Treasure Island Cleanup Exposes Navy's Mishandling of Its Nuclear Past
Published on Portside (https://portside.org)
Treasure Island Cleanup Exposes Navy's Mishandling of Its Nuclear Past
http://thebulletin.org/treasure-island-cleanup-exposes-navy%E2%80%99s-mishandling-its-nuclear-past
Matt Smith Katharine Mieszkowski
Monday, February 24, 2014
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists/Center for Investigative Reporting
SAN FRANCISCO – Halfway across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, an abrupt exit leads to Treasure Island, a seven-sided plain with spectacular views that inspire grandiose dreams. The Army Corps of Engineers created the island for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, encircling 400 acres of bay shoals with rock walls, draining them, filling the void with sand and soil, and naming it after the famous adventure novel. Today, the city of San Francisco has set its sights on erecting a second downtown there.
But Treasure Island’s fate in the intervening decades—and a long-secret legacy of radioactive waste left behind—has complicated those plans.
After the exposition, the island was set to become a civilian airport—until the United States entered World War II. The Navy seized the land for the Treasure Island Naval Station and demolished the expo’s Art Moderne structures, leaving just the terminal and two hangars. In the spaces around them rose a little village of beige one- and two-story sheds.
Multimedia: The Treasure Island nuclear timeline [1]
For years, the base served its purpose until, in 1993, it landed on a decommission list. The military decamped, dismantling and cleanup began, and a few years later some former Navy housing was turned into city-subsidized rentals. By 2007, the Navy was well into the process of preparing the land for full transfer to civilian control.
That year, cleanup operations shifted from removing Navy industrial toxins and sludge to identifying any lingering radioactive waste. New World Environmental, a contractor working for the Navy, assigned specialist Robert McLean to conduct a preliminary radiation survey.
That was how McLean found himself cruising through neighborhoods built near former US Navy training academies, with a Ludlum radiation meter poked out of his truck window. He did not expect to find much; just the year before, a Navy-commissioned historical report had suggested there was little likelihood that significant radioactive waste would be found on the island. And by then, hundreds of San Franciscans were living in modest townhouses on Treasure Island and neighboring Yerba Buena Island–with the Navy’s assurances that doing so was perfectly safe.
Then, the sensor needle hopped.
“We picked up readings from inside the truck, without even getting out of the vehicle,” said McLean, speaking publicly about his discovery for the first time. That first detection was not the last.
A primer: Military nuclear wastes in the United States [2]
“We found radiation, contaminated materials, in playgrounds and in areas that had previously been playgrounds,” said McLean, 52, who lives in North Carolina. “We found it in front yards. We found it underneath sidewalks and along the roadways.”
Months went by. With each new finding of radioactivity, it seemed the Navy would incrementally raise its estimates of how much waste might have been left behind on the island. McLean tried to blow the whistle, calling Kent Prendergast, radiation health division chief for the California Department of Public Health.
“McLean indicated that he was concerned regarding the fact that they are finding radium sources … at many locations on the west side of Treasure Island,” Prendergast wrote in an internal email [3] dated June 25, 2008. McLean “was concerned that the sources could represent a hazard to children or something the bad guys could use to make a dirty bomb.”
McLean reported finding radium pieces that emitted enough radiation for a person at close range to receive, in an hour, five times the maximum radiation a nuclear worker is allowed to absorb in a year. Ionizing radiation increases cancer risks; eating or breathing traces of radioactive material can subject human cells to decades of bombardment that further raises those risks. In addition to the dangerously radioactive radium pieces, McLean’s readings showed that soil surrounding the objects was contaminated with traces of the material. Concentrations were not high enough to be certain people would be harmed, but such an unexpected discovery is supposed to prompt a thorough examination.
Instead, it prompted the bureaucratic equivalent of warfare, with state health officials on one side pushing for Treasure Island to be scoured more thoroughly for radioactivity and Navy officials and their contractors on the other, claiming there was no need.
In denying that a more sweeping assessment was warranted, the Navy denied its own Cold War history—a history largely kept secret for more than four decades, The Center for Investigative Reporting found in a yearlong investigation of radiation problems on Treasure Island.
For 46 years before the base was selected for closure, Treasure Island was home to nuclear war academies that used a variety of radionuclides in their training—including radium, plutonium and cesium 137—an in-depth review of military and government documents shows. The Navy knew for years that those materials were not always in safe hands. But the Navy did not acknowledge that history publicly, and as a result, cleanup crews and others preparing for redevelopment may have inadvertently spread radioactive material around the island.
Reporters from The Center for Investigative Reporting pulled proof of the island’s nuclear history from dozens of dusty boxes at the US National Archives in San Bruno, Calif., where visitors are advised to wash their hands before eating in case toxic residue remains in the files. It was uncovered from previously classified files housed at the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas and the Navy’s own archives. It was coaxed from the memories of those who have lived and worked on the island—and their survivors—and it was even unearthed from the soil on Treasure Island itself.
Jonathan Weisgall, an attorney who wrote the book Operation Crossroads: The Atomic Tests at Bikini Atoll [4], said secrecy long has undermined efforts to protect civilians from exposure to radioactive waste.
“What I saw at the birth of the Cold War and the testing program was this ignorance, arrogance, and secrecy, which combined into a hairy-chested attitude of, ‘If you can’t feel it, it doesn’t hurt you,’ ” Weisgall said. “As I’ve looked at the history ever since, that hairy-chested attitude continues to permeate the approach of government agencies that have dealt with the legacy of atomic weapons.”
The Center for Investigative Reporting asked the Navy to respond to allegations from state public health regulators that the military had botched the Treasure Island cleanup, providing Navy officials with public health department emails, memos, and military archival records underlying the allegations. Rather than address specific claims, the Navy responded with a blanket statement, asserting that officials have diligently sought to clean up Treasure Island:
“The Navy’s Environmental Restoration program is a data driven, iterative, step by step process with the goal of protecting human health and the environment,” the statement said. “All cleanup work continues to be conducted under rigorous State oversight with the highest priority given to safety to ensure the public is protected.”
Congress ordered a nationwide base closure program in 1988. For it to succeed, the military needed to expose its toxic and radioactive past, so crews could remove dangerous waste from areas slated to become new civilian homes and workplaces. But architects of the swords-to-neighborhoods plan vastly underestimated the military’s toxic and radioactive legacy—and its reticence to acknowledge it. In Northern California alone, that miscalculation has delayed and dashed a series of base redevelopment plans.
Across the Bay Bridge from Treasure Island lies the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, where significant contamination from atomic weapon experiments and ship decontamination cost the government more than $800 million and held up development efforts for more than a decade.
Inland, officials at the former McClellan Air Force Base near Sacramento have dumped thousands of tons of radium-tainted soil on-site. Questions over who will end up owning the radioactive waste dump has led to tense relations with Sacramento city officials.
At the former Alameda Naval Air Station in the East Bay, plans launched in 2000 to build housing and commercial properties have stalled amid Navy environmental cleanup. It includes getting rid of radioactive residue washed off US jets that had scouted Soviet atomic tests.
On Treasure Island, McLean’s discovery and subsequent indications of radioactive contamination could have slowed down plans for a mixed-use urban mecca for some 20,000 residents. They could have touched off a systematic survey and scouring project. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the Navy fought back, even as it joined with the city in telling the 2,000 civilians already living on the island that they need not worry about exposure.
A history of mishandled radioactive material. Nicholas Kane attended a radiological training school on Treasure Island in 1948, its second year of operation. The training ship, the USS Independence, clearly left an impression on Kane, then 45 and an Air Force lieutenant colonel.
“It was scarred and twisted and misshapen from the atomic bomb tests at Bikini,” Kane wrote in a letter [5] home. “I wandered across her warped flight decks.”
After Kane died of cancer in 1977, his daughter would receive official reassurances that any exposure he might have received during the classes he attended was “very low.” But the military’s message to Kane’s daughter, Sandra Marlow, might have been misleading. The Independence was one of more than 90 target vessels anchored at Bikini Atoll in 1946 to see how the atomic bomb tests of Operation Crossroads would affect them. The ship ultimately had been deemed so dangerously radioactive that it was sunk in 1951 off the coast of San Francisco, near the Farallon Islands.
The Independence and other target ships had been returned to ports up and down the West Coast, where they were decontaminated, dismantled, repaired or—in the case of the Independence—used as a classroom, records from the National Archives indicate. Even in those early years of the Atomic Age, some sailors on Treasure Island pushed back, protesting the risks of working around pools of water tinged with rust they believed was radioactive, according to 1947 military memos.
Treasure Island and the Marshall Islands are 4,600 miles apart, but the two were bound together by Operation Crossroads, which consisted of two atomic bomb tests that severely damaged Bikini Atoll’s ecosystem, contaminated hundreds of troops, and raised the Navy’s awareness of its own shortcomings. Target ships were drenched in radioactive fallout, and sailors didn’t know how to adequately protect themselves from radiation, declassified memos state.
By the 1950s, various operations involving radioactive material were distributed among facilities around Treasure Island, once-secret inventories show. These efforts included academies that offered instruction in radiation detection, radiation instrument repair, ship decontamination, and atomic warfare damage control. Lessons involved handling samples of cesium 137 radioactive enough to severely burn unshielded people standing near them, according to inventories kept on Treasure Island under Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses. Also stored on-site were sample lumps of radioactive tritium, plutonium, cadmium, cobalt, strontium and krypton.
A decade after the Bikini Atoll tests, the Navy built a full-scale mock-up of a 173-foot patrol craft on the west side of Treasure Island. To practice decontamination, sailors and other students would spray the mock-up, known as the USS Pandemonium, with short-half-life radioactive material, then scrub it off.
Inside the Pandemonium, 11 pieces of cesium 137 routinely were raised and lowered from lead enclosures so students could learn to use survey meters, according to a variety of sources, including a 1993 inventory of radiological materials and radioactive material licenses from the Atomic Energy Commission dating back to the 1960s.
On the east side of Treasure Island, the Navy built one-story classrooms that were used for radiation detection training. The dangerous nature of materials used inside was reflected in the design of the buildings. What Navy documents describe as “large sources” of plutonium, tritium, and cesium were contained in a corrugated steel classroom protected by a concrete wall that served as a “radiation shield and firebreak,” according to a 1982 base radiation safety memo.
Of course, the radioactive material used at Treasure Island training academies had to be disposed of when it was no longer needed. And the military did set up tracking procedures, but some of them fell far short of today’s standards. As a result, areas the Navy considered clean might not meet modern standards of radiation safety.
For example, the cleanup of a radium spill in a classroom [6] in 1950 generated dozens of barrels of waste, which were dumped in the ocean near the Farallon Islands, according to internal Navy memos from that era, and the classroom area was deemed clean. But years later, surveys detected radiation emanating from under the classroom’s parking lot. Earlier this year, the site of that former classroom was an excavation pit, fenced off with radiation warning signs.
Another example of the evolution of radiation safety standards starts with a 1974 memo [7]. Navy safety inspectors ordered that a plastic bag full of glow-in-the-dark radium pieces be “disposed of as required.” The Navy personnel manual from that era said such objects could be buried on-site. Today, standards call for packaging radioactive waste materials in strong, airtight, shielded containers and shipping them to secure radioactive burial sites.
Years later, workers involved in efforts to clean up the island for return to civilian control would uncover hundreds of radium pieces in former Navy waste pits and in the soil around military apartments built in the 1960s and ’70s. It’s unclear whether some were the pieces discussed in the 1974 memo.
In 2006, Navy contractors prepared a historical survey of radiation-related activities on Treasure Island [8]. In it, the Navy emphasized that despite isolated mishaps, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Navy’s Radiological Affairs Support Office carefully monitored radioactive materials during frequent safety inspection visits to the base.
The lengthy report didn’t mention one important fact: The Treasure Island atomic warfare schools were repeatedly chastised as a result of those inspections. According to audit reports [9], the Nuclear Regulatory Commission informed Treasure Island officials in 1978 that they had failed to follow radioactive safety protocols by, among other things, neglecting to routinely check sealed radiation sources that contained plutonium, cesium, and other materials for leakage. Two years later, the commission said the safety failures had not been corrected.
In 1984, the commission again reported that safety procedures weren’t being followed. The following year, auditors locked down facilities and suspended classes “pending correction of all safety related deficiencies,” according to an inspection report.
Navy radiation health physicist Roy H. Smith traveled from Virginia to Treasure Island in 1986 to take a look. He inspected the school’s radiac calibrators, radiation-beam-generating devices that measured radiation. He interviewed staff. In his report, Smith wrote that Treasure Island’s schools were so dysfunctional that they risked putting students in harm’s way and leaving the base’s trove of radioactive material insecure. Smith offered up reasons for the laxity: Navy officials at the school didn’t know how to use their instruments and demonstrated “a need for immediate remedial training in basic radiation physics and safety,” the report said.
Even after the base was selected for closure in 1993, outside audits continued to alert the Navy to a potential radioactive waste problem. In May 2001, six years before radiation testing by military cleanup contractors began, California’s Integrated Waste Management Board sent a letter to the Navy’s Treasure Island cleanup director, Jim Sullivan [10], warning that old garbage sites near base housing should be tested for radioactive waste. Records showed contaminants could have been scattered all over the housing area, the letter said.
Waste board staff “has brought this matter to the attention of the Navy,” the letter said, “but to date there has been no official response.”
Operation Crossroads changed Treasure Island’s destiny in another fundamental way.
The second of the operation’s two test bombs was detonated 90 feet underwater; it blew a funnel of radioactive water and coral dust into the sky, which rained down on the Bikini lagoon. Ships milled around in the soupy waters, their internal bilge pumping systems becoming encrusted with radioactive calcium fallout.
Some of the ships from this contaminated flotilla steamed from the Marshall Islands to the San Francisco Bay, where they anchored to be tested for radioactivity. Contaminated inside and out, they needed West Coast bases that could accommodate them—with piers and overhaul, salvage, and repair capacity, according to military memos stored at the National Archives. One such base was Treasure Island. Navy archives dating back to 1946 identify at least a half-dozen Operation Crossroads ships berthed at Treasure Island, in various stages of radioactivity.
More than a half-century later, Navy officials repeatedly reassured civilian residents that most atomic test ships docked at Treasure Island had been decontaminated. But in a once-secret 1947 Navy memo, officials discussed the “insufficiency” of ship decontamination. Radioactive ships were cleared for use, not because they were safe, the memo said, but because the Navy lacked a means to make them so.
The Navy revealed to Treasure Island residents in May 2012 that the former base had hosted ship overhaul and salvage operations, a possible source of radioactive waste. Sullivan, the Navy official who until a year ago oversaw base environmental cleanup at Treasure Island, downplayed the news.
“During a brief period during the latter part of World War II, there were salvage operations,” Sullivan said. “This wasn’t ship breaking or dismantlement. It was to provide support for other bases’ operations.”
State health regulators, however, still believed the Navy was not coming fully clean, according to internal memos. They began to fear this reticence accounted for the surprises cleanup contractors kept unearthing.
Seeking a thorough inspection. In 2010, Victor Anderson was nearing the end of a four-decade career as a physicist with the state Department of Public Health.
Anderson had heard about an unexpected detection of highly radioactive radium near occupied apartment buildings on Treasure Island. And he’d heard that a cleanup worker had been exposed to so much radiation that he was forced off the job.
That worker was Robert McLean, who, after working with radioactive material found under and around the apartment housing, had received radiation doses greater than allowed under his employers’ guidelines. He says he was fired on the grounds that he had not adequately protected himself from radiation that wasn’t supposed to have been there. The Navy told McLean’s employer, New World Environmental, to fire him or risk losing its contract, according to company President Don Wadsworth. “Under normal circumstances, he would not have been fired,” Wadsworth said. “But it is also true that he should have recognized the situation because of his training and avoided the total dose he received."
