truthout--2020-05-20--Reverend Barber Organizes “Poor People’s Digital March on DC” for June 20

AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González , as we turn now to look at the disproportionate impact the coronavirus pandemic continues to have on Black , Brown and poor communities , and the next steps officials should take .
Our next guest is Reverend William Barber .
He ’ s calling for people to stay in place stay alive and organize .
He ’ s organizing a Mass Poor People ’ s Assembly and Moral March on Washington online on June 20th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 worst current confirmed outbreaks in the U.S. are now in rural Southern counties , have been driven by an outbreak in a prison .
According to Facing South , the online magazine for the Institute for Southern Studies , quote , “ Covid-19 has hit counties with prisons and meatpacking plants particularly hard , along with majority-black rural counties across the Deep South.
” The three counties in the rural South with the highest death rates from COVID-19 are majority Black and in Southwest Georgia .
For more , we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reverend William Barber is back with us .
Welcome to Democracy Now !
You co-chair the Poor People ’ s Campaign .
You ’ re president of Repairers of the Breach .
Reverend Barber , if you can start off by talking about this disparate impact on communities of color and the poor , White and people of color , and what you ’ re doing about this ?
REV .
WILLIAM BARBER II : Well , Amy , thank you so much .
These are hard times .
And what we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of the pain is by choice .
It didn ’ t have to be .
It ’ s not because of the virus , per se .
It is because of the pandemic of greed and lies and trickle-down economics that , in this situation , caused us to move in the wrong direction from the beginning .
Now , what we know is , even before COVID hit , too many people in power were too comfortable with other people ’ s deaths .
We have 140 million poor and low-income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation , 700 people dying a day from poverty and low wealth , two-and-a-quarter million a year , even before COVID hit , and 80 million people either uninsured or underinsured before COVID hit .
And what all of the public health officials tell us , that pandemics exploit the fissures in the society and the wounds in the society , the open wounds , and that America had a whole lot of open wounds as it related to systemic racism and poverty , because when you break down those numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor and low-wealth before COVID .
Sixty-six million White people , in raw numbers , were poor and low-wealth in COVID .
From the mountains of Appalachia to the Delta of Mississippi , you had extreme disparities .
And COVID hits .
And what we have now , as I just heard you mentioning , is the disparity among Black people and — and really , it ’ s low-income African Americans or poor African Americans , and then Whites and Latinos .
And we don ’ t really know how bad it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spotty .
But what we do know is that the pandemic is exploiting those fissures .
And our response , from the beginning , has been terrible , both from the White House and , dare say I , from the Congress , and from particularly the McConnell Congress , since he has blocked so many things , because it ’ s kind of our imagination has been limited by this Reaganism , this trickle down .
So , what happened ?
We passed three bills up front , and 83 , 84 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to the corporate heads , go to the top .
The bills did not start at the bottom up .
It did not — think about it .
We ’ re in the middle of a pandemic .
We ’ ve had three so-called rescue bills .
Not one bill provided healthcare for everybody and the uninsured , in the midst of a pandemic .
Not one bill provided living wages , in the midst of a pandemic .
Not one bill guaranteed that your water couldn ’ t be cut off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a pandemic .
Not one bill ensured the protections that you need in terms of personal protection and the ventilators .
Not one bill significantly dealt with all the homeless in this community , in this country .
Not one bill focused on the undocumented workers .
And so , what we ’ re saying is this is the moment that you have to stay at home .
Don ’ t you believe these lies these governors are telling us about the time to open back up the society .
Stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organize .
And we ’ re demanding that all the things that were not done up front that should have been done , they have to be done now , in order for us to move forward and possibly overcome this pandemic .
Otherwise , the pandemic is going to still have root in our society .
And it ’ s not just going to hurt poor people ; it ’ s going to exploit poor communities and the fissures , but it ’ s going to continue to spread throughout the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reverend Barber , I wanted to ask you especially about the institutional populations in the face of this pandemic , both in nursing homes and in prisons .
Just as the virus does not respect national borders , it also doesn ’ t respect institutional borders in this , so that you have this enormous spread in nursing homes , in long-care facilities , as well as in prisons and jails , The New York Times reporting today that over 1,200 correction officers at Rikers Island have tested positive , six have died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there have been hot spots , it ’ s usually around a prison or a meatpacking plant .
The impact on the African American and Latino communities , who are centered in many of these institutions ?
REV .
WILLIAM BARBER II : You ’ re exactly right .
And I have to , because of the nature of our campaign , say , yes , we have a large number of African Americans , of poor and low-wealth African Americans — and I keep wanting to make that point — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
And what you have is these institutions have become like Petri dishes .
Right ?
So , in the prison system , people can actually now be imprisoned , let ’ s just say , or be incarcerated , for bouncing checks , and it becomes a death sentence .
And some people in power are OK with that .
They will just say , “ Well , they ’ re in prison.
” In nursing homes , we found that not only is it hurting the people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re finding out every day that the nurses ’ aides , the people we call essential workers — essential workers , that ’ s — many of them feel like that was a title change , because a few months ago we called them service workers .
But what “ essential ” really means now is expendable , because they ’ re essential , but none of the bills have given them the essentials they need , the protections they need , the healthcare they need .
And so , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polly , and she ’ s a nurse ’ s aide in New York .
She said , “ I feel like we ’ re engaged in mass murder .
We ’ re being led to mass murder.
” She said , “ We have to buy our own garbage bags to try to have some covering .
We don ’ t have the masks that we need .
None of this was done up front.
” And so , what happens is , not only are the residents , which is horrible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to catch the disease because the controls weren ’ t put in place ; it then spreads outside of the nursing homes and outside of the prisons .
I live in a county where we are the fifth — one of the five highest areas in our state , and the majority of our infections are inside the prisons .
And then what we hear is , once that happens , people can ’ t call out .
They ’ re not allowing the prisoners to talk to people on the outside .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that something like 25 people — one study says something like 25 people could potentially be impacted because of one or two prisoners on the inside that have the coronavirus .
They could actually pass it to the guards , administrators .
Then they pass it to their families and others outside .
This is horrific .
And it is a dereliction of duty , really , by the White House and by the Congress , when you think about what the president did , which , in the biblical sense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , “ I ’ m going use the Defense Authorization Act to make meatpackers go to work .
I ’ m going to make them go to work .
I ’ m going to say that they have to go to work , ” but he wouldn ’ t use that same Defense Authorization Act to make sure that they had the PPEs that they needed , that they had the protection that they needed and the insurance that they needed and the sick leave they needed , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to make you go back to work ” in a lethal situation .
And that ’ s what we have here .
People are feeling like they are being sent into lethal situations .
And it didn ’ t have to be like this .
When we see the long lines of 10,000 people standing in line for food , it didn ’ t have to be like this .
You could have expanded SNAP .
We could have made sure that everybody had what they needed .
Even in some communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re talking about are , many of them have had the closures of hospitals over the last few years .
That should have never happened , but we could have used the Army Corps of Engineers to put field hospitals in place and testing in place .
That ’ s the problem .
Our response to this virus , what we have seen has been a dereliction of duty and a damnedable — a damnedable dereliction of duty , and people are dying needlessly .
People are being infected needlessly .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
AMY GOODMAN : Reverend Dr. William Barber , you ’ re participating in a rally organized by the ACLU and Fight for 15 in support of McDonald ’ s workers .
They ’ re walking out in at least 20 places all over the country .
They cite a survey of more than 800 McDonald ’ s workers , from March 31st to April 6th , in which 42 % reported being told not to wear masks and gloves by management .
The survey also said almost half came to work feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be disciplined or penalized .
Now , the company is disputing these figures .
But can you talk about McDonald ’ s ?
REV .
WILLIAM BARBER II : They can dispute them all they want to , but these are real figures .
These are people who we ’ ve talked to and we continue to talk to .
I ’ m standing with Mary Kay Henry , SEIU .
I mean , again , what we ’ re talking about , from a constitutional standpoint , is basically the failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You say you ’ re going to make workers go in .
You ’ re not going to give them what they need in the time of a pandemic .
In fact , it shows , Amy , how immoral some of our politicians and business leaders have become , that they would rather make people go into lethal situations than address the problems that exist .
And so , yes , we ’ re standing with these workers all over the country , who — one of them said to me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Reverend Barber , you know what ?
” I said , “ What ?
” They said , “ Today , our pens came in.
” I said , “ What do you mean , our pens ?
” They said , “ McDonald ’ s provided us pens that says ‘ essential workers.
’ ” She said , “ I don ’ t need a pen .
I need paid sick leave .
I need adequate unemployment .
I need protective gear .
I need to be insured .
