Detroit participants in the March 4 demonstration and rally to defend public education. The demonstration called for the restoration of all funding cuts in public education and an end to privatization.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Students Rally Against Education Cuts Across the Country

By Sherrie Gulmahamad on March 5th, 2010

Students, professors and other concerned citizens took to the streets today across the country in protest of cuts to state education budgets as part of the March 4th National Day of Action for Public Education. Disappointment and rage erupted into violence in only two instances. Punches were thrown and gates were blocked at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and in California, where cuts are especially severe, a windshield was smashed at the entrance to UC Santa Cruz.

A few sobering facts:

California is one of 10 states that saw double-digit increases in average public university tuition between the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years, with more coming this year. Tuition at the University of Arizona could rise 31 percent, at Florida colleges by 15 percent and in Washington state by 14 percent.

While students decry rising tuition costs and teachers face an uncertain professional future, others bemoan what could await America on the national stage. John Aubrey Douglass, has written a research paper for Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education on this topic:

“One might postulate that the decisions made today and in reaction to the Great Recession … will likely accelerate global shifts in the race to develop human capital, with the U.S. losing ground.”

In other words, it will be harder to chant U! S! A! at the drop of a hat as other countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, France and Brazil outpace us in technological and economic development. These countries are currently spending more on education despite the economic downturn.

The March 4th organizers ask a plaintive question, “But if there’s money for wars, bank bailouts, and prisons, why is there no money for public education?

Twirlites, line up. Do you know anyone affected by these budget cuts? Did you participate in any of the March 4 rallies? Share your story with us.

Photo via Chronicle/Lea Suzuki

College students speak out against education cuts

Universities hear grumbling locally, in state, across country

The Monterey County Herald
Staff and wire reports
03/05/2010 08:53:09 AM PST

Students staged raucous rallies on college campuses in California and around the country Thursday in protests against deep education cuts.

Dozens of campuses were hit with marches, strikes, teach-ins and walkouts in what was billed as the March 4th National Day of Action for Public Education. Organizers said hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and parents were expected to participate in the demonstrations.

Related: Rallies draw big turnout in county | State shut out of feds’ stimulus for schools

The steep economic downturn has forced states to slash funding to K-12 schools, community colleges and universities to cope with plummeting tax revenue while implementing tuition increases. Schools and colleges could face more severe financial trouble over the next few years as they drain federal stimulus money that temporarily prevented widespread layoffs and classroom cuts.

At CSU-Monterey Bay, students gathered for the protest at noon in the university’s main quad.

With a band playing in front of the library, about 100 people, many carrying signs, marched in from the dorms. The rally grew to about 400 people as other students trickled in.

Some professors took students from their classrooms to the rally, where a lineup of students and faculty members spoke against the fee hikes and their possible impacts.

Jake White, 20, a sophomore, said he attended the rally in support of “all the kids that won’t be able to get into school next year.”

The CSU system is losing its purpose of providing a low-cost, higher education, he said.

“Any time there’s a raise in cost, it’ll be hard on you and your family,” White said. “I went to a CSU because of the (low) cost. Now it doesn’t make any sense.”

Students at University of California-Santa Cruz held a daylong strike, shutting off access to campus at multiple points and rallying at the foot of the hill.

Angry over fee increases totaling 41 percent in the past year and half, upset that popular programs, such as languages and community studies have reduced class offerings, and concerned over the rights of hourly workers who feed and clean up after them, they began blocking intersections at 5 a.m., refusing to let most cars pass.

At 6 p.m., there were still hundreds of protesters at the base of campus sitting in a circle at the main entrance. The phrases “Destroy the University” and “Destroy Capitalism” were spray painted on a nearby wall.

No arrests were made.

At the University of California-Berkeley, a small group of protesters formed a human chain blocking a main gate to the campus. Later in the day, hundreds gathered for a peaceful rally.

“We’re one of the largest economies in the world, and we can’t fund the basics,” said Mike Scullin, 29, a graduate student in education who plans to become a high school teacher. “We’re throwing away a generation of students by defunding education.”

Some university officials said they supported the protests as long as they remained peaceful.

