Workers taking on corporations. The Other America.

international | worker & community struggles and protests | news report

Wednesday December 15, 2004 17:20

by john throne - labors militant voice.

loughfinn at aol dot com

The Other America. BP, US Steel and other corporations bribed the politicians of Indiana to reassess their tax base and reduce their tax liability. The reduction of taxes that followed was then passed onto the taxes on the homes of working class people. 200,000 families are now estimated to be in danger of losing their homes. But a fight back is under way. Cant't Pay Won't Pay with the the bottom line being that nobody will loose their home. These are the main ideas of the campaign. The tactics are mass fight to win action exposing the politicians and the corporations and their corrupt rotten system.

Over 130 people met to launch this campaign in Hammond Indiana on monday night. The success of last night's meeting far surpassed anything could have been hoped for. Over 130 residents came out to the meeting in bitter cold temperatures of 20 below. The campaign is under way. John Throne.

'Can’t pay, won’t pay’ tax protesters slogan
Dec. 14, 2004

By Michelle L. Quinn / Post-Tribune correspondent

HAMMOND — A special present awaits local politicians who had anything to
do with the legislation surrounding Northwest Indiana’s tax woes: A front yard full of pickets.
A group of more than 100 angry residents convened at the Hammond Public
Library’s main branch Monday night to discuss options in fighting the
property tax increases. But instead of focusing on the usual channels of
writing politicians, the organizers, under the slogan “Can’t Pay, Won’t
Pay,” discussed taking public action, including picketing politicians and
the corporations they feel are responsible for their woes.

“We need to find where (the politicians) live; why should they live in peace when their actions have caused such dire consequences?” said Dado Rothenberg, one of the group’s organizers. Rothenberg, with her husband, Andy, started their campaign during the summer, when they saw the property tax on their Whiting home jump from
less than $1,000 to $2,000.“I don’t use this term lightly, but this is corporate terrorism,” Dado Rothenberg said. “When people are going to food pantries because they have
to pay their taxes, that’s a form of corporate terrorism. And the politicians can’t be relied upon to reverse the depression and fear.
“No one knows how to fix it, because no one wants to fix it.”The group, comprised of the Rothenbergs and three activists from Illinois,

take the group’s slogan from a British campaign from the ’80s, according to group member Sean O’Torian of Chicago.
“Under (former Prime Minister Margaret) Thatcher, there was what was known as the poll tax, which basically taxed everything,” O’Torian said. “A tiny movement in Scotland started, where they wouldn’t pay the tax.”
People would then go to the homes of others who were facing foreclosure to keep bank representatives at bay.“The cops will come out, but they told them to go away,” O’Torian said. “Pretty soon, 18 million people weren’t going to pay that tax.”But the group was also quick to point out that they aren’t expecting

anyone to be a martyr for the cause by losing their home, said Allyson Kennis of Chicago.
Many people vented their anger and frustration, but then the group set out
to establish an action plan, which includes leafleting politicians’ neighborhoods and pickets at BP Amoco and the steel mills. Members also vowed not to let the issue drop.
“This should be a subject that should be talked about everywhere,” said a member of the audience. “If the mayor’s with the boy scouts, someone should be there talking taxes.” But one woman, Maureen Carroll, of Cedar Lake, wondered if anything would
help at this point. “I’m part of the Miller Citizens Corp., and we’ve been getting the door
shut in our face,” she said. “Maybe we need hundreds of people to protest
at meetings, because nothing we’ve done so far has helped.”

End of article.

Article from the Hammond Times.

HAMMOND -- Disgruntled property tax protesters agreed Monday to picket a local politician's home on Dec. 23. The politician, who has not been selected, will be one
the group Can't Pay! Won't Pay! believes responsible for property tax increases threatening large numbers of northern Lake County homeowners.

