Looking for Trouble

‘Big Deal’ is the coming federal budget cuts

BY MARK TRAHANT

(Mark Trahant is a writer, speaker and Twitter poet. He is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and lives in Fort Hall, Idaho. Trahant’s recent book, “The Last Great Battle of the Indian Wars,” is the story of Sen. Henry Jackson and Forrest Gerard.)

Last December hundreds of American Indian and Alaska Native leaders traveled to Washington, D.C. for the second White House Tribal Nations Conference.

I wrote at the time: “When President Obama reached the podium at the Interior Department last week nearly every person in a seat lifted a cell phone to take a picture. Row after row of glowing screens captured that moment. But that photo-op is no longer enough. A year ago it was a big deal to meet. But a year from now it will only be a big deal if there are success stories that add jobs, improve the health or educational opportunities for young Native Americans.”

Here we go again. Tribal leaders are in Washington this week for a variety of meetings including the White House Tribal Nations Conference.

But the Big Deal is not there. There are fewer success stories in Indian Country than a year ago. We can’t point out new jobs, a better health care system or increased educational opportunities. In fact as the federal budget crunch hits, all of these indicators will trend worse.

But President Obama is not the problem. The real Big Deal is that Washington is going through a government-wide transformation and the president has limited power to either shape or stop the radical redesign of all-things-federal. But the president is not alone. The Republicans in Congress also have limits. As do the Democrats. That means there is no clarity in how to proceed — and the debate goes on and on without resolution.

But the policy of contraction — the shrinking of the federal government — is set to occur no matter what.

The failure of the supercommittee requires automatic budget cuts to begin in 2013. There will be no room for discussion about which programs work (or don’t) because the budget will be slashed by blind percentages. (The only plus: At least it’s a year away.)

This month Congress will fight over a temporary budget. One of those limits of power: Neither side has the votes to enact a traditional budget. So the government is funded by a Continuing Resolution, one that expires December 16. Congress will have to vote to extend that date or shut down the government. Again.

A great example of the deep divide is the impact of government spending. Republicans have been saying for months that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 did not work because we still have high unemployment. But the Congressional Budget Office released estimates that counter that claim. CBO said unemployment was at least .2 to as much as 1.3 percent lower because of the stimulus funding. It also said the federal spending was a net positive addition to the economy. (A study last year by the National Congress of American Indians highlighted nine examples of how the act worked in Indian Country.) But the data won’t change any minds. Those that believe government is essentially evil will continue to press for less.

Taxes will continue to be another dividing line — especially over the next few days and weeks. The Bush income tax cuts expire at the end of the year unless Congress does something to extend those rates. By the same measure, payroll tax cuts and unemployment benefits must be extended by the end of the year. Most of us pay more in payroll taxes than we do in income taxes. The Republicans tend to favor income tax cuts and Democrats will back extending payroll tax cuts and longer unemployment benefits. This is important because neither side has the votes to do anything on its own. So the likely choice is both or none.

Ideally, both in the Congress and at the White House meeting, there will be a transition plan put into place for Indian Country before the 2013 budget cuts. That plan could include flexibility in how federal dollars are spent, transition funding to make the coming cuts less painful, or perhaps, even, trying a few new ideas.

Then, a year from now there might not be new Indian Country success stories to swap. But at least there will have been an effort to prevent tragedy.

Congressional legacy: A failure to govern

BY MARK TRAHANT

(Mark Trahant is a writer, speaker and Twitter poet. He is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and lives in Fort Hall, Idaho. Trahant’s recent book, “The Last Great Battle of the Indian Wars,” is the story of Sen. Henry Jackson and Forrest Gerard.)

A simple statement from the two co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. “After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.”

And, they continued, “despite our inability to bridge the committee’s significant differences, we end this process united in our belief that the nation’s fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve. We remain hopeful that Congress can build on this committee’s work and can find a way to tackle this issue in a way that works for the American people and our economy.”

But let’s be clear about this statement, the committee, and Congress itself. This represents a failure to govern. There is a structural inability to make difficult choices about what the country needs to do to finance its operations. The so-called super-committee is no different than the country and its citizenry. We are divided, locked into a struggle with significant differences about what to do next.

