North Side Green Party

Monday began with Catholic Workers declaring a "Week Without Capitalism" to end on the following Monday, when NATO left Chicago.

To kick off the event they picketed Barack Obama's campaign HQ. Chicago Police responded furiously, arresting a number of Catholic Workers and stopping cars with out of state plates in Chicago neighborhoods. By Thursday they had arrested eleven more, charging them with "terrorism."

A Federal Judge has barred implementation of a law permitting the military to imprison US citizens without trial. The law, the National Defense Authorization Act, was signed by President Obama in 2011.

Congress is now considering repeal.

John LaForge, of Nukewatch, will be talking to Catholic Workers and others, on Saturday, May 19, at 9:00 am. Greens are invited.

The topic will be NATO nuclear weapons in Europe, and will include slides and discussion afterward.

The event takes place at 1447 West Superior, in Chicago.

Later, at 1:45 pm, LaForge will participate in a panel discussion hosted by NATO Free Future, at the People's Church, 941 W. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago.

As reported by Chicago Indy Media, scholar Noam Chomsky endorsed Chicago's anti-NATO protest.

On Monday Catholic Worker groups declared a "Week Without Capitalism." To kick off the event, they picketed Obama Campaign Headquarters in Chicago.

An extremely important video about Fukushima is online at Fairwinds Associates. To view it click here."

In April, unemployment stood at 22.3% (paywall), according to an independent firm specializing in economic statistics.

Methods used to calculate US Government economic statistics change periodically, permitting the government to report the most favorable estimate of a given measure.

An excellent story on CISPA and on the issue of domestic surveillance generally appeared on Democracy Now!"

A bill to strip retired state employees of paid health coverage has now passed both houses of the Illinois State Legislature, and will go to Governor Quinn for signature. Employees had worked for years under contracts promising 100% retirement health coverage in return for completion of 20 or more years of service. The employees had accepted below market pay in exchange for better retirement packages.

In a surprise move Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel appeared in Springfield to urge the State General Assembly to freeze Chicago Retirees cost of living increases for a period of 10 years.

A two day People's Summit will happen in Chicago on May 12 and 13. The North Side Greens are on record as opposing the NATO Summit. Greens prefer People's Summits instead.

Registration is at 9:00 am. The Summit begins at 10:00 am, Saturday, May 12, at 500 West Cermak.

A UN report written by James Anaya will call for return of some lands to Native Americans.

Anay is a United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He has been charged with monitoring compliance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen fired into a crowd of unarmed peace protesters at Kent State University, in Ohio. Four students died. The campus was ordered closed, with armed Guardsmen patrolling to ensure students and faculty did not return.

Illinois retirees were under attack once more this week, as a bipartisan legislative coalition supported by the Chicago Tribune moved to strip Illinois government retirees of their health benefits. An empty bill, SB-1313 was passed with little fanfare.

Sunday, Aprill 22, 2012 is Earthday.

On Friday, Illinois Governor Quinn announced his first draft (click to download as pdf) of an austerity plan aimed at making governmental employees and retirees assume the burden of tax cuts granted to the State's largest corporations.

Civil libertarians lost their battle to stop the PATRIOT Act, but succeeded against SOPA. Now another threat has surfaced.

The new bill is called CISPA, short for Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. CISPA was the topic of discussion at the April meeting of the North Side Greens.

With the Administration beating the drums for war with Iran, this might be a good time to revisit a map posted online by Juan Coles an expert on middle eastern affairs. The map shows US military bases surrounding Iran.

From a military standpoint, Washington's claims that Iran is a military threat might seem ludicrous, but the mainstream media show little willingness to question the Administration on this issue.

Will Guzzardi, who ran on a reform platform against Regular Democrat Antonia Berrios, is asking for a recount, the North Side Greens have learned. He came within 185 votes of victory, according to press reports. That has since narrowed to 125 votes.