Of greatest concern to Anderson was one important fact: The Navy had not followed standard environmental cleanup industry procedures, which call for starting a cleanup by thoroughly surveying the entire property with sensitive instruments. The public health department had been assured Treasure Island wasn’t a significant radioactive waste site and didn’t require close scrutiny from Anderson’s specialized team.
On May 23, 2011, Anderson decided to double-check.
He made a relatively routine request of California’s other environmental contamination bureaucracy, the Department of Toxic Substances Control, asking for information about incidents on the island involving radioactive waste. He expected to get details about the discoveries by McLean and other cleanup workers and about why McLean had received excessive doses of radiation.
Instead, Anderson learned that management at the state toxics agency had ordered its employees not to deal directly with him and his colleagues, according to interviews and internal emails [11] between Anderson and other government officials.
The Department of Toxic Substances Control is charged with monitoring environmental cleanup at Treasure Island. But the agency lacked expertise in radioactive material and was compelled to call in the health department’s radiation health experts. But Anderson believed the toxics agency wasn’t actually interested in letting members of his team ferret out information about mismanagement of Treasure Island’s radioactive cleanup.
In May 2011, the toxics agency’s Remedios Sunga rebuffed Anderson’s questions about McLean’s excessive radiation dose. In response, Anderson wrote: “Your reply is not very helpful or cooperative.”
That was among dozens of emails and memos from state radiation experts complaining their requests for information were ignored, blocked, or answered incorrectly. The two agencies were in the midst of a five-year flurry of dueling emails and memos about the cleanup. Anderson and some of his colleagues suspected the toxics agency was in too much of a hurry to clear the land for development as it sided with the Navy in resisting calls for a more thorough cleanup.
The Center for Investigative Reporting asked state toxics regulators for comment and shared dozens of emails among public health department staffers, in which health regulators criticized what they considered a cozy relationship between the military and toxics officials.The toxics department returned a brief response:“We value our working relationship with the California Department of Public Health on this project, and respect their contributions on the decisions that need to be made at Treasure Island. The steps that we have asked the Navy to take reflect CDPH’s input.”
One of the flashpoints in the duel between the state agencies came in January 2008, when the toxics agency asked the health department to sign off on a plan to allow civilians to live in areas where low-level radioactive waste was being excavated.
In a 1965 memo [12], an engineering firm evaluating land slated for Navy housing noted that it had been used as a garbage dump during an era when it was common to simply bury radioactive items. The memo said the area might be contaminated. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Navy had nonetheless built a cul-de-sac of sailor housing there.
After McLean’s 2007 discovery, specialists found radium contamination in people’s backyards, under carports, and in grassy common areas. Regulators and cleanup crews assumed the radioactive contamination extended under people’s apartments. But, according to internal emails, the Navy theorized that concrete floors would insulate residents from exposure.
The health department ultimately did not sign off on the plan for civilians to live at sites where radioactive waste had been found, according to a May 2008 internal memo. But that small victory contrasted with a general Navy intransigence.
Under normal cleanup protocol, the discoveries by McLean and others should have led to the bureaucratic equivalent of soul-searching. The Navy should have revised its 2006 historical radiation survey swiftly to incorporate the new knowledge. It should have complemented the historical research by scanning the island inch by inch to create a radiation road map. And it should have clearly communicated that process to civilians living on Treasure Island.
Instead, military officials continued to proceed as though the 2006 report were accurate, not updating it until 2012. Even then, the Navy failed to account for the base’s history of lax radiation safety or for dangers posed by ships irradiated at Bikini Atoll.
The infighting gets serious. Thousands of tons of dirt have been moved around on Treasure Island since a chemical waste cleanup began in 1999. Some was hauled away to other dumping grounds—without being tested for radioactivity. Three years ago, Kurt Jackson, a state radiation health specialist, raised an alarm. This created the potential for an islandwide radioactive mess, he wrote in an internal email [13] to fellow health department physicists.
“We do not know what areas of Treasure Island have been contaminated,” Jackson wrote, adding that the Navy and its contractors have “moved soil around (Treasure Island) under their flawed conceptual model in open loaders and trucks without any apparent records of where soil not properly characterized for radionuclides may have been spilled.”
Anderson also considered the situation a public health threat. In a July 2011 email to his colleagues, he estimated a 1-in-20 chance that an object found by a member of the public would be radioactive enough to produce burns. “It is a matter of regulatory concern and public health and safety,” he wrote [14]. “The department must take action as soon as possible to correct this problem.”
Anderson retired later that year and died in his sleep last March, at age 67. But others in the public health department also had been pushing for more scrutiny of the radiation situation on Treasure Island.
In December 2010, health department radiation specialist Gaetano Taibi and senior state health physicist Larry Morgan took an unannounced drive around Treasure Island. They found gates left open at radioactive waste cleanup sites and shared their concerns about it with the Navy. “Had we so desired, we could have driven into the excavation area, or exited our vehicles and walked directly into the … excavation area,” Taibi wrote [15].
A week after Taibi described the impromptu site inspection, a Navy lawyer contacted the health department to complain that “the drive-by was not coordinated with anyone and was simply opportunistic.”
The various agencies involved in the Treasure Island cleanup held a meeting—not so much to discuss preventing public access to dangerous areas, but to discuss health department violations of protocol. As a result, according to a December 20, 2010 memo, unannounced site visits were forbidden.
“Here’s what we expect moving forward,” Dan Ward, statewide military base cleanup manager for the state’s toxics department, wrote at the beginning of a letter ordering health department radiation experts to conduct no more surprise inspections.
But that order didn't stop Taibi from bird-dogging the toxics department. In a November 2012 email to his colleagues, Taibi described a conference call during which state toxics staffers joked about a plan to hide groundwater radiation test results [16] from the health department. Taibi had dialed into the call without other participants noticing.
“It was proposed to remove the radium data from the risk assessment document. The group literally broke out into laughter at that and there was instantaneous agreement that they would do that and simply reference it and put the information in a separate document,” Taibi wrote [17]. “It was stated then the document would not have to go to CDPH (California Department of Public Health).”
Residents air health concerns. Like many sought-after American cities, San Francisco struggles with a shortage of affordable housing. So it seemed only logical to take advantage of the vacant Navy apartments on Treasure Island. Civilians were allowed to rent them under an interim program coordinated by the city of San Francisco to meet need while also offsetting site preparation costs. The views were spectacular, the rents reasonable.
The arrangement also was temporary, ending whenever the city was able to turn the land over to the private development consortium lined up to build new high-rises. Initially, plans called for a gradual phase out of the rental program to begin this year.
During the dozen years that civilians have lived on the island, the Navy has bombarded them with messages that the base cleanup was going smoothly, that the Navy’s 2006 report on the history of radiation on Treasure Island was correct, and that radioactive cleanup was an inconsequential side note to the chemical waste cleanup operation.
Every month, Sullivan—the Navy official who until last February oversaw the island cleanup—invited residents to a coffee-and-cookies meeting of the citizens’ Restoration Advisory Board, where he updated attendees, offering reassurances that the cleanup was proceeding safely and uneventfully.
For residents, the messages sometimes seemed to clash with reality. Radiation warning signs had come to seem as plentiful as street signs. Men in protective suits could be seen at fenced-in sites on the east, west and north edges of the island, toiling in ever-growing earthen pits, transferring dirt into special red metal shipping containers.
Kathryn Lundgren, who has lived on the island for a decade, recalled seeing men step out of an unmarked van and don the white suits in 2007: “booties, goggles, everything,” she said. The workers told her that they had permission from her landlord to come into her house and test for radioactive material.
“I was kind of creeped out,” Lundgren recalled. “And my kids were obviously frightened because they looked scary.”
The military finally updated its historical radiation report in 2012—acknowledging more of Treasure Island’s nuclear past—but that revision didn’t win the Navy many allies among island residents. Why, several of them asked, weren’t they warned before they chose to come and raise families there?
Lundgren and her neighbors banded into a group called the Treasure Island Health Network to press for yet more openness from the Navy. In September 2012, the Navy called a meeting. Dozens of residents showed up, many angry and afraid.
“We feel that you are all going home. We have to stay here,” Melanie Williams Jones told the assembled officials. “We need to know what’s going on.”
Residents described loaded trucks spilling dust along roadsides after leaving fenced-off areas posted with radiation warning logos. Vicki Jones complained about being exposed to dust from open trucks.
“My baby’s got a fungus in her head that the doctor can’t explain. She breaks out in bumps, but you guys don’t have answers,” she said. “I am so upset. I lay down at night and I say, ‘What’s next?’ ”
Fifty island residents contacted an Oakland law firm in hopes of joining a lawsuit. But the firm dropped the case for lack of evidence, said attorney Adante Pointer. While news of environmental contamination often triggers health complaints, it is exceedingly rare for epidemiologists to be able to prove a link between broad contamination and a specific person’s illness.
A dozen years ago, when media reports exposed undisclosed contamination at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, three Democrats from Northern California stepped up, demanding answers from the secretary of the Navy. The Center for Investigative Reporting went to all three asking for their take on Treasure Island.
Democratic US Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer did not respond. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes Treasure Island, responded through her spokeswoman, Evangeline George, who said in an emailed statement:
“Leader Pelosi’s office continues to closely monitor the cleanup process of the former Naval Station on Treasure Island, including proactively scheduling calls with the Navy, state Department of Public Health, and state Department of Toxic Controlled Substances. The Leader has a long history of fighting to secure cleanup funding in Washington for both Treasure Island and Hunters Point to ensure the Navy can clean up and turn over these properties so that they can be transformed into vibrant communities providing new jobs and additional housing—especially affordable housing.”
Uncovering cesium contamination.
Cesium 137 is a radioactive byproduct of nuclear fission that is easily absorbed into muscle and other tissue, and such exposure can increase the risk of cancer. A cleanup worker who handled radioactive samples and testing offered The Center for Investigative Reporting a tip: The radioisotope could be found in a weedy lot on Treasure Island, just a pop fly away from a ball field and tennis court—even though that result had not shown up in thousands of pages of official Navy radioactive cleanup reports reviewed by reporters.
Development plans call for the area to be the future home of an apartment complex called Eastside Commons, along with ball fields, tennis courts, wetlands, and grassy play areas.
The lot includes two abandoned classrooms, areas declared clean enough for development in 2008. Still on the site are two barn-sized metal classrooms and a 300-square-foot walk-invault that was the target of a 1986 report, written by Navy radiation inspector Roy H. Smith, that suggested that Navy officials had handled dangerous radioactive materials, including cesium 137, without adequate knowledge of radiation safety procedures.
On a sunny day last March, debris from homeless encampments was strewn under the classroom buildings’ eaves, and holes in chain-link fences nearby offered easy public access to old equipment yards that are supposed to be off-limits.
In preparation for testing the area, two reporters from The Center for Investigative Reporting planted a grid of fluorescent-orange surveyors’ flags in the 6-acre field. The reporters carried a Ludlum sodium iodide detector, borrowed from a specialized radiation laboratory that had trained them to use it.
Four days of sweeping the detector over the site and digging from spots that showed elevated radioactivity produced 20 freezer bags of soil. A control sample was taken under a palm tree 50 feet from one of the classroom buildings.
The samples were sent to two certified radiation laboratories in California: New World Environmental in Livermore and Eberline Services in Richmond. The labs, each with decades of experience at military sites, were asked to test specifically for high levels of cesium 137.
The test results showed readings of cesium 137 as high as 0.315 picocuries per gram—up to three times the level previously acknowledged by the Navy and at least 60 percent higher than the Navy’s thresholds for environmental safety.
Those concentrations do not confirm a health hazard, according to Jan Beyea, a prominent nuclear physicist specializing in the health effects of low-level radiation. They are no greater than common contamination worldwide from 20th-century nuclear fallout.
But, Beyea said, the surprise finding in a location previously declared clean should prompt a more thorough evaluation of the island for potentially hotter spots.
“The fact that there is a level above standards is a clear mandate for further study and assessment of the extent of contamination and its origin,” Beyea wrote in an email, adding that more systematic testing is particularly important given that public play areas are planned nearby.
“Building a playfield is not an appropriate plan at this time,” he wrote, “given the tendency for little children to put things in their mouths.”
In emailed responses to the reporters’ questions, government officials suggested that the new information did not warrant action.
San Francisco’s Treasure Island development director at the time, Michael Tymoff, wrote that the city had “no basis to comment on the validity or accuracy of the tests.” The California Department of Public Health said it “does not comment on research conducted by others.” The Department of Toxics Substances Control said the agency would “determine what it means and where we go from here.”
“Such limited data taken out of context doesn’t provide much value,” wrote Keith Forman, the Navy’s Treasure Island cleanup coordinator.
On August 14, however, the Navy issued a letter asking radioactive testing contractors to bid on examining some areas of the abandoned lot surveyed by the center’s reporters—though not the spot where they found elevated readings. Contractors were to test for radium 226 and cesium 137.
The request noted the military’s expectations: “Contamination potential is low.”
Today, the Navy faces mounting public pressure to fully reckon with Treasure Island’s radioactive past. Responding to residents’ fears, city officials charged with turning the island over to developers last spring requested a special radiation survey near some of the apartments and duplexes.
As results came in, city officials sent a letter to island residents, saying low-level radiation found in the area did not pose a health threat. But the letter failed to mention one key finding: Radioactive shards, similar to those detected by cleanup worker McLean, had been discovered in public grassy areas near apartments. One small octagonal object was so hot that holding it for an hour could cause radiation burns, hair loss, and possible ulceration, according to an internal California Department of Public Health memo obtained via a public records request.
After The Center for Investigative Reporting wrote a story [18] about the discovery in November, city and Navy officials downplayed its significance. But within two weeks, the city informed some residents that they’d be evacuated from their apartments. Their buildings needed to be razed for chemical cleanup, the notification said [19], not because of anything “related to ongoing radiological surveys.”
Two decades after the base was selected for closure, Ronald Pilorin, chief of the state public health department’s Emergency, Restoration and Waste Management Section, has escalated his agency’s campaign to make the Navy come clean about its radioactive past. In a November 8 response to the Navy’s assertion that Treasure Island’s neighborhoods were free from radioactive waste, Pilorin wrote that the military lacked credibility [20].
There had been “no credible effort made to gather evidence to determine whether those radioactive materials were present or not,” he told the cleanup project manager at the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.
“Assertions,” Pilorin said, “are not facts.”
Editor's note: This story was edited by Amy Pyle. It was copy edited by Nikki Frick and Christine Lee.This story was produced by the independent, nonprofit Center for Investigative Reporting, the country’s largest investigative reporting team. For more, visit www.cironline.org [21]. The reporters can be reached at msmith@cironline.org [22] and kmieszkowski@cironline.org [23].
