Housing Is A Right: Activists Demand Government Accountability
Activists organizing to block foreclosures and evictions have continued their organizing efforts to defend people’s right to housing. A recent press release oeutlines their efforts to hold City government accountable and demand that public tax dollars be used for the public.
Activists bring out that in the wake of the auction, evictions of many families are still likely. This year’s auction targeted larger numbers of families, especially seniors and the working poor. Buffalo Forum urges anyone whose home was on the foreclosure list and who did not secure a payment plan to call us at 602-8077. We will assist any families facing evictions and also to verify whether your home was auctioned or not.
The City has so far refused to provide a list of occupied homes that were auctioned, so door-to-door work is continuing to secure this information. We alert all families whose homes were auctioned that you can still appeal the auction until December 16, when sales will be finalized. Again, we urge anyone in this situation to call us.
In addition, activists are now demanding a complete audit of garbage and water fees, as well as the $439 foreclosure fee every family put on the list was forced to pay, regardless of whether their home was auctioned or not. This amounts to more than $1.6 million in foreclosure fees alone. Activists are demanding an accounting of these fees and that they be used to assist those in foreclosure.
Many people have informed activists about unjust charges for water and garbage fees and the refusal by the City to solve these problems. The audit is aimed at identifying and affirming this reality and holding the City accountable for solving these problems. The City is unjustly imposing and grabbing these fees, overcharging, and then using these problems as a basis for foreclosing on homes.
Buffalo Forum urges all concerned to follow housing developments carefully and to join in demanding that the City provide full information concerning the water, garbage and foreclosure fees and that it ban evictions of seniors, women with children, the unemployed and those impoverished.
Housing is a Right!
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Activists bring out that in the wake of the auction, evictions of many families are still likely. This year’s auction targeted larger numbers of families, especially seniors and the working poor. Buffalo Forum urges anyone whose home was on the foreclosure list and who did not secure a payment plan to call us at 602-8077. We will assist any families facing evictions and also to verify whether your home was auctioned or not.
The City has so far refused to provide a list of occupied homes that were auctioned, so door-to-door work is continuing to secure this information. We alert all families whose homes were auctioned that you can still appeal the auction until December 16, when sales will be finalized. Again, we urge anyone in this situation to call us.
In addition, activists are now demanding a complete audit of garbage and water fees, as well as the $439 foreclosure fee every family put on the list was forced to pay, regardless of whether their home was auctioned or not. This amounts to more than $1.6 million in foreclosure fees alone. Activists are demanding an accounting of these fees and that they be used to assist those in foreclosure.
Many people have informed activists about unjust charges for water and garbage fees and the refusal by the City to solve these problems. The audit is aimed at identifying and affirming this reality and holding the City accountable for solving these problems. The City is unjustly imposing and grabbing these fees, overcharging, and then using these problems as a basis for foreclosing on homes.
Buffalo Forum urges all concerned to follow housing developments carefully and to join in demanding that the City provide full information concerning the water, garbage and foreclosure fees and that it ban evictions of seniors, women with children, the unemployed and those impoverished.
Housing is a Right!
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Unjust Tax Charges and Foreclosures Must Be Eliminated
- Press Release November 22, 2005 -
To: Mayor, Common Council, Local and State Officials
In the face of the housing crisis in Buffalo, witnessed by the thousands of families forced onto the foreclosure list this year, we are asking for a full and public audit of public tax dollars concerning:
1) garbage fees
2) water fees
3) sewer taxes/fees
4) foreclosure fee
5) block grant funding to the City
On behalf of residents and homeowners of Buffalo, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Buffalo Forum are demanding that a full public audit be done immediately. We are making this demand in the face of many complaints by homeowners, especially in the Ellicott and Masten Districts, of unjust charges.
Homeowners, including many seniors, are reporting that they are being charged for water that is not turned on, or receiving several bills, in different names, for one home, or are being charged for arrears or “extras,” like fountains, that they do not own. Homeowners who were forced onto the foreclosure lists as a result of garbage and water fees are also now having difficulty getting water, that had been cut off, turned back on in their homes. This is despite having kept their responsibility to meet payment plans, agreed to by the City. There are similar complaints concerning garbage fees.
We are demanding a full public audit so that these unjust charges and continued threats of foreclosure can be removed.
