Bush in South Bend

[dray178355]

We have it on pretty good authority that Bush will be in South Bend on Feb 23. Just thought I'd share the joy! }( We'll keep you guys posted and any planned actions will be updated accordingly!

Deb

[IndianaGreen]

1. Thanks for the info, Deb

Is he coming to Notre Dame again?

We should give him a hearty Hoosier welcome!

[dray178355]

2. At Bethel College in Mishawaka

It will be kind of interesting to see how they handle it. When he came to ND or Downtown SB they'd bring him in on the main roads and shut them all down. He'll have to come to the SB airport which is all the way across town on the west side of SB. Mishawaka is just east of SB. I'll link to a map. There are some union things beginning to happen already and I'm working on pulling in all the progressive communities with a couple of other people. I'll keep you all posted.

Chocola must really be polling badly for him to come this soon. He certainly can't ride Bush's coat tails this year.

We're going to see Howard in Hobart tonight, so I probably won't post again until tomorrow. I should know more then. Have to get ready for work now.

Here's a link to a map....


Logan St is the SB/Mishawaka City Limits.

Deb

[tulip]

3. Hope He's Not Back at ND!

The last time he was there was over the Social Security issue. He must be campaigning again for someone.

[dray178355]

4. Plans for Bush Visit starting to gel...

We decided that in order to get as many people to attend as we could we would hold one event the evening before the visit so those of us that work full time would be able to come and also to, hopefully, get more local media attention. I'll post details on the Thursday event as we get them. Here are the details from the press release for the Wednesday, Feb 22 event:

The Working Families Coalition of Michiana is sponsoring a rally on Wednesday, February 22, 2006, the evening before President Bush’s visit to Bethel College, Mishawaka and an informational picket (PROTEST MARCH) on Thursday, February 23, the day of the president’s visit.
We will greet President Bush, prior to his arrival on Thursday, with a Working Families rally on Wednesday evening. The rally will give regular people the opportunity to address the president about the issues that are important to working Americans:

• War in Iraq
• Health Care
• Medicare
• Pensions
• Social Security
• Government Corruption
• Unfair Trade Policies
• Government Accountability
• Domestic Spying and Civil Liberties
• Barriers to Voting & Registration
• Reliable Vote Counting
• Immigrant’s Rights
• Funding for Education

• Location: John Young Middle School 1801 N Main St. Mishawaka, Indiana 46545
• 6:30 pm until 8:00 pm. Doors of John Young Middle school will open at 5PM
• School Concession stand will be open and all profits will go to the school.

• Buses for the informational picket at Bethel College on Thursday Feb 23 will begin leaving Teamsters Local 364 parking lot at 8:00 am. Teamster Local 364 is located at 2405 E. Edison Road South Bend, Indiana 46615

Member organizations of the Working Families Coalition of Michiana include:

Alliance of Retired Americans
American Federation of State, County,& Municipal Employees Council 61
Central Indiana Jobs with Justice
Elkhart County, DFA
Laborers
Indiana AFL-CIO
Michiana Common Ground
Michiana for Democracy/Democracy for America
North Central Indiana AFL-CIO Council
St. Joseph Valley Building and Construction Trades Council
St. Joseph Valley Project Jobs with Justice
United Steelworkers
United Food and Commercial Workers
United Auto Workers
WAND, Women's Action for New Direction of Northern Indiana

John Young Middle School is next door to the college. There is a lot more going on but I don't have complete info yet. Sorry it took so long for me to post this. We just had our finalizing meeting Monday night. We have one more meeting.

Joe Donnelly, the 2nd district candidate for Congress will be the featured speaker. There are more speaker plans in the works but some are tentatvie so I'll keep ya' posted!

Thanks for your patience on this. I wish I could post more, but with a full time job and trying to stay active......sigh.

Debbie

[dray178355]

5. Feb 23 info (Day of Visit)

February 23, 2006---Informational Picket (Protest march)

The Working Families Coalition of Michiana is sponsoring an informational picket on Thursday, February 23. We will gather at the old Target store on Logan Avenue.

map to old Target store.

You can enter the lot off of Logan or McKinley Avenue. If you look at the area north west of the intersection of Logan & McKinley it is in that general area.

Buses for the informational picket (protest march) at Bethel College on Thursday Feb 23 will begin leaving Teamsters Local 364 parking lot at 8:00 am. Teamster Local 364 is located at 2405 E. Edison Road South Bend, Indiana, 46615. If you want to take a bus from the Union Hall and need location info, scroll north on the map above and Edison Rd. will appear. It is about 3 or 4 blocks west of Logan.

The locations are all on the South Bend, Mishawaka city limits. That is where Bethel is located.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to e-mail me. I'll be happy to help out.