No one in the Northwest Indiana political delegation should feel they'll be neglected, a group of about 100 residents attending a public forum on the issue agreed. They'll get their turn, the protesters promised.
Founded by Whiting residents Andrew and Dado Rothenberg, Can't Pay! Won't Pay! advocates the nonpayment of property tax increases to get the attention of the politicians and the corporations they hold responsible for the tax crisis. The group is being aided by community organizers from Chicago and
California who've worked on similar projects.
Northwest Indiana lawmakers weren't alone on the receiving end of some scathing indictments and protest actions during the meeting at the city's main public library.
So were Lake County corporate giants BP, U.S. Steel and Ispat Inland.
BP, however, stood out. "The steel companies were in trouble," Whiting resident Pati Manich said. "BP Amoco was not. They just had good lawyers." Dado Rothenberg said the group originally formed last summer but decided to delay action until after the November election.
Now the election's over, she said, and a blanket of apathy has settled. "We have a real issue here," she told the audience, some of whom didn't need to be persuaded. Dado Rothenberg said people were on the brink of
losing their homes and resorting to food pantries, giving up their health care, selling their cars and figuring out what to do next.
"We must focus on what we can do to save our homes," she said. Ronald Blevins, of Hammond, called for a boycott of BP. "We need to pick their pockets," he said. Hammond resident George Williams excused the businesses -- sort of -- but advocated making life unbearable for the politicians.
Williams said his property taxes increased by $1,000 and he may have to sell his home. He questioned what such upheavals for thousands of homeowners would do to any of the hard-hit communities. Jeremy Prickett, an organizer for the Campaign for Renters Rights in California, said the response Monday
indicated there was great potential for a grassroots movement to upset the balance of power. A similar protest against evicting low-income renters in California began with fewer than 100 people, he said.

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taking on the corporations in the USA.

by richard mellor - labors militant voice

Fri Dec 17, 2004 17:24

aactivist at igc dot org

Fighting to Win In America's Industrial Heartland

Can't Pay Won't Pay Campaign takes Off

"They represent illegal taxation, taxation without representation and
what this country was founded on"

So said the rank and file Union man who attended the first public
meeting of the Can't Pay Won't Pay Campaign when asked about the tea
bags hanging on his jacket. He was one of 140 predominantly working
class folks who came to the meeting in Hammond Indiana on December
13th to do something about the massive increases in property taxes
introduced by the Indiana State legislature.

Four big corporations, BP Amoco, US Steel, Inland and Ispat, went to
the Indiana state legislature and had their politicians change the
property tax reassessment law. The politicians naturally complied
and members of both parties unanimously voted to carry out the
corporations wishes. This created a massive tax shift from the
corporations to the residents of Lake County. AREN'T THERE OTHER
COUNTIES?) Property tax increases of 1000% are not uncommon and
there is a real possibility that thousands of residents will lose
their homes. Some residents who cannot afford the hikes have already
sold their property and others have gone without health insurance to
comply.

There have been some large public meetings and vocal protests in the
area but nothing has been done as appealing to the very politicians
who voted the tax hike in has obviously proved pointless. The only
other current effort to change the situation is through the courts.
There is an attempt by one group to have the tax assessment process
declared unconstitutional and while the Can't Pay Won't Pay Campaign
supports working with any group that opposes this corporate theft,
they recognize that the courts generally favor those with money. The
goal of the campaign is to build mass opposition to this tax and to
oppose paying it through mass direct action.

Up until this past week, the entire campaign has mainly consisted of
three organizers from Chicago and three residents of Lake County.
The first attempt at a meeting turned out 10 people. The folks in
Indiana felt this was largely due to the November elections. So they
met, and discussed, but did not try to organize again until this past
week.

For the December 13th meeting, the organizers planned on meeting an
hour ahead of the scheduled start time of 6.30 to go over any last
minute questions, discuss the chairing and the introduction. People
had been leafleting stores and malls in the Hammond, Whiting and Gary
Indiana area and figured that if they got five or ten people it would
be a success, something to build on. But they got there to find
people already waiting for the meeting. This was due to an article
appearing the Hammond Times announcing the meeting. One woman said
she had been there since 4:30 because she did not know what time it
started and wanted to make sure not to miss anything. By the end of
the meeting she told organizers how glad she was that she had
waited. "I wanted to hear what you had to say and I liked every
word", she said.

