---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Frank Tamborello <fr...@hungeractionla.org> Date: Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 1:51 PM Subject: food justice news jan 25 To: food-advoca...@aumlist.com
*To All Those Interested in Food and Justice... * * * * * A (usually) weekly update on food issues, promoting access to sufficient, affordable, healthy food ---with a focus on campaigns you can become active in! **** *Follow us *on Twitter @HungerActionLA . Welcome to all the new people on the list: please respond to fr...@hungeractionla.org if you wish to use a different e mail or be removed**** ** ** *Jan 25, 2013: *** ***1. ****Hunger Action LA News* ***2. ****Overview of Anti-Hunger Issues for 2013* ***3. ****Homeless Bill of Rights Proposed* ***4. ****Actions Against Genetically Modified Food * ***5. ****Food Workers Shouldnt Go Hungry: Ask Congress To Raise the Minimum Wage* ************************************** ***1. ****Hunger Action LA News* * * The next HALA meeting is Friday February 22 at LAANE, 464 S Lucas Ave, LA CA 90017. All are invited. 10 am to 12 noon. Well have updates that day from smaller groups working on issues discussed in the anti-hunger legislative update below and on other campaigns taking place around the city. **** ** ** Hunger Action LA is continuing two of its major projects in 2013, and hopefully expanding them. One is the Market Match program, providing bonus coupons to low income consumers at 13 farmers markets in LA County. To find out more and see a list of the markets go to www.hungeractionla.org/marketmatch **** ** ** *The Peoples Guide:* The second is the Peoples Guide to Welfare Health and Other Services, the 68 page newsprint booklet summarizing many key programs including job training, CalWORKs, CalFresh, MediCal, other low cost health insurance, housing rights, and more. We plan on having an updated version out by June. There are still some 2012 edition copies left: for more information go to www.hungeractionla.org/peoplesguide **** ** ** *Hunger Action Day:* HALA is also gearing up along with numerous colleague organizations around the state for Hunger Action Day, which will be Wednesday May 22 in Sacramento at the state capitol. If youre interested let us know and we can save you a spot on the bus for the adventurous ride up the day before (Tuesday May 21) from an as-yet-unknown central location. **** ** ** ****************************************************************************** **** ** ** *2. Overview of Anti-Hunger Issues for 2013* * * Federal Level: The most important anti-hunger issues are actually income support issues---Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal here in California.) While not concerned directly with food, these programs provide income, or provide money-saving health care, allowing people to put more in their food budget. If you havent been living in a cave far from the reach of electronic media (lucky you), then you are aware that much hype is being generated about these programs going broke and vast cuts being necessary to protect them.**** ** ** Directly on the food front, the nations largest anti hunger program is SNAP, now serving about 46 million Americans. California ranks last in enrolling potentially eligible participants. Pressure is on Congress to make budget cuts, and SNAP is now an $80 billion program. At various points throughout the year cuts to this vital program may be proposed as part of the general federal budget or part of the Farm Bill (which as its name implies also funds subsidy programs to agriculture.)**** ** ** On the state level, the largest issue again is the budget and its income support and health related programs. Thanks to Proposition 30 enough new revenue is predicted to actually give California a surplus for the first time in recent memory. Advocates are hoping to restore funding thats been lost from nearly annual cuts to CalWORKs (cash aid to families with children), In Home Supportive Services, and dental care for seniors getting Medi-Cal. The governor so far has insisted that although there wont be any cuts, there wont be any restorations either. (if you heard his State of the State speech on Thursday, you know he intends to toe a tight line on the budget.)**** ** ** Two state legislative proposals related to CalFresh (Californias SNAP program) that did not succeed last year, will be back in probably slightly altered form. Both proposals would expand the number of people receiving CalFresh benefits and thereby bring more federal dollars into Californias ailing economy, while helping some of the 4 million estimated people not getting enough to eat in our state.**** ** ** One is a revival of a bill to remove the lifetime ban on people with certain drug felonies from getting the benefits. The other bill will align CalFresh with MediCal, allowing low income people who get health insurance to also qualify for some food assistance.