The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 75/No. 21      May 30, 2011

 
Workers, youth give to
Militant Fighting Fund
 
BY DOUG NELSON  
“I just renewed my subscription for six months and contributed an extra $5 to the Militant Fighting Fund,” said Max Bontrager, a high school student in Lincoln, Nebraska. Bontrager, who works part-time as a busboy at a steak house, said he particularly liked the Militant’s articles on “blood-money” contributions. This is a column in which workers talk about turning over to the communist movement company “bonuses”—often linked to speedup, not reporting injuries, and signing concession union contracts—thereby taking the bosses’ bribe and using it against them and their system of exploitation.

Unlike the Militant Fighting Fund, which the Militant depends on to meet its operating expenses, “blood money” donations are given to the Capital Fund of the Socialist Workers Party, which helps finance the party’s long-range plans.

“The blood money contributions are inspiring and show the good spirit of workers who see the sham of charitable handouts by the bosses, who keep demanding cuts to workers’ wages and benefits,” Bontrager said.

Supporters of the Militant fund in Houston have just set an example to be emulated by raising their quota from $3,000 to $3,800—the first to do so. “We are looking to break $4,000 before the campaign is over,” said Steve Warshell, organizer of the fund there. This brings the combined total quotas from around the world to $117,200.

“We’ve been contacting new and long-term readers of the paper from New Orleans to the Rio Grande Valley,” Warshell said.

“I’ve been reading El Militante [the Militant’s Spanish pages] off and on since 2006,” said Lor Castro, a warehouse worker from Houston who donated $5 to the fund for the first time. “Even though it’s a small donation, I appreciate the big contribution the paper makes to workers who want to fight for our rights and better wages. Don’t stop putting it out!”

A teacher in Austin, Texas, who subscribed at a rally in solidarity with workers in Wisconsin, sent in $15 in response to a letter appealing for funds.

So far, $71,078 has been collected, still slightly behind schedule, but less so than last week. It is crucial that every area keep regular, weekly funds coming in, as the paper’s budget functions on a weekly schedule.

Fund supporters in Canada received a first-time pledge of $25 from Diane Dicaire, a retired paralegal who lives in Montreal. “You need to translate some of the articles into French, to reach more people in Quebec,” she said, volunteering to help do so.

“I found your coverage on the bin Laden murder right on target as well as the coverage on the war in Libya. Keep up the good work,” wrote Buddy Beck, a retired oil worker from Salt Lake City, Utah, along with a $100 check.

Steve Clark, editor of the Militant, spoke May 14 at a Militant Fighting Fund event in Miami titled “Obama Says, ‘Ordinary Folks Aren’t Paying Attention,’ Communists Say Political Responsiveness in Working Class Grows.” With more than 30 in attendance, the successful meeting raised $1,257.

If you are interested in helping with the fund effort, contact a Militant distributor on page 8. Donations can be sent to one of those locations or directly to the Militant at 306 W. 37th St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10018. Make checks payable to the Militant.
 
 
Related articles:
'Militant Fighting Fund: week 5 of 8(chart)  
 
 
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