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Attention Zillionaires!

ETS!,

I heard an article on hi-tech money in Seattle on NPR this morning. They brought up the fact that there are some people in the area with plenty of money and time, who want to do something real to help others. My mind immediately jumped to what I would do if I was in their shoes. I would start a national internet based clearinghouse of information and referrals for Community Supported Agriculture programs. CSAs are where people subscribe to a farm. They pay a share of farm costs and get a share of produce. Thus, the consumer shares both the benefit and risk with the farmer. This is a successful model in use all over the country. It just needs help to spread fast enough to save some of the thousands of family farms that are going bankrupt right now. Where will we be when the farmers are gone? I hope someone is listening.

--Sabra Marcroft, Eugene

Nope. Sorry. Impossible.

ETS!,

Is there any chance we could get a mention in the newsletter... If so let me know.

is JR still about?

Love,

--Lorenzo, www.primalseeds.org, Manchester UK

Not a Chance

To Whom It May Concern,

Hello. I am currently interning with the StreetLife Gallery. The Gallery is a self-managed gallery for low-income and homeless artists. We are in need of donations of art supplies and volunteers to instruct workshops. I am unsure if this is something you would put a blurb about in Eat the State!, but i thought I would give it a shot.

ps: I love the paper.

Sincerely,

--Jess Jespersen, Seattle

Better Yet, Call Him

Hi,

I would like to connect up with anyone who has experience stopping cell phone towers or billboards in their community.

Please contact me via e-mail.

--Alberto Kaufman, Seattle, recife@sprynet.com

How to Terrify Hurwitz

Dear Geov,

I read with great disappointment your article on the so-called "Kaiser Meltdown" in the 3/29 issue of Eat the State!. Sorry, but you missed by a mile. Sure, you got the basic facts right: the original plans for anti-Kaiser action and the cancellation of those plans, and why Charles Hurwitz is such an ideal and nasty target for environmentalists and union folks alike. But to say that the cancellation of the direct action was "the funeral" of our alliance? To the complete contrary, I saw it as the beginning of a deeper and stronger alliance. You might have seen that if you'd joined us down in Fife. In fact, if you had bothered to come, you might have seen a few newsworthy things.

1. An incredible overreaction by police--about 300 of them, equipped with riot gear, helicopters, dirt bikes, and paddy-wagons--who intimidated and harassed protesters, blocked off roads, and gallantly guarded the besieged gates of Kaiser until the bitter end.

2. A successful action, believe it or not. An ore shipment was postponed before we even arrived; the ship was forced to simply hang out in the Pacific Ocean. Likewise, trains from the port to the plant were unable to bring cargo into the yard. Of course, the police had blocked off the road, so the scabs had to be bussed in at 5 AM Saturday and locked in all weekend. And when we marched down to the picket line Saturday afternoon, we found the plant silent and inactive. So, it looks like they shut their own self down--all we had to do was distribute 10,000 flyers.

3. Grassroots coalition-building, most important of all. If 2,000 people had shown up, perhaps we wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know each other like we did. As it was, we had ample opportunity to just hang out together--steelworkers, EarthFirst!ers, longshoremen, students, human rights activists, and so on. It looked to me like the beginning of the beautiful friendship. Too bad you didn't come hang out with us. It's OK, though. One of the great things about steelworkers is that they're available 24/7, with not much to do. So when you get back from D.C., why not swing by the picket line and talk to the folks there. Find out what the steelworkers' struggle is really about. P.S. There will be a next time. Count on it.

--Vanessa Lee, Seattle

G.P. replies Vanessa, that story was written before the weekend of March 25-27, though as we were in production and reports came in from the front lines (yes, I was in touch with plenty of the people there, and still am) I saw no reason to change it.

I'm glad to print your letter, to include the story of solidarity-building among the folks that were there. And that's already paid off--many of the same people organized the incredible victory last week when a shipload of toxic waste was turned away from Terminal 18.

But the alliance "funeral" I was referring to wasn't among the rank and file, who were victimized, and incensed, by their leadership's cancellation. It was of community groups and the union itself, and I'm still not optimistic. Many weeks of solid organizing were undone by a rumor, with leadership choosing to trust cops more than their erstwhile political allies. (See the articles in this issue.) That is not good. And unless trust is restored at that level-- sorry, I don't buy the contention that 50 people being chased by 350 cops is more effective than a 2,000 person rally or direct action, no matter how much quality bonding ensued--most people will take the union's cue and stay away. Frankly, I'm tired of being in small groups of committed people who know each other really well and spend their lives running in circles. I want a radical mass movement, and the alliance that came out of the anti-WTO protests was our best chance in years. Kristian's article is right on the money--if union leaders aren't willing to get with the rank and file's program, we need a new union.