July 31, 2006: Rustbelt Radio
Intro
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media.
On today's show...
- We learn about the evil practices of Bechtel corporation, a war profiteer with a local operation here in Pittsburgh
- The first officer to refuse deployment to Iraq speaks out
- SouthSide Works janitors are demanding better working conditions
- A University Radio Station in Oaxaca, Mexico is under attack
- and also our local and global headlines
Rustbelt Radio airs live every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA, every Thursday from 11am to noon on WARC-Meadville from the campus of Allegheny College, and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're now on WPTS 92.1FM from the campus of the University of Pittsburgh, also Saturdays at 5pm.
We're also available on the internet, both on WRCT's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
We turn now to local headlines.
Headlines
Local News
[1:00] Rankin Cop in Jail
Legal troubles continue to grow for the disgraced former Chief of Police of Rankin. Darryll Briston, already serving a 37 month sentence in a federal prison in Illinois after being convicted on the charges of deprivation of civil rights, obstruction of justice, and theft, was convicted on Thursday of additional charges of theft and official oppression in Allegheny County Court.
The Jury found that Mr. Briston forced a drunk man into writing him a check for $1,334. The then-Police Chief told the Rankin man to write the check to cover the damage that he allegedly did to the Chief's Police Car. However, neither investigators nor car mechanics found any damage to the car, and the man was never charged in the incident. The Judge in this case sentenced Mr. Briston to two additional years of probation, as well as requiring him to pay restitution. Mr. Briston is to remain in Allegheny County jail to face 8 additional criminal charges before he is to be returned to Illinois to finish his time in federal custody.
[2:15] Janitors spin the Wheel of MIS Fortune at SouthSide Works
Over the weekend, labor organizers and janitors teamed up to present their complaints about working for Service Master. Service Master is the cleaning contractor who employs the janitors at the SouthSide Works. Complaints range from allegations of sexual harrassment, no sick or personal days, and poverty wages to Occupational Safety and Health violations.
Rustbelt Radio brings you the sounds of the public action, which was directed towards Friday night shoppers at the upscale stores of the SouthSide Works.
We spoke to an organizer with SEIU local 3 about the creative demonstration,and the SouthSide Works shoppers' Reactions:
That was a labor organizer with SEIU Local 3. The organizers and janitors are putting pressure on the Soffer (SO-fur) Organization to hire a responsible contractor to clean their properties which include Penn Centers East and West, in addition to the SouthSide Works.
[2:30] Power Plants Polluting Pennsylvania
Southwestern Pennsylvania is home to two of the nation's "50 Dirtiest Power Plants," and another in Clearfield County has been ranked as the fifth-dirtiest in the nation.
The Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington, D.C., environmental organization that advocates better enforcement of environmental laws, released the results of their study last week. The EIP based its list on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions data for sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury.
Two Allegheny Energy Inc. plants, located in Greene County and Armstrong County were ranked 20th and 26th dirtiest respectively. Reliant Energy's Shawville Generating Station in Clearfield County -- is listed as the nation's fifth dirtiest.
All three plants were among the top 10 worst sulfur-dioxide polluters. Shawville also is listed as the second and Armstrong as the fifth-worst mercury polluter in the nation. The state of Texas, along with Pennsylvania, is among the nation’s worst mercury polluters. Also, Last year Pennsylvania had five plants among the nation's top 10 with the highest sulfur dioxide emission rates.
"It's troubling that Pennsylvania ranks among the worst in dangerous coal-fire air pollution," said Heather Sage, of PennFuture. She added: "Chief among our worries is toxic mercury pollution. We rank among the worst in the nation."
Although carbon dioxide rates continue rising, with no federal standards in place to control them, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are easing nationwide, while mercury pollution is holding steady, the EIP said. Millions of tons of pollution produced by coal-fired power plants continue to affect health, wreck the environment and contribute to global warming, the organization said.
Allegheny Energy Inc. has announced it will spend $550 million to install scrubbers at Hatfield's Ferry to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 145,000 tons a year and soot emissions by up to 2,000 tons a year. "Our environmental-improvement process is ongoing and continuous," said David Neurohr (NEW-roar), spokesman for Greensburg-based Allegheny Energy, noting that the company is focusing on its largest plants.