Source URL: https://portside.org/2014-03-03/treasure-island-cleanup-exposes-navys-mishandling-its-nuclear-past
Links:
[1] http://thebulletin.org/multimedia/treasure-island-nuclear-timeline
[2] http://thebulletin.org/military-nuclear-wastes-united-states
[3] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/809302-june-2008-hazard-to-children.html
[4] http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Crossroads-Atomic-Tests-Bikini/dp/1557509190/ref=la_B000APBBNK_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389921650&sr=1-1
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAA8EcvO4KM
[6] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/809235-report-on-1950-spill.html
[7] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/809266-bldg-343-use-explained-1974-raso-report-explains.html
[8] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/809298-radiologicalassessment-2006.html
[9] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/809325-ti-hra-59-1986-5-15-raso-report-of-technical.html
[10] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894639-ti-hra-90-2001-5-9-radiological-screening-at.html
[11] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894638-combined-victoranderson-emails.html
[12] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894624-mccreary-koretsky-combined.html
[13] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894637-kurt-jackson-feb-2011.html
[14] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894646-victor-anderson-july-2011.html
[15] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/809305-dec-8-2010-timeline-simplyopportunistic.html
[16] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894645-laughed-about-radiation-water-data.html
[17] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/813622-10299668353-66f41a53f2-b.html
[18] http://cironline.org/reports/radioactive-poisoning-may-still-be-risk-treasure-island-memo-says-5549
[19] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/894609-t-i-letter.html
[20] https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/895091-tidraftradiological4installation-11-1-8-2013.html
[21] http://www.cironline.org
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
Monday, March 3, 2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Baltimore Activist Alert Mar. 3 – Mar. 9, 2014
Baltimore Activist Alert Mar. 3 – Mar. 9, 2014
"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours.
The initiative to stop it must be ours." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center. Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.
Tune into the Maryland Progressive Blog at http://mdprogblog.org.
1] Books, buttons & stickers
2] Web site for info on federal legislation
3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists
4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa
5] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Mar. 3 – Mar. 7
6] Hearing/phone banking on Getting Money Out of Maryland politics – Mar. 3, 4 & 12
7] Hearing on the State of Drones in Maryland – Mar. 3
8] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – Mar. 3
9] Companion animal bereavement support group – Mar. 4
10] Stop a war with Iran – Mar. 4
11] Activating Palestine’s UNESCO Membership – Mar. 4
12] Support Senate Bill 706/House Bill 1201 – Mar. 4
13] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Mar. 4
14] Protest JHU’s drone research – Mar. 4
15] Farmworker Justice Fundraiser – Mar. 4
16] Betty Medsger at Goucher – Mar. 4
17] Edward Snowden: Traitor or Patriot? – Mar. 5
18] Stop the Dangerous Trans-Pacific Partnership – Mar. 5
19] Film "Trailblazers in Habits" – Mar. 5
20] Stop anti-free speech legislation – Mar. 5 & 6
21] Peace Circles – Mar. 5
22] Jump-Start Your Union – Mar. 5
23] Film “Before the Revolution!” – Mar. 5
-----
1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available. “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Donate your books to Max. Call him at 410-366-1637.
2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/. Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.
3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR]. It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed. It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq. To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net. Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.
THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe. It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing. To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.
4] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale. For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.html. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.
Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month. Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered. Send it to Adela Hirsch, 5358 Eliots Oak Rd., Columbia, MD 21044. Be sure you indicate ground (G) or bean (B) for each type of coffee ordered. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Adela at 410-997-5662 or via e-mail at adela4peace@verizon.net.
5] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 AM on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community, or online at www.weaa.org. The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email to steinershow@gmail.com. All shows are also available as podcasts at www.steinershow.org.
6] – On Mon., Mar. 3 at 1 PM attend the hearing on HJ 7 in the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, House Office Building, Room 142, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401. Go to http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/. March is Get Money Out - Maryland Victory Month. There was a very successful hearing in the Senate, and it is presumed there will be a favorable Committee report. The hearing is in the House Rules Committee on Monday, March 3. Contact your Senators and Delegates.
There is a phone bank party most Tuesday evenings in Towson, starting at 6:30 PM. Novices & newbies are welcome at the home of Joe Adams. RSVP to Joe at 410-231-3323 or joeadamsmd@gmail.com. You must bring a cell phone and charger; a laptop is recommended but optional. There is a phone bank on Mar. 4 and Wed., Mar. 12. There are phone bank parties on Sundays in Rockville at 17 Watchwater Way. Take the Metro Red Line to the Rockville exit and pick up the 56 or 47 bus to Darrell’s home. Darrell will provide a return ride from his home to the Metro. Bring a phone, and a laptop/tablet if you have one, and chargers. RSVP to Darrell at darrell.tschakert@comcast.net or 240-453-0678. For a VIRTUAL phone bank, call the teleconference to get instructions at 1 (619) 326-2772, code 1136243#. Then make calls from home. RSVP to charlie@getmoneyoutmd.org or call 410-849-0670.
There is a virtual phone bank party for on Tues., Mar. 4 at 5:30 PM. Here's how to contact your Delegates and Senator: 1] go to http://mdelect.net; 2] put in your address, and contact info for you Delegate(s) and Senator will come up. Call or write (email less effective) asking for their support for Senator Raskin's (SJ 6) or Delegate Hixson’s (HJ 7) resolution for Free and Fair Elections.
7] – There is a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee on Mon., Mar. 3 at 4 PM in 3 East Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401-1991, on the State of Drones in Maryland. Call 410-946-5510.
8] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence. The next meeting will be on Mon., Mar. 3. The proposed agenda will include a report on the appeal of conviction of the CIA Five, GMO legislation and other bills in Annapolis, anti-drone activities, including the Spring Actions, lobbying against Citizens United, Rep. Sarbanes and the sentencing of the Plowshares. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.
9] – Andrew Mazan leads a free monthly companion animal bereavement support group that meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Baltimore Humane Society, 1601 Nicodemus Road. Call 410- 833-8848 to RSVP. Go to http://www.baltimorehumane.org.
10] – Did you see AIPAC's fear-mongering op-ed in the New York Times this weekend? The authors call for a renewed push to pass the dangerous Senate sanctions bill that we already worked so hard to defeat. The article is a critical reminder of just how much anti-diplomacy forces are riling up their troops as we approach Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu's upcoming visit to Washington. If you think the powerful interests pushing war and sanctions have given up, this is a stunning reminder that they are redoubling their efforts to get back into the driver’s seat to steer U.S.-Iran policy towards war. We can't let that happen. On Tues., Mar. 4, AIPAC's lobby day on Capitol Hill, Iranian Americans across the country will deliver petitions to their legislators, showing strong and unequivocal support for peace and diplomacy in this critical diplomacy moment. You are needed to sign the Act for Peace petition. And if you can spare an hour of your day on March 4, join in delivering those petitions in your state during NIAC's Act for Peace day. Contact Yasmin Radjy, outreach director for the National Iranian American Council, at yradjy@niacouncil.org.
11] – Activating Palestine’s UNESCO Membership is the topic for discussion on Tues., Mar. 4 from 12:30 to 2 PM at the Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW. Join the Jerusalem Fund for a discussion with Nidal Sliman and Valentine Azarov. Palestine gained membership of UNESCO in 2011 but its representatives have not yet made best use of this new status due in part to pressure by Israel and the United States. Sliman and Azarov will review the value of UNESCO in the quest to fulfill Palestinian rights and to apply the relevant international law instruments to the case of Palestine. They will make a compelling argument that Palestine can gain significant practical advantages from its UNESCO membership, including reasserting sovereignty over its land and sea and obliging third states to hold Israel accountable for its obligations. Visit http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/EventDetails/i/44078.
12] – Support Senate Bill 706/House Bill 1201, an important piece of environmental justice legislation that has been introduced in Annapolis. If passed, SB 706/HB 1201 will protect communities with environmental and public health issues caused by pollution. This cumulative impacts assessment bill will require the Maryland Department of Environment, when making certain permit decisions regarding large polluting facilities, review and consider the cumulative impacts. The hearing for the Cumulative Impacts bill is being held on Tues., Mar. 5 at 1 PM in the Environmental Matters Committee. Come to the hearing, and contact your legislators. Call Andy Galli at Clean Water Action at 410-235-8808 or 443-631-0355.
13] – Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th Street & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine. The next vigil is Mar. 4. Call 215-426-0364.
14] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 34th & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil. The next vigil is Mar. 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.
15] – Get over to the Farmworker Justice Fundraiser: Fair Food Nation on Tues., Mar. 4 from 6 to 9 PM at Haydees Restaurant, 3102 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has announced their spring action! The Now Is The Time Tour (March 5th-15th)! DC Fair Food is going too! They will be joining the massive action taking place in Columbus, Ohio at Wendy's flagship store and headquarters on March 8th-9th!
Thousands of students, activists, artists, faith leaders, and allies from the Northeast will be caravanning to OH to tell Wendy’s that “Now is the Time” to end exploitation in the tomato fields of Florida. They will be marching for farmworker justice, a fair food nation, a food system that respects worker's /consumer's dignity and living wages for our sisters and brothers who work the land! They are telling Wendy’s: "Now is the time" to sign on the Fair Food Program and join the Fair Food Nation! They need your help to get to Columbus! So, come to Haydee’s Restaurant to help raise funds for transportation from D.C. to Columbus, Ohio! Son Cosita Seria will be performing. Email ecarmenmason@gmail.com.
16] – Betty Medsger, the former Washington Post reporter, discusses her new book, “The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI” on Tues., Mar. 4 at 7:30 PM at Goucher College, Buchner Hall in the Alumnae/i House, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore 21204. Call 410-337-6333 or go to http://goucher.edu/tickets.
In March 1971, Medsger was the first journalist to publish the story revealing FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had—for nearly a half-century—distorted the mission of the most powerful law enforcement agency and one of the nation’s most venerated institutions. This event, the 2014 Myra Berman Kurtz ’66 Seminar, is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved at www.goucher.edu/tickets or by calling 410-337-6333.
17] – Hear a debate Edward Snowden: Traitor or Patriot? On Wed., Mar. 5 at noon at the Kay Spiritual Life Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW (in Letts Formal Lounge).RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. This is part of the Table Talk Lunch Series at which the University community meets to discuss matters of moral, social, and ethical concern. A buffet lunch is provided free to students. A donation of $5 each is requested from faculty and staff to help offset the cost of the program. RSVP at 202.885.3321 or at ksle@american.edu.
18] – Amazon Watch invites you to a "Green-Bag Lunch" presentation: Stop the Dangerous Trans-Pacific Partnership, Where the Battle Stands and What You Can Do with Melinda St. Louis, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, and Ilana Solomon, Sierra Club, on Wed., Mar. 5 from noon until 1:30 PM at Amazon Watch / CIEL conference room, 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, #1100 (South Dupont, above Panera / Cosi), WDC. Now in its fourth year of negotiations, the TPP is a "free trade" agreement only in name that would set binding rules on non-trade matters such as environmental regulation, food safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and more.
These closed-door talks between the United States and 11 other Pacific rim nations have included over 600 official corporate "trade advisors" while hiding the text from the public, the press, and even many of our state and national elected officials. Leaks from the environment and investment chapters provide a window into the dangers for policies to protect the environment and biodiversity and combat climate change.
The deal is at a critical juncture with an intense push to conclude talks before Obama's trip to Asia in April, and mounting opposition in Congress to "fast tracking" the TPP. Come hear the latest from the recent meeting of Trade Ministers in Singapore in late February and the current debate over Fast Track trade authority in Congress, and strategize about how to weigh in to make a difference now.
19] – See "Trailblazers in Habits" on Wed., Mar. 5 at 7 PM at Goucher College's Kelly Lecture Hall followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Vivien Ng, Sister Jeanne Houlihan and Sister Betty Ann Maheu. The film is an intimate portrait of a group of American Catholic nuns, the Maryknoll Sisters, who have accompanied the disenfranchised in many parts of the world in their struggle for social justice. Insightful and inspirational, this documentary is a revealing portrait of these courageous women. The film chronicles 100 years and several continents, celebrating the intelligence and tenacity, the love, compassion and generosity of these early feminists.
Following the screening, Dr. Vivien Ng, Associate Professor and Chair of Women's Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY and principal researcher and associate producer of the documentary, will facilitate a panel discussion with two of the Maryknoll Sisters featured in the film. The event is co-sponsored by the Peace Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Programs and supported by the Stimson Lecture Endowment. Email sdawit@goucher.edu.
20] – Help stop the Maryland legislature from using the threat of withdrawing funding from public universities to stifle free speech. There will be hearings in the Maryland House and Senate on bills that would cut funding for universities to punish them for participating in professional associations that some Maryland legislators are mad at for adopting human rights resolutions. Hearings on the legislation are scheduled for Wed., Mar. 5 at 2:30 PM in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and on Thurs., Mar. 6 at 1 PM at the House Appropriations Committee. Urge your legislators and Governor O'Malley to oppose Senate Bill 647 and House Bill 998.
Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway and Delegate Benjamin Kramer have introduced companion bills that threaten freedom of speech and academic freedom in Maryland. These bills are opposed by the American Association of University Professors (1) and the ACLU of Maryland. (2) Urge your representatives in the legislature and Governor O'Malley to oppose Senate Bill 647 and House Bill 998, which threaten free speech and academic freedom in Maryland. Go to http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/maryland-free-speech. These bills would, by threat of a reduction in funding, prohibit public universities from reimbursing faculty participation in professional organizations that adopt resolutions that support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel for its policies toward the Palestinians.
21] – The D.C. Trainers Network Monthly Skillshare will focus on Peace Circles on Wed., Mar. 5 at 6:30 PM at St Stephens Church, 1525 Newton St. NW--convenient to the 14th and 16th Sts. buses and the Columbia Heights Metro. Peace Circles are a transformative communication model based on indigenous wisdom and practices. The circle keeper holds a space that encourages authenticity, values all voices and connects shared values. The keeper asks coaching type questions and encourages increased awareness of ourselves and others. Participants will experience the circle process and learn some basic techniques that can be used in multiple settings. Contact Noor Mir at 202-234-2000 or noor@washingtonpeacecenter.org.
22] – Jump-Start Your Union: Labor Notes Book Event takes place on Wed., Mar. 5 from 6:30 to 8 PM at Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. Join Labor Notes for a discussion of Labor Notes' new book, "How to Jump-Start Your Union: Lessons from the Chicago Teachers," presented by Busboys and Poets' Bread and Roses Labor Series. Hear from Washington Teachers Union President Elizabeth Davis and Empower DC Education Organizer Daniel del Pielago about local teacher struggles and the fight against school closures in D.C., and meet one of the book's authors, Labor Notes director Mark Brenner. This book explains how activists transformed their union by engaging their co-workers and neighbors and unleashing the smarts of rank-and-file members. Readers will learn how to work with their communities, organize a caucus, run for office, rebuild a stewards network, train new leaders, run a contract campaign, and strike. Contact Julia Kann at 718-284-4144 or julia@labornotes.org or go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1466623336890041/.
23] – There will be an NIAC screening of “Before the Revolution!” on Wed., Mar. 5 at 7 PM at the Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda 20814, followed by an insightful question and answer session with the film's Israeli director, Dan Shahur. Tickets are $12. All proceeds of the tickets will benefit Heymann Brothers Films. The Q&A session with the director will be moderated by Reza Marashi. Email Yasmin Radjy at yradjy@niacouncil.org.
To be continued.
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours.
The initiative to stop it must be ours." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center. Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.
Tune into the Maryland Progressive Blog at http://mdprogblog.org.
1] Books, buttons & stickers
2] Web site for info on federal legislation
3] Join Nonviolent Resistance lists
4] Buy coffee through HoCoFoLa
5] Marc Steiner on WEAA – Mar. 3 – Mar. 7
6] Hearing/phone banking on Getting Money Out of Maryland politics – Mar. 3, 4 & 12
7] Hearing on the State of Drones in Maryland – Mar. 3
8] Pledge of Resistance/Fund Our Communities meeting – Mar. 3
9] Companion animal bereavement support group – Mar. 4
10] Stop a war with Iran – Mar. 4
11] Activating Palestine’s UNESCO Membership – Mar. 4
12] Support Senate Bill 706/House Bill 1201 – Mar. 4
13] Philadelphia Peace Vigil – Mar. 4
14] Protest JHU’s drone research – Mar. 4
15] Farmworker Justice Fundraiser – Mar. 4
16] Betty Medsger at Goucher – Mar. 4
17] Edward Snowden: Traitor or Patriot? – Mar. 5
18] Stop the Dangerous Trans-Pacific Partnership – Mar. 5
19] Film "Trailblazers in Habits" – Mar. 5
20] Stop anti-free speech legislation – Mar. 5 & 6
21] Peace Circles – Mar. 5
22] Jump-Start Your Union – Mar. 5
23] Film “Before the Revolution!” – Mar. 5
-----
1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available. “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Donate your books to Max. Call him at 410-366-1637.
