Vol. 72/No. 39      October 6, 2008

That morning the financial firm Lehman Brothers announced it was filing for bankruptcy and the Bank of America announced it would buy failing investment bank Merrill Lynch. “This follows the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an attempt to bring stability and restore investors’ confidence,” Calero said. “This is the biggest crisis since the 1930s and we see the beginning of the devastating consequences for the working class—6.1 percent official unemployment and 19 percent among young people.”

“We need legislation that says when the cost of living goes up our wages go up,” he said. “We need to shorten the workweek to 30 hours, but with 40 hours pay in order to spread the work and combat unemployment. And we need a federally funded public works program to rebuild roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals.”

In the discussion, one student asked about the Patriot Act. “These laws are designed to shut down the space working people have to fight for our rights,” Calero said. He reminded the class that these laws did not begin under the Bush administration, but that many were put in place under William Clinton. “We are for the repeal of the Patriot Act and against the use of secret evidence, indefinite detentions, and electronic espionage,” he said.

Calero pointed to the example of Cuba where a living socialist revolution offers the only example for workers around the world.

Another question addressed the issue of students being denied college aid when their parents are undocumented. Calero spoke about the need for education to be a lifetime endeavor for all, the importance of affirmative action to ensure equal access to education, and the need for the immediate legalization of all the undocumented.

Calero was also interviewed on WPFW Pacifica radio. In response to questions about what distinguishes the SWP campaign from other campaigns, such as the Green Party, Calero said, “Alyson Kennedy, my vice presidential running mate, and I are workers who are involved in workers’ struggles—from protests against police brutality, to defense of abortion rights, to marching with the tens of thousands who didn’t go to work on May Day in defense of immigrant rights, to union-organizing campaigns, to rallying against racism in Jena, Louisiana.”
 
 
Related articles:
Calero visits workers hit by Ike
SWP vice presidential candidate speaks at N.Y. colleges, high schools
Kennedy meets day laborers in New Jersey  
 
 
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