A much smaller May Day march ('people are starting to lose hope')

LA Times ^ | May 3, 2011 | Sam Quinones

[Second Amendment First]

Few people felt the low turnout at this year's May Day march as acutely as Salvador Ramirez.

Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, pushed a cart among the few thousand immigrant-rights and labor activists Sunday on Broadway, selling American flags.

"It's really bad," said Ramirez, 48, who said he lost his job as an electrician due to his lack of documents and became a street vendor a year and a half ago. About halfway through Sunday's march, Ramirez had only sold about 10 to 15 flags, which he buys for $7.50 a dozen.

"I'm selling them almost at cost," he said. "It's not like the year before. Last year was great."

Only a few thousand people showed up for the nine-block march that started early and ended quickly. Los Angeles police declined to issue a crowd estimate, but marchers didn't even fill the intersection of Broadway and 1st Street, where the demonstration ended.

It marked a steep drop-off for a movement that prided itself for bringing hundreds of thousands onto the streets of downtown in 2006, and a million nationwide, to rally for legislation that would legalize the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants. Last year, galvanized by Arizona's controversial anti-illegal-immigration law, about 60,000 marchers participated in Los Angeles.

But six years with no significant legislative reform "has started to chip away at the spirit of the community," said Pedro Reyes, a former L.A. resident who recently moved to Santa Maria, Calif., where he teaches English to migrant farm workers. "It's definitely causing a toll."

[Second Amendment First]

Hey Sal, why aren't you selling Mexican flags, or better yet, the Sickle and Hammer?

This year handmade posters were largely replaced with pre-printed signs and T-shirts. And instead of young couples pushing strollers, most marchers were union members — particularly from the Service Employees International Union, which turned out hundreds of people — or members of a socialist or communist group.

"We're here because Obama is a liar," said Carlos Escorcia, a member of the Nicaraguan socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front. "He promised legalization. When he could have done it, he didn't. This government's worse than Bush's."

How's that hopey changey working for you?

[MuttTheHoople]

Maybe they need to go back home to Mexico.

[TSgt]

[wolfcreek]

TFB, Sal.

Americans first!

[ETL]

hopey changey

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek"-- BARACK OBAMA
_____________________________________________________

From the website of the Communist Party, USA...
(prior to the election)

"The Communist Party USA views the 2008 elections as a tremendous opportunity to defeat the policies of the right-wing Republicans and to move our country in a new progressive direction.

The record turnout in the Democratic Presidential primary races shows that millions of voters, including millions of new voters, are using this election to bring about real change. We wholeheartedly agree with them."

http://cpusa.org/cpusa-2008-electoral-policy/
_____________________________________________________

After the election....

A Landslide Mandate For Change

A breakthrough election
Congratulations on an extraordinary history making election!

We can think back with pride to decades of hard work toward our strategic goal of a big enough, broad enough and united enough labor and all-people’s movement that could overcome the ultra-right blockage to all progress. That all people’s movement has come to life, it is dynamic and it has the potential to keep growing.

The election of Barack Obama and a strengthened Congress creates new conditions in our country. There is now the possibility to shift gears and move forward. This new day requires us to further develop our tactics in order to continue to deepen and broaden labor and people’s unity.

There are thousands of experiences that we all have had in these momentous days, some large, some small, all of which express the enormity of change in thinking and readiness for involvement that is underway and that steels us for the battles ahead.

The tears of joy we all shared as crowds gathered to watch the election results here and throughout the world dramatize the new moment we are in.

http://cpusa.org/a-landslide-mandate-for-change-report-to-the-national-committee-meeting-11-15-08/
_____________________________________________________

July 1, 2009...

Change is Here, Change is Coming

Sam Webb, National Chair, Communist Party, USA:

Let me begin with a simple observation: If the last 30 years were an era of reaction, then the coming decade could turn into an era of reform, even radical reform. Six months into the Obama presidency, I would say without hesitation that the landscape, atmosphere, conversation, and agenda have strikingly changed compared to the previous eight years.

In this legislative session, we can envision winning a Medicare-like public option and then going further in the years ahead.

We can visualize passing tough regulatory reforms on the financial industry, which brought the economy to ruin.

We can imagine the troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan while U.S. representatives participate in a regional process that brings peace and stability to the entire region.

In the current political climate, the expansion of union rights becomes a real possibility.

