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'Health-Care Reform' Aims to Cut Social Wage · AUSTRALIA $1.50 · CANADA $1.25 · FRANCE 1.00 EURO · NEW ZEALAND $1.50 · SWEDEN KR10 · UK £.50 · U.S. $1.00 INSIDE Venezuela Int’l Book Fair spreads access to culture — PAGE 7 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 73/NO. 46 NOVEMBER 30, 2009 Foreclosures ‘Health-care reform’ Washington mount as aims to cut social wage prepares capitalist Bill imposes fines for those without plans new moves crisis deepens against Iran BY BRIAN WILLIAMS BY CINDY JAQUITH Despite government programs at- November 16—As relations be- tempting to stem the crisis in the tween Washington and Tehran de- capitalist housing market, foreclo- teriorate, the Iranian government is sures continue to rise. The number shifting its tone on President Barack hit a record high in the third quarter Obama, whose election it welcomed. with more than 937,000 filings. So far Moscow, meanwhile, has signaled its this year 3.8 million notices of default willingness to back further actions have been filed, according to Moody’s against Iran if it continues to enrich Economy.com. uranium for its nuclear program. The crisis goes far beyond those Washington and the imperialist who have taken out subprime mort- powers in Europe have demanded gage loans, which require no money Tehran cease enriching uranium, down but have interest rate payments charging it is doing so to build an that increase. Millions who had signed atomic bomb. Tehran denies this, say- up for adjustable rate mortgages AP Photo/Paul Beaty ing it will use the uranium as fuel for (ARM) are facing similar prospects Crowded emergency room at Stroger Hospital in Chicago July 30. Stroger is a “safety net” hos- peaceful nuclear energy purposes. of foreclosure. pital, providing minimal care to Medicaid and uninsured low-income patients. Such programs Negotiators for the Iranian gov- are targeted for cuts as part of “health-care reform” bill being hashed out by Congress. About 10 percent of all mortgages ernment met in Geneva in October in the United States are scheduled BY SETH GALINSKY Orleans, voted for it. To become law with representatives of the United to “adjust” in the next few years, The health-care reform bill passed the Senate must approve a bill, and States, United Kingdom, Germany, with the numbers peaking in the sec- by the U.S. House of Representatives, the two versions would have to be rec- France, Russia, China, and the UN’s ond half of 2011, according to First like its counterpart in the Senate, con- onciled and voted on again. International Atomic Energy Agency American CoreLogic. Those loans tains new attacks on the rights and so- The keystone of the nearly 2,000-page (IAEA). Tehran was presented with a are worth about $1 trillion. Nearly 20 cial wage of working people. bill is the health-care “mandate,” which demand that it ship about 70 percent percent of the borrowers who have The House version narrowly passed requires all U.S. citizens and legal resi- of its enriched uranium to Russia and them are already seriously behind November 7 by a vote of 220 to 215. dents to have health insurance. Those France for further enrichment and Continued on page 8 One Republican, Anh Cao from New who can’t afford to buy insurance at the processing. The remaining 30 per- going rate would be eligible for govern- cent of the uranium Iran would have ment subsidies Anyone still without in- on hand would not be enough to make White House stalls on troop surance would be forced to pay a fine. a nuclear bomb. Under the proposed law a “Health On November 12, with a month decision for Afghanistan war Continued on page 3 Continued on page 8 BY BEN JOycE White House that it was considering As President Barack Obama con- sending up to 40,000 troops, Obama’s ‘Militant’ subscription drive tinues to stall on a decision about ambassador to Afghanistan said that how many additional troops, if any, to he had reservations about the wisdom send to the U.S.-led war in Afghani- of that course. success: wins 2,008 readers stan, debate within his administration The debate on troop deployment BY NORTON SANDLER ers in the plant became readers of the sharpens. comes as Washington is rethinking AND TOM BAUMANN socialist newsweekly over the course of After days of media leaks from the Continued on page 6 November 18—Juan, a meat packer the eight-week subscription campaign. who works below the kill floor at Da- Supporters of the Militant in cities kota Premium Foods in St. Paul, Min- around the world made an extra push N.Y.: Court upholds conviction of Lynne Stewart nesota, got his subscription to the Mili- to ensure that the goal of 2,000 read- tant today at the union meeting, reports ers was met. With the campaign short