Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-04-08 CorrespondenceMarian Karr ~ From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 8:04 AM To: *City Council Subject: Pictures Thank you for your fast response. My name is James 0. Williams and my address is 436 4th Ave. Iowa City. I did call the police today and they issued a ticket for the green Jeep. This really is an on going problem and very annoying. ..... Original Message ..... From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 4:08 PM To: 'JWilli558 l~aol.com' Cc: RJ Winkelhake; Steve Atkins; Dale Helling Subject: FW: Pictures Sir, Even though I have not yet received a response regarding your full name for submission of your note/pictures to the City Council, I took the liber[y of showing your email to Steve Atkins (City Manager). Steve also found your circumstance to be unacceptable and forwarded it to RJ Winkelhake (our Police Chief) to be handled, Please see the Chief's response below. What we need is your address so a more direct response can be given to your situation in the future. You may still need to call in complaints, but it appears you should now receive some help in "encouraging" these parkers to not encroach on your driveway. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Have a nice rest of the day. The weather is certainly beautiful this afternoon. Lisa ..... Original Message ..... From: RJ Winkelhake Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 3:50 PM To: Tom Widmer Cc: Steve Atkins Subject: FW: Pictures Take a look at the pictures. I agree the cars need to be ticketed! Be sure the day supervisors take care of it! ..... Original Message From: JWilli5581 ~aol.com [mailto:JWilli5581 ~aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 1:31 PM To: council~iowa-city.org Subject: Pictures They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I am sending you four thousand words describing what I have to contend with on almost a daily basis. As a property owner and tax 4/2/03 payer I need your help with this problem. *** eSafe scanned this email for malicious content *** *** IMPORTANT: Do not open attachments from unrecognized senders Page 2 of 2 4/2/03 Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Lisa Mollenhauer Wednesday, April 02, 2003 11:37 AM 'benl@avalon.net' *City Council; Jeff Davidson Trains Mr. Lewis, A couple of years ago, a new switching area was created in Iowa County (near the Amanas) which provided some relief to the amount of train activity within and around Iowa City. CRANDIC called the City Manager yesterday to inform us there will be increased train activity in Iowa City for the foreseeable future due to a fire in Iowa County involving a train bridge, impacting switching in that area. Thank you for sending your comments to the City Council. A copy of your email will be distributed to all seven Council Members on their next printed Formal Agenda Consent Calendar. All correspondence addressed to Council becomes a permanent public record. If you wish to communicate with Council Members immediately, please click here for additional contact options http://www.icgov.org/citycounciL htm. Lisa Lisa Mollenhauer Administrative Assistant to the City Manager (319) 356-5010 ..... Original Message ..... From: Ben Lewis [mailto:benl@avalon.net] Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 10:27 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Trains Hi there, Just a note to let you know - the trains on south Dodge St. have been particularly noisy the last couple of days. I counted 17 horn blows in the last 120 seconds. I'm not sure how necessary this is, but I've heard of other cities using different systems or limiting noise in some fashion. Either way, they are definitely using their horn "excessively"... especially when there's a bridge on Dodge St. (no need to aler[ traffic). Ben Lewis 920 S. Dodge St. Marian Karr 04-08-03 4g(3) From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Terry Trueblood Friday, March 14, 2003 7:26 PM 'sariver@msn.com' *City Council; Steve Atkins FW: Hickory Hill Park and handicapped accessible trails Follow Up Flag: Follow up Flag Status: Flagged As Director of Parks and Recreation, I have been asked to respond to your email in which you express concerns about the new trail system in Hickory Hill Park. With regard to your suggestion that final payment to the contractor not be approved, this isn't an option. The contractor completed the project in accordance with the plans and specifications. I'm afraid that i, and many others, would disagree with your assessment that this project has been a "tragic failure." To the contrary, we have received numerous compliments. Yes, we have encountered some problems, and yes some problems still exist. We have spent over $15,000 to make improvements that were not the fault of the contractor. Additionally, we have committed dozens of hours of staff time working to make other improvements, and take care of problem areas. I am sorry you feel that much of the park was "devastated for this very poorly thought out project." We had a number of planning sessions which were open to the public, and all were attended by a number of representatives from the Friends of Hickory Hill and the Johnson County Coalition for Persons with Disabilities, as well as a few individuals who were affiliated with neither of these groups. Options were discussed and debated, disagreements took place and compromises were made. All of these people were concerned about maintaining the integrity of the park as a natural area, while making it as accessible as possible to persons with disabilities. I'm sure they, too, will be sorry to hear that you feel this project was "very poorly thought out." With regard to the "devastation," we have heard from a number of regular park patrons who expressed pleasant surpise at how little "devastation" actually occun'ed, and how quickly the undergrowth is coming back to the trail edge. We have also heard that park usage appears to have increased substantially. We discussed the possibility of hard-surface trails (i.e. asphalt or concrete), but all the planning participants were opposed to this. They knew such surfaces would be more accessible and easier to maintain, but felt they would also be too intrusive, not to mention the fact that it would be much more costly. We looked into a product called "Road Oyl" which is a binder derived from natural substances. To apply it would have cost well over $100,000; we didn't have the budget for this so we applied for a grant through the Department of Natural Resources, but didn't receive it. We knew from the beginning that a crushed, compacted limestone surface, while meeting accessibility standards, would not be totally accessible 100% of the time, most notably during wet conditions and when snow covers the ground. You make it sound as if the entire trail system is "sludgey" whenever it is the slightest bit wet, but this simply is not the case. We have been there a number of times during wet conditions, and have found much of the trail to be very firm. As I said, we realize there are some problem areas, and we continue to work on them. There are other areas, however, that simply need time for Mother Nature to help create more firmness. We constructed nearly three miles of trail, so there are bound to be some problems, especially with a surface material that doesn't set like concrete. One of the goals of this project was to try to make the entire new trail system accessible to people with disabilities so they would be able to experience and enjoy a great deal of the park, rather than limiting them to a few small flat areas, as you suggest. I ask you to keep in mind that this time of the year, as the snow is melting, temperatures are rising and the ground is thawing, is the most difficult season tbr many of our areas, including Hickory Hill, both in terms of maintenance and attractiveness. We will be conducting a thorough inspection of the trail system before too long, taking appropriate action where necessary. In the meantime, if you know of specific areas where special attention may be needed, feel free to let me know. Terry Trueblood Director of Parks & Recreation ..... Original Message ..... From: sage river [mailto:sariver~msn.com] Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 6:42 PM To: council@iowa-city.org 3/17/03 Page 2 of 2 Subject: Hickory Hill Park and handicapped accessible trails Dear Councilors: I am writing regarding the issue of payment for the work which was done at Hickory Hill Park to create trails which would be wheel chair accessible. As someone who walks at the park daily and also works with people with disabilities, I can tell you that it has been a tragic failure. The gravel-sludgey mixture with which the trails have been "surfaced" simply does not hold up to the elements. With each thaw or even moderate rainfall, deep gullies are created, the sludgey mixture turns into an impassable mess, and the trails become difficult to traverse even on foot. A wheelchair would be mired within a few feet. ! find it extremely disturbing that so much of the park was devastated for this very poorly thought out project; Hickory Hill Park is hilly. Even with the extensive grading that was done, rain is still going to gush down those paths. T was walking one day last fall and got caught in a rainstorm and within a few minutes, the water was at least a couple of inches deep at the bottoms of the hill!er paths, carrying the gravel- sludge with it. It would have been so much more beneficial to have done a really good job of creating a smaller number of hard surfaced paths on some of the FLATTER areas of the park, giving genuine access to people who use wheelchairs. T strongly encourage you to NOT approve payment for the work which was done on these paths. As the weather warms and the paths turn quickly to mush and gullies, T invite you to take a walking tour (T would be happy to offer my services as a guide) before you make a decision about the worth of the work. Thank you very much for your consideration, Sage River sariver@msn,com 338-5446 1128 Dodge St. Court Towa City 52245 3/17/03 Marian Karr From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Tuesday. March 18, 2003 3:55 PM To: 'kyle angle' Cc: *City Council; RJ Winkelhake; Doug Boothroy; Jann Ream; Steve Atkins Subject: RE: the snow and how to get a hold of police by email Mr. Angle, This note is in response to your email regarding snow removal and communicating with the Police Department. The City does not enforce snow removal in private parking lots. If you notice sidewalks that are not cleared, please let us know. We enforce snow removal on a complaint basis. We do not offer an email address to inform the Police Department of emergency situations. There is no one assigned to monitor incoming email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; therefore, an urgent or even life-threatening report could sit in an email inbox unopened for an extended period of time. 911 should be utilized for emergency notifications to the Police Department. Thank you for sending your comments to the City Council. A copy of your email will be distributed to all seven Council Members on their next printed Formal Agenda Consent Calendar. All correspondence addressed to Council becomes a permanent public record. If you wish to communicate with Council Members immediately, please click here for additional contact options h~tp ://~ww,icgov,org/ci~y~ou nci!,b~m. Lisa Lisa Mollenhauer Administrative Assistant to the City Manager City of Iowa City 410 E Washington Street Iowa City, iA 52240 (319) 356-50'i0 ~icgoy,o rg ..... Original Message ..... From: kyle angle [mailto:buda39~msn.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 1:49 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Subject: the snow and how to get a hold of police by email I have been a resident of Iowa City for over nine years and I am appalled by the way the residents and city have been taking care of the snow removal and sidewalks I have slipped a few times and fell from a pile of snow that was piled up in a parking lot of a business and sprained my left ankle and the snow plows have been putting the snow in front of the sidewalk that are in the streets so it is hard to get to the side walk from the street and last night I tried to get a hold of the police by email and was not able to there was a woman who was being attacked by a guy out on Wayne ave. and I did not have a phone but did have email but could not get a hole of someone at he police station I think there should be a way to get a hold of the police through the internet in case of emergency a concerned citizen Kyle Angle 3/18/03 March I0, 2003 City Manager Steve Atkins & The Iowa City City Council East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear City of Iowa City Officials: I was impressed at the job done by City streets crews following our recent heavy snow. I drove the First Avenue/Scott Boulevard Extension fairly early the morning after the storm, and everything was cleared away, even at my early time of departure. My compliments to that Department on its' work. As I was admiring the work of the Streets crews, something dawned on me. I was observing a Streets crew clearing the sidewalk along the First Avenue/Scott Boulevard Extension. The area in which these fellows were working was well beyond the boundary of Hickory Hill Park; I would think that it would be impossible to mistake this as being a responsibility of the City of Iowa City. I hope that City Streets crews are not cleating the whole sidewalk along these new roads. I would expect the adjacent property owners to bear the responsibility for snow removal from these sidewalks, just as property owners do throughout the rest of the City. Did these landowners negotiate some sort of deal, or was the Streets crew inadvertently doing too much work? I hope you can clear this up. My compliments again to the Streets Department on a job well done. Sincerely, Rod Sullivan 2326 East Court Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245 354-7199 March 17, 2003 Rod Sullivan 2326 East Court Street Iowa City, IA 52245 CITY OF I0 WA CITY PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT Dear Mr. Sullivan, Your letter of March 10th has been referred to me for response. The snow removal on the First Avenue sidewalk adjacent to Hickory Hill Park is the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Department. Your observations are correct.., we are removing snow beyond the boundaries of the park, but only about 50 feet. The reason we are doing so is to reach a curb cut, located directly across from Hickory Trail, where it is convenient for the operator to exit with his equipment. He continues to that point with his blade down simply because it takes very little time, and if he lifted the blade his equipment would compact the snow making it more difficult for the adjacent property owner to remove the snow. His other option would be to mm around at the property line, which would likely cause turf damage over a period of time, and he could get stuck. This curb cut is as far as we intend to go; the remainder of the new sidewalks along both First Avenue and Scott Boulevard are indeed the responsibility of the adjacent property owners, just as you suggest. I hope this answers your letter satisfactorily. If you have other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, ~ood, CPRP Director of Parks and Recreation cc: I,,C~y Manager Public Works Director 220 SOUTH GILBERT STREET IOWA CITY IOWA $2240- 1632 PHONE (319)356-510~ FAX (319)356-548' March 18, 2003 City Manager & City Council City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, lowa 52240 Dear City Manager & City Council: I am writing you today to express my concerns over the recent suggestion to expand the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district around Sycamore Mall. As you know, TIF legislation was created to enable municipalities to offer redevelopment incentives. Why were (are) incentives needed? Because the area in question was (is) blighted, and no redevelopment will occur without the incentives. Though I have a few issues with the processes Iowa City has used, the recent use of TIF to improve the Sycamore Mall property seems to have worked very well. Sycamore was blighted, and there was no reason to believe that redevelopment would occur. I do not see how these standards apply to the current proposal. The proposed TIF would improve streets, most of which border residential properties. There is no space for new residential development; even if there were, using TIF for this purpose would be a mistake. Now we look toward commercial development. Improving these streets will do nothing (I emphasize- NOTHING) to spur commercial development in the area. Most of the redevelopment has already occurred. The area is bustling, not blighted. Any additional development that is going to occur will occur whether these streets are improved or not. No incentives are needed. If the streets are in need of repair, put the project in the capital improvements plan. I am sure that all of you have followed the STIR legislation proposed by the Iowa Farm Bureau. This proposal would prohibit municipalities from creating TIF districts. Why would such legislation be introduced? Reasons are numerous. But we cannot overlook one important reason-the fact that several cities have misused TIF districts. Iowa City is headed down this path with the Sycamore area proposal. It is this type of irresponsible use of TIF that may lead to its downfall. Thank you for listening to my concerns on this matter. Fell free to contact me at 354-7199 if you have any questions. Sincerely, Rod Sullivan 2326 East Court Street Iowa City, Iowa 52245 MidArnerican ENERGY March 10, 2003 MidAmerican Energy Company 1630 Lower Muscatine Road Iowa City, IA 52240 Honorable Emie Lehman Mayor, City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mayor Lehman: On February 10, 2003 the city of Carlisle renewed a five-year supply agreement with MidAmerican Energy Company. Enclosed is a photocopy of the city's notification announcement to customers. As you will see from reading this document the difference between Carlisle's rates and MEC's are minimal. However, just comparing numbers doesn't tell the whole story. Allow me to point out several items that are not contained in this notification. Property taxes - Carlisle formed its electric utility in 1931. According to the latest audit report filed with the state, Carlisle paid no property taxes nor made any payment in lieu of taxes in 2001. If property tax replacement costs were required, the rate difference between Carlisle and MEC would be less. Rate Freeze - As you know, by an agreement with the state MidAmerican's rates are "frozen" through December 31, 2005. On an overall comparative basis, if MidAmerican is able to continue its current level through the end of the Carlisle agreement in 2007, MEC's Residential rates will be about equal to Carlisle's and Commercial rates will be lower. MEC also has "riders" added to our rates for programs such as energy efficiency and renewables that Carlisle does not. Wholesale power prices - The city benefited from the timing of the renewal of their contract. To illustrate the volatility of the market, had the city concluded their contract last week instead of February 10th, they would have had to pay substantially more for power. For example, the wholesale price per MWh for summer, 2003 on-peak power was almost 25% higher on February 25th, as compared with the February lO® price. Transmission risk - The city has assumed additional risk for transmission. The city may be exposed to additional transmission congestion charges for generation re-dispatch. Carlisle will also incur incremental loss charges based on marginal costs when transmission governance changes. This uncertainty may not be reflected in their rates. Volume risk - The city has assumed additional risk associated with increases or decreases in their demand. Both increases and decreases outside a narrow, pre-determined bandwidth will cause the city to incur additional costs. These costs may not be reflected in their proposed new rate structure, which is based on average usage. MidAmerican ENERGY Mayor Lehman March 10, 2003 Page 2 It has been our position from the start of the franchise renewal process, that it will be extremely difficult if not impossible for the city to achieve significant savings by taking over our distribution assets without taking on a large amount of long-term debt, unnecessarily exposing itself to a high degree of wholesale market volatility and transmission management risk. The Carlisle experience appears to validate this position. Sincemly, Brian J. Phelps Engineering & Operations Manager MidAmerican Energy Company Enclosure: City of Carlisle - Electric Rate Increase Notice CARLISLE ELECTRIC RATE INCREASE The City of Carlisle operates a municipal electric distribution system that serves approximately 1,400 :ustomers. The City buys wholesale electricity from MidAmerican Energy Company (MEC) under a tull reqmrements whoiesaie purchase power agreement that covers both the actual energy used and the generating capacity needed to produce it as well as the portion of the high voltage electrical transmission system necessary to deiiver the energy to Carlisle. The Ciw's full electrical requirements include both its base and peak energy loads. Base Icad energy is generated continuously using the most inexpensive soumes such as coal, nuclear and hydro while peak load is generated when many customers want electricity at the same time. In a 24-hour period, the peak usually occurs between noon and 6:00 P.M. and over the course cfa year, the highest peak usually occurs in the alSernoon on the warmest day of the summer. Peak load is generated by more expensive sources such as natural gas or diesel. Many municipal utilities have their own peaking capacity and buy their wholesale energy through interruptible wholesale power agreements rather than full requirements agreements. The present purchase power agreement was entered into on Mamh 1, 1997 and expires on February 28, 2003. During 2001 and 2002, the Carlisle Municipal Utility investigated several options to meet its future energy needs. These included purchasing wholesale power from another regional investor-owned utility, joining a municipal power agency, owning its own base Icad capacity by making a direct investment in the new MEC coat-fired generating unit at Council Bluffs and even negotiating an intermptible agreement with MEC and purchasing peaking power from another municipal utility. For various reasons, including the relatively small size of its Icad and the wheeling costs that would be incurred for the use of the MEC transmission system, a continued relationship with MEC was determined to be the best option. Because of deregulation in the wholesale electricity market, the new MEC wholesale power agreement is based on present forward market pricing with rates differentiated by time of day, day of week mad time of year. There will be a summer rate from June through September and a winter rate from October through May instead cfa fixed rate per kWh. The City's present average wholesale cost per kwh is approximately $0.0335 during the winter and $0.0297 during the summer. The average wholesale cost of energy during the 2002 calendar year was $0.0320 per kwh. The average wholesale rates for capacity, energy and transmission services in the new MEC wholesale agreement and the yearly percentage increases are: Year Summer Winter Annual Summer ' Winter Annual S/kWh S/kWh S/kWh ~/0 increase ~/o increase % increase 2003 0.0528 0.0431 0.0470 77.9 28.4 47.0 2004 0.0527 0.0422 0.0464 -0.1 -2. [ -1.2 2005 0.0538 0.0428 0.0473 2.1 1.6 1.8 2006 0.0550 0.0441 0.0485 2.2 3.0 2.6 2007 0.0578 0.0462 0.0508 5.0 4.7 4.8 Although the new average wholesale rate of $.0470 per kwh is a significant increase over the present average wholesale rate of $.032 per kwh, it is consistent with other wholesale rate proposals that are currently being negotiated. The new MEC wholesale rates will be reflected in Carlisle's new retail rates through a monthly service charge instead cfa minimum bill, a fiat rate instead cfa declining block rate and a differential between summer and winter rates, as follows: Residential Service Charge First 1,000 kWh Additional kWh Summer (Jun-Sep) $6.00/mo. $0.07750/kWh $0.07750/kWh Winter (Oct-Ma¥) $6.00/mo. $0.07250/kWh $0.06750/kWh Residential Electric Heat Serv ice Charge Fh'st 1.000 kwh Additional kwh Summer (Jun-Sep) $6.00/mo. $0.07750/kWh $0.07750/kWh Wiuter (Oct-Mav) $6.00/mo. $0.06500/kWh $0.04500/kWh Commercial Service Charge First 4.000 kwh Additional kwh Summer (Jun-Sep} $8.00/mo. $0.09250/kWh $0.07000/kWh Winter (Oct-lMav) $8.00/mo. $0.08750/kWh $0.06500/kWh Commercial Electric Heat Service Charge First 4,000 kWh Additional kWh Summer (Jun-Sep) $8.00/mo. $0.09250/kWh $0.07000/kWh Winter (Oct-May) $8.00/mo. $0.06250/kWh $0.05500/kWh Commercial Demand Service Charge First 250 hours x kW of demand Next 150 hours x kW of demand Additional kWh Summer (Jun-Sep) $15.00/mo. $0.07250/kWh $0.06500/kWh $0.05500/kWh Winter (Oct-May) $15.00/mo. $0.06750/kWh $0.06250/kWh $0.05250/kWh The new Carlisle retail rates will be effective beginning March 1, 2003 for electric usage during the January-February, 2003 billing period. Carlisle has not increased its retail electric rates since 1989. It is difficult to think of any product or service that costs the same today as it did 14 years ago. The new municipal retail electric rates for average use customers will increase from a low of 16% for the commercial demand rate to a high of 30% for the residential rate. Since 1989 this equates to an annual increase of 1 .I % on the commemial demand rate and 2.1% on the residential rate. Even with the increases, the new Carlisle retail rates will also remain lower than comparable MidAmerican Energy Company retail rates, ranging from 4.3% lower than MEC for an average use commercial rate to I 1.9% lower for an average use residential rate. .Jomolsno [el. SOd Z"eOOg ti!MOl ' OlSUJeO Marian Karr From: stephen radosevich [stephen-radosevich@uiowa.edu] Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 9:05 AM To: cou ncil@iowa-city.org Subject: Traffic flow Dear Council Members, Due to a recent promotion at the University of Iowa, I now work on the east side of the river. This has caused a change in my route to and from work. As such I actually travel through and near the fringes of downtown. I notice that many motorist have the belief that it is acceptable to stop in the street, leave there car there, and go about their business as a pedestrian; blocking traffic flow along the street. I know that the council has tried many things to encourage the citizens to come back to downtown, i find the inability to navigate the streets just another deterrent to the mind set that would make me want to come downtown. I realize that without alleys or loading docks the beer trucks, etc have nowhere else to unload their goods. But the number of cars parked illegally during the late afternoon and early evening is really quite unacceptable. Sincerely Stephen J. Radosevich Grant Accounting B-5 Jessup Hall The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa, 52242 Ph: 319.335 0650 Fax: 319.335.50674 3/7/03 Margaret Jiang 2312 Food Sciences Bldg. Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 March 3, 2003 RE: The Persecution of Falun Gong Overseas and Rescue Charles Li from PR China Dear Honorable Mayor and City Council Members, While Falan Gong, the advanced meditation system, is getting popular in over 60 countries all over the world for its impressive effect on health improvement and its principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Furbeamnc~e, some of China's top authorities launched the nation wide, brutal persecution of its citizens who practice Falun Gong in China. Now, they extends the persecution overseas and became more and more aggressive by targeting foreign countries' citizens, residents, elected officials, including those in U.S.. We are writing to respectfully ask for your close attention on this situation. The China's communist ruler Jiang Zemin handed a former U.S. President a book to slander and defame Falun Gong. The mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan, got pressure from Chinese Consulate in Chicago for giving proclamation to Falun Gong group. Evan Mantyk, al9-year-old junior at the University of Michi~n discovered his name on a "blacklist" maintained by the Chinese Communist Regime. The most recently happened cases can clearly speak out for what is going on about the persecution of Falun Gong overseas. Charles Li, MD, a US citizen who was arrested on Jan. 22, 2003 at the Guangzhou airport in China when he went to visit his parents for the Chinese New Year. He was arrested simply because he practices Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioner Dr. Chunyan Teng, a doctor and U.S. permanent resident in New York City, was arrested when she visited China and sentenced to 3 years in forced labor camp. Practitioner Ms. Li Meizi, a U.S. permanent resident in Florida, was arrested and currently detained in China when she visited China at the end of last year. At the same time that Charles was detained, Australian citizen Nancy Chen was similarly detained in China by authorities, but was released and allowed to return home after a few days as a result of firm and persistent efforts by the Australian government and society to obtain her release. Similar past efforts by the governments of Canada, Ireland, and other nations have gained relief for their illegally and unjustly detained residents and citizens who practice Falan Gong. The persecution of Falun Gong happened under the order of the China's communist ruler Jiang Zemin who became jealous of Falun Gong's popularity in China and began persecuting Falun Gong practiti,oners. Over these past four years, numerous human rights reports have revealed that Jiang s regime has arrested, tortured, and killed thousands of innocent people, which constitutes a major violation of international treaties that China has signed. China's irrational act evokes wide protest and condemnation internationally including US officials and human right groups. There are documented reports on China's extended persecution of U.S. citizens, residents who practice or support Falun Gong, and its systematic efforts of imimidating and silencing US elected officials. While we are still collecting the cases in this area, please feel encouraged to inform us about any pressure or interference from Ch/nese Communist Regime for your support of Falun Gong. American citizen, Charles Li's detention is not just a direct threat to all the oversea Falnn Gong practitioners, but also a big threat to all the US citizens and people around the world who embrace the principle of"Tmthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance". We see an urgent situation to speak out for basic human rights and freedom of belief, not only for those Falun Gong practitioners in China, but people worldwide. Thousands of people like Charles have already been killed for no reason in China. We don't want the same to happen to him. We sincerely hope that you could render your help on rescuing Charles Li by contacting the State Department or other government officials. Enclosed please find related document including a music CD composed by Falun Oon~ practitioners calling for immediate release of Charles and thousands of innocent people who practice Falun Gong in China. We appreciate your time and attention. Sincerely, Falun Dafa Association in ISU Contact: Margaret Jiang (515) 451-9455 Laura Chen (515) 231-7616 A website devoted to rescue Charles Li is setup: http://www, rescuecharles, org What you can do to help us: - Write to Chinese Embassy in U.S. to request release of American citizen Charles Li. - Write to State Secretary Colin Powell to call for urgent action on rescuing Charles Li. - Write to President Bush to call for urgent rescue of Charles Li. - Resolution to call for China to stop persecuting Falun Gong. - Raise public awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and overseas. Friends of Charles Li I Help Rescue American Dr. Charles Li Dr. Charles Li, a US citizen, was arrested on January 22 when he went back to China to visit his parents for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Tel: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 Ca fornia Senator Feinstein Tel (202) 224-3841 (415) 393-0707 Fax: (202) 228-3954 Caf!fomia Senator Boxer Tel: (202) 224~3553, (4~15) 403~0100 Fax: 415-956-6701 Congresswoman Anna Eshoo Tel (202) 225-8104, (650) 323-2984 Fax (202) 225-8890 The Committee on International Relations Chair: Rep, Henry Hyde Tel: (202) 225-5021 Fax: (202) 226-2831 State Department James A. Kelly, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Phone: 202-647-9596 Fax: 202-647-7350 Colin L. Powell Secretary of State Fax: 202-736-7262 He did nothing wrong. He just happens to practice a popular system of exercise and meditation called Falun Gong, which is currently being persecuted in China. False charges are being made against him and he is facing up to 15 years in jail. His life could be in danger. His fiancbe, friends, and family are really worried about his safety. During the past 4 years of persecution, the Chinese Government has never followed its own law when dealing with the Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners have been beaten and tortured at the hands of police, even to death. Please help us to rescue Charles. Please contact the U.S. State Department on his behalf, as well as your Senators and Representatives. It will help make a strong case for his immediate release. Thank You/. www. rescuecharles.or,q / www.faluninfo, net Who is Charles Li? Charles is a kind and sincere person who likes to help others. He came to the United States in the early 1990's after finishing his medical degree in China. He earned his master degree in physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He then worked in the Massachusetts Hospital of Harvard University, He now lives in Menlo Park, California where he manages his own business. Recent Foreign Detainees in China Dr. Chunyan Teng, an acupuncmrist from New York and a US resident, has been sentenced in China. On December 13, 2000, China snubbed worldwide Human Rights Day celebrations by sentencing Teng to three years in prison on the charge of"releasing national security information to foreigners." Ms. Teng's "crime" was simply to inform intemational journalists about China's illegal practice of detaining and torturing Falun Gong practitioners in mental hospitals. And now she is still detained in China! Dr. Charles Li, an American Citizen and practitioner of Falun Gong, was detained after arriving at the Guangzhou Airport on January 22, 2003. He is facing a sentence of up to 15 years in a Chinese prison on dubious charges, and is only allowed 30 minutes per month of contact with the US Embassy. Australian Falun Gong practitioner Nancy Chen brought her 6-year-old daughter back to China to visit her elderly parents, she was kidnapped by the National Security Bureau on January 22, 2003 in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province and was detained at the Yibin City Party School Hotel in Sichuan Province. Under the pressure of international community, especially the intervention of the Australian government, Nancy Chen, was released and safely came back to Australian on February 3, 2003. This kidnapping case drew the attention of the Australian government and media. Mrs. Ying Zhu, a Concordia University student and resident of Canada, was immediately kidnapped while entering China to visit her parents and detained on May I0, 2001. The reason for her arrest is that she practices Falun Gong. Fortunately, she was free and back in Canada by June 21, because of action taken by Canadian government officials. Professor Kunlun Zhang, a Canadian citizen, was arrested in China, November 15, 2000 and was freed and returned to Canada by January 15, 2001 with the great help of Canadian government officials. Three American scholars of Chinese ancestry, Li Shaomin, Gao Zhan and Tan Guangguang were held in detention while they visited China. Under the pressure of US, all of them were released and safely returned to US recently. China Brief The JAMESTOWN VOLUME I, ISSUE 10 NOVEMBER 21, 2001 F 0 U N D A T I 0 N IN THIS ISSUE · The business of (mis)information, Mei Duzhe ......................... 1 · Hu Jintao, China's probable next leader, Yao Jin .................... 4 · Zeng Qinghong, a possible contender, Wen Yu ...................... 6 · Beijing and Taiwan's next elections, Willy Wo-Lap Lam ......... 9 NEXT ISSUE [Thursday, December 6] · ~ Taiwan's elections... How CHINA'S GOVERNMENT IS ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL CHINESE MEDIA IN AMERICA By Mei Duzhe The U.S. Census 2000 data reveal dramatic growth over the past ten years in the Chinese American population. In these years the Chinese-American community has in- creased by 48 percent to over 2.4 million, making it the larg- est Asian ethnic group in the country. Notably, surveys have found that of this Chinese-American population, as many as 82.9 percent speak the Chinese lan- guage at home, with 60.4 percent professing that their En- glish skills are limited (www. asianmediaguide.com). As one might expect, these people's dependence on Chinesedan- guage media is heavy. And to a significant degree it is these media, as made available in the United States, that deter- mine the wofldview of many Chinese-Americans living in the States. Depictions of the democratic process, the role of law, human rights and other American concepts come to the Chinese-American filtered through Chinese-language me- dia. The content and nature of Chinese-language media (hereafter "Chinese media") in America thus deserves greater scrutiny. Before 1985, Chinese media operations in the United States came primarily from Taiwan and Hong Kong, with little in- fluence from Communist Mainland China. This would change in the mid 1980s, however, when waves of immigration from Mainland China changed the profile of the Chinese-Ameri- can community. The influx of Mainland Chinese piqued concerns of state-nm me- dia operations hack home, triggering what can now be described as aggressive media efforts in the United States by mainland operations. Indeed, the Mainland China gov- ernment has made major inroads into the Chinese media market here over the past decade. Four main tactics characterize the Chinese government's effort to influence Chinese media in America. First is the attempt to directly control newspapers, television sta- tions, and radio stations through complete ownership or owning major shares. Second is the government's use of economic ties to influence independent media who have busi- ness relations with China. This leverage has had major effects on the contents of broad- casting and publishing, effectively remov- NOVEMBER 21, 2001 ing all material deemed 'Sanfa'~orable2~ .. , byr th~.~,:Chi-, 9 nese government. Third is the 13utehasmg df broa~l-~ cast time and advertising space(or more) from ex- isting independent media. CAo~eiY related to'this.is the government's Pr0viding'~tSee, ready-to;gO 15~-~5- gramming and contents. Fourth is the deployment of government personnel to work in independent media, achieving influence from within their ranks. These tactics have been applied with much effect to both national- and local-level Chinese media throughout the United States. Influencing Chinese newspapers The dominant Chinese media vehicle in America is the newspaper. Four major Chinese newspapers are found in the U.S.-WorM Journal, Sing Tao Daily, Ming Pao Daily News and The China Press. With an alleged total circulation of over 700,000, these publications are regarded as indicators of the market's growth. Of these four, three are either di- rectly or indirectly controlled by the government of Mainland China, while the fourth (nm out of Taiwan) has recently begun bowing to pressure from the Beijing government. Three are either directly or indirectly controlled by the PRC. · The China Press Established in New York in January of 1990, The China Press is directly conlxolled by the Chinese government. The paper is characterized by its sub- stantial and timely news reports from Mainland China. It represents the voice and views of China's Communist govermnent. CHINA BRIEF 2 rices were established in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles to publish Sing Tao Daily in North America. In the late 1980s, STNG owner Sally Aw Sian met with financial crisis, and found a financial solution in the form of aid from the Chinese gov- ernment. The past decade or so has seen the trans- formation of Sing Tao Daily into a procommunist newspaper. Sally Aw Sian has since become a mem- ber of China's National Political Consultative Con- ference. Its daily issue averages some forty pages in length, and is distributed in almost all major U.S. cities. The paper claims a total circulation of 120,000. In January of 2001, the Global China Technology Group, a Hong Kong-based company chaired by Ho Tsu-Kwok, acquired the controlling shares of Sing Tao's holdings. Ho Tsu-Kwok, it should be noted, has close ties with Beijing and is currently also a member of China's National Political Consultative Conference. In May of 2001 Ho cooperated with China's state-mn Xinhua News Agency to establish an information service company known as Xiahua Online. Larry Lee (Li Ge), the deputy chief editor at Sing Tao's North America headquarters in San Francisco, is himself a former edi- tor of China's People's Daily--the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party. Li is in charge of the newspaper's editorial forum, Sing Tao Square. During the recent EP-3 incident, when two columnists published articles in Sing Tao ask- ing China to release the American crew and return the U.S. airplane, they were singled out and at- tacked on Sing Tao Square for nearly a month. Similar situations have occurred following the pub- lication of articles sympathetic to the Falun Gong spiritual practice. Sing Tao Daily pritus sixty-four pages in each issue and claims a circulation of 181,000. · Sing Tao Daily Sing Tao Newspaper Group (STNG) was established in Hong Kong in 1938. In the 1960s regional of- · Ming Pao Daily News As preparation for Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, the Chinese government made vigorous at- NOVEMBER 21, 2001 tempts in the early 1990s to purchase several!majqr_ media agencies in Houg Kong. This was done through the use of third-party merchants whdl have close business ties with China. In October of 1995 Ming Pao Daily News was bought by a wealthy Malaysian merchant in the tim- ber industry, Datuk Tiong Hiew King. As people guessed, Datuk had close business ties with China. Like Sing Tao, MingPao has since been heavily in- fluenced by the Chinese government. For example, there is an unwritten rule at both Sing Tao and Ming Pao that no exclusive reports on the Pro-Democ- racy Movement of China are to be published. In or- der to appear to be "neutral" and "independent," they do however publish some related reports, but they ; ' CHINA BRIEF W~rJc]ff~.ourna! is the most widely read Chinese-lan- guag&fie~spaper in North America, and claims a circulation of 300,000 in the United States. tnflUbiJOing Chinese television The Chinese government of Mainland China has managed to influence Chinese-language TV in the United States, primarily by means of its China Cen- tral Television International station, or CCTV-4. CCTV is China's official state-nm TV station. Using digital compression technology, CCTV In- ternational offers Chinese programming twenty-four hours a day via satellite at no additional charge to viewers around the world, including those in the Un/ted States. are merely based on news releases from sources like the Hong Kong In- formation Center for Human Rights & Democratic Movement in China. Employees at Ming Pao's New York office have told sources that their "true boss" is none other than the Chinese Consulate [in New York], and that they are obligated to do whatever the Consulate asks. They are obligated to do whatever the Consulate asks. CCTV-4 also rents broadcasting time from influential independent TV sta- tions across the United States, such as SinoVision in New York, which reaches millions of households and tens of thousands of Chinese viewers daily with its several broadcasting channels. Furthermore, CCTV-4 also provides free programming (especially news pro- grams) to independent TV stations, ready for broad- Ming Pao claims a circulation of 115,000 and is dis- tributed mainly on the east coast of the United States. · World Journal An independently nm daily publication, World Jour- hal is one of the six branch-newspapers of the United Daily News (UDN)--Taiwan's most influential newspaper. World Journal is presently trying to develop business ties with Mainland China. The effects of this are already being felt, some persons report. For example, Chinese Consulates in both New York and San Francisco have pressured World Journal's local offices to not publish ads related to Falun Gong. The New York office has already ac- quiesced in full, and the San Francisco office has in part; it still prints Falun Gong ads, but with them appearing on the paper's least-viewed page 90 per- cent of the time. cast. Some of these stations also reach millions of households, such as Cable KPST 66 in San Fran- cisco, which reaches 2.3 million households in the Bay area. It is difficult to estimate the total number of viewers CCTV-4 has. First, its satellite broadcast signal is uncoded and can thus be received by any type of satellite dish; second, it runs on cable channels in most every U.S. city. What this means is that CCTV-4 has effectively brought the Chinese Communist government's slanted news, or propaganda, to the vast majority of ethnic Chinese living in the U.S. Much of CCTV- 4's broadcasting is identifiably anti-American even, and greatly at odds with reporting produced in the free world. NOVEMBER 21, 2001 '- ~ [ '~-" ' CHINA BRIEF Concluding thoughts , ,,' ';, _; ;~,, lent antagonism towards the Falun Gong on U.S. The 2000 Census also revealed that 80 percent 6f ~ <sofl~gwould also seem telling. all Chinese-Americans live in twelvd major U.S. cities. As one might by now expeCL,a~l these cities ' ~ And, surprisingly, this would appear just the begin- are targeted by the Chinese government with misin' , cling. This past week it was reported that AOL Time formation and propaganda. Not only are the above said papers and broadcasting to be found, but also, in almost every case, there are smaller, local news- papers, television stations and radio Stations that are controlled by the Chinese government. Beijing's Communist government has thus pen- etrated U.S. markets to no small extent, having ef- fectively infiltrated all major U.S. cities home to Chinese-Americans. Perhaps what should concern us most, though, is the nature of reporting that re- sults from this. In most cases journalistic standards are clearly far below those of their English-language counterparts, with half-truths and even gross misin- formation sometimes being panned as "news." Analysis of the reporting that takes place in this arena is in great need of careful examination, but of course beyond the scope of this article. But for many of the United States' 2.4 million Chi- nese-Americans, such reporting might be all that they read, hear or see. Few or, in some cases, no alternatives exist. The "outside world" and current events are filtered and presented through a limited number of media, the majority of which am influenced---or even run. as we have now seen--by Beijing's com- munist government. While there has been no formal analy- sis of such reporting's impact on Chi- nese-American communities, its long- term negative effects can nonetheless be surmised if not caught in glimpses. Startlingly apathetic responses to the September 11 tragedies are one recent indicaton Strong anti-Ameri- can sentiments (especially notable among the Main- land Chinese communities in the United States) amidst the EP-3 affair and the Belgrade Embassy Bombing would be anothen And fierce, even vio- Warner had closed a major deal with the Beijing government that would bring CCTV programming to the United States on a much larger scale, via Time Warner's cable operations. The U.S. government, by comparison, continues to have broadcasting rights in China flatly denied, instead finding its Radio Free Asia and Voice of America radio networks con- stantly jammed. Similarly, all major U.S. newspa- pers are banned in Ch'ma and their websites blocked. Mei Duzhe is a PRC Chinese scientist now teach- ing at a leading Western university. Hu JINTAO: THE BIRD THAT KEEPS ITS HEAD DOWN By Yao Jin "The bird that sticks its head out gets shot:' AChinese saying best describes the risk of show- ing one's clear political or ideological lean- ings: "The bird that sticks its head out gets shot." Hu Jintao, the man who is widely expected to suc- ceed Jiang Zemin as head of the Communist Party in 2002 and president of China in 2003, has been careful enough to act as "a bird that keeps its head down." In all his pub- lic remarks, Hu has cautiously toed the party line, and no outsiders know where he really stands on economic and political reform and many other critical issues that confront China to- day. His image as a political enigma reflects not only a cautious personal- ity but also the pressures on him not to make mistakes and not to upstage Jiang. Bom in December 1942, Hu graduated from the hydroelectric engineering department at the presti- gious Qinghua University in Beijing--China's MIT--in 1964. From 1965 to 1968, he worked as a NOVEMBER 21, 2001 CHINA BRIEF ~ political assistant of the uinversity dealing with "po- ~ most promising leader o f his generation, he has been litical and ideological issues" among studentsl In on~t~:pp~erful dems~onmaking Standing Cornm~t- 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, he w~8 trans- tee of the party's Politburo since 1992. And he has ferred to Gansu, an underdeveloped prov~¢~, in west China, to work as a junior hydroelectric engineer. In 1974, when Song Ping, a now retired party elder, was a provincial leader, Hu was Song's secretary at the regional construction commission. Song once praised the young man as the "walking map of Gansu," as Hu had visited different parts of the province over the years and knew the counties and their problems so well that he didn't have to refer to his notes when asked to brief vis- iting senior officials from Beijing. There are other stories about his photographic memory. But according to an insider, Hu works very hard to memorize the speeches he is going to de- liver or the notes prepared for him before meeting with foreign visitors. Liberal intellectuals in Beijing deride him as "the best student at recitation." After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, Song Ping, Hu's mentor, was promoted to work at central departments in Beijing, and this helped Hu's transfer to the nation's capital. From 1982 to 1985, he was the secretary of the Communist Youth League, a position giving him the opportunity to develop extensive contacts with his colleagues that are now regarded as Hu supporters from the "Youth League faction." At the age of 43, he became one of the youngest rising stars when he was made party secretary of Guizhou, a poor southern province. In 1988, he was made party secretary of Tibet shortly after anti-Chi- nese rioting had broken out there. Hu proved his loyalty to the party by enforcing Beijing's instruc- tions to crackdown and to impose martial law in Lhasa. With the blessing of Deng Xiaoping, China's late paramount leader, who once referred to Hu as the been China's vice president since 1998 and the first 3~e'~6~tainnan of the Central Military Commission since 1999. Liberal intellectuals in Bei, jlng deride him as "the best student at recitation:' Hu is also the president of the Cen- tral Party School, a party think tank and training center for rising cad- res. This job has given him