truthout--2020-07-18--Worker-Run News Outlets Are Good News for the Labor Movement

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the role of labor into focus for many people who might not have previously thought about what workers they considered “ essential.
” Farmworkers , nurses , pork processors and auto workers have been vocal sections of the working class protesting unsafe working conditions and low pay during the pandemic .
In addition to those unprecedented changes in the labor landscape , the killing of George Floyd brought the role of police unions to the forefront of public consciousness , with prominent labor leaders discussing removal of the police unions from the AFL-CIO .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement has instigated labor organizing of its own , with Black workers and allies calling for general strikes in some cities .
The BLM shutdowns , sometimes downplayed by officials in traditional unions , have resulted in hundreds of walkouts around the country .
Payday Report has been a key news source for this heightened activity .
The outlet ’ s map of wildcat strikes has been particularly useful for labor reporters over the past few months , giving a centralized source of information for hundreds of walkouts , sickouts and other actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been sycophantic , however : Among other projects the publication has taken on is an investigation of sexual abuse in the SEIU .
Truthout interviewed Payday Report Founder Mike Elk and Editor Clarissa A. León about the site ’ s origins , current focus and plans for the future .
This interview has been edited for length and clarity .
Patrick Maynard : Mike , did you dream as a kid of starting a journalism portal for labor information ?
How did that come about ?
Mike Elk : My father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Electrical Workers ] .
So when I was a kid , I always dreamed of being part of the fight back to cover workers , because of the kind of conversations we would have — I grew up in a very literate family , we read a lot ; we talked a lot about what I was reading when I was a child .
I think there was always a dream about wanting to go into that sort of press .
[ Payday Report ] came about [ after ] I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and in 2015 , I went out to Louisville .
I saw my good old friend J.P. Wright , a folk musician , and he ’ s worked a lot with Wendell Berry , and he gave me a copy of Anne Braden ’ s book , The Wall Between , about how she got blacklisted from the Louisville Courier-Journal .
And at the time , I was going through a blacklisting myself , and so , what Anne Braden did to survive was she created her own publication .
I said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t I use the sympathy and support , as well as the $ 70,000 [ labor settlement ] I won from Politico to start a publication ?
” And Clarissa , how did you come to the publication ?
Clarissa A. León : Well , I came to Pittsburgh in 2016 to get my master ’ s in nonfiction writing , and I had already done some journalism work for investigative journalists prior to coming to Pittsburgh , and I really kind of wanted to continue within the journalism vein of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to writing in a way .
So long story short , I had been on Twitter , and Mike had been on Twitter as well , and so we connected through there — I think through our shared contacts .
And were your parents in unions when you were a kid ?
León : No , ( laughs ) I don ’ t think my parents were in a union at all .
But I think that ’ s not necessarily because they wouldn ’ t have joined — it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came from Reno , Nevada , so I think that ’ s not as big of a union town as , say , Pittsburgh is .
Elk : Clarissa is a first-generation American as well… .
My grandmother was an immigrant from Italy , and , you know , I lived in Brazil , and I really think that if we don ’ t organize to protect immigrant workers , it has ripple effects everywhere — where immigrant workers are the ones taking the boldest actions and the boldest risks in all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death almost every day .
León : To add onto that a little bit , it ’ s sad that when we talk about these meatpackers , and you see and read so many of their stories , that very few stories get to talk to people who are working at those plants , so we kind of want to change some of that .
How has being the daughter of immigrants helped in your reporting ?
León : I would say that being a daughter of immigrants provided me with another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the world .
If you can understand more communities , I believe your reporting and storytelling will improve on some level .
On a more specific note , being able to speak Spanish helps in covering Spanish-speaking communities .
Not having that language barrier helps in getting the stories , getting them right and asking more in-depth questions .
You ’ ve written at least a couple pieces about strikers being replaced by prison labor in recent months down in Louisiana .
How did those stories come about ?
Elk : [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tracking map , all we ’ re doing is tracking Google search terms , and what ’ s funny is that since a lot of these things are impromptu things , they ’ re not necessarily officially called “ strikes ” but “ wildcat strikes , ” so we have to search for all kinds of terms , like “ workers protested , ” “ workers call in sick , ” “ workers slow down production , ” you know , these kinds of things.… We discovered it through that network , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people involved in that strike — we first got to know when we were covering seafood workers down in … Lafayette , Louisiana .
Payday has spent four years now , building the credibility so that when it ’ s a crisis moment , we can go get the ear of a garbage truck worker .
And a garbage truck worker knows that , “ Hey , we might be a smaller publication , but these guys are communicating with the movement , communicating with the press leaders.
” Would you say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or is it really a pretty big mix ?
Elk : It ’ s a pretty big mix of folks , but our biggest donor base outside of Brooklyn is right here in Pittsburgh [ where we ’ re based ] .
So there ’ s a lot of folks in the labor movement here in Pittsburgh .
This is a town where the AFL-CIO was founded .
So , in many ways , Pittsburgh ’ s been the birthplace of the American labor movement , dating back to the 1877 general strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based in these other places , being in a place like the Rust Belt [ helps us ] .
Regarding racial equity , do you think the labor movement has done a good job of paying attention , or are they in some ways part of the problem ?
Elk : I think labor ’ s part of the problem in many ways .
Look at the leadership of the AFL-CIO : We ’ re talking a leadership that is — I don ’ t know , 75 percent white male ?
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor movement — along with the fastest-growing parts of the labor movement — are female .
Many of the care industries and public sector industries , as well as communities of color [ are most active ] .
So we have a labor movement that is led by white men , and we ’ re getting into this massive fight over police unions where a lot of people say , “ Hey , cops shouldn ’ t have collective bargaining rights.
” And that ’ s a complex issue , because if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one group of workers , then where do you stop in taking them from different public sector workers ?
Look at TSA agents , right ?
TSA agents didn ’ t have collective bargaining rights for years , and you know , they ’ re making 15 , 16 bucks an hour .
I think Veena Dubal , the brilliant [ University of California , Hastings College of the Law ] professor , was saying that the problem really isn ’ t police unions as much as it is police , and how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that we need to tear up these collective bargaining agreements and start with a whole new classification of the job .
This is going to be a really tense debate , with a lot of people on the left saying police shouldn ’ t have collective bargaining rights , with some people in the labor movement saying , “ Hey , if we start taking away collective bargaining rights from cops , does that mean the secretaries in the police station lose their collective bargaining rights ?
Does that mean the EMS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their bargaining rights ?
” León : I think Mike is definitely right .
I don ’ t know how much more I can add , but to say that I think that what ’ s happening with Black Lives Matter is definitely going to show itself in so many different industries , as it has slowly been doing for the past several years , and I don ’ t think labor is going to be an exception to that .
It ’ s critical that the United States begin to see itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : I think if you want to talk about interesting new relationships that are being formed with organized labor … Michael Santiago and Alexis Johnson were taken off of covering the Black Lives Matter protests by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , because they were writing about it in a way that upset the white owners , who published all these racist op-eds — pro-Trump op-eds in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
And we ’ ve seen the community rally around here .
And the people leading the community and organizing are actually the bus drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
With labor localized and capital globalized , can workers really afford to strike anywhere ?
And are there certain industries that are less portable than others ?
Elk : I mean , strike anywhere , right ?
It inspires other strikes .
You know , people talk about strategic organizing , which I think is just a bullshit idea .
You organize where people want to organize .
You know ; they do the organizing .
I think so much of the intellectual left gets into these very , kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organize in this industry or that industry.
” No .
We ’ ve got to show solidarity with what workers are doing anyway .
And I think that ’ s the approach we ’ ve got to take .
And I would say the fight is in communities of color — particularly , in my opinion , in immigrant communities .
We ’ ve tried to focus heavily on immigrant meatpackers .
Over 20,000 meatpackers — largely immigrants — have gotten COVID .
Scores of them have died .
What was the toughest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation ?
Elk : The toughest part of covering [ the ] SEIU sexual misconduct cover-up was watching the story be ignored by so many left-leaning “ labor journalists , ” who would otherwise speak out against these abuses in the workplace .
Sure , it was stressful being threatened with [ a ] lawsuit , but it was gut wrenching to see so many left-leaning reporters ignore this story .
This is why cover ups of sexual misconduct keep happening in the labor movement [ because ] so many labor journalists , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the help of unions , don ’ t want to burn these bridges .
If there ’ s one thing that readers take away from your news outlet , what would it be ?
Elk : That it ’ s possible to build new types of media outlets .
That we don ’ t have to just have this sort of fatalism about whether we can change the press .
We can change the press , one reader at a time .
It ’ s a question of whether or not we as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about organizing around that .
