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If you live in Richmond, you should be familiar with the RCV, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in the City. 

From Free Press….

Dear Congressmen Skelton, Tierney and Waxman:

We write to you today on a matter of great national urgency.On April 20, 2008, the New York Times exposed a quiet military campaign to infiltrate U.S. media with propaganda. According to the article, top Pentagon and Bush administration officials recruited dozens of military officers to serve as pro-war pundits for major news media. These pundits appeared more than 4,500 times on cable and broadcast networks to press the administration’s view of events in Iraq, Afghanistan and, increasingly, Iran. Many spoke directly from White House talking points but did not disclose their direct role in the Pentagon scheme — or their conflicts as employees of major defense contractors. In late May, Scott McClellan, the former press secretary for President Bush, confirmed that the administration had led a “political propaganda campaign” to mislead the American public on the war. But he also implicates mainstream media in the scheme for “enabling” this propaganda: The mainstream media didn’t live up to its watchdog reputation, McClellan writes. “If it had, the country would have been better served.”By secretly spinning America’s involvement in the war, the Pentagon appears to be in violation of federal law against “covert propaganda.” The corporate press’ role in enabling this propaganda also raises legitimate questions about its obligation to present a full and open debate about the war and other issues of national concern.Many in Congress have called on the Pentagon to provide a full explanation. We the undersigned urge you to take the next step. Congress must move quickly to convene hearings to determine the extent of wrongdoing. This is not a partisan issue. An administration and media working together to secretly manipulate public opinion is a violation of every conceivable standard of journalism — and possibly of federal law. Congressional hearings will shed light on this national scandal. The American people have the right to know.Sincerely,NameAddressCity, State, Zip

Former Green Party candidate Ralph Nader chimes in: What’s Really Driving the High Price of Oil? 

Third Party Watch has an entry on Jesse Johnson, one of the candidates for the Green Party’s Presidential nomination.

“Mr. Johnson campaigns for ending the Iraq war. He wants to bring American troops home to American soil. The actor on the political stage says America must stop wasting $1 Trillion tax dollars on overseas military misadventure. Bring American troops home from Europe and Asia. Close those military bases.

All major third party presidential candidates agree. Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party, Bob Barr the Libertarians, and other Green Party candidates Dr. Kent Mesplay, Kat Swift, former congresswoman Cynthia Mckinney.” 

Vice President Cheney will be in Richmond on Friday, May 30th

Cheney will be speaking at a Republican Party fundraiser at the Richmond Convention Center at 6 p.m.  Protesters will begin gathering in front of the Convention Center between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m.

Cheney, the architect of the criminal neocon agenda, needs to know that Richmonders do not share his world view.  Drop what you’re doing and spread the word.  This is a big one.  Please don’t let the rest of the world think Richmond welcomes war criminals.

Location: Greater Richmond Convention Center

403 North Third Street

Richmond, VA 23219 

More on his visit: 

http://www.rpv.org/node/1666

One of the topics to be broached at tonight’s Richmond City Council meeting is water rates. This is in part a response to last year’s actions by the Richmond Greens on this issue.

Half-hearted reform measures advocated by the Richmond City Council will ensure that Richmond retains the dubious distinction of having the highest minimum water and sewer rates of any city in the United States.  While the council deserves praise for phasing out the high volume discount for those who use the most water in the city, the council is neglecting to pass on these savings to those using the least water.  Because of the abnormally high billing for the minimum water and sewer service, the citizens using the least water continue to subsidize those who waste water.

Said Scott Burger, Chairperson of Richmond’s Green Party, “There is no reason why Richmond’s minimum water/sewer bill should be three times that of Henrico County when that county purchases water from Richmond.  This exorbitant bill for the city’s minimum water and sewer service is disproportionately burdensome to senior citizens and families who conserve this precious resource.  We hope that the city’s exorbitant minimum water and sewer bill will become a major issue in the upcoming election of the city’s mayor.”

Last year the Green Party held a contest offering a $100 reward to anyone who could identify any city in the United States which had a higher minimum water/sewer bill than Richmond.  No one claimed the prize.