the opportunity of building contacts with his students, including rela- tively young colonels and gener- als in the military. No one in the military dares to report directly to Hu by overstepping Jiang Zemin, who is chairman of the Central Military Commission, however, many officers who have been trained at the party school take pride in having established personal relationship with their president. Under Hu's guidance, the school has been very active in exploring political and economic al- ternatives. Instructors and researchers there have been to Germany to establish contacts with leaders of its social democratic party, giving rise to specu- lations about Hu's interest in reforming China's Leninist party. Chinese liberal intellectuals have given a nickname to each of the seven members of the Standing Com- mittee of the party's Politburo. Hu is labeled "sunzi.' In Chinese, it literally means "grandson," but it is also the synonym for "yes-man" in colloquialism. Jiang, nicknamed the "actor," have assigned Hu to thankless jobs from time to time to test the loyalty of the "grandson." After the NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Bel~ade in spring 1999, Hu was chosen to give an internal briefing to party and government workers. He openly said, "the hostile forces in the United States will never give up its attempt to subjugate China." But in a television ad- dress to the nation, Hu left out his earlier remarks on the "hostile forces" while repeating China's an- NOVEMBER 21, 2001 ~-'~ ger over the bombing. And he urged the angry sm- dents and Beijing residents who were throv~ing rock at the American Embassy to get back to their stud- L les and jobs. Later in 1999, a student of Beijing University wrote a letter to Jiang Zemin, accusing Liu Junning, a lib- eral researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, of advocating "bourgeois liberalism" in his lectures. Jiang again assigned Hu to handle the case. Hu quickly in- structed party scholars to write ar- ticles to criticize "bourgeois liber- alism,'' however, he made it clear that only five such essays should be written and they should be published by one national newspaper only. Apparently, Hu didn't want to repeat a nationwide campaign to attack "bourgeois liber- alism'' as was the case in the 1980s. Hu didn't want to... attack "bourgeols liberalism." This year, shortly after Jiang declared on July l that the party would open to Chinese capitalists, rem- nant Maoists published articles in their journals, fiercely attacking Jiang by alleging that he had de- parted from the fundamental lines of Marxism- Leninism. Once again, Jiang passed on the thorny issue to Hu. Acting on Hu's instructions, the Propa- ganda Department of the party suspended two left- ist magazines for "rectification," but it didn't order to close them down for good, and the media nation- wide was told not to publish any such articles in the future, in handling this case, Hu had tried to patch up the quarrel in a way acceptable to both the con- servative and reformist wings of the party. ' CHINA BRIEF n ~olitJca] riddle to them. ~e freguently quoted Presi- de~;h~r~ and China s kno~m pohcy on interna- tional and bilateral issnes in his meetings with for- eign l,e, aders, as if he had nothing to say by himself. This is because one of the most acute flaws of the Leninist party systems is that power is concentrated at the apex of the system without any existing means to assure a smooth political succession at that level. If Hu continues to play the role of the "grandson" by acting cautiously not to outshine Jiang, he will be- come China's next leader after Jiang retires as head of the Communist Party and then as president in the next 18 months. At 59, Hu is young enough to rule China for ten to fif- teen years. But for at least the first five years of his rule from 2002 to 2007, he will have to look over his shoulders, as it is yet uncer- tain if Jiang will step down from his most important position as chairman of the Central Militaxy Com- mission that controls the army. Even ifJiang resigns in full, he is likely to continue to rule "behind the curtains," a Chinese imperial practice that gave the dowager empress much greater power than the young emperor. The best guess is that as a leader of a new generation, Hu will show himself as a force for faster political and economic changes in the sec- ond five years of his rule when Jiang and other party eiders are too old to exert their influence, but no one is sure of that. China is a country of great un- certainties, and so is its next leader. Yao din is the pen name of a Chinese writer. On October 27, Hu Jintao began his five-nation European tour. The extensive news coverage in Beijing showed his friendly meetings with heads of state, prime ministers and business tycoons in Rus- sia, Britain, France, Germany and Spain, but it was intended, to a larger extent, to strengthen his cre- dentials as a statesman and to portray him as the heir apparent for the home audience. Europeans tried hard to size up this closet man, but Hu remained a ZENG QINGHONG' A POTENTIAL CHALLENGER TO CHINA'S HEIR APPARENT By Wen Yu Since the Chinese communists came to power in 1949, China has suffered gravely from succes- sion politics. During the Maoist era that ended in 1976, convulsive political tensions and struggles sur- NOVEMBER 21, 2001 ,- ;~ ; CHINA BRIEF rounding the succession issue had greatly damaged ~:. military~ or head lucrative trading companies. Zeng the relationships among the ruling elite and bro~gh~ "Qi~hdng ~or~ec'bfthese princelings. untold suffering to millions of ordinary Chinese. In;' the late 1980s, China's then paramount leader D~O~ ~ · ,Z. eng Sh~ Zeng Qinghong's father, was a senior Xiaoping purged his own designated successors Hu commandbr, of the comtnumst Third Field Army Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang one after another when during China's civil war that ended in 1949 and a they displeased him. In the subse- quent political struggles to succeed Deng, ultimate decisions on succes- sion were made in secret by a small group of party elders at Deng's home. China today, like its past, has not institutionalized succession. This is especially true regarding the position of the "core leader"---the top man at the center, whose effec- tive leadership is critically impor- tant to maintaining stability in China. The uncer- tainty of smooth transfer of power has been highly damaging to the system in the past and has the po- tential to remain disruptive in the future. It is widely believed that Hu Jintao, a member of the ail-powerful Standing Committee of the com- munist party's Politburo and China's vice president, will succeed Jiang Zemin as party general secretary and president when Jiang starts to hand over power in fall 2002. But as Hu has to assure Jiang of his continuing fidelity, it is difficult for him to build up his own power base while Jiang is still around. Though it seems unlikely that Hu will be purged by Jiang before next fail, one can not rule out the pos- sibility that Hu could be nudged aside by other con- tenders before he consolidates his position after the succession. In this scenario, Zeng Qinghong, now an alternate member of the Politburo, is the main potential challenger to Hu. The "princelin~l" In China, the offspring of veteran communist revo- lutionaries belong to the privileged class. They are labeled "princelings," or the "princes' party," though it is not an organized political group. Many of them, drawing on the influence of their parents, now hold important positions in the party, government and "When a man attains immortality, even bls pets asea, end to heaven:' member of the party's Central Com- mittee before Mao Zedong launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Zeng's mother Deng Liuqin, who is still alive, used to be the director of the Shanghai-based East China K/n- dergarten in the early 1950s, where the children of many senior officials were brought up. In a country like China where power resides in infor- mal connections, the network of per- sonal ties the Zeng family has cultivated over the decades has proven to be extremely useful. Bom in July 1939, Zeng Qinghong graduated from a Beijing technology college in 1963. His skill at political intrigue did not become evident until 1984 when he was made deputy director of the party's municipal organization department in Shanghai. When Jiang Zemin became Shan*~hai mayor in 1985, he immediately found in Zeng a man he could trust. When the pro-democracy student movement of spring 1989 was gaining momentum nationwide, Jiang was Shanghai party secretary and Zeng was his deputy. Acting on Zeng's advice, Jiang closed the World Economic Herald, a liberal Shanghai- based weekly advocating bolder political and eco- nomic reform, in May 1989 and managed to keep the local student movement under control. Contrary to the bloody military crackdown in Beijing on June 4, 1989, Shanghai student demonstrations ended without bloodshed. Thus Jiang acquired merit in Deng's eyes and was made party general secretary in June 1989. A popular Chinese saying goes, "when a man at- tains immortality, even his pets ascend to heaven." This is true of the Jiang-Zeng relationship. Shortly NOVEMBER 21, 2001 after Jiang's promotion to Beijing, Zeng w.as mad~e deputy director of the party Center's General Offfc~ that handles administrative details of the(bureau- cracy. In 1993, he became the director, 3'ahng ad- vantage of his power at the General 0ffi~e; Zeng functioned as Jiang's "chief housekeeper." When Jiang was appointed in winter 1989 to chair the Central Military Commission that controls the mili- tary, he had to remain on the periph- ery as he had no prior military experi- ence. It was Zeng that helped Jiang cultivate and establish ties with the military brass by putting to use his family's extensive network of connec- tions. Zeng's "housekeeping" also fur- thered Jiang's interest at the Central Discipline Inspection Commission (responsible for seeking out violation of party rules), the Central Commis- sion for Political and Legal Affairs (in charge of the court and prosecuting systems and other repressive apparatus), Propaganda Department (overseeing the media, education and political studies), Organiza- tion Department (handling personnel appointments) and many other central party bodies. Zeng even ex- tended his influence into foreign affairs. In the 1990s, when Jiang went abroad to visit foreign countries, Zeng, more often than not, was in the entourage. That move would have prepared the way for Zertg's elevation... Zeng the echo Zeng rarely speaks out on China's major domestic and foreign policy issues except to echo Jiang's re- marks. His role as Jiang's "chief housekeeper" is equivalent to that of a "chief eunuch" to the em- peror in ancient China. Though the eunuch enjoyed unrestricted access to the emperor, he had nothing to claim in his own right and his role was often frowned upon by ministers in the court. To advance Zeng's own political career, Jiang maneuvered to make Zeng an alternate member of the politburo and a member of the party Central Committee's Secre- tariat at the 15th Party Congress in 1997. In October 1998, Zeng made an effort to further consolidate Jiang's power. He submitted a proposal ~:'' CHINA BRIEF ,~ to t~he Politburo in the name of the Secretariat to ~atm~:h i~e "Three Stresses (politics, studies, righ- teo~usness) campaign among party cadres at and gb~¥exthe county level. This was in name a rectifi- ~ati0~l:ampaign to correct unhealthy tendencies. To a larger extent, however, it was an effort to strengthen Jiang's political control. After the Politburo had approved the proposal, Zeng instructed the Secre- tariat to list forty-five articles written by Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zeming as the required reading for the campaign. Fifteen of these were Jiang's speeches, thus putting him on a par with Mao and Deng. In March 1999, Zeng moved to head the powerful Organization Depart- ment, giving him more power to pro- mote Jiang's and his own supporters. Over the years, Zeng has successfully installed mem- bers of the "Shanghai Gang" (a term used to de- scribe Jiang's proteges who had worked in Shang- hai when Jiang was party secretary there) for lead- ing positions at the central and regional levels. At the party's 5th Plenum in fall 2000, it was widely expected that Zeng would be promoted to full mem- bership in the Politburo to fill up a vacancy. That move would have prepared the way for Zeng's el- evation to the Politburo's Standing Committee at the 16th Party Congress. But Zeng's promotion did not occur. At the 6th Plenum this past fall, Jiang again failed to install Zeng in the Politburo, as sev- eral members of the Standing Committee reportedly opposed Jiang's plan with success. It seems unlikely that Zeng would rival Hu Jintao for the top spot at the 16th Party Congress sched- uled for fall next year, however, Jiang has contin- ued to portray Zeng as China's No. 2. This past Sep- tember when Jiang was having a closed-door meet- ing with North Korea's dictator Kim Jong I1 in Pyongyang, he reportedly referred to Hu and Zeng as China's "core leaders" of the next generation. In a meeting with Russian President Putin at the Shang- NOVEMBER 21, 2001 CHINA BRIEF 9 hai APEC summit in October this year, Jiang made been demanding regular updates of the electoral an effort to introduce Zeng to Putin and asked,,"D.o... cam~0aign from officials such as the head of the Tai- you know Qinghong? He is our director °f t-h~ Ora, ,c~v&fi- Affairs Office, Chen Yunlin. While the state ganization Department and a member of the Secre- media as well as semi-official websites have run a tariat." By the standard practice in the't~arty, Jiang, a semor, would refer to Zeng, ajum0g, as Conrrade Zeng Qinghong." If the relationship is close, Zeng would be addressed as "Comrade Qinghong." The reference to Zeng simply as "Qinghong" implies an extremely close relationship between the two. Given the possibility that Jiang will continue to ex- ercise a great deal of political influence after his re- tirement, the most likely scenario is that China will be ruled by a "troika" consisting of Hu, Zeng and the new premier, with Jiang as the over- lord behind the scenes. But should Hu show any sign of disobedience, he could be ousted before he has the time to build and consolidate his own base of supporters. If this happens, Zeng could emerge as the victor amidst the subsequent jockeying for power at the apex. But as most Chinese believe that the nation's social and economic progress hinges on a strong and stable cenlral leadership, the possible division at the top does not bode well for China in the years to come. Wen Yu is the pen name for a former Chinese official. TAIWAN'S UPCOMING ELECTIONS By Willy Wo-Lap Lam myS with Taiwan elections for the past several ears, President Jiang Zemin has set up a spe- cial task force of civilian and military aides to moni- tor developments in the mn-up to the December 1 parliamentary polls on the island. Jiang, who also heads the Chinese Communist Party's Leading Group on Taiwan Affairs, has also ~,l~w of news reports and comments on the forth- ~iS~ning balloting, senior cadres have avoided giv- ing their views in public. This reticence, however, hardly masks the fact that Beijing has adopted a mulfipronged strategy to ensure that it will derive max/mum benefits from the first island-wide polls after the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) re- placed the Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalists, as Taiwan's ruling party in March 2000. tough--or as the requires," Beijing's best-case scenario is that the pro-indepen- dence DPP's tenuous grip on the Leg- islative Yuan will slip furthen The DPP holds only sixty-six out of 225 legisla- tive seats, meaning that most of Presi- dent Chen Shui-bian's policies are rou- tinely blocked. Chen has vowed to boost his party's legislative positions to at least eighty-seven. And a Chen ally, former President Lee Teng-hui, has formed a Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) which, in Beijing's view, is also gunning for covert independence. The mainland leadership hopes to prevent the TSU from gaining enough seats so that it can join forces with DPP politicians, independents and "rebel" KMT lawmakers to control the legislature. At the same time, the Jiang administration has quietly thrown its support behind the two major opposition parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and the People's First Party (PCP), many of whose politicians have visited Beijing the past year. In closed-door meetings with KMT stalwarts, Beijing cadres have pledged to give them political and other kinds of support to ensure the DPP's defeat at the polls. The gameplan Beijing's Taiwan gameplan has been summed up by a Communist party Politburo member in a terse dictum: "Be as tough--or as conciliatory--as the situation requires." For the past year, Beijing has .... CHINABR~EF 1 0 NOVEMBER 21, 2001 "- 'i , '~ been ruthlessly wielding the "business card" against establisln~ent said that the Jiang administration had the DPP. The mainland leadership's strateg~ ,i~ _earmark~d.bi. lljons of yuan for investments in Tai- simple. First, roll out the red carpet to Taiwan com- win ~fi6~id ~ three direct links be established. panies, particularly hi-tech firms. As Taiwan~s economy becomes more reliant upon the maih~.i}thd, not only businessmen but professionals and fresh ~ollege graduates see their future well-being in Shanghai, Xiamen or Dongguan, Guangdong Prov- ince. Second, establish the linkage between Taiwan's economic woes and the sorry state of its relations with the mainland. Third, continue the policy of snubbing President Chen--and laying the blame for mainland-Taiwan tension squarely on Chen and his DPP colleagues. As m~m~,Ta~wan businessmen and workers become d~pencl6rii6h the mainland, Taipei's economic sov- ereignty-and ability to determine its own destiny-- may be dealt a body blow. "Since multiparty elec- tions began in Taiwan in the mid-1980s, this is the first time that economics has become a dominant issue," the source said. "Beijing is confident that the momentum is going its way because the main- land economy is thriving while that of Taiwan is deteriorating." So far, things seem to be going Beijing's way. Un- like predecessor Lee, Chen has been unable to pre- vent the flow of capital--and talents--to coastal China. Latest statistics--the island's GDP shrunk by 4 percent in the third quarter of the year and unemployment shot to 5.3 per- cent--have raised the specter of' long-term hardship. While a major cause of the recession has been the downturn in the American and world economy, it is easy for anti- DPP forces to play up Chen's fail- ings. Since early this year, the KMT and PFP have trained their fire- power on Chen's apparent failure to open a dialogue with Beijing--and presumably to get enough main- land business to resuscitate Taiwan. Taipei's economic sovereignty--and ability to determine its awn destiny-- may Be dealt a body blow. The Jiang leadership's business card has become more effective after both the mainland and Taiwan have entered the World Trade Organization. A num- ber of Taiwan transportation finns, including four aviation companies, have already committed size- able investments in the mainland in anticipation of direct air and shipping links. And Beijing doesn't need to do much to persuade Taiwan businesses to put pressure on Chen to make concessions on the Cross-S~ait front, such as recognizing the one China principle. A source close to Beijing's Taiwan policy Diplomatic analysts say that Beijing has encoun- tered more difficulties in efforts to woo the Tai- wan public through assuming an open and flexible posture on the reunification issue. In the mn-up to Taiwan's presiden- tial elections in 1996 and 2000, Beijing hurt its own cause--and indirectly helped its foes, Lee and Chen--by issuing dire threats to the island's electorate. Witness the war games off the Taiwan coast in 1996 and Premier Zhu Rongji's tough message in March 2000 that a vote for the DPP was the moral equivalent of a ballot for war. This time around, Beijing has exercised relative restraint and focused on waging some form of smile diplo- macy. For example, both Jiang and Vice Premier Qian Qichen have emphasized that as long as Taipei recognizes the one China principle, anything--in- cluding the title, flag and anthem of the new, re- united China--is negotiable. Officers of the People's Liberation Army have also been told not to make provocative remarks about the "renegade province." There was, however, a major mishap last month, when the hardline Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, almost repeated the errors of 1996 and 2000. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera- tion (APEC) forum in Shanghai, Tang caused wide- spread indignation in Taiwan by refusing to let NOVEMBER 21, 2001 CH~NABRIEF ! I Taipei's representative, Economics Minister Lin Hsin-yi, reply to a reporter's question at a press conference. The payoff question Tang also alienated a good chunk of Taiwan's vot- ers by delivering an ad hominem attack on Chen in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this month. "I despise Chen Shui-bian be- cause ail he says are lies," Tang said. Chinese sources in Beijing said Tang received an indirect reprimand from Qian for his impolite--and totally undip- lomatic-treatment of Lin in Shanghai. At a high-level inter- nal meeting to reassess APEC, Qian told Tang it was essential to follow the policy of being tough when toughness is required--and being conciliatory when the situa- tion so demands. And the part of Tang's UN speech that savaged Chen was not reported in the official Chinese media. The big question: Will Beijing's elaborate strategies pay off on December 1 ? so of the electorate that has always cast their ballots for pro-independence, native-Taiwanese candidates. Chen and his colleagues are facing a tough test be- cause the majority of long-standing DPP supporters live in southern Taiwan, which is hardest hit by un- employment and other woes. Taiwan analysts say much depends on whether the DPP can hold on to the loyalty of the 30 percent or "I despise Chen Shui~bian because 'all he says are lles." Chen's strategists, however, have claimed that eco- nomics will not triumph over politics--at least not in the case of proud native-Taiwanese residents who have over the decades valiantly battled alien powers ranging from the Japanese to the mainlanders. The chances of Chen and Lee re- taining the backing ofnative-Tai- wanese voters may rise if cadres such as Tang were to let their de- sire to gloat over the mainland's growing prowess get in the way of efforts to reassure Taiwan that it will not be swallowed up in the wake of the tricky business of reunification. W~lly Wo-Lap Lam, one of Asia's best known journalists and authors, is a senior China analyst at CNN's Asia-Pacific Office in Hong Kong. · · · · · · .- .- · · Freedom Under Attack The Persecution of Falun Gong Targets U.S. Officials, Citizens and Residents in America On the web at: http://www.faluninfo.neffspecialreports/freedomunderattack/ ne cmnese government, not content with persecuting the Falun Gong in China, has [urged] local U.S. officials to shun or even persecute them right here in America. The approach...tends to combine gross disinformation with scare tactics and, in some cases, slyly implied diplomatic and commercial pressure. -The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 21, 2002 "1 w ' ' ' as chtlled to the bones that a commumst natron would go to this extent to suppress someone's freedom of action in this country. ' - Randy Voepel, Mayor of Santee, California, responding to pressure tactics from the Chinese consulate in L.A. "This meddling in the affairs of our government is simply unacceptable. It bears an uncanny resemblance to the efforts of the Nazi government of Germany in the 1930's to persuade the rest of the world that persecution of its citizens simply was not taking place. And the parallels don't end there. Today, as was also the case in 1930's Germany, major American corporations have significant investments in China. The temptation is to look the other way, to ignore what is happening because we are fearful of disrupting trade in an emerging market. If there is one lesson we should have learned from the 1930's, turning a blind eye to such events will cost us dearly in the long run." - Saratoga Council Member and former Mayor Start Bogosian's press statement in San Francisco on April 4, 2001 www.faluninfo.net Page I of 49 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 3 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Section I: The Role of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.S ........................................ 8 Section II: The Blacklist and Homeland Security ........................................................................... 9 Section IH: Systematic Efforts of Intimidating and Silencing U.S. Elected Officials .................. 12 Section IV: Intimidation and Violence Against U.S. Citizens and Residents .............................. 16 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Appendix A: House Concurrent Resolution 188 .......................................................................... 21 Appendix B: House Concurrent Resolution 447 ........................................................................... 23 Appendix C: Summary of RICO/Civil Rights Lawsuit ................................................................ 27 Appendix D: FDI - Crisis News Bulletin, Aug. 30, 2000 ............................................................ 28 Appendix E: FDI- Crisis News Bulletin, Oct. 19, 2000 .............................................................. 29 Appendix F: FDI - China's Persecution of Falun Gong Breaches U.S. Border ............................30 Appendix G: Testimony from Mayor Pat Somerville, Rochester Hills, Michigan ....................... 33 Appendix H: Former Mayor Stan Bogosian's Statement to the Press .......................................... 