{news} Fw:AFSC-Htfd living wage law;Gaza;Iran;Htfd immigration law
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Thu Aug 21 00:32:02 EDT 2008
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----- Original Message -----
From: AFSC Connecticut
To: edubrule at sbcglobal.net
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 4:00 PM
Subject: Support Hartford Living Wage Ordinance
American Friends Service Committee Connecticut
In This Issue: August 19, 2008
. August 20. Support Hartford Living Wage Ordinance
. August 23: End the Siege of Gaza and No Attack on Iran March & Rally
. Hartford Immigration Ordinance Passes City Council and is signed into law by Mayor
August 20. Support Hartford Living Wage Ordinance
Please join a coalition of a number of Hartford community, labor, and faith based groups on Wednesday, August 20th at 5:00pm in the City Council Chambers at Hartford City Hall, 550 Main St on the 2nd floor.
"Bringing the Living Wage Ordinance into affect at our worksite has made a real difference in my life, and has enabled nearly two hundred working families right here in Hartford to earn a self-supporting income."
Stephanie Chisholm
School Bus Driver, Hartford Public Schools, First Student, Inc. President, Chapter I96, CSEA/SEIU Local 2001
The Mayor's Living Wage Task Force has started its work to strengthen Hartford's Living Wage Ordinance. On Wednesday,
August 20 at 5:00 PM, the task force will host a public hearing. Come out in numbers and speak in favor of this effort to increase livable wage paying jobs in the city of Hartford.
Call Connecticut Center for a New Economy Director Renae Reese at (860) 280-7320 or SEIU Organizer Rochelle Palache at (860) 251-6083 if you can attend, wish to speak, or need more information.
August 23: End the Siege of Gaza and No Attack on Iran March & Rally
End the Siege of Gaza
No Attack on Iran
Join our March and Public Meeting
The Palestinian Gaza Strip has been locked down by Israel for two years. Over 220 patients have died because Israel won't let them leave the Strip for better medical treatment. Trade is almost non-existent. Recently the UN said unemployment in the Strip is 45%, the highest in the world. Two boats, the "Free Gaza" and the "Liberty" are trying to go from Cyprus to Gaza to break the blockade. We say, "Let the Boats In!"
We also will protest threats to attack Iran. They are totally unjustified. Iran is no threat to this country. Last fall 16 US government agencies printed a report saying that Iran did not have a nuclear bomb making program and hasn't had one for 5 years . We won't be fooled by another "weapons of mass destruction" hoax. We don't need another war and we can't afford another war.
Meet: 1 p.m.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Gather in front of Federal Building, 450 Main St. Hartford, CT. Walk on sidewalks to Bushnell Park
Bring signs and banners
Sponsors: Middle East Crisis Committee, Palestine American Congress
For more information: mail at TheStruggle.org 203-934-2761 www.TheStruggle.org
www.thestruggle.org
Hartford Immigration Ordinance Passes City Council and is signed into law by Mayor
Friends,
On August 11 the Hartford City Council voted 8 to 0 to approve a local ordinance whereby Hartford police would nolonger inquire someone's immigration status, report it to the Federal Government and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency officials (ICE), or detain someone solely on the basis of their immigration status.
Yesterday, August 18th Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez signed the legislation into law. Hartford now becomes the second city in Connecticut to enact such legislation, as New Haven put similar policies into action by executive order of their mayor in Dec 2006.
Here is a write up of the language of the ordinance that was written by Peter Goselin of the National Lawyers Guild and posted on the Hartford Independent Media Center's blog Undercurrents.
Last night, August 11, the Hartford City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance effectively removing Connecticut's capitol city from the business of enforcing federal immigration laws. Though the ordinance must still be signed by Mayor Perez, the vote is an enormous
step forward for the immigrant rights movement here in Connecticut.
The ordinance has several parts. First, it affirms that all city
services are available to all city residents, regardless of immigration status. Second, it bars any city employees from inquiring about a person's immigration status and treats immigration status, like some other forms of personal information, as confidential information that
city employees are not permitted to disclose - including to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Third, it specifically bars Hartford police officers from asking witnesses or the victims of crimes about
their immigration status. Fourth, it affirms that the Hartford police will not detain a person based on either his or her immigration status or the existence of an ICE administrative warrant.
The ordinance was developed by the Hartford Immigrant Rights Coalition and introduced by Councilperson Luis Cotto, who was elected last November as a Working Families Party candidate. At a public hearing
three weeks ago, nearly one hundred and fifty people turned out to support the ordinance, with no less than forty-eight speakers making comments in support. Not a single person opposed the ordinance.
In the final minutes of discussion of the ordinance at the August 11 meeting, Councilperson Pedro Segarra commented on the earlier public hearing. Recognizing the diversity of the people who spoke out in favor
of making Hartford an immigrant-friendly city and, referring to the City of Hartford's official slogan, Segarra remarked that if all of the diverse communities of Hartford could come together around other issues the way that they did on the immigrant rights ordinance "Then we really
would be on the way to being the rising star of New England."
The council meeting itself was a lesson in just that kind of
solidarity. A majority of the people packed into the sweltering city council chambers were there to demand that steps be taken to re-open two branches of the Hartford Public Library that had recently been shut down
due to funding issues as well as to support the immigration ordinance. Residents and grassroots activists from both HIRC and the North Hartford Coalition applauded each others' speakers, and while the immigrant
rights ordinance was being discussed and debated, community activists worked with council members to hammer out a resolution that would
re-open the Blue Hills and Mark Twain library branches. Both victories came at the conclusion of a meeting that had lasted for more than four hours. Near the end of the meeting, Councilperson Cotto held up copies
of both the library resolution and the immigration ordinance, stating "It's important for people to understand that we got this" - holding up a copy of the library resolution - "in part because we took the time to
do this" - holding up the immigration ordinance.
Here is a link to the Undercurrents Blog posting:
http://hartfordimc.org/blog/2008/08/12/hartford-city-council-votes-unanimously-to-support-immigrant-rights/
American Friends Service Committee
Connecticut Area Office
56 Arbor Street, Suite 213
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860.523.1534
Fax: 860.523.1705
Email: connecticut at afsc.org Visit AFSC CT Online
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