Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Welfare Rights Committee on the corporate media coverage that followed their March 23 die-in if front of the office of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Some of the critical coverage focused on the participation of students from Southside Family School in Minneapolis.

‘These cuts would kill’

St. Paul, MN – Tombstones and bodies filled the halls outside the Governor’s office here, March 23, as participants in a ‘die-in’ demonstrated against the effects of Governor Pawlenty’s proposed cuts in health and human services. Members of the Welfare Rights Committee and the Minnesota Coalition for a Peoples Bailout, along with other social justice groups, joined the protest.

St. Paul, MN – Governor 'Scrooge Pawlenty' was by visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future at his mansion here on Dec. 22. Said the ghost of Christmas future, “The people of Minnesota will continue to haunt you. They will expose your miserable actions if you continue to push your greedy, poor-bashing agenda. They will warn voters to block your ambitions if you try to spread your lies in a pathetic run for the presidency.”

St. Paul, MN – Anti-war protesters gathered at the office of U.S. Representative Betty McCollum here, Dec. 17, to say to no to the war on Afghanistan and to oppose any new taxes to pay for the war. Rep. McCollum supports President Obama's call to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. In addition, she has proposed a 1% tax increase to pay for this war. The event was organized by the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee.

Picket demands “Tax the rich”

St. Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee and the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout gathered in the state capitol building, Dec. 2, outside the room where Minnesota Management and Budget department heads presented the ‘November Forecast,’ projecting a $1.2 billion deficit.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people gathered here, for an Oct. 28 mass community meeting to demand a moratorium on foreclosures and for protections for renters in foreclosed properties. Organized by the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout, the meeting brought together people facing foreclosures, trade unionists, welfare rights activists and concerned members of the community.

St. Paul, MN – A pesar de una de las peores tormentas de nieve que hemos visto desde hace mucho tiempo, la gente de bajos recursos llegó a la capital este 2 de febrero, para exigir que los legisladores deshagan los recortes a la asistencia pública. La protesta fue organizada por el Comité para los Derechos a la Asistencia Pública (Welfare Rights Committee) y la Coalición de Minnesota para los Derechos a la Asistencia Pública (MN Welfare Rights Coalition). Más de cien personas de bajos recursos les dijeron a los políticos minnesoteños que es hora de cobrarles más impuestos a la gente rica, para poder cumplir con las necesidades de la gente más necesitada. La hora de la manifestación correspondió con el primer día de sesiones de la asamblea legislativa del estado de Minnesota.

Voices from the protest

These are statements from some of the many people who will protest against the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN on September 1-4, 2008.

St. Paul, MN – As the head of the Saint Paul City Council banged her gavel, Deb Konechne, of the Coalition to March on the RNC & Stop the War and the Welfare Rights Committee, stood up and demanded that council members listen to statements on why permits should be granted now for a massive anti-war march at the Republican National Convention. When the Council refused to hear the statements, protesters chanted, “We need the permits,” and marched out of the meeting.

St Paul, MN – Members of the Welfare Rights Committee construct “Venturaville” out of cardboard boxes and tarps, in front of Governor Jesse Ventura's office, inside Minnesota State Capitol building. Low-income people slammed the Ventura's anti-poor budget proposal.

St. Paul, MN – “House Republicans! We're at your door! Stop stealing from the poor!” chanted more than 150 low-income people, outside the doors to the chambers of the MN House of Representatives, May 3. In front of the chamber doors sat 8 determined people. The 8 were arrested, and jailed overnight with bails of $12,000 each.

St. Paul, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee and community supporters went to Governor Ventura's office, Nov. 21, to picket and demand that the he stop the scheduled “Holiday Welfare Cut-offs.”

Minneapolis, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee has taken to the airwaves (and cable networks) to pound anti-poor politicians.

Saint Paul, MN – “Tell the monsters to come out. They want to tell those monsters how angry they are,” said Ya Vang, Hmong interpreter for the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC). “They won't come out, they're afraid of us. They know we're out here,” responded Birgid Maschenik of WRC. The “monsters” that the Welfare Rights Committee members were talking about were the Republican members of the MN House of Representatives.

St. Paul, MN – “We call it the 'Mother's Day Massacre,'” said Trishalla Bell, of the Welfare Rights Committee. “The politicians chose Sunday afternoon – Mother's Day – to vote to throw thousands of Minnesota kids into the streets,” she continued. Bell was talking about the May 12 vote of the Minnesota legislative budget bill conference committee against language for a moratorium on the welfare time limit.

Minneapolis, MN – “Not one dime in cuts to poor and working people! Make the rich pay for the budget crisis!” is the rallying cry of Minnesota's low-income families. As Minnesota faces a massive budget deficit, the Welfare Rights Committee is gearing up to go head to head with state politicians.

Minneapolis, MN – Minnesota's poor are going on the offensive against budget cuts and welfare cut-offs. Faced with a $4 billion budget shortfall, politicians want to balance the budget on the backs of poor and working people. Organizers of the Minneapolis-St. Paul based Welfare Rights Committee have announced plans for hard hitting demonstrations under the slogans, ‘No cuts to poor and working people. Stop the welfare cut-offs,” and ‘Make the rich pay for the crisis.'

St Paul, MN – Braving one of the worst blizzards in recent memory, low-income people converged on the state capitol, Feb 2, to demand that lawmakers undo the cuts to public assistance. Organized by the twin cities-based Welfare Rights Committee and the statewide MN Welfare Rights Coalition, more than one hundred low-income people told Minnesota politicians that it's time to tax the rich and meet the needs of the poor. The rally was timed to coincide with the opening day of the state legislature.