34 Appendix I: Letter From Chinese Ambassador to Members of Congress .................................... 36 Appendix J: In The News ............................................................................................................. 37 Wall Street Journal: Will Chinese Repression Play in Peoria? ................................................ 37 Associated Press: China Expanding Campaign Overseas to Discredit Falun Gong ................. 40 Chicago Tribune: China's Battle Leaps Borders; Consulates Lean on U.S. Groups ................ 42 Newsday: Silencing the Movement; Crackdown from afar ...................................................... 44 Washington Post: Falun Gong Honors Rescinded .................................................................... 48 www.faluninfo.net Page 2 of 49 Acknowledgements We wish to thank the government officials of the United States who have faced pressure and harassment by agents of Jiang Zemin's regime with calm, courage and a sense of duty to protecting the freedoms of speech, assembly, and belief hem in the United States. We also wish to thank volunteers in Washington DiC., New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and other cities for their time, diligence and care in assembling this report. Most of all, we offer our deepest respects to those in China who - in the face of imprisonment, torture and even death - continue to peacefully appeal for the freedoms of speech, assembly and belief in China. The Information presented in this report was gathered by a team 'of Fahin Dafa Information Center researchers and writers. Some excerpts were taken from reports issued by Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, The Chicago Tribune, The Associated Press and New York City's Newsday. Report Authors: Mr. Levi Browde, New York City Mr. Tao Wang, Washington DC Report Editors: Dr. Shiyu Zhou, Philadelphia, PA Dr. Sheny Zhang, Berkeley, CA Mr. Riordan Galhiccio, Seattle, WA www.faluninfo.net Page 3 of 49 I ! I! I! ! [ Background "" What is Falun Gong? FALUN GONG (also called Falun Dafa) is an ancient form of qigong, th~ ~t~raclic6 0~ refining/ire body and mind through slow-moving exercises and meditation. Many have come to call qigong, "Chinese Yoga." Like yoga and tai chi, qigong is a vital part of many people's lives in Asia; almost every Chinese park is brirmmng by the break of dawn with people practicing these arts. Yet Falun Dafa is different from most other qigong practices in that it goes beyond the pursuit of health and fitness to the goal of wisdom and returning to one's original, altruistic nature. At the heart of the practice are three principles: Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Through a combination of stt~dying the books of Falun Dafa and performing the exercises, practitioners strive to become better people by embodying these principles in everything they do. The Evolution of Falun Dafa Falun Dafa was introduced to the public in May of 1992, when Mr. Li Hongzhi gave his first lecture in Changchun City, China. Soon afterwards he traveled with several students to the Oriental Health Expo in Beijing where Falun Dafa earned several awards, prompting organizers to invite Mr. Li to give several impromptu lectures on the principles of Falun Dafa. During the following two and a half years, Mr. Li lectured on invitation in almost every major Chinese city, giving fifty-four lecture series in all. All instruction at that time was overseen by the Chinese government's top qigong organization, the China Qigong Scientific Research Society. Although Mr. Li gave his last lecture series at the end of 1994, the practice continued to grow from 1995 to 1999 at an explosive rate. During those years, the practice was passed on by word of mouth and free of charge, and practice sites were organized by volunteers. Since 1995, Mr. Li Hongzhi has traveled to countries around the world to lecture on Falun Dafa and discuss the practice with students. All lectures have been free and open to the general public. By the middle of 1999, Falun Dafa was practiced in over 40 countries around the world( The Persecution of Falun Dafa in China Many Chinese leaders, including Chinese Premier Zhu Ron~i and the Director of China's Sports Commission, Mr. Wu Shaozu, applauded the health benefits the practice brought to the nation.: Communist Party head, Jiang Zemin, however, grew fearful of such a large number of people and - believing that the peaceful nature of Falun Gong made for an easy target - banned the practice in 1999. Failing to "eradicate Falun Gong in three months3,'' as Jiang had proclaimed, Jiang has intensified the propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. China experts point to the systematic campaign Jiang has carried out against Falun Gong, saying it also demonstrates an ulterior motive: In a Feb. 9, 2001 article, CNN's Senior China Analyst, Willy Wo-Lap According to a count of the number of countries listing volunteer Falun Dafa practice sites on the main website of Falun Dafa, www.falundafa.org as of August, 1999. U.S. News & Worm Report report "An opiate of the masses?"; February 22, 1999 See Appendix D www.faluninfo.net Page 4 of 49 Lam, quotes a senior Chinese Party member as saying, "By unleashing a Mao-style movement [against Falun Gong], Jiang is forcing senior cadres to pledge allegiance to his line...This will boost Jiang's authority:" By painting Falan Gong as an enemy of the state, Jiang hopes to mobilize the nation into a straggle with himself at the helm, and thereby consolidate power. As of October 14, 2002, the Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 493 deaths~ since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, government sources inside China, reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. On October 14, 2001, the confirmed death toll was 323. If the actual death toll shows the same increase as the confirmed death toll has, then we would expect the tree death toll today to be well over 2,500. Due to extreme difficulty in discovering and verifying information in China related to wrongful deaths, this higher figure also likely understates the tree death toll. For instance, in March of this year police from several provinces poured into the city of Changchun and placed a several weeks long siege on the city. Residents reported dozens, if not over one hundred, practitioners were killed. In this chaos, little detailed information about these deaths could be gathered by the Falun Dafa Information Center "Intensifying the Campaign Overseas" Soon after Jiang Zemin began persecuting Falun Gong in China, the international community reacted, condemning Jiang's actions. On November 18, 1999, the United States Congress passed joint resolutions (House and Senate), condemning the persecution. The Wall Street Journal's Ian Johnson began authoring a series of articles exposing the atrocities committed against people who practice Falun Gong in China that would later win him the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. U.S. governors, mayors and state legislators began issuing proclamations of support and encouragement to people who practice and/or support Fahin Gong throughout the U.S. This response by the international community put pressure on Jiang to end his anti-Falun Gong campaign. Jiang, however, responded by issuing a directive: "intensifying the campaign overseas.5'' Thus, Chinese Embassies and Consulates around the world began escalating efforts outside China to stamp out support for Fahin Gong, to disrupt Falun Gong activities, and to try to get them banned. For the past three years, Chinese Embassy and Consulate officials have worked to slander and persecute Falun Gong here in the United States, and in other countries around the world. Jiang wishes to nullify any crifcism of his handling of Falun Gong. He also wishes to maintain absolute control over what Chinese citizens hear and see about Falun Gong. Most mainland Chinese only know ¢n~a~ t the s~t.~e-run media report. Ne9ertheless, the more positive support Falun Gong receives overseas, the more difficult it becomes to hide this support from the people of China. See www.faluninfo.net for current statistics See Appendix E www.faluninfo.net Page 5 of 49 Summar y Jiang Zemin hands a former U.S. President a book authored by Chinese propagandists about Falun Gong, which distorts the teachings of Falun Gong and calls for universal condemnation of the practice. Stan Bogosian, the former Mayor of Saratoga, California, receives a letter from the Chinese Consul-General in San Francisco that pressures Mr. Bogosian to retract his support for local Falun Gong activities. A mob of Chinese men - echoing slogans propagated by the Chinese government - attack a group of people peacefully practicing the Falun Gong exercises in a public park in San Francisco. Evan Mantyk, a 19- Chinese Communist Regime. · year-old junior at the University of Michigan, discovers his name on a "blacklist" maintained by the · What~'s going on here? ~i~ '~ · U.S. Officials, Citizens and Residents Targeted ~ i i Across the United States, what began in July, 1999 as a series of isolated incidents of intimidation; harassment and illegal activity on the part of Chinese officials and those working under their :directio~l~. has been uncovered as a targeted campaign against officials, citizens and residents who PrgCtice &? ~ support Faiun Gong in the U.~. and other countries. ,, ~3 iii~ Under the orders from China s Communist Leader, Jiang Zemin, to strengthen the campaign overseas, Chinese officials have employed economic ties at the national, state and city level, political pressure, and illicit means in an attempt to slander Falun Gong and undermine support for the practice in the U.S. As reported in a Wall Street Journal article on Feb. 21, 2002: "The Chinese government...has [urged] local U.S. officials to shun or even persecute [Falun Gong] right here in America. The approach...tends to combine gross disin,f, ormation with scare tactics and, in some cases, slyly implied diplomatic and · commercial pressure. · There have also been dozens of cases across the U.S. of citizens and residents being intimidated, harassed i and physically attacked by Chinese consulate officials or those working for them. The Blacklist and Homeland Security _ Agents of Jiang s regime have also been gathering information in an illicit manner on U.S. soil. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) categorizes the threats to U.S. citizens and residents who practice Falun Gong as "part of homeland security." In February, 2002, classified documents smugg, led out of China and authenticated by renowned China iexpert Su,,X~aokang revealed orders from China s leadership that call for setting up "intelligence and data portfolios of those who practice or are supportive of Falun Gong around the world. 6 These data portfolios" have surfaced as "blacklists" utilized by Chinese officials in Hong Kong and · countries overseas to bar Falun Gon. g practitioners fro,,m entering these countries during state visits by ,J, iang, in ,,an apparent attempt to prevent protests. Many who have found themselves on these blacklists are average Americans, such as Evan Mantyk, a 19-year-old junior at the University of Michigan, who is not of Chinese descent and lives a quiet life in Lathrup Village - a suburb of Detroit. Evan was identified by unknown persons as a Falun Gong practitioner and his name was then added to a · blacklist maintained by the Chinese Communist regime. www.faluninfo.net Page 6 of 49 Overseas Chinese Communities Jiang's campaign overseas has also taken aim at Chinese communities in the U.S. There are very strong ties between Chinese consulates and Chinese community associations throughout the country. Consulate officials have utilized these ties to rally the associations, and members of the Chinese community overall, against Falun Gong. On September 6, 2001, New York City's Newsday newspaper ran an article exposing this activity: "[Chinese] Government officials have appeared at 'seminars' in Manhattan to decry [Falun Gong], egging on local Chinese immigrants to oppose the movement. In one session, the consul-general told his audience that immigrants who have not become U.S. citizens were expected to obey Chinese laws, which ban Falun Gong. Further poisoning the atmosphere for local Falun Gong practitioners, powerful organizations in Chinatown -- which had expressed no concern about Fahin Gong before the government crackdown started in July 1999 -- began holding countermarches against the group, their charges echoing the government's virulent accusations." www.faluninfo.net Page 7 of 49 · · · · · · I Section I: The Role of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. Walking into the Passport/Visa offices of the New York Consulate earlier this year, one might be a little taken aback by the decorations - with the exception of one traditional Chinese-style painting occupying the back wall, the office was covered in propaganda posters decrying Falun Gong, accusing the practice of horrendous crimes and echoing the slanders that have saturated Chinese state-run media for more than three years. There was nothing about Taiwan, Tibet or any of China's other hot-button issues ... it was all Falun Gong. Serving as the nation's Embassy and consulates, these offices are established to facilitate and maintain relations with the host country - in this case the U.S. Judging by the content of their office walls, the priority of their agenda is quite clear. The Chinese Embassy in Washington DC and the Chinese Consulates throughout the United States have, for more than three years now, utilized their offices and personnel to pressure U.S. officials supportive of Falun Gong, harass people who practice Falun Gong, and interfere with regular Falun Gong activities here in the United States. The following are a list of activities conducted by Chinese Embassy and Consulate officials in their campaign against Falun Gong in America: I. Pressure and lobby Executive Branch and Members of Congress 2. Pressure and threats aimed at state and city government officials 3. Leverage trade and economic ties to influence U.S. officials 4. Chinese Ambassador, Consuls spreading propaganda to U.S. officials, citizens 5. Physical assault and violence against U.S. citizens and residents 6. Harassing U.S. citizens and residents with intimidation and fear tactics 7. Disruption of community activities 8. Interference with private business 9. Gathering information on people who practice Falun Gong through illegal surveillance, and through Chinese associations, businesses, and University faculty and students www.faluninfo.net Page 8 of 49 Section H: The Blacklist and Homeland Security Evan Mantyk, a 19-year-old junior at the University of Michigan, lives a relatively quiet life in Lathrup Village - a suburb of Deu-oit. So it came as a surprise when he discovered this summer that his name appeared on a blacklist assembled by the Chinese government; a blacklist used to screen out people who practice or are supportive of Falun Gong from traveling to cities during visits from Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. Evan was stopped at the Baltimore airport on June 1 lth as he attempted to board a flight for Iceland the day before liang Zemin was scheduled to amve there for a state visit. Evan was among dozens of people stranded in airports throughout North America and Europe in the days leading up to Jiang's arrival in Iceland on June 12. IcelandAir ticket counters in these airports were using li~ts IeelandAir says were supplied by Iceland's Ministry of Justice - to screen out people who are known to practice or be supportive of Falun Gong. At least one Icelandic paper - The Visir - reported on June 8th that Chinese consular officials in Iceland had supplied the blacklist to the Iceland government. Evan is not of Chinese descent, and so his being denied travel was not an instance of racial profiling. He is not listed as a volunteer on any of the Falun Dafa websites or flyers, and says he has never done anything that would bring attention to himself from Chinese officials, such as demonstrating in Tiananmen Square or joining Falun Gong demonstrations in countries outside the U.S. Still, while quietly going about his life in a Detroit suburb, he was identified by unknown persons as a Falun Gong practitioner and his name was then added to a blacklist maintained by the Chinese Communist regime. Blacklist Employed in Hong Kong and Countries Receiving Jiang on State Visits What happened to Evan Mantyk on his aborted trip to Iceland - the use of blacklist to restrict the travel of Falun Gong practitioners by countries Jiang Zemin is visiting, has happened on several other occasions. By the evening of June 29, 2002 - tWO days before Jiang Zemin was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong - over 100 Falun Gong practitioners from eleven countries had been denied entry into Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Immigration Department because their name appeared on a blacklist. Those travelers included 16 Australians, 2 Japanese, 4 from Macao, and others from the U.S., France, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, and at least 70 from Taiwan. On the same day, Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners delivered a letter to the government of the SAR, urging the government to abolish the use of Jiang Zemin's "blacklist," and allow Falun Gong practitioners access to Hong Kong during Jiang's visit. This is not the first time that the Hong Kong government intercepted Falun Gong practitioners on a large scale. In January 2001, over ten Falun Gong practitioners were turned away after landing in Hon~ Kong and being identified as practitioners through an unknown means. Hong Kong citizens Rd Faluh.:;Gong practitioners alike criticized the action, which many said showed clear signs of pressure ~:f~ (Beiji~ Similar reports of the use of a "blacklist" were made in Germany, Russia, Lithuania and o,ther countries during Jiang's recent visit there · www.faluninfo.net Page 9 of 49 I Authenticated Chinese Govermnent Documents Call for Overseas "Data Portfolios" In February, 2002, classified documents smuggled out of China and authenticated by renowned China expert Su Xiaokang revealed orders from China's leadership that, "We should focus on building up data banks and further fulfill and complete the intelligence management systems on "Falungong"... and on religious organizations abroad that infiltrate [China], and bring the function of the systems to full display. We should set up intelligence and data portfolios.., and constantly fulfill and complete these portfolios to make sure the data is accurate and updated." 7 These directives apparently follow orders from China's Jiang to "intensifying the campaign overseas against those foreign forces, collect more information, and prevent protests" as reported last year by the Falun Dafa Information Center.s Address Books Gone Missing Early signs of China's overseas intelligence operations appeared a few days after Jiang banned Falun Gong on July 20, 1999. The apartment of Manhattan resident Gail Rachlin - who had recently volunteered to act as a Falun Gong spokesperson - was fomibly broken into. Over the next two years, it was broken into twice more. The break-ins were to collect information. Each time only her address book filled with contact information of people who practice Faiun Gong and other documents were taken. Nothing else was removed from her apartment. Since July 1999, practitioners across the country have reported missing laptop computers, address books and other items that contain name and contact information for fellow practitioners of Falun Gong. On April 30, 2002, Falun Dafa practitioners in New York opened a case with the FBI regarding a man who was working as a spy for the Chinese government, and who had been caught stealing address books and other documents from Falun Dafa practitioners both in Washington DC and New York. The man, whose Chinese name is Mr. Hsien-Ping Liao, was confronted by practitioners in New York on the morning of April 17, and asked to provide an explanation for the stolen materials. Mr. Liao acknowledged he had been gathering information for Chinese officials, but refused to give any further information. Mr. Liao later disappeared. Among his belongings were found the stolen address books and documents, film of photographs he had taken of the stolen documents and a journal chronicling his rendezvous with a Chinese official he called "Mr. Lee" in Hong Kong on December 8, 2001 and then again just prior to his departure for the U.S. FBI officials were unable to apprehend Mr. Liao, but did open a case. Blacklist Employed in Hong Kong and Countries Receiving Jiang on State Visits By the evening of June 29, 2002 - two days before Jiang Zemin was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong - over 100 Falun Gong practitioners from eleven countries had been denied entry into Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Immigration Department because their name appeared on a blacklist. Those travelers included 16 Australian, 2 Japanese, 4 from Macao, and others from the U.S., France, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, Korea, Indonesia, and at least 70 from Taiwan. See Centre for Religious Freedom website: http://www.tYeedomhouse.org/religion/newsPon2OO2Pon-2002-02_ 11.btm ~ See Appendix E www.faluninfo.net ~ge 10 o~.49 On the same day, Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners delivered a letter to the government of the SAR, urging the government to abolish the use of liang Zemin's "blacklist," and allow Falun Gong practitioners access tO Hong Kong during Jiang's visit. This is not the first time that the Hong Kong government intercepted Falun Gong practitioners on a large scale. In January 2001, over ten Falun Gong practitioners were turned away after landing in Hong Kong and being identified as practitioners through an unknown means. Hong Kong citizens and Falun Gong practitioners alike criticized the action, which many said showed clear signs of pressure from Beijing. More recently, dozens of Falun Gong practitioners were denied entry into Iceland during a visit there by Jiang Zemin in mid-June. IcelandAk said it was ordered by the Iceland government to cancel the flights of anyone appearing on a "list," which soumes in Iceland - including one of Iceland's national papers, The Visor - say was given to the Iceland government by Chinese authorities. The list contained the names of both Chinese nationals and citizens of democratic countries in North America and Europe. Similar reports of use of a "blacklist" were made in Germany, Russia, Lithuania and other European countries during Jiang's recent visit there. "Part of Homeland Security" In a June 26 hearing in Washington D.C. on the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) raised before the committee concems regarding the Chinese Communist regime's activities against Falun Gong: "We also know that here in this country, there have been threats against Falun Gong practitioners. And this is part of homeland security, I would think. You know, it is not about who comes in, but who's actually here from the Chinese government, fomenting, and making these threats against American citizens who are Falun Gong..." Representative Smith further asked that the U.S. "check into these threats that are being made against Americans who are Falun Gong...it's outrageous." www.faluninfo.net Page 11 of 49 Section 111: Systematic Efforts of Intimidating and Silencing U.S. Elected Officials I I I I I "Falun Gong is a peaceful spiritual movement that originated in China but has grown in popularity worldwide and is now accepted and practiced by thousands in the United States [...] Chinese consular officials have pressured local elected officials in the United States to refuse or withdraw support for the Falun Gong spiritual group" -- U.S. Congressional Resolution No. 447 During the 1999 APEC meeting in New Zealand, Chinese Communist Party head, Jiang Zemin, met with then U.S. President BilI Clinton. Many of the details of their discussions were never made public. What is known, however, is that Jiang handed President Clinton a book assembled by Chinese propagandists about Falun Gong, attactcing the practice and blaming it for horrendous crimes (none of which have been corroborated by a third party). Since the beginning of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, Jiang had rejected criticism from the international community calling the issue an "internal affair." Yet, why would Jiang go through the trouble of assembling packages for foreign heads-of-state regarding an "internal affair?" Clearly, condemnation from the international community regarding the persecution campaign in China against Falun Gong has put pressure on Jiang to halt his course. Thus, under orders from Jiang, Chinese officials throughout the world have been ordered to "strengthen the campaign overseas" not only to stamp out Falun Gong in other countries, but also stifle support for Falun Gong in those countries so as to alleviate the pressure on Jiang from outside China. Pressure and Threats Aimed at State and City Government Officials On June 11, 2002, Congresswoman Lynn C. Woolsey chaired a briefing at which city mayors testified about intimidation activities carried out by Chinese consular officials and other agents of Jiang Zemin's regime. Witnesses testified that Jiang's regime has pressured the mayors of Seattle, Saratoga, Baltimore, St. Louis, Chicago, San Francisco and many others with a targeted campaign of slander. In California alone, more than 300 letters were sent to U.S. government officials slandering Falun Gong and its practitioners at the direction of Vice-Consul Liu of the P.R.C. San Francisco Consulate9. Other U.S. elected officials have received similar pressure via phone calls or personal visits by Chinese diplomats, pressuring them to shun or persecute Falun Gong here in the United States (See cases listed below). Chinese Consulate Officials Leverage Trade and Economic Ties to Influence U.S. Officials After fighting off pressure from the Chinese consulate in San Francisco because he issued a proclamation in support of Falun Gong, Saratoga Council Member and former Mayor Stan Bogosian held a press conference in San Francisco on April 4, 2001, to bring attention to the problem of Chinese consulates pressuring U.S. govemment officials throughout the United States. In his statement to the press, Mr. Bogosian - drawing on lessons from history - talked about the dangers of sacrificing principles in the interests of trade and economic ties: "Today, as was also the case in 1930's Germany, major American corporations have significant investments in China. The temptation is to look the other way, to ignore what is happening because we are fearful of disrupting trade in an emerging market. If there is one lesson '~ World Journal, May 4, 2001 - reported by Kaiping Liu from San Francisco www.faluninfo.net Page 12 of 49 we should have learned from the 1930's, turning a blind eye to such events will cost us dearly in the long Some cities in the United States have particularly strong economic ties with China. Seattle, for example, is home to Boeing Co., Microsoft Corp. and a number of agricultaml exporters, all of which do significant business with China. Seattle Mayor Paul Schell, a former port commissioner, was pressured by Chinese officials to rescind proclamations his office had issued for Falun Gong and Falun Gong founder, Li Hongzhi. A December 11, 1999, Washington Post articleJ° quoted his office as saying, "[we are] well aware of the amount of trade we do with China." The Post article went on to report: "Although Chinese Ambassador Li Zhaoxing did not threaten retaliation for the 'Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong Days' that were to coincide with the recent World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, the ambassador 'did make his displeasure clear in no uncertain terms,' said Schell aide Clifford Traisman." Jiang's Officials Lobby Executive Branch; Members of Congress On March 9, 2001, the Washington Post reported that President Bush's National Security Advisor came under fire from visiting Chinese diplomats: "National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice got an earful from a group of three Chinese diplomats who came calling on her at the White House complex," the Post reported. "The three diplomats, former Ambassadors Zhu Chizhen, Li Daoyu and Zhang Wentu, were expected to hold discussions with Miss Rice on a variety of U.S.