We are also asking for an audit of the $439 foreclosure fee imposed on anyone placede on the foreclosure list. This is a state-mandated fee that is supposed to be used for a title search. Yet homeowners who were forced to pay the fee cannot receive the titles or any results of the search. Where has the money gone? Why not refund it to homeowners whose homes were not sold at auction?
We are calling for an audit of block grant funding to the City. Block grant funding is supposed to be utilized mainly for low-income housing and rehabilitation of poor neighborhoods. There is little evidence that this has been the case in Buffalo.
We demand a full public audit of these public tax dollars and immediate correction to all unjust fees identified. The public has a right to this information and homeowners have a right to defend their homes and oppose these unjust fees and charges.
The City has a responsibility to all of its residents to use public tax dollars to assist in the stability and -development of our communities. Audits that provide full information and correct the problems identified here will assist residents and contribute to recognition, by City government, of its responsibilities to the people. This is particularly important at a time when people are experiencing massive cuts and attacks on their well-being, including foreclosures on their homes. We urge our new incoming Mayor and all City officials to support these demands and take immediate action.
Contact: Gwen Neal of SCLC (834-5911), Kathleen Chandler, editor -Buffalo Forum (602-8077) or Greg Brown, housing activist (348-1771)
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To: Mayor, Common Council, Local and State Officials
In the face of the housing crisis in Buffalo, witnessed by the thousands of families forced onto the foreclosure list this year, we are asking for a full and public audit of public tax dollars concerning:
1) garbage fees
2) water fees
3) sewer taxes/fees
4) foreclosure fee
5) block grant funding to the City
On behalf of residents and homeowners of Buffalo, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Buffalo Forum are demanding that a full public audit be done immediately. We are making this demand in the face of many complaints by homeowners, especially in the Ellicott and Masten Districts, of unjust charges.
Homeowners, including many seniors, are reporting that they are being charged for water that is not turned on, or receiving several bills, in different names, for one home, or are being charged for arrears or “extras,” like fountains, that they do not own. Homeowners who were forced onto the foreclosure lists as a result of garbage and water fees are also now having difficulty getting water, that had been cut off, turned back on in their homes. This is despite having kept their responsibility to meet payment plans, agreed to by the City. There are similar complaints concerning garbage fees.
We are demanding a full public audit so that these unjust charges and continued threats of foreclosure can be removed.
We are also asking for an audit of the $439 foreclosure fee imposed on anyone placede on the foreclosure list. This is a state-mandated fee that is supposed to be used for a title search. Yet homeowners who were forced to pay the fee cannot receive the titles or any results of the search. Where has the money gone? Why not refund it to homeowners whose homes were not sold at auction?
We are calling for an audit of block grant funding to the City. Block grant funding is supposed to be utilized mainly for low-income housing and rehabilitation of poor neighborhoods. There is little evidence that this has been the case in Buffalo.
We demand a full public audit of these public tax dollars and immediate correction to all unjust fees identified. The public has a right to this information and homeowners have a right to defend their homes and oppose these unjust fees and charges.
The City has a responsibility to all of its residents to use public tax dollars to assist in the stability and -development of our communities. Audits that provide full information and correct the problems identified here will assist residents and contribute to recognition, by City government, of its responsibilities to the people. This is particularly important at a time when people are experiencing massive cuts and attacks on their well-being, including foreclosures on their homes. We urge our new incoming Mayor and all City officials to support these demands and take immediate action.
Contact: Gwen Neal of SCLC (834-5911), Kathleen Chandler, editor -Buffalo Forum (602-8077) or Greg Brown, housing activist (348-1771)
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For Your Information: 2005-06 Basic and Enhanced Star Exemptions
Almost every homeowner in Buffalo qualifies for either the Basic or Enhanced Star programs. These programs provide funds to assist in paying City taxes and fees. They are available to owner--occupied homes, with additional funds available for seniors.
According to the City, the vast majority of people eligible for the program have not registered for it. Yet the City refuses to take responsibility to ensure that every family who qualifies for the Star programs gets these funds. This government failure is particularly serious given that some homes placed in foreclosure, could have been kept off the list if families, especially seniors, had received the exemptions.
