Good Riddance

Hillary Clinton has given her farewell speech; she is to be replaced by another warmongering imperialist. Good riddance.

The one thing Hillary did do and Obama admitted, is try to keep his image as well as empire's intact abroad. The world expected something different than what they got.

Just as her husband compartmentalized his (sex) life, Hillary talked the peace talk and acted as arbitrator in world conflicts - but she promoted business with warmongers; Lockheed Martin, for one - the maker of F35's, the death machines that the governor, mayor, congressman and senators want to come to BTV.

There's a wonderful blog, Undernews, I've read for years. The blogger owner lived right in the midst of the DC scene for years, but now has retired to Maine. He's collected quite a dossier on the ex-Madam Secretary and her sleazeball husband. Take some time and look here.

BREAKING NEWS: SOUTH BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL NIXES F-35!

Per Juliet Buck, blogger and activist (via Facebook): "South Burlington City Council just voted AGAINST basing the F-35 in Burlington by a vote of 4-1!!!!!!!!!! So this is what winning one feels like?"

A victory indeed. Juliet and the other activists have struck a blow against the evil jets of Lockheed Martin. The Feds, of course, can do whatever they want, but after years of propaganda and misinformation, the victory is that four city officials said NO!

BURLINGTON'S NO LOCKHEED ACTIVISM UPDATE

Jonathan Leavitt's excellent Truthout article on the last eight months of civic activism against the partnership between Burlington, VT and Lockheed Martin appeared this past weekend. Well worth the read as it shows what a small group of organisers can do to rally citizens to voice their concerns to city councilors in passing community standards about private/public partnerships about climate change.

Speaking from her "background of global economic systems, international business and sustainable business practices," Anna Guyton outlined the need to set a precedent to keep climate solution in the public and not the private sphere by passing the resolution:

"Why is it that some corporations manage to get away with fraud, misconduct, toxic pollution, child labor and human trafficking? Why is it that time after time, crime after crime, these corporations continue to do damage to people and places? The answer lies in concentrated power without checks and balances. Sure, these corporations are prosecuted, fined and made to pay for clean-up efforts (sometimes) - but does this serve as a check? No - again and again we see them commit more crimes. Does it prevent contractors from getting more contracts? No - the corruption is so deep and so broad, that their power is completely unbalanced. These are the types of corporations that we don't want to see Burlington tied to in partnership." Guyton continued, "We simply can't take that risk with an issue as important as climate change. Instead, what is needed for a city and a world without corruption is a de-concentration of that power, a decentralization of that power. The only way to do that is to build our own power and empower those who have a proven track record of sustainable business practices, like many of our Vermont companies and organizations do. And you must acknowledge the voice of the people - all these people here tonight (and many more who couldn't make it) care about community standards. Honor our voice, honor Burlington's democratic values and please pass this resolution as a first step toward ensuring good business partners for the city of Burlington."

Jonny's article is also online at the NoLockheed blog, which I recommend you bookmark it and get involved!

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Take Action!
Call and email Mayor Kiss expressing your concerns about Burlington partnering with the world's largest war profiteer.
802-865-7272 (office) mayor@ci.burlington.vt.us

#2). Write a Letter to the Editor:
http://www.7dvt.com/feedback
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/section/OPINION02/My-Turn

#3 Call or Email your City Council
Their contact info can be found here:
http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/citycouncil/councilors/

The Big Showdown: The People of Burlington vs. Lockheed Martin

Community Standards For Corporate Partners - The Solution is LOCAL.

Monday night - WE NEED YOU to help us pack another City Council meeting!

Monday, August 8 · 7:00 PM
Burlington City Hall
Contois Auditorium, 2nd Floor
149 Church Street
Burlington, Vermont

If you can, please show up in support. You can RSVP here, if you’re on Facebook.

On February 7th of this year over 100 Burlingtonians spoke out in City Council against Lockheed and won a resolution calling for community standards regarding Burlington and corporations like Lockheed. On June 28th that resolution passed out of committee, setting up The Big Showdown on August 8th.

Lockheed helped block the 2009 Federal Climate legislation and just four weeks ago was instrumental in stopping six states in the Supreme Court from regulating climate change.

