We’re watching and crying as everyday people in North Africa and the Middle East, people muchlike you and me, choose to fight, to die, if need be, for fundamental human rights--to have their voices heard and their votes counted. The obscene gluttony and greed of their rulers made usangry, or should have, and the pictures of the hungry men, women and children have made somestop and conclude, “This shouldn’t be happening in our world.” Somehow we want to see thesecrises and revolutions on the other side of the world as unconnected to our own fair and just de-mocracy. But aren’t we fighting the same fight right here in the USA?We watched American citizens rush to the Wisconsin capitol building in shock and outrage at thescandalous and deplorable acts of Wisconsin’s Reactionary Gov. Walker and the unprincipledimmoral Republican Senators and Representatives who followed his lead and ignored the funda-mental values of Democracy to impose a new despotism, usurping American’s hard won rights,to organize, to vote, to basic American

fairness.

Tax evading Multi-National Corporations, favor seeking special interests and well-placed lobbyists, all the paid servants of our moneyed elite,have corrupted the elected representatives from

both

parties at

all

levels of government, federal,state, county and city. Ours is becoming the best government you can buy. Ours is becoming agovernment of, by, and for sale to the highest bidders. They don’t even bother to hide it muchanymore. The worst part is that we know it. The baddest part is we do little about it.You’ve seen the news by now. You’ve heard the recorded telephone call to Gov. Walker from theBuffalo Beast pretending to be David Koch (one half of the brother act controlling the largest pri-vate corporation in our country). In a conversation, made all the more terrifying by Walker’s ur-gent obsequiousness, their plan of attack was made crystal clear…attack the rights of Americanswherever they live. Wisconsin is only the beginning. End workers rights anywhere and every-where. Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler would be proud.Now We Must Fight…Fight Those Who Would Remake Our Country For The Benefit Of Their Corporate Paymasters!Unless we want to be corporate fodder, to be used up and thrown away, it’s time to stand up,recall the bums, vote out the hypocrites, boycott the products of the corporations attempting totake over our democracy. Know the enemies of democracy and stop paying them to destroy our democratic state and despoil our land out of their unbridled greed and power lust.

It’s time for all GOOD PATRIOTS to TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK! Stand up and be counted. Fight Now!!!

! Stand and Fight as if your very life depends on it…

because it does

Stand before the people youfear and speak your mind-even if your voice shakes.Maggie Kuhn, Foun

der

IN MY OPINION

A TIME TO BE COUNTED

by Sharron Aisenman, Editor

EMERGENCY AUSTIN GRAY PANTHER BOARD ACTION,

March 2, 2011

Gray Panthers of Austin,

Convener: Gary Dugger 512-225-4789; Ofc: 512-458-3738 www.graypanthersaustin.org

3710 Cedar St, Box 15, Austin, TX 78705

National Gray Panthers

www.graypanthers.org

“

So the anti-Kockmovement hasbegun, and it’sgathering steam.Labor supportersmay not have themoney the Kochshave, but we havesomething better

a conscience

Combined withcreativity anddetermination,it could get ussomewhere.”

Lauren Kelley,associate editor,AlterNet and freelance writer.

Be It resolved that the Austin Gray Panthers support and urge a national boycott of Koch Industries products to begin immediately.

List of products on page four.List of products on page four.List of products on page four.List of products on page four.