Some of us believe that we should balance two competing ideas: We should invest in jobs. Now. Again. And keep doing that until everyone who wants a jobs has access to one. Then, and only then, the government should begin a long-term strategy of rethinking promises made through entitlement programs.

The other view says cut government now. Shrink government, period. Don’t raise a single dime in new taxes — and let the economy grow again (after it crashes).

Now we will read over the coming weeks and months about the tragedy of automatic budget cuts as the real numbers surface. Some will complain about how much smaller our military must become. Others will note the deep unfairness in cutting domestic programs that serve people who are at the lowest end of the economic spectrum. The president has already promised to veto any bills that try to get around the automatic budget cuts.

But the real problem, the much bigger issue, is that this exercise represents a failure to govern. Congress could not reach a decision last summer, so it passed on extraordinary powers to the so-called super-committee. Before that the administration passed on its authority to a bipartisan committee charged with coming up with a financial plan.

So failure becomes the norm in our political discourse, we are defined by our inability to forge consensus.

I live in rural Idaho and listen to local talk radio. The people who call the station cannot understand, let alone appreciate, any differences about how other citizens approach these difficult fiscal issues. It’s the same in the Blue Cities, only opposite. That divide makes it nearly impossible to acknowledge areas of common ground. This is not new in our history. Divides this great were present before the election of 1812 (some call the second revolution) before the civil war and before Prohibition was incorporated into the Constitution.

Take health care. If we really want to fix the deficit in a way that will last, we need to reduce the cost of health care. We cannot afford to spend $7,538 per person when the rest of the industrial world spends under $4,000. Or, looking at it another way, we cannot compete in a world economy where we spend16 percent of our Gross Domestic Product on health care when France pays 11.2 percent or Japan 8 percent.

We need to make health care sustainable. That’s how we fix our budget. If we do this one thing, our budget problems will shrink into a manageable form. But we cannot even agree on the baby step we took last year with the Affordable Care Act. Perhaps that should be the only issue we debate during the 2012 election because it’s the only way to really get the cost of government under control.

Alert: Indian government is burning homes of indigenous Meitei people

This just in from Intercontinental Cry, an all-volunteer online journal founded in 2004 and dedicated to providing reports, videos and action alerts on the most pressing Indigenous struggles.

November 19, 2011

The Government of Manipur is in the process of burning down hundreds of floating huts (Khangpokshang) belonging to the Meitei Peoples in the Loktak Wetlands of Central Manipur. The Government blames the Indigenous Peoples of polluting the Lake; however, the Meitei say that any pollution there is really from the Loktak Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project. Nearly 200 floating huts have already been burnt. The remaining 1,132 huts face a similar fate.

Cross-posted from climate-connections.org

The Government of Manipur, a provincial government of the Government of India has unleashed a reign of state terror by burning down floating huts (Khangpokshang), built over Phumdis (floating vegetation mass) belonging to the fishermen living in Loktak Wetlands in Central Manipur from November 15, 2011 and is still continuing. The deliberate arsoning process was carried out by personnel of the Loktak Development Authority and the Manipur Police forces in accordance with a government notification issued by Loktak Development Authority on 11 November 2011. Nearly 200 floating huts have already been burnt so far till 17 November and the remaining 1,132 floating huts are to meet similar fate. There are about 5,000 family members living in all these floating huts in localities like Khuman Yangbi, Nambul Machin and Karang Sabal within the Loktak Lake.

The burning down of the floating huts is in accordance with the provisions of the much controversial Loktak Lake (Protection) Act, 2006, in particular Article 19 and 20 of the Act, which divides the 236.21 sq km Loktak Lake into two zones – a core zone comprising 70.30 sq km, which is a ‘no development zone’, or ‘totally protected zone’, and a buffer zone of other areas of the lake excluding the core zone. A vital aspect of this division is the ban on building huts or houses on phumdis inside the lake, planting athaphum, or engaging in athaphum-fishing in the core area, which will adversely affect over 10,000 people living in phumdi huts, as well as others dependent on Loktak Lake.