2] – To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/. Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.
3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR]. It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed. It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq. To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net. Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.
THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe. It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing. To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.
4] – You can help safeguard human rights and fragile ecosystems through your purchase of HOCOFOLA Café Quetzal. Bags of ground coffee or whole beans can be ordered by mailing in an order form. Also note organic cocoa and sugar are for sale. For more details and to download the order form, go to http://friendsoflatinamerica.typepad.com/hocofola/2010/02/hocofola-cafe-quetzal-order-form-2010.html. The coffee comes in one-pound bags.
Fill out the form and mail it with a check made out to HOCOFOLA on or before the second week of the month. Be sure you indicate ground or beans for each type of coffee ordered. Send it to Adela Hirsch, 5358 Eliots Oak Rd., Columbia, MD 21044. Be sure you indicate ground (G) or bean (B) for each type of coffee ordered. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up. Contact Adela at 410-997-5662 or via e-mail at adela4peace@verizon.net.
5] – The Marc Steiner Show airs Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 AM on WEAA 88.9 FM, The Voice of the Community, or online at www.weaa.org. The call-in number is 410-319-8888, and comments can also be sent by email to steinershow@gmail.com. All shows are also available as podcasts at www.steinershow.org.
6] – On Mon., Mar. 3 at 1 PM attend the hearing on HJ 7 in the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, House Office Building, Room 142, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401. Go to http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/. March is Get Money Out - Maryland Victory Month. There was a very successful hearing in the Senate, and it is presumed there will be a favorable Committee report. The hearing is in the House Rules Committee on Monday, March 3. Contact your Senators and Delegates.
There is a phone bank party most Tuesday evenings in Towson, starting at 6:30 PM. Novices & newbies are welcome at the home of Joe Adams. RSVP to Joe at 410-231-3323 or joeadamsmd@gmail.com. You must bring a cell phone and charger; a laptop is recommended but optional. There is a phone bank on Mar. 4 and Wed., Mar. 12. There are phone bank parties on Sundays in Rockville at 17 Watchwater Way. Take the Metro Red Line to the Rockville exit and pick up the 56 or 47 bus to Darrell’s home. Darrell will provide a return ride from his home to the Metro. Bring a phone, and a laptop/tablet if you have one, and chargers. RSVP to Darrell at darrell.tschakert@comcast.net or 240-453-0678. For a VIRTUAL phone bank, call the teleconference to get instructions at 1 (619) 326-2772, code 1136243#. Then make calls from home. RSVP to charlie@getmoneyoutmd.org or call 410-849-0670.
There is a virtual phone bank party for on Tues., Mar. 4 at 5:30 PM. Here's how to contact your Delegates and Senator: 1] go to http://mdelect.net; 2] put in your address, and contact info for you Delegate(s) and Senator will come up. Call or write (email less effective) asking for their support for Senator Raskin's (SJ 6) or Delegate Hixson’s (HJ 7) resolution for Free and Fair Elections.
7] – There is a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee on Mon., Mar. 3 at 4 PM in 3 East Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen St., Annapolis 21401-1991, on the State of Drones in Maryland. Call 410-946-5510.
8] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore usually meets on Mondays at 7:30 PM, and the meetings take place at Max’s residence. The next meeting will be on Mon., Mar. 3. The proposed agenda will include a report on the appeal of conviction of the CIA Five, GMO legislation and other bills in Annapolis, anti-drone activities, including the Spring Actions, lobbying against Citizens United, Rep. Sarbanes and the sentencing of the Plowshares. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski at verizon.net for directions.
9] – Andrew Mazan leads a free monthly companion animal bereavement support group that meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Baltimore Humane Society, 1601 Nicodemus Road. Call 410- 833-8848 to RSVP. Go to http://www.baltimorehumane.org.
10] – Did you see AIPAC's fear-mongering op-ed in the New York Times this weekend? The authors call for a renewed push to pass the dangerous Senate sanctions bill that we already worked so hard to defeat. The article is a critical reminder of just how much anti-diplomacy forces are riling up their troops as we approach Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu's upcoming visit to Washington. If you think the powerful interests pushing war and sanctions have given up, this is a stunning reminder that they are redoubling their efforts to get back into the driver’s seat to steer U.S.-Iran policy towards war. We can't let that happen. On Tues., Mar. 4, AIPAC's lobby day on Capitol Hill, Iranian Americans across the country will deliver petitions to their legislators, showing strong and unequivocal support for peace and diplomacy in this critical diplomacy moment. You are needed to sign the Act for Peace petition. And if you can spare an hour of your day on March 4, join in delivering those petitions in your state during NIAC's Act for Peace day. Contact Yasmin Radjy, outreach director for the National Iranian American Council, at yradjy@niacouncil.org.
11] – Activating Palestine’s UNESCO Membership is the topic for discussion on Tues., Mar. 4 from 12:30 to 2 PM at the Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW. Join the Jerusalem Fund for a discussion with Nidal Sliman and Valentine Azarov. Palestine gained membership of UNESCO in 2011 but its representatives have not yet made best use of this new status due in part to pressure by Israel and the United States. Sliman and Azarov will review the value of UNESCO in the quest to fulfill Palestinian rights and to apply the relevant international law instruments to the case of Palestine. They will make a compelling argument that Palestine can gain significant practical advantages from its UNESCO membership, including reasserting sovereignty over its land and sea and obliging third states to hold Israel accountable for its obligations. Visit http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/EventDetails/i/44078.
12] – Support Senate Bill 706/House Bill 1201, an important piece of environmental justice legislation that has been introduced in Annapolis. If passed, SB 706/HB 1201 will protect communities with environmental and public health issues caused by pollution. This cumulative impacts assessment bill will require the Maryland Department of Environment, when making certain permit decisions regarding large polluting facilities, review and consider the cumulative impacts. The hearing for the Cumulative Impacts bill is being held on Tues., Mar. 5 at 1 PM in the Environmental Matters Committee. Come to the hearing, and contact your legislators. Call Andy Galli at Clean Water Action at 410-235-8808 or 443-631-0355.
13] – Each Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30 PM, the Catholic Peace Fellowship-Philadelphia for peace in Afghanistan and Iraq gathers at the Suburban Station, 16th Street & JFK Blvd., at the entrance to Tracks 3 and 4 on the mezzanine. The next vigil is Mar. 4. Call 215-426-0364.
14] – Vigil to say "No Drone Research at JHU" each Tuesday at 34th & North Charles Sts. Join this ongoing vigil. The next vigil is Mar. 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.
15] – Get over to the Farmworker Justice Fundraiser: Fair Food Nation on Tues., Mar. 4 from 6 to 9 PM at Haydees Restaurant, 3102 Mt. Pleasant St. NW. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has announced their spring action! The Now Is The Time Tour (March 5th-15th)! DC Fair Food is going too! They will be joining the massive action taking place in Columbus, Ohio at Wendy's flagship store and headquarters on March 8th-9th!
Thousands of students, activists, artists, faith leaders, and allies from the Northeast will be caravanning to OH to tell Wendy’s that “Now is the Time” to end exploitation in the tomato fields of Florida. They will be marching for farmworker justice, a fair food nation, a food system that respects worker's /consumer's dignity and living wages for our sisters and brothers who work the land! They are telling Wendy’s: "Now is the time" to sign on the Fair Food Program and join the Fair Food Nation! They need your help to get to Columbus! So, come to Haydee’s Restaurant to help raise funds for transportation from D.C. to Columbus, Ohio! Son Cosita Seria will be performing. Email ecarmenmason@gmail.com.
16] – Betty Medsger, the former Washington Post reporter, discusses her new book, “The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI” on Tues., Mar. 4 at 7:30 PM at Goucher College, Buchner Hall in the Alumnae/i House, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore 21204. Call 410-337-6333 or go to http://goucher.edu/tickets.
In March 1971, Medsger was the first journalist to publish the story revealing FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had—for nearly a half-century—distorted the mission of the most powerful law enforcement agency and one of the nation’s most venerated institutions. This event, the 2014 Myra Berman Kurtz ’66 Seminar, is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved at www.goucher.edu/tickets or by calling 410-337-6333.
17] – Hear a debate Edward Snowden: Traitor or Patriot? On Wed., Mar. 5 at noon at the Kay Spiritual Life Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW (in Letts Formal Lounge).RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. This is part of the Table Talk Lunch Series at which the University community meets to discuss matters of moral, social, and ethical concern. A buffet lunch is provided free to students. A donation of $5 each is requested from faculty and staff to help offset the cost of the program. RSVP at 202.885.3321 or at ksle@american.edu.
18] – Amazon Watch invites you to a "Green-Bag Lunch" presentation: Stop the Dangerous Trans-Pacific Partnership, Where the Battle Stands and What You Can Do with Melinda St. Louis, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, and Ilana Solomon, Sierra Club, on Wed., Mar. 5 from noon until 1:30 PM at Amazon Watch / CIEL conference room, 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, #1100 (South Dupont, above Panera / Cosi), WDC. Now in its fourth year of negotiations, the TPP is a "free trade" agreement only in name that would set binding rules on non-trade matters such as environmental regulation, food safety, internet freedom, medicine costs, financial regulation, and more.
These closed-door talks between the United States and 11 other Pacific rim nations have included over 600 official corporate "trade advisors" while hiding the text from the public, the press, and even many of our state and national elected officials. Leaks from the environment and investment chapters provide a window into the dangers for policies to protect the environment and biodiversity and combat climate change.
The deal is at a critical juncture with an intense push to conclude talks before Obama's trip to Asia in April, and mounting opposition in Congress to "fast tracking" the TPP. Come hear the latest from the recent meeting of Trade Ministers in Singapore in late February and the current debate over Fast Track trade authority in Congress, and strategize about how to weigh in to make a difference now.
19] – See "Trailblazers in Habits" on Wed., Mar. 5 at 7 PM at Goucher College's Kelly Lecture Hall followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Vivien Ng, Sister Jeanne Houlihan and Sister Betty Ann Maheu. The film is an intimate portrait of a group of American Catholic nuns, the Maryknoll Sisters, who have accompanied the disenfranchised in many parts of the world in their struggle for social justice. Insightful and inspirational, this documentary is a revealing portrait of these courageous women. The film chronicles 100 years and several continents, celebrating the intelligence and tenacity, the love, compassion and generosity of these early feminists.
Following the screening, Dr. Vivien Ng, Associate Professor and Chair of Women's Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY and principal researcher and associate producer of the documentary, will facilitate a panel discussion with two of the Maryknoll Sisters featured in the film. The event is co-sponsored by the Peace Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Programs and supported by the Stimson Lecture Endowment. Email sdawit@goucher.edu.
20] – Help stop the Maryland legislature from using the threat of withdrawing funding from public universities to stifle free speech. There will be hearings in the Maryland House and Senate on bills that would cut funding for universities to punish them for participating in professional associations that some Maryland legislators are mad at for adopting human rights resolutions. Hearings on the legislation are scheduled for Wed., Mar. 5 at 2:30 PM in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and on Thurs., Mar. 6 at 1 PM at the House Appropriations Committee. Urge your legislators and Governor O'Malley to oppose Senate Bill 647 and House Bill 998.
Maryland State Senator Joan Carter Conway and Delegate Benjamin Kramer have introduced companion bills that threaten freedom of speech and academic freedom in Maryland. These bills are opposed by the American Association of University Professors (1) and the ACLU of Maryland. (2) Urge your representatives in the legislature and Governor O'Malley to oppose Senate Bill 647 and House Bill 998, which threaten free speech and academic freedom in Maryland. Go to http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/maryland-free-speech. These bills would, by threat of a reduction in funding, prohibit public universities from reimbursing faculty participation in professional organizations that adopt resolutions that support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel for its policies toward the Palestinians.
21] – The D.C. Trainers Network Monthly Skillshare will focus on Peace Circles on Wed., Mar. 5 at 6:30 PM at St Stephens Church, 1525 Newton St. NW--convenient to the 14th and 16th Sts. buses and the Columbia Heights Metro. Peace Circles are a transformative communication model based on indigenous wisdom and practices. The circle keeper holds a space that encourages authenticity, values all voices and connects shared values. The keeper asks coaching type questions and encourages increased awareness of ourselves and others. Participants will experience the circle process and learn some basic techniques that can be used in multiple settings. Contact Noor Mir at 202-234-2000 or noor@washingtonpeacecenter.org.
22] – Jump-Start Your Union: Labor Notes Book Event takes place on Wed., Mar. 5 from 6:30 to 8 PM at Busboys and Poets, 1025 5th St. NW. Join Labor Notes for a discussion of Labor Notes' new book, "How to Jump-Start Your Union: Lessons from the Chicago Teachers," presented by Busboys and Poets' Bread and Roses Labor Series. Hear from Washington Teachers Union President Elizabeth Davis and Empower DC Education Organizer Daniel del Pielago about local teacher struggles and the fight against school closures in D.C., and meet one of the book's authors, Labor Notes director Mark Brenner. This book explains how activists transformed their union by engaging their co-workers and neighbors and unleashing the smarts of rank-and-file members. Readers will learn how to work with their communities, organize a caucus, run for office, rebuild a stewards network, train new leaders, run a contract campaign, and strike. Contact Julia Kann at 718-284-4144 or julia@labornotes.org or go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1466623336890041/.
23] – There will be an NIAC screening of “Before the Revolution!” on Wed., Mar. 5 at 7 PM at the Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda 20814, followed by an insightful question and answer session with the film's Israeli director, Dan Shahur. Tickets are $12. All proceeds of the tickets will benefit Heymann Brothers Films. The Q&A session with the director will be moderated by Reza Marashi. Email Yasmin Radjy at yradjy@niacouncil.org.
To be continued.
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
No, the Pentagon Is NOT Cutting Army Budget to 1930s Levels: Media's Latest Big Lie Debunked
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
AlterNet [1] / By Steven Rosenfeld [2]
No, the Pentagon Is NOT Cutting Army Budget to 1930s Levels: Media's Latest Big Lie Debunked
February 27, 2014 |
On Monday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel unveiled his 2015 Pentagon budget in a detailed speech [3] where he proposed spending $496 billion—about $45 billion less than the White House, retiring a tank-shooting aircraft and spy plane, cutting the army’s size from 520,000 to 450,000 troops, and trimming subsidies for military housing and health care.
The rationale was that after America’s longest overseas war, 11 years in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military had to balance downsizing and modernizing. The coverage that ensued was anything but rational. “Pentagon set to Slash Military to Pre-World War II Levels,” blared NBCNews.com. The New York Times [4], Reuters [5], NewsMax.com [6], FoxNews [7], Time [8], CNN [9] all had headlines that the Army reduction was to “pre-World War II levels.”
Following the media’s lead, Republican congressmen and ex-generals on prime time TV, predictably vented [10]. The Army was being “cut to the bone,” said Retired Gen. Jack Keane on Fox. “This is not the time for us to begin to retreat,” said Rep. Michael Turner, R-OH. “It’s all being sacrificed… on the altar of entitlements,” said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX.