I should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is already a low-wage , low-income job , and then come into that job and risk my life and my children ’ s lives and my spouse ’ s life.
” This is no way to run a country .
But the problem is , Amy — and I want to drive this home — that even before COVID , we were allowing so much inequality , which is why the Poor People ’ s Campaign started long before COVID .
There was so much inequality existing and so many people comfortable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even our politicians on both sides of the aisle have been locked into this kind of Reaganism , to trickle down .
As long as we take care of the wealthy and the middle class , other people — everything is fine .
And we ’ ve not done policy from the bottom up , from low-wage and poor folk , from low-wage workers and poor people , from the bottom up .
And this pandemic now is like a — what do you call it ?
— a contrast dye , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America , and it ’ s exposing — it ’ s exposing all of these inequalities .
And poor and low-wealth people are having to pay the brunt of it .
They ’ re having to die from this .
And it is terrible , what is going on .
And so , yes , workers are saying , “ We can ’ t just die .
You know , we can ’ t just allow this to happen.
” In fact , some of them have said to me , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ we ’ re in a situation now where in 48 hours we could be on a ventilator .
And so , we ’ ve decided that if we might be on a ventilator in 48 hours , we ’ re going to use our last breath to breathe new life into this society .
We ’ re not going to just die .
We ’ re going to stand up .
We ’ re going to fight back .
We may not be able to be in the streets because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on social media .
We can organize.
” We can do , on this coming Thursday — Wednesday , Thursday — REV .
WILLIAM BARBER II : — a hundred thousand calls to McConnell and [ Pelosi ] .
Yes .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Reverend Barber , we only have about a minute left , but I just wanted to ask you about the June 20th march that you ’ re planning .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And if you could just briefly talk about your concerns about voter suppression , going into this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BARBER II : We want everybody to join poor and low-wealth people throughout this country on June 20th , 2020 .
You can go to PoorPeoplesCampaign.org or June2020.org .
We are calling — we were going to be physically on Pennsylvania Avenue , but — and we were thinking about not doing it , and people said , “ No , we have to do it.
” We ’ re going to put a face and a voice on poverty .
We ’ re going to lay out the demands that are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the experts and religious leaders .
We ’ ve got 16 denominations , joining a hundred organizations , but , more importantly , 45 state coordinating committees made up of poor and low-wealth people , who are saying , “ Somebody is hurting our people .
It ’ s gone on far too long .
We won ’ t be silent anymore.
” We ’ re doing this to shift the narrative and build power .
We ’ re going to build a massive voting power out of this , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the key to change the political calculus .
In terms of voter suppression , this president and the Senate Leader McConnell , even before COVID , they had done everything they could .
They ’ ve refused to fix the Voting Rights Act .
We ’ re going to have to have massive voting that — we probably won ’ t get mail-in voting , so we ’ re going have to turn out in massive ways .
We need to stop saying that Donald Trump won .
He actually lost in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes .
There are the thousands and thousands and thousands of people , millions of people , who didn ’ t vote — 100 million people .
It is time .
We must vote .
We must vote in massive numbers .
And we must — and Democrats , if they want to win , they need to speak to people ’ s issues .
They need to fight for people ’ s lives , because people are going have to risk their lives to go vote .
So they need to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all this other stuff and left and right , and just do what is right .
Fight for people ’ s lives .
Fight and show them you really care , and I believe the American public will turn out .
But it ’ s going to be a battle .
And the Poor People ’ s Campaign is going to be in it all the way .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , we hope to be talking to you again soon , Reverend Dr. William Barber , co-chair of the Poor People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online is planned for June 20th .
When we come back , a largely immigrant public elementary school in New Brunswick , New Jersey , fights to stop its demolition .
Stay with us .

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González, as we turn now to look at the disproportionate impact the coronavirus pandemic continues to have on Black, Brown and poor communities, and the next steps officials should take.
Our next guest is Reverend William Barber. He’s calling for people to stay in place stay alive and organize. He’s organizing a Mass Poor People’s Assembly and Moral March on Washington online on June 20th. This comes as four of the 10 worst current confirmed outbreaks in the U.S. are now in rural Southern counties, have been driven by an outbreak in a prison. According to Facing South, the online magazine for the Institute for Southern Studies, quote, “Covid-19 has hit counties with prisons and meatpacking plants particularly hard, along with majority-black rural counties across the Deep South.” The three counties in the rural South with the highest death rates from COVID-19 are majority Black and in Southwest Georgia.
For more, we’re going to Raleigh, North Carolina. Reverend William Barber is back with us.
Welcome to Democracy Now! You co-chair the Poor People’s Campaign. You’re president of Repairers of the Breach. Reverend Barber, if you can start off by talking about this disparate impact on communities of color and the poor, White and people of color, and what you’re doing about this?
REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: Well, Amy, thank you so much. These are hard times. And what we’re seeing in America now, a lot of the pain is by choice. It didn’t have to be. It’s not because of the virus, per se. It is because of the pandemic of greed and lies and trickle-down economics that, in this situation, caused us to move in the wrong direction from the beginning.
Now, what we know is, even before COVID hit, too many people in power were too comfortable with other people’s deaths. We have 140 million poor and low-income people in this country, 43% of the nation, 700 people dying a day from poverty and low wealth, two-and-a-quarter million a year, even before COVID hit, and 80 million people either uninsured or underinsured before COVID hit.
And what all of the public health officials tell us, that pandemics exploit the fissures in the society and the wounds in the society, the open wounds, and that America had a whole lot of open wounds as it related to systemic racism and poverty, because when you break down those numbers, 61% of African Americans were poor and low-wealth before COVID. Sixty-six million White people, in raw numbers, were poor and low-wealth in COVID. From the mountains of Appalachia to the Delta of Mississippi, you had extreme disparities. And COVID hits. And what we have now, as I just heard you mentioning, is the disparity among Black people and — and really, it’s low-income African Americans or poor African Americans, and then Whites and Latinos. And we don’t really know how bad it is, because the data is so spotty. But what we do know is that the pandemic is exploiting those fissures.
And our response, from the beginning, has been terrible, both from the White House and, dare say I, from the Congress, and from particularly the McConnell Congress, since he has blocked so many things, because it’s kind of our imagination has been limited by this Reaganism, this trickle down. So, what happened? We passed three bills up front, and 83, 84, 85% of all the resources go to the corporate heads, go to the top. The bills did not start at the bottom up. It did not — think about it. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. We’ve had three so-called rescue bills. Not one bill provided healthcare for everybody and the uninsured, in the midst of a pandemic. Not one bill provided living wages, in the midst of a pandemic. Not one bill guaranteed that your water couldn’t be cut off and your utilities, in the midst of a pandemic. Not one bill ensured the protections that you need in terms of personal protection and the ventilators. Not one bill significantly dealt with all the homeless in this community, in this country. Not one bill focused on the undocumented workers.
And so, what we’re saying is this is the moment that you have to stay at home. Don’t you believe these lies these governors are telling us about the time to open back up the society. Stay at home. Stay alive. Organize. Organize. And we’re demanding that all the things that were not done up front that should have been done, they have to be done now, in order for us to move forward and possibly overcome this pandemic. Otherwise, the pandemic is going to still have root in our society. And it’s not just going to hurt poor people; it’s going to exploit poor communities and the fissures, but it’s going to continue to spread throughout the rest of the society.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Reverend Barber, I wanted to ask you especially about the institutional populations in the face of this pandemic, both in nursing homes and in prisons. Just as the virus does not respect national borders, it also doesn’t respect institutional borders in this, so that you have this enormous spread in nursing homes, in long-care facilities, as well as in prisons and jails, The New York Times reporting today that over 1,200 correction officers at Rikers Island have tested positive, six have died. And in several Southern states, where there have been hot spots, it’s usually around a prison or a meatpacking plant. The impact on the African American and Latino communities, who are centered in many of these institutions?
REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: You’re exactly right. And I have to, because of the nature of our campaign, say, yes, we have a large number of African Americans, of poor and low-wealth African Americans — and I keep wanting to make that point — but also Latino and also poor Whites, as well. And what you have is these institutions have become like Petri dishes. Right?
So, in the prison system, people can actually now be imprisoned, let’s just say, or be incarcerated, for bouncing checks, and it becomes a death sentence. And some people in power are OK with that. They will just say, “Well, they’re in prison.”
In nursing homes, we found that not only is it hurting the people who are residents of those nursing homes, but we’re finding out every day that the nurses’ aides, the people we call essential workers — essential workers, that’s — many of them feel like that was a title change, because a few months ago we called them service workers. But what “essential” really means now is expendable, because they’re essential, but none of the bills have given them the essentials they need, the protections they need, the healthcare they need.