PennFuture said new pollution controls at Hatfield's Ferry will mean 200 fewer premature deaths from plant pollution, with a savings of $1.2 billion in annual health-care costs.
Reliant Energy announced plans July 5 to spend $625 million over the next five years to install pollution controls at some of its larger plants, including the Keystone Generating Station in Indiana County and the Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale. While it has no plans to install scrubbers at the number 5 ranked worst polluter Shawville, company spokeswoman Pat Hammond said Reliant Energy does have plans to reduce mercury and sulfur dioxide emissions there.
[2:30] Lebanon Protest
On Wednesday, July 26, a protest was held against Israel's current military operations in Lebanon and Gaza. About 60 people attended. The protest, which was organized by the Pittsburgh Organizing Group, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee and Anti-Racist Action, marched from the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Oakland to Friendship Park in Friendship/Bloomfied.
The starting point of the march was on the CMU campus at a fence which is frequently painted by various groups to promote their organizations or causes. The fence had been painted with Palestinian and Lebanese flags, but was partially defaced with blue paint. Additionally, at the beginning of the protest, a small group of pro-Israel demonstrators gathered and draped Israeli flags over the Lebanese and Palestinian flags painted on the fence.
Marty, a participant at the protest gave an overview of the context for the protest and described the current situation in Lebanon and Gaza:
Nick, another participant, spoke about why he attended:
He also spoke about his view of Israel's conduct in the past and present:
Wednesday's event was part of an ongoing series of protests, vigils and other actions which are being held worldwide in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people. Today Lebanon is marking a national day of mourning, after Israeli warplanes bombed the village of Qana killing 57. The death toll in Lebanon has reached over 600 people mostly civilians.
Wrapup
For more on local news, you can visit pittsburgh dot I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot org.
[ HMB BREAK RUSTBELT - 0:20 (fades down 0:10 in to start global intro) ]
Global News
Intro
You are listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to news from other independent media sources around the world.
[2:20] Big box living wage
Last Wednesday, the Chicago City Council approved a measure raising the minimum wage for employees of “big-box” retailers to $10/hour plus benefits. The new law is the first of it's kind in the United States and is the result of months of campaigning and organizing by a large coalition of community groups and labor unions. The resolution requires large and profitable stores – defined as those over 90,000 square feet with annul sales in excess of one Billion dollars – to pay a living wage.
Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon told The Chicago Independent Media Center [quote] “At the heart of this ordinance is equality and fairness. Today’s vote sends a message that our elected officials and community members alike are not interested in the creation of low paying jobs that fail to provide a living wage or adequate health care benefits for working families. The choice between no job and a low-paying job is a choice between bad and worse. Only when families can afford to make ends meet and afford quality health care will we see real improvement in our communities. Corporations that can well afford to pay a living wage, should be held to a higher standard.” [unquote]
Wal-Mart, one of the stores that will be affected by the measure, responded with this statement to the New York Times [quote] “It’s sad — this puts politics ahead of working men and women, It means that Chicago is closed to business.”[unquote] Wal-Mart, which made a profit of 11.2 Billion Dollars last year, is set to open it's first “urban” store in Chicago this September.
The City Council resolution now goes to Chicago's mayor for approval or veto, but the measure passed the council by a large enough margin – 35 to 14 – that a veto by the Mayor would be overturned.
[3:00] Boy Scouts in Philadelphia
Philadelphia city government said it will make a Boy Scout council start paying market rate rent for their publicly owned headquarters unless they change their discriminatory policies against gay people. The Boy Scouts' Cradle of Liberty Council, the countries third-largest, has had their headquarters in the upscale Philadelphia Art Museum area since 1928. They do not pay rent and are only responsible for paying building maintenance fees.
The current national policy of the Boy Scouts of America, upheld in 2000 by a narrowly divided Supreme Court, is to ban gay males. The Scouts have said, "An avowed homosexual is not a role model." Many city agencies and funding sources including the United Way have pulled their support for the Boy Scouts nationwide because of their nondiscrimination policies.