The arsoning of nearly 200 floating huts has led to displacement of nearly 950 community members so far who has been living in these floating huts for generations. The number of affected community is still increasing as the arsoning spree is continuing. The affected family members including women, children and elderly are seeking refuge at Ningthoukhong Makha Leikai community hall in Bishenpur District, Manipur. The fishing gears and nets of the communities, the only survival means to catch fish from the Loktak wetlands were also burned and these has left the community in further dire situation and will impact on the communities to freely carry out daily chores of livelihood activities which they follow since time immemorial. Many of the children can no longer go to school. With the winter already setting in Manipur, the displaced villagers are facing much inconveniences.

Each household was offered 40,000 Indian Rupees (approx 900 USD) as compensation before burning down their huts. However, most of the villagers rejected this payment as the amount is too meager and cannot compensate their livelihood and survival means. And moreover, there is no process to rehabilitate the affected villagers and their right to free, prior and informed consent has not been sought. Rather, the arsoning of the huts is a forcible process with the Manipur police commandoes threatening and intimidating the affected villagers before burning their huts. And in many cases, the police also forced the displaced family members to burn their own huts.

The arsoning and destruction of floating huts and livelihood of the indigenous people dwelling in Loktak Lake constitute a serious violation of the “right to life”, “right to adequate housing” as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right. The failure to take the consent of the affected communities also constitute a serious forms of discrimination targetting the marginalized communities and also violated the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.

Affected peoples in several occasions had been raising vehement opposition to the introduction of the Act, which they fear would break the age-old bond between the lake and its people. Indigenous peoples depending on the Loktak Lake for survival continue to demand complete scrapping of the Loktak Protection Act, 2006.

DEMANDS

Urge upon the Government of India to:

Call for immediate suspension of burning of the remaining floating huts at Loktak lake
Allow and support the affected villagers to rebuild their floating huts in the phumdis for all those whose houses are being burnt and destroyed.
Adequate resettlement for affected fishermen near the lake with their free prior and informed consent so as to enable them to catch fishes and depend on the Loktak wetlands for their survival.
Adequate compensation for the loss of properties of affected villagers, such as fishing gears and equipments.
Revoke the Manipur Loktak Lake Protection Act, 2006 as this act has been formulated without the participation and consent of the affected communities and this act has failed to address the root cause of the persisting and increasing problems of Loktak Lake caused by the Ithai Barrage of the Loktak Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project.
Review Loktak Multipurpose Project and consider decommissioning of the Ithai Barrage in accordance with the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams
Recognize indigenous peoples’ community rights over their land and resources and their right to define their development priorities using their land and resources.
Implement indigenous peoples Right to Free Prior and Informed Consent before introducing any mega development policies and projects in Manipur in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Stop all forms of displacement of indigenous peoples in the name of protection of wetlands and thereby should not lead to extinguishment of their survival and livelihood.
State should stop militarization of indigenous peoples land and using the military and law enforcing agencies in the pretext of promoting development projects in their territories without their consent

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS BY FAX OR EMAIL TO:

The Prime Minister of India,
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi,
India-110 101.
Telephone: 91-11-23012312.
Fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857.
Dr. P. Chidambaram
Home Minister
Griha Mantralaya
Room No. 104, North Block
Central Secretariat, New Delhi 110001
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 2301 5750, 2309 3750, 2309 2763
E-mail: hm@nic.in
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of India
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi-110001 INDIA
Fax: +91 11 23340016
E-mail: chairnhrc@nic.in
Mr. Y Joykumar Singh
Director General of Police
PHQ Imphal Manipur
795001 Imphal, Manipur INDIA
Fax + 91 385 2223829
E-mail: dgp.mnp@hub.nic.in
Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh
Chief Minister of Manipur
New Secretariat Building
Bapupara, Imphal, Manipur
INDIA, Fax + 91 385 2451398
E-mail: cmmani@hub.nic.in

Israeli forces commandeer Gaza boats

(This just in from the Institute for Public Accuracy, an organization that gains media access for those whose voices are commonly excluded or drowned out by government or corporate-backed institutions.)