And so, what happens? We had one lady named Polly, and she’s a nurse’s aide in New York. She said, “I feel like we’re engaged in mass murder. We’re being led to mass murder.” She said, “We have to buy our own garbage bags to try to have some covering. We don’t have the masks that we need. None of this was done up front.” And so, what happens is, not only are the residents, which is horrible and ugly and evil enough for them to catch the disease because the controls weren’t put in place; it then spreads outside of the nursing homes and outside of the prisons.
I live in a county where we are the fifth — one of the five highest areas in our state, and the majority of our infections are inside the prisons. And then what we hear is, once that happens, people can’t call out. They’re not allowing the prisoners to talk to people on the outside. But again, the public health officials say that something like 25 people — one study says something like 25 people could potentially be impacted because of one or two prisoners on the inside that have the coronavirus. They could actually pass it to the guards, administrators. Then they pass it to their families and others outside. This is horrific.
And it is a dereliction of duty, really, by the White House and by the Congress, when you think about what the president did, which, in the biblical sense, it would be called evil. When he said, “I’m going use the Defense Authorization Act to make meatpackers go to work. I’m going to make them go to work. I’m going to say that they have to go to work,” but he wouldn’t use that same Defense Authorization Act to make sure that they had the PPEs that they needed, that they had the protection that they needed and the insurance that they needed and the sick leave they needed, it’s really sick. “I’m going to make you go back to work” in a lethal situation. And that’s what we have here. People are feeling like they are being sent into lethal situations.
And it didn’t have to be like this. When we see the long lines of 10,000 people standing in line for food, it didn’t have to be like this. You could have expanded SNAP. We could have made sure that everybody had what they needed. Even in some communities where many of these institutions you’re talking about are, many of them have had the closures of hospitals over the last few years. That should have never happened, but we could have used the Army Corps of Engineers to put field hospitals in place and testing in place. That’s the problem. Our response to this virus, what we have seen has been a dereliction of duty and a damnedable — a damnedable dereliction of duty, and people are dying needlessly. People are being infected needlessly. And it did not have to be this way.
AMY GOODMAN: Reverend Dr. William Barber, you’re participating in a rally organized by the ACLU and Fight for 15 in support of McDonald’s workers. They’re walking out in at least 20 places all over the country. They cite a survey of more than 800 McDonald’s workers, from March 31st to April 6th, in which 42% reported being told not to wear masks and gloves by management. The survey also said almost half came to work feeling sick, because they were afraid they would be disciplined or penalized. Now, the company is disputing these figures. But can you talk about McDonald’s?
REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: They can dispute them all they want to, but these are real figures. These are people who we’ve talked to and we continue to talk to. I’m standing with Mary Kay Henry, SEIU. I mean, again, what we’re talking about, from a constitutional standpoint, is basically the failure to have equal protection under the law. You say you’re going to make workers go in. You’re not going to give them what they need in the time of a pandemic. In fact, it shows, Amy, how immoral some of our politicians and business leaders have become, that they would rather make people go into lethal situations than address the problems that exist.
And so, yes, we’re standing with these workers all over the country, who — one of them said to me the other day, he said, “Reverend Barber, you know what?” I said, “What?” They said, “Today, our pens came in.” I said, “What do you mean, our pens?” They said, “McDonald’s provided us pens that says ‘essential workers.’” She said, “I don’t need a pen. I need paid sick leave. I need adequate unemployment. I need protective gear. I need to be insured. I should not have to work a job, which is already a low-wage, low-income job, and then come into that job and risk my life and my children’s lives and my spouse’s life.” This is no way to run a country.
But the problem is, Amy — and I want to drive this home — that even before COVID, we were allowing so much inequality, which is why the Poor People’s Campaign started long before COVID. There was so much inequality existing and so many people comfortable with it, and too many of even our politicians on both sides of the aisle have been locked into this kind of Reaganism, to trickle down. As long as we take care of the wealthy and the middle class, other people — everything is fine. And we’ve not done policy from the bottom up, from low-wage and poor folk, from low-wage workers and poor people, from the bottom up.
And this pandemic now is like a — what do you call it? — a contrast dye, that has now gone through the body politic of America, and it’s exposing — it’s exposing all of these inequalities. And poor and low-wealth people are having to pay the brunt of it. They’re having to die from this. And it is terrible, what is going on.
And so, yes, workers are saying, “We can’t just die. You know, we can’t just allow this to happen.” In fact, some of them have said to me, “Reverend Barber,” they’ve said, “we’re in a situation now where in 48 hours we could be on a ventilator. And so, we’ve decided that if we might be on a ventilator in 48 hours, we’re going to use our last breath to breathe new life into this society. We’re not going to just die. We’re going to stand up. We’re going to fight back. We may not be able to be in the streets because of coronavirus, but we can be on social media. We can organize.” We can do, on this coming Thursday — Wednesday, Thursday —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Reverend Barber? Reverend Barber, we —
REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: — a hundred thousand calls to McConnell and [Pelosi]. Yes.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Reverend Barber, we only have about a minute left, but I just wanted to ask you about the June 20th march that you’re planning.
REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: Yes.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And if you could just briefly talk about your concerns about voter suppression, going into this next presidential election?
REV. WILLIAM BARBER II: We want everybody to join poor and low-wealth people throughout this country on June 20th, 2020. You can go to PoorPeoplesCampaign.org or June2020.org. We are calling — we were going to be physically on Pennsylvania Avenue, but — and we were thinking about not doing it, and people said, “No, we have to do it.” We’re going to put a face and a voice on poverty. We’re going to lay out the demands that are going to come from people who are impacted and the experts and religious leaders. We’ve got 16 denominations, joining a hundred organizations, but, more importantly, 45 state coordinating committees made up of poor and low-wealth people, who are saying, “Somebody is hurting our people. It’s gone on far too long. We won’t be silent anymore.” We’re doing this to shift the narrative and build power. We’re going to build a massive voting power out of this, as well, because poor and low-income people hold the key to change the political calculus.
In terms of voter suppression, this president and the Senate Leader McConnell, even before COVID, they had done everything they could. They’ve refused to fix the Voting Rights Act. We’re going to have to have massive voting that — we probably won’t get mail-in voting, so we’re going have to turn out in massive ways. We need to stop saying that Donald Trump won. He actually lost in the popular vote. He won by 80,000 votes. There are the thousands and thousands and thousands of people, millions of people, who didn’t vote — 100 million people. It is time. We must vote. We must vote in massive numbers.
And we must — and Democrats, if they want to win, they need to speak to people’s issues. They need to fight for people’s lives, because people are going have to risk their lives to go vote. So they need to stop talking about being practical and moderate and all this other stuff and left and right, and just do what is right. Fight for people’s lives. Fight and show them you really care, and I believe the American public will turn out. But it’s going to be a battle. And the Poor People’s Campaign is going to be in it all the way.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we hope to be talking to you again soon, Reverend Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. The major march online is planned for June 20th.
When we come back, a largely immigrant public elementary school in New Brunswick, New Jersey, fights to stop its demolition. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-05-20--Florida Data Chief Claims She Was Fired for Refusing to Tamper With COVID Data

The architect of Florida ’ s COVID-19 data dashboard claims that she was fired by the state ’ s health department for refusing to “ manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.
” Rebekah Jones , who managed the dashboard praised by the White House , first announced that she had been removed on May 5 as the Geographic Information Systems manager for the Florida Department of Health in a farewell note citing “ reasons beyond my division ’ s control , ” Florida Today reported .
Jones later told the outlet that she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ manipulate data.
” Emails obtained by the Tampa Bay Times showed that on the day before she was fired , officials directed Jones to remove data showing members of the public had reported experiencing symptoms of the disease before cases were officially announced .
Jones warned her superiors that it was the “ wrong call , ” and control of the data was given to other employees the following day .
The dashboard that Jones built was used by researchers , the media and the public to track data in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it has crashed and missed data “ without explanation , ” according to the report .
A spokesperson for Gov .
Ron DeSantis , R-Fla. , told the outlet that the dashboard was built by Jones ’ team , and while she is “ no longer involved , the GIS team continues to manage and update the Dashboard providing accurate and important information that is publicly accessible.
” Jones disputed that characterization , arguing that she wrote “ every line of code.
” “ I worked on it alone — 16 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which I was never paid for , and now that this has happened , I ’ ll probably never get paid for , ” she told Florida Today .
Dr. Deborah Birx , the coordinator of the White House task force , praised the dashboard last month as an example of how states should make data accessible to the public .
“ If you go to the Florida Public Health website on COVID , they ’ ve been able to show their communities ’ cases and tests district by district , county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ code , ” Birx told CBS News .
“ That ’ s the kind of knowledge and power we need to put into the hands of American people , so that they can see where the virus is — where the cases are — and make decisions.