Star program dollars belong to -homeowners and the City is responsible for ensuring that everyone who qualifies gets these funds. Why are seniors forced to fend for themselves in these matters? The City is perfectly capable of signing up every homeowner who qualifies. They could do so at the same time that housing inspections or assessments are done, for example. As part of the on-going organizing to affirm that Housing is a Right! Buffalo Forum is demanding that the City take actione on this problem: 1) by organizing to register all those eligible and 2) by extending the December 1 deadline.
According to the City’s webpage:
• In July 2005 the Basic STAR savings was up to $421.17
• In July 2005 the Enhanced STAR savings was up to $701.94
• You must file an application by -December 1, 2005
1. Basic STAR Qualification:
- No age requirement
- If the home you own is your primary residence, you are qualified.
(Proof of ownership and proof of residency required.)
2. Enhanced STAR Qualification:
- If all owners or one of the married owners, or one of the sibling owners is 65 years of age;
- If the property is the primary residence of one of the owners;
- If the combined total adjusted gross income of all owners is less than $66,050;
You are qualified.
(Proof of ownership, proof of residency and proof of income of all owners is required)
Basic STAR: File one time only. There is no need to renew or refile each year.
Enhanced STAR: This is an -income-based exemption requiring annual renewal.
Call 851-4374 for information. You may file in person: Room 105, Buffalo City Hall, 65 Niagara Square.
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According to the City, the vast majority of people eligible for the program have not registered for it. Yet the City refuses to take responsibility to ensure that every family who qualifies for the Star programs gets these funds. This government failure is particularly serious given that some homes placed in foreclosure, could have been kept off the list if families, especially seniors, had received the exemptions.
Star program dollars belong to -homeowners and the City is responsible for ensuring that everyone who qualifies gets these funds. Why are seniors forced to fend for themselves in these matters? The City is perfectly capable of signing up every homeowner who qualifies. They could do so at the same time that housing inspections or assessments are done, for example. As part of the on-going organizing to affirm that Housing is a Right! Buffalo Forum is demanding that the City take actione on this problem: 1) by organizing to register all those eligible and 2) by extending the December 1 deadline.
According to the City’s webpage:
• In July 2005 the Basic STAR savings was up to $421.17
• In July 2005 the Enhanced STAR savings was up to $701.94
• You must file an application by -December 1, 2005
1. Basic STAR Qualification:
- No age requirement
- If the home you own is your primary residence, you are qualified.
(Proof of ownership and proof of residency required.)
2. Enhanced STAR Qualification:
- If all owners or one of the married owners, or one of the sibling owners is 65 years of age;
- If the property is the primary residence of one of the owners;
- If the combined total adjusted gross income of all owners is less than $66,050;
You are qualified.
(Proof of ownership, proof of residency and proof of income of all owners is required)
Basic STAR: File one time only. There is no need to renew or refile each year.
Enhanced STAR: This is an -income-based exemption requiring annual renewal.
Call 851-4374 for information. You may file in person: Room 105, Buffalo City Hall, 65 Niagara Square.
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ATTENTION HOMEOWNERS
1) If your home was auctioned, you can still appeal the auction and possibly save your home. This must be done by December 16. Call us at 602-8077 or call Volunteer Lawyers Project at 847-0662.
2) Many seniors who qualify for the STAR program, which provides $700 in tax relief, are not registered for the program. This must be done by December 1. Call us for assistance at 602-8077 or call the City Department of Assessment and Taxation to register, 851-5733.
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2) Many seniors who qualify for the STAR program, which provides $700 in tax relief, are not registered for the program. This must be done by December 1. Call us for assistance at 602-8077 or call the City Department of Assessment and Taxation to register, 851-5733.
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Buffalo Elections: Mandate to Change the Electoral System
It is being said that Byron Brown has a mandate, because he won the election with 64 percent of the vote. He is the first African American elected Mayor of Buffalo and has promised change and accountability.
But many people think the elections brought forward a very different mandate—the mandate of the majority, who did not vote, to change the existing electoral set up.
Only 42 percent of registered voters participated in the local elections. This does not include all eligible voters, as many are not registered. This means that easily more than 60 percent of eligible voters did not participate, given that 58 percent of those registered did not. However, even taking the 42 percent that voted, Brown received 64 percent of these votes. This means he received about 30 percent of the vote of registered voters.
The majority did not vote, and Brown did not receive a majority of those who did. Yet his win is considered a “landslide.” Such a statement can only be made in an electoral system that does not require candidates to win more than 50 percent of the vote. It can be made in a set up where the majority of voters often do not vote or are blocked from voting, as occurred during the 2004 elections and 2000 and many others.