Right now , the News Guild has a very flawed plan to call for a news bailout , when really , we should be focusing on the growing trend of newsletters and helping coordinate foundations and help giving worker-owned power to news outlets — to build model news outlets that can implement good policies .
León : I couldn ’ t agree more with what Mike has been saying , and as far as building new , alternative media outlets , I think it ’ s really critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalism .
What I would like is just to see new voices out there — and voices that have been disenfranchised and marginalized especially — be raised up and lifted .

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought the role of labor into focus for many people who might not have previously thought about what workers they considered “essential.” Farmworkers, nurses, pork processors and auto workers have been vocal sections of the working class protesting unsafe working conditions and low pay during the pandemic.
In addition to those unprecedented changes in the labor landscape, the killing of George Floyd brought the role of police unions to the forefront of public consciousness, with prominent labor leaders discussing removal of the police unions from the AFL-CIO. And the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has instigated labor organizing of its own, with Black workers and allies calling for general strikes in some cities. The BLM shutdowns, sometimes downplayed by officials in traditional unions, have resulted in hundreds of walkouts around the country.
Payday Report has been a key news source for this heightened activity. The outlet’s map of wildcat strikes has been particularly useful for labor reporters over the past few months, giving a centralized source of information for hundreds of walkouts, sickouts and other actions. Payday’s coverage of labor has not been sycophantic, however: Among other projects the publication has taken on is an investigation of sexual abuse in the SEIU.
Truthout interviewed Payday Report Founder Mike Elk and Editor Clarissa A. León about the site’s origins, current focus and plans for the future. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Patrick Maynard: Mike, did you dream as a kid of starting a journalism portal for labor information? How did that come about?
Mike Elk: My father is a union leader [with the United Electrical Workers]. So when I was a kid, I always dreamed of being part of the fight back to cover workers, because of the kind of conversations we would have — I grew up in a very literate family, we read a lot; we talked a lot about what I was reading when I was a child. I think there was always a dream about wanting to go into that sort of press.
[Payday Report] came about [after] I was fired during the union drive at Politico, and in 2015, I went out to Louisville. I saw my good old friend J.P. Wright, a folk musician, and he’s worked a lot with Wendell Berry, and he gave me a copy of Anne Braden’s book, The Wall Between, about how she got blacklisted from the Louisville Courier-Journal. And at the time, I was going through a blacklisting myself, and so, what Anne Braden did to survive was she created her own publication. I said, “What an idea — why don’t I use the sympathy and support, as well as the $70,000 [labor settlement] I won from Politico to start a publication?”
And Clarissa, how did you come to the publication?
Clarissa A. León: Well, I came to Pittsburgh in 2016 to get my master’s in nonfiction writing, and I had already done some journalism work for investigative journalists prior to coming to Pittsburgh, and I really kind of wanted to continue within the journalism vein of my career but also kind of get back to writing in a way. So long story short, I had been on Twitter, and Mike had been on Twitter as well, and so we connected through there — I think through our shared contacts.
And were your parents in unions when you were a kid?
León: No, (laughs) I don’t think my parents were in a union at all. But I think that’s not necessarily because they wouldn’t have joined — it’s just their line of work. I came from Reno, Nevada, so I think that’s not as big of a union town as, say, Pittsburgh is.
Immigrant workers are the ones taking the boldest actions and the boldest risks in all of the labor movement.
Elk: Clarissa is a first-generation American as well…. My grandmother was an immigrant from Italy, and, you know, I lived in Brazil, and I really think that if we don’t organize to protect immigrant workers, it has ripple effects everywhere — where immigrant workers are the ones taking the boldest actions and the boldest risks in all of the labor movement. Dealing with deportation and death almost every day.
León: To add onto that a little bit, it’s sad that when we talk about these meatpackers, and you see and read so many of their stories, that very few stories get to talk to people who are working at those plants, so we kind of want to change some of that.
How has being the daughter of immigrants helped in your reporting?
León: I would say that being a daughter of immigrants provided me with another viewpoint from which to see the news and the world. If you can understand more communities, I believe your reporting and storytelling will improve on some level. On a more specific note, being able to speak Spanish helps in covering Spanish-speaking communities. Not having that language barrier helps in getting the stories, getting them right and asking more in-depth questions.
You’ve written at least a couple pieces about strikers being replaced by prison labor in recent months down in Louisiana. How did those stories come about?
Elk: [With] a lot of the strike tracking map, all we’re doing is tracking Google search terms, and what’s funny is that since a lot of these things are impromptu things, they’re not necessarily officially called “strikes” but “wildcat strikes,” so we have to search for all kinds of terms, like “workers protested,” “workers call in sick,” “workers slow down production,” you know, these kinds of things.… We discovered it through that network, but the work that we did — the people involved in that strike — we first got to know when we were covering seafood workers down in … Lafayette, Louisiana. Payday has spent four years now, building the credibility so that when it’s a crisis moment, we can go get the ear of a garbage truck worker. And a garbage truck worker knows that, “Hey, we might be a smaller publication, but these guys are communicating with the movement, communicating with the press leaders.”
Would you say that most of those readers are unionized, or is it really a pretty big mix?
Elk: It’s a pretty big mix of folks, but our biggest donor base outside of Brooklyn is right here in Pittsburgh [where we’re based]. So there’s a lot of folks in the labor movement here in Pittsburgh. This is a town where the AFL-CIO was founded. So, in many ways, Pittsburgh’s been the birthplace of the American labor movement, dating back to the 1877 general strike. I think with so many publications based in these other places, being in a place like the Rust Belt [helps us].
Regarding racial equity, do you think the labor movement has done a good job of paying attention, or are they in some ways part of the problem?
Elk: I think labor’s part of the problem in many ways. Look at the leadership of the AFL-CIO: We’re talking a leadership that is — I don’t know, 75 percent white male? While statistics show that the majority of the labor movement — along with the fastest-growing parts of the labor movement — are female. Many of the care industries and public sector industries, as well as communities of color [are most active]. So we have a labor movement that is led by white men, and we’re getting into this massive fight over police unions where a lot of people say, “Hey, cops shouldn’t have collective bargaining rights.” And that’s a complex issue, because if you’re taking collective bargaining rights from one group of workers, then where do you stop in taking them from different public sector workers? Look at TSA agents, right? TSA agents didn’t have collective bargaining rights for years, and you know, they’re making 15, 16 bucks an hour. I think Veena Dubal, the brilliant [University of California, Hastings College of the Law] professor, was saying that the problem really isn’t police unions as much as it is police, and how the job of police is defined, and that we need to tear up these collective bargaining agreements and start with a whole new classification of the job. This is going to be a really tense debate, with a lot of people on the left saying police shouldn’t have collective bargaining rights, with some people in the labor movement saying, “Hey, if we start taking away collective bargaining rights from cops, does that mean the secretaries in the police station lose their collective bargaining rights? Does that mean the EMS [Emergency Medical Services] guys lose their bargaining rights?”
León: I think Mike is definitely right. I don’t know how much more I can add, but to say that I think that what’s happening with Black Lives Matter is definitely going to show itself in so many different industries, as it has slowly been doing for the past several years, and I don’t think labor is going to be an exception to that. It’s critical that the United States begin to see itself in terms of racial inequity.
It’s possible to build new types of media outlets. It’s a question of whether or not we as a movement are going to get serious about organizing around that.
Elk: I think if you want to talk about interesting new relationships that are being formed with organized labor … Michael Santiago and Alexis Johnson were taken off of covering the Black Lives Matter protests by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, because they were writing about it in a way that upset the white owners, who published all these racist op-eds — pro-Trump op-eds in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. And we’ve seen the community rally around here. And the people leading the community and organizing are actually the bus drivers, which are a pretty progressive union here.
With labor localized and capital globalized, can workers really afford to strike anywhere? And are there certain industries that are less portable than others?
Elk: I mean, strike anywhere, right? It inspires other strikes. You know, people talk about strategic organizing, which I think is just a bullshit idea. You organize where people want to organize. You know; they do the organizing. I think so much of the intellectual left gets into these very, kind of top-down conversations about “We have to organize in this industry or that industry.” No. We’ve got to show solidarity with what workers are doing anywhere. And I think that’s the approach we’ve got to take. And I would say the fight is in communities of color — particularly, in my opinion, in immigrant communities. We’ve tried to focus heavily on immigrant meatpackers. Over 20,000 meatpackers — largely immigrants — have gotten COVID. Scores of them have died.
What was the toughest part of reporting the SEIU sexual misconduct investigation?
Elk: The toughest part of covering [the] SEIU sexual misconduct cover-up was watching the story be ignored by so many left-leaning “labor journalists,” who would otherwise speak out against these abuses in the workplace.