Dream Rally held at Austin Capitol

Photo by David Thomas

Page 2

War On The PoorWar On The PoorWar On The PoorWar On The Poor by Clint Smith

National Gray Panthers Executive Board

It’s past time we recognize that the ongoing efforts to slash social spending in the name of budget deficit reduction are continuing, and will continue--not only by our Texas' Legislative proponents of 'smaller government,' but in other States, too. While working hardships, especially on the 'workingpoor', it may be that among the unintended consequences will be the development of Coalitions similar to those that were so effective in the past!-Examples of what appears to be a nationwide 'war on the poor' exist in various localities. In Pennsylvania more than 40,000 people have now beendropped from a state-subsidized insurance program for the working poor. Citing a $4 Billion budget deficit, Tom Corbett, the newly elected Republi-can governor, cut the Adult Basic program. The New York Times called it 'One of the largest disenrollments in recent memory'. Before it waschopped it had been unable to keep up with demand, leaving more than half-a-million citizens on the waiting list for the program Corbett can-celled. Similarly, Washington State Democrat, Governor Christine Gregoire dropped 17,500 adults from its state-funded program for the workingpoor. Arizona Governor, Republican Jan Brewer proposes eliminating Medicaid coverage all together for some quarter million recipients. It remainsto be seen how deep and wide this devastating trend will be allowed to cut in the months to come.In Washington D.C. the House GOP boasts that their spending bill funding the U.S .government for the balance of fiscal year 2011 makes the larg-est cuts to annual domestic spending in history. Why don’t they boast that their cuts will carve more than 8 million unemployed workers off job train-ing and employment services, force low-income veterans into homelessness, result in millions of college students losing some or all of their educa-tion aid, or cause tens of thousands of vulnerable seniors to lose access to home-delivered food baskets? They are strangely silent. That’s just partof the results of a reactionary program that rewards the wealthy with tax cuts while attacking the poor and the middleclass in the name of budgetdeficits. And at a time when 14 million Americans are out of work, they would eliminate proven, successful jobs programs like, the Green Jobs In-novation Fund, Youth Build and other national service programs.If anyone is really interested there is an easy way, a simpler way to reduce the deficit, raise taxes. Federal taxes are the lowest they have been in80 years. You heard right. The lowest in 80 years! Gee Whiz!! Do you think that could be at least one reason why our Federal deficit is the highestever? Ever in our history? Surprised? Why? The massive tax cuts pushed through by Reagan, Bush I and the Shrub (Bush II) were never paid for and the economic stimulus produced didn’t come close to making up for the loss in revenue. So…. here it comes. Colossal, immense, stupendousdeficit we can slice out of those who have the least while we give the wealthy more and more money they can spend off-shore on investments andfactories that employ few if any Americans. We actually pay them to continue to impoverish ourselves. Now that’s real horse trading!!! Cuttingspending to cover the deficit is not only impracticable, it is impossible. If we seriously tried we would drive the world economy, not just ourselves,into the most dire and unimaginable depression ever known.The only choice is to raise taxes. There, I’ve said it again. We must raise taxes on the rich. After all they are fat with the money we gave them andthey can afford it. Even some of the Super Rich have followed the lead of Warren Buffet and recognize this. Why wait? We can’t afford to waituntil it’s too late.Maybe we won’t. At last a favorable trend may be developing.Is this the darkness before the DAWN! The standup, stand-strong rebellion of Wis-consin public sector organized Labor have started to take back the initiative from the right-wing nut jobs now in control in too many state capi-tols. This could be a golden grass roots opportunity, based on our long-standing commitment to Economic and Social Justice, for Gray Panthers totake the lead, along with Progressive and Activist allies to move into a new Organizing and Mobilizing Era! It’s time to call upon the ghosts of theCivil Rights Struggle, the Unionization Battles, the Progressive Populists, all who truly made this nation the hope of the world, and let these icons of our fighting past lead us forward into the new century.

Gray Panthers are On The Prowl Again!

“

How You Can Boycott the Kochs”

by Lauren Kelley, AlterNet

Over the past few weeks, the billionaire Koch brothers and their front groups have steadily increased their involvement in Wisconsin Governor ScottWalker’s efforts to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights,“ according to Lauren Kelley, AlterNet. As earlier reported, “Walker is deepin the pocket of the Kochs, having received some $43,00 for Koch Industries while running for governor in 2010. Once Walker was elected, he madesure to take care of his friends/financiers, giving out massive tax breaks to Kock Industries, and more recently, launching the ongoing effort to quashWisconsin union workers’ rights.”“But why are the brothers Kock so interested in stifling labor rights in Wisconsin? For one thing, they have significant business interest in the region,with at least 17 facilities and offices in the state and some 4,000 miles of pipeline through Kock Pipeline Company, L.P. Also, the Kochs recognizethat the outcome of the battle in Wisconsin could have national implications: If Walker wins, workers elsewhere might be less inclined to put up afight. And that would be good for the Kochs’ bottom line,”

according to Adele Stans Washington bureau chief, AlterNet.

“The Koch-funded Astroturf group Americans for Prosperity has launched a pro-Walker campaign, comprised of a propaganda-filled Web site andpetition, at $342,000 worth of ad time on network and cable TV, and anti-union rallies at the Wisconsin state capitol building, for which AFP paid tobut in Tea Partiers.“Did the Kochs think no one would notice or care about the influence of AFP and Koch Industries in Wisconsin: If so, they were wrong.” On page four you’ll find a list of

consumer

prod

ucts

that you should put to memory to NEVER purchase again!