The group U.S. Boat to Gaza — http://ustogaza.org — has just released a statement that begins: “Canadian and Irish ships, the Tahrir and the Saoirse, sailing with Freedom Waves to Gaza have been illegally boarded by the Israeli military in international waters, about 50 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza, around 9:30 am EDT. The IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] spokesperson confirmed that the vessels were taken to the port of Ashdod, and the passengers were taken into custody by the Israeli police. Although the IDF spokesperson claimed they took ‘every precaution to ensure the safety of the activists,’ Freedom Waves to Gaza organizers have been unable to communicate with the ships since soon after the vessels were approached by Israeli warships earlier this morning.”

U.S. coordinator of the group, Jane Hirschmann said today: “Had the passengers been permitted to proceed to Gaza rather than being stopped on the high seas by armed force, there would have been no threat to their safety. The IDF’s statement is like the mugger promising to escort his victim home safely.” The group states: “The Canadian boat Tahrir confirmed that the Israeli navy had contacted them asking for their destination at around 7 a.m EDT to which Ehab Lotayef, an activist on board the ship, replied ‘The conscience of humanity.’ When the Israelis again demanded to know the destination of the ship Lotayef replied ‘The betterment of mankind.’ … Passengers on the boats are citizens of Canada, Ireland, the U.S., Australia, and Palestine. The U.S. citizen on the Tahrir is Kit Kittredge of Quilcene, Washington. She is a massage therapist and emergency medical technician.” The passengers of the boats are now apparently being detained by the Israeli military.

Currently in Cairo, Robert Naiman is policy director of Just Foreign Policy. He intended to sail on the Canadian boat Tahrir, but was blocked when the Turkish authorities limited the number of passengers allowed on (the boat sailed from Turkey). Naiman said today: “As the Red Cross has clearly stated, the blockade of Gaza’s civilians is illegal under international humanitarian law. And as long as the blockade remains, civilians of other countries will continue to challenge it.” Naiman recently wrote the piece “Shalit Is Free. Lift the Siege of Gaza Now.”

SeaMAC will appeal dismissal of lawsuit against King County over cancelled Metro bus ads

(Press release from Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign, an all-volunteer organization incorporated in Washington State. For more information: www.SeaMAC.org)

Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign (SeaMAC) has filed an appeal with the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the recent federal court decision to dismiss SeaMAC’s lawsuit against King County for canceling a contract with SeaMAC to run ads on twelve Metro buses.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington will continue to represent SeaMAC in the appeal.

“We’re unhappy that a jury will not be allowed to examine the evidence, but ACLU’s legal team has decided that there is a very good case to be made that the dismissal was improper and should be overturned,” said Mark Eichinger-Wiese, a volunteer with SeaMAC.

“King County censored SeaMAC’s free speech while protecting the free speech of those who want to silence SeaMAC’s message. Criticism of Israel should not be singled out for censorship, especially when based on evidence from the United Nations and international human rights groups,” said Edward Mast, another SeaMAC volunteer.

The bus ads, reading “Israeli War Crimes: Your Tax Dollars At Work,” were examined, approved, and accepted by King County and Metro officials. SeaMAC signed a contract and paid the full cost in advance, and the ads were printed and scheduled to run for four weeks starting on December 27, 2010. The date was chosen because it was the second anniversary of Israel’s three-week military offensive against the captive population of Gaza in 2008-9, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Palestinians — most of them non-combatants and more than 300 of them children.

The language of the ad was chosen to reflect the fact that investigations by Amnesty International, the United Nations and others found evidence of war crimes committed by Israel during the assault on Gaza. Other war crimes have been documented during Israel’s long occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

At the last minute, on December 23, 2010, King County reversed course, cancelled the contract, and refused to run the ads. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Washington is representing SeaMAC in a lawsuit against King County for breach of contract and for violating SeaMAC’s First Amendment right of free expression. The trial was scheduled to begin in federal court on October 31. King County lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and a federal judge granted King County’s motion on October 10.

An appeal to the Ninth District Court typically takes twelve months or more to reach oral argument before a panel of three judges. If the panel grants the appeal, the case will go back to trial in before a six-person jury.