Sure, it was stressful being threatened with [a] lawsuit, but it was gut wrenching to see so many left-leaning reporters ignore this story. This is why cover ups of sexual misconduct keep happening in the labor movement [because] so many labor journalists, particularly ones trying to sell books with the help of unions, don’t want to burn these bridges.
If there’s one thing that readers take away from your news outlet, what would it be?
Elk: That it’s possible to build new types of media outlets. That we don’t have to just have this sort of fatalism about whether we can change the press. We can change the press, one reader at a time. It’s a question of whether or not we as a movement are going to get serious about organizing around that. Right now, the News Guild has a very flawed plan to call for a news bailout, when really, we should be focusing on the growing trend of newsletters and helping coordinate foundations and help giving worker-owned power to news outlets — to build model news outlets that can implement good policies.
León: I couldn’t agree more with what Mike has been saying, and as far as building new, alternative media outlets, I think it’s really critical. They are trying to build sustainable journalism. What I would like is just to see new voices out there — and voices that have been disenfranchised and marginalized especially — be raised up and lifted.
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truthout--2020-07-18--Trump’s Federal Police Are Kidnapping and Brutalizing Protesters in Portland

On July 11 , Donavan LaBella , 26 , was shot in the head with an impact munition as he stood at a protest holding a speaker over his head .
“ It caused a pretty deep laceration , but he was bleeding from his nose , his mouth , his ears — it was pretty bad , ” Jessica Shifflett , a woman who helped LaBella after he was shot .
Videos show protesters rushing to his side , while federal officers stood by .
LaBella ’ s skull was fractured and he has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to put a tube in his skull to drain the blood , and bones in his face were shattered .
Donavan LaBella ’ s mother said in the post , “ He still has some impulse control and confusion , but is slowly getting better .
It is still unknown if there will be any lasting neurological damage , only time will tell .
Thank you everyone for all the support and well wishes.
” This could have been the work of local police , but it wasn ’ t — It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
U.S .
Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection ’ s BORTAC ( Border Patrol Tactical Unit ) were deployed to Portland by President Trump to stop protests and “ protect federal property.
” However , it ’ s hard to argue that LaBella was threatening property by holding speakers over his head .
This comes as the Black Lives Matter movement approaches the two month mark of street mobilizations .
The New York Times claims that this may be the biggest movement in all of U.S. history .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down and get less coverage in the media , there are still people fighting .
And those people are being criminalized and brutalized — and in the case of Portland , federal agents are being sent in to scare people into staying home .
“ We are aware of the incident that happened on July 12 near the Hatfield U.S .
Courthouse where an individual was injured while U.S .
Marshals were securing the perimeter of the federal courthouse , ” U.S .
Marshals spokesperson Nikki Credic-Barrett said .
“ The U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from use-of-force very seriously .
The incident is currently being investigated , and more information will be released as soon as possible.
” Portland police have recently been barred from using tear gas against protesters .
But federal officials are not constrained by this order and used a great deal of tear gas against the protesters that same night .
Federal officers are able to use more instruments of repression against protesters .
This includes tear gas and impact munition .
Donald Trump spoke about this early in the week .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t handle it , ” Trump said , speaking to the acting head of Homeland Security Chad Wolf .
“ And you people are handling it very nicely.
” To Trump , “ handling it very nicely ” includes not only fracturing skulls , but kidnapping protesters in unmarked cars .
On July 15 , Mark Pettibone and his friend Conner O ’ Shea had been at a Black Lives Matter protest , like millions of people around the country .
As they walked home , an unmarked minivan pulled up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” O ’ Shea said .
“ Four or five of them pop out , open the door and it was just like , ‘ Oh shit .
I don ’ t know who you are or what you want with us.
’ ” They had been warned just a few minutes earlier about the minivan — they weren ’ t the only ones kidnapped that night .
In fact , there are multiple videos showing officers driving up to people , forcing them into the van and driving off .
Mark and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a huge influence in Portland — after all , they usually wear military outfits and harass protesters .
“ I was terrified.
” Pettibone told the Washington Post “ It was like being preyed upon.
” But this wasn ’ t the work of the Proud Boys .
It was Trump ’ s federal agents , “ protecting federal property.
” But Pettibone and O ’ Shea weren ’ t on federal property , much less defacing it .
They were just walking home .
“ I am basically tossed into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn ’ t see and they held my hands over my head.
” Federal officials have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far .
It ’ s not clear how many others have been arrested and released , like Pettibone .
Pettibone and O ’ Shea were taken to a building — which they later discovered was a federal courthouse — and searched , then put into a holding cell .
Finally , they were read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waive those rights in order to be questioned .
They refused .
And then , they were let go .
There was no paperwork .
No explanation .
No citation .
There was no record at all of the arrest .
In fact , the U.S .
Marshals deny that this even happened : “ All United States Marshals Service arrestees have public records of arrest documenting their charges .
Our agency did not arrest or detain Mark James Pettibone.
” “ You have laws regarding probable cause that can lead to arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director at the Oregon Justice Resource Center .
“ It sounds more like an abduction .
It sounds like they ’ re kidnapping people off the streets.
” These acts are particularly egregious as these federal agents are the direct arm of the Trump administration , acting to intimidate and repress the movement for Black Lives .
They are the embodiment of the hate speech spewed by Trump over the past weeks against protesters and Black people and their goal is to scare people into going home .
Local officials have asked Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ; however , these local officials have also allowed police to brutally repress protesters by running them over with cars , using tear gas , and maiming and killing people .
In Portland , it got so bad that a temporary restraining order against police use of tear gas was taken out .
The racist character of the state is exceedingly obvious as this repression has never been unleashed on the alt-right in Portland — known as the “ epicenter of far right violence.
” They don ’ t get kidnapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unmarked cars .
Rather , the police , federal agents , Democrats , and Republicans are united in their repression of the Black Lives Matter protests .
We must be united in our fight against police and federal repression : To abolish the police and all instruments of state repression .
To free all political prisoners that the state wants to make an example of .
And we must fight against this racist capitalist system built on violence against the working class , oppressed and everyone who stands up to say that Black @ @ @

On July 11, Donavan LaBella, 26, was shot in the head with an impact munition as he stood at a protest holding a speaker over his head. “It caused a pretty deep laceration, but he was bleeding from his nose, his mouth, his ears — it was pretty bad,” Jessica Shifflett, a woman who helped LaBella after he was shot. Videos show protesters rushing to his side, while federal officers stood by.
LaBella’s skull was fractured and he has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures over the past days. The hospital had to put a tube in his skull to drain the blood, and bones in his face were shattered. Donavan LaBella’s mother said in the post, “He still has some impulse control and confusion, but is slowly getting better. It is still unknown if there will be any lasting neurological damage, only time will tell. Thank you everyone for all the support and well wishes.”
This could have been the work of local police, but it wasn’t — It’s the work of federal agents. U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Customs and Border Protection’s BORTAC (Border Patrol Tactical Unit) were deployed to Portland by President Trump to stop protests and “protect federal property.”
However, it’s hard to argue that LaBella was threatening property by holding speakers over his head.
This comes as the Black Lives Matter movement approaches the two month mark of street mobilizations. The New York Times claims that this may be the biggest movement in all of U.S. history. But, as the protests begin to wind down and get less coverage in the media, there are still people fighting. And those people are being criminalized and brutalized — and in the case of Portland, federal agents are being sent in to scare people into staying home.
“We are aware of the incident that happened on July 12 near the Hatfield U.S. Courthouse where an individual was injured while U.S. Marshals were securing the perimeter of the federal courthouse,” U.S. Marshals spokesperson Nikki Credic-Barrett said. “The U.S. Marshals Service takes all injuries potentially arising from use-of-force very seriously. The incident is currently being investigated, and more information will be released as soon as possible.”
Portland police have recently been barred from using tear gas against protesters. But federal officials are not constrained by this order and used a great deal of tear gas against the protesters that same night. Federal officers are able to use more instruments of repression against protesters. This includes tear gas and impact munition.
Donald Trump spoke about this early in the week. “It was out of control. The locals couldn’t handle it,” Trump said, speaking to the acting head of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. “And you people are handling it very nicely.”
To Trump, “handling it very nicely” includes not only fracturing skulls, but kidnapping protesters in unmarked cars.
On July 15, Mark Pettibone and his friend Conner O’Shea had been at a Black Lives Matter protest, like millions of people around the country. As they walked home, an unmarked minivan pulled up “I see guys in camo,” O’Shea said. “Four or five of them pop out, open the door and it was just like, ‘Oh shit. I don’t know who you are or what you want with us.’” They had been warned just a few minutes earlier about the minivan — they weren’t the only ones kidnapped that night.
In fact, there are multiple videos showing officers driving up to people, forcing them into the van and driving off.
