| Independent Media Center of Philadelphia main features |
| Published as of Friday, 24 February 2006 04:13:02 PM |
| Bush Administration vs seaport security | | 23 Feb 2006 | | A mere 13 days after the attacks of September 11 in 2001, two committees, one from the Senate and one from the House, agreed to ask the Secretary of Transportation to develop recommendations for strengthening seaport security, the issue was considered that important. Four years later, the Bush Administration has aroused bipartisan fury and astonishment by trying to hand control of US seaport security over to a company wholly owned by the United Arab Emirates. "The Bush administration says it found no security risk in the deal but would not elaborate, saying the details are classified." |
| A Call for Economic Justice: Interview with City Director of Consumer Affairs Lance Haver | | 22 Feb 2006 | | In this Philly IMC interview Lance Haver questions why we've "created a society where 0.1% control 40% of the wealth of America". He goes on to raise a challenge that we must return our political focus to the "fight over a more equitable distribution of wealth." In this wide ranging video Lance focuses on the nature of democracy in our current consumer culture and how it relates to employment, welfare, wealth, the middle class, Walmart and most importantly, how to build towards alternatives. For the 4 minute video click here. For the 20 minute video click here. |
| Rendell Vetoes Voter ID Bill | | 21 Feb 2006 | | Governor Ed Rendell vetoed bill HB 1318 today at a ceremony at the Constitution Center in Philly. HB 1318 threatened to disenfranchise voters by requiring ID at every election and eliminating commonly used polling places. Local community groups, as part of the Protect the Vote coalition, were instrumental in the bill's defeat. |
| SHAC 7 Trial-Week 2 | | 20 Feb 2006 | | The SHAC 7 trial is now in full swing, and the government is expected to rest its case on Tuesday. Then the defense will begin. |
| Examining the possiblity of a US strike upon Iran | | 17 Feb 2006 | | Is the Bush Administration trying to launch a war on Iran? With the tight secrecy and known dishonesty that the Administration has demonstrated in the past, any conclusions are necessarily tentative. There are many reasons to believe an attack is on the agenda, but strong reasons to think that an attack will never take place. |
| City Council Passes Resolution Against Proposed LNG Plant | | 17 Feb 2006 | | City Council passed a resolution yesterday dealing a blow to the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in Port Richmond. The resolution comes after intense pressure from environmental groups and community organizations. "The effort to stop PGW's misguided plan was a grassroots victory for the people of Philadelphia," said Clean Water Action's Evan Besler. |
| Thousand Rally to Support Immigrant Rights | | 14 Feb 2006 | | "We are drawn to the light of freedom," organizer Ricardo Diaz read to over a thousand gathered at the entrance of the Constitution Center. Supporters rallied as part of "A Day Without an Immigrant", a walkout and demonstration in protest to the bill HR 4437 which has set off a state of alarm among supporters of civil and immigrant rights. [En Espanol] [Video] [Photos] [Audio] |
| SHAC 7 Trial Has Begun | | 13 Feb 2006 | The SHAC 7 trial kicked off February 6th, with a strong protest of about 80-100 people, despite attempts by Homeland Security to prevent the demonstration from happening.
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| “How Do You Make the Invisible, Visible?” | | 11 Feb 2006 | | A look into what El Paro, a local immigrant-rights group, and other organizations like the ACLU and AFSC are doing to bring attention to dangerous new laws proposed in HR 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, which has passed in the House and awaits approval from the Senate. |
| Pending Immigration Bills in Congress | | 10 Feb 2006 | | A breakdown of some of the currently proposed immigration reform bills pending in the US Senate and of how this affects Philadelphians. |
| "Stand Up for a Seat Forum" Encourages Young People to Run for Office | | 10 Feb 2006 | | Yesterday evening over 100 people gathered at the National Constitution Center for Young Involved Philadelphia’s (YIP) February Forum: “Stand Up for a Seat – Running for Office in 2006”. This free public event, co-sponsored by YIP, the National Constitution Center, the Committee of Seventy and the Young America PAC, featured panelists who had been elected to offices in the Greater Philadelphia area as young people. They highlighted that one need not have a huge bank account or an army of volunteers in order to run, and provided attendees with a practical guide to how the political system is structured. |
| Bush Budget to Cut Education, Environmental Protection, Police, and Commmunity Development in PA | | 09 Feb 2006 | | The Bush budget request for FY2007, released on February 6th, proposes cuts that would reduce funding for education and services in PA while requesting a 7% increase in military funding. Highlights include $4.9 million less in PA's WIC funding, $8.9 million reduction for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and a potential loss of 649 Head Start slots in PA alone. |
| Gonzales Attempts to Defend Warrantless NSA Spying | | 07 Feb 2006 | Attorney General Alberto Gonzales began his opening statements as to why the Bush Administration directed the National Security Agency to spy on perhaps thousands of American citizens. Republican Senator Arlen Specter expressed skepticism about the Administration's story, Specter told Gonzales that even the Supreme Court had ruled that "the president does not have a blank check." Lawyer and liberal blogger Glenn Greenwald explains in an interview why the NSA spying case is of bipartisan concern. "The reality is-is that the scandal is about whether or not we live under the rule of law and that is not a conservative or a liberal debate-that is an American value..."
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| Landmark Civil Rights Case Begins in New Jersey | | 07 Feb 2006 | | Jury selection began for the SHAC-7 trial yesterday in Trenton, NJ. At least seventy demonstrators rallied outside the federal courthouse to promote the case. "Whether you support animal rights or not, it's about free speech," said SHAC spokesperson Andrea Lindsay. |
| City Council Dodges Liquefied Natural Gas Vote | | 06 Feb 2006 | | On Thursday, Philadelphia City Council dodged the vote on a resolution to oppose plans for a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal in the city. There is still time to call City Council members, especially Darrell Clarke (215-686-3442), before this resolution comes to a vote. |
| 2nd SHAC-7 Trial Begins Monday | | 05 Feb 2006 | | On Monday, February 6th in Trenton NJ the second SHAC-7 trial will begin. The seven defendants are charged with with running a website that advocates shutting down one of the worst animal testing facilities in the world, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). The trial raises First Amendment alarm bells as the defendants are not being charged with taking part in any direct actions against HLS. |
| No Blood for Bling | | 03 Feb 2006 | | Did someone have to die for your diamond? Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and many of you will be shopping for diamond jewelry to give to that special someone on this romantic holiday. |
| "Skaters in LOVE" Documentary to Free LOVE Park | | 02 Feb 2006 | | Finding a reason why the city would ban skating from LOVE Park is a passionate issue, as LOVE Park is a significant historic landmark to skateboarders worldwide. Last night, February 1st, three teenage filmmakers, Emmett Drueding, Paul Sanders and Axel Tuveson debuted their documentary, “Skaters in LOVE” at the Friends Select School. |
| Community Members Rally as HB1318 Passes | | 02 Feb 2006 | | House Bill 1318, also known as "Poll Tax" Bill, passed the the PA House yesterday. Community members, lead locally by Project HOME as part of "Protect the Vote", met with legislators to voice their opposition to the bill. |
| Video Podcast: Reactions to State of the Union in Center City | | 02 Feb 2006 | | This past Tuesday, January 31, concerned citizens from Philadelphia gathered together at Arch Street United Methodist Church to watch President Bush's State of the Union speech. Afterward, panel members discussed their reactions to the speech. |
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