“My heart and my support are with everybody and anybody who wants to stand up for public education,” University of California President Mark Yudof said in a statement. “Public education drives a society’s ability to progress and to prosper.”

More than 150 people who were blocking a major San Francisco Bay Area freeway during a protest were arrested, authorities said.

Oakland police and California Highway Patrol officers clambered up onto Interstate 880 to clear the demonstrators from an off-ramp, handcuffing them before putting them on buses to a nearby city jail, said Oakland police spokeswoman Holly Joshi.

The protesters, who had split off from a large rally in downtown Oakland, brought cars to a standstill on the busy freeway for about an hour during the evening commute, backing up traffic for miles.

Joshi said one man was seriously injured when he jumped from the elevated freeway as police moved in.

Herald Staff Writer Laith Agha contributed to this report. He can be reached at 646-4358 or lagha@montereyherald.com.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel and Associated Press also contributed to this report.

Local “Day of Action” Protests Rally Against Education Cuts

Published 5 Mar 2010, 11:09 am

Filed under Feature Stories
Education Rally

Students, teachers, parents, and faculty members took to the streets all across the state of California and the nation yesterday to protest cuts to K-12 schools, colleges and universities. More than 100 events took place in over 30 states in what organizers dubbed the “March 4th Day of Action to Defend Public Education.”

Massive state budget shortfalls and subsequent cuts to funding for schools have resulted in teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, fee increases and eliminated programs. The effects of such slashes have been particularly acute in California.

In response, demonstrators took to the streets for various actions up and down the state from San Diego to Berkeley. Massive arrests were made in Oakland after student demonstrators marched on Interstate 880 and shut it down during rush hour traffic.

Locally in Los Angeles, five hundred students and professors walked out of classes on the campus of UCLA for a midday gathering in Bruin plaza to denounce the reduction of funding for education.

Elsewhere in the city, an estimated 2,000 people, some bused in from neighboring communities, turned out to rally in downtown’s Pershing Square before marching on a nearby state office building.

Uprising correspondent Chris Bennett was at the rally yesterday and filed a report.

A search is underway for two peacekeepers missing after an ambush on a joint African Union-United Nations patrol in an area of Darfur that has been the scene of recent clashes.

Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, and Deirdre Griswold, editor of Workers World, during the "National Conference on Preparing for the Future" held in New York City on November 14-15, 2009. (Photo: G. Butterfield)
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Celebrate Working Women’s History Month with Workers World Party

Lessons of the past and struggle for the future

Featuring: Deirdre Griswold, editor of Workers World newspaper, founding member Workers World Party

Saturday, March 6
5 pm
5920 Second Ave, Detroit
(just north of Wayne State University)

Meet and exchange with women of all generations actively organizing to overcome today’s challenges of cutbacks, racism and war and the effects on our environment, communities, lives and futures.

FOOD—DISCUSSION—PHOTOS—VIDEOS
$5.00 donation/$1 unemployed, youth, fixed income
No one turned away for lack of funds

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday expressed the solidarity of the United Nations with the people of Chile as they seek to recover from last week's devastating earthquake, as he visited one of the areas hit hardest by the disaster.

Kosmos, a Texan oil company, conducts a successful drillstem test in the Jubilee field. An ongoing investigation risks complicating efforts by Kosmos to cash in its share of Ghana’s biggest field.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Two leading oil companies to invest in Ghana’s oil industry

March 05, 2010

Accra, March 5, GNA - Two leading Nigerian oil companies-Orwell International (Oil & Gas) Nigeria Limited and Africa Oilfields Service Limited (AOS), have expressed interest to invest in the fledging Ghanaian oil industry.

In order to establish their presence in Ghana, the two companies will participate in the 14th Offshore Oil and Gas West Africa Exhibition, scheduled for March 9 to March 11 in Accra.

Mr. Femi Omatayo, Managing Director of Orwell International said in Accra on Friday that the exhibition would provide a premier technical platform for the exhibitors to exchange ideas to facilitate their business development.

His AOS Counterpart, Mr. Andy Jones said the exhibition would host a conference to provide a unique networking opportunity for the exhibitors to gain understanding about the changes taking place around them.

The exhibition will also offer the oil companies, their partners and suppliers in the offshore industry an opportunity to showcase their products and services.

