Re: Economists surprised???

[Yoshie Furuhashi <furuhashi.1@xxxxxxx>]

> Perhaps Bush will have the same run of luck that Clinton did.
> Michael Perelman

Perhaps, but Bush is not likely to have the same political luck (see,
below, the news of inaugural protests), which may affect his economic
luck!

*****   From: "Jay Moore" <research@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Plans Take Shape for Inaugural Protests
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 13:42:53 -0500

Published on Thursday, December 21, 2000 in the Washington Post

Inaugural Protests Take Shape

by David Montgomery and Arthur Santana

The raw wounds left by the presidential election finale have created
enough irritation to unleash one of the largest inauguration protests
in years, according to veteran organizers and police officials.

"This will be by far the biggest counter-inauguration since the 1973
Nixon counter-inauguration," predicted Brian Becker, co-director of
the International Action Center in New York, who has demonstrated at
numerous presidential swearing-in events.  "We organize protests not
infrequently, and we know when something has legs and when it doesn't
have legs.  This one does."

At the second inauguration of President Richard M. Nixon, police
estimated there were  25,000 to 100,000 demonstrators, including some
who threw fruit and stones at Nixon's car.  The total crowd was about
300,000.

D.C. police are expecting about 750,000 people on Jan. 20 when
President-elect Bush is sworn in, and they said they think many
demonstrators will be content to voice their displeasure peacefully.

Becker's group, like several others hoping to flood parts of the city
on Inauguration Day, had been planning to be in Washington no matter
who won the election.  But enough people think the outcome was
illegitimate, he said, that it has cranked up protest passion.
Within hours of the Dec. 12 U.S. Supreme Court decision blocking Vice
President Gore's effort to recount votes in Florida, Becker and other
organizers said, their Web sites were deluged with inquiries.

"There's a tremendous amount of spontaneous organizing going on,"
said Becker, 48.

A rainbow of left-leaning groups had planned to rally on the Mall to
vent outrage at a variety of demons, including racism, the death
penalty and the corporate influence on politics.  But complaints that
some Florida votes were not counted, including those of many African
Americans, have given demonstrators powerful common issues.

Unlike the street protests against the World Bank in April, no civil
disobedience has been planned, organizers say.  They said the
demonstrations will feature signs, chants, giant puppets, skits and a
squad of radical stilt walkers being trained in Philadelphia.

"We are not planning to shut down the inauguration," Becker said.
"We are planning to make it plain that the inaugural route is not the
private property of those who support the death penalty, so we're
going to be well-represented on that parade route."

D.C. police aren't taking any chances with protesters' intentions,
according to Executive Assistant Chief Terrance W. Gainer.  He said
he expects fewer than 5,000 unruly demonstrators might try to disrupt
the inauguration, along with thousands of peaceful demonstrators.

In addition to the D.C. force, thousands of suburban and federal
officers will participate in what officials described as an
unprecedented level of security.

The Justice Action Movement, an alliance of Washington area
protesters, yesterday sent D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey a
letter requesting a meeting to discuss plans for peaceful protests.
Cmdr. Michael Radzilowski, who is in charge of special operations,
said yesterday that he would be happy to meet with the protesters.

Half a dozen groups have requested permits, but none have been
granted.  A National Parks Service spokesman said the agency is
waiting for inauguration planners to make final arrangements before
it allots space to protesters.

The National Organization for Women plans to be there.  "It's
important for our own spirit to let people know there is a place to
plug in, take that anger and use it to fuel some additional
activism," NOW President Patricia Ireland said.

The Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Walter Fauntroy plan a "shadow
inauguration" outside the U.S. Supreme Court to swear in those
pledging to uphold the Voting Rights Act.

"We feel the act was violated by George Bush," Sharpton said.

Fauntroy, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Shaw, said he has
witnessed every swearing-in since President Franklin D. Roosevelt's
fourth in 1945, and "I know of no inauguration that has been the
source of greater controversy than this...following a  shameful
election."

Other activists are planning a Voters March to call for election
reform and the abolishment of the electoral college.  "Our nation has
been traumatized by what has happened in this  election," said Louis
Posner, a New York attorney leading the effort.

Another group, the D.C.-based New Black Panther Party, and its allies
plan to stage a Day of Outrage march, said spokesman Malik Shabazz.

Other local protest efforts are being coordinated by the Justice
Action Movement, a coalition of many who protested the World Bank.
They have been holding public meetings for several weeks at George
Washington University.  They scheduled a news conference today to
bring together organizers of various protest efforts.

On Monday, several dozen people attended a Justice Action Movement
meeting.  Most were students or young members of progressive
organizations and unions, but several were old  enough to have
protested Nixon's inauguration.  Justice Action Movement has dubbed
Jan. 20 the "InaugurAuction," a reference to members' belief that the
major parties buy the White House with corporate funds.

"Because of a corrupt political system, we now have a president who
is going to be threatening the lives of many innocent people because
of his support for the death penalty, military policies abroad and
free trade," said Adam Eidinger, 27, a movement organizer.

At the meeting, the group voted not to use violence, vandalism,
weapons, alcohol or drugs.  They also decided to remain in small
groups scattered all over the Mall, employing creative visual effects
and stilt walkers to make their points.

After the meeting, several organizers said they suspected a police
infiltrator was in their midst.  A man with a goatee looked just like
a plainclothes officer who figured prominently in confrontations with
World Bank demonstrators, according to organizers who said they have
videotapes.

Before ending a brief telephone interview with The Washington Post,
the man denied he was an undercover officer.  A police spokesman said
there is no one on the force with the name the man used at the
meeting.  Gainer confirmed that the police have infiltrated the
protesters, but he didn't identify anyone.

"They're looking for excuses to shut us down," Eidinger said.

This week, a few members of Justice Action Movement held a practice
InaugurAuction in front of the White House, offering to auction the
building for $10 to carpenters building bleachers for the parade.

"I don't feel this particular election demonstrates ideally what the
presidency is for this country," said Elizabeth Croyden, 30, an
actress and film producer who participated.  "It exposes a lot of
flaws in the system, and I'm upset about it.  If you don't get
involved, how can you make a difference?"   *****

Yoshie