The Boy Scouts’ Cradle of Liberty Council has been engaged in an ongoing battle with the city for the past few years over their policies. In 2003, the Boy Scout council in Philadelphia said it would adopt a nondiscrimination policy on gays and then weeks later dismissed an 18-year-old Scout who publicly acknowledged he was gay.
We asked Stacey Sobel, the executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, her opinion of the city’s actions.
We also asked if she was hopeful that this would lead the Boy Scouts to change their discriminatory policies.
The Boy Scouts non-discrimination policy has also been at the center of a national debate. At the Scouts' national meeting in 2001, leaders of the councils of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, West Los Angeles, Orange County, Calif., San Francisco, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Boston petitioned the Boy Scouts of America to open up its policy to allow churches, schools, and other chartering organizations to decide for themselves whether to have gay scout members and leaders.
[1:00] Murray Bookchin dies
Murray Bookchin, the visionary social theorist and activist, died during the early morning of Sunday, July 30th in his home in Burlington, Vermont. During a prolific career of writing, teaching and political activism that spanned half a century, Bookchin forged a new anti-authoritarian outlook rooted in ecology, dialectical philosophy and left libertarianism.
During the 1950s and 60s, Bookchin built upon the legacies of utopian social philosophy and critical theory, challenging the primacy of Marxism on the left and linking contemporary ecological and urban crises to problems of capital and social hierarchy in general. Beginning in the mid-sixties, he pioneered a new political and philosophical synthesis termed social ecology that sought to reclaim local political power, by means of direct popular democracy, against the consolidation and increasing centralization of the nation state.
From the 1960s to the present, the utopian dimension of Bookchin's social ecology inspired several generations of social and ecological activists, from the pioneering urban ecology movements of the sixties, to the 1970s back-to-the-land, antinuclear, and sustainable technology movements, the beginnings of Green politics and organic agriculture in the early 1980s, and the anti-authoritarian global justice movement that came of age in 1999 in the streets of Seattle. His influence was often cited by prominent political and social activists throughout the US, Europe, South America, Turkey, Japan, and beyond.
[6:30] Oaxaca Protests
On July 23rd, a strongly armed paramilitary group of approximately 50 men, who were supposedly connected to the Oaxacan government, opened fire against the radio facilities of Radio Universidad. Students, women, and children repelled the aggression that once again showed the corruption and violence that Ulises (yoo-li-sees) Ruiz Ortiz, the governor of Oaxaca, has used in order to repress the various leftist groups present in the zone.
A city torn by the countless conflicts that afflict it, Oaxaca's latest explosion of violence can be traced to the aggression against the educators who were on strike for 22 days; and were violently forced to retire from the central plaza or Zocalo. This brought about the destruction of Radio Planton, the teacher's radio station, which was the source of information for the striking professors. Since that day, Radio Universidad became the media outlet for Oaxaca's social movement. Partially due to the politically torn situation in Mexico, Ulises Ruiz Ortiz decided to impose by force an ending to the station's support of the protests.
Under the pressure of the paramilitaries and the windows shattering, the Radio Station's broadcast was shortly lost but came back promptly after 15 minutes.
We turn now to members of Radio Universidad as they broadcast while the station is being fired upon.
A University student speaks about his experiences:
A spokesperson for the Teachers Union tells us who is responsible for this attack.
Days after the attack on the radio station, thousands more have taken to the streets. Tourism, a major source of revenue for the city, is at an all time low. The protestors are saying they won't stop until the governor Ulises Ruiz, steps down.
[4:00] ARA protests OSA
In the past few weeks member of Operation Save America, a militant anti-choice group have attempted to shut down the last abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. Pro-Choice activists have vowed to keep the clinic open and Anti-Racist Action has organized a campaign to fight for reproductive rights. Jerry Dellow an organizer with Asheville, North Carolina's chapter of Anti Racist Action described their purpose in going to Jackson.