-China topics: arms sales to Taiwan, China's human rights record and U.S. missile defense plans. Instead, one of the diplomats pulled out a prepared speech and harangued Miss Rice for some 20 minutes about the Chinese religious group Falun Gong." The Post article continued, "Miss Rice, we are told, was angered by the Chinese diplomats' tirade and quickly ended the meeting after the 20-minute reading. The ambassadors are part of a major propaganda campaign now under way by Beijing to influence the new Bush administration before it can get its national security team up and running." Members of U.S. Congress have also been the targets of anti-Falun Gong campaigns. In December, 2001, members of Congress received packages from former Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Li Zhanxing. Included in the package was a letter stating - in no uncertain terms - that U.S. officials were expected to stifle the activities of Falun Gong or else invite further troubles in "U.S.-China relations.''tt Some members of Congress have said they have received similar packages on more than one occasion, and sometimes are visited by Chinese officials with the same agenda. Chinese Ambassador, Consuls Spreading Propaganda to U.S. Officials, Citizens Chinese officials frequently promote their anti-Falun Gong campaign during public appearances. For example, on October 11, 2001, Yafei He, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. gave a speech entitled, "China-US Relations in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities "to a group of VIPs, including Senator Bob Graham. During the speech, Mr. He reiterated much of the propaganda aimed at demonizing Falun Gong, telling his audience: "We hope the American public will ...support us in our fight against Falun Gong" China's U.S. Ambassador, Jiechi Yang, consistently uses the opportunities afforded h[lais posiXion to breed hatred and distrust towards Falun Gong. On June 19, 2001, the Ambassador repe.at~ a slew ~ anti- Falun Gong propaganda during a public address to business leaders in Florida. Duri~-~ speech, he ~1 See Appendix I . www.faluninro.net. ~P~e lr3~'~of 49 called on "people of vision in American industrial and commercial circles" to "resist" Falun Gong, citing a common Chinese Communist propaganda accusation that Falun Gong has "foreign" or "anti-China" influences behind it. U.S. Congressional Resolution 447 As part of the nation-wide efforts to expose the illicit, and often illegal, activity of Chinese consulate officials in the United States, Congresspersons Hilliard, Lantos, Lee, Ros-Lehtinen, Burton, Andrews, Tancmdo, McCarthy (NY), Rohrabacher, Meeks, Frank, and Towns sponsored a resolution condemning the actions of Chinese consular officials - H. Con. Res. No. 447.~2 Among the msolution's recommendations for action are: (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should-- (A) immediately stop interfering in the exercise of religious and political freedoms within the United States, such as the right to practice Falun Gong , that are guaranteed by the United States Constitution; (B) cease using the diplomatic missions in the United States to spread falsehoods about the nature of Falun Gong; (3) the Attorney General of the United States should investigate reports that Chinese consular officials in the United States have committed illegal acts while attempting to intimidate or inappropriately influence Falun Gong practitioners or local elected officials, and, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determine an appropriate legal response; A Few Sample Cases Case #1: Date: December 5, 2000 Location: Rochester Hills, Michigan; Mayor's Office Summary: In October 2000, Mayor PatSomerwlle' 's office' agreed to issue a proclamation declaring a Falun Dafa Day in Rochester Hills, Michigan. A few days later, the Mayor's office received a phone call from the Chinese Consulate in Chicago. Accordingto the Mayor's office, the Chinese official was "very upset" and "insisted on meeting with me to discuss the matter further." Three officials from the Chinese Consulate in Chicago flew to Rochester H/lls, Michigan in the first week of December, 2000 to meet with the Mayor for 15 minutes. During the meeting, the Mayor says, "They were very irate...and strongly suggested that I should not become involved with the Falun Dafa group." The Mayor went on to say, "They became extremely belligerent about the entire matter. At that time, I requested that they leave. I found them to be extremely unprofessional in their behavior." Contact: Charlie Liu (248) 766-3848 See Appendix B www.faluninfo.net Page 14of~.~9 Case #2: Date: September 9~h, 2000 Location: Newark, Delaware Summary: Mayor Godwin of Newark, Delaware proclaimed September 9, 2000 Falun Dafa Day. On September 29, however, a Chinese news agency reported the following item: "Some Falun Gong practitioners in Delaware 'cheated' Mayor Godwin into giving Falun Gong the proclamation, and that Mayor Godwin had apologized to the Chinese government for the 'misunderstanding.'" On November 6, a number of concerned Delaware residents met with Mayor Godwin. At the meeting, Mayor Godwin said that the U.S. State Department had called and asked him to drop the proclamation two weeks after he issued it. He claimed that the person who called him on behalf of the State Department wqnt by the last name of "Hue" (a Chinese surname). The Mayor said that if the U.S. State Department really did not have any concerns regarding the proclamation, neither did he. At the same time, the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC sent the Mayor some CDs, pictures, and brochures defaming Fahin Gong. After this conversation, some Falun Gong practitioners visited the U.S. State Department to inquire. According to the State Department's representatives, they never called Mayor Godwin about the proclamation, nor have they called any other mayo? with such inslractions. They did not know a "Mr. Hue." Contact: Dr. Shiyu Zhou (267) 246-3792 Case #3: Date: December, 2000 Location: Washington DC Summary: Former Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhaoxing Li, personally mailed packages to every member of the United States Congress containing propaganda materials attacking Falun Gong. In his cover letter for the packages, Mr. Li called for each Congressperson to join the "efforts" of the Chinese government in stamping out Falun Gong, thereby "prevent the issue from becoming a new irritant in China-U.S. relations." ~3 Contact: Dr. Lijuan Zhang (202) 285-7675 Case 04: Date: May 4, 2001 Location: San Francisco, California Summary: According to a May 4, 2001, World Journal report, in California alone, more than 300 letters were sent to U.S. government officials defaming Falun Gong and its practitioners at the direction of Vice- Consul Liu of the P.R.C. San Francisco Consulate. Contact: Dr. Sherry Zhang (415) 845-5295 See Appendix I www.faluninfo.net Page 15 of 49 I ! I ! ! l ! ! ! i ! ! ! · ,! ! | Section IV: Intimidation and Violence Against U.S. Citizens and Residents "All Americans should be very upset that the Chinese totalitarian regime, under the orders of its leader Jiang Zemin, has been conducting unethical and illegal activities in the U.S. on a wide scale. It is important that we utilize our Judiciary system to stop this. It must be made clear to Jiang Zemin that his persecution policies have no place in the modem world and certainly not here in the United States of America." -- Ambassador Mark Palmer, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and Co-Chairman of Freedom House Physical Assault and Violence Physical assault and violence have frequently been used on U.S. citizens and residents who are known to practice Falun Gong. On most occasions, the assailants appear to be thugs hired by local Chinese officials. However, some assault cases directly involving officials from Chinese consulates and Embassies have also occurred. The following are just a few examples. In November 1999, Mr. Tao Wang was participating in a peaceful sit-in outside the Chinese Embassy when he was surrounded, accosted and threatened by approximately 25 Chinese individuals who had all emerged from the Embassy. Also in Washington DC, in November of 2000, Hailian Zhang was physically attacked while distributing Faiun Gong literature, having individuals screaming at him: "Hit him! Hit him! Beat him up! You practice Falun Gong-- you ask for death!" On October 22, 2000 in San Francisco's China Garden Park, Sheng Mci was physically attacked by a mob of thugs while distributing Falun Gong literature. The assailants punched him repeatedly and shouted allegations about Falun Gong practitioners identical to those published in various Chinese government- controlled newspapers. The attack on Mci was part of a larger assault involving a group of 3040 thugs hired by Chinese Consulate personnel. On September 7, 2001 in Chicago, Illinois, Lin Fang was physically attacked while distributing Falun gong literature near the Chinese consulate. The assailants pushed him up against a fence and pummeled him repeatedly. As they left, one of them reportedly said: "If you sue us, we'll kill you." On January 16, 2002, in San Francisco Mr. Jason Wu, whose picture had been taken on two ~ar~te ~ , occasions by visiting Chinese officials while he was distributing Falun Gong literature, had a ~igd0w i~ the second floor of his house shot out with a gun. Intimidation and Fear Tactics _ _ Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in China on a wide scale in July 1999, practiti6he;s of F-~n Gong throughout the country have frequently been the victims of scare and intim/dation tacti~. ~_ The following am just a few examples. On two separate occasions, Dr. Sen Nieh, a professor at Catholic University of America in Washington D.C, has come home to find private conversations with friends-which took place in public venues such as parks or walkways-recorded on his answering machine. The second of the two instances, reported in the Washington Post on July 20, 2001, was a conversation he had with other Falun Gong practitioners while www.faluninfo.net Page 16 of 49 standing outside a Senate building on Capitol Hill immediately after meeting with a senator's staff to brief them on the persecution of Falun Gong. "Obviously, they are trying to send a clear message that they are watching us at every moment...they're trying to scare us," says Dr. Sen Nieh. Ms. Iin Youming, who recently received her Master's degree l~rom South Eastem University and is now living in Washington DC, gets up each day at 3 a.m. to practice Falun Gong exercises in her local park. On March ltl, 2001, she received a phone call a few minutes past 3 a.m. On the other end of the line, a recording o~'a conversation she had with another Falun Gong practitioner during a recent trip to Los Angeles was played back to her. "It sent chills down my spine," says Ms. Jin. "Not only did the caller have a recording of a private conversation I had on the other side of the country, but he apparently knew what time I get up each morning and so knew exactly when to call." In New York City, Falun Dafa Information Center spokesperson, Erping Zhang, has received death threats on three separate occasions. Falun Gong practitioners Lin Fang and Wai Ling Lam, also from New York, Sen Yang, from Chicago, and Hailiat~ Zhang, from Washington DC have also received death threats.14 On July 24, 1999, a Falun Gong experience-sharing conference was scheduled at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California. On July 23, the hotel manager called Lisa Wendl, a local Falun Gong practitioner, requesting that she go to the hotel immediately. The manager said that the hotel had received numerous harassing phone calls. The caller threatened that, if the hotel did host the Falun Gong conference, it would be burned down and suffer other consequences. Lisa then met with the hotel's security manager, and a decision was reached to have extra police on site at the conference, just in case. During the conference, the fire alarm was pulled at least twice. Also, someone broke into the Fairmont Hotel's office and vandalized it. Physical Assault and Violence Physical assault and violence have frequently been used on U.S. citizens and residents who are known to practice Falun Gong. On most occasions, the assailants appear to be thugs hired by local Chinese officials. However, some assault cases directly involving officials from Chinese consulates and Embassies have also occurred. The following are just a few examples. In November 1999, Mr. Tao Wang was participating in a peaceful sit-in outside the Chinese Embassy when he was surrounded, accosted and threatened by approximately 25 Chinese individuals who had all emerged from the Embassy. Also in Washington DC, in November of 2000, Hailian Zhang was physically attacked while distributing Falun Gong literature, having individuals screaming at him: "Hit him! Hit him! Beat him up! You practice Falun Gong-- you ask for death!" On October 22, 2000 in San Francisco's China Garden Park, Sheng Mci was physically attacked by a mob of thugs while distributing Falun Gong literature. The assailants punched him repeatedly and shouted allegations about Falun Gong practitioners identical to those published in various Chinese government- controlled newspapers. The attack on Mci was part of a larger assault involving a group of 3040 thugs hired by Chinese Consulate personnel. On September 7, 2001 in Chicago, Illinois, Lin Fang was physically attacked while di,~x~i~'buting ;Falun gong literature near the Chinese consulate. The assailants pushed him up against a fenc~-~n~.d pu~91ed him repeatedly. As they left, one of them reportedly said: "If you sue us, I'll kill you." See RICO/C v 1R ghts Lawsmt Complaint: http://www.fl~iustice.or~cases/complaint July4.ht~, www.faluninfo.net · I iOn January 16, 2002, in San Francisco Mr. Jason Wu, whose picture had been taken on two separate occasions by visiting Chinese officials while he was distributing Falun Gong literature, had a window in the second floor of his house shot out with a gunshot. Disruption of Community Activities · From local community parades to photo exhibits at city hall, Chinese officials have attempted to block Falun Gong's presence in community affairs across the country. A Sept. 22, 2002, Chicago Tribune article entitled, "China's battle leaps borders" highlighted this activity: "Earlier this month in Flushing, N.Y., a spokesman for the Chi.n, ese consulate in New York had a letter published in a local Chinese newspaper that urged the p,~,ade s organizing committee to 'think seriously' about its decision to allow Falun Gong to participate. It s not wise [for] the sponsors to allow the Falun Gong to participate in this parade.' [...] Shortly afterward, the group's parade application was denied.''~s Such interference is not limited to local community parades. For example, the 2000 China Expo, held by the China Expo (USA) Inc., took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from December 8 to i0, 2000. Ms. Teresa Chao, a local Falun Gong practitioner, had reserved and paid for a booth at the Expo. However, several departments of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles subsequently called China Expo (USA) Inc. and demanded that it cancel the Falun Gong booth. If the booth was not canceled, the Consulate threatened, it would withdraw the dozens of booths the nation of China had reserved. After communicating with China Expo (USA) Inc. about the threats from the Consulate, Ms. Chao and other local Falun Gong practitioners decided to withdraw their booth in order not to cause business losses to China Expo (USA) Inc. ' In early July of 2000, the Chinese Association of Delaware held its annual Chinese Festival. The Association declined a request from Delaware Fa/un Gong practitioners to rent a booth at the festival. When Falun Gong practitioners decided to hand out literature explaining the nature of Falun Gong and exposing the human rights abuses committed by Jiang s regime against those who practice in China outside the festival entrance, they were asked to stop distributing literature because the Chinese Embassy's agents were present. The practitioners stopped. It was la, ter learned that the Chinese Embassy's terms for allowing the Association to borrow the Embassy s traditional Chinese clothing (to be worn at the festival) were that the Association would have to display at the festival anti-Fa/un Gong CDs and other materials that defame and attack Falun Gong. RICO/Civil Rights Lawsuit On April 3. 2002, representatives of 51 practitioners and supporters of the Fa/un Gong spiritual practice from every reg, ion of the country announced the filing of a landmark civil lawsuit against three ministries of the People s Republic of China, alleging a systematic - and often violent - campaign of criminal activities in the U.S. designed to deprive American citizens and residents of their constitutional rights and privileges. The lawsuit documents three years of violations and injustices on US soil, and was filed~nst tho People's Republic of China Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Public Security, and China CenffaI Television (CCTV), along with affiliated individuals. ~ iI - ~" 'i ~ ~::: ~.~ S eAppendlxJ-TheChtcagoTribune www.faluninfo.net Page 18 of 49 Congressman Ben Gilman said in a statement about the lawsuit, "In the PRC Falun Gong practitioners have long suffered abuse, repression, baseless arrests, convictions and harsh treatment in prison for exemising the right of free assembly and to practice one's religious and spiritual beliefs in a peaceful manner. It is r~grettable that in our own nation - - the beacon for religious tolerance, understanding and respect, agents of the Chinese would conduct themselves in a manner that is clearly in violation of the rights that all people in our great nation enjoy." Legal counsel, Mr. Martin F. McMahon, described the activities of the PRC ministries as "a nationwide criminal campaign ... orchestrated by very dedicated and single-minded individuals inside the Embassy here in Washington and the PRC consulates in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco." Mr. McMahon summarized the case, saying "Based on the Racketeering, Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the federal civil rights laws, the parties have asked the Court for basic relief, i.e., to stop this campaign of terror." The lawsuit charges the PRC ministries with repeated counts of physical assault, intimidation, harassment, death threats, vandalism and other violations on U.S. soil in numerous cities across the US over the past 32 months. The suit asserts that these violations were orchestrated by the named PRC ministries and various personnel in their Washington-based Embassy and affiliated Consulates throughout the U.S. www.faluninfo.net Page 19 of 49 ! Conclusio~n "Back in 1999, network administrators at the U.S. Department of Transportation noticed a problem: requests for information bombarding their network server. It looked like a classic denial-of-services attack, which overloads servers and crashes them. The perpetrator appeared to be a server in Maryland run by practitioners of the spiritual movement Falun Gong, which is persecuted in China. In fact, the Falun Gong server itself had come under attack by hackers who sought to disable both sites and leave Falun Gong bearing the blame. But the hackers blundered, leaving a digital address traceable to a computer at 14 East Chang, an Avenue in Beijing - home to China's Ministry of Public Security. ' -- TIME Magazine, September 30, 2002~6 That China s Ministry of Public Security would hack into a U.S. government server is alarming. That they did so solely to frame Falun Gong, however, provides insight into the importance and urgency Chinese officials attribute to the task of attacking Falun Gong, stifling support for Falun Gong overseas and keeping it from forming a broad base of support in the U.S. Why is this so important to Chinese officials.'~ Because they have been given orders to do so from the very top - Jiang Zemin. , The persecution of Falun Gong was Jiang s brainchild and his directives have carried out that persecution since July, 1999. Yet, Jiang not only miscalculated the ease with which he could "eradicate" Falun Gong in China, but he also overlooked the fact that people around the world had taken up the practice. There are practitioners of Falun Gong in over 50 Countries around the world.~7 Thus, beginnino shortb, after Jian,~ moved against Falun Gong in July, 1999, condemnation for his actions escalated a~ the pe~rsecution o} Faiun Gong was exposed in greater and greater detail to the international community. The more support for Falun Gong that develops outside China, the more pressure Jiang faces for the decisions he has made to persecute this practice. Should that support generate enough attention and momentum, it could leave Jiang with no alternative but to answer some very difficult questions in front of the international community. For the time being, Jiang has largely avoided having to address those questions. His effort to stifle any and all support for Falun Gong overseas is an attempt to keep it that way. This makes for a dangerous situation for Americans - a Communist dictator has banked his political life on his ability to control freedom of speech, assembly and belief here in the United States and other countries around the world, and he is clearly willing to unleash the vast arsenal of the Chinese government propaganda and political machine to do so. , ~ TIME Magazine: http://www.nme.com/t~me/asia/ma~azine/article/O~13673 50 020930-353668 00 htm --4 ' Accordine to a count of the number of countries listing volunteer Falun Dafa practice sites on tie ~a n'website of Falun Dafa.