” Jones told local news outlet CBS12 that the dashboard has been left in disrepair since her ouster .
She told the same outlet that her removal was “ not voluntary , ” and she was fired for refusing to “ manually change data to drum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” after being told to “ censor ” some data .
“ I understand , appreciate and even share your concern about all the dramatic changes that have occurred and those that are yet to come , ” she wrote in a farewell email to researchers earlier this month .
“ As a word of caution , I would not expect the new team to continue the same level of accessibility and transparency that I made central to the process during the first two months .
After all , my commitment to both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason I am no longer managing it.
” The move alarmed scientists who relied upon the data .
“ We would not accept this lack of transparency for any other natural disaster , so why are we willing to accept it here ?
” Jennifer Larsen , a researcher at the University of Central Florida , asked Florida Today .
“ It ’ s all of us being denied access to what we need to know to be safe .
It ’ s just absurd that this is being treated differently than any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers that the data on the dashboard could be unreliable now .
“ They are making a lot of changes , ” she wrote .
“ I would advise being diligent in your respective uses of this data.
” Florida officials previously came under fire for ordering medical examiners to stop releasing coronavirus death counts after they reported a higher total than the state ’ s official count .
Dr. Stephen Nelson , the head of the state ’ s Medical Examiner ’ s Commission , blasted the department after they “ intervened.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ any other public record we deal with , ” he said .
“ It ’ s paid for by taxpayer dollars , and the taxpayers have a right to know.
” “ When politicians censor scientists and manipulate the numbers , the rest of us suffer , ” Dr. Lucky Tran , a biologist at Columbia University , tweeted .
“ The only way we get out of this pandemic is with facts , and acting upon the best science we have.
” Rep. Kathy Castor , D-Fla. , warned that if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of safety as the state reopens it could badly backfire .
“ Lives are at stake… Floridians will not feel safe in opening back up without transparency , ” she wrote .
Castor sent a letter to DeSantis demanding answers for Jones ’ firing and “ how the state intends to fully report all COVID-19 public health data without censorship by the Department of Health or anyone else.
” “ Floridians , scientists and public health experts need accurate and timely information in order to make the best decisions about going to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in public , ” she wrote .
“ The state ’ s lack of transparency around COVID-19 public health data is troubling and unwise .
”

Rebekah Jones says she was fired for declining to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.”
The architect of Florida’s COVID-19 data dashboard claims that she was fired by the state’s health department for refusing to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.”
Rebekah Jones, who managed the dashboard praised by the White House, first announced that she had been removed on May 5 as the Geographic Information Systems manager for the Florida Department of Health in a farewell note citing “reasons beyond my division’s control,” Florida Today reported.
Jones later told the outlet that she had been fired by the department for refusing to “manipulate data.”
Emails obtained by the Tampa Bay Times showed that on the day before she was fired, officials directed Jones to remove data showing members of the public had reported experiencing symptoms of the disease before cases were officially announced. Jones warned her superiors that it was the “wrong call,” and control of the data was given to other employees the following day.
The dashboard that Jones built was used by researchers, the media and the public to track data in the state. Over the last few weeks, it has crashed and missed data “without explanation,” according to the report.
A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., told the outlet that the dashboard was built by Jones’ team, and while she is “no longer involved, the GIS team continues to manage and update the Dashboard providing accurate and important information that is publicly accessible.”
Jones disputed that characterization, arguing that she wrote “every line of code.”
“I worked on it alone — 16 hours a day for two months, most of which I was never paid for, and now that this has happened, I’ll probably never get paid for,” she told Florida Today.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House task force, praised the dashboard last month as an example of how states should make data accessible to the public.
“If you go to the Florida Public Health website on COVID, they’ve been able to show their communities’ cases and tests district by district, county by county, ZIP code by ZIP code,” Birx told CBS News. “That’s the kind of knowledge and power we need to put into the hands of American people, so that they can see where the virus is — where the cases are — and make decisions.”
Jones told local news outlet CBS12 that the dashboard has been left in disrepair since her ouster.
She told the same outlet that her removal was “not voluntary,” and she was fired for refusing to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen” after being told to “censor” some data.
“I understand, appreciate and even share your concern about all the dramatic changes that have occurred and those that are yet to come,” she wrote in a farewell email to researchers earlier this month. “As a word of caution, I would not expect the new team to continue the same level of accessibility and transparency that I made central to the process during the first two months. After all, my commitment to both is largely (arguably entirely) the reason I am no longer managing it.”
The move alarmed scientists who relied upon the data.
“We would not accept this lack of transparency for any other natural disaster, so why are we willing to accept it here?” Jennifer Larsen, a researcher at the University of Central Florida, asked Florida Today. “It’s all of us being denied access to what we need to know to be safe. It’s just absurd that this is being treated differently than any other threat to Floridians.”
Jones warned researchers that the data on the dashboard could be unreliable now.
“They are making a lot of changes,” she wrote. “I would advise being diligent in your respective uses of this data.”
Florida officials previously came under fire for ordering medical examiners to stop releasing coronavirus death counts after they reported a higher total than the state’s official count.
Dr. Stephen Nelson, the head of the state’s Medical Examiner’s Commission, blasted the department after they “intervened.”
“This is no different than any other public record we deal with,” he said. “It’s paid for by taxpayer dollars, and the taxpayers have a right to know.”
“When politicians censor scientists and manipulate the numbers, the rest of us suffer,” Dr. Lucky Tran, a biologist at Columbia University, tweeted. “The only way we get out of this pandemic is with facts, and acting upon the best science we have.”
Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., warned that if the move was intended to generate a sense of safety as the state reopens it could badly backfire.
“Lives are at stake… Floridians will not feel safe in opening back up without transparency,” she wrote.
Castor sent a letter to DeSantis demanding answers for Jones’ firing and “how the state intends to fully report all COVID-19 public health data without censorship by the Department of Health or anyone else.”
“Floridians, scientists and public health experts need accurate and timely information in order to make the best decisions about going to work, going to school and going out in public,” she wrote. “The state’s lack of transparency around COVID-19 public health data is troubling and unwise.”
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
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truthout--2020-05-20--Amid COVID-19, NYC Subway Closures Force Unhoused People Into Packed Shelters

For the first time in its 115-year history , this month New York City began shutting down its subway system overnight .
The unprecedented move has left unhoused people who rely on the trains for shelter suddenly with nowhere to go , and made them even more vulnerable as the coronavirus continues to spread .
“ The situation is concerning , ” says emergency physician Dr. Kelly Doran , who has joined advocates in calling on New York to do more to protect unhoused people from infection .
We also speak with Josh Dean , executive director of the homeless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : For the first time in its more than 115-year history , New York City began shutting down its subway system overnight .
The unprecedented move has left unhoused people who rely on the trains for shelter suddenly with nowhere to go , and made them even more vulnerable as the coronavirus continues to spread .
New York police and outreach workers are staffing the end-of-the-line subway stations and bussing unhoused people to overcrowded shelters , where social distancing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people sleeping on the floor of the 30th Street shelter in Manhattan , lining the stairs as they laid out , and a Wards Island shelter , after being taken off the subways , have sparked outrage .
One man described his experience to Spectrum ’ s NY1 .
AMY GOODMAN : Many have refused to enter the shelters , saying it ’ s safer to sleep on the street .
One person named Rick described the situation to the advocacy group Human.NYC outside the 30th Street shelter .
HUMAN.NYC : Where were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
RICK : In the 7 train .
Came from Queens .
HUMAN.NYC : From Queens ?
And they drove you here ?
RICK : Yep .
They didn ’ t drive me here , but they had an association of people that take you to places like here .
HUMAN.NYC : So where are you going to go now ?
RICK : Now I ’ m going to sleep outside , again .
So , I ’ m out here in New York City , and I have — I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because this is what happens when I come to shelters so that people help me .
There ’ s no help .
There ’ s no help .
There ’ s no help .
AMY GOODMAN : New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said this month a thousand unhoused people will now be moved into double-occupancy hotel rooms , in addition to 2,500 unhoused people who have already been relocated to hotel rooms .
But advocates say the move is too little , too late , and are calling on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ De Blasio ’ s administration is against legislation that would permit thousands more people to live in unoccupied hotel rooms for the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic .
For more , we ’ re joined by two guests .
Dr. Kelly Doran is an emergency room physician , assistant professor of emergency medicine and population health at NYU ’ s School of Medicine .
She co-authored a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City officials about how to care for the city ’ s homeless population in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dean is with us , executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC .
He ’ s been out on the city streets monitoring how subway closures are impacting homeless people .
We welcome you both to Democracy Now !
There was a very contentious City Council meeting this week .
