People Before Profit blog

LETTERS

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 05:01:00 +0000

Peaceful protesters picket perfectly Probably around last week I picked up the April 8-14 issue of People’s Weekly World in order to find an article for my Community Studies class. We were writing about activism in the news and how writers are able to focus on aspects of a form of activism to convey whether it was a successful or unsuccessful public act. It was a great assignment and couldn’t have come at a better time as I had just watched “SWAT: Protest Edition” the previous night. The show seemed blatantly one-sided, as close to none of the protested issues were discussed or even mentioned for that matter. The narrator would say “San Francisco erupted in chaos April 14, 1992, when protesters of recent laws affecting the gay community lashed out against city officials.” The lack of context was sickening, the bulk of the show focusing on outbursts of violence rather than the matters being deliberated. All this negativity surrounding protests was relieved when I read your World newspaper. It seemed to cover the issues from top to bottom with additional focus on the emotion of those participating in the protest. Although articles may mention police activity or struggles when they occur, these actions were never used out of context nor was violence used as an attention seeker. The articles in your newspaper have shown me a side of protesting I feel isn’t focused on enough in the media. This abundance of attempts for positive public reform really shows how protesting and the idea of free speech is meant to be functional in our society at a peaceful and progressive level.

Isaac Schnitzer Santa Cruz CA

New politics needed here I appreciated Rosita Johnson’s article “African Americans have a stake in immigrant rights” (PWW 4/22-28). Johnson’s point about the need to replace the Republicans this November seemed “right on,” except that I, for one, have been very, very disappointed in the public stances this year taken by the presently elected Democrats. I suspect that this nation is trapped in the political dead end that Latin America had, until recent years. To me it is quite interesting that the progressive governments in Latin America come from new political movements, and from individuals who are not from the traditional “liberal” or “conservative” parties of their countries. We see people who are not in the “political caste,” i.e. new people such as Lula the union leader become president in Brazil, plus the oncologist — the new president of Uruguay, the pediatrician — new president of Chile, the son of a postal worker — president of Argentina, the son of school teachers who leads Venezuela, and the coca farmer — president of Bolivia. I worry that we may be doomed to have politics run by the political caste, which can be defined as: student body vice president in junior high, who becomes student body president in high school, then a role on the city school board, followed by a spot on the city council, followed by terms as state representative, followed by a spot in Congress, by which time the politician is politically senile.

Ted Vincent Via e-mail Ted Vincent is the author of “Voices of a Black Nation: Political Journalism of the Harlem Renaissance” and other works

While spying, watch cats Open letter to the “sneak and peak” folks at Homeland Security: Please be careful to not let any of the cats out. Watch the orange and white, Tigger, who is very good at rushing out an open door. Please forgive the mess. Been meaning to clean it up, but … well you know how that is. Iced tea in the fridge — help yourself. Glasses in left of sink cabinet. Ice in freezer container. I would appreciate if you don’t rip anything up with your efforts. What looks like junk to you might be treasure to me. I hold no hard feelings toward you in just trying to do a job for which I’m sure you are poorly paid and likely poorly appreciated, if at all, at the “higher levels” of what must be the most bizarre agency in recent history. It can’t be easy or very rewarding. I’ve worked in a few such jobs. Thankfully I’m now retired! Someday … (Are you counting the days?) Take care, be well and please join with me, in heart, mind and spirit, in hoping and striving for a better world.

Bill Ramsay Grand Junction CO

A better way for beavers In light of the increasing number of Illinois landowners who find themselves dealing with beavers, readers should remember that that humane solutions are not only kinder, but cheaper and more effective than trapping these industrious animals. Trapped beavers may suffer for hours before succumbing to suffocation, blood loss or exposure. Beavers caught in underwater traps can struggle for up to nine agonizing minutes before drowning. Not only is trapping cruel, it does nothing to prevent more beavers from damming an area, so trapping becomes an endless cycle — and an expensive one for property owners, with fees in the vicinity of $200 per beaver. Humane deterrents such as pipes that distribute water in ponds and lakes and “Beaver Deceivers” — fence systems that prevent beavers from damming culverts — permanently and humanely prevent problems caused by beaver dams at a fraction of the price of exterminating these sensitive animals. For more ways to live in harmony with wildlife, visit HelpingWildlife.com.

