The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 72/No. 11      March 17, 2008

 
Socialist presidential candidate
speaks on Georgia campuses
 
BY RACHELE FRUIT
AND LORETTA VANPELT  
CARROLLTON, Georgia—“As president, I would introduce federal legislation to give the unions the power to shut down production if public and workers’ safety is being put at risk by the bosses’ practices,” said Róger Calero, Socialist Workers Party candidate for president of the United States, speaking at a Militant Labor Forum here.

Calero pointed to the February 7 explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, in which 10 workers have died so far, and the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef by Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, a slaughterhouse in Chino, California.

“I call for the prosecution of the plant owners, who are the only ones responsible for this gruesome violation,” he said.

Students at the University of West Georgia (UWG) also hosted a meeting for Calero during his February 23-25 tour stop here. He was joined by Loretta VanPelt, SWP candidate for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 3rd District.

Calero explained the measures that he would implement as president to help protect working people from the impact of the capitalist economic crisis.

He said that as commander in chief he would immediately withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. Some students disagreed, saying it would result in “chaos.” One student said that he supported Republican candidate John McCain because the troop surge is working to bring the war to a close. The same student supported Calero’s proposal for permanent residency for all undocumented workers.

Ilsa Hernández hosted a meeting for Calero at the Latino Express store and restaurant. She explained that undocumented immigrants have been arrested for traffic violations and other misdemeanors and are being denied bail in Carroll County.

“How can we organize to protest what the police are doing?” she asked.

Calero told the 15 workers there that he would be attending a regional conference in Chicago in early March to organize for legalization of immigrants. He encouraged them to begin planning for actions on May Day.
 

*****

BY DAVE FERGUSON  
ATHENS, Georgia—Socialist Workers Party presidential candidate Róger Calero spoke at the University of Georgia here February 20.

Eight students attended the event. One asked what role women play in the party and in the revolution. Calero pointed to the centrality of the struggle for women’s liberation as part of the class struggle in the United States. He said that as president he would implement affirmative action programs to force bosses to hire women in better-paying jobs, as part of giving women economic independence.

Another student asked about the Green Party. Calero said that the Green Party is a capitalist party. “The working class needs our own political party, not another party that represents the interests of the rich,” he said. “I support the formation of a labor party based on fighting trade unions, one that can fight in the political arena for workers’ demands.”

Calero invited the students to build a meeting on the campus when Alyson Kennedy, SWP vice presidential candidate, comes here on tour. Several signed up to do so. Students also contributed money to help pay for Calero’s travel.
 
 
Related articles:
Iowa students meet socialist vice presidential candidate
Candidates debate trade, unemployment  
 
 
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