Daily Archives: February 28, 2012

“F29: SHUT DOWN THE CORPORATIONS”

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From announcement:

Occupy Richmond answers the national call put out by Occupy Portland to
Shut Down the Corporations on Wednesday, February 29 with a day of action
against corporate influence in politics.

At 1:00 PM, a press conference
will be held at the corner of N. 3rd
St. and E. Franklin St. in front of the Richmond Times Dispatch and Media
General buildings.

Afterwards we will march to actions throughout the city to bring attention
to the ways in which bribery are business-as-usual in the corporate
world.

This day of action focuses on the American Legislative Exchange Council
(ALEC) and one of its member corporations, Richmond-based Altria. Not
only is Altria one of the largest contributors to ALEC, but several
Altria executives occupy key positions of power in the organization. The
current National Chairman on ALEC’s corporate board is
Mr. W. Preston Baldwin III, a former tobacco lobbyist and Vice President
of State Government Affairs at U.S. Tobacco Inc., a company now owned by
Altria. Daniel Smith, a lobbyist, is Altria’s representative on ALEC’s
corporate board. Like other corporate members who spend thousands of
dollars to join, Altria lobbyists
use the platform provided by ALEC to develop special relationships with
legislators. ALEC works with corporate interests to craft
ready-to-introduce bills to provide
lawmakers. By providing cover for the purchase of influence in the halls
of government, ALEC whitewashes patronage and makes bribery seem
respectable.

Event Schedule:
• Rally at the Media General/Richmond Times Dispatch corner at 12pm (N.
3rd St. and E. Franklin St.)
• Demonstration at Altria at 2pm (N. 5th St. between Leigh and Jackson)
• Rally at Richmond Federal Court House at 4pm (N. 7th St. and E. Broad St.)
Contact: Occupy Richmond Media Group
Tel: (903) 203 – 7358
Email: occupyrichmondva.media@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEResources for further information:
• http://f29.occupyrva.org
• http://www.facebook.com/events/253092951433469/
• http://www.shutdownthecorporations.org

About Occupy Richmond:
Occupy Richmond considers itself a part of a growing economic and human
rights Movement that recognizes and affirms the essential dignity and
inherent value of all human beings and life.
We seek to create a safe space for free speech and civil dialog because we
believe our society and the earth are in crisis, and we recognize the need
for imminent change.
About Shut Down the Corporations:
Occupy Portland calls for a national day of non-violent direct action to
reclaim our voices and
challenge our society’s obsession with profit and greed by shutting
down the corporations. We
are rejecting a society that does not allow us control of our future. We
will reclaim our ability to
shape our world in a democratic, cooperative, just and sustainable direction.

# # #
* No one person has been elected to speak on behalf of the entire
organization. The contact information provided is
given only for verification and follow-up purposes.

Jewell Supports Road Despite Citizen Opposition

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The Times Dispatch has an article about the 2nd Street Connector At City Council yesterday. It manages to not mention the citizen opposition from the Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association and the Sierra Club Falls of the James group.

Richmond is preparing to build a new road to its downtown riverfront, while keeping open a remnant of the city’s historic canal system to one day float boats again.

The capital budget that will be presented by Mayor Dwight C. Jones next week for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 will include $385,000 to preserve a section of the James River and Kanawha Canal with an open-bottom culvert beneath the proposed Second Street Connector.

However, it does mention how 5th District Councilperson Marty Jewell is supporting the road (despite the neighborhood’s wishes):

Councilman E. Martin Jewell, of the 5th District, supports the road but not the culvert beneath it because of the $385,000 price tag that the mayor is expected to include in his proposal capital budget for fiscal 2013.

“To do this now is ridiculous,” Jewell said.

But city planning and economic development staff said Richmond would get only one chance to preserve the remnant of the canal that extends from downtown as far west at Maymont Park.

“This is the first opportunity for the city to have a say about how the canal is treated,” planner Jim Hill told council.

“We think there’s an invaluable benefit to the city … by not foreclosing the opportunity for the future,” Hill said.