Mark and Connor thought these were the neo-fascists who have a huge influence in Portland — after all, they usually wear military outfits and harass protesters. “I was terrified.” Pettibone told the Washington Post “It was like being preyed upon.”
But this wasn’t the work of the Proud Boys. It was Trump’s federal agents, “protecting federal property.” But Pettibone and O’Shea weren’t on federal property, much less defacing it. They were just walking home.
“I am basically tossed into the van,” Pettibone said. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see and they held my hands over my head.”
Federal officials have charged at least 13 people with crimes related to the protests so far. It’s not clear how many others have been arrested and released, like Pettibone.
Pettibone and O’Shea were taken to a building — which they later discovered was a federal courthouse — and searched, then put into a holding cell. Finally, they were read their Miranda rights and were asked to waive those rights in order to be questioned. They refused.
And then, they were let go. There was no paperwork. No explanation. No citation. There was no record at all of the arrest.
In fact, the U.S. Marshals deny that this even happened: “All United States Marshals Service arrestees have public records of arrest documenting their charges. Our agency did not arrest or detain Mark James Pettibone.”
“You have laws regarding probable cause that can lead to arrests,” said Juan Chavez, a director at the Oregon Justice Resource Center. “It sounds more like an abduction. It sounds like they’re kidnapping people off the streets.”
These acts are particularly egregious as these federal agents are the direct arm of the Trump administration, acting to intimidate and repress the movement for Black Lives. They are the embodiment of the hate speech spewed by Trump over the past weeks against protesters and Black people and their goal is to scare people into going home. Local officials have asked Trump to pull the federal officers out of the city; however, these local officials have also allowed police to brutally repress protesters by running them over with cars, using tear gas, and maiming and killing people. In Portland, it got so bad that a temporary restraining order against police use of tear gas was taken out.
The racist character of the state is exceedingly obvious as this repression has never been unleashed on the alt-right in Portland — known as the “epicenter of far right violence.” They don’t get kidnapped off the streets and driven around in unmarked cars. Rather, the police, federal agents, Democrats, and Republicans are united in their repression of the Black Lives Matter protests.
We must be united in our fight against police and federal repression: To abolish the police and all instruments of state repression. To free all political prisoners that the state wants to make an example of. And we must fight against this racist capitalist system built on violence against the working class, oppressed and everyone who stands up to say that Black lives matter.
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.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-07-18--Trump Blocks CDC Experts From Testifying to Education Panel on School Reopenings

The Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee revealed Friday that the Trump administration is blocking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials — including agency director Dr. Robert Redfield — from testifying at a congressional hearing next week on school reopenings as the White House continues its efforts to force the resumption of in-person classes in the fall .
“ It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students , parents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D-Va. ) said in a statement .
“ This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall.
” “ The administration ’ s strategy of prioritizing politics over science has had a devastating impact on our country throughout this pandemic , ” Scott added .
“ It should not make that same mistake when it comes to reopening schools.
” The White House confirmed its decision to block the testimony of Redfield and other CDC officials , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill at least four times over the last three months.
” Educators and public health experts have denounced as reckless the Trump administration ’ s push to reopen schools as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across the United States .
The White House , say teachers and parents , has failed to present a sensible plan to resume in-person classes without threatening the health of students and faculty .
“ Without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing racial inequity , we could be putting students , their families , and educators in danger , ” six groups representing millions of U.S. teachers and parents said in a joint statement on July 7 .
Instead of working with teachers and experts to decide the best way forward , President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have publicly threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that refuse to reopen in the fall .
Earlier this month , Trump complained on Twitter that the CDC ’ s school reopening guidelines — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in classrooms — are too “ tough ” and “ expensive.
” “ It ’ s imperative that we listen to the experts , ” tweeted Rep. Joe Morelle ( D-N.Y. ) , a member of the House Education and Labor Committee .
“ It ’ s alarming , but sadly not surprising , that the president is barring them from the room .
”

The Democratic chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee revealed Friday that the Trump administration is blocking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials — including agency director Dr. Robert Redfield — from testifying at a congressional hearing next week on school reopenings as the White House continues its efforts to force the resumption of in-person classes in the fall.
“It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators,” Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said in a statement. “This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall.”
“The administration’s strategy of prioritizing politics over science has had a devastating impact on our country throughout this pandemic,” Scott added. “It should not make that same mistake when it comes to reopening schools.”
The White House confirmed its decision to block the testimony of Redfield and other CDC officials, saying the director “has testified on the Hill at least four times over the last three months.”
Educators and public health experts have denounced as reckless the Trump administration’s push to reopen schools as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across the United States. The White House, say teachers and parents, has failed to present a sensible plan to resume in-person classes without threatening the health of students and faculty.
“Without a comprehensive plan that includes federal resources to provide for the safety of our students and educators with funding for personal protective equipment, socially distanced instruction, and addressing racial inequity, we could be putting students, their families, and educators in danger,” six groups representing millions of U.S. teachers and parents said in a joint statement on July 7.
Instead of working with teachers and experts to decide the best way forward, President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have publicly threatened to withhold federal funding from schools that refuse to reopen in the fall. Earlier this month, Trump complained on Twitter that the CDC’s school reopening guidelines — which encourage face coverings and social distancing in classrooms — are too “tough” and “expensive.”
“It’s imperative that we listen to the experts,” tweeted Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), a member of the House Education and Labor Committee. “It’s alarming, but sadly not surprising, that the president is barring them from the room.”
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.
This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.


truthout--2020-07-18--Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Wants to Give Black Residents Health Coverage

Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear is working to make good on his promise to expand health coverage to all Black residents amid the coronavirus pandemic , but the emergency measure comes with an expiration date .
Black Americans have been disproportionately impacted by the health crisis .
In Kentucky , where Black people make up just over 8 % of the population , they represent more than 16 % of the state ’ s coronavirus deaths .
Beshear , a first-term Democrat who won a narrow election in deep-red state , sought to address that disparity in June .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cover 100 percent of our individuals in our Black and African-American communities , ” the governor said last month .
“ We ’ re going to be putting dollars behind it.
” Six weeks later , Beshear told Salon that the effort is underway .
“ My commitment when I ran for office is to ensure that every Kentuckian had some form of health care coverage and what COVID-19 has laid bare is a systematic racism in our health care system that has led to African Americans of Kentucky dying at twice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population , ” Beshear said in an interview .
“ And so that , along with these calls for justice and equity around the country , really brought into focus the fact that what ’ s what ’ s being asked for is finally some priority in our African American communities .
So while our goal is to sign everyone up for some form of health care coverage , we are starting with our Black communities.
” Beshear told Salon that the state has identified about 20,000 Black residents who lack health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least initially , provide that coverage … is through the pandemic Medicaid program , ” he said .
“ That right now in COVID-19 is a one-page form , and that ’ s the way to get people into the system.
” The pandemic Medicaid program is a temporary measure intended to provide free health care to eligible applicants .
The state plans to reach out to churches and community leaders to help with the sign-ups and has approved a budget for a direct marketing campaign to reach residents who lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s Hispanic residents , who have also been disproportionately affected .
But after the emergency program expires , residents may once again be left without coverage .
Beshear said the state aims to “ transition ” residents into “ whatever people qualify for , whether it ’ s the [ Obamacare ] exchange where they can get private insurance , ” “ expanded Medicaid , ” or “ through some other means or manner.
” “ I believe that there is a health care product , whether it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for , ” he said .
The expanded Medicaid and private exchange options are already available , however .
While Kentucky ’ s Medicaid expansion has greatly helped to reduce the number of uninsured people , many who do not qualify also lack the resources to purchase a private plan .
Pressed on potential coverage gaps when the temporary pandemic program expires , Beshear argued that the state ’ s Medicaid expansion and health exchange subsidies would provide affordable options for all Black residents .
“ We believe that right now in Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that there will be a product out there for everyone that is affordable , ” he said .
“ And if we find various gaps , we want to address them first for our African American population .
But second for everyone.
” It ’ s unclear how those gaps would be addressed .
Kentucky ’ s policy could “ draw legal challenges that allege discrimination against other populations that also lack health insurance , ” Politico noted .
It ’ s also unclear how Beshear would be able to get funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Republican-dominated state legislature .
“ At the moment , we are able to use COVID funding , CARES Act funding , ” he said .
Many in Kentucky say they want Beshear to go further .
The disparity facing Black residents is “ clearly immoral ” but expanding coverage to uninsured Black residents is only “ the beginning ” because the number of all uninsured residents in the state has swelled , said Kay Tillow , a longtime nursing union organizer who chairs the group Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Medicare for All system .
In an interview , Tillow described Medicaid as offering a “ lower tier ” of care than private plans , and said many Medicaid recipients , particularly in rural areas , have trouble finding hospitals and specialists .