The mandate of the elections, as many are already discussing, is the necessity to change the electoral set up. People want to fully participate in elections without discrimination of any kind, to themselves elect and be elected and set the program of their candidates. People want a set-up where the people can select candidates from among their peers and themselves be elected. People want to hold the candidates elected accountable by exercising the right to recall. People want to decide such major issues as the Control Boards. They are seeking a set-up where there can be No Control Boards Without a Vote! It is this mandate that has sharply come to the fore with elections in Buffalo and elsewhere. And it is the responsibility of all of us together to take it up.
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But many people think the elections brought forward a very different mandate—the mandate of the majority, who did not vote, to change the existing electoral set up.
Only 42 percent of registered voters participated in the local elections. This does not include all eligible voters, as many are not registered. This means that easily more than 60 percent of eligible voters did not participate, given that 58 percent of those registered did not. However, even taking the 42 percent that voted, Brown received 64 percent of these votes. This means he received about 30 percent of the vote of registered voters.
The majority did not vote, and Brown did not receive a majority of those who did. Yet his win is considered a “landslide.” Such a statement can only be made in an electoral system that does not require candidates to win more than 50 percent of the vote. It can be made in a set up where the majority of voters often do not vote or are blocked from voting, as occurred during the 2004 elections and 2000 and many others.
The mandate of the elections, as many are already discussing, is the necessity to change the electoral set up. People want to fully participate in elections without discrimination of any kind, to themselves elect and be elected and set the program of their candidates. People want a set-up where the people can select candidates from among their peers and themselves be elected. People want to hold the candidates elected accountable by exercising the right to recall. People want to decide such major issues as the Control Boards. They are seeking a set-up where there can be No Control Boards Without a Vote! It is this mandate that has sharply come to the fore with elections in Buffalo and elsewhere. And it is the responsibility of all of us together to take it up.
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County Raises Taxes, Control Board Continues Blackmail
The Erie County legislature, succumbing to blackmail by the County Control Board, voted to increase sales taxes to 8.75 percent and property taxes by 15 percent. The sales tax will weigh most heavily on the working poor. In Buffalo, average family income is only $24,000 and the official level of poverty has increased to 26.6 percent. Buffalo, like most old steel towns, has a significant number of workers who are homeowners. The increased property taxes and steadily increasing garbage and water fees will likely force many people to lose their homes. This reality was already witnessed with the recent foreclosure on thousands of family homes.
The increases will impact working people countywide. The sales tax, for example, is added to gasoline rates after state and federal taxes are included in the price. It is a tax on the taxes!
Both new taxes come into effect in January 2006. The tax rates are now higher than New York City and are among the highest in the state. The Legislature voted 10-5 on the $1.1 billion budget, just enough to get the taxes passed.
The Legislature again refused to even consider the alternative to freeze the debt. City debt alone has increased to $523 million. Simply freezing City, School Board and County debt servicing would provide at least $119 million in funds. Instead, the Legislature will be increasing taxes and debt while cutting social programs.
Control Board Blackmail Continues
A main means used to blackmail the Legislature into imposing more taxes was the threat by the County Control Board to become a “hard” board with even more tyrannical powers. What is becoming clear is that the Board will impose measures, such as a wage freeze, whether or not it becomes a “hard” board. It will do so the same way it secured the County budget — by threatening to become a “hard” Board. Already the Board is proposing an “Office of Management and Productivity” to push through changes to governing -arrangements and more attacks on workers.
The Buffalo Board, as usual, is leading the way with attacks. It is again threatening the schools. The Board is using the scare tactic of making demands for massive cuts, so that when less drastic cuts are demanded, it will not seem as bad. At present they are calling for closing nine more schools, eliminating another 1400 jobs and imposing more cuts to teachers’ wages and benefits. Attendance teachers have already been cut by 64 percent, guidance counselors by 34 percent and librarians by 23 percent. Some schools have no full-time librarian, others get one once a week. Similarly, some schools have one guidance counselor for 600-700 students. This, according to the Board, is “too much.”
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The increases will impact working people countywide. The sales tax, for example, is added to gasoline rates after state and federal taxes are included in the price. It is a tax on the taxes!