Even experts that sought to defend a trend that has follow every big American war recited the “pre-World War II levels” trope. “The news that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will propose to cut the U.S. Army to pre-World War II levels is sure to generate much controversy,” wrote [11] the WaPo’s David Edelstein, “despite the fact that the United States spends nearly five times [12] as much on defense as the next country on the list.”
The problem is that the “pre-WW II” claim is false. It’s not just sloppy headline writing. It’s not true—and not by a wide margin. The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf was among the first writers to notice.
“So… will our national defense be roughly as strong as it was right before we fought Germany and Japan, as a casual reader might assume? Not even close,” he wrote [13]. “What about the Army taken in isolation? No, that isn’t accurate either. If these accounts were trying to maximize confusion or alarm at proposed cuts, then mission accomplished.”
To fully grasp how absurd and filled with historical amnesia this “pre-World War II” claim is, just look at how the United States Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) characterized the challenge facing General George C. Marshall in 1939—before Germany invaded its first country and then-President Fraklin D. Roosevelt pretended that the U.S. was neutral while sending old Army planes to England.
“The U.S. Army in 1939 ranked 17th in the world in size, consisting of slightly more than 200,000 Regular Army soldiers and slightly less than 200,000 National Guardsmen—all organized in woefully understrength and undertrained formations,” a SSI paper [14] by Col. John T. Nelson said. “The Army possessed ony 329 crude light tanks and only a handful of truly modern combat aircraft with a total inventory of just over 1,800 planes.”
It’s beyond an error in characterization to suggest that Hagel’s proposed Pentagon cuts will leave the Army in position that is weaker or even comparable to the late 1930s. It’s ludicrous. Looking beyond the troop totals, the training and the weaponry is night and day. The Air Force wasn’t created until after World War II. Still, the Army today has more than [15] 4,000 active duty helicopters and the Air Force has thousands of planes.
Moreover, there are so many other differences between America’s military might before WW2 and today, starting [13] with more than 5,000 nuclear weapons, more than 7,000 drones, nearly a dozen aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and on and on.
Peace Dividend?
While mainstream media’s headline writers are wringing their hands about an imaginary loss of military might, there’s a related topic that not getting covered at all: the perennial promise of a “peace dividend,” or redirecting Pentagon funds to domestic needs.
After every big American war has wound down since World War II, politicians have said [16] it is now possible to invest in a peacetime economy. President Obama made this pledge as he accepted the Democratic Party’s 2012 presidential nomination.
“I’ll use the money that we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work—rebuilding roads and bridges, schools and runways,” Obama said [17]. “After two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time we do some nation-building right here at home.”
So where’s the dividend, or at least press coverage about it, as official Washington puts together its first newest post-war budget? It’s MIA—missing in action. Sadly, as anyone who has seen this discussion before may recall, such as after the Cold War ended, there’s really is no such thing as a peace dividend. That’s because the Pentagon and ever-fearful members of Congress always find a threat to sustain America’s war footing.
After Obama made his peace dividend pledge, the Associated Press “fact check” called it “phantom savings.” The AP’s Calvin Woodward wrote [17], “The idea of taking war savings to pay for other programs is budgetary sleight of hand, given that the wars were paid for with increased debt. Obama can essentially ‘pay down our debt,’ as he said, by borrowing less now that war is ending. But he still must borrow to do the extra ‘nation-building’ he envisions.”
Another big American war is ending [18] and military contractors, ex-generals and Congress’s hawk are all fretting about American weakness and in some case lobbying [19] to protect wartime profiteering. Meanwhile, there is no peace dividend to be had, as America’s longest war was paid for with borrowed cash. And hardly anyone in the mainstream media is asking, ‘What’s wrong with this picture?”
Source URL: http://www.alternet.org/media/no-pentagon-not-cutting-army-budget-1930s-levels-medias-latest-big-lie-debunked
Links:
[1] http://alternet.org
[2] http://www.alternet.org/authors/steven-rosenfeld
[3] http://www.defense.gov/Speeches/Speech.aspx?SpeechID=1831
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/us/politics/pentagon-plans-to-shrink-army-to-pre-world-war-ii-level.html?_r=0
[5] http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/us-usa-defense-budget-idUSBREA1N1IO20140224
[6] http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/pentagon-shrink-budget-pre/2014/02/24/id/554281
[7] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/24/hagel-proposed-budget-will-reportedly-shrink-army-to-pre-wwii-numbers/
[8] http://swampland.time.com/2014/02/24/pentagon-to-cut-army-to-pre-world-war-ii-levels/
[9] http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/24/defense-department-to-cut-army-to-pre-ww-ii-size/
[10] http://www.newsmax.com/PrintTemplate.aspx?nodeid=554281
[11] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/02/24/is-hagel-tying-americas-hands-and-is-that-a-bad-thing//?print=1
[12] http://press.ihs.com/press-release/aerospace-defense-terrorism/global-defence-budgets-overall-rise-first-time-five-years
[13] http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/opponents-of-pentagon-budget-cuts-just-played-the-entire-media/284058/
[14] http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.mil/pub/summary.cfm?=358
[15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_States_military_aircraft#Air_Force
[16] http://www.epsusa.org/events/eea/kaufman07.pdf
[17] http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/obama/2012/09/07/fact-check-obama-and-the-phantom-peace-dividend/uCDj0tBGHoVFTqLz5r6lIK/singlepage.html
[18] http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131024/DEFREG02/310240026/Analyst-Historical-Trends-Suggest-Budget-Cuts-Deeper-Than-Sequestration
[19] http://insidedefense.com/
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
AlterNet [1] / By Steven Rosenfeld [2]
No, the Pentagon Is NOT Cutting Army Budget to 1930s Levels: Media's Latest Big Lie Debunked
February 27, 2014 |
On Monday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel unveiled his 2015 Pentagon budget in a detailed speech [3] where he proposed spending $496 billion—about $45 billion less than the White House, retiring a tank-shooting aircraft and spy plane, cutting the army’s size from 520,000 to 450,000 troops, and trimming subsidies for military housing and health care.
The rationale was that after America’s longest overseas war, 11 years in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military had to balance downsizing and modernizing. The coverage that ensued was anything but rational. “Pentagon set to Slash Military to Pre-World War II Levels,” blared NBCNews.com. The New York Times [4], Reuters [5], NewsMax.com [6], FoxNews [7], Time [8], CNN [9] all had headlines that the Army reduction was to “pre-World War II levels.”
Following the media’s lead, Republican congressmen and ex-generals on prime time TV, predictably vented [10]. The Army was being “cut to the bone,” said Retired Gen. Jack Keane on Fox. “This is not the time for us to begin to retreat,” said Rep. Michael Turner, R-OH. “It’s all being sacrificed… on the altar of entitlements,” said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX.
Even experts that sought to defend a trend that has follow every big American war recited the “pre-World War II levels” trope. “The news that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will propose to cut the U.S. Army to pre-World War II levels is sure to generate much controversy,” wrote [11] the WaPo’s David Edelstein, “despite the fact that the United States spends nearly five times [12] as much on defense as the next country on the list.”
The problem is that the “pre-WW II” claim is false. It’s not just sloppy headline writing. It’s not true—and not by a wide margin. The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf was among the first writers to notice.
“So… will our national defense be roughly as strong as it was right before we fought Germany and Japan, as a casual reader might assume? Not even close,” he wrote [13]. “What about the Army taken in isolation? No, that isn’t accurate either. If these accounts were trying to maximize confusion or alarm at proposed cuts, then mission accomplished.”
To fully grasp how absurd and filled with historical amnesia this “pre-World War II” claim is, just look at how the United States Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) characterized the challenge facing General George C. Marshall in 1939—before Germany invaded its first country and then-President Fraklin D. Roosevelt pretended that the U.S. was neutral while sending old Army planes to England.
“The U.S. Army in 1939 ranked 17th in the world in size, consisting of slightly more than 200,000 Regular Army soldiers and slightly less than 200,000 National Guardsmen—all organized in woefully understrength and undertrained formations,” a SSI paper [14] by Col. John T. Nelson said. “The Army possessed ony 329 crude light tanks and only a handful of truly modern combat aircraft with a total inventory of just over 1,800 planes.”
It’s beyond an error in characterization to suggest that Hagel’s proposed Pentagon cuts will leave the Army in position that is weaker or even comparable to the late 1930s. It’s ludicrous. Looking beyond the troop totals, the training and the weaponry is night and day. The Air Force wasn’t created until after World War II. Still, the Army today has more than [15] 4,000 active duty helicopters and the Air Force has thousands of planes.
Moreover, there are so many other differences between America’s military might before WW2 and today, starting [13] with more than 5,000 nuclear weapons, more than 7,000 drones, nearly a dozen aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and on and on.
Peace Dividend?
While mainstream media’s headline writers are wringing their hands about an imaginary loss of military might, there’s a related topic that not getting covered at all: the perennial promise of a “peace dividend,” or redirecting Pentagon funds to domestic needs.
After every big American war has wound down since World War II, politicians have said [16] it is now possible to invest in a peacetime economy. President Obama made this pledge as he accepted the Democratic Party’s 2012 presidential nomination.
“I’ll use the money that we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work—rebuilding roads and bridges, schools and runways,” Obama said [17]. “After two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time we do some nation-building right here at home.”
So where’s the dividend, or at least press coverage about it, as official Washington puts together its first newest post-war budget? It’s MIA—missing in action. Sadly, as anyone who has seen this discussion before may recall, such as after the Cold War ended, there’s really is no such thing as a peace dividend. That’s because the Pentagon and ever-fearful members of Congress always find a threat to sustain America’s war footing.
After Obama made his peace dividend pledge, the Associated Press “fact check” called it “phantom savings.” The AP’s Calvin Woodward wrote [17], “The idea of taking war savings to pay for other programs is budgetary sleight of hand, given that the wars were paid for with increased debt. Obama can essentially ‘pay down our debt,’ as he said, by borrowing less now that war is ending. But he still must borrow to do the extra ‘nation-building’ he envisions.”
Another big American war is ending [18] and military contractors, ex-generals and Congress’s hawk are all fretting about American weakness and in some case lobbying [19] to protect wartime profiteering. Meanwhile, there is no peace dividend to be had, as America’s longest war was paid for with borrowed cash. And hardly anyone in the mainstream media is asking, ‘What’s wrong with this picture?”
Source URL: http://www.alternet.org/media/no-pentagon-not-cutting-army-budget-1930s-levels-medias-latest-big-lie-debunked
Links:
[1] http://alternet.org
[2] http://www.alternet.org/authors/steven-rosenfeld
[3] http://www.defense.gov/Speeches/Speech.aspx?SpeechID=1831
[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/us/politics/pentagon-plans-to-shrink-army-to-pre-world-war-ii-level.html?_r=0
[5] http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/24/us-usa-defense-budget-idUSBREA1N1IO20140224
[6] http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/pentagon-shrink-budget-pre/2014/02/24/id/554281
[7] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/24/hagel-proposed-budget-will-reportedly-shrink-army-to-pre-wwii-numbers/
[8] http://swampland.time.com/2014/02/24/pentagon-to-cut-army-to-pre-world-war-ii-levels/
[9] http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2014/02/24/defense-department-to-cut-army-to-pre-ww-ii-size/
[10] http://www.newsmax.com/PrintTemplate.aspx?nodeid=554281
[11] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/02/24/is-hagel-tying-americas-hands-and-is-that-a-bad-thing//?print=1
[12] http://press.ihs.com/press-release/aerospace-defense-terrorism/global-defence-budgets-overall-rise-first-time-five-years
[13] http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/02/opponents-of-pentagon-budget-cuts-just-played-the-entire-media/284058/
[14] http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.mil/pub/summary.cfm?=358
[15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_States_military_aircraft#Air_Force
[16] http://www.epsusa.org/events/eea/kaufman07.pdf
[17] http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/obama/2012/09/07/fact-check-obama-and-the-phantom-peace-dividend/uCDj0tBGHoVFTqLz5r6lIK/singlepage.html
[18] http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131024/DEFREG02/310240026/Analyst-Historical-Trends-Suggest-Budget-Cuts-Deeper-Than-Sequestration
[19] http://insidedefense.com/
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
How the Rich Became Dependent on Government Subsidies
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/22319-how-the-rich-became-dependent-on-government-subsidies
Sirota writes: "Remember when President Obama was lambasted for saying 'you didn't build that'? Turns out he was right, at least when it comes to lots of stuff built by the world's wealthiest corporations."
Billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. (photo: unknown)
By David Sirota, Salon
28 February 14
A new report reveals America's largest companies aren't the models of self-sufficiency their CEOs seem to think
Remember when President Obama was lambasted for saying "you didn't build that"? Turns out he was right, at least when it comes to lots of stuff built by the world's wealthiest corporations. That's the takeaway from this week's new study of 25,000 major taxpayer subsidy deals over the last two decades.
Titled "Subsidizing the Corporate One Percent," the report from the taxpayer watchdog group Good Jobs First shows that the world's largest companies aren't models of self-sufficiency and unbridled capitalism. To the contrary, they're propped up by billions of dollars in welfare payments from state and local governments.
Such subsidies might be a bit more defensible if they were being doled out in a way that promoted upstart entrepreneurialism. But as the study also shows, a full "three-quarters of all the economic development dollars awarded and disclosed by state and local governments have gone to just 965 large corporations" - not to the small businesses and start-ups that politicians so often pretend to care about.
In dollar figures, that's a whopping $110 billion going to big companies. Fortune 500 firms alone receive more than 16,000 subsidies at a total cost of $63 billion.
These kinds of handouts, of course, are the definition of government intervention in the market. Nonetheless, those who receive the subsidies are still portrayed as free-market paragons.
Consider Charles and David Koch. Their company, Koch Industries, has relied on $88 million worth of government handouts. Yet, as the major financiers of the anti-government right, the Kochs are still billed as libertarian free-market activists.
Similarly, behold the big tech firms. They are often portrayed as self-made success stories. Yet, as Good Jobs First shows, they are among the biggest recipients of the subsidies.
Intel leads the tech pack with 58 subsidies worth $3.8 billion. Next up is IBM, which has received more than $1 billion in subsidies. Most of that is from New York – a state proudly promoting its corporate handouts in a new ad campaign.
Then there's Google's $632 million and Yahoo's $260 million - both sets of subsidies primarily from data center deals. And not to be forgotten is 38 Studios, the now bankrupt software firm that received $75 million in Rhode Island taxpayer cash. The company received the handout at the very moment Rhode Island was pleading "poverty" to justify cuts to public workers' retirement benefits.
Along with propping up companies that are supposedly free-market icons, the subsidies are also flowing to financial firms that have become synonymous with never-ending bailouts. Indeed, companies like Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Citigroup – each of which was given massive taxpayer subsidies during the financial crisis - are the recipients of tens of millions of dollars in additional subsidies.
All of these handouts, of course, would be derided if they were going to poor people. But because they are going to extremely wealthy politically connected conglomerates, they are typically promoted with cheery euphemisms like "incentives" or "economic development." Those euphemisms persist even though many subsidies do not end up actually creating jobs.
In light of that, the Good Jobs First report is a reality check on all the political rhetoric about dependency. Most of that rhetoric is punitively aimed at the poor. That's because, unlike the huge corporations receiving all those subsidies, the poor don't have armies of lobbyists and truckloads of campaign contributions that make sure programs like food stamps are shrouded in the anodyne argot of "incentives" and "development."
But as the report proves, if we are going to have an honest conversation about dependency and free markets, then the billions of dollars flowing to politically connected companies need to be part of the discussion.