That leaves many with only private insurance options amid an economic crisis .
“ We don ’ t think that the structure of our current health care system is going to make it possible for him to do this , when you have to buy the insurance , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have 931,000 people laid off in just the past few months , I mean , there ’ s no way… .
We don ’ t have a structure that is going to make it possible to do this .
So we ’ re challenging the governor to say , ‘ OK , let ’ s follow through.
’ Help us to get a national health care plan that really makes it possible to make this a human right and to cover every single person.
” Rep. Attica Scott , the only Black woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beshear ’ s plan was just a “ short-term Band-aid.
” “ I don ’ t see it as an actual longterm solution , ” Scott said in an interview .
“ To me , this felt like a quick rush to say , ‘ I ’ m doing something for Black people.
’ … But it is definitely not a longterm systemic solution to this crisis that Black people are facing because the crisis is attacking us at every single level.
” Scott argued that Beshear should have sought the advice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan .
“ I ’ m not sure what members of our Kentucky Legislative Black Caucus he spoke to before deciding that this was what was best for Black people , ” she said .
“ Had he spoken to some of us , I know that I would have said we also need to look at , for example , the implicit bias in health care , because Black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women , ” she said .
Scott introduced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most recent legislative session , she said .
“ And neither he nor his lieutenant governor , who just had a baby this year , ever mentioned that bill , [ they ] didn ’ t support it.
” Implicit bias in health care “ not only impacts maternal health , but all of our health as Black people , ” she said .
“ Many Black folks across the Commonwealth need the governor to have a more expansive understanding of what impacts our health and that it ’ s not only health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care , ” she said .
“ It is dismantling a system that is steeped in racism [ and ] historical trauma .
Implicit bias means that as soon as we walk through the door , we ’ re judged based on our educational level , our socioeconomic status and our zip code.
” Black people have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus , Scott said , because of the “ economic and social factors that we find ourselves living under , and the inequities that we experience every day .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and our economic security as Black folks , then he ’ s got to make sure that he is pushing the legislature to address issues like education and access to higher education and making higher education affordable , ” she said .
“ Making sure that we have jobs that are located in our neighborhoods , making sure that we ’ re paying people living wages , all of those issues have to be addressed .
It ’ s not just one thing .
It ’ s not only access to health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have .
It ’ s also looking at how institutional systemic racism impacts even the health care field , that makes us not even want to go get health care when we ’ re ill or when we think something ’ s wrong.
” Beshear said the health care plan was one part of his ongoing focus on addressing racial disparities .
“ One of my first acts was restoring voting rights to over 170,000 Kentuckians that are disproportionately African American that had lost those voting rights , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have disproportionately affected our African American communities .
We have taken increasing steps in being intentional about diversity within our own cabinet .
Our top two appointed officials in Kentucky for the first time ever are both African-American individuals.
” When the pandemic hit , “ it laid bare what inequality in health care does , ” he said .
The subsequent protests over the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and broader issues systemic racism “ greatly ” affected the administration ’ s priority on addressing inequality , Beshear said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is create more urgency and , frankly , we should have had more urgency before .
It shouldn ’ t have taken COVID-19 , it shouldn ’ t have taken the protests and demonstrations , ” he said .
“ But what you hear is people being tired of either no change or change that doesn ’ t occur fast enough .
And when you see what ’ s happened with COVID , you understand that change has to happen faster .
It has to happen now .
Martin Luther King Jr. had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the worst inequalities .
We should have done a heck of a lot more since then.
” Scott said there were many other problems facing Black residents , such as environmental concerns related to chemical companies based in black neighborhoods like the West End of Louisville , along with widespread economic inequities .
“ Where I live , people can ’ t get to the doctor because of lack of public transportation .
We can have all the health care in the world , but I can ’ t get to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a primary care physician .
I can ’ t get to a gynecologist , ” she said .
“ We ’ ve got to address access to employment opportunities because , of course , when people struggle to make ends meet , whether it ’ s paycheck to paycheck or no check to no check , that ’ s going to impact both their physical and mental health .
So those are all issues that the governor and his administration has to work with our Legislative Black Caucus to address , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deeply rooted in community .
We live these issues every single day.
” Another pressing matter facing Kentucky ’ s Black residents is the looming eviction cliff , when thousands will face potential homelessness after state and federal eviction moratoriums expire .
“ Admittedly we have a challenge , ” Beshear said .
“ We need people to have a home to be able to stay in , to be healthy and to defeat COVID-19 .
And the cost of someone being evicted can be great .
It can be the difference of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the eviction policy will have to be reviewed because some people are taking advantage of the moratorium .
“ We do have some instances where people who can and should be paying their rent are not paying their rent because of orders we ’ ve put out , ” he said .
“ So our goal moving forward is to find a way to make sure that those that need extra time because of COVID have it [ and ] are not evicted , but also making sure that there aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
It ’ s not easy to find that perfect solution , but that ’ s what we ’ re looking for.
” Scott questioned the governor ’ s focus on those “ gaming the system , ” arguing , “ If folks say they need help having secure housing , we need to help people.
” “ I ’ m a renter so that ’ s a tough statement for me to hear , ” she added , “ because who makes the determination about someone ’ s situation and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay ?
That ’ s such a judgment call at a time when people are living in crisis… .
People are back home or at home more than ever , so they ’ re using up more utilities , eating more food.… So that expense has increased .
So who ’ s making this judgment call ?
I think that ’ s a real tough sell for me .
I believe we just need to take care of people.
” Kentucky is facing a $ 1.1 billion budget shortfall , like many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up amid statewide stay-at-home orders , which will greatly affect its future ability to address these crises .
“ We desperately need … another round of CARES Act [ funding ] to specifically help with our state budget , ” Beshear said .
The current shortfall “ would result in the largest budget cuts in modern history ” and cuts to “ all of these programs that are so critical.
” Sen. Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , the Senate majority leader , has pushed back against calls to provide aid to state and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blue state bailouts ” even as his own state faces a dire budget crisis .
Beshear said he “ pushed hard ” for state aid in recent conversations with McConnell .
“ Obviously he ’ s not made any commitments .
My hope is that he understands that this is a must , not a maybe , ” he said .
“ So while I am optimistic.… I ’ m worried , because what happens when you ’ ve got to cut a billion dollars from a budget ?
Those that need us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our budgets are education and health care.
” Scott argued that McConnell ’ s comments about the state aid show that he “ could care less about those of us in Kentucky who are struggling to make it every day.
” “ People like Sen. McConnell and many of the folks who are making those kinds of misguided decisions live quite well , quite comfortably , ” she said , “ while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet .
So , quite frankly , I ’ m not interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means to try to survive every single day , let alone thrive .
If the senator cared at all about the people in Kentucky , then he would do everything in his power to make sure that housing and utilities and food and medicine and medical care are highly accessible to every single person living in the Commonwealth of Kentucky .
“ I have been concerned about what that ’ s going to mean for people like my daughter , who is a pharmacy tech , because those are often seen as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the event of budget cuts , Scott said .
“ We already disgracefully underfund public education as it is .
So I ’ m not sure what more you can take away from us with public education .
But I see frontline workers … being laid off first .
That , to me , is something that the federal government , led by Sen. McConnell , needs to look at and say , ‘ How do we make sure that we prevent this from happening ?
’ I ’ m not convinced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing everything in their power to protect the people in the United States .
”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is working to make good on his promise to expand health coverage to all Black residents amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the emergency measure comes with an expiration date.
Black Americans have been disproportionately impacted by the health crisis. In Kentucky, where Black people make up just over 8% of the population, they represent more than 16% of the state’s coronavirus deaths.
Beshear, a first-term Democrat who won a narrow election in deep-red state, sought to address that disparity in June.
“We are going to begin an effort to cover 100 percent of our individuals in our Black and African-American communities,” the governor said last month. “We’re going to be putting dollars behind it.”
Six weeks later, Beshear told Salon that the effort is underway.
“My commitment when I ran for office is to ensure that every Kentuckian had some form of health care coverage and what COVID-19 has laid bare is a systematic racism in our health care system that has led to African Americans of Kentucky dying at twice the rate they make up of the population,” Beshear said in an interview.
“And so that, along with these calls for justice and equity around the country, really brought into focus the fact that what’s what’s being asked for is finally some priority in our African American communities. So while our goal is to sign everyone up for some form of health care coverage, we are starting with our Black communities.”
Beshear told Salon that the state has identified about 20,000 Black residents who lack health care coverage.
“The easiest means to, at least initially, provide that coverage … is through the pandemic Medicaid program,” he said. “That right now in COVID-19 is a one-page form, and that’s the way to get people into the system.”