Both new taxes come into effect in January 2006. The tax rates are now higher than New York City and are among the highest in the state. The Legislature voted 10-5 on the $1.1 billion budget, just enough to get the taxes passed.
The Legislature again refused to even consider the alternative to freeze the debt. City debt alone has increased to $523 million. Simply freezing City, School Board and County debt servicing would provide at least $119 million in funds. Instead, the Legislature will be increasing taxes and debt while cutting social programs.
Control Board Blackmail Continues
A main means used to blackmail the Legislature into imposing more taxes was the threat by the County Control Board to become a “hard” board with even more tyrannical powers. What is becoming clear is that the Board will impose measures, such as a wage freeze, whether or not it becomes a “hard” board. It will do so the same way it secured the County budget — by threatening to become a “hard” Board. Already the Board is proposing an “Office of Management and Productivity” to push through changes to governing -arrangements and more attacks on workers.
The Buffalo Board, as usual, is leading the way with attacks. It is again threatening the schools. The Board is using the scare tactic of making demands for massive cuts, so that when less drastic cuts are demanded, it will not seem as bad. At present they are calling for closing nine more schools, eliminating another 1400 jobs and imposing more cuts to teachers’ wages and benefits. Attendance teachers have already been cut by 64 percent, guidance counselors by 34 percent and librarians by 23 percent. Some schools have no full-time librarian, others get one once a week. Similarly, some schools have one guidance counselor for 600-700 students. This, according to the Board, is “too much.”
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Existing Elections Are a Fraud: We Can Build a New Electoral System
- Transit Workers Discussion Group, November 9, 2005 -
People may not be talking about the local elections, but they are talking about the problem of rigged elections. People recognize that the existing set-up is rigged to favor the rich and keep them in power. The elections from start to finish are a fraud. They do not provide a means for the workers’ views and solutions to be implemented. The whole set up for selecting candidates and getting them on the ballot, running a campaign and then governing, are also designed against the people. So much so that even positive candidates tend to get eaten alive by the system.
In Buffalo, even though the candidates for mayor do not seem to know the facts concerning who holds power, the voters do. And they are expressing their recognition of the power of the Control Boards with their disinterest in the elections for mayor and county legislature. An estimated 42 percent of registered voters turned out, meaning the large majority of eligible voters did not vote. People recognize that the Control Boards decide, not the mayor, not the legislature. So we have both a rotten electoral system and rotten government.
We workers can build a new electoral system, starting now. Drawing on our own experience in last year’s union election, we can work out a set-up where the people themselves decide. One feature of the union election was to discuss together our program — what we wanted the candidates to stand for. We also then discussed who we thought could best represent this program, this content. In this way the workers as a collective organized to set the program and nominate their representatives. These steps are both means for the workers to decide, as well as to position everyone to hold those elected accountable — because everyone, candidates and voters, are conscious of the program.
In addition there are several important demands that also serve accountability. One is right of recall. This means the voters can recall any candidate, at any time, that they think has betrayed their trust and is not representing them.
Another important demand is right to initiate legislation, and right to vote on all governing arrangements, like Control Boards. The current system permits the state government to impose Control Boards. The state is also the one that imposed the system of housing foreclosures on Buffalo that put thousands of occupied homes on the foreclosure list. This set-up allowed the Mayor to dictate, robbed the Common Council of authority, and made it possible for the City to add whatever fees it chooses as a basis for foreclosures.
The people of Buffalo and Erie County had no vote in these vital matters. We say No Control Boards Without a Vote and we demand a system that guarantees we have a vote!
There will be elections in 2006 as well as our union elections in the fall of 2007. Now is the time to get started discussing the building of our own mechanisms and campaigns for elections, using our own experience and guided by the demand that it is the workers themselves who must govern and decide.
Read the complete article
People may not be talking about the local elections, but they are talking about the problem of rigged elections. People recognize that the existing set-up is rigged to favor the rich and keep them in power. The elections from start to finish are a fraud. They do not provide a means for the workers’ views and solutions to be implemented. The whole set up for selecting candidates and getting them on the ballot, running a campaign and then governing, are also designed against the people. So much so that even positive candidates tend to get eaten alive by the system.
In Buffalo, even though the candidates for mayor do not seem to know the facts concerning who holds power, the voters do. And they are expressing their recognition of the power of the Control Boards with their disinterest in the elections for mayor and county legislature. An estimated 42 percent of registered voters turned out, meaning the large majority of eligible voters did not vote. People recognize that the Control Boards decide, not the mayor, not the legislature. So we have both a rotten electoral system and rotten government.