© 2014 Reader Supported News
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
Sirota writes: "Remember when President Obama was lambasted for saying 'you didn't build that'? Turns out he was right, at least when it comes to lots of stuff built by the world's wealthiest corporations."
Billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. (photo: unknown)
By David Sirota, Salon
28 February 14
A new report reveals America's largest companies aren't the models of self-sufficiency their CEOs seem to think
Remember when President Obama was lambasted for saying "you didn't build that"? Turns out he was right, at least when it comes to lots of stuff built by the world's wealthiest corporations. That's the takeaway from this week's new study of 25,000 major taxpayer subsidy deals over the last two decades.
Titled "Subsidizing the Corporate One Percent," the report from the taxpayer watchdog group Good Jobs First shows that the world's largest companies aren't models of self-sufficiency and unbridled capitalism. To the contrary, they're propped up by billions of dollars in welfare payments from state and local governments.
Such subsidies might be a bit more defensible if they were being doled out in a way that promoted upstart entrepreneurialism. But as the study also shows, a full "three-quarters of all the economic development dollars awarded and disclosed by state and local governments have gone to just 965 large corporations" - not to the small businesses and start-ups that politicians so often pretend to care about.
In dollar figures, that's a whopping $110 billion going to big companies. Fortune 500 firms alone receive more than 16,000 subsidies at a total cost of $63 billion.
These kinds of handouts, of course, are the definition of government intervention in the market. Nonetheless, those who receive the subsidies are still portrayed as free-market paragons.
Consider Charles and David Koch. Their company, Koch Industries, has relied on $88 million worth of government handouts. Yet, as the major financiers of the anti-government right, the Kochs are still billed as libertarian free-market activists.
Similarly, behold the big tech firms. They are often portrayed as self-made success stories. Yet, as Good Jobs First shows, they are among the biggest recipients of the subsidies.
Intel leads the tech pack with 58 subsidies worth $3.8 billion. Next up is IBM, which has received more than $1 billion in subsidies. Most of that is from New York – a state proudly promoting its corporate handouts in a new ad campaign.
Then there's Google's $632 million and Yahoo's $260 million - both sets of subsidies primarily from data center deals. And not to be forgotten is 38 Studios, the now bankrupt software firm that received $75 million in Rhode Island taxpayer cash. The company received the handout at the very moment Rhode Island was pleading "poverty" to justify cuts to public workers' retirement benefits.
Along with propping up companies that are supposedly free-market icons, the subsidies are also flowing to financial firms that have become synonymous with never-ending bailouts. Indeed, companies like Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Citigroup – each of which was given massive taxpayer subsidies during the financial crisis - are the recipients of tens of millions of dollars in additional subsidies.
All of these handouts, of course, would be derided if they were going to poor people. But because they are going to extremely wealthy politically connected conglomerates, they are typically promoted with cheery euphemisms like "incentives" or "economic development." Those euphemisms persist even though many subsidies do not end up actually creating jobs.
In light of that, the Good Jobs First report is a reality check on all the political rhetoric about dependency. Most of that rhetoric is punitively aimed at the poor. That's because, unlike the huge corporations receiving all those subsidies, the poor don't have armies of lobbyists and truckloads of campaign contributions that make sure programs like food stamps are shrouded in the anodyne argot of "incentives" and "development."
But as the report proves, if we are going to have an honest conversation about dependency and free markets, then the billions of dollars flowing to politically connected companies need to be part of the discussion.
© 2014 Reader Supported News
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
PLOWSHARES PLEASE
Plowshares Please
by tnplowshares
Several people requested we post this song, performed at the most recent Festival of Hope. Lyrics are by Ralph Hutchison; the performed version lifted the tune from Joel Rafael's excellent piece, China Basin Digs.
Plowshares Please
They cut the fence and they started in about a half past two
They had no doubt when they thought about what they were called to do
The prophet said that hammers would make plowshares out of swords
And people turn their hearts to study peace instead of wars
The second fence had a low wall, and bright light shone beyond
The sprayed a message “Disarm Now” before the chance was gone
In a moment they’d be surely caught, and so they poured their blood
A symbol of the justice that would flow down like a flood
Before them stood the Y12 plant, where nuclear bombs are made
Where Hiroshima’s death was formed, and where the devil’s paid
Their cutters snipped the second fence and they headed for the third
Compelled to act by lessons they had learned from Nuremberg
When people see the government is bent on doing wrong
They have no choice, they have to act, they can not go along
Whispering prayers they forged ahead, the nun was first in line
The reached the third fence and they read the lethal warning sign
But the cameras failed to capture them, the alarms were all ignored
They crept ahead and came to where the nuclear swords were stored
Still no guards came, they later said it was a miracle
They were kept at bay, heads turned away, the angels in control
They unrolled crime scene tape to say, “What happens here is wrong”
Poured blood and painted “Plowshares please;” they wouldn’t have too long
They painted on, each letter seemed, like a dove that was released
The words were like the voice of God; the fruit of justice, peace
And when a guard finally arrived, they met him with a bow
No gun was drawn, the guard could see there was no danger now
They offered him some bread to eat; they offered him their prayers
He radioed his bosses he had peace protesters there
They locked the Transform Plowshares up, for how long no one knows
But the seed of peace they planted there has sprouted and it grows
Who knows what act will turn the tide and lead the way to light
It’s the reason we’re required to do what we see is right
You don’t need all the answers, may not know precisely how
But ignorance is no excuse; the time to start is now
It’s enough to know we can not stand in silence anymore
Every dollar spent on bombs and guns is stolen from the poor
What started at Y12 that night in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Is somehow still a living thing, it lives in you and me
A dream, a vision, a prayer, a call for all those who have ears
Transform swords to plowshares, please, make pruninghooks from spears
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
NSA Robots are 'Collecting' Your Data, Too, and They're Getting Away With It
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/424-national-security/22318-nsa-robots-are-collecting-your-data-too-and-theyre-getting-away-with-it
Schneier writes: "Is it really okay for a computer to monitor you online, and for that data collection and analysis only to count as a potential privacy invasion when a person sees it?"
Internet address bar. (photo: file)
NSA Robots are 'Collecting' Your Data, Too, and They're Getting Away With It
By Bruce Schneier, Guardian UK
27 February 14
Yahoo webcam users are the latest victims of agency eavesdropping – and whether it's done by human or algorithm, it's still eavesdropping
• Revealed: UK spy agency intercepted Yahoo webcam images
Increasingly, we are watched not by people but by algorithms. Amazon and Netflix track the books we buy and the movies we stream, and suggest other books and movies based on our habits. Google and Facebook watch what we do and what we say, and show us advertisements based on our behavior. Google even modifies our web search results based on our previous behavior. Smartphone navigation apps watch us as we drive, and update suggested route information based on traffic congestion. And the National Security Agency, of course, monitors our phone calls, emails and locations, then uses that information to try to identify terrorists.
Documents provided by Edwards Snowden and revealed by the Guardian today show that the UK spy agency GHCQ, with help from the NSA, has been collecting millions of webcam images from innocent Yahoo users. And that speaks to a key distinction in the age of algorithmic surveillance: is it really okay for a computer to monitor you online, and for that data collection and analysis only to count as a potential privacy invasion when a person sees it? I say it's not, and the latest Snowden leaks only make more clear how important this distinction is.
The robots-vs-spies divide is especially important as we decide what to do about NSA and GCHQ surveillance. The spy community and the Justice Department have reported back early on President Obama's request for changing how the NSA "collects" your data, but the potential reforms - FBI monitoring, holding on to your phone records and more - still largely depend on what the meaning of "collects" is.
Indeed, ever since Snowden provided reporters with a trove of top secret documents, we've been subjected to all sorts of NSA word games. And the word "collect" has a very special definition, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). A 1982 procedures manual (pdf; page 15) says: "information shall be considered as 'collected' only when it has been received for use by an employee of a DoD intelligence component in the course of his official duties." And "data acquired by electronic means is 'collected' only when it has been processed into intelligible form".
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper likened the NSA's accumulation of data to a library. All those books are stored on the shelves, but very few are actually read. "So the task for us in the interest of preserving security and preserving civil liberties and privacy," says Clapper, "is to be as precise as we possibly can be when we go in that library and look for the books that we need to open up and actually read." Only when an individual book is read does it count as "collection", in government parlance.
So, think of that friend of yours who has thousands of books in his house. According to the NSA, he's not actually "collecting" books. He's doing something else with them, and the only books he can claim to have "collected" are the ones he's actually read.
This is why Clapper claims – to this day – that he didn't lie in a Senate hearing when he replied "no" to this question: "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?"
If the NSA collects - I'm using the everyday definition of the word here – all of the contents of everyone's e-mail, it doesn't count it as being collected in NSA terms until someone reads it. And if it collects – I'm sorry, but that's really the correct word - everyone's phone records or location information and stores it in an enormous database, that doesn't count as being collected – NSA definition – until someone looks at it. If the agency uses computers to search those emails for keywords, or correlates that location information for relationships between people, it doesn't count as collection, either. Only when those computers spit out a particular person has the data – in NSA terms – actually been collected.
If the modern spy dictionary has you confused, maybe dogs can help us understand why this legal workaround, by big tech companies and the government alike, is still a serious invasion of privacy.
Back when Gmail was introduced, this was Google's defense, too, about its context-sensitive advertising. Googles computers examine each individual email and insert an advertisement nearby, related to the contents of your email. But no person at Google reads any Gmail messages; only a computer does. In the words of one Google executive: "Worrying about a computer reading your email is like worrying about your dog seeing you naked".
But now that we have an example of a spy agency seeing people naked – there are a surprising number of sexually explicit images in the newly revealed Yahoo image collection – we can more viscerally understand the difference.
To wit: when you're watched by a dog, you know that what you're doing will go no further than the dog. The dog can't remember the details of what you've done. The dog can't tell anyone else. When you're watched by a computer, that's not true. You might be told that the computer isn't saving a copy of the video, but you have no assurance that that's true. You might be told that the computer won't alert a person if it perceives something of interest, but you can't know if that's true. You do know that the computer is making decisions based on what it receives, and you have no way of confirming that no human being will access that decision.
When a computer stores your data, there's always a risk of exposure. There's the risk of accidental exposure, when some hacker or criminal breaks in and steals the data. There's the risk of purposeful exposure, when the organization that has your data uses it in some manner. And there's the risk that another organization will demand access to the data. The FBI can serve a National Security Letter on Google, demanding details on your email and browsing habits. There isn't a court order in the world that can get that information out of your dog.
Of course, any time we're judged by algorithms, there's the potential for false positives. You are already familiar with this; just think of all the irrelevant advertisements you've been shown on the Internet, based on some algorithm misinterpreting your interests. In advertising, that's okay. It's annoying, but there's little actual harm, and you were busy reading your email anyway, right? But that harm increases as the accompanying judgments become more important: our credit ratings depend on algorithms; how were treated at airport security does, too. And most alarming of all, drone targeting is partly based on algorithmic surveillance.
The primary difference between a computer and a dog is that the computer interacts with other people in the real world, and the dog does not. If someone could isolate the computer in the same way a dog is isolated, we wouldn't have any reason to worry about algorithms crawling around in our data. But we can't. Computer algorithms are intimately tied to people. And when we think of computer algorithms surveilling us or analyzing our personal data, we need to think about the people behind those algorithms. Whether or not anyone actually looks at our data, the very fact that they even could is what makes it surveillance.
This is why Yahoo called GCHQ's webcam-image collection "a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy". This is why we're not mollified by attempts from the UK equivalent of the NSA to apply facial recognition algorithms to the data, or to limit how many people viewed the sexually explicit images. This is why Google's eavesdropping is different than a dog's eavesdropping, and why the NSA's definition of "collect" makes no sense whatsoever.
© 2014 Reader Supported News
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
Schneier writes: "Is it really okay for a computer to monitor you online, and for that data collection and analysis only to count as a potential privacy invasion when a person sees it?"
Internet address bar. (photo: file)
NSA Robots are 'Collecting' Your Data, Too, and They're Getting Away With It
By Bruce Schneier, Guardian UK
27 February 14
Yahoo webcam users are the latest victims of agency eavesdropping – and whether it's done by human or algorithm, it's still eavesdropping
• Revealed: UK spy agency intercepted Yahoo webcam images
Increasingly, we are watched not by people but by algorithms. Amazon and Netflix track the books we buy and the movies we stream, and suggest other books and movies based on our habits. Google and Facebook watch what we do and what we say, and show us advertisements based on our behavior. Google even modifies our web search results based on our previous behavior. Smartphone navigation apps watch us as we drive, and update suggested route information based on traffic congestion. And the National Security Agency, of course, monitors our phone calls, emails and locations, then uses that information to try to identify terrorists.
Documents provided by Edwards Snowden and revealed by the Guardian today show that the UK spy agency GHCQ, with help from the NSA, has been collecting millions of webcam images from innocent Yahoo users. And that speaks to a key distinction in the age of algorithmic surveillance: is it really okay for a computer to monitor you online, and for that data collection and analysis only to count as a potential privacy invasion when a person sees it? I say it's not, and the latest Snowden leaks only make more clear how important this distinction is.
The robots-vs-spies divide is especially important as we decide what to do about NSA and GCHQ surveillance. The spy community and the Justice Department have reported back early on President Obama's request for changing how the NSA "collects" your data, but the potential reforms - FBI monitoring, holding on to your phone records and more - still largely depend on what the meaning of "collects" is.
Indeed, ever since Snowden provided reporters with a trove of top secret documents, we've been subjected to all sorts of NSA word games. And the word "collect" has a very special definition, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). A 1982 procedures manual (pdf; page 15) says: "information shall be considered as 'collected' only when it has been received for use by an employee of a DoD intelligence component in the course of his official duties." And "data acquired by electronic means is 'collected' only when it has been processed into intelligible form".
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper likened the NSA's accumulation of data to a library. All those books are stored on the shelves, but very few are actually read. "So the task for us in the interest of preserving security and preserving civil liberties and privacy," says Clapper, "is to be as precise as we possibly can be when we go in that library and look for the books that we need to open up and actually read." Only when an individual book is read does it count as "collection", in government parlance.
So, think of that friend of yours who has thousands of books in his house. According to the NSA, he's not actually "collecting" books. He's doing something else with them, and the only books he can claim to have "collected" are the ones he's actually read.
This is why Clapper claims – to this day – that he didn't lie in a Senate hearing when he replied "no" to this question: "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?"
If the NSA collects - I'm using the everyday definition of the word here – all of the contents of everyone's e-mail, it doesn't count it as being collected in NSA terms until someone reads it. And if it collects – I'm sorry, but that's really the correct word - everyone's phone records or location information and stores it in an enormous database, that doesn't count as being collected – NSA definition – until someone looks at it. If the agency uses computers to search those emails for keywords, or correlates that location information for relationships between people, it doesn't count as collection, either. Only when those computers spit out a particular person has the data – in NSA terms – actually been collected.
If the modern spy dictionary has you confused, maybe dogs can help us understand why this legal workaround, by big tech companies and the government alike, is still a serious invasion of privacy.
Back when Gmail was introduced, this was Google's defense, too, about its context-sensitive advertising. Googles computers examine each individual email and insert an advertisement nearby, related to the contents of your email. But no person at Google reads any Gmail messages; only a computer does. In the words of one Google executive: "Worrying about a computer reading your email is like worrying about your dog seeing you naked".
But now that we have an example of a spy agency seeing people naked – there are a surprising number of sexually explicit images in the newly revealed Yahoo image collection – we can more viscerally understand the difference.