The pandemic Medicaid program is a temporary measure intended to provide free health care to eligible applicants. The state plans to reach out to churches and community leaders to help with the sign-ups and has approved a budget for a direct marketing campaign to reach residents who lack coverage. The marketing will also target the state’s Hispanic residents, who have also been disproportionately affected.
But after the emergency program expires, residents may once again be left without coverage.
Beshear said the state aims to “transition” residents into “whatever people qualify for, whether it’s the [Obamacare] exchange where they can get private insurance,” “expanded Medicaid,” or “through some other means or manner.”
“I believe that there is a health care product, whether it’s public or private, that everyone qualifies for,” he said.
The expanded Medicaid and private exchange options are already available, however. While Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion has greatly helped to reduce the number of uninsured people, many who do not qualify also lack the resources to purchase a private plan.
Pressed on potential coverage gaps when the temporary pandemic program expires, Beshear argued that the state’s Medicaid expansion and health exchange subsidies would provide affordable options for all Black residents.
“We believe that right now in Kentucky, because of how we expanded Medicaid, that there will be a product out there for everyone that is affordable,” he said. “And if we find various gaps, we want to address them first for our African American population. But second for everyone.”
It’s unclear how those gaps would be addressed. Kentucky’s policy could “draw legal challenges that allege discrimination against other populations that also lack health insurance,” Politico noted.
It’s also unclear how Beshear would be able to get funding for any sort of health care expansion from the Republican-dominated state legislature.
“At the moment, we are able to use COVID funding, CARES Act funding,” he said.
Many in Kentucky say they want Beshear to go further.
The disparity facing Black residents is “clearly immoral” but expanding coverage to uninsured Black residents is only “the beginning” because the number of all uninsured residents in the state has swelled, said Kay Tillow, a longtime nursing union organizer who chairs the group Kentuckians for Single Payer Health Care, which called on Beshear to endorse a Medicare for All system.
In an interview, Tillow described Medicaid as offering a “lower tier” of care than private plans, and said many Medicaid recipients, particularly in rural areas, have trouble finding hospitals and specialists. That leaves many with only private insurance options amid an economic crisis.
“We don’t think that the structure of our current health care system is going to make it possible for him to do this, when you have to buy the insurance,” she said. “And when we have 931,000 people laid off in just the past few months, I mean, there’s no way…. We don’t have a structure that is going to make it possible to do this. So we’re challenging the governor to say, ‘OK, let’s follow through.’ Help us to get a national health care plan that really makes it possible to make this a human right and to cover every single person.”
Rep. Attica Scott, the only Black woman in the Kentucky state legislature, said Beshear’s plan was just a “short-term Band-aid.”
“I don’t see it as an actual longterm solution,” Scott said in an interview. “To me, this felt like a quick rush to say, ‘I’m doing something for Black people.’ … But it is definitely not a longterm systemic solution to this crisis that Black people are facing because the crisis is attacking us at every single level.”
Scott argued that Beshear should have sought the advice of more Black lawmakers before rolling out the plan.
“I’m not sure what members of our Kentucky Legislative Black Caucus he spoke to before deciding that this was what was best for Black people,” she said. “Had he spoken to some of us, I know that I would have said we also need to look at, for example, the implicit bias in health care, because Black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women,” she said. Scott introduced a bill to address that disparity in the most recent legislative session, she said. “And neither he nor his lieutenant governor, who just had a baby this year, ever mentioned that bill, [they] didn’t support it.”
Implicit bias in health care “not only impacts maternal health, but all of our health as Black people,” she said.
“Many Black folks across the Commonwealth need the governor to have a more expansive understanding of what impacts our health and that it’s not only health insurance, it is access to health care,” she said. “It is dismantling a system that is steeped in racism [and] historical trauma. Implicit bias means that as soon as we walk through the door, we’re judged based on our educational level, our socioeconomic status and our zip code.”
Black people have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, Scott said, because of the “economic and social factors that we find ourselves living under, and the inequities that we experience every day.
“If the governor really wants to address our health and our economic security as Black folks, then he’s got to make sure that he is pushing the legislature to address issues like education and access to higher education and making higher education affordable,” she said. “Making sure that we have jobs that are located in our neighborhoods, making sure that we’re paying people living wages, all of those issues have to be addressed. It’s not just one thing. It’s not only access to health insurance, which many of us actually have. It’s also looking at how institutional systemic racism impacts even the health care field, that makes us not even want to go get health care when we’re ill or when we think something’s wrong.”
Beshear said the health care plan was one part of his ongoing focus on addressing racial disparities.
“One of my first acts was restoring voting rights to over 170,000 Kentuckians that are disproportionately African American that had lost those voting rights,” he said. “We rescinded a Medicaid waiver that would have disproportionately affected our African American communities. We have taken increasing steps in being intentional about diversity within our own cabinet. Our top two appointed officials in Kentucky for the first time ever are both African-American individuals.”
When the pandemic hit, “it laid bare what inequality in health care does,” he said. The subsequent protests over the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and broader issues systemic racism “greatly” affected the administration’s priority on addressing inequality, Beshear said.
“I think what it has done is create more urgency and, frankly, we should have had more urgency before. It shouldn’t have taken COVID-19, it shouldn’t have taken the protests and demonstrations,” he said. “But what you hear is people being tired of either no change or change that doesn’t occur fast enough. And when you see what’s happened with COVID, you understand that change has to happen faster. It has to happen now. Martin Luther King Jr. had a quote about health care being one of the worst inequalities. We should have done a heck of a lot more since then.”
Scott said there were many other problems facing Black residents, such as environmental concerns related to chemical companies based in black neighborhoods like the West End of Louisville, along with widespread economic inequities.
“Where I live, people can’t get to the doctor because of lack of public transportation. We can have all the health care in the world, but I can’t get to a dentist. I can’t get to a primary care physician. I can’t get to a gynecologist,” she said. “We’ve got to address access to employment opportunities because, of course, when people struggle to make ends meet, whether it’s paycheck to paycheck or no check to no check, that’s going to impact both their physical and mental health. So those are all issues that the governor and his administration has to work with our Legislative Black Caucus to address, because we’re the people who are deeply rooted in community. We live these issues every single day.”
Another pressing matter facing Kentucky’s Black residents is the looming eviction cliff, when thousands will face potential homelessness after state and federal eviction moratoriums expire.
“Admittedly we have a challenge,” Beshear said. “We need people to have a home to be able to stay in, to be healthy and to defeat COVID-19. And the cost of someone being evicted can be great. It can be the difference of life and death.”
But Beshear argued that the eviction policy will have to be reviewed because some people are taking advantage of the moratorium.
“We do have some instances where people who can and should be paying their rent are not paying their rent because of orders we’ve put out,” he said. “So our goal moving forward is to find a way to make sure that those that need extra time because of COVID have it [and] are not evicted, but also making sure that there aren’t some out there just gaming the system. It’s not easy to find that perfect solution, but that’s what we’re looking for.”
Scott questioned the governor’s focus on those “gaming the system,” arguing, “If folks say they need help having secure housing, we need to help people.”
“I’m a renter so that’s a tough statement for me to hear,” she added, “because who makes the determination about someone’s situation and what they can and cannot afford to pay? That’s such a judgment call at a time when people are living in crisis…. People are back home or at home more than ever, so they’re using up more utilities, eating more food.… So that expense has increased. So who’s making this judgment call? I think that’s a real tough sell for me. I believe we just need to take care of people.”
Kentucky is facing a $1.1 billion budget shortfall, like many other cash-strapped states that saw tax revenue dry up amid statewide stay-at-home orders, which will greatly affect its future ability to address these crises.
“We desperately need … another round of CARES Act [funding] to specifically help with our state budget,” Beshear said. The current shortfall “would result in the largest budget cuts in modern history” and cuts to “all of these programs that are so critical.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate majority leader, has pushed back against calls to provide aid to state and local governments, which he termed “blue state bailouts” even as his own state faces a dire budget crisis.
Beshear said he “pushed hard” for state aid in recent conversations with McConnell.
“Obviously he’s not made any commitments. My hope is that he understands that this is a must, not a maybe,” he said. “So while I am optimistic.… I’m worried, because what happens when you’ve got to cut a billion dollars from a budget? Those that need us most suffer. And our biggest part of our budgets are education and health care.”
Scott argued that McConnell’s comments about the state aid show that he “could care less about those of us in Kentucky who are struggling to make it every day.”