Do we want small, local, responsible partners? Or do we want huge, transnational, fraudulent partners?

Do we want to work from the ground up, building power at the citizen level? Or do we want more top-down, concentration of power and money in the hands of the few?

Please come to show your support for transparent city partnerships with sustainable and responsible corporations that are not guilty of:

* racial, gender and age discrimination
* violating anti-trust laws, unfair competition or fraud
* contractor misconduct
* building internationally illegal weapons
* earning the majority of their profits from weapons and warfare
* incurring over $100,000 in fines for environmental damage
* engaging in or supporting child labor or human trafficking

We must protect and nurture our local businesses and organizations. Let's not risk the security and progress of our city by placing it in the hands of mega-corporations that violate these standards in the name of profit.

Please come to show your support for transparent city partnerships with sustainable and responsible corporations that are not guilty of:

What you can do to help set the stage for the Big Showdown:

• Call or Email your City Councilor and ask them not to partner our city with the world’s largest war profiteer. Their contact info can be found here: http://www.ci.burlington.v​t.us/citycouncil/councilor​s
• Call and email Mayor Kiss expressing your concerns about Burlington partnering with the world’s largest war profiteer. 802-865-7272 (office) mayor@ci.burlington.vt.us
   
• Write a Letter to the Editor:
http://www.7dvt.com/feedba​ck http://www.burlingtonfreep​ress.com/section/OPINION02​/My-Turn

Tomorrow Protest Lockheed Creep! - 3:00 P.M. - Burlington International Airport

"‎It's starting to feel as though the Green Mountain State itself is a wholly-run subsidiary of the world's largest defense contractor."

When will Burlington.... and now Vermont... wake up!?

Mayor Ki$$ has made his intentions clear about the Lockheed Martin deal. He's stopped listening to the citizens of Burlington.

Tomorrow Lockheed, Raytheon and other war profiteers will be meeting with a representative from Senator Leahy's office, the Vermont Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Brian Dubie and local business leaders to discuss how to develop Vermont's economy. Clearly this is an attempt to militarize Vermont's economy that could have far reaching impact. This is a sharp slap in the face to six months of inspired community organizing against Lockheed's incursion into Burlington and now... to determine Vermont's future.

Protest Lockheed's Meeting with Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Location: Burlington International Airport

Heritage Aviation, Aviation Drive (at airport)

Time: Wednesday, 15 June 2011 3:00 P.M.

Feel encourage to use costumes and large props, music and more to express your disgust at.

The event is billed as open to the public.

Poster photo courtesy of Lisa Cowan, Small Equals, Burlington, Vermont. 

UPDATED: Bob Kiss to City Council: Fuck Off!

UPDATED BELOW

Mayor Bob Kiss is going ahead with the Lockheed Martin agreement with the city anyway.

At the Burlington Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee Meeting on Tuesday (6/7/11), the head of Burlington's Economic Development Office showed clearly that the mayor is in violation of City Council's February resolution about municipal public-private partnerships and the Lockheed Martin agreement.

The Lockheed discussion begins at the 9:20 mark in the video below. At 41:35, CEDO Director Larry Kupferman refers to Burlington being in a "partnership" with Lockheed.


Burlington Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization Committee Meeting 6-7-11 from Arthur Hynes on Vimeo.

In response, Councilor Mulvaney-Stanak, at the 53:20 mark, is just too, too nice.

"Given the attention on this issue I'd hoped things would be a little more public, or at least the Council would be informed about discussions that were still happening with Lockheed in any sort ...of public way. [...] I think given the interest the public has shown on this it would have been nice if the Mayor had, and nice is not even the appropriate word, it would have been I think more appropriate for the Mayor to mention it in the public comments or have something that go out, so people have a chance to weigh in. Knowing that this process [drafting community standards] is still going on."

UPDATE (1:00 P.M. Friday, June 10):

The video from Tuesday is up on Vermont's two biggest political blogs. - Green Mountain Daily & VTDigger.org

Keep those calls coming! Phone lines at Mayor Kiss' office are open until 4:30 M-F (802)-865-7272.