Subscribe to Dollars & Sense magazine. Recent articles related to the financial crisis. Tell CVS To Unlock Their CondomsFrom Mazher Ali, who works with our next door neighbors United for a Fair Economy (UFE), reporting back from a protest at CVS.Groups including Jobs with Justice, Change to Win, and my own, United for a Fair Economy, gathered on CVS' doorstep in downtown Boston for an expression of outrage. With the help of a mass of supporters off the street, we delivered our collective demands for the pharmacy big dog to end its discriminatory practices in communities of color. CVS has already been charged with violation of customer privacy. Now, they're being faced with communities' demands to stop selling expired meds and other goods, stop over-charging customers, and to provide customers with equal access to products in all locations. With regard to the latter, CVS has historically put in place more stringent anti-theft measures in minority communities—the most recent battle is over locked-up condoms. Even CVS' less-than-perfect national competitors, Rite Aid and Walgreens, have agreed to do the right thing and unlock their condoms. So...what's the deal? CVS seems hell-bent on sending a message—one that says "We don't care if HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, or unintended pregnancy become an epidemic in communities of color, so long as our profit margin is secure." This is another sad instance of big corporations placing the value of capital over that of human life. Corporate delinquency won't end without your help. See curecvsnow.org to get involved. Mazher Ali United for a Fair Economy Labels: Change To Win, CVS, Jobs with Justice, United for a Fair Economy Please consider donating to Dollars & Sense and/or subscribing to the magazine (both print and e-subscriptions now available!). Boston-Area Protests against the BailoutJustice and peace organizations across the US are organizing a concerted public outcry against the Bush administration demand for a $700 billion blank check for Wall Street. As the administration did when pushing through the Patriot Act and launching the attack on Iraq, it is using scare tactics and threats to avoid public debate and Congressional oversight. But people around the country are pushing back. Today is major push - a national call-in and emergency action day to oppose the Bush bailout plan.EMERGENCY ACTIONS --PARK STREET STATION/BOSTON, today, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM: PROTEST THE TAX MONEY GIVEAWAY TO WALL STREET Stand with your neighbors and say NO Bush Bailout! No repeat of the Patriot's Act disaster! No welfare for the rich! No taxpayer bailout for Wall Street! No support for the Bush administration's "urgent" demand for a blank check, lack of accountability and fear mongering! BRING SIGNS! --METROWEST, at Shopper's World (in front of TGIF), Rte. 9, Framingham NO BUSH BAIL OUT rally, 5:00-7:30PM. --NEWTON CENTER, Corner of Center Street and Beacon Street PROTEST THE TERMS OF BAILOUT. 5:00 -6:30PM To find or post other actions: http://tinyurl.com/3sh2cb CALLS TO OUR REPRESENATIVES AND SENATORS: ACTION ALERT: NO BLANK CHECK FOR WAR! NO BLANK CHECK FOR WALL STREET! Doesn't it seem all too familiar? Last time, it was a terrorist attack that was used to push through the Patriot Act and to launch an illegal and immoral war that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. Now the Bush Administration announces that we are on the verge of a financial meltdown and the only solution is to fork over $700 billion-with no oversight, no accountability, no transparency, no nothing-to the very people and institutions who got us into this mess. And who is going to foot the bill for this experiment? The American taxpayer. We need accountability and transparency NOW. [Statements from participating organizations:] The future of our country-our environment, our health care, our education, our roads and bridges-depends on our action NOW. (Code Pink) Call Congress today (toll-free 800-830-5738 or 202-224-3121). Tell them 'No to billions for war and billions for Wall Street!': Urge them to oppose the Bush bailout. They need to Stand up for Main Street. And Bring the troops home! (UfPJ) Demand that any bailout plan include: Mortgage assistance for those most affected by the crisis, Controls on excessive CEO pay, and Protection for ordinary taxpayers from bearing the costs of the bailout, by returning a portion of any profits made by bailed-out banks to the American people, and increasing taxes on wealthy investors. (United for a Fair Economy) Labels: bailout, Code Pink, financial crisis, United for a Fair Economy, United for Justice and Peace Please consider donating to Dollars & Sense and/or subscribing to the magazine (both print and e-subscriptions now available!). |