“People like Sen. McConnell and many of the folks who are making those kinds of misguided decisions live quite well, quite comfortably,” she said, “while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet. So, quite frankly, I’m not interested in their misguided opinions on what it means to try to survive every single day, let alone thrive. If the senator cared at all about the people in Kentucky, then he would do everything in his power to make sure that housing and utilities and food and medicine and medical care are highly accessible to every single person living in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
“I have been concerned about what that’s going to mean for people like my daughter, who is a pharmacy tech, because those are often seen as the frontline workers who can go first” in the event of budget cuts, Scott said. “We already disgracefully underfund public education as it is. So I’m not sure what more you can take away from us with public education. But I see frontline workers … being laid off first. That, to me, is something that the federal government, led by Sen. McConnell, needs to look at and say, ‘How do we make sure that we prevent this from happening?’ I’m not convinced that Sen. McConnell or his colleagues are doing everything in their power to protect the people in the United States.”
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.
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truthout--2020-07-19--Environmental Watchdogs Failed Neighborhoods of Color During Pandemic

A nationwide study from the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health links a higher rate of death from COVID-19 for people living in areas with high levels of air pollution .
Contamination from refineries and trucking in Los Angeles County and Long Beach , California , are exposing communities to an alarmingly high risk of respiratory infection , and laying bare the disproportionate effects of air pollution and environmental racism in the region .
The East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice in Commerce , California , is raising awareness of the detrimental effects of heavy industry , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in neighboring ports .
Laura Cortez and Cindy Donis of the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice discuss how they are fighting back .
Laura Flanders : Cindy , tell us who you are .
What do you do ?
Cindy Donis : The work that we do is across different parts of Los Angeles .
That includes Boyle Heights , East L.A. , Southeast L.A. and Long Beach .
And we ’ re working around environmental justice issues .
These communities are overburdened with industrial contamination and the impacts of that exposure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer , cardiovascular [ and ] other respiratory illnesses .
And so we ’ re helping folks understand and create the link between those health impacts that they ’ re dealing with and the things that surround our communities and are embedded with our communities .
And we ’ re giving them the tools to be able to advocate , to create a better world and a better community that they ’ re residing in .
Laura , let me bring you in .
How has COVID-19 affected your community ?
Laura Cortez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing has changed for our communities .
We still have a bunch of truck traffic coming through our neighborhoods .
That has not stopped .
The ports have not stopped .
The refineries don ’ t stop .
There are continued operations because these businesses are labeled as “ essential.
” Even though they ’ re continuing to pollute , which leaves our lives as not essential as we ’ re sheltering in place at home .
We continue to have to breathe these toxins in , whether it ’ s air pollution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being removed or reduced , but these companies continue to operate full force and are actually getting a lot of passes from the government , whether that ’ s regional , whether that ’ s state , whether that ’ s federal .
We ’ re fighting the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) , we ’ re fighting South Coast Air Quality Management District , because these agencies that are supposed to protect us are actually doing rollbacks to not protect us — to do quite the opposite and allow these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re doing this without any public processes .
So COVID-19 is definitely a double-edged sword … we are more likely , racially , [ to contract COVID-19 ] because we ’ re communities of color .
And reports state — there ’ s a study called Race Counts , which is really important .
And it directly correlates our race to the fact that we ’ re more likely to have COVID and we ’ re more likely to die from COVID .
Although the curve is flattening , [ it ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the L.A. area — that does not apply to us .
And what ’ s happening with the racial trajectories is increased by the fact that these industrial polluters continue to get these passes .
Many people in the mainstream media — and frankly , some of our mainstream environmental organizations — have been saying that environmental improvement and reduction in emissions is the great silver lining of this pandemic .
That ’ s not what I ’ m hearing from you .
Cindy ?
Donis : Yeah .
Thank you for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nature coming back to its original places , but here in L.A. , for low-income communities of color , because we ’ re surrounded by industry , that ’ s just not the case .
And so there have been preliminary studies that have been conducted that correlate air pollution and contamination and then the impacts of COVID .
And this data that ’ s coming out is revealing that for people who were exposed to higher levels of contamination — in particular , there ’ s one study that connects particulate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what diesel is — that there ’ s a higher chance of you to get COVID and for COVID to have a deadly impact .
If you are already exposed to PM2.5 , which is all the communities that we listed earlier , thinking from the ports and all the neighborhoods that are along the 710 freeway are already at a higher exposure prior to COVID coming .
And now even during COVID being here , it ’ s a big reality .
And it ’ s a big fear that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ s another layer of it , because of the air pollution that they ’ re exposed to .
What companies are there in East L.A. , if you were to name names ?
Cortez : Well for Long Beach , the big one is the Marathon refineries , and then there ’ s also Tesoro , there ’ s also Phillips 66 .
And so it ’ s a conglomerate of different refineries that are there .
And from there , we have the ports , which a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run on diesel .
There are a few that are zero emissions , but not enough .
And for the 710 freeway , it ’ s between 40,000 to 60,000 truck trips that happen every single day .
And that 710 freeway parallels Long Beach , it parallels with Lynwood , with Compton , with Bell Gardens , with Bell , with Maywood , Cudahy , Commerce .
And in Commerce , that ’ s where we have a lot of warehousing and a lot of food distribution centers as well .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to food , where right here we have community members who don ’ t have access to food or are having to barter between paying for rent or paying for food .
We have all these warehouses here so that this food is coming through our communities , but our community members here lack the access to it .
What sort of change are you working for ?
And can you work for that in these times ?
Cortez : Yeah .
I think we talk about this a lot at East Yard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One , is we ’ re trying to address the needs of our members now because there are so many needs .
The needs that already existed around housing , around food , around justice , around our criminal justice system .
All of these needs already existed .
But they are so much more augmented and magnified through COVID-19 .
And so when we ’ re trying to meet those needs and also our vision for the future , which is not what we had , we do not want to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way it should go .
It was never okay for us , what was normal for other people .
This capitalist system does not work .
It is not functional .
We need a different system , one that takes into account race equity , one that takes into account gender equity and all these other different forms .
Migration as a form that is natural and fluid , that should not be criminalized .
So all these different issues .
But in the immediate , we ’ re also just trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ re also just trying to make sure that community members have mental health and well-being .
And so we ’ re trying to make sure that we have social cohesion within our group .
The effect of these rollbacks is not well understood .
Can you elaborate at all on any of the changes that have gone into place and what effect they ’ re having now or you fear they will have ?
Donis : Yeah .
I can speak to the federal stuff , and then Laura can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things .
We are , as East Yard , part of a national coalition called the Moving Forward Network ( MFN ) , and they ’ re keeping us in tune and informed around the EPA rollbacks .
We do have a sign-on letter that folks can sign onto to push the EPA to stop the rollbacks .
And so at a federal level , that is what EPA has done .
They ’ ve rolled back on enforcement for some crucial federal and environmental regulations .
So it ’ s allowing agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own regulators .
And that just means that there ’ s going to be poor regulation at hand happening .
And so with MFN , the Moving Forward Network , that ’ s what we ’ re currently pushing — that the EPA essentially just do their job… To not let COVID be the reason to rollback , to not use it as an excuse .
Cortez : Yeah .
So regionally we have our South Coast Air Quality Management District that ’ s supposed to regulate our air quality , but instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expediting the permitting process for these polluting facilities .
Meanwhile , they announced that they are delaying or postponing quite a few , I believe it was 10 policies , that would be regulating these polluters .
So they have more than enough time to be able to expedite the process that polluters go through .
But they do not have enough time , they do not prioritize these policies that are supposed to protect our air quality and ensure our well-being in a time where we ’ re already disproportionately at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does impact the immune system and respiratory system , we are already immunocompromised .
We already have respiratory deficiencies .
And so what the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the feds are doing is completely contrary to what we need in our communities right now .
How can people help ?
Laura ?
Cortez : There ’ s so many levels of help .
I think folks who have financial needs or financial abilities need to support financially .
Whether it ’ s to East Yard , to an immigrant coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you need to support our folks .
This is not charity .
This is social solidarity that has been needed for generations and that our communities have been in a deserving mode for generations .
In terms of policy , we need these policy makers to get it together and prioritize us .
Just because we ’ re not in that council meeting with them or that agency meeting to hold them accountable , doesn ’ t mean we ’ re not watching .
It doesn ’ t mean we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t mean we ’ re not going to hold them accountable .
And so we need them to get it together before we end up in an even harder disarray and dissonance .
For us , for Mother Earth , this is not sustainable .
Thank you .
Is there anything you would add to that , Cindy ?
Donis : There ’ s an array of petitions going around also .
We have two in particular .
One is around our Southeast L.A. communities having access to homes .
So making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now so that they don ’ t have to pay and also don ’ t have to worry about having somewhere stable .
Because financially , our committee members are struggling .
In addition to that , the petition is also asking our city council members to stand up against Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) because earlier on , in particular with the stay-at-home ordinances , we did see ICE come through our neighborhoods , particularly in Bell Gardens , and kidnap some of our community members , just straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so our demand is also to have city council members from the various small Southeast L.A. cities to make a statement .
