficult for most New Yorkers.

Why?

Well, in the case of the bankruptcy law, 17 of the 18 Democrats who voted for the bill had taken money from commercial banks and credit card corporations. Will Rogers said that America has the best politicians that money can buy. Of course our elected representatives say that they are not beholden to the wealthy individuals and corporations that contribute to their campaigns. They say that they make decisions independently and aren't thinking about who will fill their next campaign war chest. Maybe not. But why risk it?

Our elected representatives are like umpires in a baseball game. They have to deal with competing interests. Could you imagine what would happen if baseball teams were allowed to give money to umpires? The teams with lots of money would dominate. Hmm. ok, bad example. But you get the idea.

In order to heal our body politic we have to take big money out of politics. Of course that means that we will have to finance elections through our taxes. OK, that's an odious proposition. Nevertheless, wouldn't you rather pay taxes toward government financed campaign funds than have politicians decide who gets tax breaks and government favors with one eye on who might contribute to their next campaign. That might be the best investment you ever made.

It would be great if we could just outlaw private campaign contributions from corporations and the wealthy but a Supreme Court decision from the 1970's ruled that campaign contributions are free speech. Apparently Pfizer has an inalienable right to unload a dump truck filled with cash outside Republican Party headquarters.

Fortunately, there is an alternative. The Clean Money Clean Election system (CMCE) has been working quite well in all statewide elections in Maine and Arizona for the past few years. The system is also used in North Carolina for judicial elections, in New Mexico for the Public Regulation Commission, in Vermont for governor and lieutenant governor and for a two year pilot project in New Jersey for legislative elections. Just last month Connecticut passed a Clean Money Clean election law.

Candidates in those states can opt into the state financed campaign system or they can take money from special interests.

CMCE candidates prove their viability by collecting a specified amount of $5 checks in an initial stage of grass roots fundraising. If they can convince enough voters that they are worthy of a five dollar contribution their campaigns are then funded by the state.

The clean candidates can proclaim they are not beholden to any special interests. On the other hand, a candidate who chose to raise money from private sources would risk being labeled as "in the pockets of special interests."

If the privately funded candidate tries to outspend the CMCE candidate, they are, in effect, funding their opponent because the CMCE candidate is then allotted more money to level the playing field. That's how it worked for Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano who ran as a CMCE candidate. Her opponent raised millions of dollars at fundraisers with President Bush. As a result, the Arizona CMCE system kicked in another $3.2 million to Napolitano's campaign, enabling her to mount a well-funded media blitz near the end of the race. "I was very grateful when the President came to campaign for Matt," Governor Napolitano joked. "I said, 'Let me sell tickets.'"

Clean Money Clean Elections work and the results have been dramatic. In Maine and Arizona today, the state legislatures are comprised mostly of CMCE candidates. One result is that Maine is moving forward with universal health care. CMCE has also increased voter choice- more primaries are being contested. Another result is that the state legislatures are becoming more diverse. More women are being elected. Representative Deborah Pelletier- Simpson was a single mom juggling night school and a waitressing job before she was elected to the Maine state legislature. She currently chairs the Judiciary Committee. According to Pelletier-Simpson, “With the Clean Elections, it seemed less daunting a task to run. I could do what I can do, which is talk to people, as opposed to raising money, which in my life, I didn't have any experience in.”

According to Representative Leah Landrum Taylor of Phoenix, AZ, CMCE "opens up the playing field for women and minorities." Landrum Taylor says first-time candidates just don't have the necessary connections to PACs and other special interest groups. "You probably would never have an opportunity (without Clean Elections) to actually win or be able to at least run a competitive race. It would just be very difficult. Not impossible, but certainly extremely difficult."

Can we clean up politics in New York? Polls consistently show that an overwhelming majority of New Yorkers support the CMCE system. Eliot Spitzer is running hard for Governor and he has endorsed publicly financed campaigns but he hasn't yet gotten behind CMCE.

There's a window of opportunity here. New Yorkers all over the state are sending $5 checks to Eliot Spitzer and are urging him to make CMCE a priority. If Spitzer listens and he continues on his trajectory into the Governors' mansion, then it is quite possible that New York will become the next state taking big money out of politics.

Location:
Metro Justice Office, 167 Flanders Street

Cost: $7 contribution - includes lunch

Directions: Flanders runs off of Thurston Rd on the west side, There's a 7/Eleven on the corner of Thurston and Flanders www.metrojustice.org/MJ_Office.htm

Organizer:

URL: http://www.metrojustice.org

Sharing food in the park.

St. Pete Food Not Bombs will be sharing vegetarian food in Williams Park on Fridays at 7pm. We will get together at 4pm to cook. Volunteers needed for gathering food, cooking, sharing, plus any donations of food, clothing, blankets, etc., gratefully accepted.

info-AT-stpetefnb.org
www.stpetefnb.org
groups.yahoo.com/group/stpetefnb

Location:
Williams Park, St. Pete.

Cost: Free for all.

Organizer:

URL: http://www.stpetefnb.org

The Complete History of America (abridged)

Tampa's own "Bad Boys of Abridgement" are back to give you a history lesson guaranteed not to be short on laughs. The follow-up production to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)

jobsitetheater.org/america.htm

Location:
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Shimberg Playhouse

Cost: $18.50 (50% off student/senior/military rush available 90 minutes before curtain)

Organizer:

URL: http://jobsitetheater.org/america.htm