Urgent Action! House to Debate Colombia Military Aid This Week!

Calls and Letters Needed Immediately!

Unexpectedly, the House of Representatives has scheduled the debate on the 2004 foreign aid bill -- which contains $600 million in mostly-military aid for Colombia -- for this week, Tuesday or Wednesday the 22nd or 23rd. An amendment will be offered to cut military aid to Colombia. The last vote in the House to cut Colombia military aid lost by only seven votes -- we are very close! Without your help, though, this amendment could lose.

Mayor Coleman’s- Report Card- B+

Whether you like Mike or not you must admit that his first term in office has been relatively smooth. Smooth is the operative word for this article. Mike…is smooth. Managing the affairs of this city would prove to be no small task for the most savvy of politicians. The constant need to balance the interests of special interests groups (who typically have agendas that conflict with the public interest) against those issues of public interest is enough to keep a person up at nights.

As the first black mayor (more on that later) of this capitol city, Hizzoner has seemingly squelched the criticisms of those who challenged his readiness for the office. Anybody should know that most big cities’ mayors typically have either tumultuous first terms, or first terms that fade from memory. Coleman has been the exception in this case by providing a first term that actually (on the surface) would appear to be neither. Not much turmoil, but only a few notable situations that warrant a commitment to memory.

Deva Premal's 'Love is Space'

Deva Premal's "Love is Space" is a perfect album.

Such gems do exist. They're rare, but most great musicians have at least one.

The Beatles had many, including "Rubber Soul" and "SGT. Pepper". My favorite of theirs remains the "Here Comes the Sun" side of "Abbey Road".

Also in my book: Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" qualifies. Jimi's "Electric Ladyland". Many of Bonnie Raitt's sixteen albums are on that level: though my favorite is her live "Road Tested." The Stones' "Sticky Fingers" and "Let it Bleed." The Who's "Magic Bus." Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life." Carole King's "Tapestry."

The distinguishing features of such masterpieces are not only an entire album without a bad cut, but also a work with a coherent rhythm and tangible wholeness---and sense of purpose---that make it more a symphony than a collection of songs. A perfect game that you can dance to---many many times.

16 questions for Bush

Last week Democratic presidential candidate and Vermont Governor Howard Dean called out a compelling series of questions to President Bush from Des Moines, Iowa. Read the text and hear a portion of the speech at the link below.

www.deanforamerica.com/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6998&news_iv_ctrl=1301

Legal nonsense

AUSTIN -- Probably because I'm supposed to have a sense of humor, I once wound up on a distinguished panel on the subject of legal ethics, which some people consider a joke to begin with. Dan Rather and I were there as agents provocateurs.

We got to attack legal ethics, but the lawyers couldn't attack media ethics, such as they are, because that wasn't the subject (heh, heh, heh). Naturally, though, a couple of the lawyers kept trying to turn the spotlight on multiple media sins -- a typical lawyer trick.

Several of the lawyers on the panel regularly handle "high-profile" cases -- among others were Bob Bennett, Bill Clinton's lawyer, Richard Beckler, who was John Poindexter's lawyer during the Iran-Contra scandal, and Racehorse Haynes of Houston, who defended former Texas House Speaker Goober Mutscher.

Notes on the UFPJ Conference (June 6-8, Chicago)

I attended the United for Peace and Justice conference in Chicago, on June 6-8, as a delegate of a local group Columbus Campaign for Arms Control ("over 500 participants attended, from 38 states and approximately 350 organizations," according to UFPJ). I'm happy to have attended the conference, meeting many organizers and intellectuals whom I wouldn't have been able to meet otherwise (networking is always the best part of any conference). More or less, I got what I bargained for. I chose to go to the UFPJ conference, rather than the May 17-18 International ANSWER conference (which about "850 activists and organizers" attended, according to ANSWER), because I thought that whether or not I attended the ANSWER conference would make no difference in its outcome. The politics of ANSWER is clearly determined by its steering committee, whose members are strongly united by a principle of anti-imperialism. For better and worse, there wouldn't have been much to be discussed at the ANSWER conference. UFPJ, a coalition of national and local groups with divergent perspectives on many issues, is another story. On one

The Golden Heart Award

Local attorney and fellow-peace activist Mike Smalz was awarded the Golden Heart Award this weekend in Washington D.C. at the national conference of the Association for Enforcement of Child Support. Mike is receiving this award for his work with the Ohio State Legal Services Association that successfully sued for the state to remit millions of dollars of child support to low-income parents who were no longer on public assistance. Mike will also be making a presentation on Child Support Distribution Issues. Mike is member of Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio and very active in the anti-war movement. So that you can congratulate Mike personally, you can usually find him at the Women in Black demonstration at 5:30 on Fridays at 15th and High, the Peace Demonstration at North Broadway and High St. at noon on Saturdays, and the Anti-War NION demonstration on Sunday nights at 5:00 PM at 15th and High. CONGRATULATIONS MIKE!!

Update and Urgent Action on Megafarm Bill

I need your help to convince Governor Taft to veto HB 152 , the bad megafarm bill! The Governor will make a decision about HB 152 in the next week. Please call the Governor's office, ask for Kate Bartter, and tell her that you strongly urge the Governor to veto HB 152 because:

-- Local governments should have the authority to prevent disease and nuisance from factory farms. If we erode that right in this case, where do we draw the line?
-- The amendment didn't receive anything like a fair hearing. The Senate held one public hearing, at which the amendment was offered and the House held no hearings before passing the bill
-- HB 152 establishes a terrible precedent -- if a polluter finally gets closed down due to environmental violations, the industry just changes the rules, rather than changing their behavior.

Call the Governor at 614-466-3555 or 614-644-HELP. Please email Bryan Clark Bryan.Clark@sierraclub.org after you make the call so that he can track our actions and keep a record of any feedback you receive.

Here's the update:

Support Sanders-Otter-Conyers Amendment to an Appropriations Bill

Support the Sanders-Otter-Conyers Amendment to the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Bill of 2004 with a phone call to your House member. Consider following up with a fax. This amendment could be voted on the House floor as early as Monday, July 21, 2003.

Points to include in your call or fax:

  a.. Like the Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157) sponsored by Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), this amendment would restore legal standards and warrant procedures for investigations of libraries and bookstores which were in place before passage of the USA PATRIOT Act. H.R. 1157 has the bipartisan support of 129 cosponsors.

  b.. Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act severely expands the scope of materials the FBI can access with a warrant from the government's secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance ACT or "FISA" court. This section gives the FBI the power to search for any "tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items)" in any location without having to show "probable cause."

Take Action -- Help Stop More Military Aid to Colombia!

Sometime during the week of July 21, your representative will be voting on an amendment to the 2004 foreign aid bill that would cut or reduce military aid to Colombia.  The last time an amendment was offered to cut Colombia military aid, it lost by only seven votes—we are very close!  Please help make it a reality this time-- send an e-mail to your representative asking them to support the amendment.

To send an e-mail to your representative go to: capwiz.com/voice4change/issues/alert/?alertid=2882061&type=CO

If you have trouble with our Action Center please copy and paste the following sample letter and E-mail to Representative.

If you need to find out who your Rep. is go to www.house.gov

Sample Letter:

The Honorable__________
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative _______________,

As a constituent concerned about US military aid to Colombia, I urge you to

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