October 16th Campaign Rally Videos
Speakers:
Marissa Janczewska – Moderator and member of CCSU Youth for Socialist Action
Frankie Acevedo – Hartford activist
Caryn Jensen – Youth for Socialist Action, Central Connecticut State University
Elsie Arce – Stop the Raids, Trinity College
Ross Caputi - Iraq War Veteran, Founder of Justice for Fallujah Project (http://thefallujahproject.org/home/)
Marty Goodman – Member and former Executive Board Member, Transit Workers Union local 100 NY, NY; leader in the 2005 NY transit strike
Ralph Poynter – Head of the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
Chris Hutchinson – Socialist Action candidate for U.S. Congress
Debate Footage
Below is the link to Hutchinson’s 3rd debate at the Hartford Public Library.
Hartford Public Library Debate
Campaign Rally Video
Thank you to D for putting this together.
More footage soon.
Socialism Spotlight: Chris Hutchinson (Hartford Advocate)
Written by John Stoehr |
Monday, 25 October 2010 12:00 |
Meet Chris Hutchinson. He’s a socialist. Yes, it’s true. He thinks plenty is missing from today’s political discourse. There’s lots of talk about the size of government, the national deficit and repealing health care reform; there’s none about the dark side of capitalism, especially the neoliberal sort that equates free enterprise with democracy, even though, given the fact of the current recession, they are seemingly at odds. So Hutchinson and the Socialist Action Party collected 5,744 signatures (twice what’s required) to run against U.S. Rep. John Larson. He hopes to take the Democratic incumbent’s seat in the First Congressional district.
“People say I’m a fringe candidate, but Democrats and Republicans are fringe, because they are the parties of the wealthy,” Hutchinson says. “We stand by workers. We appeal to people who are feeling the effects of the economy, which is the majority of people. So we are the majority. We want to show the minority of wealthy people where the real power is. The real power is in the hands of people who work.”
Hutchinson’s platform, called “We Are Paying for Their Crisis,” takes the same populist anger expressed by the Tea Party and directs it at whom he believes is really to blame. The “we” is anyone with a boss. “Their” means the “boss class.” So Hutchinson calls for a massive jobs program (hundreds of billions of dollars), tripling the minimum wage, fewer working hours, a single-payer health care system, free higher education, 100 percent tax over $250,000, no tax under $50,000, and public ownership of banks and corporations.
Campaign Rally pictures
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
photos by D.D. and D.J.
The speakers appeared in this order there will be video of the rally soon.
Marissa Janczewska – MC, Socialist Action
Frankie Acevedo – Hartford activist
Caryn Jensen – Youth for Socialist Action, Central Connecticut State University
Elsie Arce – Stop the Raids, Trinity College
Ross Caputi – Iraq War Veteran, Founder of Justice for Fallujah Project (http://thefallujahproject.org/home/)
Marty Goodman – Member and former Executive Board Member, Transit Workers Union local 100 NY, NY; leader in the 2005 NY transit strike
Ralph Poynter – Head of the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
Chris Hutchinson – Socialist Action candidate for U.S. Congress
Hutchinson on NPR
Ken Krayeske, Green Party, and Hutchinson talk about the
their upcoming debate with John Larson and Ann Brickely
before going on NPR.
http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/colin-mcenroe-show-life-outside-two-party-system
Socialist Debates 4th ranking House Democrat
Hutchinson waits to respond
CONGRESSIONAL RACE:
Radically different ideas create
circus-like atmosphere
Bristol Press
by Steve Collins
WEST HARTFORD — With four candidates pitching often radically different ideas on a host of issues, Monday’s 1st District congressional debate seemed at least half circus.
Though Republican Ann Brickley and Democratic incumbent John Larson are far ahead in the polls, the two minor party challengers, Ken Krayeske of the Green Party and Chris Hutchinson of the Socialist Action Party, stole the show.
Even GOP stalwarts said the radical ideas floated by Krayeske and Hutchinson overshadowed the more conventional political stances of the two mainstream candidates.
“I felt kind of like an odd duck,” Brickley said, with the other three all taking stands to her left.
Larson, an East Hartford Democrat who’s held the job for a dozen years, said Brickley offered only “Republican talking points” while Hutchinson and Krayeske offered solutions to the nation’s problems, even if they’re not the right answers.
Former Bristol Republican Party leader Art Mocabee said Larson’s answers amounted to “stale cigar smoke.”
In the 90-minute debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters and West Hartford Community Television at the West Hartford Town Hall, Krayeske said the quartet of candidates had “an excellent exchange of ideas.”
They certainly offered a variety of them.
Brickley, a Wethersfield consultant, castigated 2009’s $700 billion stimulus plan as “a complete and utter failure” and vowed to repeal the 2010 health care measure — both of which Larson defended.
