In response to this urgent situation, the Working Group seeks to resource an experienced organizer from the Alliance to lead trainings on base building and provide support with civil disobedience and direct actions in New Orleans. In addition to these immediate tactics, we commit to building a long-term strategy to support and increase the power of the people of New Orleans to win their Right to the City.
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We are calling on RTTC member groups to throw down, in the following ways:
· Commit to sending an experienced organizer with the ability to lead base-building trainings and provide support with direct actions and can travel to New Orleans immediately. The NOLA WG is only able to resource one organizer that ideally has been to New Orleans. If you are interested, contact Sara: sara@daretowin.org, 401-351-6976 or Valerie, vtaing@righttothecity.org, 617.223.1413 for more details.
· Call Senator Vitter and demand the reopening of public housing and the passage of SB 1668. See below for his contact information and the names and numbers of Senators to target.
· Call members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, where SB 1668 is stalled. See below for a listing of Senators with RTTC members as constituents.
· Coordinate or participate in a local action of solidarity in your city next week that targets HUD or one of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee members.
· Connect with the Communications Workgroup of the Youth Media Council, which the Praxis Project has contracted with to coordinate some media attention for this issue.
· Share this information with your membership, friends and family and ask them to do the same.
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Here are some of the ways RTTC-NOLA WG member groups are throwing down:
· Safe Streets/Strong Communities is serving as a home base for national allies coming to New Orleans and has been conducting outreach and base-building.
· Power U is incorporating the struggle for housing in New Orleans with their housing action in Miami next week.
· Miami Workers Center is sending leaders to provide on the ground support to public housing residents in New Orleans and will be working on the communications tip to bring national attention to what?s happening.
· DARE is talking to the local media, connecting the demolitions in New Orleans to their fight against ?mixed income? developments in Providence, and figuring out a way to target a RI Senator who sits on the committee holding up passage of the Gulf Coast Recovery Act .
· Florida Legal Services is on call to provide legal support during the week.
· The Praxis Project has been helping to coordinate the national media strategy with Youth Media Council to ensure that indigenous folks? voices are heard and participating in next week?s actions.
Senate Contact Information:
Senator David Vitter (R, LA): He actively supports the demolitions and has stopped the passage of Senate Bill 1668: The Gulf Coast Recovery Act. Put pressure on him to support SB 1668 as is.
Washington D.C. Office (202) 224-4623
New Orleans Office (504) 589-2753
Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Members with RTTC members as constituents:
Jack Reed (D-RI) - (202) 224-4642, (401) 528-5200
Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) - (202) 224-6542, (212) 486-4430
Mel Martinez (R-FL) - (202) 224-3041, (305) 444-8332
