bromselick
8/26/2006 1:14:00 PM
BY TED LEONARD --
The Militant --
BOSTON-"Washington doesn't like the Cuban Revolution because it
shows you can organize society in a different way-in a way where the
interests of workers and farmers, the vast majority, come first,"
said Laura Garza, the Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S.
Congress in Massachusetts' 8th District. She was speaking here August
15 during a half-hour interview on a local Spanish-language cable
television station.
"We oppose the U.S. government's embargo of Cuba and its travel
restrictions," she said. "Young people and others should be able to
go to Cuba to see it for themselves."
Garza, a garment worker and member of UNITE HERE Local 187, filed
petitions August 17 with the Secretary of State's Election Division
to gain ballot status in the November elections. Her campaign
supporters turned over 4,300 signatures on nominating petitions. Of
these, 2,253-more than the requirement of 2,000-had been certified
as valid by city clerk offices in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and
Chelsea, which make up the congressional district. The clerk of the
state's Election Division told Garza she would appear on the ballot
in November. Challenges to the petitions can be made up until September
1.
The Socialist Workers candidate for governor, John Hawkins, a meat
cutter and longtime fighter for Black rights, is running a write-in
campaign.
In a news release issued August 15, Garza said, "I am running to
support workers' struggles to organize trade unions and to use and
extend union power to defend working people against the bosses'
assaults. I support legislation to legalize all immigrants now. I have
joined the mobilizations to demand legalization and will continue to
help mobilize in support of that fight."
The SWP candidates and their supporters have been busy building the
September 7 March on Washington for immigrant rights and the August
24-27 tour of Jesse Díaz in Boston. Díaz is a co-founder of the Los
Angeles March 25th Coalition, one of the organizations that not only
helped mobilize hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles for immigrant
rights but joined in calling the nationwide May 1 strike.
At a recent meeting here of groups building the September 7 march in
Washington, organizers announced that eight buses have been reserved in
the Boston area and tickets are available for $25.
On August 19 the Socialists Workers campaign organized a program
featuring the two Massachusetts socialist candidates and Róger Calero,
the SWP candidate for U.S. Senate in New York. It was entitled,
"Legalize all immigrants! Build and strengthen our unions! Oppose
Washington's war drive!" Participants contributed more than $700 to
the SWP campaign.