~www.falundafa.or~ as of July, 2002. (~ www.faluninfo.net Pa~,e 20 of 49 Appendix A: House Concurrent Resolution 188 Whereas Falun Gong is a peaceful and nonviolent form of personal belief and practice with millions of adherents in the People's Republic of China and elsewhere; (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House) HCON 188 EH 107th CONGRESS 2d Session H CON RES 188 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Whereas Falun Gong isa peaceful and nonviolent form of personal belief and practice with millions of adherents in the People's Republic of China and elsewhere; Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has forbidden Falun Gong practitioners to practice their beliefs, and has systematically attempted to eradicate the practice and those who follow it; Whereas this policy violates the Constitution of the People's Republic of China as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Whereas Jiang Zemin's regime has created notorious government '610' offices throughout the People's Republic of China with the special task of overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong members through organized brainwashing, torture, and murder; Whereas propaganda from state-controlled media in the People's Republic of China has inundated the public in an attempt to breed hatred and discrimination; Whereas the number of known deaths from torture has reached 422 so far, tens of thousands have been tortured while confined in labor camps, prisons, and mental hospitals, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to attend brainwashing classes; Whereas official measures have been taken to conceal all atrocities, such as the immediate cremation of victims, the blocking of autopsies, and the false labeling of deaths as from suicide or natural causes; Whereas women in particular have been the target of numerous forms of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, and forced abortion; www.faluninfo.net Page 21 of 49 I Whereas the campaign of persecution has been generated by the Government of the People's Republic of China, is carried out by government officials and police at all levels,find has permeated every segment of society and every level of government in the People s Republic of China; and Whereas several United States citizens and permanent resident aliens have been subjected to arbitrary detention, imprisoned, and tortured in the People's Republic of China: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that-- ~' (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should cease its persecution of Faiun Gong practitioners, and its representatives in the United States should cease their harassment of citizens and residents of the United States who practice Faiun Gong and cease their attempts to put pressure on officials of State and local governments in the United States to refuse or withdraw support for the Falun Gong and its practitioners; (2) the United States Government should use every appropriate public and private forum to urge the Government of the People's Republic of China-- (A) to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners and put an end to the practices of torture and other creel, inhumane, and degrading treatment against them and other prisoners of conscience; and (B) to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by allowing Falun Gong practitioners to pursue their personal beliefs; and (3) the United States Government should investigate allegations of illegal activities in the United States of the Government of the People's Republic of China and its representatives and agents, including allegations of unlawful harassment of United States citizens and residents who practice Falun Gong and of officials of State and local governments in the United States who support Falun Gong, and should take appropriate action, including but not limited to enforcement of the immigration laws, against any such representatives or agents who engage in such illegal activities. Passed the House of Representatives July 24, 2002. www.faluninfo.net Page 22 of 49 Appendix B: House Concurrent Resolution 447 Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Chinese Government's oppression of Falun Gong in the United States and in the People's Republic of China. (Introduced in House) HCON 447 IH 107th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 447 Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Chinese Government's oppression of Falun Gong in the United States and in the People's Republic of China. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 24, 2002 Ms. WOOLSEY (for herself, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. LEE, and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Chinese Government's oppression of Falun Gong in the United States and in the People's Republic of China. Whereas Falun Gong is a peaceful spiritual movement that originated in China but has grown in popularity worldwide and is now accepted and practiced by thousands in the United States; Whereas demonstrations by Falun Gong practitioners in the People's Republic of China and the United States have been peaceful, meditative sessions; Whereas the Constitution of the People's Republic of China provides to the citizens of that country freedom of speech, assembly, association; and religious belief; www.faluninfo.net Page 23 of 49 · Whereas members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, _m, embers of Chinese prodemocracy groups, and advocates of human rights reform in the People s Republic of China have been harassed, libeled, imprisoned, and beaten for demonstrating peacefully inside that country; Whereas the Chinese Government has also attempted to silence the Falun Gong movement and Chinese prodemocracy groups inside the United States; Whereas Chinese consular officials have pressured local elected officials in the United States to refuse or withdraw support for the Falun Gong spiritual group; Whereas individuals that physically harassed Falun Gong practitioners in San Francisco, California, on October 22, 2000, were later seen at anti-Falun Gong meetings and the Chinese consulate in San Francisco; Whereas San Francisco City Supervisor Chris Daly, after receiving complaints that Chinese officials were intimidating his constituents, authored a resolution condemning human rights violations and persecution of Falun Gong members by the Chinese Government; Whereas Mr. Daly and the other members of the San Francisco City Council subsequently received a letter !.rom the Chinese consul general in San Francisco, claiming that Falun Gong was an 'evil cult that was, undermining the 'normal social order' in the People's Republic of China, and that Mr. Daly s resolution should therefore be rejected, which it subsequently was; Whereas in November 2000, the former Mayor of Saratoga, Califomia, Stan Bogosian, issued a proclamation honoring the contributions of Falun Gong practitioners to the Saratoga community; Whereas Mr. Bogosian was given a letter from the Chinese consul in San Francisco that strongly urged Mr. Bogosian to retract his support for local Falun Gong activities; Whereas many local and national media organizations have reported that other local officials across the United States, including the mayors of several major cities, have been pressured by Chinese consular officials to recant statements of support for the Falun Gong spiritual group; Whereas the United States and the People s Republic of China have developed an extensive trading relationship that is beneficial to local communities in both countries; Whereas journalists have cited fear of hurting trading relationships as the motivation for some local United States officials to recant their support for Falun Gong after receiving pressure from Chinese consular officials; , Whereas notwithstanding rights provided by the Constitution of the People's Republi~ 6f China,, the Government of that country has repeatedly and consistently suppressed expression citizens of freedom of religion, s, peech, press, assembly, association, procession, and demonstration inside the Peoples Republic of China, and is now projecting its restrictive ..... practices into the local affairs of the United States; and Whereas the Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of religion, the righ~t assemble, and the right to speak freely, and the people of the United States strongly~alue www.faluninfo.net Pa~,e°' 24 of 49 protecting the ability of all people to live without fear and in accordance with th~ perso .n$~ t~ beliefs: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is.the~ense.0~, the"i- Congress that-- (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China should-- ~ -- (A) immediately stop interfering in the exercise of religious and political freedoms within the United States, such as the right to practice Falun Gong, that are guaranteed by the United States Constitution; (B) cease using the diplomatic missions in the United States to spread falsehoods about the nature of Falun Gong; (C) release from detention all prisoners of conscience, including practitioners of Falun Gong, who have been incarcerated in violation of their rights as expressed in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China; (D) immediately end the harassment, detention, physical abuse, and imprisonment of individuals who are exercising their legitimate fights to freedom of religion, including the practices of Fahin Gong, freedom of expression, and freedom of association as stated in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China; and (E) demonstrafe its willingness to abide by international standards of freedom of belief, expression, and association by ceasing to restrict those freedoms in the People's Republic of China; (2) the President of the United States should, in accordance with section 401 (a)(1)(B) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 USC 6401 et seq.), and with the intention of dissuading the Chinese Government from attempting to stifle religious freedom in the People's Republic of China and the United States, take action such as-- (A) issuing an official public demarche, a formal protest, to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in response to the repeated violations by the Chinese Government of basic human rights protected in international covenants to which the People's Republic of China is a signatory; and (B) working more closely with Chinese human fights activists to identify Chinese authorities who have been personally responsible for acts of violence and persecution in the People's Republic of China; (3) the Attorney General of the United States should investigate reports that Chinese consular officials in the United Slates have committed illegal acts while attempting to intimidate or inappropriately influence Falun Gong practitioners or local elected www.faluninfo.net Page 25 of 49 Ill officials, and, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determine an appropriate legal response; and (4) officials of local governments in the United States should-- (A) in accordance with local statutes and procedures, recognize and support organizations and individuals that share the goals of all or part of the local community, including Falun Gong practitioners; and (B) r6port incidents of pressure or harassment by agents of the People's Republic of China to Members of Congress, the Attorney General of the United States, and the United States Secretary of State. www.faluninfo.net Page 26 of 49 Appendix C: Summary of RICO/Civil Rights Lawsuit (Filed on April 3, 2002 in U.S. District Court; for more details visit: www.flgjustice.org) The PRC Ministry of State Security ["MSS"], the Ministry of Public Security ["MPS"], and China Central Television ["CCTV"] have been named as party defendants in this lawsuit, which has been filed in the United States District Court for Washington, D.C. This suit is being served upon them as Peoples Republic of China instrumentalities, pursuant to a United States law known as the "Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act," section 1608, which can be found in Chapter 97 of the United States Code, entitled "Jurisdictional Immunities of Foreign States." The parties who are asserting claims in the lawsuit all practice Falun Gong, and most of them are of Chinese National origin. There are a total of 12 claims in the lawsuit: First Cause of Action - Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations; Second Cause of Action -Negligent Hiring, Retention and Supervision; Third Cause of Action - 1871 Civil Rights Act Violations; Fourth Cause of Action - Civil Conspiracy; Fifth Cause of Action - aiding and assisting the commission of "bias related" criminal conduct in the District of Columbia, as that term is defined in 22 D.C. Code Section 3710; Sixth Cause of Action - invading the privacy of the plaintiffs in that the defendants caused them to have their pictures taken, be videotaped, followed and had their phones listened in on, all in violation of various state laws; Seventh Cause of Action - invasion of the ptivacy of Tracie Chao, who testified in the U.S. Congress about human rights violations in the P.R.C.; Eighth Cause of Action - defaming the reputation of various local Falun Gong "core figures" and leaders based in American cities; Ninth Cause of Action - maliciously interfering with and terminating the Falun Gong's prospective contractual rights to have access to international television broadcasts; Tenth Cause of Action -breach of contract; Eleventh Cause of Action - interfering with the Falun Gong' s rights to broadcast in the local Washington, D.C. area; Twelfth Cause of Action - none of the defendants are named for committing designated criminal acts under the laws of the District of Columbia; and Thirteenth Cause of Action - encouraging and paying for the comrmssion of des~gna~..~[~Lc, nrmnal acts under the laws of the District of Columbia. www.faluninfo.net Page~7 of 49 Appendix D: FDI - Crisis News Bulletin, Aug. 30, 2000 Chinese Gov't Plan to "Eradicate Falun Gong in 3 Months" NEW YORK, August 30, 200 (Falun Dafa Information Center) - Reliable sources in China have disclosed plans by the Chinese Communist Party head, Jiang Zemin, to mount a new attempt to wipe out Falun Gong within three months. The new plan is called "Destroying the reputation of Falun Gong completely, exhausting Falun Gong practitioners financially, and eradicating Falun Gong within three months." Reports received by the Falun Dafa Information Center indicate that on August 21, 2000, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security held a nationwide telephone conference to relay new orders from Jiang Zemi~: Its key point: "further intensify the crackdown on Falun Gong." The plan recommends that some practmoners considered "backbone figures" be "heavily punished." The authorities also reportedly discussed executing certain practitioners who have remained faithful to their beliefs. The purpose of such a move is apparently to threaten a large number by killing a few. The Falun Dafa Information Center welcomes further media investigations of this new policy before it is implemented. www.faluninfo.net Page 28 of 49 Appendix E: FDI - Crisis News Bulletin, Oct. 19, 2000 Jiang Zemin's Orders: Disrupt Falun Gong Overseas NEW YORK, October 19, 2000 (Falun Dafa Information Center) - As a spiritual practice deeply rooted in Chinese society, Falun Gong practitioners in China often have access to non-public documents and information. Obviously these sources must remain confidential, but a recently "leaked" missive has g/yen us cause for genuine alarm: Reliable sources inside China have revealed that Jiang Zemin and his group of supporters within the Chinese government are implementing a new policy to "intensify the straggle [against Falun Gong] overseas." According to these same sources inside China, on October 12th, a highly classified document was sent out from the central government via an internal telegram to the military and top officials at the Ministry level. Sources report that the document now classifies Falun Gong as 'counter-revolutionary,' as 'anti- Party,' and as an 'anti-socialist organization' -- the same terms used against the student protesters just prior to the Tiananmen Incident in 1989. Perhaps the most insidious item in the document, however, is one that explicitly calls for "intensifying the campaign overseas against those foreign forces, collect more information, and prevent protests," indicating greater actions may be taken beyond Chinese borders in the months to come. Practitioners in Australia, Europe, the United States, and elsewhere have long reported harassment from Chinese consulate officers and government agents. In the U.S, Chinese consulate and other government officials have contacted a number of mayoral offices around the country as well as major universities (including Cal-Tech) in an effort to block Falun Gong activities. Additionally, there have been many documented cases of practitioners, including American citizens, being followed on U.S. soil and having their email systems attacked from inside China. In one of the more blatant and outrageous incidents in recent days, a homeless Chinese woman in Tokyo told police that she had been given money by P.R.C. agents to pretend that she was a Falun Gong practitioner and to engage in illegal actions so as to smear the image of Falun Gong. The Falun Dafa Information Center is asking governmental and news agencies around the world to closely monitor this situation. We anticipate an increasing amount of activity of this sort in the months to come as P.R.C. personnel attempt to carry out their new orders. We can only guess at what kinds of tactics Jiang Zemin and his associates will use in the near future, and just how far they will go to extend their campaign of intimidation and defamation overseas. We encourage you to contact the Falun Dafa Information Center if you have questions or need clarification regarding any particular incidents of this nature. www.faluninfo.net Page 29 of 49 I Applndix F: FDI - China's Persecution of Falun Gong Breaches U.S. Border Ch na's Persecution .of Falu Go.rig Breaches U.S. Border. -- Congressman Proclaims a Violation of "Homeland Security" Scope and Depth of Chinese Government Influence Inside U.S. Raises Alarms Americans ask, "Who is doing the snooping and why?" NEW YORK, July 8, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Center) - Evan Mantyk, a I9-year-old junior at the University of Michigan, lives a relatively quiet life in Lathrup Village - a suburb of Detroit. So it came as a surprised when he recently discovered that his name appeared on a blacklist reportedly assembled by the Chinese government and used to screen out people who practice or are supportive of Fainn Gong from traveling to cities during visits from Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. Evan was stopped at the Baltimore airport on June 11 as he attempted to board a flight for Iceland the day before Jiang Zemin was scheduled to arrive for a state visit. "At IcelandAir's ticket counter, they looked for my name on a list they had behind the counter," recalls Evan. "I was then told that my ticket had been cancelled and I was not allowed to travel to Iceland." Evan was among dozens of people stranded in airports throughout North America and Europe in the days leading up to Jiang's arrival in Iceland on June 12 because IcelandAir ticket counters in these airports were using lists--reportedly supplied by Iceland's Ministry of Justice--to screen out people who are known to practice or be supportive of Falun Gong. At least one Icelandic paper--The Visir--reported on June 8 that Chinese consular officials in Iceland had supplied the blacklist to the Iceland government. "I was really surprised when I saw that they had my name," continued Evan. "I'm not listed as a volunteer on any of the Falun Dafa websites or flyers...I've never done anything that would bring attention to myself, such as demonstrating in Tiananmen Square or joining Falun Gong demonstrations in different countries." While IcelandAir's use of such a list clearly raises legal concerns and has thus far sparked at least one lawsuit against the airline, the real concern in Evan's mind is that while quietly going about his life in a Detroit suburb, he was fingered by unknown persons as a Falun Gong practitioner and his name was then added to a blacklist maintained by the Chinese Communist regime. Evan believes this is a clear violation of the rights of Americans on U.S. soil by a foreign power or worse: "How did the Chinese Communist regime get the name of a quiet U.S. citizen living deep in the heart of America?" asks Evan. "Are they doing this themselves? If so, that's alarming. Do they have people hem in the U.S. helping them? If so, that's even more disturbing." Evidence of a Growing Pattern of Illicit Activity by Chinese Officials on U.S. Soil The apparent monitoring of Americans within the U.S. by agents of the Chinese Communist regime joins a growing list of incidents that indicate Beijing's reach has, for quite some time, extended ~il! bey~ China's borders in attempting to persecute Fainn Gong· : ' : Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in China on a wide scale in July 1999, practitioners of Faian Dafa in Washington D.C. have frequently been the victims of scare and intimidation tactics. · www.faluninfo.net ye 30 o 9 On two separate occasions, Dr. Sen Nieh, a professor at Catholic University of America in Washington D.C, has come home to find private conversations with friends--which took place in public venues such as parks or walkways~recorded on his answering machine. The second of the two instances, reported in the Washington Post on July 20, 2001, was a conversation he had with other Falun Gong practitioners while standing outside a Senate building on Capitol Hill immediately after meeting with a senator's staff to brief them on the persecution of Falun Gong. "Obviously, they are trying to send a clear message that they are watching us at every moment...they're trying to scare us," says Dr. Sen Nieh. Ms. Jin Youming, who recently received her Master's degree from South Eastern University and is now living in Washington DC, gets up each day at 3 a.m. to exercise in her local park. On March 11, 2001, she received a phone call a few minutes past 3 a.m. On the other end of the line, a recording of a conversation she had with another Falun Gong practitioner during a recent trip to Los Angeles was played back to her. "It sent chills down my spine," says Ms. Jin. "Not only did the caller have a recording of a private conversation I had on the other side of the country, but he apparently knew what time I get up each morning and so knew exactly when to call." In December, 2001, Mr. Lin Zhan Tong's car was mysteriously firebombed while parked near the Chinese consulate in Chicago. Mr. Lin's car was filled with Falun Gong flyers and other materials, and was frequently used to transport materials for Falun Gong events in the Chicago area. Falun Gong practitioners have also been physically attacked. On September 7, 2001, three Falun Gong practitioners were attacked by Chinese men while participating in a peaceful hunger strike across from the Chinese consulate in Chicago. On October 22, 2000, a group of Falun Gong practitioners, including an American named Beverly Clark, were attacked while demonstrating the exercises of Falun Gong in a public park located in the center of San Francisco's Chinatown. Landmark Lawsuit, U,S, Congressmen Move to Stop Activities of Chinese Officials on U.S. Soil On April 3, 2002, representatives of nearly 50 practitioners and supporters of Falun Gong announced the filing of a landmark civil lawsuit against two government ministries of the People's Republic of China, alleging a systematic, and often violent, campaign of criminal activities in the U.S. designed to deprive American citizens and residents of their constitutional rights and privileges. Regarding the lawsuit, U.S. Congressman Ben Gilman (R-NY) commented: "It is regrettable that in our own nation - the beacon for religious tolerance, understanding and respect, agents of the Chinese would conduct themselves in a manner that is clearly in violation of the rights that all people in our great nation enjoy." In a June 26 hearing in Washington D.C. on the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) raised the issue before the committee: "We also know that here in this country, there have been threats against Falun Gong practitioners. And this is part of homeland security, I would think. You know, it is not about who comes in, but who's actually here from the Chinese government, fomenting, and making these threats against American citizens who are Falun Gong...' Representative Smith further asked that the U.S. "check into these threats that are being made against 'Americans who are Falun Gong.·.~t s outrageous." Calling for a Detailed Investigation '? :-~ www.faluninfo.net ~d ;Page/~l of 49-; Evan Mantyk has does not intend to let thes,,e, events affect his daily life, including his choice to practice the Falun Gong meditation and exercises. We have rights because we live in a democratic nation that upholds those rights... Anyone infringing upon those rights on our own soil, especially a foreign government, should be cause for alarm among our [law enforcement agencies]." Evan says his case is not unique, and that many cases of meddling, surveillance, and even violence by people having ties to the Chinese Consulate have been documented in the US Canada and European countries. "I hope our own government is paying attention here. What Jiang has instigated inside China is bloody and criminal - the last thing we want to see is similar activities going unnoticed over here." www.faluninfo.net Page 32 of 49 Appendix G: Testimony from Mayor Pat Somerville, Rochester Hills, Michigan May 29, 2002 Congressional Human Rights Caucus Briefing Washington, DC To Whom It May Concem: In October 2000, I received a request from Charlie Lu, A Falun Gong practitioner, requesting a proclamation to declare a Fahin Dafa Day in Rochester Hills. A few days later, I received a call from the Chinese consulate in Chicago asking why I agreed to the proclamation. I explained to them that I receive requests for proclamations all the time and unless there is a good reason, I try to comply with the request. The consulate was very upset that I had declared a Falun Dafa Day and insisted on meeting with me to discuss the matter further. Three Chinese consulate staff members flew from Chicago to Michigan to meet with me for 15 minutes. They were very irate that I had declared a Falun Dafa Day and strongly suggested that I should not become involved with the Falun Dafa group. The representatives from the consulate insisted that the Falun Gong practitioners are a cult, brainwash their followers and are outlawed in China. They also mentioned that the Chinese government would be upset with the United States government if they were aware that I was doing anything to encourage the practice of Falun Gong. I explained that I was not encouraging the practice of Falun Gong or anything else. I had received a simple request and had complied. They became extremely belligerent about the entire matter. At that time, I requested that they leave. I found them to be extremely unprofessional in their behavior. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Pat Somerville, Mayor City of Rochester Hills 1000 Rochester Hills Drive, Rochester Hills, Michigan 48309.3033 _ Phone (248) 656_4664 ~i, www.faluninfo.net Page 33 of 49 Appendix H: Former Mayor Stan Bogosian's Statement to the Press Below is Saratoga Council Member and former Mayor Stan Bogosian's statement at a press conference held in San ]Francisco On April 4, 2001. Ladies and Gentlemen: We are gathered here today to re-affirm one of our cherished rights as Americans: the right to peaceably assemble. Unfortunately, the very rights that we enjoy as Americans are being denied the people of China by their government. As practitioners of Falun Gong here today will tell you, their friends, mothers, fathers, and grandparents are suffering torture and even death for the right to peaceably assemble and practi, ce Falun Gong. But I rn not here to tell you about what is happening in China. I'm here to tell you about the systematic attempt by the Chinese government to silence American elected officials who have taken a stand in support of basic human rights. Last November while mayor of Saratoga, I issued a proclamation honoring the contributions practitioners of Falun Gong have made to our community. I included in the proclamation an affirmation of the rights of Falun Gong practitioners to peaceably assemble anywhere in the world. Shortly thereafter, our city received a call from the Chinese Consulate here in San Francisco, requesting a meeting. When the representatives of the Consul showed up at city hall, they presented me with a letter from !he Consul requesting me to rescind my proclamation, based on the assertion that Falun Gong was a cult' When I refused, they attempted to extract a pledge from me and the City Manager to take a "neutral" stand on Falun Gong. We did not agree. Soon I discovered that the government of China had approached other mayors who had issued proclamations. In fact, it was reported on the wire services that the Mayor of Alhambra had apologized for issuing the proclamation. When I called him to find out what had happened, the assistant city manager told me in no uncertain terms that the issue was closed. This meddling in the affairs of our government is simply unacc,e,ptable. It bears an uncanny resemblance to the efforts of the Nazi government of Germany in the 1930 s to persuade, the rest of the world that persecution of its citi,z, ens simply was not taking place. And the parallels don t end there. Today as was also the case in 1930 s Germany, major American corporations have significant investments in China. The temptation is toolook the other way, to ignore what is happening because we are fearful .,of disrupting trade in an emerging, market. If there is one lesson we should have learned from the 1930 s, turning a blind eye to such events will cost us dearly in the long run. In 1996 I ran for city council on a platform to open city hall to all citizens to participate in our government, and last year the voters reaffirmed that commitment by sending me back to city hail for a second term. Instead of expending all the effort to silence Americans who speak out for the rights of the people of China, the Chinese government should instead look to our institutions of government as a model to emulate. What is so threatening about opening up parks and public meeting places for the practice of Falun Gong? On a more personaI note, I understand the anguish of the families in China whose members h'a~¢ suffered at t,he hands of the government just for practicing Falun Gong. Growing up in an Armeni~in' family, ri don t remember one friend or relative whose family was not affected by the terrible genocide, and today, nearly 100 years after it occurred, the perpetrators are publicly denying it happened. Hasn t the civiliked world learned by now to recognize the warning signs? ww~ .faluninfo.net L'l/;age 34_<}~f 49 Today I' m honored that the practitioners of Falun Gong have invited me to join them in taking a stand for freedom. And today I call upon our elected members of Congress and the Senate to stand up and be counted. That is the least we can do for those in China who have sacrificed so much for their beliefs. Thank you www.faluninfo.net Page 35 of 49 Appendix I: Letter From Chinese Ambassador to Members of Congress I (Editor's Note: Congressional staff say this letter was sent to all members of congress. Boldface type is added to highlight key passages.) LI ZHAOXING Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Te1:(202)328-2505 Fax:(202) 328-2582 December 12, 2000 The Honorable Frank A. LoBiondo Member of the U.S. House of Representatives 222Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman LoBiondo, I am writing to bring to your attention the stepped-up activities of Falun Gong in the United States which threaten to have an ominous impact on American society and the relationship between our two countries. ... Li Hongzhi, now still at large and in hiding, refuses to give up. Styling themselves as a "peaceful meditation" group and decrying "religious persecution", the remnants of Falun Gong are going out of their way to mislead the American people, including government officials and Members of Congress. Some local officials and Members of Congress have been talked into giving open support to Falun Gong, despite repons of innocent people falling victims of the cult. I strong believe that it is the lack of information that gives Falun Gong room for manipulation and deceit-Once officials and Members of Congress learn about the appalling truth of the cult, they will make the right judgment-Therefore, I am enclosing herewith some literature on Falun Gong for your reference and hoping that, with our joint efforts, we will stop the spread of this scourge and prevent the issue from becoming a new irritant in China-U.S. relations. Sincerely, Li Zhaoxing Ambassador www.faluninfo.net Page 36 of 49 Appendix J: In The News... Wall Street Journal: Will Chinese Repression Play in Peoria? Will Chinese Repression Play in Peoria? BY CLAUDIA ROSETT Thursday, February 21, 2002 Time was when Americans had to travel halfway around the world to feel the steely touch of China's state security apparatus. No longer. In their fervor to trample any grassroots movements that might challenge their power, China's rulers are hustling these days to share their bizarre, oppressive tactics not only with their own 1.3 billion citizens, but with folks all across America. In particular, Beijing has been offering its own nasty brand of spiritual guidance to hundreds of American mayors, in big cities and small towns, from Los Angeles to Baltimore to the Illinois Corn Belt. This Beijing outreach program has even played in such local papers as the Peoria Journal Star, which noted last April 26 that "a routine, seemingly harmless proclamation recognizing a Chinese religious group has thrust a group of Illinois mayors into the unlikely realm of foreign diplomacy." Beijing's most visible target, the "religious group" to which the Peoria newspaper refers, is the Falun Gong. This spiritual movement, also known as the Falun Dafa, began spreading 10 years ago inside China, where it evidently holds huge appeal for tens of millions seeking some form of faith more gratifying than the bankrupt and corrosive state ideology of communism. After some 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners staged a peaceful demonstration in April 1999 in front of Communist Party headquartem near Tiananmen Square, China's rulers condemned it as an "evil cult" and embarked on an official campaign to wipe it out. Since then, China has racked up quite a record of jailing, torturing and in scores of cases killing Falun Gong followers inside China. The Wall Street Journal's lan Johnson won a Pulitzer Prize last year for his stories documenting such Chinese government abuses, including the case of Chen Zixiu, a 58-year-old woman who was beaten and tortured to death in Chinese state custody for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. Falun Gong followers outside China have responded--reasonably enough--by seeking gestures of support. Which is how America's mayors get into the act. It is a widespread and largely decorative habit of U.S. mayors to issue all sorts of proclamations, celebrating a great welter of groups, themes and causes of the day. Falun Gong practitioners here in America have asked many mayors in recent years to issue proclamations honoring their movement. The Chinese government, not content with persecuting the Falun Gong in China, has responded by urging local U.S. officials to shun or even persecute them right here in America. The approach, made variously by letter, phone call or personal visit from a Chinese official based at China's Washington embassy or one of its numerous consulates, tends to combine gross disinformation with scare tactics and, in some cases, slyly implied diplomatic and commemial pressure. www.faluninfo.net Page 37 of 49 Typical is the experience of Santee, Calif., a city of 58,000 on the outskirts of San Diego County. A little over a year ago, Mayor Randy Vo, epel received a letter from the newly arrived Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, Lan Lijun. Mr. La,ns letter be. gan with a cheery.greeting and rolled ,,right along to describe the Falun Gong movement as a doomsday cult that creates a panic atmosphere and if left unchecked in America could end up "jeopardizing your social stability." Noting that China would "like to establish and develop frie,ndly relations with your city"--and implying this would require complying with China's wishes--Mr. La,n, s letter went on to urge that "no recognition and support in any form should be given to the Falun Gong and urged baT~ing them from registration as any kind 0f official olganization. Not so typical was Mr. Voepel s reaction. A Vietnam War veteran, he wrote back: ' Your letter personally chilled me to my bones. I was shocked that a Communist Nation would go to this amount of trouble to suppress what is routinely accepted in this country .... I have the greatest respect for the Chinese people in your country and everywhere else in the world, but must be hone,s,t in my concern for the suppression of human rights by your government as evidenced by your request. Mr. Voepel then issued a mayoral proclamation commending the Falun Gong. Some other officials, such as former Saratoga, Calif., mayor Stan Bogosian and a raft of mayors in Illinois, have stood up to China's pressure. But many have kowtowed, including the mayors of San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore and Los Angeles--ail of whom in 1999 rescinded proclamations they had issued for the Falun Gong. In Westland, Mich., last year, then-mayor Robert Thomas designated March 4 through 9 as Faiun Dafa Week, but later explained in ,,a, letter to the Falun Gong petitioners, which he dutifully copied to th,e Chinese Consulate in Chicago: I have received information from the Consulate General of the People s Republic o.f China in Chicago, explaining the real nature of your organization .... I hereby rescind the proclamation. China has been brazen enough to pressure even the mayor of Salt Lake C, ity--currently hosting the Olympics, as Beijing is slated to do in 2008. Last month the Chinese Embassy s deputy chief of mission, He Yafei, paid a call on ,,Mayor Rocky An.derson, who had issued a p, roclamation last year honoring the Falun Gong. As part of a security briefing for Mr. Anderson, Mr. He s message included warnings about the Falun Gong, one of many groups that had applied for permission to hold a peaceful demonstration during the Olympics. Mr. Anderson let the demonstration go ahead, on ,F, eb. 7. It was so peacef,u,1, says a mayoral spokesman, that the sole problem with the Falun Gong was that they walked very slow. A half dozen ,F?un Gong practitioners did engage in a somewhat more aggressive protest against China s international ' Condemn Faiun Gong Cult',' campaign, as the logo goes on the official Web site of China's Xinhua state news agency. When Beijing s Mayor Liu Qi arrived in the San Francisco airport earlier this month, en route to attend the Olympics, they served him with papers for a lawsuit filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act of 1789 and the Torture Victims Prot,ection Act of 1992, for letting grave abuses against Falun Gong.followers go unchecked in Beijing. China s Foreign Ministry has denounced the lawsuit as "a nasty trick. Mr..Liu himself, who announced last year that Beijing in preparing to host the 2008 Olympics would resolutely smash and crack down on Faiun Gong and other evil cults," has yet to respond. Obviousl,y the Falun Gong, with its blend of meditation, exercise and otherworldly visions, may not be everyone s cup of tea. But the soul of America i~self centers on allowing individual choice, not only in market transactions, but in matters of faith. China s campaign to snuff out the movement even on U.S. soil not only runs counter to American principles. It also fits into an even larger pattern in which Chinese state security, with its desperate fear of anything that might challenge party dictatorship in Beijing, has snaked its tentacles into numerous communities m the U.S., trying in vari,ous ways to intimidate China:scholar~, harass exiled Chinese dissidents and bully supporters of the world s only full-blown Chinese :d~eh-ocrac~, www.faluninfo.net ~ag~ ~8 o~9 President Bush is in Beijing today and tomorrow, seeking common ground with his Chinese hosts. It would also be a good moment to remind President Jiang Zemin and his comrades that persecution of a peaceful spiritual movement is the kind of ugly, creel and embarrassing practice that they need to be trying to shed inside China itself--not share with the wider world. Ms. Rosett is a member of The Wall Street Journal's editorial board. Her column appears Thursdays on OpinionJournaLcom and in The Wall Street Journal Europe as "Letter From America." www.faluninfo.net Page 39 of 49 I Associated Press: China Expanding Campaign Overseas to Discredit Falun Gong China expanding campaign overseas to discredit Falun Gogg 07/09/2001 HONG KONG (AP) - While forging ahead with its attempt to eradicate the Falun Gong mov~ent at home, China is taking its campaign against the spiritual group abroad. Chinese diplomats are seeking to discredit the sect and undermine its image in the United States, Australia and other countries by pressing public officials not to have dealings with the group or allow its participation in local activities. Critics of the Beijing regime say Hong Kong authorities are caving in to the anti-Faiun Gong campaign. They contend officials weakened the enclave's autonomy by barring about 1130 Falun Gong practitioners from entering in early May during a visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Faiun Gong remains legal in Hong Kong, under Western-style freedoms left behind by the British. But its active presence here has provoked much local friction as members lash out against China's suppression. The conflict between China and the sect escalated last week over the deaths of some imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners at a labor camp in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang in June. Chinese officials offered conflicting numbers, with some saying three deaths and others 14, but all said the women hanged themselves in a mass suicide. Falun Gong, which says its teachings prohibit suicide, insisted Chinese authorities had fatally beaten 15 inmates to death. China's government is drawing criticism for its efforts to weaken Falun Gong overseas. In the United States, some mayors have complained that Chinese diplomats attempted to stop them from giving public recognition to Falun Gong. Falun Gong members in Australia accuse the Chinese Embassy of spreading distorted information about the group and attempting to persuade Australian officials to ban its participation in local events such as village festivals. China's government fears Falun Gong's organizational abilities - the group was once estimated to have Up to I00 million followers in China, or more than the Communist Party's 64.5 million. Because the sect has no formal membership, it is hard to gauge the number of practitioners worldwide. Taiwan is believed to have the biggest following outside China, with 100,000 adherents. Falun Gong says it has about 500 members in Hong Kong, 3,000 in Australia, I0,000 in the United States, 1,000 in Singapore and 3,000 in South Korea. There are also small communities in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. Beijing's attempts to use diplomatic pressure to silence Falun Gong have enraged members and government officials in the United States. www.faluninfo.net Page 40 of 49 Stan Bogosian, the former mayor of Saratoga, Calif., said that a few days after he signed a proclamation late last year declaring a week in honor of Falun Gong, two officials from the Chinese consulate urged him to rescind it. When he refused, Bogosian said, the Chinese asked him to remain neutral on the issue and asked about his stance on Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. Angered, Bogosian called a news conference to denounce the Chinese government for "highly irregular" actions. "The Chinese government should not be interfering in the political process," Bogosian told The Associated Press. "The issue of whether Falun Gong is a cult or not is not important. For me, these are basic human rights." To Bogosian and many others, Falun Gong is a harmless qigong group, whose adherents, clad in their yellow T-shirts, practice controlled breathing exercises and move slowly to ethereal music in parks. At least a dozen other mayors from cities in California, Illinois, Washington, Maryland and Michigan have reported pressure from Chinese officials who often pointedly mention the importance of U.S.- Chinese trade. "The whole thing sounded like a propaganda pitch to me," said Tod Satterthwaite, mayor of Urbana, Ill., who ignored the Chinese demands. Others have yielded. In 1999, mayors in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Baltimore - all important shipping centers - revoked proclamations honoring Falun Gong. Falun Gong adherents in Australia say Chinese officials have sent letters to civic leaders describing the group as "an out-and-out heretical sect, which is anti-science, anti-humanity and anti-society in nature." "The letters were sent to local government offices in order to try and persuade them to disallow perfectly legal activities being conducted in the area," said Michael Molnar, a spokesman for Australia's Falan Gong. The Australian govemment said the Chinese Embassy had denied sending the letters. Rebecca Tromp, spokeswoman of the Blacktown City Council, said officials from the Chinese consulate in Sydney raised the issue of Falun Gong participation in a festival sponsored by the city government. "We advised them that any participation Falun Gong has is within our festival and that is what they do and we would continue to allow them to participate," Tromp said. : , www.faluninfo.net Page 41 of 49 China's battle leaps borders - . · Consulates lean on U.S. to shun Falun GOng groups By Rudolph Bush and Rick Hepp, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporter Alex Rodriguez contributed to this report Published February 22, 2002 Its fingerprints may not have been on the ouster of the Falun Gong from Chicago's Chinese New Year parade, but the Chinese government has moved to keep the spiritual movement out of events elsewhere in Illinois and the rest of the nation, stoking a debate over its influence outside its borders to suppress the movement. Last year, the Chinese consulate in Chicago persuaded Decatur's mayor to withdraw a proclamation commemorating the movement. In Flushing, N.Y., this year, Falun Gong members were barred from the Chinese New Year parade after Chinese government officials urged parade organizers to keep them out. Falun Gong members accused Utah's governor of bowing to Chinese embassy demands and reneging on a decision to declare Jan. 8 "Falun Gong Day" in that state. And in Chinatown Sunday, where the controversial movement has both loyal practitioners and vocal critics, organizers of the Chinese New Year parade through the streets of Chinatown insisted that they barred 80 Falun Gong members solely to keep politics out of the event, not because of any pressure from the city's Chinese consul. "The very idea that the [Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association] which is fervently anti- Communist, was a willing participant with the Chinese consulate is like the joke of the century," said Elaine Sit, legal adviser for the association, the parade's organizer. Officials with the Chinese consulate denied playing any role in what happened Sunday. Nevertheless, movement members say their exclusion from everything from ceremonial government resolutions to parades is part of a concerted effort by Beijing to stop Falun Gong from spreading its message worldwide. "I see that the problem is the Chinese mainland government," said Leo Huang, one of the few members of the parade's organizing group to practice and support Falun Gong. "They are trying to stop [Falun Gong] worldwide and it seems to me they are coming into the Chinese community [in America]." An amalgam of traditional Chinese exercises and Eastern religious teachings, the Falun Gong movement began in 1992 and gradually became viewed by the Chinese government as a political threat. Membership has been loosely estimated between several million and tens of millions. www.faluninfo.net Page 42 of 49 Beijing outlawed the group in 1999, labeling it an "evil cult." Inside China, members have been imprisoned, and in some cases sentenced to up to 3-year terms in "re-education through labor" camps. Outside China, Beijing has waged a public relations war against the movement, using its consulates to write letters to local governments and business associations with Falun Gong activities on their agendas. Dressed in gold robes and massed at the staging grounds at Wentworth Avenue and 24th Street, the 80 Falun Gong members were turned away from Chinatown's annual New Year's parade shortly before it began. Tien Liu, an influential Chinatown businessman and an association member who voted against Falun Gong's involvement in the parade, said 90 percent of the association is Taiwanese, and thus pays little heed to the Chines~ government. The movement was barred from the parade because "they make trouble. They go to the United Nations and make trouble," Liu said. "They protest [in Chinatown] and we don't have business. The Chinese businessmen don't like it." Backers of the movement say the consulate has worked to sway Chinatown residents against the Falun Gong, and most likely exerted influence on the association's decision. "To stop support for Falun Gong is the No.1 priority of the Chinese government," Huang said. Shishun Shen, a spokesman for the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, denied that the consulate was involved in the association's decision but called the group's exclusion from the parade "a positive development. Falun Gong is not welcome in the Chinese community." Beijing has tried to engender that sentiment across the U.S. Earlier this month in Flushing, N.Y., a spokesman for the Chinese consulate in New York had a letter published in a local Chinese newspaper that urged the parade's organizing committee to "think seriously" about its decision to allow Falun Gong to participate. "It's not wise [for] the sponsors to allow the Falun Gong to participate in this parade. It is for legitimate organizations," said the consulate spokesman, Tang Win. Shortly afterward, the group's parade application was denied. Terry Howley, Decatur's mayor, backed off plans to declare the week of Jan. 21, 2001, as Falun Dafa Week--Falun Dafa is another name for Falun Gong--after the Chinese government mailed him a large packet that described the movement as an evil cult that incites suicide among its members. Howley decided against the proclamation, telling the Chicago consulate and Decatur residents in a letter that "in light of your correspondence, I believe it is in the best interests of the city that official proclamations ... will only occur for events and organizations represented in the community." Copyright © 2002, Chicago Tribune www.faluninfo.net Page 43 of 49 I Newsday~'. Silencing thee Movement; Crackdown from afar Silencing the Movement Crackdown from afar By Paul Moses and Mae Cheng Staff Writers September 6, 2001 FOR TWO YEARS NOW, Janet Xiong has felt the chill. ~\' In the streets of New York, her adopted city, there have been taunts and jeers against the meditfiti6n movement she follows, called Falun Gong. In her native China, friends have been hauled off to prison for those same beliefs. Halfway around the world, the 47-year- old city researcher from Flushing was told, Chinese authorities were asking questions about her. Police wanted to know about the role that Xiong, a U.S. citizen who arrived from China 14 years ago, plays in the Falun Gong spiritual movement, target of a brutal crackdown in China. First, the word came back from a Falu,,n, Gong practitioner from Forest Hills, who was detained and inte~,ogated while in China on business. He told me, 'Never go back,, again because they are watching you, she,,said. Then another practitioner, a woman, was questioned. She was asked the same questions about us, Xiong said. The Chinese government s relentless drive to beat down the popular meditation movement echoes, faint but chilling, in New York. Government officials have appeared at "seminars" in Manhattan to decry [Jmng Zermn government's slanderous terms omitted], egging on local Chinese imrmgrants to oppose the movement. In one session, the consul-general told his audience that immigrants who have not become U.S. citizens were expected to obey Chinese laws, which ban Falun Gong. Further poisoning the atmosphere for local Falun Gong practitioners, powerful organizations in Chinatown -- which had expressed no concern about Faiun Gong before the government crackdown starte~., in July 1999 -- began holding countermarches against the group, their charg.e,s echoing the government s virulent accusations. Even small details have not escaped the governments hawklike attention: The New York consulate contacted a councilman in Queens when he issued a routine proclamation praising Falun Gong. It is a highly unusual attempt by a foreign government to tackle a spiritual movement within U.S. borders -- complementing a campaign inside China that the State Department and human rights monitors say includes, widespread brainwashing and torture. "It just shows how desperate, in my experience, the