Stephanie Boyles Norfolk VA Stephanie Boyles is a biologist for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Plan, please When I read the PWW I expect to see some material, a plan if you will, written to help working people get out from under the yoke of “big oil.” I understand that there are many issues that need to be covered in the PWW but please have a plan for working people to know and act on. Also in Connecticut Sen. Lieberman is being challenged by Ned Lamont. Many progressives see this challenge as a positive action to rid the Senate of a senator who has betrayed working people and his party. I hope PWW feels the same way and gives some support to the challenger Lamont.

G. Bannon Via e-mail

Lock him up With his presidency reduced to a mess, George W. Bush may just decide to lash out wildly at Iran. We should lock him away to stop the next war.

Paul Welch Via e-mail

Postpone drug plan deadline!

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 04:40:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (PAI) — The same labor-backed coalition that last year helped successfully derail GOP President George W. Bush’s Social Security privatization scheme has launched a campaign to get lawmakers to postpone the May 15 deadline seniors face to sign up for Bush’s confusing, chaotic, costly prescription drug plan.

But this time they may face an uphill battle, as Bush says he can’t postpone the deadline and Bush’s health and human services secretary says he won’t do so.

The aim of the drive by the group, Americans United, is to give seniors more time to consider the bewildering array of choices — sometimes as many as 70 competing drug plans — they face when picking a prescription drug provider under Bush’s prescription drug scheme, called Medicare Part D. The group will start running ads telling people to call their lawmakers in 32 selected congressional districts.

The reason for the urgency is that seniors who don’t choose by May 15 — and some 13 million face the decision — would get hit with penalties that increase their drug insurance premiums under the plan by 7 percent for every month they delay, said one of the two lawmakers pushing for the postponement, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

Bush’s drug scheme is so confusing, expensive and weighted towards drug company interests that Congress needs to go back to the drawing board and pass a real prescription drug benefit, said spokespersons for Americans United. But they admitted in a telephone press conference that a rewrite is impossible while the GOP runs Congress. Failing that, postponing the deadline is their goal.

“How they [HHS] can adequately describe 50 different plans to people in my congressional district, I don’t know,” Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), the bill’s other sponsor, said.

The Bush plan really was “a bill written by and for the pharmaceutical industry,” Stabenow stated.

LETTERS

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:05:00 +0000

In support of Title IX I just got through watching my niece’s high school basketball team play a tournament. It’s so inspiring to see these girl athletes — confident, smart, working together and strong. It makes me realize the importance of Title IX in our lives. How many girls teams would there be without it and the fight that won it? I hope you can cover more women’s sports in your newspaper.

Marie Lawrence Milwaukee WI

The Seeger effect There’s a treat waiting for all who can get a copy of the April 17 issue of the New Yorker magazine. It’s a profile piece about Pete Seeger. Pick it up and get that all-over warm feeling so many of us get when anything from or about Pete touches our lives. I have a hunch he may read this in our paper so I want to respond to a question concerning the effects of his efforts he is reported to have jotted down in a journal. “I seem to stagger about this agonized world as a clown, dressed in happiness, hoping to reach the hearts and minds of the young. When newspaper reporters ask me what effect my songs have, I try and make a brave reply, but I am really not so certain,” he mused. Some 46 years ago at the age of 18 I heard Pete and the Weavers for the first time and never stopped listening. Pete touched my heart and mind profoundly. In May, Pete will celebrate his 87th birthday. Happy Birthday, Pete, and thanks.

Bill Appelhans Chicago IL

100 years of wisdom Enclosed are some photos for you and a check for $10 to help your special publication. I have subscribed to it since way back when. In fact I was a member of the 1960 Cuba friendship group tour sponsored by the People’s World of that era. That blessed tour cemented a lasting resolve to work and fight and visualize a “precious people’s world of socialism.” On Sept. 7, 2006, I will be 101 (forgive the bragging). Gratitude for age, which can bring enlightenment, and love for the privilege of long life is a double incentive. Our current capitalist psychology is to dream a nightmare of nuclear war when the greatest danger is the debt system — it is a disaster, translated into trillions of paper dollars. Socialism is obviously the only hope and blessing for the future! My wife and I have visited Cuba four times. We had both visited the USSR at different times. I was with a Canadian friendship tour because at that time it was difficult to travel from the U.S. It was a spectacular tour in 1971. We visited four of the Far Eastern Soviet republics: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Tajikistan. They were all so wonderful. I remember 50 children in unison bidding our three tour buses goodbye, singing and chanting enthusiastically, “Peace and friendship!” We loved them. We love socialism with our mind and soul. Bless you for your good work. Socialism will win around the world! Peace, love and dancing (we still dance ballroom with joy!).

