Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

LOS ANGELES, August 30, 2009 - Rep. Diane Watson’s Town Hall meeting on Thursday night in South LA was extremely orderly and calm, completely different from the Adam Schiff Town Hall in Alhambra. Perhaps it was the venue that caused people to be sedate – Ward A.M.E. Church off of Hoover, one of LA’s oldest African American churches, and most of the 300 or so seats were filled. There were a range of opinions and questions, but the clapping seemed to be dominated by a large, diverse group of Single Payer advocates who appeared to have shown up with little coordination. Opponents or skeptics of reform were also present, but their views were largely only raised as questions. From the Newswire: Orderly Town Hall Meeting Explores Public Option by WG with Photos by Robert Stuart Lowden | | Report Back from Healthcare Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Diane Watson by Anna Kunkin

[Research and Analysis by Stephen Lendman] - In 1962, Michael Harrington's "The Other America" exposed the nation's dark underside enough for John Kennedy to ask his Council of Economic Advisor chairman, Walter Heller, to look into the problem and for Lyndon Johnson to say (on January 8, 1964) that his administration "today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America."

In fact, it was little more than a skirmish that fell way short of addressing the real problem in the world's richest nation. Today it's even greater and increasing exponentially under a president who, unlike Johnson, declared war on the poor and disadvantaged to favor privilege over growing needs and essential social change.

Full article: Growing Poverty and Despair in America by Stephen Lendman

LOS ANGELES - In the early morning hours on August 5th Arturo Velasquez' car was set on fire outside his home. Arturo is a leading member of the Campaign for Renters Rights. He has been organizing tenants in his building for two years. Arturo is popular with tenants for helping force the landlord, Alfredo Alverado, to make major repairs. Through his efforts Arturo has considerably improved the quality of the life for his family and all the tenants at his apartment building. The building is located in a low income neighborhood in East Hollywood, Los Angeles.

After Arturo helped lead the tenants campaign, the landlord took Arturo to court in an attempt to evict his family. The landlord lost this eviction attempt. But yet again, this year the landlord attempted to take Arturo's family to court on another charge. Once again, the courts sided with Arturo and his family. Last week the landlord turned down Arturo's attempts to get them to enter into mediation. Two days later his car was set on fire. Fellow activists and tenants are suspicious of the timing of the attack and are demanding a full investigation. From the Newswire: Arson Attack On Tenant Activist by DntMrn...Organize

Update: Tenants picket councilman’s office, demanding investigation: Small victory against arson attack by DntMrn

In a recent article Fight2win writes: Obama and the health insurance companies are pillow fighting. Ready to concede, the Democrats are already saying the ya-hoo attended town halls have stopped them from passing through legislation, what about the town halls against the war(s)? This fight is stopping because it never really was meant to win. Just another pillow fight with big business. The [corporate] media wants us to believe that there is some sort of mass movement out there that is opposed to any sort of health care that is not run by the private sector. Full article: Obama vs Insurance: Pillow fights by Fight2Win

Reports from recent town halls: Alhambra Health Care Town Hall | | Congressmember Davis Speaks at Orderly Town-Hall Meeting by Mark Gabrish Conlan

August 12, 2009: On the two-year anniversary of the kidnapping of Haitian human rights activist Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine--regarded by many as Haiti's next Aristide--vigils were held around the world: in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guyana, Haiti, and London. ". . . We're sure that the people in Haiti, the grassroots in Haiti, will be very encouraged that we were here," said Margaret Prescod, host of KPFK's Sojourner Truth.

Here in L.A., attention was also drawn to Honduras' ousted president Manuel Zelaya, whose forced removal was almost identical to that of Aristide in 2004.

Story and photos Haiti, Honduras -- Occupation is the Crime by Ross Plesset