D.C. Socialist Workers 1998 Campaign Committee

1930 18th St., NW, #3, Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: (202) 387-2185 • Fax: (202) 387-2178 • Email: 75407.3345@compuserve.com

Sam Manuel for Mayor Mary Martin for Delegate to the House
Olympia Newton for Council at-large Brian Williams for Council chairman

April 9, 1998 Stu Singer at: 202-387-2185

SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY ANNOUNCES CANDIDATES FOR D.C. MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, AND DELEGATE TO HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

CALLS FOR NO CUTS IN SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, AND MEDICAID

CALLS FOR STATEHOOD FOR D.C. AND FOR ABOLISHING THE FINANCIAL CONTROL BOARD

The following statement was released by the Socialist Workers candidates:

Today we are filing our official declarations as the Socialist Workers Party candidates in the municipal elections and in the race for delegate to the House this fall. Our campaign will provide a working class alternative to the twin parties of war, racism and economic repression—the Democrats and Republicans.

Our candidates are activists who will speak out in defense of the rights of working people. Sam Manuel, SWP candidate for mayor, is a member of the United Transportation Union and a long-time activist in the Black rights, socialist, and labor movements. Mary Martin, SWP candidate for delegate to the House, was the party's candidate for city council at-large in last December's special election. She works at National Airport and is a member of the International Association of Machinists. Brian Williams, SWP candidate for city council chairman, is a member of the United Steelworkers of America. Olympia Newton, SWP candidate for city council at-large, is a student at George Washington University and a member of the Young Socialists.

Between now and the November election, the SWP candidates will speak out on all the major national, international, and citywide issues.

On Tuesday in Kansas City President Clinton launched a "national dialogue" on social security. This is the latest round in the government's attack on this historic social gain by working people. The government's long term goal is to abolish social security "as we know it." Among the proposals being discussed are raising the age for full eligibility, increasing the amount working people put into social security from our wages, and beginning a transition to a private retirement "savings" plan, tying working people's retirement security to our individual lots in life.

Social security was won by working people as part of the massive radicalization and battles for unionization in the 1930s. In the wake of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the gains won under social security were extended in fights for health care, decent and affordable housing, access to higher education, and against employment and job discrimination.

The capitalist politicians of the Democratic and Republican parties along with their media mouthpieces blame these hard-won gains of working people for the growing crisis of their system. They demand more concessions from us in the form of layoffs, pay cuts, and attacks on working conditions and democratic rights. At the same time they continue to line their pockets with huge profits paid for by our sacrifices.

The socialist campaign opposes any cuts in social security, Medicare, or Medicaid. These programs should be fully funded and expanded. These and other social programs for working people should be funded by taxing the wealthy through a steeply progressive income tax.

The assaults on working people at home go hand in hand with the government's foreign policy. Early this year Washington came within a heartbeat of launching a massive military attack on the people of Iraq. As in 1991, this attack would have resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Iraqi working people. The threat of such an attack still remains. President Clinton has kept much of Washington's military arsenal in place in the region. Through the threat of war and a crippling embargo, Washington hopes to bring Baghdad to its knees. The U.S. government failed in its main objective of the 1991 war, which was to put a caretaker government in power in Iraq that would do Washington's bidding.

The socialist candidates will campaign against Washington's war moves in the Middle East and anywhere else in the world. We demand respect for Iraq's sovereignty—get the imperialist troops, warships, and inspectors out! We hail the struggles of the Albanian people in Kosovo for self-determination. All NATO troops should be withdrawn from Yugoslavia. Working people should oppose Washington's efforts to expand NATO. We call for dismantling NATO.

President Clinton recently returned from an 11-day six-nation tour of Africa. South African President Nelson Mandela rejected Clinton's "trade not aid" along with his proposal for an "African peacekeeping force" supplied and organized by Washington. Mandela also rebuffed Washington's effort to dictate with which countries South Africa would have relations. "Cuba supported us in our struggle against apartheid," he admonished Clinton. "We will not abandon them now."

The "trade not aid" and peacekeeping force are both part of Washington's effort to establish market dominance in Africa against its imperialist rivals. Far from advancing the interests of workers and peasants in Africa it would increase the continent's exploitation by wealthy bankers and corporations in the US. Clinton's proposal contained no provisions for increased aid or relief from Africa's crushing $250 billion debt.