**** Another bill of interest is described later in this update, the Homeless Bill of Rights (see next section)**** ** ** On the city level, urban agriculture advocates will continue to work for policy changes allowing people to grow food on parkways and other areas, and very soon we will also hear on proposals to legalize and regulate street vending, a major source of income for families in many parts of the city, but technically illegal now. **** ** ** **************************************************************************** ** *3. Homeless Bill of Rights Proposed* * * Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has proposed Assembly Bill 5, better known as the Homeless Bill of Rights to give legal protection to homeless people who engage in life-sustaining activities on public property. Its based on a similar law that passed recently in Rhode Island. Various California cities have passed laws intended to sweep homeless people off the street or force them to move away from downtown areas that are being gentrified. Both Los Angeles and San Francisco have laws criminalizing behavior one is forced to engage in if homeless. Ammianos proposed bill would decriminalize behavior such as sleeping in public places, congregating, urinating, and panhandling. **** ** ** It would also legalize feeding people in public places, an activity which City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Jan Perry attempted to criminalize in downtown Los Angeles. **** ** ** Larry Mantle on Airtalk (on KPCC) recently hosted a discussion around this topic: Should homeless populations be protected under the law? Should life-sustaining activities in public places be criminalized? Is there an alternative to legalizing these activities in public spaces that could better serve all Californians homeless or not? Guest: Paul Boden, Director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project; Co-Sponsor of Homeless Person's Bill of Rights introduced by California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco)debating Estela Lopez, Executive Director of the City Central East Association, the principal advocate for property owners, businesses, employees and residents in the eastern half of Downtown Los Angeles.**** ** ** Link to the radio show:**** http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/2013/01/07/29980/sacramento-considers-homeless-persons-bill-of-righ/ **** ** ** **************************************** *4. Actions Against Genetically Modified Food* * * >From Food Democracy Now!: Last week, Food Democracy Now! was honored to join family farmers and fellow plaintiffs in travelling to Washington, D.C. to take part in our court appeal, Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association (OSGATA) vs Monsanto, to defend farmers right to farm and protect them from Monsantos frivolous patent infringement lawsuits by challenging the validity of their patents on seeds.**** The case was filed to seek protection for organic and conventional farmers who grow traditional, non-GMO seeds and stop the resulting contamination by Monsantos genetically engineered crops, which even their own attorney admitted was inevitable.**** The plaintiffs are not asking for a single penny, but seek protection from the court from Monsantos abusive patent infringement lawsuits if their crops become contaminated.**** After the court hearing, the 33 family farmers and plaintiffs were encouraged to be joined by hundreds of supporters in Lafayette Park across from the White House where they gathered for A Citizens Assembly to rally in support of Americas family farmers versus Monsanto and to oppose the approval of 13 new GMO (genetically engineered) crops and AquaBountys GMO salmon until long-term safety testing can be conducted to help protect our food supply. **** Click below to join Americas farmers to Tell President Obama and the FDA to stop the approval of AquaBountys GMO salmon!**** ** ** http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/738?t=6&akid=732.337098.ZGY9tl **** ** ** >From Pesticide Action Network: **** A suite of next generation GE seeds is heading for USDA approval, with the first application sitting on Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's desk right now. Of the 13 GE seeds in the pipeline, 10 are designed to withstand applications of specific herbicides. These crops including Dows 2,4-D-resistant corn and Monsantos dicamba-resistant soybean are designed to drive up the use of these volatile chemicals.**** ** ** More widespread use of 2,4-D and dicamba will result in more pesticide drift, destroying neighboring crops and placing the burden of increased costs and health risks on farmers and rural communities. Dows application for 2,4-D corn is first in the queue, with 2,4-D soy and Monsantos dicamba-resistant soybean not far behind. With a decision on the first application expected any day, we need to speak up now. And loudly.**** Join us in urging Secretary Vilsack to stop the GE seed pipeline, starting by rejecting Dow's 2,4-D corn.**** ** ** http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11896&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=kicker&utm_content=corp&utm_campaign=GEpipeline **** ** ** ******************************************************************* *5. Food Workers Shouldnt Go Hungry: Ask Congress To Raise the Minimum Wage * In the U.S., its frequently those who pick our food from the fields or who serve it to us in restaurants who are actually going hungry due to low wages.**** ** ** >From Food Chain Workers Alliance: Could you please take 30 seconds and sign this petition calling on Members of Congress to support the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.80 over three years and increase the tipped minimum wage from $2.13 (yes, you read that right) to 70% of the full minimum wage? We're trying to get a thousand more signatures by 2/13, when the Food Chain Workers Alliance will join the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United to deliver these signatures and bring more awareness and support for the bill. Here's the link : **** ** ** http://signon.org/sign/tell-congress-dont-let?source=c.tw&r_by=2547276 **** ** ** ** ** Frank Tamborello**** Hunger Action Los Angeles**** 961 S. Mariposa #205**** Los Angeles CA 90006**** 213-388-8228**** fr...@hungeractionla.org**** [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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