Harry and Blanche Billings Salem OR

Editor’s note: Thank you and congratulations! Your wonderful photo of the two of you dancing is marvelous. We hope to publish it in an upcoming issue.

For comprehensive immigration reform On April 10, in cities all across the nation, thousands of people, representing all ages and races, peaceably gathered to show their support for comprehensive immigration reform. Immigrants and people of conscious marched side by side in the Philadelphia rally, which Esperanza USA supported and took part in. Showing our solidarity with the over 5,000 people, the Rev. Danny Cortes, senior vice president, marched for justice and opportunity. Following the collapse of the Senate negotiations, it is crucial that our national leaders continue to hear from us. We must aggressively pursue our goal of comprehensive immigration reform by writing and calling Congress during their recess. You may do so by accessing Esperanza USA’s Immigration Action Center at www.esperanza.us. Please share this information with your congregation, family and friends. One by one we can make a difference.

Rev. Luis Cortés Jr. Philadelphia PA Rev. Luis Cortés Jr. is president of Esperanza USA, a network of Latino churches and ministries.

It’s the rich An April 16 New York Times article in the real estate section points up why most of us have a housing crisis. The head of Koch Industries is one of the world’s richest people. He purchased the Jackie Kennedy Onassis apartment on 5th Avenue after her death in 1994. But Koch and his wife are expecting a third child and “there’s just no way we could fit another child in that apartment,” he said. The apartment has four bedrooms, two dressing rooms, a staff room, a library, living room, dining room, conservatory, two terraces, three fireplaces, 5.5 bathrooms and a wine room. Surveys have shown that there is enough housing for all New Yorkers, but it is improperly and unjustly occupied.

Betty Smith Queens NY

A song about the war I love this paper. My friend writes for it. I am not working now as I am disabled but I like to keep up on labor issues and peace and justice. I have a song from my CD called “Project Bluebird” (the name is the same as that for an old CIA mind control experiment previous to Project Mkultra, but I just happen to like bluebirds). This song, “Rose Colored War,” is being considered for airplay on Democracy Now. Please feel free to spread it around. My friend Eileen Murphy (siennagallery.com) is the amazing lyricist of this song. I wrote the music. Eric Royer (guitarmachine.com), an outstanding multi-instrumentalist who is getting international attention for his one-man band, did the magic. I am a poet and lyricist, too, but I like to get fellow writers’ voices out there and set many to music. So far about 10 writers are involved with Project Bluebird from all over the country. It is all low-tech but quite fun.

Nancy Pontius Tucson AZ

Editor’s note: Thank you for the song and keep us updated on where readers can access it.

GULFCOASTUPDATE

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:00:00 +0000

20,000 in Lafayette, La., challenge city to provide services

A town hall meeting of Katrina survivors stranded in FEMA trailer camps just outside Lafayette, La., took place April 19. The 20,000 displaced now make up 20 percent of the town’s population, yet have no access to transportation, decent education, health care, jobs or civic participation. Lafayette received federal funds as a “diaspora city,” but has earmarked the funds for building roads, not addressing survivors’ needs. The trailer camp residents come from numerous towns and parishes in South Louisiana and Texas, including Lake Charles, New Iberia and Grand Isle. Some 3,500 trailer camp residents are now registered to vote in Lafayette.

Elections roll on amid protests

Despite protests from the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP, the Urban League and scores of grassroots organizations, the New Orleans April 22 municipal elections are under way. This local election has national attention and implications.

There are voters in all 50 states eligible to vote for mayor of one city, said Susan Howell, a University of New Orleans pollster. “This is the most unusual mayoral election in American history.”

In the mayor’s race, Mayor Ray Nagin has 22 challengers. Of that group, seven were considered serious enough to participate in a nationally televised debate on the CNBC “Chris Matthews Show.” Although elections are nonpartisan, a clear split occurred during the debate when Matthews asked the candidates their assessment of President Bush’s response to the disaster. Three candidates approved Bush’s performance, while the remaining four, including Nagin, sharply condemned the administration.