As part of our international obligation to our sisters and brothers throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America working people should demand the abolition of the third world debt! Through this unseemly international loan-sharking operation, wealthy bankers in New York, London, Bonn, Paris, and Tokyo transfer billions in wealth from the third world. What capitalism has in store for the workers and peasants of Africa, Asia, and Latin America can be seen in the banking and currency crisis sweeping Asia. The Indonesian government today is attempting to make workers and peasants pay for the crisis through deepening austerity measures and murderous repression against those who protest.

Nearly forty years ago the workers and peasants in Cuba overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship in their country. They used their political power to reorganize society in the interest of the working majority and carried through a socialist revolution. Working people in that third world country have made impressive social gains in health care, education, and equality for Blacks and women. They have also contributed selflessly to the struggles of working people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Their refusal to bow down to the dictates of Washington has earned them the unrelenting hatred of the wealthy rulers in the U.S.

The socialist candidates support the Cuban revolution and aim to organize working people in this country to follow its example. We call for an end to the embargo and travel ban against Cuba!

This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the Yanqui imperialist conquest of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The working people of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines have a heroic record of struggle against Yanqui domination. The socialist candidates support independence for Puerto Rico!

Four years ago President Clinton appointed a financial control board, which was to solve the "crisis" of the District. While the Wall Street bankers and other wealthy holders of the city's bonds can breathe some relief, the "crisis" for working people in this city has continued to worsen. Unemployment continues to rise. The administration and congressional politicians charge that corruption and mismanagement by the local government is responsible for the crisis.

This charge is a thinly veiled cover for the government's assault on the social gains of working people in this city. The D.C. city government, like all capitalist governments, is rife with corruption and mismanagement. The federal government can hardly point its finger on that score. The financial control board and its trustee school board were never intended to "solve the financial crisis" or bring better schools. Its job was to accelerate driving through austerity measures--reduction of health care, hospitals, schools and other social services—to make working people pay for the crisis.

The socialist candidates support statehood for D.C.! This fight is part of the ongoing struggle for full civil rights by working people in this city. But the fight for statehood can only be advanced through a struggle against the capitalist assault on our social gains. To that end, the socialist candidates call for the abolition of the financial control board and its trustee school board! We support the fight by workers--organized and unorganized--for health and pension benefits, safety on the job, and decent wages. This fight is part of the broader fight of working people around the world to defend hard-earned rights on the job. Public education has been a special target of the financial control board and other capitalist politicians across the country. The socialist campaign stands for expanded funding for public schools! No to private vouchers! Keep UDC open and fully funded!

The socialist candidates will campaign for jobs for all! Jobs can be created by reducing the workweek to 30 hours at 40 hours pay to spread the available work around. We call for a massive public works program to build and repair schools, hospitals, roads, and bridges.

As the capitalist crisis deepens, the most oppressed workers--Blacks, Latinos, Asians, immigrants and women--bear the brunt of the attacks. Attacks on affirmative action, and school desegregation continue. Cop brutality continues to rise against workers in Black and Latino communities. To counter any resistance to these attacks capitalist politicians are pressing for broader use of the death penalty and restricting democratic rights. From the day it was won, a woman's right to abortion has been under attack by Democratic and Republican politicians alike. This attack encourages violent assaults on women's health clinics, like the recent bombing of a clinic in Birmingham, Alabama.

The socialist candidates are activists in the fight for Black rights. We call for defending and extending affirmative action! We call for the immediate arrest, full prosecution, and imprisonment of cops who assault or kill working people, such as the cops who beat and sodomized Abner Louima in New York. The socialist candidates have actively participated in activities demanding an end to the death penalty—a weapon of terror used by the wealthy against working people. The socialist campaign opposes all attempts to restrict or abolish the right to appeal and parole. The Socialist candidates also have participated with others to defend abortion clinics. Our campaign fully supports a women's right to choose abortion. The socialist campaign also calls for full rights for immigrants! We demand a halt to the racist INS raids, and an end to the deportations!

The socialist candidates oppose the Clinton administration's defense of marriage of act. This act is part of the ongoing assault on the rights of gays. It also eliminates a whole group of working people from receiving social benefits. The socialist campaign supports civil right for gays!

The socialist candidates stand with the struggles of the oppressed and exploited against the increasingly brutal assault by the wealthy capitalist minority the world over. The socialist campaign urges working people and our unions to break from the parties of the ruling rich—the Democrats and Republicans—and chart a course of independent political action and international solidarity. This course points to workers and our allies establishing a government that acts to advance our interests, not those of our exploiters. We are campaigning for a workers and farmers government that will abolish capitalism in the United States and join in the worldwide struggle for socialism.