To wit: when you're watched by a dog, you know that what you're doing will go no further than the dog. The dog can't remember the details of what you've done. The dog can't tell anyone else. When you're watched by a computer, that's not true. You might be told that the computer isn't saving a copy of the video, but you have no assurance that that's true. You might be told that the computer won't alert a person if it perceives something of interest, but you can't know if that's true. You do know that the computer is making decisions based on what it receives, and you have no way of confirming that no human being will access that decision.
When a computer stores your data, there's always a risk of exposure. There's the risk of accidental exposure, when some hacker or criminal breaks in and steals the data. There's the risk of purposeful exposure, when the organization that has your data uses it in some manner. And there's the risk that another organization will demand access to the data. The FBI can serve a National Security Letter on Google, demanding details on your email and browsing habits. There isn't a court order in the world that can get that information out of your dog.
Of course, any time we're judged by algorithms, there's the potential for false positives. You are already familiar with this; just think of all the irrelevant advertisements you've been shown on the Internet, based on some algorithm misinterpreting your interests. In advertising, that's okay. It's annoying, but there's little actual harm, and you were busy reading your email anyway, right? But that harm increases as the accompanying judgments become more important: our credit ratings depend on algorithms; how were treated at airport security does, too. And most alarming of all, drone targeting is partly based on algorithmic surveillance.
The primary difference between a computer and a dog is that the computer interacts with other people in the real world, and the dog does not. If someone could isolate the computer in the same way a dog is isolated, we wouldn't have any reason to worry about algorithms crawling around in our data. But we can't. Computer algorithms are intimately tied to people. And when we think of computer algorithms surveilling us or analyzing our personal data, we need to think about the people behind those algorithms. Whether or not anyone actually looks at our data, the very fact that they even could is what makes it surveillance.
This is why Yahoo called GCHQ's webcam-image collection "a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy". This is why we're not mollified by attempts from the UK equivalent of the NSA to apply facial recognition algorithms to the data, or to limit how many people viewed the sexually explicit images. This is why Google's eavesdropping is different than a dog's eavesdropping, and why the NSA's definition of "collect" makes no sense whatsoever.
© 2014 Reader Supported News
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
Guilty 0r Not Guilty?
Published on Portside (https://portside.org)
The Criminal Justice System On Trial In Michigan
Ted Pearson
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Portside
Howard Morgan supporters want ex-cop's conviction overturned in attempted murder involving CPD officers
ABC Chicago
February 26, 2014
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/chicago_news&id=9446592 [1]
Howard Morgan was shot more than two dozen times by Chicago police and survived. He is behind bars after being convicted of attempted murder in the 2005 shooting. Protestors want his conviction overturned.
Morgan was convicted of attempted murder of the police officers who arrested him after two trials. His supporters say that second trial never should have taken place because of double jeopardy laws.
At the time of the shooting, Morgan was a 52-year-old railroad police officer who had previously worked for the Chicago Police Department.
"I'm not supposed to be here, being shot 25 times throughout my entire body- front, back, every spot except my head," Morgan said in November 2005. "It's only a miracle."
Ten months earlier, Chicago police officers shot him 28 times during a traffic stop on the West Side. Police claimed Morgan struggled, grabbed a gun and fired at officers first.
Almost nine years later, Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager who was killed by a community watch volunteer, is involved in Morgan case.
"Twenty-eight shots couldn't kill him, but it was the 29th shot fired by the criminal justice system -- that left a stinging blow," Crump said.
Crump, Morgan's public defender, and others hope the Illinois Supreme Court will review the case. There's the double jeopardy issue and, they argue, they were unfairly blocked from polling prospective jurors about their feelings on whether some Chicago police officers have a bias against blacks.
"At the end of the day, the Illinois Supreme Court has to look at Harold Morgan and his history versus the Chicago Police Department and its history," Crump said. "Mr. Morgan has always maintained he was stopped for driving while black and 28 bullets later could not kill him. God left him on this earth for a reason."
"I do try to keep his spirits up and let him know the world is listing to this injustice and he will be set free," Rosalind Morgan, wife, said.
Morgan is now in his 60s and serving a 40-year prison sentence downstate. His wife says he is permanently disabled from being shot 28 times.
The Chicago police officers involved in the shooting say Morgan fired 17 shots and injured three of them.
(Copyright ©2014 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
(2)
The Criminal Justice System On Trial In Michigan
Guilty 0r Not Guilty?
It’s up to Gov. Pat Quinn to decide
By Ted Pearson
The case of Police Officer Howard Morgan in Chicago has put the whole criminal justice system on trial. Morgan has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after he was framed up on a charge of attempting to murder four while police officers. These officers tried to kill Morgan after they stopped him for an alleged traffic violation. They shot him 28 times – 21 times in the back as he lay prone on the street, and 7 time in the front and side. It was late at night on Feb. 21, 2005, and he was “driving suspiciously,” they said.
Morgan is an 8 ½ year veteran of the Chicago Police Department and a 13 year veteran of the BNSF Railroad Police. He is African-American.
Morgan was 55 years old when this crime took place. He is now 63. He’ll be 101 years old when his sentence is up. He is severely disabled as a result of the police shooting, has high blood pressure, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll ever see blue sky again unless Gov. Pat Quinn acts quickly to grant him executive clemency.
In 2007 Morgan was tried and found Not Guilty of ever firing his weapon by a jury. Two jurors told the judge, Clayton Crane, that they could not continue deliberating. Even though Morgan and his attorneys asked that the remaining 10 jurors be allowed to continue deliberating, the judge declared a mistrial. State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez decided to retry Morgan on the remaining charges, even though they all involved his having fired a gun, and even though the jury had declared him Not Guilty on that charge. Morgan’s attorneys appealed on the grounds that to retry him violated the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, but the Appellate Court denied their appeal. Neither the Illinois Supreme Court nor the U. S. Supreme Court would hear his further appeals from that decision.
The facts of the case are simple. Morgan was driving to his family home on Chicago’s West Side after midnight on that very early Monday morning. He was stopped by two marked police cars containing four young white officers. Morgan says he identified himself as a police officer. He says the white officers pulled open his door, pulled him out and threw him to the ground. One of them saw the gun he carries for his job and yelled “Gun! Gun! Gun!”, and they all started shooting. They took cover behind their respective squad cars, firing at Morgan from opposite sides. Two of the officers took bullets with minor wounds. Morgan took 28 and almost died.
Charice Rush, a young woman who had never met Morgan and who was sitting with her cousin in a car kitty-corner from Morgan’s car saw the whole thing. She said she never saw Morgan holding a gun, or firing a gun. The police pressured her not to tell what she saw, and she left town for a while. But she ultimately came forward and testified at Morgan’s trials.
The police said that Morgan had been driving the wrong way on a one way street with his lights off. They said that they followed him for three blocks going the right way. They said they turned on their flashing lights, and that when he stopped he got out of his car. They said they all had their guns in their hands, in the “ready” position. While they patted Morgan down, they said, he pulled a gun from his waistband and started shooting at them.
At his second trail Morgan’s defense was not allowed to mention that there had been a previous trail They were not allowed to mention that he had been acquitted of firing his weapon. They were not allowed to mention that police crime scene photographs clearly showed the lights on his vehicle were On. Charice Rush testified again, and the prosecution was allowed to mention that she had been convicted on a drug possession charge a few years after the first trial, to impeach her as a witness. Morgan’s defense was not allowed to note that his van, riddled with bullets, had been impounded and destroyed by the Police Department. The second jury, with no African American members, deliberated for 3 hours and returned verdicts of Guilty on all counts.
The case boils down to which story do you believe. Howard Morgan’s? Charice Rush’s? Or the Four young white cops who had to cover up their crime of attempting to murder a man who was driving while Black less than a block from his home?
Judge Crane, in the second trial, made numerous errors, all of which are being appealed. The fundamental error of retrying Morgan after a jury found him Not Guilty of firing his weapon will be taken to the Illinois Supreme Court, and if necessary, the U. S. Supreme Court. He may ultimately prevail on these appeals.
But let’s take a step back. On its face, the evidence against Morgan is overwhelming. Four police officers say he tried to kill them. He says he didn’t.
The only eyewitness says he didn’t. There is no other evidence. The only way this case can be resolved is to look at the other facts that surround it. Those facts point to a criminal justice system so steeped in racism and white supremacy that it is incapable of delivering a just outcome without outside intervention. That’s why Gov. Quinn must intervene. The integrity of the system is on the line, and it is crumbling fast. Only through the Governor’s intervention can the system hope to retain any credibility.
Let’s look at the broader facts.
• Between January, 2009 and October, 2013, seventy-two African American and Latino men were killed by gunfire from Chicago Police Officers. Most were shot in the back. Most were unarmed when they were shot. Only one police officer has been charged in any of these shootings, and he has yet to be brought to trial.
• Nation-wide a leading cause of death among African American police officers is being shot and killed while they were off-duty by white police officers, who assume that a Black man with a gun is a criminal.
• Sitting on the Appellate Court that rejected Morgan’s appeal is Justice Margaret Stanton McBride. McBride was an Assistant State’s Attorney who took the “confession” of robbery suspect Derrick King in January of 1980. King had been brutally beaten by detectives, including Robert Dwyer. Dwyer’s sister years later swore that her brother had told her, in the presence of Jon Burge, that in dealing with "niggers" they "beat the shit out of them, they throw them against walls, they burn them against the radiator, they smother them, they poke them with objects, they do something to some guys' testicles." The victim of the robbery of which King was being accused, said that in a line-up he could see that King was severely bruised. But McBride saw none of this. She heard none of King’s screams as he was being tortured.
Can Margaret Stanton McBride render a fair decision regarding Howard Morgan?
• Or consider the lead prosecuting attorney against Morgan, Daniel R. Groth, Jr. The year that Groth was born, 1969, his father led an FBI-CPD-State’s Attorney raid on an apartment occupied by members of the Black Panther Party on the West Side. Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were killed. Daniel R. Groth, Sr., lied before a grand jury about what happened. He said the cops had fired in self defense. The evidence proved the Panthers had not fired a single shot. Fred Hampton was murdered by Groth in his bed as he slept, drugged the evening before by a CPD-FBI agent provocateur William O’Neal, who had infiltrated the Panthers as part of the infamous COINTELPRO Program. Daniel Groth, Jr., grew up at his father’s knee.
Could Daniel Groth, Jr., possibly prosecute the case of Howard Morgan free from bias against African Americans?
Howard Morgan is a Deacon of his church. His sister-in-law is a church bishop. He has never been accused of any crime his entire life, except for this one. He and his wife of many years, Rosalind, have three daughters and several grandchildren. Can you believe that this man, himself a 21 year police officer, was stupid enough to start shooting at four other officers who had drawn their guns already, at 1:00 am?
One would have to be blinded by racist white supremacy to not see that this is a case of racial profiling, a case of a police crime, a racist attempted murder, and a racist cover-up of the crime.
So, Gov. Quinn, will you allow yourself to see the truth? Will you dare to do justice in this case and free Howard Morgan before prison life suffered as a result of a police frame-up kills this outstanding community leader? It’s really up to you, because Howard Morgan may not have enough years left to wait for the molasses-like wheels of the criminal injustice system to render their verdict. And the racist cards are stacked against justice in this, and so many other cases.
So the question is can this system be saved from itself? Or will the people have to organize and rise up and vote to sweep the racists and the corruption away? Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez could end this crime by dropping her objection to Morgan’s appeal and refusing to retry him. But this is the SA who refuses to prosecute any cops for murder, even when the murder is recorded on a police car dash camera, as in the case of Flint Farmer. So ultimately, it’s up to you Gov. Quinn. Will you do the right thing?
Source URL: https://portside.org/2014-03-01/criminal-justice-system-trial-michigan
Links:
[1] http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/chicago_news&id=9446592
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
The Criminal Justice System On Trial In Michigan
Ted Pearson
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Portside
Howard Morgan supporters want ex-cop's conviction overturned in attempted murder involving CPD officers
ABC Chicago
February 26, 2014
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/chicago_news&id=9446592 [1]
Howard Morgan was shot more than two dozen times by Chicago police and survived. He is behind bars after being convicted of attempted murder in the 2005 shooting. Protestors want his conviction overturned.
Morgan was convicted of attempted murder of the police officers who arrested him after two trials. His supporters say that second trial never should have taken place because of double jeopardy laws.
At the time of the shooting, Morgan was a 52-year-old railroad police officer who had previously worked for the Chicago Police Department.
"I'm not supposed to be here, being shot 25 times throughout my entire body- front, back, every spot except my head," Morgan said in November 2005. "It's only a miracle."
Ten months earlier, Chicago police officers shot him 28 times during a traffic stop on the West Side. Police claimed Morgan struggled, grabbed a gun and fired at officers first.
Almost nine years later, Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager who was killed by a community watch volunteer, is involved in Morgan case.
"Twenty-eight shots couldn't kill him, but it was the 29th shot fired by the criminal justice system -- that left a stinging blow," Crump said.
Crump, Morgan's public defender, and others hope the Illinois Supreme Court will review the case. There's the double jeopardy issue and, they argue, they were unfairly blocked from polling prospective jurors about their feelings on whether some Chicago police officers have a bias against blacks.
"At the end of the day, the Illinois Supreme Court has to look at Harold Morgan and his history versus the Chicago Police Department and its history," Crump said. "Mr. Morgan has always maintained he was stopped for driving while black and 28 bullets later could not kill him. God left him on this earth for a reason."
"I do try to keep his spirits up and let him know the world is listing to this injustice and he will be set free," Rosalind Morgan, wife, said.
Morgan is now in his 60s and serving a 40-year prison sentence downstate. His wife says he is permanently disabled from being shot 28 times.
The Chicago police officers involved in the shooting say Morgan fired 17 shots and injured three of them.
(Copyright ©2014 WLS-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
(2)
The Criminal Justice System On Trial In Michigan
Guilty 0r Not Guilty?
It’s up to Gov. Pat Quinn to decide
By Ted Pearson
The case of Police Officer Howard Morgan in Chicago has put the whole criminal justice system on trial. Morgan has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after he was framed up on a charge of attempting to murder four while police officers. These officers tried to kill Morgan after they stopped him for an alleged traffic violation. They shot him 28 times – 21 times in the back as he lay prone on the street, and 7 time in the front and side. It was late at night on Feb. 21, 2005, and he was “driving suspiciously,” they said.
Morgan is an 8 ½ year veteran of the Chicago Police Department and a 13 year veteran of the BNSF Railroad Police. He is African-American.
Morgan was 55 years old when this crime took place. He is now 63. He’ll be 101 years old when his sentence is up. He is severely disabled as a result of the police shooting, has high blood pressure, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll ever see blue sky again unless Gov. Pat Quinn acts quickly to grant him executive clemency.
In 2007 Morgan was tried and found Not Guilty of ever firing his weapon by a jury. Two jurors told the judge, Clayton Crane, that they could not continue deliberating. Even though Morgan and his attorneys asked that the remaining 10 jurors be allowed to continue deliberating, the judge declared a mistrial. State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez decided to retry Morgan on the remaining charges, even though they all involved his having fired a gun, and even though the jury had declared him Not Guilty on that charge. Morgan’s attorneys appealed on the grounds that to retry him violated the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, but the Appellate Court denied their appeal. Neither the Illinois Supreme Court nor the U. S. Supreme Court would hear his further appeals from that decision.
The facts of the case are simple. Morgan was driving to his family home on Chicago’s West Side after midnight on that very early Monday morning. He was stopped by two marked police cars containing four young white officers. Morgan says he identified himself as a police officer. He says the white officers pulled open his door, pulled him out and threw him to the ground. One of them saw the gun he carries for his job and yelled “Gun! Gun! Gun!”, and they all started shooting. They took cover behind their respective squad cars, firing at Morgan from opposite sides. Two of the officers took bullets with minor wounds. Morgan took 28 and almost died.