We workers can build a new electoral system, starting now. Drawing on our own experience in last year’s union election, we can work out a set-up where the people themselves decide. One feature of the union election was to discuss together our program — what we wanted the candidates to stand for. We also then discussed who we thought could best represent this program, this content. In this way the workers as a collective organized to set the program and nominate their representatives. These steps are both means for the workers to decide, as well as to position everyone to hold those elected accountable — because everyone, candidates and voters, are conscious of the program.
In addition there are several important demands that also serve accountability. One is right of recall. This means the voters can recall any candidate, at any time, that they think has betrayed their trust and is not representing them.
Another important demand is right to initiate legislation, and right to vote on all governing arrangements, like Control Boards. The current system permits the state government to impose Control Boards. The state is also the one that imposed the system of housing foreclosures on Buffalo that put thousands of occupied homes on the foreclosure list. This set-up allowed the Mayor to dictate, robbed the Common Council of authority, and made it possible for the City to add whatever fees it chooses as a basis for foreclosures.
The people of Buffalo and Erie County had no vote in these vital matters. We say No Control Boards Without a Vote and we demand a system that guarantees we have a vote!
There will be elections in 2006 as well as our union elections in the fall of 2007. Now is the time to get started discussing the building of our own mechanisms and campaigns for elections, using our own experience and guided by the demand that it is the workers themselves who must govern and decide.
Read the complete article
When Elections Are Not Elections
The election for Mayor and County Legislature is taking place at a time when Americans are increasingly angered by the fraud of elections. The recognition that the existing elections do not serve as a means for the people to have a voice is widespread. The will of the people cannot be found in the results, let alone counted.
In Buffalo and Erie County there is the added factor of the Buffalo and Erie County Control Boards. We have a situation where candidates for Mayor and the legislature are talking about reform, but will be powerless to bring it about. We are told we need “fresh faces,” and we may get some. Yet few doubt that the Control Boards will ensure that whoever is elected, we will see the same old content—more cuts, more taxes, more debt, more wrecking, especially of Buffalo.
A set up is also in the works. It is likely that African American Byron Brown will be elected mayor. But his role, with or without his consent, will necessarily be to preside over the wrecking of Buffalo. This wrecking is the demand of the Control Board and it is the one with the power. Elected officials who wish to stand with the people can only do so by rejecting the Control Boards and refusing to submit to them.
More importantly, the Control Boards, in rendering the elections meaningless, are hoping that people will accept elimination of elected governance altogether. Their efforts are part of a trend by the ruling circles to use the discontent with the current electoral system to move toward military rule. Elections may exist, as they do here in Buffalo, but they are rendered meaningless because the elected offices hold no power.
We here in Buffalo have a responsibility to stop this trend in its tracks by organizing against the Control Boards and stepping up the fight to elect representatives from among the people and organize elections that do represent the will of the people.
Read the complete article
In Buffalo and Erie County there is the added factor of the Buffalo and Erie County Control Boards. We have a situation where candidates for Mayor and the legislature are talking about reform, but will be powerless to bring it about. We are told we need “fresh faces,” and we may get some. Yet few doubt that the Control Boards will ensure that whoever is elected, we will see the same old content—more cuts, more taxes, more debt, more wrecking, especially of Buffalo.
A set up is also in the works. It is likely that African American Byron Brown will be elected mayor. But his role, with or without his consent, will necessarily be to preside over the wrecking of Buffalo. This wrecking is the demand of the Control Board and it is the one with the power. Elected officials who wish to stand with the people can only do so by rejecting the Control Boards and refusing to submit to them.
More importantly, the Control Boards, in rendering the elections meaningless, are hoping that people will accept elimination of elected governance altogether. Their efforts are part of a trend by the ruling circles to use the discontent with the current electoral system to move toward military rule. Elections may exist, as they do here in Buffalo, but they are rendered meaningless because the elected offices hold no power.
We here in Buffalo have a responsibility to stop this trend in its tracks by organizing against the Control Boards and stepping up the fight to elect representatives from among the people and organize elections that do represent the will of the people.