Dr. Kelly Doran , what are you demanding the city and the state do when it comes to the unhoused in New York City , especially as we see now , with the unprecedented closure of the city subway system , night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
DR. KELLY DORAN : Yeah .
So , the situation is concerning .
The city has done a lot since the pandemic started .
So , I was a part of a group that , actually , over 500 physicians — physicians , nurses , social workers and other frontline healthcare professionals , that signed a letter that had been organized by the Health & Housing Consortium , which is a nonprofit organization here in New York City .
And that letter gave recommendations and observations about what had been going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York .
That letter was sent over a month ago now , April 15 , and had a number of recommendations around increasing communication with hospitals so that hospitals know how to better care for their patients who are experiencing homelessness , improving the discharge processes so that we have safe places where we can send people from the hospitals .
The letter also had recommendations around moving homeless New Yorkers who are in congregate settings into private rooms , and recommendations against stopping street sweeps of people living in encampments or living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against CDC recommendations .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Dr. Doran , could you discuss what other cities are doing , compared to New York City , what Mayor de Blasio and the administration here is or is not doing correctly ?
DR. KELLY DORAN : Sure .
I would say New York is unique in that we are the epicenter of the pandemic , and we also have a very large number of people who are experiencing homelessness compared to other places .
We have done some things well in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people out of congregate shelters .
They did set up isolation hotels fairly early for people who need to be isolated because they have symptoms of COVID .
Some things that we are not doing as well yet in New York City that other places are doing are , first , broadly testing in shelters in New York .
In some places — for example , there have been studies that have come out of Boston , out of Atlanta , out of San Francisco now , including a study that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have done widespread testing at homeless shelters .
And what they found is that once you get even a small cluster of two or more people within the shelter who have COVID-19 , when they test everybody in those shelters , 30 % or more test positive for coronavirus .
And the majority of them — the vast majority of them , actually — have not displayed symptoms .
And so , in New York City , some of the shelters have begun doing some testing , but it ’ s still not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is problematic , because we know that there are all of these asymptomatic cases .
And so , the current screening to try to catch people who do have coronavirus , and isolate them in the shelters , is based on asking people about symptoms .
And then , the second thing that we ’ ve seen some places do better than others throughout the U.S. is moving people proactively into private settings , like hotel or motel rooms , to protect them .
One of the places that ’ s done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before the peak of their pandemic , before really even the upswing of their pandemic , they moved people , a large number , the majority of people , out of their congregate shelters and into hotel and motel rooms .
And they have not seen nearly the number of infections and deaths among people experiencing homelessness as we have here , for example .
AMY GOODMAN : I want to turn to one unhoused man speaking to NY1 about the scene at an overcrowded homeless shelter .
AMY GOODMAN : During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill de Blasio said the city ’ s subway closures and homeless outreach plan are working very well and have a , quote , “ positive impact reducing homelessness in New York City.
” AMY GOODMAN : So , that ’ s Mayor Bill de Blasio .
We ’ re also joined by Josh Dean , executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC .
If you can respond to Mayor de Blasio , whether you think this is a successful policy ?
You are spending night after night outside .
JOSH DEAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is absolutely not as successful as he ’ s making it out to be .
The way that he is presenting the data is extremely misleading .
We can start there .
The people that he ’ s counting as accepting services is anyone who agrees simply to get into a van and be transported to the shelter , regardless of what happens when they actually arrive .
And the folks that he ’ s counting as engaging are only the people with whom the outreach teams have a significant conversation with .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heavy NYPD presence , and because the NYPD has consistently mistreated folks who are homeless , a lot of homeless folks will take one look at the NYPD and see that they ’ re with the outreach teams , want nothing to do with them .
And those folks don ’ t get counted as engaged , despite being removed and sent to the streets .
There are also folks at the overwhelming majority of stations that are not end-of-the-line stations .
And those folks , if they fall asleep on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to be asked to leave by NYPD , and there are not outreach teams there .
The outreach teams are only deployed at the end-of-the-line stations .
So , both the numerator and the denominator in his , you know , statistics that he shares every day , where he says half of the people that we ’ re engaging are accepting services , are extremely misleading .
As we heard from the gentleman Rick , who we interviewed outside the 30th Street Men ’ s Shelter , a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and either because they ’ ve been there before or because they went inside and they saw how crowded it was , they left , for reasons that pertain to their safety , reasons that I think many of us who would be in the same situation would make the same decision .
So , what we actually ended up seeing , once some of the local journalists pressed the mayor hard enough , was that only a hundred people , of the folks that engage night after night , actually ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , in and of itself , is concerning , given that the conditions that they were taking folks to , at least back a couple weeks ago when this was happening , are not necessarily safe places for folks to be right now .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Josh Dean , I wanted to ask you — this whole attempt by the city to move people into hotels now , a lot of people don ’ t know , who don ’ t know the history of New York City , know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the city had an entire network of what were called SROs , single-room occupancy hotels , specifically geared to low-income New Yorkers .
And , of course , as the city got increasingly gentrified , all of those single-room occupancy hotels were closed .
Now we ’ re seeing the pressing need , not only because of the homeless population , but because of the pandemic , to once again house people , but now in much more expensive hotel rooms than the old SROs .
What do you see as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of increasing homelessness in the city ?
JOSH DEAN : Yeah .
So , I mean , in the short term , we absolutely need to be moving folks both out of the congregate shelters , off the streets and off the subways .
We need to be offering all of those folks , you know , a private hotel room , where they ’ re able to socially distance , where they ’ re able to shelter in place .
For the folks who are living on the streets , they haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They haven ’ t been able to wash their hands .
So , a hotel room gives them the ability to do many of the things that housed New Yorkers have been doing for months now as we ’ ve been through this pandemic .
But hotels are not the long-term solution .
We need to be moving these folks into permanent housing .
For some folks , that will be supportive housing , which is housing with supportive services .
And for some folks , they really just need their own apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city , that those folks have , and the vouchers are not up to fair market rent , so a lot of people aren ’ t able to find units that they can afford even with the voucher .
And they also face rampant discrimination from landlords who don ’ t want to be renting to voucher holders .
So , a combination of increasing the vouchers to fair market rent and increasing our ability to fight back against landlord discrimination will be really pivotal in permanently housing folks , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important , and we need to be doing that right now , but they ’ re not the long-term solution .
AMY GOODMAN : Josh , we just have 30 seconds .
How many unhoused people are there , would you estimate , in New York City ?
And how many do you believe are positive for COVID ?
JOSH DEAN : Unhoused folks in New York City , you know , the numbers indicate that number is around 80,000 , and that includes folks who are living in shelters or living on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have COVID , you know , the data suggests that number is at 976 right now .
But I think with what Dr. Doran had talked about with regards to asymptomatic spread , that number has got to be in the thousands , and we ’ re just not aware of it right now .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , I want to thank you both for being with us , Josh Dean , executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC .
And thanks to Dr. Kelly Doran , an emergency physician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population health at NYU ’ s School of Medicine .
She co-authored a letter to the governor of New York and New York City about how to care for the city ’ s homeless population in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak , and we ’ ll link to that letter .
This is Democracy Now !
, as we turn to the co-chair of the Poor People ’ s Campaign , Reverend William Barber .
Stay with us .

For the first time in its 115-year history, this month New York City began shutting down its subway system overnight. The unprecedented move has left unhoused people who rely on the trains for shelter suddenly with nowhere to go, and made them even more vulnerable as the coronavirus continues to spread. “The situation is concerning,” says emergency physician Dr. Kelly Doran, who has joined advocates in calling on New York to do more to protect unhoused people from infection. We also speak with Josh Dean, executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: For the first time in its more than 115-year history, New York City began shutting down its subway system overnight. The unprecedented move has left unhoused people who rely on the trains for shelter suddenly with nowhere to go, and made them even more vulnerable as the coronavirus continues to spread. New York police and outreach workers are staffing the end-of-the-line subway stations and bussing unhoused people to overcrowded shelters, where social distancing is impossible. Images of dozens of people sleeping on the floor of the 30th Street shelter in Manhattan, lining the stairs as they laid out, and a Wards Island shelter, after being taken off the subways, have sparked outrage. One man described his experience to Spectrum’s NY1.
UNHOUSED PERSON: Last night, I slept on the floor in the shelter, ’cause they said they had no beds. But they kick you out of here to go sleep on the floor.”
AMY GOODMAN: Many have refused to enter the shelters, saying it’s safer to sleep on the street. One person named Rick described the situation to the advocacy group Human.NYC outside the 30th Street shelter.
