Brad asked that we highlight this story from today's Democracy Now! headlines.
Bolivian Protests Force Gov't To Cancel Water Contract
In Bolivia, massive protests in the city of El Alto has forced the government to announce it will cancel a contract with a French utility company that provides water to the city. The protesters accused the French company of charging excessive rates. The water protests comes almost exactly five years after similar protests began in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba. In that city, the popular revolt led to the ouster of Bechtel as the provider of the city's water utilities. As the water protests have been taking place in El Alto, hundreds of thousands of Bolivians elsewhere in the country have taken to the streets to protest a government plan to raise gasoline prices.
(http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/13/1455226)
I'm also going to highlight a message on the Democracy Now! web site. Not to guilt anyone. If you don't have the money, you don't have it. Maybe you'll have it later, maybe you'll never have it (we are in the Bully Boy economy). But if you do have anything to spare and you would like to donate:
The corporate media got it wrong on Iraq.
Support the show that got it right: Democracy Now!
Think about the stories you rarely see on the nightly news or in the major papers:
The human toll of the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The November election once again raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the democratic process in this country.
The US-backed coup in Haiti and its aftermath continuing to terrorize tens of thousands.
Hundreds still languishing without charge at Guantanamo Bay and in prisons in Iraq.
Civil liberties under attack from the USA PATRIOT Act and other “counter-terrorism” measures.
Ongoing illegal detentions in the US and the export of prisoners to countries that permit torture.
Racial and religious persecution on the rise.
Continuing environmental destruction by governments and corporations.
Democracy Now!, breaks the silence every day. But we cannot do it without your support.
Donate to Democracy Now!
Eight years ago, we began airing on Pacifica Radio. Since then, Democracy Now! has become the largest public media collaboration in the country broadcasting on more than 300 radio and TV stations — on Pacifica and NPR radio stations, public access TV and PBS stations, as well as both satellite TV networks, DishNetwork (Ch. 9415 Free Speech TV and Ch. 9410 Link TV) and Direct TV (Ch. 375 Link TV). Every week, two to three new stations pick us up. Our broadcasts are closed captioned, bringing independent news to millions of deaf and hearing-impaired viewers around the country.
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Donate to Democracy Now!
(http://www.democracynow.org/appeal.html)
If you're a big donor, there are gifts available, but it's not about gifts, is it? It's about donating if you can spare something. Even five dollars. If you can't, you can't. And I'm not trying to guilt trip anyone. But I know e-mails are always noting something they heard, saw or read on Democracy Now! so if you're able to, please do so. And if you aren't comfortable with donating online, an address is provided for mail in donations which I'll go ahead and copy & paste her but you can also find it on the web page (http://www.democracynow.org/appeal.html):
Democracy Now!
P.O. Box 693
New York, New York10013
I'm not trying to guilt you, Democracy Now! isn't trying to guilt you. This isn't one of NPR's dopey pledge chats where they say something idiotic like, "For $30 dollars you can get ___. And everyone has $30 dollars, just lift the cushions on your couch." I actually heard that on my NPR station. I also heard, "You spend more than that each month going to Starbucks."
No, NPR, everyone doesn't blow $30 bucks or more at Starbucks each month. No, NPR, everyone can't just life the sofa cushions and find $30 bucks.
I doubt anyone on Democracy Now! wants you living on bread & water for a month so that you can donate something. But if you are fortunate enough to have the money to donate, remember Democracy Now! brings you stories you don't see elsewhere. And with the inauguration next week, where do you think you'll see the protests? The mainstream media locked down on broadcasting them in 2001. That won't happen on Democracy Now! and that's why we're lucky to have it. And if you're not able to donate, that doesn't mean you're not welcome to watch, listen or read. Democracy Now! is for everyone. It serves all of us.
If you have no money to give, keep watching, listening or reading Democracy Now! and don't worry about it. But if those who are able to donate anything (even five dollars) will donate, it will help keep Democracy Now! alive.
End of pitch. (I do not work for Democracy Now! and have not been asked to write anything on donating. Of the names listed on each episode, I know none of them. As far as I know, my ties to Democracy Now! include only enjoying watching it on the web.)
Martha: "I'm going crazy. I saw a post right below the Times entry this morning and now it's gone. Later I saw one above the Times entry that was full of characters and garbage and now it's gone."
You're not crazy. Those are things I attempted to repeatedly post by e-mail on Monday and Tuesday. Apparently, they finally made the blog.
They post and then they disappear. I have no idea why.
It's Thursday, which means AW -- Alternative Weekly round up. Dona, Jim, Elaine, Natalie, Jimmy and Martha have sent items in so we'll be using those and I'll also be looking for additional items.