Much the same can be said about winning a second stimulus bill, and we sure need one, given the still-rising rate, and likely long term persistence, of unemployment.

Isn’t it possible in the Obama era to create millions of green jobs in manufacturing and other sectors of the economy in tandem with an attack on global warming?

Can’t we envision taking new strides in the long journey for racial and gender equality in this new era, marked at its beginning by the election of the first African American to the presidency?

And isn’t the overhaul of the criminal justice and prison system – a system steeped in racism – no longer pie-in-the sky, but something that can be done in the foreseeable future?

All these things are within reach now!

http://cpusa.org/change-is-here-change-is-coming/
_____________________________________________________

"Barack Obama told supporters that
'change has come to America' as he
claimed victory in a historic presidential election."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html

[ETL]

"This president can be a transformative leader (he has that potential in my view), but only if he embraces and fights for a transformative agenda."--Sam Webb, Chairman Communist Party USA

Obama State of the Union: He got the ball rolling:
http://cpusa.org/obama-state-of-the-union-he-got-the-ball-rolling
________________________________________________________________________________

"We are 5 days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America"
--B.H.Obama, 2008

Yahoo search results for "Fundamentally Transforming The United States Of America":
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=moz35&p=%22Fundamentally+Transforming+The+United+States+Of+America%22&SpellState=n-2204099546_q-bsN.LA3I3%2F%2FdGaQgkeauogAAAA%40%40&fr2=sp-top

[jagusafr]

“But six years with no significant legislative reform “has started to chip away at the spirit of the community,” said Pedro Reyes”

Well...good!

[exDemMom]

Good. Maybe these illegals will leave now. They can take their SEIU allies with them.

[LibsRJerks]

A decline in this “movement” cannot come soon enough. Illegals, we can’t afford you.

Now go home!!

[Mygirlsmom]

most marchers were union members — particularly from the Service Employees International Union, which turned out hundreds of people — or members of a socialist or communist group

Redundant statment.

[albie]

“Carlos Escorcia, a member of the Nicaraguan socialist Sandinista National Liberation Front”.

...the last thing we need!

[manc]

does he need money to go back because obviously he has no clue how the system works here in a first world country?

[IronJack]

The LA Times: bleeding for criminals and trespassers at the cost of America for over half a century now.

[Buckeye McFrog]

or maybe they are just becoming smart enough to realize that when you’ve broken the law and are asking the society you’ve transgressed to cut you a break, marching around with foreign flags and pictures of Che Guevara while making strident demands does not really help your cause.

[glorgau]

due to his lack of documents

Note the passive tense. This "lack of documents" just sort of happened to him out of the blue.

[PATRIOT1876]

*Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, pushed a cart among the few thousand immigrant-rights and labor activists Sunday on Broadway, selling American flags.
“It's really bad,” said Ramirez, 48, who said he lost his job as an electrician due to his lack of documents and became a street vendor a year and a half ago. About halfway through Sunday's march, Ramirez had only sold about 10 to 15 flags, which he buys for $7.50 a dozen.
But six years with no significant legislative reform “has started to chip away at the spirit of the community,” said Pedro Reyes, a former L.A. resident who recently moved to Santa Maria, Calif., where he teaches English to migrant farm workers. “It's definitely causing a toll.”*

¡Que lastima!

...But seriously, All of this is cause for rejoicing!

We shouldn’t be validating their status by using the word “immigrant”! Immigrants are invited and go through the proper channels. Illegal invaders or illegal aliens sneak in. People here illegally should have no rights except for the right to go back to their home country. We should confiscate all property and distribute it to hospitals that have lost money on illegals and to the families of Border Patrol agents that have lost their live protecting us from the criminals.

[darth]

Despite Obama’s promises, the Left is demoralized and getting weaker. The poor are getting hit with inflation at the grocery store and the gas pump. The economy is not generating jobs. Even the illegals are hurting.

Now is the time for Republicans to go after the dims on the poor economy. This is the key issue. Even the illegals might be happy if the economy improved under the Republicans!

We have to generate more noise and heat on economic issues so the MSM cannot ignore us.

[newzjunkey]

This government's worse than Bush's." Maybe we can find common ground after all! /s

I don't think Sal knew his customer. From past marches in L.A., I think Mexican flags would've sold better.

Since he's illegal, how did he get a license to be a street vender?