HUMAN.NYC: Where were you when the NYPD picked you up? RICK: In the 7 train. Came from Queens. HUMAN.NYC: From Queens? And they drove you here? RICK: Yep. They didn’t drive me here, but they had an association of people that take you to places like here. HUMAN.NYC: So where are you going to go now? RICK: Now I’m going to sleep outside, again. So, I’m out here in New York City, and I have — I don’t want to go to the shelters, because this is what happens when I come to shelters so that people help me. There’s no help. There’s no help. There’s no help.
AMY GOODMAN: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said this month a thousand unhoused people will now be moved into double-occupancy hotel rooms, in addition to 2,500 unhoused people who have already been relocated to hotel rooms. But advocates say the move is too little, too late, and are calling on the mayor to take more bold action. De Blasio’s administration is against legislation that would permit thousands more people to live in unoccupied hotel rooms for the remainder of the coronavirus pandemic.
For more, we’re joined by two guests. Dr. Kelly Doran is an emergency room physician, assistant professor of emergency medicine and population health at NYU’s School of Medicine. She co-authored a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City officials about how to care for the city’s homeless population in the midst of the COVID19 outbreak.
And Josh Dean is with us, executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC. He’s been out on the city streets monitoring how subway closures are impacting homeless people.
We welcome you both to Democracy Now! There was a very contentious City Council meeting this week. Dr. Kelly Doran, what are you demanding the city and the state do when it comes to the unhoused in New York City, especially as we see now, with the unprecedented closure of the city subway system, night after night, people being taken away?
DR. KELLY DORAN: Yeah. So, the situation is concerning. The city has done a lot since the pandemic started. So, I was a part of a group that, actually, over 500 physicians — physicians, nurses, social workers and other frontline healthcare professionals, that signed a letter that had been organized by the Health & Housing Consortium, which is a nonprofit organization here in New York City. And that letter gave recommendations and observations about what had been going on regarding our patients experiencing homelessness in New York.
That letter was sent over a month ago now, April 15, and had a number of recommendations around increasing communication with hospitals so that hospitals know how to better care for their patients who are experiencing homelessness, improving the discharge processes so that we have safe places where we can send people from the hospitals. The letter also had recommendations around moving homeless New Yorkers who are in congregate settings into private rooms, and recommendations against stopping street sweeps of people living in encampments or living on the streets, since those are against CDC recommendations.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Dr. Doran, could you discuss what other cities are doing, compared to New York City, what Mayor de Blasio and the administration here is or is not doing correctly?
DR. KELLY DORAN: Sure. I would say New York is unique in that we are the epicenter of the pandemic, and we also have a very large number of people who are experiencing homelessness compared to other places. We have done some things well in New York City. They have moved a number of people out of congregate shelters. They did set up isolation hotels fairly early for people who need to be isolated because they have symptoms of COVID.
Some things that we are not doing as well yet in New York City that other places are doing are, first, broadly testing in shelters in New York. In some places — for example, there have been studies that have come out of Boston, out of Atlanta, out of San Francisco now, including a study that was published by the CDC, where they have done widespread testing at homeless shelters. And what they found is that once you get even a small cluster of two or more people within the shelter who have COVID-19, when they test everybody in those shelters, 30% or more test positive for coronavirus. And the majority of them — the vast majority of them, actually — have not displayed symptoms. And so, in New York City, some of the shelters have begun doing some testing, but it’s still not widespread. And, you know, that is problematic, because we know that there are all of these asymptomatic cases. And so, the current screening to try to catch people who do have coronavirus, and isolate them in the shelters, is based on asking people about symptoms.
And then, the second thing that we’ve seen some places do better than others throughout the U.S. is moving people proactively into private settings, like hotel or motel rooms, to protect them. One of the places that’s done this best is Connecticut. Early on, before the peak of their pandemic, before really even the upswing of their pandemic, they moved people, a large number, the majority of people, out of their congregate shelters and into hotel and motel rooms. And they have not seen nearly the number of infections and deaths among people experiencing homelessness as we have here, for example.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to one unhoused man speaking to NY1 about the scene at an overcrowded homeless shelter.
UNHOUSED PERSON: Take a look inside. If you don’t catch corona or drop dead from disgust, I don’t know what will. And here I am. Unsanitary conditions.
AMY GOODMAN: During a press conference last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city’s subway closures and homeless outreach plan are working very well and have a, quote, “positive impact reducing homelessness in New York City.”
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO: I want to keep updating you on the efforts to reach homeless New Yorkers related to this new plan to clean the subways each night and amplify the opportunities for our homeless outreach workers to reach homeless people and get them to safety and get them to a better life. Here are the results from last night: 370 homeless individuals were engaged, 213 accepted help — 178 went to shelter, 35 to hospitals. Again, I’ve said it enough times; I’m not going to repeat it. Unprecedented results, and the trend continues now for over a week, very, very consistently. And this, if we can sustain this, is going to have a very long-term and positive impact reducing homelessness in New York City.
AMY GOODMAN: So, that’s Mayor Bill de Blasio. We’re also joined by Josh Dean, executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC. If you can respond to Mayor de Blasio, whether you think this is a successful policy? You are spending night after night outside.
JOSH DEAN: Yeah, I mean, this is absolutely not as successful as he’s making it out to be. The way that he is presenting the data is extremely misleading. We can start there. The people that he’s counting as accepting services is anyone who agrees simply to get into a van and be transported to the shelter, regardless of what happens when they actually arrive. And the folks that he’s counting as engaging are only the people with whom the outreach teams have a significant conversation with. So, because there’s such a heavy NYPD presence, and because the NYPD has consistently mistreated folks who are homeless, a lot of homeless folks will take one look at the NYPD and see that they’re with the outreach teams, want nothing to do with them. And those folks don’t get counted as engaged, despite being removed and sent to the streets.
There are also folks at the overwhelming majority of stations that are not end-of-the-line stations. And those folks, if they fall asleep on the platform, for example, they’re going to be asked to leave by NYPD, and there are not outreach teams there. The outreach teams are only deployed at the end-of-the-line stations.
So, both the numerator and the denominator in his, you know, statistics that he shares every day, where he says half of the people that we’re engaging are accepting services, are extremely misleading.
As we heard from the gentleman Rick, who we interviewed outside the 30th Street Men’s Shelter, a lot of folks are being transported to the shelters, and either because they’ve been there before or because they went inside and they saw how crowded it was, they left, for reasons that pertain to their safety, reasons that I think many of us who would be in the same situation would make the same decision.
So, what we actually ended up seeing, once some of the local journalists pressed the mayor hard enough, was that only a hundred people, of the folks that engage night after night, actually ended up staying at the shelter. And that, in and of itself, is concerning, given that the conditions that they were taking folks to, at least back a couple weeks ago when this was happening, are not necessarily safe places for folks to be right now.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Josh Dean, I wanted to ask you — this whole attempt by the city to move people into hotels now, a lot of people don’t know, who don’t know the history of New York City, know that back in the 1950s and ’60s, the city had an entire network of what were called SROs, single-room occupancy hotels, specifically geared to low-income New Yorkers. And, of course, as the city got increasingly gentrified, all of those single-room occupancy hotels were closed. Now we’re seeing the pressing need, not only because of the homeless population, but because of the pandemic, to once again house people, but now in much more expensive hotel rooms than the old SROs. What do you see as a long-term solution to dealing with this situation of increasing homelessness in the city?
JOSH DEAN: Yeah. So, I mean, in the short term, we absolutely need to be moving folks both out of the congregate shelters, off the streets and off the subways. We need to be offering all of those folks, you know, a private hotel room, where they’re able to socially distance, where they’re able to shelter in place. For the folks who are living on the streets, they haven’t been able to shower. They haven’t been able to wash their hands. So, a hotel room gives them the ability to do many of the things that housed New Yorkers have been doing for months now as we’ve been through this pandemic.
But hotels are not the long-term solution. We need to be moving these folks into permanent housing. For some folks, that will be supportive housing, which is housing with supportive services. And for some folks, they really just need their own apartment. And we have vouchers right now in the city, that those folks have, and the vouchers are not up to fair market rent, so a lot of people aren’t able to find units that they can afford even with the voucher. And they also face rampant discrimination from landlords who don’t want to be renting to voucher holders. So, a combination of increasing the vouchers to fair market rent and increasing our ability to fight back against landlord discrimination will be really pivotal in permanently housing folks, because hotels, you know, are really important, and we need to be doing that right now, but they’re not the long-term solution.
AMY GOODMAN: Josh, we just have 30 seconds. How many unhoused people are there, would you estimate, in New York City? And how many do you believe are positive for COVID?