Read the complete article
Oppose Elimination of Elected Governance: No Control Boards Without a Vote
As people prepare to go to the polls November 8, the Erie County Control Board is stepping up its attacks. As predicted when the County Board was imposed, it is openly blackmailing the County Legislature in order to secure more cuts and increased debt. At the same time, it is acting to discredit elected governance.
The situation is complex. The Legislature has refused to stand up against the Board, while it has also refused to find alternatives to the destructive path of more cuts and more taxes. As a result, it has discredited itself and shown itself to be unrepresentative of the demands of the people for increased funding of social programs.
The failure of the existing government is not the failure of elected government. It is the failure of the existing set up, where the people are blocked from power. The open agreement, by the Board and legislature, to not even vote on the budget before the election reflects this fact—it says public opinion generally and the votes by the people in particular have no meaning when it comes to budget decisions.
The Legislature is supposed to vote on the budget by November 10. The blackmail of the County Board is that if the Legislature does not pass a budget that includes more cuts, more taxes and more debt, by November 10, then the Board will become even more tyrannical. The legislature is poised to submit. The result is further discrediting of elected governance, cuts to social programs and increased payments to the rich.
The main role of the Control Board is to eliminate any role for the people, while convincing the people this is what is needed. The Board is maneuvering to take advantage of the situation, using the growing lack of credibility of the politicians to claim that appointed Boards, that can make “the tough decisions,” are the answer. The content of this answer, as experience already shows, is to further wreck the County by eliminating unions, contracts, cultural institutions and general living standards.
We urge the legislature, as well as whoever is elected, to reject the Control Board’s blackmail and reject the attack on elected governance. They can do so by rejecting the demands of the Control Board and standing up for the people. They can stand up for the alternative to Freeze the Debt as one means to stop paying the rich!
We urge voters to take their stand against the Control Board by joining the efforts to call for a vote on the Control Boards. The Board, by their actions, says votes by the people do not matter. We say, No Control Board Without a Vote. We urge workers to join in being political and fighting to represent the demand of the public for increased funding of social programs.
Stop Paying the Rich! Freeze the Debt!
Read the complete article
The situation is complex. The Legislature has refused to stand up against the Board, while it has also refused to find alternatives to the destructive path of more cuts and more taxes. As a result, it has discredited itself and shown itself to be unrepresentative of the demands of the people for increased funding of social programs.
The failure of the existing government is not the failure of elected government. It is the failure of the existing set up, where the people are blocked from power. The open agreement, by the Board and legislature, to not even vote on the budget before the election reflects this fact—it says public opinion generally and the votes by the people in particular have no meaning when it comes to budget decisions.
The Legislature is supposed to vote on the budget by November 10. The blackmail of the County Board is that if the Legislature does not pass a budget that includes more cuts, more taxes and more debt, by November 10, then the Board will become even more tyrannical. The legislature is poised to submit. The result is further discrediting of elected governance, cuts to social programs and increased payments to the rich.
The main role of the Control Board is to eliminate any role for the people, while convincing the people this is what is needed. The Board is maneuvering to take advantage of the situation, using the growing lack of credibility of the politicians to claim that appointed Boards, that can make “the tough decisions,” are the answer. The content of this answer, as experience already shows, is to further wreck the County by eliminating unions, contracts, cultural institutions and general living standards.
We urge the legislature, as well as whoever is elected, to reject the Control Board’s blackmail and reject the attack on elected governance. They can do so by rejecting the demands of the Control Board and standing up for the people. They can stand up for the alternative to Freeze the Debt as one means to stop paying the rich!
We urge voters to take their stand against the Control Board by joining the efforts to call for a vote on the Control Boards. The Board, by their actions, says votes by the people do not matter. We say, No Control Board Without a Vote. We urge workers to join in being political and fighting to represent the demand of the public for increased funding of social programs.
Stop Paying the Rich! Freeze the Debt!
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Hutch Tech Backs Down on JROTC: Anti-Recruitment Efforts Continue
Buffalo activists continue to organize various anti-recruitment efforts. A main feature of the work is leafleting at the high schools, to inform the youth of their rights and encourage opposition to military recruitment in the public schools. Activists also packed a School Board meetings, calling on the Board to stop or restrict military access to high school youth. Parents have expressed their concern that youth are being recruited for war and have joined the efforts to keep the military out of the schools.