FEMA will not pay for the New Orleans elections, although following 9/11, The agency paid $7.9 million to reschedule and organize New York City’s elections. The cost associated with replacing destroyed voting machines, setting up polling locations, making nationwide voter contacts, handling increased absentee ballots, training new election judges and tackling other infrastructure issues is estimated to be $4 million.

“Does President Bush care about the democratic process in New Orleans?” asked Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater. Alter vowed to become “obsessive-compulsive” to force FEMA to treat New Orleans the same as New York.

Gov’s plan lacks affordable housing

Gov. Kathleen Blanco presented a plan April 18 to “rebuild” New Orleans. But it only provides 6,000 affordable rental housing units. It also reduces assistance to homeowners who used their insurance settlements to make mortgage payments on their property even though the property was unlivable.

“The plan ‘as is’ is not going to give residents back their city,” a coalition of groups said in a joint press release. “It undermines the right to return by denying residents access to the resources needed to rebuild their lives,” the New Orleans Survivor Council, Advancement Project and the Lower Ninth Ward Homeowners Association said.

Was Barry Bonds targeted?

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:59:00 +0000

Of all the bulked-up major league baseball players suspected of using steroids in the mid-to-late 1990s, how is it that Barry Bonds, baseball’s pre-eminent Black player, came to be Target No. 1 of federal investigators? Is Bonds really the fraud he is made out to be by the steady leaks of grand jury records? Or is he instead only the latest in a long line of Black athletes in American history wrongfully targeted for destruction by zealous government officials determined to put them in their place?

The Bonds probe began in 2000 in an almost innocuous fashion. That was the year a federal investigator named Jeff Novitzky, a former basketball player at San Jose State University described as a “failed athlete” by an attorney for Bonds’ trainer, expressed wonder and not a small degree of suspicion over Bonds’ amazing size and strength, as he watched the Black star working out at a Burlingame, Calif., gym.

“Do you think he’s on steroids?” Novitzky reportedly asked a state agent one day, who also exercised at the gym. “I think they’re all on steroids,” the agent told him. “All of our top major leaguers.” But it was Bonds, the incredibly buff, defiant and immensely rich Black athlete, who most riveted Novitzky’s attention. According to an article by Jonathan Littman in an April 2004 issue of Playboy magazine, Novitzky, referring to Bonds’ alleged steroid use, replied, “I’d sure like to prove it.”

Thus began the 18-month BALCO investigation. [BALCO is the laboratory charged with selling steroids to athletes.] But where federal prosecutors have thus far failed in the quest to “prove it” in a court of law, authoritative insiders have certainly more than compensated by an unusually robust performance in the court of public opinion. Far more than a mere leak, anonymous courthouse sources have delivered journalists a veritable cascade of information, much of it providing circumstantial evidence deeply damaging to Bonds’ reputation in everything from his hitting records to his marital fidelity.

So did race play a significant role in the origins and orchestration of the Bonds investigation? It’s difficult to conclude. But it’s not difficult to see what prosecutors did not choose to do in 1998, two years before the Bonds probe began, when bulked-up white slugger Mark McGwire captured the public’s imagination by breaking Roger Maris’ single-season home-run record in almost supernatural fashion. No probe was ever launched of McGwire or the plentiful other major leaguers whose oversized physiques helped translate into greatly-inflated statistics and lucrative contracts long before Bonds allegedly starting using the drugs. In fact, investigative writer Jonathan Littman specifically pointed to racism as the driving force behind the BALCO investigation. McGwire “essentially gets a free pass,” the journalist told Knight Ridder in 2004. “He’s not under near the scrutiny as [Bonds].”

Why?

“Because, I think, Mr. McGwire is a white guy.” In a larger sense, the Bonds controversy echoes the long and frequently disturbing history of the American government’s actions toward successful Black athletes and Black entertainers who, when viewed as a threat to mainstream white attitudes, have frequently been targeted for prosecution or other means of banishment. Jack Johnson aroused such venomous white hatred during his reign as heavyweight-boxing champion from 1910-1915 — both inside the ring, where he defeated one “Great White Hope” after another, and outside, where he dared to flaunt his relationships with white women — that federal prosecutors went after him with an almost evangelical zeal. The authorities finally charged and convicted him of trumped-up violations of the Mann Act, which prohibited interstate trafficking in prostitution. Johnson’s boxing career was destroyed.