According to the Clarion Ledger, anti-abortion activists attending these protests have "trotted out an aborted fetus in a vacuum-packed bag, torn up then burned a Quran, shredded a gay pride flag, and preached Jesus' message over loudspeakers in the street" Dellow described another militant action members of Operation Save America took.
Jackson, Mississippi has a city ordinance which defines 3 people and a sign as a protest, which is illegal without a permit. Dellow explains how members of Anti- Racist Action have dealt with this ordinance and also how it has been selectively enforced.
*
civilara.ogg: civilara.ogg :50
That was just Jerry Dellow speaking about Anti Racist Actions fight for reproductive rights in Mississippi. To contact Asheville Anti Racist Action you can e-mail
Ashevilleara@hotmail.com
[1:30] Israel using mystery weapons in Gaza and Lebanon
According to the Palestine News Network, the Israeli Defense Force has begun using new types of explosive and toxic weapons during its latest offensive in Gaza and Lebanon.
In an interview on Voice of Palestine Radio, Dr. Juma Al Sakka, Director of Public Relations at Gaza City’s Al Shifa Hospital, said quote "They are targeting the Palestinian body with unconventional weapons and with that comes a phenomena we have not seen before in any Israeli bombardment we have lived through for many years.”
Some of the injuries appear to be consistent with those caused by thermobaric weapons, also called vacuum bombs, which disperse a cloud of explosive into the air upon impact and then ignite it an instant later causing a highly destructive secondary blast wave and fireball.
According to Dr. Juma, "There are fragments which penetrate the body and do not show up on X-rays. When entering the body they spark like a combustion firearm, but not chemically. They seem radioactive.”
There are also reports via Indymedia that Israel has used white phosphorus incendiary bombs in Lebanon, possibly of a similar type to those used by the US military during its 2004 assault on Fallujah.
Dr. Juma contined, "These Israeli bombings are entering the body and fragmenting, causing internal combustion leading to up to fourth degree internal burns, exposing the bone, and affecting the tissue and skin. These tissues die, they do not survive, which obliges us to perform arm or leg amputations."
For now, the true nature of these weapons will remain a mystery because Israel has recently destroyed the only laboratory in Gaza which was capable of testing for some of these new weapon types.
Wrapup
You can read more independent global news stories by visting indymedia: I-N-D-Y-M-E-D-I-A dot O-R-G.
We turn now to a Musical Break
Features
Intro
That was DAM with Born Here, a palestinian hip hop group....
Welcome back to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
[16:00] Bechtel Preview
The United States is home to many war-profiteering corporations who profit off of the conflicts in the Middle East, and other places around the globe. Pittsburgh is no exception. In the town of West Mifflin, just outside of Pittsburgh, The Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory specializes in designing and building powered warships. It is owned by the federal government and operated by Bechtel one of the country’s largest war profiteers since 2002. This 108 year old company has had close ties with government officials, and is a strong supporter of the Republican Party. They have also received billions of dollars in government contracts for work in Iraq and also New Orleans.
On the 61st anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, groups around the country, including in Pittsburgh, will gather to protest nuclear war, war profiteers, and rally for peace and justice. Several events are planned for this upcoming weekend in Pittsburgh. Friday will feature a book reading with Antonia Juhasz (An TO nia YU haas), who is the author of “The Bush Agenda: Invading the world one economy at a time” Juhasz is also the project director of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
We spoke to Antonia to find out more information on the Bechtel corporation.
Antonia explains how taxpayers are subsidizing the work of Bechtel in Iraq, and describes in detail how for years, the Bechtel executives have had links to powerful people in the US government and Republican Party.
In the last few years, Bechtel’s share of Pentagon contracts has risen sharply. In 2005, Bechtel was the 22nd largest recipient of Pentagon contracts, receiving $1.48 billion dollars. Just two years ago, they received just $910 million. In 2000 and 2001, their share of pentagon contracts was only worth 600 million. Then in 2002, with the invasion of Afghanistan and soon Iraq, their contract awards reached the billion dollar mark. Antonia describes how this money given to Bechtel comes out of US taxpayer’s pockets:
Antonia describes some of the positive elements that are going on in the fight against Bechtel’s work in Iraq:
Antonia also explains why Bechtel is being targeted by activists for its long history of promoting nuclear technology and profiting from it:
That was just Antonia Juhasz of the Institute for Policy Studies. She will be participating in this weekend's August 6th Coalition events against Bechtel. You can find more information about her work at the website: www. the bush agenda. net.