AOS provides multiple product lines to the industry such as well intervention fishing, drilling tools rental and directional drilling services.

It also undertakes electric wire line, pipe recovery, machine shop manufacturing and repairs, production logging, pressure control/testing, production enhancement solutions and specialised welding services.

AOS also operates a joint venture and partnership with international Blue-chip manufacturers of oilfield equipment thus extending its portfolio and scope.

Orwell International is a drilling tools and well services company with product lines spanning downhole tools rentals, assorted range of crossovers and handling equipment, fishing, milling and one-trip whipstock solutions, geological hydrosurvey, casing and tubular running, Non-destructive testing and tubular management, pigging and sales of cutting-edge new technology agency products.

The tools have been designed and field proven to deliver maximum performance.

Orwell was a member of the Orwell Group Aberdeen one of the largest independent equipment companies in Europe.

It is now a privately owned indigenous conglomerate serving the West Africa Oil and Gas market from the company’s operational base in Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

GNA

United Nations agencies and their partners today launched a polio immunization campaign targeting 85 million children under the age of five in 19 countries across West and Central Africa.

Members of the United Nations Security Council have called for restraint by all sides and an early return to the negotiating table, while voicing their concern at the current “tense” situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) said Sunday that lawmakers could advance energy and climate legislation by adopting a step-by-step approach that eschews sweeping measures.

Alexander’s comments appear to indicate that he’s keeping an open mind about the climate and energy plan that Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) are crafting.

Their plan is expected to differ substantially from the “economy-wide” cap and trade bill the House approved last year that Alexander opposes, although it is nonetheless expected to be broad in scope.

Alexander said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that “a lot more is going on than one would think” in the Senate, and noted the bipartisan climate effort and other bills.

“Senator Carper, a Democrat, and I introduced a clean air bill with 11 Democrats and Republicans. We hope we can pass it this year. Senator Webb, a Democrat, and I . . . have introduced a nuclear power bill. Senator Graham, Kerry, and Lieberman are working on a climate change bill,” Alexander said.

“So if you take specific steps toward goals, we’re more likely to succeed,” he added. Alexander’s remarks came in an interview that focused heavily on health care – he has called for a more piecemeal approach than the comprehensive Democratic plans.

Alexander and Delaware’s Tom Carper are pushing legislation that would require steep cuts in power plant emissions of mercury, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, but does not address greenhouse gases.

Alexander has also sponsored a measure with Virginia Democrat Jim Webb that would greatly expand federal loan support for building nuclear power plants.

Kerry recently said the climate and energy proposal he’s crafting with Graham and Lieberman will surface soon. The three are reviewing various options.

Graham and others have suggested that one possibility is limiting the cap and trade portion to power plants (although the lawmakers are increasingly loath to use the phrase “cap and trade”) while imposing other types of controls on other sectors.

The Washington Post reported in Saturday’s paper that the three are exploring a plan that would impose an emissions cap on power plants, carbon taxes on transportation fuels, and phase in limits on other industrial sectors over time.

A Kerry aide said Saturday that their plans remain fluid. “Our legislation will include national targets for reducing carbon and a mechanism for pricing carbon. A number of different ways to price carbon are on the table and we’re trying to find the one that works best,” said Whitney Smith, a spokeswoman for Kerry, in an email.

The question of how to address emissions from transportation fuels remains a big one.

The oil industry has strongly opposed the broad House cap and trade bill, which holds refiners responsible for obtaining emissions allowances to cover tailpipe emissions from the use of their products in transportation.

 As we noted here, some refiners have been pushing for a plan that essentially keeps their products outside a cap and trade program, and instead would address their emissions through a consumer fee on motor fuels.

In fact, refiners’ displeasure with their treatment under the big cap and trade proposals to date is a big reason why oil giants BP and ConocoPhillips announced in mid-February that they’re quitting the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP). The group is a coalition of some environmental groups, power companies, automakers and other corporations that support cap and trade.

Kerry, Graham and Lieberman are also expected to include several energy measures aimed at attracting centrist Democrats and Republicans, including expanded federal support for building nuclear plants, and wider offshore drilling.

Source:
The Hill, “Alexander hints at interest in climate“, accessed March 2, 2010

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