JOSH DEAN: Unhoused folks in New York City, you know, the numbers indicate that number is around 80,000, and that includes folks who are living in shelters or living on the streets. Estimate of folks who have COVID, you know, the data suggests that number is at 976 right now. But I think with what Dr. Doran had talked about with regards to asymptomatic spread, that number has got to be in the thousands, and we’re just not aware of it right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you both for being with us, Josh Dean, executive director of the homeless advocacy group Human.NYC. And thanks to Dr. Kelly Doran, an emergency physician, assistant professor of emergency medicine and population health at NYU’s School of Medicine. She co-authored a letter to the governor of New York and New York City about how to care for the city’s homeless population in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, and we’ll link to that letter.
This is Democracy Now!, as we turn to the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, Reverend William Barber. Stay with us.


truthout--2020-05-20--Amid Floods and Pandemic, Trump Threatens Michigan’s Funding Over Mail-In Voting

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced on Tuesday that every registered voter in the state would be receiving an application in the mail allowing them to register to become an absentee voter for this year ’ s remaining elections — a move that brought about sharp criticism and threats from President Donald Trump the following day .
Benson ’ s plan would send an absentee ballot application to every resident who is registered to vote — about 7.7 million Michiganders in total , although 1.3 million are already on the state ’ s permanent absentee ballot voter list .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens who are concerned about possibly contracting coronavirus if they were otherwise forced to vote in-person this year .
As of Tuesday , Michigan has seen more than 52,000 cases of coronavirus , with 5,017 of its residents having died as a result of the disease .
“ By mailing applications , we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote , ” Benson , a Democrat , said on Tuesday .
“ Voting by mail is easy , convenient , safe , and secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to do it.
” Trump on Wednesday morning blasted the move , errantly suggesting that voting by mail would increase the potential for fraud .
“ Breaking : Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election , ” Trump wrote in a tweet .
“ This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State.
” Trump also made a direct threat to the state if it decided to go through with the mailings .
“ I will ask to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go down this Voter Fraud path !
” he said .
Responding to Trump ’ s tweet , Benson reminded the president in a tweet of her own that she “ also [ has ] a name , ” and that she did not send absentee ballots , but rather the applications for residents to apply for them .
“ Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa , Georgia , Nebraska and West Virginia , ” Benson added .
Michigan ’ s moves toward allowing all of its voters the opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic .
The state has the fourth-highest number of deaths recorded in the country , and the seventh-highest number of cases overall .
In addition to the coronavirus crisis , Michigan is also facing devastating flooding in central parts of the state .
Two dams in Midland County were breached earlier this week , and on Tuesday Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency , as 10,000 residents were forced to evacuate — a situation that will undoubtedly result in citizens being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially spreading the disease further .
Trump ’ s tweet on Wednesday contained two bits of false information : first , Benson is sending out absentee ballot applications , not the absentee ballots themselves ; and second , there is no proof that voting by mail results in fraudulent outcomes .
Five states already have mail-in voting as their primary method of casting ballots .
Trump has voiced sharp criticism against voting by mail in the past , even during the coronavirus pandemic , although he himself has engaged in the practice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in April .
“ Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country because they are cheaters.
” But after he made those comments , reporters asked why should he get to use mail-in voting while others do not ?
Trump explained it was because he is a resident of Florida who works in Washington D.C. “ Because I ’ m allowed to .
Well , that ’ s called out of state — you know why I voted ?
Because I happened to be in the White House and I won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida and vote , ” he said at the time .
Florida , however , is a “ no-excuse ” absentee ballot state , which means residents don ’ t have to provide a reason for why they want to vote by mail .
In other words , Trump ( or any other resident of the state , for that matter ) didn ’ t have to give any reason for why he voted absentee .
Other states appear to be moving toward allowing residents to vote by mail if they want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge decided earlier this week that any resident that wants to vote by mail should be able to do so , as they have a right , according to his ruling , to take part in democracy and do so in a way that ’ s not harmful to their health .
Texas is not a no-excuse absentee ballot state , and the state ’ s attorney general plans to appeal the judge ’ s ruling .
Giving voters the right to vote by mail is especially important right now during the COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin voters were forced to vote in person during that state ’ s spring elections .
At least 71 individuals who voted or worked at polling places that day have since contracted COVID-19 .
Research has further demonstrated that counties in Wisconsin that had higher rates of in-person voting in the spring election also saw higher instances of the disease two to three weeks later versus counties that had higher rates of voters utilizing absentee ballots .

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced on Tuesday that every registered voter in the state would be receiving an application in the mail allowing them to register to become an absentee voter for this year’s remaining elections — a move that brought about sharp criticism and threats from President Donald Trump the following day.
Benson’s plan would send an absentee ballot application to every resident who is registered to vote — about 7.7 million Michiganders in total, although 1.3 million are already on the state’s permanent absentee ballot voter list. The move would be incredibly helpful to citizens who are concerned about possibly contracting coronavirus if they were otherwise forced to vote in-person this year.
As of Tuesday, Michigan has seen more than 52,000 cases of coronavirus, with 5,017 of its residents having died as a result of the disease.
“By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote,” Benson, a Democrat, said on Tuesday. “Voting by mail is easy, convenient, safe, and secure, and every voter in Michigan has the right to do it.”
Trump on Wednesday morning blasted the move, errantly suggesting that voting by mail would increase the potential for fraud.
“Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election,” Trump wrote in a tweet. “This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State.”
Trump also made a direct threat to the state if it decided to go through with the mailings. “I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!” he said.
Responding to Trump’s tweet, Benson reminded the president in a tweet of her own that she “also [has] a name,” and that she did not send absentee ballots, but rather the applications for residents to apply for them.
“Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia,” Benson added.
Michigan’s moves toward allowing all of its voters the opportunity to apply to vote absentee comes as the state has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The state has the fourth-highest number of deaths recorded in the country, and the seventh-highest number of cases overall.
In addition to the coronavirus crisis, Michigan is also facing devastating flooding in central parts of the state. Two dams in Midland County were breached earlier this week, and on Tuesday Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency, as 10,000 residents were forced to evacuate — a situation that will undoubtedly result in citizens being unable to respect social distancing rules, potentially spreading the disease further.
Trump’s tweet on Wednesday contained two bits of false information: first, Benson is sending out absentee ballot applications, not the absentee ballots themselves; and second, there is no proof that voting by mail results in fraudulent outcomes. Five states already have mail-in voting as their primary method of casting ballots.
Trump has voiced sharp criticism against voting by mail in the past, even during the coronavirus pandemic, although he himself has engaged in the practice.
“People cheat,” Trump said in April. “Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country because they are cheaters.”
But after he made those comments, reporters asked why should he get to use mail-in voting while others do not? Trump explained it was because he is a resident of Florida who works in Washington D.C.
“Because I’m allowed to. Well, that’s called out of state — you know why I voted? Because I happened to be in the White House and I won’t be able to go to Florida and vote,” he said at the time.
Florida, however, is a “no-excuse” absentee ballot state, which means residents don’t have to provide a reason for why they want to vote by mail. In other words, Trump (or any other resident of the state, for that matter) didn’t have to give any reason for why he voted absentee.
Other states appear to be moving toward allowing residents to vote by mail if they want to during this present crisis. A Texas judge decided earlier this week that any resident that wants to vote by mail should be able to do so, as they have a right, according to his ruling, to take part in democracy and do so in a way that’s not harmful to their health.
Texas is not a no-excuse absentee ballot state, and the state’s attorney general plans to appeal the judge’s ruling.
Giving voters the right to vote by mail is especially important right now during the COVID pandemic. Earlier this year, many Wisconsin voters were forced to vote in person during that state’s spring elections.
At least 71 individuals who voted or worked at polling places that day have since contracted COVID-19. Research has further demonstrated that counties in Wisconsin that had higher rates of in-person voting in the spring election also saw higher instances of the disease two to three weeks later versus counties that had higher rates of voters utilizing absentee ballots.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.


truthout--2020-05-20--Workers Are Afraid of Returning to Work. Will There Be a General Strike?

Calls for a general strike are growing as millions of people consider going back to work after months of quarantine .
Could a mass work stoppage be on the horizon ?
What about waves of local and regional general strikes as more cities and states move to reopen businesses during a global pandemic ?
Let ’ s consider the conditions of our current moment .
As COVID-19 continues to claim hundreds of lives every day , workers across the United States face an impossible choice : return to work and risk their health and the health of their loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs and their unemployment benefits .
While some employers are working with their employees to decide how and when to reopen , others want to jumpstart business and spend Paycheck Protection Program funds so loans provided under the program are forgiven .
This requires convincing furloughed and laid–off workers to come back and earn a paycheck , or replacing them with new hires .
Bosses have incentives to tell workers they must return now or their jobs will be gone later .
While there are some protections for workers with children and preexisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging efforts to report workers who refuse to return so they lose their unemployment benefits .