Rustbelt Radio also spoke to Mimi Yahn, a resident of West Mifflin where Bechtel's Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is located. We asked her why people in Pittsburgh and across the US are choosing this moment to target Bechtel:
We finally asked Mimi what she hopes to achieve as a result of this weekend's events in their struggle against nuclear war and the war in Iraq.
That was Mimi Yahn, a resident of West Mifflin who is part of the August 6th coalition in Pittsburgh. For more information on Bechtel and this weekend's events , log on to www. august 6. org
[ Break? ]
You're listening to Rust Belt Radio.
[10:00] For the First Time Commissioned Officer Refuses to Deploy to Iraq
For the first time since the start of the war, a commissioned officer is refusing deployment to fight in Iraq. On Wednesday June 8, 2006, U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Ehren Watada of Hawaii announced his intention to disobey what he says are illegal orders to deploy to Iraq. Lt. Watada explained his experiences in the military and his current position on a visit to Portland on June 17:
Watada is a member of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd infantry Division based at Fort Lewis near Seattle, Washington. He will face a pre-trial hearing on August 17. He has been formally charged with contempt towards president Bush, conduct unbecoming an officer, and missing in movement. On August 16 friends and family of Lt. Watada are calling for a national "Day of Education" to pose the question "is the war illegal?"
Ending
[1:30] Calendar of events
And now we present the Indymedia calendar of events:
- On Friday August 4th, Former Senator John Edwards will speak about the current issues surrounding Walmart. This "wake up walmart" event will take place at the Hill House, on Center Avenue in the Hill at noon. For more information contact The League of Young Voters at 412.728.2197
- This Friday also kicks off a weekend of events and actions against War profiteers Bechtel in Pittsburgh. First, on August 4th, from 7 - 9pm Antonia Juhasz will talk about her new book, “The Bush Agenda: Invading the World, One Economy at a Time” . This event is part of Pittsburgh's Stop Bechtel convergence. The discussion will be held at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Squirrel Hill, located at 1723 Murray Avenue.
- On Saturday August 5th, from 1-6 pm the August 6th committee will present a Teach-In on Bechtel and the Military-Nuclear-Industrial Complex. This public discussion will connect the links between the anti-war, anti-nuke, environmental and global justice movements. There will be several speakers, and later in the day poster & art making as well as civil disobedience training. This event will be held at the First Unitarian Church, located at 605 Morewood Ave. in Shadyside.
- And lastly, as part of the Stop Bechtel Convergence, on Sunday the 6th at 1pm, there will be a festival of rememberance and resistance, featuring a picnic/potluck with music, speakers, booths and more. The festival will take place at West Miffin Park. At 3:30 there will be a march to the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. Following the one-mile march to Bettis’ main gate, there will be an optional, participatory “Shadow Project” followed by an overnight vigil. Free shuttle buses will leave from CMU’s Morewood Gardens Parking lot starting at 12:30pm on Sunday and returning after the festival and march. And for more information on all the weekend's August 6th convergence events, go to www. august 6. org
Outro
[ RUSTBELT OUTRO cart - antibalas ]
Thanks for tuning in to Rustbelt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WARC Meadville, WVJW Benwood and WPTS Pittsburgh.
Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To contact us, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download or podcast on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of news from the grassroots.
radio.indypgh.org
Rustbelt Radio for July 31, 2006 [ogg vorbis]
by Indymedia Rustbelt Radio collective
Tuesday, Aug. 01, 2006 at 11:42 AM
radio@indypgh.org 412-923-3000 WRCT 88.3FM
audio: 
ogg vorbis at 24.6 mebibytesaudio: ogg vorbis at 24.6 mebibytes
radio.indypgh.org
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