From the 1920s through the 1940s, singer, athlete and actor Paul Robeson was widely admired as one of America’s finest entertainers. But when Robeson publicly protested racism and inequality in his native land, and committed the unpardonable sin of speaking favorably about communism during the Cold War, the U.S. government reacted swiftly by revoking his passport in 1950. Unable to travel overseas, and blacklisted in the United States, Robeson’s career never recovered. And it was in 1967, after he aroused government fury at the height of the Vietnam War by refusing military induction on religious grounds, that boxer Muhammad Ali was charged with draft evasion. Boxing authorities stripped him of his heavyweight title and his license to fight, thus depriving him of three years of his livelihood at the crest of his physical prowess.

Bonds is not anything like those storied figures in the most fundamental ways. He certainly never had to scrape his way up from grinding poverty, nor had to overcome hardcore segregation, as did Johnson. Neither does Bonds possess the sterling character, deep political conscience and worldwide respect that Robeson commanded. And it is certainly true that Bonds has never made a single political stand as brave or unpopular as Ali’s. To equate Bonds to such courageous men on those scores is certainly to cheat the latter. But two things Bonds certainly does share with those men are the color of his skin and a supreme ability in his chosen field.

In each case, too, government officials set out specifically to get the outsized Black figure, to “prove” his criminality, and to counter his threat to the established order, in court and in public opinion. As in 1910, 1950 and 1967, race in Bonds’ age remains a powerful determinant in American society. Then, as now, few figures in our national consciousness provoke as much public controversy as the gifted, arrogant and rich Black athlete — especially one who threatens our most cherished national myths. Now as spring arrives, as baseball returns, and as Bonds resumes his assault on Babe Ruth’s and Hank Aaron’s career home-run records, it might help to consider that history as we regard the decidedly mixed torrent of boos and cheers that the Black slugger will once again elicit around America.

Bonds may not be Jack Johnson, Paul Robeson or Muhammad Ali. But in light of the egregious treatment of those great men at the hands of the U.S. government, I cannot help suspecting that Bonds’ supreme competitiveness and excellence, like theirs, set him on a collision course with authorities deeply intent on putting him in his place, one way or another. And in the exciting weeks and months ahead, no matter whether it ends in failure or triumph, Bonds’ electrifying quest on the field for the Giants will prove just as evocative of America’s anguished, continuing and complex racial history.

Neil Henry teaches journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. This article originally appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and is reprinted by permission of the author.

LETTERS

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:46:00 +0000

Fraud & insurance companies Worker compensation insurance companies charge high premiums and do not want to take care of a truly injured worker. They would rather pay out tens of thousands of dollars to attorneys to interrupt the healing of an injured worker. They also rather string out the process in hopes that the injured worker will get fed up and give into them. Or they stalk and film the injured worker. That is fraud. In my case, I was hurt on the job June of 2003. I had 2 surgeries and requested a new doctor. My new doctor requested an MRI, CT scan and X-rays due to the fact I was still having problems. The insurance company, Zurich, told my doctor that he could not touch me just talk and give pain pills. It took six or seven months to get in front of the judge. The judge ordered the tests! As a result of the tests the doctor requested surgery. But Zurich refused again. This time they hired a company to stalk me to try to film me. The second judge threw out these films. But what a waste of money! Well, finally I had my third surgery, but my doctor had to do three procedures at one time, because the insurance company told him they would only approve one surgery. Now the insurance company does not want to approve all the physical therapy requested. They get paid their premiums and need to stop harassing injured workers. It is fraud for them to collect the money they do for the policies and then play these games.

Warren O. Davis Jr. Via e-mail

Thrilled but Shore not first We are thrilled with Debra Shore’s win but Judge Sebastian Patti is the first openly gay person to win a countywide race in Cook County, not Shore as reported in “Illinois primary yields new challenges” (PWW 4/1-7). Judicial candidate Mike McHale also won countywide in the primary. He was not only slated by the Cook County Democrats he was also unopposed and is unopposed in the general election in November. Debra Shore has given many of us faith in the system. She ran an excellent campaign and did everything she needed to do to win. This was an excellent election cycle for the gay community in Chicago.

Rick Garcia Via e-mail Rick Garcia is the political director for Equality Illinois.