Charice Rush, a young woman who had never met Morgan and who was sitting with her cousin in a car kitty-corner from Morgan’s car saw the whole thing. She said she never saw Morgan holding a gun, or firing a gun. The police pressured her not to tell what she saw, and she left town for a while. But she ultimately came forward and testified at Morgan’s trials.
The police said that Morgan had been driving the wrong way on a one way street with his lights off. They said that they followed him for three blocks going the right way. They said they turned on their flashing lights, and that when he stopped he got out of his car. They said they all had their guns in their hands, in the “ready” position. While they patted Morgan down, they said, he pulled a gun from his waistband and started shooting at them.
At his second trail Morgan’s defense was not allowed to mention that there had been a previous trail They were not allowed to mention that he had been acquitted of firing his weapon. They were not allowed to mention that police crime scene photographs clearly showed the lights on his vehicle were On. Charice Rush testified again, and the prosecution was allowed to mention that she had been convicted on a drug possession charge a few years after the first trial, to impeach her as a witness. Morgan’s defense was not allowed to note that his van, riddled with bullets, had been impounded and destroyed by the Police Department. The second jury, with no African American members, deliberated for 3 hours and returned verdicts of Guilty on all counts.
The case boils down to which story do you believe. Howard Morgan’s? Charice Rush’s? Or the Four young white cops who had to cover up their crime of attempting to murder a man who was driving while Black less than a block from his home?
Judge Crane, in the second trial, made numerous errors, all of which are being appealed. The fundamental error of retrying Morgan after a jury found him Not Guilty of firing his weapon will be taken to the Illinois Supreme Court, and if necessary, the U. S. Supreme Court. He may ultimately prevail on these appeals.
But let’s take a step back. On its face, the evidence against Morgan is overwhelming. Four police officers say he tried to kill them. He says he didn’t.
The only eyewitness says he didn’t. There is no other evidence. The only way this case can be resolved is to look at the other facts that surround it. Those facts point to a criminal justice system so steeped in racism and white supremacy that it is incapable of delivering a just outcome without outside intervention. That’s why Gov. Quinn must intervene. The integrity of the system is on the line, and it is crumbling fast. Only through the Governor’s intervention can the system hope to retain any credibility.
Let’s look at the broader facts.
• Between January, 2009 and October, 2013, seventy-two African American and Latino men were killed by gunfire from Chicago Police Officers. Most were shot in the back. Most were unarmed when they were shot. Only one police officer has been charged in any of these shootings, and he has yet to be brought to trial.
• Nation-wide a leading cause of death among African American police officers is being shot and killed while they were off-duty by white police officers, who assume that a Black man with a gun is a criminal.
• Sitting on the Appellate Court that rejected Morgan’s appeal is Justice Margaret Stanton McBride. McBride was an Assistant State’s Attorney who took the “confession” of robbery suspect Derrick King in January of 1980. King had been brutally beaten by detectives, including Robert Dwyer. Dwyer’s sister years later swore that her brother had told her, in the presence of Jon Burge, that in dealing with "niggers" they "beat the shit out of them, they throw them against walls, they burn them against the radiator, they smother them, they poke them with objects, they do something to some guys' testicles." The victim of the robbery of which King was being accused, said that in a line-up he could see that King was severely bruised. But McBride saw none of this. She heard none of King’s screams as he was being tortured.
Can Margaret Stanton McBride render a fair decision regarding Howard Morgan?
• Or consider the lead prosecuting attorney against Morgan, Daniel R. Groth, Jr. The year that Groth was born, 1969, his father led an FBI-CPD-State’s Attorney raid on an apartment occupied by members of the Black Panther Party on the West Side. Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were killed. Daniel R. Groth, Sr., lied before a grand jury about what happened. He said the cops had fired in self defense. The evidence proved the Panthers had not fired a single shot. Fred Hampton was murdered by Groth in his bed as he slept, drugged the evening before by a CPD-FBI agent provocateur William O’Neal, who had infiltrated the Panthers as part of the infamous COINTELPRO Program. Daniel Groth, Jr., grew up at his father’s knee.
Could Daniel Groth, Jr., possibly prosecute the case of Howard Morgan free from bias against African Americans?
Howard Morgan is a Deacon of his church. His sister-in-law is a church bishop. He has never been accused of any crime his entire life, except for this one. He and his wife of many years, Rosalind, have three daughters and several grandchildren. Can you believe that this man, himself a 21 year police officer, was stupid enough to start shooting at four other officers who had drawn their guns already, at 1:00 am?
One would have to be blinded by racist white supremacy to not see that this is a case of racial profiling, a case of a police crime, a racist attempted murder, and a racist cover-up of the crime.
So, Gov. Quinn, will you allow yourself to see the truth? Will you dare to do justice in this case and free Howard Morgan before prison life suffered as a result of a police frame-up kills this outstanding community leader? It’s really up to you, because Howard Morgan may not have enough years left to wait for the molasses-like wheels of the criminal injustice system to render their verdict. And the racist cards are stacked against justice in this, and so many other cases.
So the question is can this system be saved from itself? Or will the people have to organize and rise up and vote to sweep the racists and the corruption away? Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez could end this crime by dropping her objection to Morgan’s appeal and refusing to retry him. But this is the SA who refuses to prosecute any cops for murder, even when the murder is recorded on a police car dash camera, as in the case of Flint Farmer. So ultimately, it’s up to you Gov. Quinn. Will you do the right thing?
Source URL: https://portside.org/2014-03-01/criminal-justice-system-trial-michigan
Links:
[1] http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/chicago_news&id=9446592
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
Baltimore Activist Alert - Mar. 2-3, 2014
61] Interfaith Council˜s Interfaith Visitation Series -- Mar. 2
62] Ending the War on International Law -- Mar. 2
63] Peace and Pancakes -- Mar. 2
64] Climate Change: A Civil Rights Issue -- Mar. 2
65] “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners -- Mar. 2
66] Film “Chasing Ice” -- Mar. 2
67] Pentagon Vigil -- Mar. 3
68] Wage Theft Rally -- Mar. 3
69] Sane Gun Reform demo -- Mar. 3
70] Max is seeking a place to live
71] Ronda Cooperstein on social media
72] Sign up with Washington Peace Center
73] Join Fund Our Communities
74] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records
75] Do you need any book shelves or file cabinets?
76] Join Global Zero campaign
77] War Is Not the Answer signs for sale
78] Join Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil
-----
61] -- On Sun., Feb. 23 from 9 AM to noon, the Montgomery County Interfaith Council’s Interfaith Visitation Series will be at the Adelphi Friends Meeting House (Quakers), 2303 Metzerott Rd., Adelphi 20783--near New Hampshire Ave. and the 495 Capitol Beltway. To register, send an email to mcicmd@gmail.com.
62] -- Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 306 W. Franklin St., Suite 102, Baltimore 21201-4661, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion from 10:30 to noon. On Sun., Mar. 2, the platform address is “Ending the War on International Law.”Will the world our children and grandchildren inherit be better off if nations agree to and live by a clear set of rules? The United States helped to found the United Nations and drafted the Declaration of Human Rights. However, today some conservative lawmakers are winning a war on international law. When it comes to human rights, arms control and climate change, the U.S. Senate has not agreed to a major multilateral treaty since 1997. Don Kraus will report on efforts to increase U.S. support for international law, including the new 2014 Congressional Report Card published by the Global Solutions Action Network.
Kraus is the president and chief executive officer of GlobalSolutions.org and its political arm, the Global Solutions Action Network. Don previously served as Global Solutions executive vice-president where he directed its Government Relations Department and Political Action Committee. Prior to that, he served as the executive director of the Campaign for United Nations Reform and its affiliated political action committee, CUNR PAC.
GlobalSolutions.org is a groundbreaking online movement for Americans who want the United States to take a responsible and cooperative role in the world. We are confronted with threats to world peace and stability on a daily basis; costly wars, mass atrocities, destructive climate change, dehumanizing globalization and the spread of nuclear weapons. International law provides a mechanism to address these threats. Go to http://bmorethical.org/ or Twitter: @bmorethical or Facebook: http://fb.com/bmorethical/or email ask@bmorethical.org. Call 410-581-2322.
63] -- Join the Kadampa Meditation Center for Peace and Pancakes on Sundays at 10:30 AM at KMC Maryland, 2937 North Charles St. All are invited to participate in guided meditation and chant praying for world peace. There will be a talk based on Buddhist thought followed by brunch. Call 410- 243-3837. Brunch is $5.
64] -- Climate Change: A Civil Rights Issue will be discussed on Sun., Mar. 2 from 2 to 4 PM at PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 5301 N. Capitol St. NE. The church is hosting Nature's Friends & the Hip Hop Caucus in a forum describing political, spiritual and practical responses to climate change. The facilitators are Rev. Ronya-Lee Anderson & Rev. Carolyn Boyd. Call 804-389-5150.
65] -- See “Free Angela & All Political Prisoners”on Sun., Mar. 2 at 2 PM at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, 830 E. Pratt St. This documentary is about Angela Davis, a philosophy professor in the '60s, who became involved with the prison reform movement. Call 443-263-1800 or go to http://www.africanamericanculture.org/. The price is included with museum admission.
66] -- Watch “Chasing Ice”and learn the Story of Climate Change from the Glaciers on Sun., Mar. 2 from 4 to 7 PM at Temple Rodef Shalom, 2100 Westmoreland St., Falls Church, VA. "Chasing Ice”is the story of one man's mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of climate change. Using time-lapse cameras, his videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate." Join the green team at Temple Rodef Shalom for dinner catered by Coyote Grille of Fairfax and a movie, followed by a discussion facilitated by Joelle Novey. RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-team-dinner-movie-and-discussion-chasing-ice-tickets-10452659185.
67] -- There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop. The next vigil is Mon., Mar. 3, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker. Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649.
The vigil will be outside the Pentagon's south Metro entrance and in the designated "protest zone" behind bicycle fences across from the entrance to the Metro. By Metro, take Yellow Line and get out at the "Pentagon" stop. Do not go to the Pentagon City stop! Go up south escalators and turn left and walk across to protest area.
By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr., and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begin at 8 AM. No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.
68] -- Get out for the Wage Theft Rally on Mon., Mar. 3 at 9 AM at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Everyone deserves fair pay for a day’s work! Workers in the District are organizing and fighting back against the all too common practice of wage theft. After months of hard work, there is a bill before the city council, called the Wage Theft Prevention Act that will strengthen protections against wage theft in the city. Join workers and allies for a rally in front of the D.C. Council and then attend the hearing on the Wage Theft Prevention Act. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/715085611845074/?previousaction=join&source=1.
69] -- The Monday White House Demonstration for Sane Gun Reform is happening on Mon., Mar. 3 from 11 AM to 1 PM on the North Side of The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. This event is a demonstration calling on Congress to recognize this is a public health emergency, require universal background checks, require Gun Safety Training, reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, ban high capacity ammunition magazines and provide research funds into causes and solutions to gun violence. Contact Helen Ramsey at helen.ramsey1@gmail.com.
70] -- Max is seeking a place to live. Let him know of any possibilities. He can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.dot net.
71] -- Ronda Cooperstein has taken to social media, and is recording her opinion pieces on You Tube. Check out her essay at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lzB6eRhces.
72] -- The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar & activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email: info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.
73] -- Fund Our Communities campaign is a grass roots movement to get support from local organizations and communities to work together with their local and state elected officials to pressure Congresspersons and senators to join with Congresspersons Barney Frank and Ron Paul, who have endorsed a 25% cut to the federal military budget. Bring home the savings to state and county governments to meet the local needs which are under tremendous budget pressures. Go to www.OurFunds.org.
74] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.
75] -- Can you use any book shelves? Can you use any file cabinets? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.
76] -- Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees. This is an historic window of opportunity. With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.
77] -- WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER signs from Friends Committee on National Legislation are again for sale at $5. To purchase a sign, call Max at 410-366-1637.
78] – A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.
"One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan
Saturday, March 1, 2014
The Untold Story of the Ukrainian Revolution
The Untold Story of the Ukrainian Revolution
By Natalia Karbowska
News from Ukraine is moving so fast that if you don’t look closely, you’ll miss the untold story: a revolution for and by Ukrainian women.
In a week, more than 80 people were killed and some 500 injured when the government of President Viktor Yanukovych — who is now being sought on charges of mass murder — tried to crush our protests with violence. The opposition movement that toppled his corrupt regime came together for a common goal, but it was by no stretch of the imagination homogenous.
People referred to Maidan as a force of “male heroes” while delegating women to cook, clean, and provide moral support. Men donned signs reading, “Women, if you see garbage clean it up. Revolutionaries will be pleased.” Social media was buzzing with requests for “more women in the kitchen.” Some women followed suit with a “hug initiative” to show solidarity by hugging their male heroes.
Protestors organized themselves in “Hundreds” — self-defense groups of roughly 100 people, aligned with their region or cause. Organizing in groups of 100 is an old tradition, from the 16th-century Cossack war of independence. Protestors with cars united in the “AutoMaidan” movement, calling on those with vehicles to block streets and drive alongside people as they marched to the homes of oligarchs. When police started arresting people there was a desperate need of lawyers to protect them. Many women with professional expertise offered their help but often they heard, “you should go to the kitchen; we need help there.”
Women Organize
The kitchen was not an option for us. So, women organized the “women’s hundred.” Women from everywhere in Ukraine wanted to join this informal group, and they helped each other find their place in Maidan. Women taught self-defense classes to female protesters. At Maidan University, an informal education center in the square, the women’s hundred invited lecturers to speak about feminist theory.
As snipers opened fire on civilians and more and more people were injured at the hands of police, it was dangerous for them to go to the hospital. Instead of getting medical treatment, they would simply disappear. The women’s hundred helped organize shifts at the hospital, documenting the names and telephone numbers of the injured protestors in case they went missing. Women lawyers offered legal aid to patients, and women drivers used their skills in AutoMaidan.
The revolution owes a lot to the women’s movement. In the early months, Ukrainians outside Kiev thought the resistance was confined to the capital city. It was women’s rights organizations in western and southern regions of Ukraine that helped export the revolution from Kiev to the regions. Women leaders with years of experience working in the region were trusted, so it made it easier for them to mobilize their communities. When the regions stood up, it was a breakthrough.
The Work Ahead
Just because the opposition ousted the president does not mean the work is over. Rather, it has just begun. It’s not about changing one public figure for another. It’s about changing the system and fighting against terrible corruption. We want the rule of law and democracy, and we don’t want our new leaders to lead like Yanukovych. We need a new generation of politicians. We need leaders for whom power is not about money, money, and more money. We need those who can easily enter the power structures and easily leave them.
There’s talk that Yulia Tymoshenko will be that politician. Tymoshenko is a powerful leader and a great revolutionary – she can motivate people at the barricades, and they will follow her. But Ukraine has very difficult times ahead. The country is almost bankrupt. We need to make unpopular reforms, we need to build trust in politics and with politicians, and we need to build understanding between east and west Ukraine. We basically need to turn the page and rebuild the country. And for this, we need new types of managers. I do respect Tymoshenko and her role in Ukraine, and I think there will definitely be a place for her, but not as a top manager of the country.
Everything is changing so quickly here, but it is important for us to think about the future. In order for our sacrifices to mean something, our future must reflect the issues that so many died for. I’m convinced that one of the reasons for such incredible corruption was that there were no women in power. The future of Ukraine depends on the other 54 percent of the county: the loud and proud women.
This article was published at Nation of Change at: http://www.nationofchange.org/untold-story-ukrainian-revolution-1393603332. All rights are reserved.
Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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