A main target for recent work has been Hutchinson Technical High School (Hutch Tech), where students were automatically enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). This action was not only directly against the rights of students and parents to decide such matters, but also against state law, which requires enrollment in JROTC to be voluntary. As a result of the organizing efforts, the Hutch Tech principal has agreed that only students who specifically enroll in JROTC will participate in the military training. The enrollment requires the consent of both the parents and students.
Activists plan to leaflet every high school in the area, as well as holding meetings to provide information and views against military recruitment. By leafleting the schools, activists are also providing an example that political activity on public sidewalks in front of the schools is important and part of the right to free speech. Activists have confronted efforts by school officials to block such leafleting by defending their rights and will continue to do so.
(for more information contact the Western Regional Office of the New York Civil Liberties Union, NYCLU, at 852-4033)
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A main target for recent work has been Hutchinson Technical High School (Hutch Tech), where students were automatically enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). This action was not only directly against the rights of students and parents to decide such matters, but also against state law, which requires enrollment in JROTC to be voluntary. As a result of the organizing efforts, the Hutch Tech principal has agreed that only students who specifically enroll in JROTC will participate in the military training. The enrollment requires the consent of both the parents and students.
Activists plan to leaflet every high school in the area, as well as holding meetings to provide information and views against military recruitment. By leafleting the schools, activists are also providing an example that political activity on public sidewalks in front of the schools is important and part of the right to free speech. Activists have confronted efforts by school officials to block such leafleting by defending their rights and will continue to do so.
(for more information contact the Western Regional Office of the New York Civil Liberties Union, NYCLU, at 852-4033)
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Housing Alert: Evictions Still Possible
The struggle against the City’s efforts to foreclose on hundreds of Buffalo families is now being directed to the possibility of evictions. The City at this time is refusing to provide a specific list of all the occupied homes that were either bid on at auction or seized by the City. According to the Department of Taxation, the list has not yet been compiled. Yet, if a specific property is provided, they can provide an answer. It is clear that the City has the information, it simply is taking no responsibility for itself finding out how many families are at risk and acting to assist such families.
As has been the case from the start, people are taking matters into their own hands and organizing to find out. Activists report they will not stand by while evictions are carried out. Door to door and other work is again underway to identify families in need and organize to inform them of their rights, assist them as needed, and defend them against evictions. We urge any family whose home was auctioned or seized by the City to call immediately: 602-8077.
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As has been the case from the start, people are taking matters into their own hands and organizing to find out. Activists report they will not stand by while evictions are carried out. Door to door and other work is again underway to identify families in need and organize to inform them of their rights, assist them as needed, and defend them against evictions. We urge any family whose home was auctioned or seized by the City to call immediately: 602-8077.
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UB Teach-In Opposes Iraq War, Recruiters and the Militarization of the University
SUNY Buffalo students held an informative Teach-In as part of the national Drive Out the Bush Regime Campaign’s week of actions. The main speaker was Sgt. Geoffrey Millard, a returning Iraq War veteran and UB student who spoke extensively about his experiences. Millard’s firm stand against the war and call for removing the troops now was greatly appreciated by the students, staff and community members in attendance. The speaker expressed his outrage at the loss of life and took a stand for the rights of the Iraqi people and against U.S. occupation. The talk was filled with first hand and researched knowledge about the strength of the resistance, the fraud of the U.S. installed regime and elections and the huge war profiteering taking place.
Other student organizers also exposed the multi-million dollar contracts that the University has from Defense and Homeland Security departments. Many examples were given of the effort to militarize research and education as well as the resistance on the part of students and staff to having the university serve the imperialists’ war aims.
The resistance to military recruitment and the lies and fraud used to lure people into joining the military were also highlighted. The speaker said he received almost no money for college.
Planning is now underway to further organize on the campus to oppose recruiters, oppose the militarization of the campus and participate in the “Not Your Soldier” national day of action on November 17.
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Other student organizers also exposed the multi-million dollar contracts that the University has from Defense and Homeland Security departments. Many examples were given of the effort to militarize research and education as well as the resistance on the part of students and staff to having the university serve the imperialists’ war aims.
The resistance to military recruitment and the lies and fraud used to lure people into joining the military were also highlighted. The speaker said he received almost no money for college.
Planning is now underway to further organize on the campus to oppose recruiters, oppose the militarization of the campus and participate in the “Not Your Soldier” national day of action on November 17.
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