For the record I would like to correct a serious error in “Sago survivor home, mine safety battle continues” (PWW 4/8-14). In the final paragraph, you write: “On May 2 the state of West Virginia will hold a public hearing in Buckhannon to get answers to questions about the lack of action by MSHA and the coal companies to protect miners, and to determine the cause of the Sago Mine explosion.” The May 2 public hearing is a joint effort by both West Virginia and the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. In fact, the entire investigatory process has been a joint effort from the start. The purpose of the hearing is to get answers about the Sago explosion. Also, please note that not only does MSHA enforce mine safety and health laws in West Virginia mines; West Virginia has its own state enforcement office that has similar responsibilities for keeping miners safe. We would appreciate a correction.

Amy Louviere Arlington VA Amy Louviere is a spokeswoman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Editor’s note: Thank you Rick Garcia and Amy Louviere. We stand corrected.

New Orleans needs tourism Thank you for your continued coverage of New Orleans. There is so much work still to be done, and keeping us in your readers’ minds is crucial. Our tourism-based economy has suffered a severe blow, yet there is a duality to New Orleans that makes it a must-see for anyone planning a vacation. The French Quarter is virtually untouched, the Garden District is pristine, eclectic Magazine Street, Faubourg Marigny and the Bywater historic districts are hopping with activity. Visitors could come to New Orleans now and not see a thing wrong, but the large area of destruction is a trip they should not miss. Our world-class restaurants, galleries, music joints, and especially our wonderful small hotels are all ready for you to come now! Many of our attractions are small businesses, owned and operated by New Orleanians who are suffering greatly. With no financial aid forthcoming for the thousands of small businesses which are the very heart of what makes the traditional “New Orleans experience” so unique, most are hanging on by a thread. We are counting on the return of our visitors to keep us going.

Joanne Hilton New Orleans LA Joanne Hilton is the innkeeper of St. Charles Guest House.

Worse in Texas than reported I had to find out too much the hard way in Texas. Do you know about the TMAPS — the Texas Medication Algorithm Project plan that started with G.W. Bush as he frivolously served citizens of Texas as governor? Illinois is piloting a spin off of the plan through what’s called Freedom Initiative (another Bush gift to “big pharma”). Major news providers are not reporting the findings of Allen Jones, an investigator for the Pennsylvania Office of the Inspector General, who lost his job after reporting all the conflicts of interests, harms and frauds associated with TMAPS. You may wonder why Medicare benefits are being cut, while billions of dollars are spent on drugs that harm and kill our elderly and children. Please inform to make a difference.

Brenda Durant Via e-mail

France’s left leadership Mark Weisbrot’s “Labor law ‘reform’ in France” (PWW 4/8-14) gives a good economic basis for why millions are in the streets protesting the Chirac law. In the April 1 issue of The Economist, “Leaders: France Faces the Future” puts another side to the issue. In describing the impact of globalization they cite a poll that stated that, while “71 percent of Americans, 66 percent of the British and 65 percent of Germans agreed that the free market was the best system available, the number in France was just 36 percent.” The main variable which contributes to this kind of class consciousness is the historic role of the French Communist Party and the CGT, the largest and most left of the labor federations. Both of these mass organizations are playing a leading role in today’s struggle in France.

Phil E. Benjamin Brooklyn NY

Wal-Mart blocks port security

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:24:00 +0000

A lobby group dominated by Wal-Mart has successfully blocked efforts in recent years to increase security measures in U.S. ports wherever those measures might cut into the company’s profits, a report delivered to members of Congress by the AFL-CIO April 5 stated.

The report details how the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) lobby group has opposed introduction of electronic seals for cargo containers coming into U.S. ports, dismissing them as “feel good measures.” RILA has opposed independent inspections of supply-chain security practices and new container-handling fees to pay for improved port security.

The AFL-CIO report reveals that Wal-Mart and its lobbyists have given $191,500 to House Homeland Security Committee members, and $63,000 to current members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

“Congress needs to take immediate steps to ensure our nation’s safety is outside the sphere of influence of large corporations like Wal-Mart,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

In testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security April 4, RILA’s vice president of global supply chain, Jonathan Gold, invoked terrorism to oppose regulations that might cut into Wal-Mart’s profits, which topped $11 billion last year. “If commerce is disrupted … through ill-conceived regulation of our international trading system,” he warned, “then the terrorists will have achieved one of their key goals.”