Protesting ALEC in Cincinnati

On Friday, April 29, a delegation of five SSUers and friends joined over two hundred people in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio at a protest against ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful right-wing think tank. ALEC has pushed anti-union laws in the Midwest, the infamous anti-immigrant S.B. 1070 in Arizona, the Voter ID act that makes it more difficult for students and others to register to vote, and a host of other horrible pieces of legislation that prioritize profit over people. ALEC has many powerful corporate members, including private prison companies that profit from draconian immigration policies.

Left to right: Joan Braune, Greg Capillo, Matt Heil, John O'Shea, Enku Ide

Rand Paul, our schools are not for sale!

Senator Rand Paul, Tea (Party) connoisseur and apparent enemy of social services, paved roads and other nice things made possible by government funding, was in town on Monday, giving a speech at a fancy luncheon and book signing hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Paul has been calling for an end to all federal education funding, privativization of all schools, and even the abolition of the Department of Education. This would be devastating for students, teachers, and staff, with tuition already sky-rocketing and wages/salaries declining. So we found it a bit ironic--to say the least--that the Paul event was sponsored by (amongst other organizations and corporations) the University of Kentucky and Bluegrass Community and Technical College. We didn't feel that Rand's policies represented us.

The BCTC and UK SSUs quickly organized a protest:

We received many wonderful honks of support from passing drivers! We were also interviewed by the Lexington Herald-Leader, but they did not mention the protest in their article about the event in today's paper, which stressed Paul's plan to run to President (ahhh!). An annoyed letter-to-the-editor might be in order.

From the Lexington Courthouse Plaza to Cincinnati!

Our antiwar rally at the courthouse and subsequent SSU meeting last Saturday were well-attended, lively, and three people even came in all the way from Louisville! We also got some press coverage from the local ABC affiliate. It was be out on the streets as thousands were marching all over the country for an end to the wars abroad and for prioritizing human needs over the burgeoning U.S. defense budget.

Coming up: Our next major effort is a carpool from Lexington to Cincinnati on Friday, April 29 to attend the big national rally against ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is a right-wing think-tank whose shenanigans recently became public thanks to a Wisconsin professor (whose private e-mails the GOP demanded to see, in retaliation). ALEC has pushed union-destroying anti-labor laws in the midwest and anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona (the famous SB 1070, which encouraged racial profiling by police and led to the movement to "Boycott Arizona"). If you're interested in joining the carpool, either hitching or offering rides, please contact me at standinsolidarity@yahoo.com, and let me know.

Stay tuned for updates about our participation in a growing Kentucky movement in solidarity with the immigrant farmworkers of Immokalee, Florida (about the Immokalee Workers, visit: http://www.ciw-online.org.

Rally: "Fund Our Future, Not the Wars!"

As the war in Iraq drags into its ninth year, a new military intervention is launched into Libya, and the rights of U.S. workers are under attack, we join together to demand real change. Billions of our tax dollars are spent on war, while many of us struggle with joblessness, foreclosure, and rising tuition costs, as we struggle to make ends meet. Let's tell our leaders...

"...Fund Our Future, Not the Wars!"

Saturday, April 9, 3 pm

Courhouse plaza (Main and Limestone, across from public library), Lexington, KY

Speakers, music, march, and (optional) die-in! Some signs provided, but bring your own if you like. All are welcome; please spread the word!

Organized by: Bluegrass Community and Technical College Student Socialist Union (BCTC SSU), University of Kentucky Socialist Student Union (UK SSU)

Co-sponsors include: BCTC Students for Peace & Earth Justice, Kentucky Unified National Antiwar Committee, Socialist Action