Anonymous Poster - Wed Jan 25, 2006 01:40 (en)
We are very pleased to announce that the Santa Cruz Independent Media Center's website will now be regionally integrated with Indybay.org, the website of the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. The new website address for Santa Cruz Indymedia is Indybay.org/SantaCruz.

Together, as media activists in Central and Northern California and throughout the world, we will use the tactic of Indymedia to share news and information from within the struggles for a world based on freedom, cooperation, justice and solidarity, and against environmental degradation, neoliberal exploitation, racism and patriarchy.

All the reporters, photographers, sound recorders, videographers, organizers and activists who contribute to SC-IMC's open-publishing newswire are the heart and soul of Santa Cruz Indymedia.

Read more about Santa Cruz IMC's Regional Integration with Indybay.org || Lee más sobre Santa Cruz CMI que se esta Integrando con Indybay.org
Anonymous Poster - Wed Jan 25, 2006 17:57 (en)
the policeman spies
while the council does nothing
a winter leaf falls in the breeze


There was a motion before the city council proposed by councilmember Tony Madrigal to request an independent investigation into police spying. The council perhaps signalled it's intentions by placing the motion on the afternoon agenda of their regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting, rather than the more well-attended evening agenda.

There were a good many public speakers raising issues with the police internal audit and calling for the independent investigation. Additionally, people called for full disclosure of any past spying and for a strong binding ordinance limiting police powers to monitor political and community groups.

The public records contain emails that show that most everyone in the police department management from Chief Howard Skerry to Deputy Chief Kevin Vogel on down to Lt. Rudy Escalante knew about the undercover officers. Additionally, there were communications to and from high-level police from the city manager's office, the downtown development association, and even Mayor Cynthia Mathews herself.

In short, the council voted again to do nothing and trust the police to police themselves. But we will not let up pressure until citizens can express their free speech and free assembly rights without fear that a cop is lurking in their midst.

Audio: FSRN: SCPD Spying Update

Photos: Santa Cruzans Speak Out Against Police Infiltration and for an Independent Investigation

previous coverage: "Just Us" Action Against SCPD Spying || Police Infiltrate Peaceful Parade Organizers
Anonymous Poster - Fri Jan 20, 2006 22:33 (en)
January 19. 2006 - At approximately 12PM, hundreds of custodians (and their student supporters) at UC Santa Cruz skipped lunch to demand just wages.

The workers, part of the union AFSCME, recently found out that custodians at nearby colleges receive 14-30% more than they do, for the same (or less) work. Far from being a living wage, many UCSC custodians are working two/three jobs to make ends meet. This is at the same time that the UC system has raised student fees almost 80% over the past few years, and have given almost a billion dollars of executive perks for top UC employees, approximately the same amount of money as the student fee increases. Recently, Denice Denton, UCSC's Chancellor, claimed that Robert Dynes, the UC President, should be given an even higher salary. Dynes already makes more than $400,000 a year.

Meanwhile, the UC claims they have no money for the lowest-paid workers, academic programs, student initiated outreach and retention, and scores of other programs. It appears that there is not a lack of money, but a lack of decent priorities - not a budget crisis but a moral crisis.

The spirited rally, organized by AFSCME, with the support of the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), is the continuation of a hard-fought struggle for the dignity of UCSC's lowest paid workers.
~Bradley - Fri Jan 20, 2006 02:05 (en)
On January 9th, Paul Ortiz, UCSC Associate Professor of Community Studies, discussed his latest book, Emancipation Betrayed The Hidden History of Black Organizing and White Violence in Florida from Reconstruction to the Bloody Election of 1920 at the Louden Nelson Center in downtown Santa Cruz.

The audio has been recorded in two parts. The first part is the presentation and the second part is Question and Answer.

Audio: Download the presentation (56:12 minutes / 25.8 MB) || Download the Q&A (11:22 minutes / 5.3 MB)
Anonymous Poster - Wed Jan 18, 2006 23:32 (en)
On January 17th, members of the Working Alliance for a Just Economy held a press conference to kick off the campaign to raise the minimum wage in the city of Santa Cruz. Campaigners will circulate petitions to city voters to place the initiative on the ballot to be voted on in November.

Speakers were introduced by MC David Sweet, board member of the Community Action Board, a non-profit organization working to abate poverty and its impact in the County of Santa Cruz.

Speakers included: Tim Fitzmaurice, John Briley, Emily Riley, Julian Posadas, Sharlene Cece, and Tony Madrigal. Tony repeats his comments in Spanish after his english comments.

Audio: Download the mp3 (14:42 minutes / 6.7 MB)

For more info or to get involved call Nora at 359 0952.

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