Page 3

By E-mail From Mayor Leffingwell to a City Commission Member: “I’m not copying all others on this because I think the e-mail, if there are re-sponses among Council Member(s) to a quorum of members, violates the Open Meetings Act.” Certainly knew by this time. It doesn’t take anattorney or Judge to figure out the meaning of this.So Leffingwell knew and we can reasonably suppose the Council knew. After all they were supposed to complete a course of instruction on the Actshortly after their elections. Were their intentions to circumvent the letter or the spirit of the Open Meetings Act? What is their problem with con-ducting city business in full view of their constituents? Oh my God, should they be expected to actually listen to the citizens before they make uptheir minds and vote? Oh my God, just think of the amount of Staff time that is tied up, how difficult it is to conduct city business under such oner-ous conditions! How can we do the People’s business if we can’t meet and talk quietly, in private? Stop acting like a bunch of kindergartners andat least pretend to listen to your real bosses, the citizens and voters of the City of Austin, Texas.

Open Meeting Act Violations by Austin City Council

On January 25, County Attorney David Escamilla received a complaint about violations of the Open Meetings Act by Austin City Council and Mayor and has launched an inquiry. On January 28, the City Council, in closed-door session approved $159,000 of tax payer dollars to pay three attor-neys to provide legal advise and counsel on the Texas Open Meeting Act issues resulting from the complaint.“The 2010 calendars of four council members published with the January 25 story provide evidence that the city has, in effect, maintained an

insti-tutionalized conspiracy

to conduct a daisy chain of meetings involving the mayor, every council member, and the city manager immediately preced-ing each council meeting for the purpose of circumventing the Texas Open Meetings Act,” according to

The Austin Bulldog

report.Reported by

The Austin Bulldog

, March 1, “In emails from

Glen Coleman, policy aide to Council Member Randi Shade, sent emails to all the other council members’ executive assistants detailing how to disable the chat system’s ability to track the history of communications and sidestep therequirements of the Texas Public Information Act.” “In the heat of a council meeting, you may wish to communicate sensitive information thatwould not be appropriate for all of us to read in the (

Austin American

Statesman

the next day,” Coleman stated in an e-mail at 9:22am July 8,2009, addressed to all council executive assistants. It would seem Mr. Coleman does not believe the public has a right to know.

To read the lawsuit and exhibits go to www.theaustinbulldog.org

Austin American Statesman

Finally Takes Notice! Austin NAACP Files Ethics Complaint Against Mayor & Mayor Pro Tem

The head of Austin's NAACP has filed a complaint against Austin’s mayor and mayor pro tem after controversial emails became public.

- The ethics complaint from Nelson Linder says Lee Leffingwell and Mike Martinez a acted unprofes-sionally.- Regarding Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, Leffingwell wrote Martinez, “Biggest snow job I’ve seen ina long time. Kerr is definitely a ‘company man’ and will not earn the respect of her firefighters, in my opin-ion.” Martinez responded, “It was the worst...nothing will change in that department with her in charge.They played this hard. McDonald put pressure on Bobby [Austin African American Firefighters Association president Bobby Johns] to write thatletter via the black community. Truly sad and Kerr’s lowest moment.”- Linder told KEYE TV Tuesday the city of Austin has pending lawsuits in regards to the Austin Fire Department and its policies and that Leffing-well and Martinez’s comments could undermine those pending cases. He also said making those types of comments against employees isagainst city charter.”

American Statesman, March 2, ‘11

Left: LeffingwellRight: Martinez

March 1, 2011,

The Austin Bulldog

filed a lawsuit in state district court to sue the mayor and each council member in their individual capacity,and the City of Austin, for failure to promptly and fully respond to

The Austin Bulldog’s

requests filed under the Texas Public Information Act(TPIA), Chapter 552 of the Government Code.—The city’s decision to withhold certain government records, including records involving public business that were created or received on themayor and council members’ cell phones or personal computers, lays bare a major problem preventing citizens from obtaining complete informa-tion about the affairs of government. To withhold records created or received on officeholders personal computers and cell phones is to effectivelygut the Texas Public Information Act. To allow this to stand would amount to an open invitation for city officials and employees to conduct businessin the shadows.

—

Withholding these public records from disclosure as requested by

The Austin Bulldog

on January 19, 2011, and January 27, 2011, and doingso without seeking an Attorney General’s opinion, only adds to the city’s previously reported problems in governmental transparency, evidencedby

The Austin Bulldog’s

story which exposed the ongoing violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Gray Panthers of Austin,

Convener: Gary Dugger 512-225-4789; Ofc: 512-458-3738 www.graypanthersaustin.org