And additionally , to improve access to food in our communities and access to health and wellness , particularly COVID testing places .
Which we ’ ve seen improvements on , but it could also still be better in our neighborhoods .
We ’ re all connected .
Thank you so much , both of you .
I appreciate so much you taking the time .
This interview has been lightly @ @ @ @

Part of the Series Despair and Disparity: The Uneven Burdens of COVID-19
A nationwide study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health links a higher rate of death from COVID-19 for people living in areas with high levels of air pollution. Contamination from refineries and trucking in Los Angeles County and Long Beach, California, are exposing communities to an alarmingly high risk of respiratory infection, and laying bare the disproportionate effects of air pollution and environmental racism in the region.
The East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice in Commerce, California, is raising awareness of the detrimental effects of heavy industry, where 40 percent of all U.S. goods arrive in neighboring ports. Laura Cortez and Cindy Donis of the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice discuss how they are fighting back.
Laura Flanders: Cindy, tell us who you are. What do you do?
Cindy Donis: The work that we do is across different parts of Los Angeles. That includes Boyle Heights, East L.A., Southeast L.A. and Long Beach. And we’re working around environmental justice issues. These communities are overburdened with industrial contamination and the impacts of that exposure. The health impacts include asthma, cancer, cardiovascular [and] other respiratory illnesses. And so we’re helping folks understand and create the link between those health impacts that they’re dealing with and the things that surround our communities and are embedded with our communities. And we’re giving them the tools to be able to advocate, to create a better world and a better community that they’re residing in.
Laura, let me bring you in. How has COVID-19 affected your community?
Laura Cortez: Everything has changed. And yet nothing has changed for our communities. We still have a bunch of truck traffic coming through our neighborhoods. That has not stopped. The ports have not stopped. The refineries don’t stop. There are continued operations because these businesses are labeled as “essential.” Even though they’re continuing to pollute, which leaves our lives as not essential as we’re sheltering in place at home. We continue to have to breathe these toxins in, whether it’s air pollution, soil pollution. And our activities are being removed or reduced, but these companies continue to operate full force and are actually getting a lot of passes from the government, whether that’s regional, whether that’s state, whether that’s federal.
We’re fighting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we’re fighting South Coast Air Quality Management District, because these agencies that are supposed to protect us are actually doing rollbacks to not protect us — to do quite the opposite and allow these industries to continue functioning. And they’re doing this without any public processes. So COVID-19 is definitely a double-edged sword … we are more likely, racially, [to contract COVID-19] because we’re communities of color. And reports state — there’s a study called Race Counts, which is really important. And it directly correlates our race to the fact that we’re more likely to have COVID and we’re more likely to die from COVID. Although the curve is flattening, [it] is flattening for the white affluent communities in the L.A. area — that does not apply to us. And what’s happening with the racial trajectories is increased by the fact that these industrial polluters continue to get these passes.
Many people in the mainstream media — and frankly, some of our mainstream environmental organizations — have been saying that environmental improvement and reduction in emissions is the great silver lining of this pandemic. That’s not what I’m hearing from you. Cindy?
Donis: Yeah. Thank you for this question. We also see images of nature coming back to its original places, but here in L.A., for low-income communities of color, because we’re surrounded by industry, that’s just not the case. And so there have been preliminary studies that have been conducted that correlate air pollution and contamination and then the impacts of COVID. And this data that’s coming out is revealing that for people who were exposed to higher levels of contamination — in particular, there’s one study that connects particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which is what diesel is — that there’s a higher chance of you to get COVID and for COVID to have a deadly impact.
If you are already exposed to PM2.5, which is all the communities that we listed earlier, thinking from the ports and all the neighborhoods that are along the 710 freeway are already at a higher exposure prior to COVID coming. And now even during COVID being here, it’s a big reality. And it’s a big fear that our community members have around COVID in general, but it’s another layer of it, because of the air pollution that they’re exposed to.
What companies are there in East L.A., if you were to name names?
Cortez: Well for Long Beach, the big one is the Marathon refineries, and then there’s also Tesoro, there’s also Phillips 66. And so it’s a conglomerate of different refineries that are there. And from there, we have the ports, which a lot of the machinery in the ports also run on diesel. There are a few that are zero emissions, but not enough. And for the 710 freeway, it’s between 40,000 to 60,000 truck trips that happen every single day. And that 710 freeway parallels Long Beach, it parallels with Lynwood, with Compton, with Bell Gardens, with Bell, with Maywood, Cudahy, Commerce.
And in Commerce, that’s where we have a lot of warehousing and a lot of food distribution centers as well. And so thinking about people’s access to food, where right here we have community members who don’t have access to food or are having to barter between paying for rent or paying for food. We have all these warehouses here so that this food is coming through our communities, but our community members here lack the access to it.
What sort of change are you working for? And can you work for that in these times?
Cortez: Yeah. I think we talk about this a lot at East Yard and it’s really twofold. One, is we’re trying to address the needs of our members now because there are so many needs. The needs that already existed around housing, around food, around justice, around our criminal justice system. All of these needs already existed. But they are so much more augmented and magnified through COVID-19. And so when we’re trying to meet those needs and also our vision for the future, which is not what we had, we do not want to go back to normal. That is not the way it should go. It was never okay for us, what was normal for other people.
This capitalist system does not work. It is not functional. We need a different system, one that takes into account race equity, one that takes into account gender equity and all these other different forms. Migration as a form that is natural and fluid, that should not be criminalized. So all these different issues. But in the immediate, we’re also just trying to make sure community members have food. We’re also just trying to make sure that community members have mental health and well-being. And so we’re trying to make sure that we have social cohesion within our group.
The effect of these rollbacks is not well understood. Can you elaborate at all on any of the changes that have gone into place and what effect they’re having now or you fear they will have?
Donis: Yeah. I can speak to the federal stuff, and then Laura can speak to some of the more local things. We are, as East Yard, part of a national coalition called the Moving Forward Network (MFN), and they’re keeping us in tune and informed around the EPA rollbacks. We do have a sign-on letter that folks can sign onto to push the EPA to stop the rollbacks. And so at a federal level, that is what EPA has done. They’ve rolled back on enforcement for some crucial federal and environmental regulations. So it’s allowing agencies themselves or corporations themselves to be their own regulators. And that just means that there’s going to be poor regulation at hand happening. And so with MFN, the Moving Forward Network, that’s what we’re currently pushing — that the EPA essentially just do their job… To not let COVID be the reason to rollback, to not use it as an excuse.
Laura, and the local picture?
Cortez: Yeah. So regionally we have our South Coast Air Quality Management District that’s supposed to regulate our air quality, but instead what this agency is doing is prioritizing and expediting the permitting process for these polluting facilities. Meanwhile, they announced that they are delaying or postponing quite a few, I believe it was 10 policies, that would be regulating these polluters. So they have more than enough time to be able to expedite the process that polluters go through.
But they do not have enough time, they do not prioritize these policies that are supposed to protect our air quality and ensure our well-being in a time where we’re already disproportionately at risk of contracting COVID. Because it does impact the immune system and respiratory system, we are already immunocompromised. We already have respiratory deficiencies. And so what the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the feds are doing is completely contrary to what we need in our communities right now.
How can people help? Laura?
Cortez: There’s so many levels of help. I think folks who have financial needs or financial abilities need to support financially. Whether it’s to East Yard, to an immigrant coalition, to whatever that group looks like, you need to support our folks. This is not charity. This is social solidarity that has been needed for generations and that our communities have been in a deserving mode for generations.
In terms of policy, we need these policy makers to get it together and prioritize us. Just because we’re not in that council meeting with them or that agency meeting to hold them accountable, doesn’t mean we’re not watching. It doesn’t mean we’re not lifting our voice, and doesn’t mean we’re not going to hold them accountable. And so we need them to get it together before we end up in an even harder disarray and dissonance. For us, for Mother Earth, this is not sustainable.
Thank you. Is there anything you would add to that, Cindy?
Donis: There’s an array of petitions going around also. We have two in particular. One is around our Southeast L.A. communities having access to homes. So making sure that rent and mortgages are forgiven right now so that they don’t have to pay and also don’t have to worry about having somewhere stable. Because financially, our committee members are struggling. In addition to that, the petition is also asking our city council members to stand up against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because earlier on, in particular with the stay-at-home ordinances, we did see ICE come through our neighborhoods, particularly in Bell Gardens, and kidnap some of our community members, just straight up here in our neighborhoods. And so our demand is also to have city council members from the various small Southeast L.A. cities to make a statement. And additionally, to improve access to food in our communities and access to health and wellness, particularly COVID testing places. Which we’ve seen improvements on, but it could also still be better in our neighborhoods.
We’re all connected. Thank you so much, both of you. I appreciate so much you taking the time.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
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.
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