Debbie

[cascadiance]

6. Is he going to be palling with Count Chocola there?

I don't want to barf looking at new pics of Chocola (who I did yardwork with in high school in Michigan) next to *...

[LisaLynne]

7. Yeah, guess where I live.

Right next to the "college" he's visiting. I don't want to run the college down, because my friend's parents and two of my cousins went there, but it's such a little place. But, they are Fundy. I think that says something.

Anyway, I think I'll leave town for a day or two. I don't think even keeping the windows closed will keep out the smell.

[Chiyo-chichi]

8. Protest pics

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x500782

[tulip]

9. DNC Responds To His Visit

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Democratic National Committee released the following fact sheet today on Indiana's working families:

Indiana's working families are struggling because of the misplaced priorities of President Bush and Republicans in Washington, but that's not stopping the President from heading to Northern Indiana for a fat cat fundraiser benefitting Republican Congressman Chris Chocola. President Bush will headline a $500-a-plate luncheon, followed by a $4,000-per person photo session, at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind.

Republicans in Washington have done nothing to help Indiana's working families pay skyrocketing college tuition costs, find affordable, quality health care, or cope with out of control home heating bills and gas prices. In fact, Congressman Chocola recently voted for and President Bush signed a budget bill that slashed $14 billion from student loan programs that help 177,850 Indiana college students, while the President's budget for next year slashes more than $26 million from vocational training programs in Indiana.

"While President Bush and Congressman Chocola have no problem raising campaign cash at Bethel College, their drastic budget cuts are undermining education opportunities for Indiana students," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "President Bush should use his speech today to explain to Indiana students why he is gutting student loan programs while college tuitions continue to rise.

"Indiana can do better. It's time for Congressman Chocola and the rest of Indiana's Republicans in Washington to join Democrats in fighting to help Indiana's working families heat their homes, fill their gas tanks, educate their children and find quality, affordable health care."

The following is a fact sheet on failure of President Bush and Indiana's Republicans in Washington to stand up for Indiana's working families:

HOOSIERS HIT HARD BY BUSH BUDGET

Indiana Bleeding Manufacturing Jobs. Over 5,600 jobs and 69,400 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Indiana, with 176,376 looking for work. (BLS, 1/06) Family income has dropped by $2,497 since 2000. (CPS, 10/05)

Republicans In Washington Undercut Aid to Displaced Workers. The Republican budget slashes funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership by 58 percent and eliminates the Advanced Technology Program (Budget of the US Government, 2/06). It also eliminates $26,221,000 in funding for vocational education in Indiana. (FFIS, 2/06)

Indiana's Working Families Saddled with Out of Control Gas and Home Heating Costs. As of January of this year, home heating costs were expected to increase by 74 percent in Indiana's region of the country, and gas prices had increased by 64 cents in Indiana since May of 2004, an increase of approximately 32 percent. (EIA, 1/06; AAA Fuel Gauge Report, 1/06 and 5/05)

Republicans Refuse to Provide Relief to Families Struggling to Heat Their Homes. The Bush Administration is refusing to call for extra funds for low-income home energy assistance (LIHEAP) this winter, even though the number of applicants for assistance has increased by 17,164 in Indiana. (National Energy Assistance Directors Association, 12/05)

Bush Budget Cuts Undermine Indiana Homeland Security Efforts. The Republican budget slashes funding for the COPS program by 79 percent. It eliminates the Local Law Enforcement Grant program, which provided $7,763,554 in funding to local law enforcement in Indiana, so they have the training and equipment they need to keep communities safe, and provided no new funds for the CDC Bioterrorism program. (DHS 12 /3/04; FFIS, 2/06)

More Indiana Families Lack Health Insurance, While Those With Coverage Pay More Than Ever. There are 872,000 people without health insurance in Indiana, a 198,000 increase since 2000. (CPS, 10/05) The cost of health insurance has increased by $1,679 -- a 120 percent increase. (KFF 2005; MEPS 2005) But the Republican budget eliminates $99 million in preventive and community health funding nationwide.

Cuts to Medicare Threaten Indiana Seniors. In addition, the Bush budget cuts Medicare by $36 billion over the next five years, resulting in $530,913,830 in cuts to hospitals, nursing homes, and home health providers serving seniors and people with disabilities in Indiana. (The Health Economics and Outcomes Research Institute at Greater New York Hospital Association, 2/06)

Republicans in Washington Still Leaving Indiana's School Children Behind. Because Republicans have failed to provide promised education funds, 40,017 children in Indiana have gone without help in reading and math and 23,537 have gone without after-school programs that boost academic achievement and keep kids safe. (CRS, 1/2006) The Bush budget freezes funding for Head Start, which places pressure on states to cut services for 299 children in State. (NHSA, 2/7/06)