Larson said the stimulus measure helped pull the nation’s economy “back from the precipice” and put America on the path to recovery.
“We had to stop the bleeding,” Larson said.
The congressman — whose district includes Bristol, Southington, Berlin and Newington — said it took “an incredible effort” to get the health care overhaul passed. “I’m proud of what we accomplished,” he said.
Hutchinson, a teacher, said the insurance industry wrote it, prompting an immediate denial from Larson, who said he was “terribly offended” by the charge.
Krayeske, who will become a lawyer the day before the Nov. 2 election, said Larson did “a commendable job” on health care but insisted that a public option remains critical because health care is a basic human right that government should ensure.
Brickley said it does nothing to address the skyrocketing cost of health care.
Krayeske said Larson has done too little to address the growing “wealth gap” that has created an immensely rich minority while most Americans are struggling to keep up.
Hutchinson said workers should control the companies that employ them and called for a 100 percent tax on individual earnings above $250,000 annually. Krayeske said a 50 percent tax rate would be enough. Larson said he favored tax cuts for those earning less than $250,000 a year.
Brickley said government shouldn’t be raising taxes on anyone during such tough economic times.
Larson, Krayeske and Hutchinson all said they favor pulling American troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, Larson said he’s pleased with President Obama’s schedule for doing so.
Hutchinson said American troops should be brought home from every land, from Pakistan to Haiti, and the military budget gutted to provide funding for domestic needs. Krayeske said the country could slash military spending by 70 percent. Larson said some cuts are possible.
Brickley said America needs to be the most powerful military power, though she mentioned that some wasteful military spending could be reduced.
On environmental issues, Larson said he wants to slash the use of foreign oil by switching energy consumption to domestic natural gas. He also called for a greater push for greener technologies and a commitment to a healthier environment.
Brickley said she is “as green as they come” and won’t even put pesticides on her lawn or garden, but she’s not convinced that people are causing global warming and strongly opposes “cap and trade” plans to reduce carbon emissions.
In the one zinger of the night, Krayeske fired back, “She likes to keep her fingers in the dirt but her head in the sand.”
Even Brickley said she laughed.
Hutchinson said “an emergency response” is required on the climate crisis. He said workers need to face down “big oil and big business.”
Near the end, Larson said one big issue that hadn’t been mentioned is the Republican push to privatize Social Security.
Brickley said she doesn’t think that’s a good idea. But, she said, politicians do need to take steps to preserve Social Security for future generations.
The next debate among the four is slated for Monday at 6 p.m. at the Hartford Public Library.
http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2010/10/18/news/doc4cbd02ec63c3d628917960.txt
Socialist Action Candidate to Appear in 3 Debates
http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/colin-mcenroe-show-life-outside-two-party-system
Hutchinson with supporters
Its rare that a working class candidate gets to debate the 4th ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. Hutchinson will have an opportunity to do this on Oct. 18th as he not only takes on John Larson but says its time we overthrow the capitalist system and replace it with one that put the needs of the great majority of people before the interests of profit. There is a possibility for a live audience, we will let you know as soon as we know the details.
When: October 18th, 2010
Where: West Hartford Town Hall
Time: 6:30pm doors open at 6pm
Host: League of Women Voters
Jobs Not War!
End the Government Attacks on Our People and Our Movements!
Saturday, October 16th
4:00pm
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford CT
Every election season we are told that our only hope is to cast a vote for one head of the corporate beast and pray. But it is we, the working people of the world who create all wealth and it is in our power to utterly transform society. This October 16th Join us at the Charter Oak Cultural Center to support the only socialist candidate on the Connecticut ballot and stand up for an independent working class program.
Speakers:
Ralph Poynter – Head of the Lynne Stewart Defense Committee
Ross Caputi – Iraq War Veteran, Founder of Justice for Fallujah Project (http://thefallujahproject.org/home/)
Marty Goodman – Member and former Executive Board Member, Transit Workers Union local 100 NY, NY; leader in the 2005 NY transit strike
Elsie Arce – Stop the Raids, Trinity College
Frankie Acevedo – Hartford activist
Caryn Jensen – Youth for Socialist Action, Central Connecticut State University
Chris Hutchinson – Socialist Action candidate for U.S. Congress
Performances by:
Tahani Salah – Slam Poet featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam
Sagacity Walker – Hip Hop artist
Admission is $15 in advance or $20 at the Door. No one turned away for lack of funds. To make a payment either contact us below to pick up a ticket or you can make a contribution here on our website and follow up with an e-mail or phone call with your name confirming your contribution was for a ticket(s) to the rally.
For tickets, information and transportation, or to endorse the campaign contact 860-986-9750 or votesocialistaction@gmail.com
Find this event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143896432319775