Greens also note that, regardless of the water rate issue, the City needs to address its stormwater runoff problem on a preventative level. In addition, the stormwater utility fee that was proposed and then withdrawn by Mayor Wilder needs to be revisited. It’s structure should mirror reformed water rates in that those who are causing the most stormwater runoff should pay their fair share; the stormwater utility should not rely solely on high minimum fees on residents. 

 editorial by Scott Burger Today’s Times Dispatch Business section had an article on Richmond tourism. It quoted the same ol’ city leadership (notably, Richmond Renaissance/Venture Richmond) with the same ol’ underlying message: we need to keep investing in downtown projects to bring in tourists. The problem is that they mean ‘investing’ with public taxpayer dollars in pet projects of ‘the business community’, and that even after more than $1 billion, downtown still has long way to go. Corporate welfare projects include the Sixth Street Marketplace (built with public money, then used public money to demolish), the super-sized Convention Center, the downtown arts center/Center Stage project, the Broad Street CDA…the list goes on. The Times Dispatch, which espouses a supposedly ultra-conservative anti-tax philosophy, is hypocritical when it comes to this corporate welfare. It regularly turns a blind eye to the corruption involved in these projects and continues to cheerlead them. For years now, the Richmond Greens and sites like SaveRichmond.com have been calling them out on their hypocrisy, but the corporate welfare still goes on, hiding behind things like ‘regional effort‘ (even though City residents have paid the most by far), and lingering in various forms. Recently, the Mayor and City Council have tried to slow down efforts to reform water and utility rates because large corporate entities became concerned that they would have to actually pay for what they use (while citizens pay among, if not the, highest minimum use rates in the country. Yet another Richmond Greens press release is forthcoming on this issue.) So what, counter-critics say, Broad Street is ‘turning a corner’. ‘We will eventually build a larger tax base’, they say. Tourism can be ‘eco-friendly’. The problem is that, even if these comments are remotely true, there are opportunity costs and judging from years of failed promises, there is no return of taxpayer money from downtown. The City of Richmond is more than downtown, more than Broad Street. While public money get diverted into these corporate welfare schemes, the City government fails to deliver needed maintenance on neighborhood streets, parks, and schools. In fact, the City is acting illegally by not properly funding ADA access to City public schools. Even with the Patrick Henry charter school initiative, parents are expected to fund-raise to pay for basic ADA improvements, never mind that there is no ETA on ADA for the rest of the 5th District schools. Think about that for a second. Oliver Hill’s legacy is an equal access to a public education, and yet Richmond leadership is deciding corporate welfare projects are more important. Tax base? The City’s population has fluctuated a bit, but overall residents’ taxes continue to skyrocket. The fact is that Richmond’s leadership’s priorities are way out of line, and this is leading to legal and moral crises, at a time when the City should be preparing for future challenges and concentrating on raising its next generation of leaders. Unfortunately, the corporate welfare scheming just does not stop. Recently, 2nd District Councilperson and President of City Council, Bill Pantele suggested that a plan to renovate and reopen the historical Hippodrone theater in Jackson Ward should receive a $600,000 ‘boost’ from the City coffers. No one is against seeing this theater coming back, and no one is against downtown renovation, especially with private money. But the corporate welfare and opportunity costs involved should give all Richmond citizens pause. The Richmond Greens call for an end to downtown corporate welfare, and demand attention for Richmond’s schools and neighborhoods on behalf of its citizens.