The theme of the meeting was, Can't Pay Won't Pay and was introduced
by one of the founders of the campaign, Dado Rothenburg who is also a
Lake County resident with a huge new tax bill. Sister Rothenburg made
it clear that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss what action
people can take on their own behalf. "The politicians", she said.
"are not going to fix it. We the people are going to fix it. We have
to make one voice and fix it". She said that the meeting was to
discuss what action we as a people can take. She told the audience
that if they were there to point fingers or complain about lack of
response from the politicians then they were at the wrong meeting.
There was a resounding applause and support for this approach.

After the introduction the floor was opened for discussion, questions
and ideas. One of the first people to speak said we could do three
things, boycott BP/Amoco, go to the city council meeting to protest,
and resist this. He said, "I am not for violence", he paused, "but I
would die to keep from losing my home! We must resist. As
individuals, we can't do it, but together, as a group we're strong,
just like a mountain." When asked about the third option he said,
"The third one is the one you don't wanna take, that's war."

A rank and file carpenter attacked the president of the carpenter's
union, whose wife is a local politician and described how the
official had benefited from this. "It's unethical and a conflict of
interest", he said. He suggested throwing up a picket at her office.

Another man got up and said his home had already been foreclosed on.
"They do not care; they will take your home and then your family.
I'm willing to do my fair share. I am reporting for duty " he said
as he saluted.

Another suggestion was thrown out to tie up phone lines. The man
wearing tea bags, a throw back to the Boston tea party, advocated a
picket at BP. Others wanted to go to a politician's home first.

Another woman, a Latina, said that there were many Latino people
affected by this but not enough at the meeting. She offered to "hit
the bars, the churches" She just wanted the fliers and could help
translate. Another guy offered to donate paper.

A business owner kept offering suggestions saying that he didn't
oppose the corporations making money and was not necessarily against
that being a business owner himself. He criticized the campaign for
not having a goal and a strategy despite these items being in
abundance. He said that all he had heard was emotion. "Yes, I am
emotional", said one resident, "it is my home I am going to lose.
How do you not become emotional about that? This is an issue people
feel strongly about and it is a difficult thing, the thought that you
may lose your house. How else should we feel but emotional.

As the meeting progressed various actions were discussed including
organizing a picket at BP offices in the U.S. and abroad. Eventually
it was decided to go Christmas caroling on December 23rd at the house
of one of the politicians who wrote the bill. When co-chair and
campaign organizer, Allyson Kennis asked the crowd if they wanted to
meet again she got an astounding "yes".

A reporter for one of the local papers wanted to know which
politician was going to be selected for a Christmas visit so that she
could include it in her article for the following days edition, folks
were having problems deciding whose house they should go to. The
reporter waited, hoping to add it to her story. "Tell the politicians
not to worry; we won't let any of them off the hook. They are all on
notice." said campaign organizer, Cliff Willmeng

As the meeting ended, people surrounded the speakers at the podium
They wanted to give their names again, even though they had already
signed a sign in sheet. One woman said that if the group was serious
about making their own Christmas Carols to bring to the politician's
home, her husband plays the accordion.

The meeting was covered extensively in the local press the following
day and Sister Rothenburg did an interview with NPR. One reporter
said she would let the campaign know who is getting assigned to the
story so that they could keep in contact with the paper. She said
that the paper is getting calls about how to get in touch with the,
Can't Pay, Won't Pay group.

The meeting was a great success and shows what the Union leaders
could do if they wanted to. Unfortunately, the USWA is supporting
the corporations, a natural outcome of the misguided view held by the
labor leadership that the employers and their workers have the same
interests. Of course, it's always the employers' interests that are
defended in the last analysis.

There is the potential now for a genuine mass resistance to this tax
hike. The mood at the meeting was combatitive and uplifting as the
creativity and pent up anger of working people found expression.
There will be another planning meeting of the campaign in the New
Year, after the December 23rd action.

--
Check out our website at: http://www.laborsmilitantvoice.com

"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean
politics won't take an interest in you." Pericles, 430 BC

Richard Mellor
Member, AFSCME Local 444
Oakland CA

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Workers taking on corporations. The Other America.

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