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	VIEWS MAGAZINE ARTICLES

	SPRING, 1998 - VOLUME 17 Download Entire Volume

	No borders to justice: Savvy environmentalists spot a red herring In recent years western states have undergone the most rapid economic growth in the country, accompanied by a swelling population and rapid development. Ours is now the most strongly concentrated, urbanized population in the nation. Population increase coupled with growth management are producing denser urban zones and inner suburbs that are increasingly mixed racially as well. As communities begin to grapple with pressing issues regarding housing, transportation, education and social services, growing populations of immigrants and people of color are being scapegoated as the source of those pressures.


	Fighting the new Jim Crow: The battle over affirmative action The battleground over the future of affirmative action has moved from the courts to the states. In 1996, California passed Proposition 209, a law that banned affirmative action for women and minorities in California’s public sector. Washington State will vote on a similar measure in November called Initiative 200. In 1998, thirteen other states introduced legislation to end affirmative action for people of color and women, but these failed to qualify for a vote. Through these state campaigns anti-affirmative action activists hope to prove their strength and build support in Congress for changes in federal law.



	The Facts and Fictions about Affirmative Action Affirmative action first became federal policy in 1965 when President Johnson issued Executive Order 11246, telling federal agencies they couldn’t contract with firms unless they were committed to equal opportunity for African-Americans. In 1970, President Nixon added equal opportunity for women. The result? Affirmative action programs have helped five million people of color and six million women advance in the workforce. Yet despite these gains, affirmative action has been under attack for the last twenty years. In 1996, Governor Wilson of California led an initiative campaign to abolish that state’s affirmative action program, and in Washington state an initiative will be on the November 1998 ballot to kill it there. At the same time, the right wing continues to attack affirmative action at the federal level. Use this discussion sheet to share with your friends and coworkers.



	Legislative sessions in review: Big challenges, small victories and missed opportunities No surprise: the results of recent legislative sessions in our region are mixed. The Right continued to attack the ability of government to regulate and administer natural resources, public access to meetings and records, labor, affirmative action, and reproductive rights, yet they were not always successful. Some bad legislation was held at bay, and some small gains were won.



	Organizing in the South: Reflections on a history of pain and possibility While our experiences in the West are in many senses unique to the region, we also have much to learn from the histories and struggles of organizers in other parts of the country. The South is one area that shares much in common with the West — especially in the challenges progressives face organizing in a region that is profoundly conservative. In this article, veteran organizer Scot Douglas reflects on his experience organizing in the South.



	Migrant workers, minimum wage: Congress considers a new Guest Worker program There is a time-honored tradition in this country of relying on various kinds of immigration to supply labor: forced immigration to provide free labor (African slaves for agricultural work); voluntary immigration to provide lowpaid labor (Chinese for railroad construction, Irish for mine work); temporary immigration to provide lowpaid labor (Mexicans for the agricultural and poultry industries). In addition, imprisoned laborers perform chain gang road work and, more recently, produce goods and services for corporations. In every case, poor people with few options (either because of economic conditions or violence) are imprisoned through control by individuals or corporations, whose coffers they fill through their labor.



	Just View It! Michael Moore plays the "Big One" on Nike's turf Most of us first heard about Michael Moore when "Roger and Me," his scathingly funny movie about the effect of GM layoffs on his hometown of Flint, Michigan, hit the theaters. By then Moore was an old hand at critiquing the system. While still in high school, Moore ran for a seat on his local school board, and won. At 22 he founded the Flint Voice, an alternative newspaper. And since "Roger and Me," Moore has kept busy, first producing "TV Nation" a satiric news show, and writing "Downsize This: Random Threats from an Unarmed American."



	Profile: Janet Robideau Organizer for Indian People's Action in Montana and graduate of the 1st ALMP class The Advanced Leadership and Mentorship Program focuses on the development of grassroots leaders and organizers in our region. It is designed to identify and support emerging or experienced leaders and organizers who have developed expertise at the local level and want to increase their effectiveness by further developing specific skills and acquiring broader experience.



	Media ABCs: Making the news If you want the media to pay attention to your organization and issues, your job is to create handles for the news media to grab. Andy Robinson explores several ways to make friends with the news media in this insightful article.



	Staff and Board news Western States Center staff member Tarso Luís Ramos is completing his first year as a Rockefeller fellow. We asked him to tell us about the program and his participation. The Center also welcomes new board member Jen Ray, and asked her to tell us about herself and her thoughts as she comes onboard.



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