On June 2nd, 2008 a protest/rally will be held at the parking lot located on 15th and Broad St in hopes to bring attention and a sense of urgency to the history that lies there.  The property utilized by the staff and students of MCV located at 15th & Broad St. for parking has officially been purchased by VCU.  A ground breaking for renovating the parking lot is scheduled to commence on Monday June 2nd.  With VCU’s plans to add new lighting, increased security, walkways, and a fresh layer of pavement, it doesn’t look like VCU or the city of Richmond have any plans to recognize the history of this location anytime soon.  Please join us in the fight to help increase pressure on VCU and the city of Richmond in hopes that we can finally bring light to the history that sits just below the surface.  Just beneath the tar and paving stones.  MEET:  12:00 NOONWHERE:  GABRIEL MARKER / 15th & BROAD ST.WHEN:  MONDAY JUNE 2nd, 2008A parking lot located at 15th & Broad St. in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom District may be the site of the largest slave burial ground in the nation.  The land which was established as a burial ground for both slaves and free blacks in the 1700’s also doubled as the town gallows for public execution.  It is believed that here, Gabriel Prosser, leader of the famous slave revolt in 1800, was hanged and buried.  The historical significance of this land has been known since 1992. In the past 15 years since this discovery no effort has been made by the city of Richmond to preserve this site as a national landmark. Today, the property is utilized by VCU staff and students as a parking lot.  In 1991, an African burial ground dating back to the 1600’s was discovered in New York City during the construction of a federal office building.  Upon it’s discovery construction was halted in order to preserve the remains found there.  Two years later in 1993 the site was designated a national historical landmark.  Today the site is protected by the National Parks Services and is recognized as a national monument.                               The city of Richmond has benefited economically for decades from it’s involvement as a major slave trading port in America.  The city also profited by employing slave labor en masse at factories such as Tredegar Iron Works.  Here, slaves were often torn from their families and worked for little or no pay their entire lives.  Many of the people who make up Richmond’s black community today are the direct descendants of slaves brought to this city. They have never received reparations of any kind. What the black communities of Richmond have received since emancipation is a history of segregation, violence, and displacement due to the gentrification of one black community after another. Since the burial grounds in New York City were designated as a national monument in 2006, it has since been host to educational events, film screenings, and has welcomed such distinguished guest’s such as the poet Maya Angelou.  We ask that the city of Richmond and it’s residents realize the significance of this site to our collective histories and the potential it has to educated and prevent future atrocities dealing in ignorance and discrimination.  . The Alliance to Conserve Richmond’s Old Neighborhoods, The Sacred Ground Reclamation Project and the Richmond Slave Trail Commission are just a few of the many organization in Richmond that are already working towards community awareness and the historical preservation of these sites. But how much can be done without the support of our elected officials?  It is time for them to represent every individual in the city who feels outraged about the mishandling of our history.  We are not asking for much (considering what has been taken).  A memorial park, a slavery museum, an education center.  These are some of the ideas that we have heard proposed by Richmond citizens. Any of these things would be acceptable, a parking lot is not.  Richmond needs a place where its people can go to learn and discuss its history, to begin to heal.NOTE: This rally is not connected with any official organization or group, so if any existing groups would like to speak at this event about the cause at hand, please feel free to step onto the soap box and let people know how they can help and what has been done already.  We encourage all to bring posters, banners, megaphones, noise makers & their friends.  

Maya Schenwar | Senate Resurrects War Funding Bill

http://www.truthout.org/article/senate-resurrects-war-funding-bill

Maya Schenwar, of Truthout: “As expected based on precedent, the Senate passed a bill Thursday morning to pump $165.4 billion into the pipeline for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As expected, the Senate rejected a provision that would have established a June 2009 goal for the partial redeployment of troops from Iraq. This move has pushed the withdrawal debate off the table until after Bush leaves office, according to Craig Jennings, federal fiscal policy analyst at the government watchdog group OMB Watch.”

Michael Schwartz | How the American Imperial Dream Foundered in Iraq

http://www.truthout.org/article/river-resistance-how-american-imperial-dream-foundered-iraq

Michael Schwartz, of TomDispatch.com: “It’s hard now even to recall the original vision George W. Bush and his top officials had of how the conquest of Iraq would unfold as an episode in the President’s Global War on Terror. In their minds, the invasion was sure to yield a quick victory, to be followed by the creation of a client state that would house crucial ‘enduring’ US military bases from which Washington would project power throughout what they liked to term ‘the Greater Middle East.’”