Workers can file a complaint if they believe their workplace to be unsafe , but safety inspections and enforcement have plummeted under President Trump as his pro-business administration guts protections for workers .
Federal law protects workers from “ unusual risks ” posed by the pandemic , but the administration has failed to issue rules or guidance for reinforcing the right to refuse unsafe work .
That ’ s a raw deal for workers whose wages are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money by filing for unemployment .
Low-wage workers are more likely to have hazardous jobs that can not be done from home , and they are also disproportionately Black and Brown , which is one reason communities of color and Native communities have been hit hard by the pandemic .
“ Unless policymakers and government agencies use their power to issue strong guidance and enforce workers ’ right to refuse to return to unsafe working conditions , individuals , families , communities , and most of all , women of color , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dixon , executive director of the National Employment Law Project , in a recent statement .
Meanwhile , there has been a major uptick in labor organizing and mutual aid efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic , blowing wind into the sails of a labor movement that has been decaying under pressure from neoliberal capitalists and right-wing politicians for decades .
With the economy on pause , activists have had more time to hold digital , socially distanced meetings and organize .
More than 200 wildcat strikes and mass sick-ins have erupted across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions that put them in danger , with many striking workers finding support and solidarity among workers from different industries .
In New Orleans , for example , a relatively small group of striking sanitation workers is receiving support from health care workers , mutual aid groups and young activists of color .
Over the past two months , rent strikes were organized across the country , particularly in big cities where large numbers of renters share the same landlords and can use their collective leverage to negotiate .
Essential workers at large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instacart , Amazon and Target went on strike in unison on May 1 .
Now , emerging activist groups inspired by the rapid growth of mutual aid projects and waves of strikes and protests are calling for a general strike starting June 1 in response to the conservative and pro-business forces pushing to reopen despite public health concerns .
In a general strike , a substantial portion of the workforce across a city , state or region refuses to work .
In this case , a general strike would likely entail a substantial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to work while some others walk off the job .
Calls for general strikes routinely make rounds on social media , and the topic continues to come up in digital town halls and remote organizing meetings held by activists .
Shahid Buttar , an activist and socialist congressional candidate in San Francisco , said the labor precarity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has made conditions ripe for a general strike , but the crisis also presents its own unique challenges .
“ To make it happen and envision and build the energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build service delivery mechanisms to replace market–based services — and the biggest ones to me are food and child care , ” Buttar said in an interview .
Buttar pointed to the 1955-1956 bus boycott against segregation in Montgomery , Alabama .
Rideshares were organized so Black participants in the boycott could still get around , making the historic protest sustainable and effective .
To hold a general strike today , Buttar said , activists would need to create alternative ways to meet people ’ s needs .
Currently , the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if not impossible , to organize a neighborhood child care collective , for example .
However , the pandemic has also ushered in a dramatic rise in mutual aid groups that distribute food , masks and other essential items .
Many of these groups have developed strategies for working together and sharing resources while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19 .
“ There are a lot of collectives of people delivering masks and food and hand sanitizer , ” Buttar said .
Organizers of a general strike must also consider how to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of going on strike , particularly lower-income workers and families who are already facing financial precarity .
That ’ s why mutual aid and alternatives to the market for delivering goods and services are so important for a general strike — without them , a mass work stoppage could prevent people from accessing the things they need to survive .
A key feature of a general strike is workers learning to work for each other , rather than for employers who profit from their labor .
Buttar said such organizing could blow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s sails , which have been tattered for decades .
“ If we can seize this opportunity to envision and claim a different future , the instability of this moment is a fertile time to plant these seeds , ” Buttar said .

Calls for a general strike are growing as millions of people consider going back to work after months of quarantine.
Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
Calls for a general strike are growing as millions of people consider going back to work after months of quarantine. Could a mass work stoppage be on the horizon? What about waves of local and regional general strikes as more cities and states move to reopen businesses during a global pandemic? Let’s consider the conditions of our current moment.
As COVID-19 continues to claim hundreds of lives every day, workers across the United States face an impossible choice: return to work and risk their health and the health of their loved ones at home, or potentially lose their jobs and their unemployment benefits.
While some employers are working with their employees to decide how and when to reopen, others want to jumpstart business and spend Paycheck Protection Program funds so loans provided under the program are forgiven. This requires convincing furloughed and laid–off workers to come back and earn a paycheck, or replacing them with new hires. Bosses have incentives to tell workers they must return now or their jobs will be gone later.
While there are some protections for workers with children and preexisting health conditions, the Labor Department is encouraging efforts to report workers who refuse to return so they lose their unemployment benefits. Workers can file a complaint if they believe their workplace to be unsafe, but safety inspections and enforcement have plummeted under President Trump as his pro-business administration guts protections for workers. Federal law protects workers from “unusual risks” posed by the pandemic, but the administration has failed to issue rules or guidance for reinforcing the right to refuse unsafe work.
That’s a raw deal for workers whose wages are so low that they are making more money by filing for unemployment. Low-wage workers are more likely to have hazardous jobs that cannot be done from home, and they are also disproportionately Black and Brown, which is one reason communities of color and Native communities have been hit hard by the pandemic.
“Unless policymakers and government agencies use their power to issue strong guidance and enforce workers’ right to refuse to return to unsafe working conditions, individuals, families, communities, and most of all, women of color, will continue to suffer,” said Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, in a recent statement.
Meanwhile, there has been a major uptick in labor organizing and mutual aid efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, blowing wind into the sails of a labor movement that has been decaying under pressure from neoliberal capitalists and right-wing politicians for decades. With the economy on pause, activists have had more time to hold digital, socially distanced meetings and organize.
More than 200 wildcat strikes and mass sick-ins have erupted across the country in recent weeks as workers resisted conditions that put them in danger, with many striking workers finding support and solidarity among workers from different industries. In New Orleans, for example, a relatively small group of striking sanitation workers is receiving support from health care workers, mutual aid groups and young activists of color.
Over the past two months, rent strikes were organized across the country, particularly in big cities where large numbers of renters share the same landlords and can use their collective leverage to negotiate. Essential workers at large companies, such as Whole Foods, Instacart, Amazon and Target went on strike in unison on May 1.
Now, emerging activist groups inspired by the rapid growth of mutual aid projects and waves of strikes and protests are calling for a general strike starting June 1 in response to the conservative and pro-business forces pushing to reopen despite public health concerns. In a general strike, a substantial portion of the workforce across a city, state or region refuses to work. In this case, a general strike would likely entail a substantial portion of nonessential workers refusing to go back to work while some others walk off the job.
Calls for general strikes routinely make rounds on social media, and the topic continues to come up in digital town halls and remote organizing meetings held by activists. Shahid Buttar, an activist and socialist congressional candidate in San Francisco, said the labor precarity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has made conditions ripe for a general strike, but the crisis also presents its own unique challenges.
“To make it happen and envision and build the energy for a work stoppage, we have to build service delivery mechanisms to replace market–based services — and the biggest ones to me are food and child care,” Buttar said in an interview.
Buttar pointed to the 1955-1956 bus boycott against segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. Rideshares were organized so Black participants in the boycott could still get around, making the historic protest sustainable and effective. To hold a general strike today, Buttar said, activists would need to create alternative ways to meet people’s needs. Currently, the need for social distancing makes it difficult, if not impossible, to organize a neighborhood child care collective, for example.
However, the pandemic has also ushered in a dramatic rise in mutual aid groups that distribute food, masks and other essential items. Many of these groups have developed strategies for working together and sharing resources while minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19.
“There are a lot of collectives of people delivering masks and food and hand sanitizer,” Buttar said.
Organizers of a general strike must also consider how to support people who lose their jobs as a result of going on strike, particularly lower-income workers and families who are already facing financial precarity. That’s why mutual aid and alternatives to the market for delivering goods and services are so important for a general strike — without them, a mass work stoppage could prevent people from accessing the things they need to survive.
A key feature of a general strike is workers learning to work for each other, rather than for employers who profit from their labor. Buttar said such organizing could blow wind back into the labor movement’s sails, which have been tattered for decades.
“If we can seize this opportunity to envision and claim a different future, the instability of this moment is a fertile time to plant these seeds,” Buttar said.
Tired of reading the same old news from the same old sources? So are we! That’s why we’re on a mission to shake things up and bring you the stories and perspectives that often go untold in mainstream media. But being a radically, unapologetically independent news site isn’t easy (or cheap), and we rely on reader support to keep the lights on.
If you like what you’re reading, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We’re not asking for a handout, we’re asking for an investment: Invest in a nonprofit news site that’s not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, not afraid to stand up for what’s right, and not afraid to tell it like it is.
Copyright © Truthout. May not be reprinted without permission.