Frank Forrestal. With that subscription of the goal early today by seven, in on the final day of the drive, 30 work- the final hours 15 subscriptions were gotten for a total of 2,008. Two teams of Militant supporters in Party-building Continued on page 3 fund bursts over top at $100,000 Also Inside: BY JAMES HARRIS Bay Area hotel workers Congratulations to the supporters strike for new contract 2 of the party-building fund for the So- cialist Workers Party. With $100,169 Nearly 50 million lack contributed the fund has exceeded its adequate food in U.S. 2 $95,000 goal. The purpose of the fund is to aid the Five Guantánamo inmates to Socialist Workers Party in reaching be tried in N.Y. for 9/11 4 AP Photo/Mary Altaffer out to workers, farmers, and young Lynne Stewart, center, with supporters across street from federal courthouse in Manhattan N.Y. campus press covers November 17 after appeals court upheld her conviction on frame-up “conspiracy” charges people. Workers worldwide are living and ordered judge to consider longer sentence. Stewart had been lawyer for Sheik Omar through the initial stages of a great socialist’s bid for office 5 Abdel-Rahman, convicted in 1996 for “seditious conspiracy.” See article on page 4. Continued on page 4 Bay Area hotel workers strike for new contract BY BETSEY STONE margin to authorize strikes against 31 SAN FRANCISCO—Chants of of the city’s hotels. The union’s 125- “No contract, no peace” echoed member bargaining committee was through the downtown area here No- given authority to call strikes. vember 13. Hundreds of hotel workers Among the pickets at the Palace Ho- and their supporters picketed outside tel was Adrian Henriquez, a bartend- the Palace Hotel, where a lavish re- er at the Holiday Inn. “The hotels are ception celebrating its 100th anniver- trying to take back what they failed sary was taking place. to get in 2004,” he said. Henriquez The Palace Hotel is owned by Star- was referring to the union’s fight be- wood Corporation. According to an tween 2004 and 2006 that turned information flyer from UNITE HERE, back employer demands for increased the union that represents the workers, health-care premiums and a two-tier Starwood registered $1.9 billion in system of health benefits. At that time profits from 2006 to 2008. In the first the union negotiated with owners of nine months of this year the company the downtown hotels as a group. This has raked in $180 million in profits and time UNITE HERE is bargaining its stock price has risen 85 percent. with the hotel chains separately. The picket action came on the heels “The hotel owners are crying that of a three-day walkout by Palace Ho- they are not making enough money,” tel workers, who are fighting demands said Esther Dominguez, who has by San Francisco hotel owners for in- worked 33 years as a housekeeper. creased workloads through combin- “Yes, the economy is bad today. But ing jobs and that workers pay higher the hotels are making money. We can- amounts for health care. The union is not afford these extra payments for asking for a 1.5 percent pay increase in Militant/Betsey Stone medical care. They can. They should Hotel workers picket Palace Hotel in San Francisco November 12 as part of three-day walkout to order to cover health-care and pension pay.” protest bosses’ demands that they pay more for health care and take on increased workloads. costs. Kaiser Permanente, which covers most UNITE HERE Local 2 mem- bers, estimates that costs for health- Nearly 50 million lack adequate food in U.S. care coverage will rise by 30 percent BY brian williams The report, which is based on Census unemployment figures increasing from over the next three years, reported the More than 49 million working people Bureau surveys conducted in Decem- 7.2 percent last December to 10.2 per- New York Times. in the United States lacked access to ad- ber 2008, said that nearly 17 million cent today. The Post reported that “other The strike was one of a number of re- equate food last year, the largest number children—more than one in five—were recent research by the agency [USDA] cent actions by members of the union, since the government started keeping living in households that lacked enough has found that most families in which whose contract ran out in August. track of “food insecurity” 14 years ago. food. food is scarce contain at least one adult On October 22, with hotel owners This is an increase of 4 percent from the The number of children who some- with a full-time job, suggesting that the refusing to budge from their take- previous year, according to a report is- times were “outright hungry” rose from problem lies at least partly in wages.” back demands, more than 3,000 Lo- sued by the U.S.
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