Kucinich to Make Keynote Address In Texas Saturday, Speaks to Farm-Labor Party in Minnesota Sunday

[Flabbergasted]

Kucinich to Make Keynote Address In Texas Saturday, Speaks to Farm-Labor Party in Minnesota Sunday



CLEVELAND, March 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ohio Congressman and
Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich will be the keynote
speaker at a statewide gathering of Progressive Democratic groups and
activist organizations in San Antonio, TX on Saturday, March 10. The
following day, Kucinich will be in St. Paul, MN for a meeting with leaders
and members of the Democratic Farm-Labor Party, which endorsed former
Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in the 2004 Presidential campaign.


In San Antonio, Kucinich will deliver a major address at 3 p.m.
Saturday following the annual general meeting of the Progressive Populist
Caucus (PPC) and the Progressive Alliance Conference of Texas (PACT)
statewide meeting. The event will be at Northeast Service Center "Toolyard"
at 10303 Toolyard (south of Wurzbach Parkway, between Perrin Beitel and
Thousand Oaks).


Following his address, he will attend two fundraising events: A
reception at the home of supporter Lori Ramirez, 21215 La Ladera, San
Antonio, beginning at about 4:30 p.m.; and a second event beginning at
about 7:30 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Boulevard,
Austin, hosted by Elliot Kralj, Central Texans for Kucinich.


Sunday, March 11, Kucinich will deliver a 1 p.m. address to the 6th
Congressional District Democratic Farm-Labor Party meeting at the
Carpenter's Hall, 700 Olive Street, St. Paul, Minnesota. Following that,
beginning at about 3 p.m., Kucinich will meet local voters at the Sawadtee
Restaurant, 607 Washington Avenue S., in Minneapolis.
For further information or to request interviews, please contact:

Texas:
Bill Crosier, [phone], [e-mail]
Elliot Kralj, [phone], [e-mail]
Jen [phone], [e-mail]

Minnesota:
Nancy Schumacher, [phone]

National HQ:
Andy Juniewicz, [phone], [e-mail]


http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-07-2007/0004541944&EDATE=

[SaveElmer]

1. Just to make sure folks understand...the Democratic Farm Labor party...

Is Minnesota's version of the Democratic Party....

The Democratic Party and Farm-Labor Party merged a number of years ago, primarily through the efforts of Hubert Humphrey...

[BayCityProgressive]

2. I love Kucinich

even if he doesn't win I hope he gets a better showing than last time. I would like his delegates to be able to shape the party agenda..

[Flabbergasted]

3. Kucinich : "...wrong..when profits of agribusiness corps skyrocket but farmers sell fams to survive

http://kucinich.us/issues/farmpolicy.php

Farm Policy

Something is wrong when profits of agribusiness corporations skyrocket, but farmers must find off-farm jobs or sell their farms to survive. I believe the United States must implement the following farm policies to benefit farmers, provide our nation with wholesome food, protect our natural resources, and restore our rural communities:

Fair Price and Fair Markets
Cancel NAFTA and the WTO, replacing them with bilateral trade agreements designed to benefit family farmers and workers while protecting the health of communities and the environment. Country-of-origin labeling would be required. Empower farmers in the marketplace by providing incentives to join a collective bargaining unit -- with voluntary membership open only to active producers and the right to bring suit in federal court if an agribusiness doesn't bargain in good faith.

Market Concentration
Create new markets by actively enforcing existing anti-trust laws and proposing new laws to force divestiture in concentrated markets, breaking apart monopolistic agribusiness companies and shifting farm economics towards higher commodity prices for farmers. To increase competition in the livestock industry, support a national ban on packer ownership of livestock.

Biotechnology and GM Seeds
Advocate only for responsible farm sector biotechnology, creating an indemnity fund -- financed by the corporations responsible for the technology -- for farmers who incur losses caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To protect farmers, labeling GMO seeds with disclosure and liability information must be required. To protect consumers, food containing GMOs also requires labeling.

Local Food Systems
Shift USDA funding and focus away from the promotion of concentrated intensive and industrial agribusiness. The new focus must benefit family farmers, rural communities, the environment, and consumers, with policies crafted to enable farmers to earn a fair price and to provide safe, nutritious food to all people. Increase funding for regional food processing facilities, marketing assistance, farm-to-school programs, on-farm renewable energy, and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Agricultural research and development institutions must be given funding priority to help family farmers make a transition to profitable and sustainable agriculture.

Conservation and Environmental Protection
Strengthen and enforce air and water quality laws to safeguard rural communities from factory farm pollution. The number of animal units per site would be limited to a level that allows for on-site manure management, and local communities would be given control over the siting of industrial livestock operations. Programs that reward family farmers for protecting the environment would be expanded, and funding to help small independent farmers qualify for organic certification would be increased.

Food Industry Workers and Food Safety
Implement new safety standards in meatpacking and food processing. Worker health and safety protections would be expanded through increased inspections and fines, with criminal charges for employers who cause injury or death to agricultural industry workers. Backing meatpacking unions will help to bring wages and benefits in line with the risks of the job, and funding for smaller, regional packing plants will create better economic opportunities for family farmers, better conditions for workers, and safer meat for consumers.

Rural Communities
Initiate a major new program of investment in rural America, putting thousands to work rebuilding invaluable public assets such as schools, hospitals, libraries, swimming pools, and parks. Teachers, doctors, veterinarians, and other important service providers would be offered incentives to work in under-served areas. A variety of support mechanisms and financial incentives would be given to local businesses, so that locally owned businesses have a fair chance to compete.

[Solon]

4. Isn't it true that the Republicans in that state are called the "Independent Republicans"?

I thought I heard that they renamed themselves to disassociate with Nixon's corruption.

[SaveElmer]

6. Yeah that is right...

The way they act they should take that "Independent" off of their name...they are wholly in bed with the Bush cabal!

[ISUGRADIA]

8. They went by that until around 1994

Then dropped the "Independent" Ironically, just the period when the final more moderate Republicans here were purged out as not being conservative enough.

[AnOhioan]

5. Keeping it kicked n/t

[donsu]

7. kick

nt

[Czolgosz]

9. K

[Dinger]

10. Proud To Give This A K & R! (nt)