Ithaca is Fired Up

By Samantha Allen and Eric Raue

VIDEO: Last Friday, Ithacans from the Worker’s Center, the International Socialists’ Organization, Cornell University and Ithaca College gathered on the Commons to support the victory after a six day factory occupation in Chicago as well as make the area aware of the current financial crisis.

SOUND SLIDES: Check out our slideshow to read some “in your face” protest poster messages and chants.



ARTICLE: Obamamania for Financial Mania?

Ithacans are worried the recent election of Obama has replaced concern over the national economy with an overly stimulated hype for a black president.
Michael Amadeo, a junior sociology major at Ithaca College and protester on the streets of Ithaca last Friday, said that he wished people were more active in social movements.
“I’m very scared about the complacency,” Amadeo said. “People were very very happy when Obama was elected…but we need to stay vigilant and realize that this is an opportunity for organizing.”

But Don Beachler, associate professor of politics at IC, believes that the deep panic surrounding the country, especially with the encroaching holiday season, is an indication that people are aware.
“We have a stalled economy,” Beachler said. “…The college is worried, they’re worried about how many kids can come back when parents have money invested in mutual funds, bonds and other investments to pay for college.”
Beachler said he believes Obama has a lot of issues on his plate entering his 2009 term, least of which are concerns for domestic policy and the current financial crisis.
“He has to get [the American economy] spiraling upward,” Beachler said, stating the economy is in a downward spiral where people are holding onto their money rather than spending it.
Kay Sweeney, an IC student who partook in the protest, said this is a difficult time for local shopkeepers.
“In terms of the holidays, economists are predicting there is going to be a lot less holiday shopping going on, so that mean it’s a massive blow to this economy because a lot f businesses depend on holiday shopping and are largely seasonal,” she said.

Beachler said he believed Obama is trying to break the news gently to the American people, that we’ve been in a recession since December of 2007 and most economists believe it could be another year before things turn around.
“[Obama]’s not even in office yet!” he exclaimed, “There’s a lot of expectation, he’s trying to tamp it down by saying it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

State Street's Second Name

The Ithacan and the Ithaca Journal reported today that a Wednesday Board of Public Works meeting showed strong support to give State Street a second name--Martin Luther King, Jr. Street. The change would be a "dual naming," meaning that the Martin Luther King, Jr. Street designation would be an addition, not a replacement. The image below is of a similarly dually-named street in Manhattan, courtesy of http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/.


Support of the dual naming seems to have been influenced by the election of Barack Obama as America's next president. As the Journal's article reported,
"Many of those who spoke in favor referenced Tuesday's election of Barack Obama as evidence that America and Ithaca want change and a more inclusive society."

The board is set to vote in City Hall Wednesday, November 12th at 4:45 PM. All board meetings are open to members of the public.

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--Eric Raue

The Other Side of Election Day

Election Day is always one of the biggest days on the American calendar each year. The 2008 Election was no different. However, it was clear on this Tuesday in November that the Presidential election overshadowed anything else.

At South Hill Elementary School, one of several polling places around Tompkins County and specifically the city and town of Ithaca, that seemed to be the sentiment among voters. People who came to place their mark in history made it known that the fight between Barack Obama and John McCain was far more important than whoever was running for local offices.

On the local ballots, Maurice Hinchey was running again for a spot in the House of Representatives from the 22^nd district against George Phillips. Don Barber was vying for State Senate in the 51^st district against James Seward. Several other people were on ballots to be elected among the state assembly, town boards, and many other spots. However, all eyes were clearly on the Obama-McCain war.

I have no reason to take anything away from the Presidential election. After eight years of one man leading the country, it was important for America to go out and make a smart choice in electing a new leader. However, I think the one thing that is clear is that too many Americans are concerned more with the federal government and fail to notice the smaller, sometimes more important people that change our everyday lives.

As I write this article, Barack Obama has just been elected as the new President of the United States and people are celebrating outside my apartment. A new day will dawn on our nation and a lot of people will finally feel this country can turn around. This is monumental without question, and one of the biggest topics in question is education. It is time for the American people to start educating themselves more about local government and those leading them locally just as much as the national leaders.

Below, I have put together a video including some voters from South Hill Elementary School’s polling place. It shows how voters clearly did not show much interest regarding the local political races. For a complete list of the local representatives who were running in the 2008 Election, please visit this page on the Ithaca Journal website.

--Michael Polak