Bernie Sanders, the U.S. Senate's only socialist, will be in Chicago April 2 join Chuy Garcia to support Sue Sadlowski Garza out in the 10th ward...
US Senator Bernie Sanders is coming to Chicago on Thursday, April 2nd, to support the campaign of Susan Sadlowski Garza for Alderman of the 10th Ward, and Jesus “Chuy” Garcia for Mayor of Chicago. Garza, who is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, is in a run-off campaign against Mayor 1% lacky John Pope, while CTU endorsee Chuy Garcia is in a battle against Mayor 1% himself.
Sanders (Independent-Vermont) is one of the most progressive members of the US Senate, and who has long supported working people and bettering their lives through trade unionism. He is said to be considering seriously a run for the US presidency, and would raise issues not raised by other candidates.
Chuy Garcia campaign in Altgeld Gardens on Chicago's far South Side on March 20, 2015.The rally is scheduled for Thursday, April 2 at 6:30 pm. It will take place at 11731 S. Avenue O in Chicago. (This is the address of the old union hall of USWA Local 1033 that used to represent the workers at Republic Steel—the local that bore the brunt of the Memorial Day Massacre in 1937.)
The planning for the April 7 Chicago runoffs elections (18 wards plus the mayor's race) is getting to be more and more interesting, as Chuy Garcia and others still in the races bring in friends from elsewhere as part of the movement to help bring a little democracy to Chicago. Rahm Emanuel and his predecessor, Richard M. Daley, have been pulling in support from around the country for decades, with Emanuel's White House, Wall Street and Hollywood buddies believing their money and (in the case of Barack Obama) celebrity could drag in the votes for Wall Street's darling mayor, Rahm.
Despite the attempts by some covert Rahm supporters to race-bait Chuy and claim that he is not interested in certain parts of town, Garcia has been campaigning across Chicago. His recent stop in the Altgeld Gardens housing project on the far south side is just one example.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is often described as an "independent" but describes himself as a socialist.Now, as the voting begins (early voting begins on March 23), others are following up. Chuy Garcia has added to his frequent flyer miles by meeting with friends and supporters on both coasts lately, while maintaining that grueling schedule you have to be in shape for when you run for something like mayor of Chicago.
And the aldermanic races are beginning to see the same kinds of stuff. On April 2, Senator Bernie Sanders will be in Chicago to help turn out the votes for Sue Garza, who is running for alderman of the 10th Ward against Emanuel loyalist John Pope. Garza recently got the endorsement of the Sierra Club because of her organizing against Pet Coke while John Pope has been allowing the problem to continue in the south end of his ward.
The event will feature Chuy Garcia and Senator Sanders on Thursday, April 2at 6:30pm, 11731 S Avenue O Chicago, IL 60617.
"Please join U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, mayoral candidate Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and many others to build momentum for Susan's people powered-campaign for the Alderman's seat in the 10th Ward," the invitation says. In order to learn more, readers should go to the Garza website or even better, put in a few hours are Sue's office helping get out the votes in the famous 10th Ward (if that's not Chicago, we don't know what is!). To buy tickets or simply make a contribution to the Garza campaign: https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-8211620627803142144
ANYONE WHO FOLLOWS THE CAREER OF SENATOR SANDERS KNOWS HE'S OFTEN ON THE MONEY, A RARE THING AMONG SENATORS. AS "THE HILL" REPORTED ON MARCH 20...
By Rebecca Shabad - 03/20/15 04:04 PM EDT
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is planning to offer an amendment to the GOP budget next week that would impose a new tax on millionaires to finance U.S. military operations.
The “war tax” will be one of the first Sanders will introduce during the vote-a-rama next week. During the back-to-back votes, senators are allowed to submit an unlimited amount of amendments.
“The Republicans took us into protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — and ran up our national debt by trillions because they chose not to pay for those wars. Instead, they put the cost of those wars on our national credit card,” Sanders said in a statement Friday. ADVERTISEMENT
Sanders, a potential 2016 presidential contender, is ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee.
He’s upset with a provision Senate Republicans added to their blueprint Thursday that would increase defense spending next year by pumping up the Pentagon’s war funding account to $96 billion. The overseas contingency operations (OCO) account has funded the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and now pays for operations against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Republicans are depending on OCO, which falls outside the Defense Department’s base budget, to increase military spending. The budget would keep sequestration budget caps in place next year for the Pentagon’s base budget.
Sanders slammed the proposal from Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), which matches what House Republicans are seeking in their separate budget resolution. Sanders called their use of OCO a “gimmick.” The extra OCO funding would only be offset in the out years, beyond the 10-year budget window. “Wars are enormously expensive, not only in terms of human life and suffering, but in terms of the budget. If the Republicans want another war in the Mideast, they are going to have to tell the American people how much it will cost them and how it will be paid for,” he said. “I strongly expect that there will be amendments demanding that Republicans tell us how they will pay for another war.”
Both chambers are planning to hold floor votes on their separate blueprints by the end of next week.