PRC [People s Republic of China] really is," said Gail Rachlin, Manhattan-based spokeswoman for Falun Gong. F,or those who have watched Falun Gong adherents practice their slow-motion exercises in public parks, its hard to imagine what the fuss is about. www.faluninfo.net Page 44 of 49 The movement's founder is Li Hongzhi, once a clerk and trumpet player in China. He studied with a Buddhist monk and then Taoist masters, he told Newsday in 1999 in one of his rare interviews. Li, said to live at an undisclosed location in Queens, explained that in the late 1980s, his spiritual masters encouraged him to teach qignng, a traditional Chinese meditative exercise. [...] In 1992, Li began to teach. According to the Master, as he is called, there is a wheel of energy within the lower abdomen that spins off a healing force. (Falun Gong means "wheel of the law.") Through exemises and meditation, followers try to cultivate this force, which Li says brings both mental and physical benefits. The idea that the connection between body and mind can improve health is hardly new in the Far East, but the focus on physical well-being -- Li, 50, says he has never been sick -- helped make the movement hugely popular in China. "The Chinese government chose for a long time just to ignore them," said James Richardson, dean of the law department of the University of Nevada in Reno and a sociologist who has studied the crackdown on Falun Gong. "They were under the guise of just an exercise regime. The medical care in many parts of China is so poor that the Chinese government actually recommends these exemise regimes." But in April 1999, Falun Gong members protested outside a student newspaper in China that would not recant its negative coverage. The government refused to order it; 10,000 Falun Gong adherents responded by protesting outside party headquarters in Beijing, seeking recognition for their movement: While Li says he has no interest in political might, this show of force sent shock waves through [party's name omitted] leadership in China, [...] On July 22, 1999, President Jiang Zemin ordered a crackdown. According to Falun Gong, 50,000 of its practitioners have been detained in China; 10,000 sentenced to labor "re-education" camps; 1,000 committed to mental hospitals where torture and forced use of psychiatric drugs are common. So far, the group says, it has identified 265 people tortured to death in police custody. .Amnesty International, finding that torture or force-feeding hunger strikers had caused many of die deaths ~n police .custody, called the abuses "appalling" and urged the international community to speak out. And a State Department report on religious freedom that covered the early months of the crackdown largely confirmed the Falun Gong allegations to that point. It said "there were numerous credible reports of police involvement in beatings, detention under extremely harsh conditions, torture (including by electric shock and by having hands and feet shackled and linked with crossed steel chains), and other abuses of detained Falun Gong practitioners." THE CHINESE CONSULATE in Manhattan is in a shopworn building that used to house a "motor inn" ~ - a portion of the sign is visible -- at the end of 42nd Street, across from the Hudson River. The ground floor has a brightly lit office where people line up for passports and visas. · . . --~ . &2¢ In most consulates, the walls display colorful, scenic p~ctures of the homeland, a welco _m(~o toun~, But at the Chinese Consulate, visitors are welcomed with posters featuring graphic picture~tr~'ead b~dies charred by fire, ripped open with scissors, beaten on the head with a spade, hung from a f~g~;- ~:z --~--~ www.faluninfo.net Page 45 of 49 These same posters, in English and Chinese, found their way into the hands of counterdemonstrators who jeered Faiun Gong members when they marched through Chinatown on April 21. About 500 practitioners marched, hoping to counter the government propaganda campaign. Wai Lind Lam, 54, a Falun Gong practitioner from Manhattan, said one of the opponents tried to burn her hair with a cigarette lighter during the China.town march. "They said, Don't burn yourself,' and that kind of thing," said Yun Song, a 30-year-old actuarial consultant from Manhattan who is a Falun Gong practitioner. "This is one of many instances that we got disturbed or harassed." Guan Liang, chairman of the umbrella group that led the Chinatown counterdemonstration, the United Chinese Associations of Greater New York, said in an interview that his association has not had contact with Chinese Consulate officials about Falun Gong. And a spokesman for the Chinese Consulate in New York said he had no information about meetings between government officials and the Chinese community in New York about Falun Gong. But information on a Web site maintained by the Chinese Consulate in Manhattan makes clear that the government has, in fact, been urging Liang and the New York Chinese community to join its crusade against Falun Gong. ACROSS the country, Chinese consulates have not been shy about expressing that view to American elected .officials. City Councilman Sheldon Leffler, a Queens Democrat, said he recalled issuing a proclamation on behalf of the council in support of Falun Gong practitioners on a Thursday. On Saturday, he went to his district office and found a two-page letter with a book and a videotape from the New York Chinese Consulate. "It was basically saying they were disappointed I had presented such a proclamation," he said. Leffier didnl consider it threatening, but added, "When you get something from [party's name omitted] China saying you shouldn't have done this ... it's a bit of pressure." But because of China's importance in international trade, officials in some U.S. cities, including Seattle, have rescinded proclamations. More than a dozen mayors have reported pressure from Chinese officials who often mention the importance of China-U.S. trade, The Associated Press reported. In a speech in New York, Consul-General Zhang Hongxi even suggested that China's ban on Falun Gong was binding on Chinese immigrants living here if they have not yet become U.S. citizens. "Of course, if you still hold the Chinese passports, that is, if you are still Chinese nationals without being naturalized as the U.S. citizens, you have dual obligations, you must abide by both the Chinese and the U.S. laws," he told the audience, according to a transcript on the consulate's Web site. i .: ~ 2 ge 46 ~ 49 www'.faluninfo.net While the Chinese government can't enforce its ban in the United States, a number of New Yorkers have felt its force. In some cases, Fahin Gong practitioners here said they've been unable to return to China to visit relatives. Zhen Mei Xu, a 44-year-old Jackson Heights resident who works as a secretary at the United Nations, said she was turned back at Beijing International Airport when she went to visit her ailing father in August last year. "I was not allowed to enter my own country," she said. Wei Lu, 50, a textile designer from Manhattan who is an organizer of local Falun Gong activities, said she had gotten a passport extension pending a background check. "They canceled it," she said, adding that the consulate would not explain why. But Faiun Gong practitioners assume the Chinese government knows of their connection to the group by photographing demonstrations or exercise sessions. For some, the stakes have been higher. Chunyan Teng, a Flushing woman who is a professor of traditional Chinese medicifie at New York College for holistic Health, Education and Research in Syosset, Was sentenced to three years in prison in China for leaking information about the abuse of Falun Gong adherents in mental hospitals to foreign reporters. The State Department has urged that Teng, 38, a legal permanent U.S. resident, be released on humanitarian grounds and allowed to join her family in the United States. Last month, her mother, Yun Fang Qiu, 70, of Flushing, made a tearful plea at a news conference outside the Chinese Consulate for her daughter's release. "Chunyan did nothing but telling the truth," she said. "For telling the troth, she was put into prison and was tortured there." The following week, a colleague at the school, Lorraine Kabacinski of Huntington Station, took part in a hunger strike for 48 hours to call attention to Teng's plight. "She actually introduced me to Falun Gong," Kabacinski said, adding that it had given her an inner calm. 'Tm so grateful to her." Janet Xiong, too, joined portions of a 130-hour sit-in across the street from the Chinese Consulate on 42nd Street, hoping to help Teng, a friend and .fellow Falun Gong practitioner in Flushing. "We met almost every day, even in the snow," she said. "She was very determined. We practiced meditation for two years." Xiong gestured toward the river. "You have the Statue of Liberty here - New York is like a symbol of d " ' "It's emocracy, she said. a harbor for liberty. But people are suffering in mainland China, and what are we doing here? Keeping quiet?" For the first time in three interviews, Xiong's emotions pushed to the surface. As the emotions surged in her throat, she said she was crying. "I put myself in their shoes," Xiong said. "If I were there, I would probably do the same thing. I would probably be' ' ' ' ' · m jml. It s like something that could happen to me." Copyright © 2001, Newsday, Inc. http://www.newsday.com/features/ny-feat-fcov906.story www.faluninfo.net Washington Post: Falun Gong Honors Rescinded Falun .G°ng Honors Rescinded: State, City Proclamations for Spiritual Group Irked Chinese By Steven Mufson Washin~on Post Staff Writer Saturday, December 11, 1999; Page A25 American mayors and governors make proclamations all the time. It's not every day they take them back or apologize for them. But that's what Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening and the mayors of Seattle, Baltimore and San Francisco have done since the Chinese Embassy complained about proclamations honoring Li Hongzhi, exiled leader of the Falun Gong spiritual and exercise movement. Even the State Department got into the act, according to Glendening's office, by providing advice about how to word a letter of apology. The reason for the apologies: fear of hurting local trade relationships with China, which has branded Falun Gong a "cult" and banned the group. In Seattle, for example, Mayor Paul Schell, a former port commissioner whose city is home to Boeing Co., Microsoft Corp. and agricultural exporters, "is well aware of the amount of trade we do with China," said a spokesman. Although Chinese Ambassador Li Zhaoxing did not threaten retaliation for the "Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong Days" that were to coincide with the recent World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, the ambassador "did make his displeasure clear in no uncertain terms," said Schell aide Clifford Traisman. ...The movement's leader Li, who lives in New York, and his U.S. followers have gathered statements of support from across the United States, and a congressional resolution called on China to "stop its persecution" of "a peaceful and nonviolent form of personal belief." A Falun Gong spokesman said 12,000 people signed a petition of support in Seattle before the WTO meeting. But Schell, when confronted by the Chinese envoy in his office during the chaotic WTO meeting, rescinded his proclamation. He said that he was not familiar with the group and that, as host to the WTO meeting, his city would avoid taking positions on "sensitive trade and political issues." ... "These are spineless acts," added Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Caiif.), who learned of the letters from U.S. followers of Falun Gong. Bymie said Pyke's letter apologized without actually rescinding the honorary citizenship. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) called that a "distinction without a difference" and said it was a "green light to the Chinese government to carry on with torture and repression." The Chinese Embassy has trumpeted the reversals on its World Wide Web site, calling Falun Gong a "laughingstock in Seattle" and quoting Schell as saying he was "embarrassed by making such a careless proclamation." Most municipal and state proclamations are made with little thought in response to requests by constituents. Yesterday Glendening issued a statement calling certificates of honorary citizenship www.faluninfo.net Page 48 of 49 "gestures of hospitality to visitors." He said he issues anywhere from a few per week to hundreds in a single day. Honorary citizenship "grants no official privileges or status, and does not carry or imply endorsement of... any personal religious, philosophical or political beliefs," he said. Because the certificate had no political meaning, Glendening added, there was no reason to revoke it. He also noted that Maryland was founded in 1634 "by those who fled oppression to seek religious freedom and liberty" and that "those who support the pfinciples and values of tolerance.., will always find a warm welcome in Maryland." © Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company www.faluninfo.net Page 49 of 49 Mediaco March 10, 2003 Hon. Ernest W. Lehman City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240-1826 Dear Mayor Lehman: Thank you for your letter requesting the move of Univision to the Broadcast Basic service tier. Mediacom will give the City's request serious consideration and appreciates the City's concern for Spanish seeking residents in Iowa City. The case for moving Univision to the Broadcast Basic tier was accurately presented in your correspondence. We hope the City can also appreciate the difficulties of moving the service to Basic. The primary obstacle in moving Univision to Broadcast Basic is the physical limitation of the number of channels in the Broadcast Basic tier. The system is currently trapped to create a Broadcast Basic tier of channels 2 through 22. Moving Univision into Broadcast Basic means a channel must be moved out of Broadcast Basic. The PEG channels and local broadcasters cannot be moved as required by applicable law and programming contracts limit the location of some channels to the basic tier. The channels that can be moved to the Family Basic tier will anger some customers regardless of the general perceived value of any specific programming. Expanding the Broadcast Basic tier beyond channel 22 would require physically installing a new trap for the entire Iowa City metro area on limited basic customer accounts. A quick estimate of the cost incurred in such a change would exceed $60,000. As a leader in the community, I am certain you can appreciate that any decision requires weighing the consequences and moving forward if the right balance is maintained. We will consider the City's request in light of maintaining an acceptable balance. Please contact me directly at (319) 395-9699 extension 202 if you have questions or concerns or ifI may be of further assistance. Sincerely, o~n ~Koebrick Director of Government Relations cc: Mediacom Communications Corporation 6300 Council St. NE · Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 · 319-395-7801 Fax 319-393-7017 Randy Brown Drew Shaffer Marian Karr From: Sent: To; Subject: Jay and Gen Taylor [jaygen@zeus.ia.net] Wednesday, March 12, 2003 9:12 AM cou ncil@iowa-city.org Senior Center Funding Dear Council Members: The Senior Center is an asset to the city in attracting businesses and retirees as well as a highly desireable facility for the many seniors in this couununity. The funding problems faced by the Senior Center are no different than those faced by other government and private entities. The deficit for the center, as proposed by the Commission and the Staff, would be totally made up by the members of the center. We believe the following points need to be considered: 1. A policy of inclusiveness by charging a nominal fee {not to exceed $10.00 per year) for all members, regardless of their place of residence. 2. Seek contributions from members to help pay operating costs. This willingness has been frequently demonstrated. 3. Assess staff needs by considering reducing paid staff hours, possibly combining positions or eliminating some services. 4. Make up the shortfall for 2003-2004 by using some of the undesignated funds ($144,00) that are available. 5. Request the Commission to extend a voting privilege to members and to present the results to the City Council. We appreciate the time and effort you give to this problem, knowing you have a multitude of issues before you. Sincerely, Genevieve Taylor O. Jay Taylor 3206 Raven Street Iowa City, Iowa Phone: 354-1490 Marian Karr From: Lisa Mollenhauer Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 4:58 PM To: *City Council Cc: Steve Atkins Subject: FW: Police Department ..... Original Message ..... From: RJ Winkelhake Sent: Tuesday, March 11,2003 4:57 PM To: 'j ohn-dunlap~uiowa.edu' Cc: Lisa Mollenhauer Subject: Police DepatXment I'd be happy to meet with you and discuss all the issue that you have in your email. There can be a number of reasons for a number of police units to be within a twelve block area. The officers could have been assigned to traffic enforcement due to the number of citizen complaints from an area or involved in a traffic grant traffic enforcement effort. The Kum and Go at Burlington and Gilbert hires off duty officers, in uniform, to provide additional security at that location. Officers are expected to check the late hour businesses in the areas they are assigned to patrol that includes stopping and walking into the building. Your comments about the officers paying little "more than a glance to the drunken patrons" is interesting because there are a number students who feel that all the officers do is charge students for Public Intox. Feel free to contact me at 356-5271 to arrange a time that will be convenient for you. ..... Original Message ..... From: John Dunlap [mailto:john-dunlap~uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 9:40 PM To: council~iowa-city.org Subject: Police Department Counoilmembers, On a recent trip this evening north up Dubuque St. to Interstate 80, I saw three Iowa City police cars performing usual traffic stops. All within a dozen blocks. Though I know that speeding is frequent on the stretch of road, I have never noticed an unusual number of accidents and doubt that the attention of so many officers was required. This prompted me to call Lieutenant Jackson at the Police Department and question this. His response, condescending and obnoxious, was that it was beyond my judgment to expect such concerns to be responded to, that I could not understand whatever complexities go into the assignment of a police force. He gave me the names of a lieutenant and captain to contact and I intend to do so during their own hours. The only information that I got from Lt. Jackson is that there are generally 7-10 officers on duty at this time of night. Thus, half to a third of the police department was patrolling a single mile of road. This seems inordinate and wasteful. The following question that I posed to Lt. Jackson was about the officers who hang out at the Kum & Go station at Gilbert and Burlington. Often there are two, sometimes three there late at night, even after alcohol sales have ended. The officers are treated to free soda and coffee, as has been explained to me by employees there. This, Lt. Jackson told me is not permitted. Regardless, the need for one, let alone two or three officers to patrol a single convenience store is doubtful. Additionally, the Kum & Go at Madison and Burlington often has a separate group of officers there late at night. Rarely do these officers pay more than a glance to the drunken patrons, many of whom are underage. At the same times, officers are rarely found on routine patrols which are valued so highly by many effective police departments. My experience has shown few times when a police officer is deep into Iowa City's residential areas without obvious signs of imminent concern. Iowa City should expect more from its police force than inattention. Please pass my concerns, as written, along with your own on to the Police Citizen's Review Board and the Police Department. I would like the Iowa City Police Department to make explicit and readily available the methods it uses to assign its staff along with staffing levels. Iowa City should make easily available crime statistics for each neighborhood within its city so that citizens in the more neglected areas can be aware of the risks associated with 3/11/03 inadequate and spotty police coverage. Page 2 of 2 In addition to whatever measures the council takes to address my concerns, and I hope the will be thorough, I intend to bring this matter to the attention of additional officers within the police force and the local media. I trust that the council will encourage the Police Force to be open and accommodating to concerns and advice, a frequent failure of police departments. All documents relating to staffing levels must be made available to local residents and media as required by the Freedom of Information Act and state laws. John Dunlap (319)621-9735 332 E Washington #6 Iowa City, IA 52240 University of Iowa Undergraduate Student English & Journalism 3/11/03 Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Pat Mitchell [prnmitch@zeus.ia.net] Tuesday, March 25, 2003 1:58 PM cou ncil@iowa-city,org messoge~oter Please read below as a voter I support this! Patricia Mitchell ..... Original Message ..... From: "Iowans for Peace with Iraq" <ipiraq@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu> To: <CAW-ANNOUNCE@LIST.UIOWA.EDU>; "Campaign Against War" <campaignagainstwar@yahoogroups.com>; <ifp@lists.riseup.net>; <ifp-announce@lists.riseup.net>; <iowapjp@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 11:03 PM Subject: [ifp-announce] You, too, may issue peace proclamation! Contest announced Iowa City for Peace Resolution Campaign PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, 161 U.S. City Councils have, as of March 24, 2003, formally expressed their opposition to the U.S. military attack against Iraq, and WHEREAS, the City Council of Iowa City has failed in its duty to act in a democratic fashion when asked to vote on a resolution opposing a war with Iraq thus denying the citizens of Iowa City their constitutional right of representation, and WHEREAS, freedom of speech is protected by the U.S. Constitution, NOW, THEREFORE, Iowa City for Peace Resolution Campaign does hereby proclaim April 8, 2003, as CITIZENS' PEACE PROCLAMATIONS DAY in Iowa City, and urges all residents to issue their own anti-war or pro-peace proclamations at the April 8th Formal Council Meeting. FURTHERMORE, Iowa City for Peace Resolution Campaign announces a contest of citizens' proclamations with prizes awarded to the three most original and relevant texts. Ail submitted proclamations will be published in the "The Book of Citizens' Peace Proclamations" to be distributed at the Council meeting on April 8th and presented to the council as a matter of public record. Signed in Iowa City, Iowa, this 24th day of March, 2003 To enter the contest, submit your proclamation by e-mail to ipi@uiowa.edu or post it to either IFP or CAW discussion listserve. Please send a copy to council@iowa-city.org. The deadline is April 4th. Examples of Iowa City council proclamations can be viewed here: http://www.iowa-city.org/scripts/LFWebLink.exe/weblink/browser.html?doc 4660 &cid=-1087593257 http://www.iowa-city.org/scripts/LFWebLink.exe/weblink/browser.html?doc 1859 0&cid-674621493 However, following the format of official proclamations is NOT required to win. Satirical, poetry, musical, and group preclamatiens are welcome!! Reading your own proclamation during the council meeting on April 8 is strengly enceuraged! The meeting starts at ? PH in the Iewa City Civic Center at 410 E Washington Street. > Iewans For Peace (IFP) is a coalition of 19 eastern Iowa > political, religious, professional, coms~unity, and student > organizations > *** eSafe scanned this email for malicious content *** *** IMPORTANT: De not open attachments from unrecognized senders Marian Karr Page 1 of 1 Subject: From: leah wolfe [leahwolfe@mchsi.com] Sent: Thursday, Mamh 13, 2003 10:27 AM To: co u ncil@iowa-city.org Cc: Nelson, Lori; Karen Pease; blueplaid editor; Bignell, Rob; newmedia@qctimes.com; daily-iowan@uiowa.edu; gazedit@fyiowa.com; letters@dmreg.com No Peaceful Resolution from Iowa City Council Meeting; Tuesday March 11, 2003 Kudos to the following Iowa City council members for bravely opting to tell the nation this city has courage to stand up for what is right by allowing a Pro-Peace resolution to appear on the council's meeting agenda. Thanks to Mr. Steven Kanner for his clear and potent arguments regarding the impact this war will have locally, to Ms. Connie Champion for considering all sides and offering a win-win proposition for the council and Iowa City's residents, and especially to Mr. Irvin Pfab for declaring Iowa City's residents' right to live in peace a critical issue. The people applaud them. Regarding the remaining council members; Ross Wilburn, Mike O'Donnell, Dee Vanderhoef, and especially mayor Ernie Lehman, their inaction and indifference was deplorable. The behavior of this city's mayor was the most blatant act of cowardice I have ever witnessed from an elected official in a public arena. I was shocked at his refusing the resolution's proponents an opportunity to present their side, and was stunned to watch him literally run from the meeting to avoid answering for his actions. The remaining council members' arguments against passing such a simple resolution were equally disrespectful to the citizens of Iowa City. Mr. O'Donnell's comments that "...peace is not a local issue", and that it is not the council's place to speak for the city's residents sent a clear message that he disregards the opinions and welfare of the people in this town. Mr. Wilburn's and Ms. Vanderhoef's agreement with Mr. O'Donnell's comments showed the same lack of respect. They have proven unworthy of their positions, and will not be receiving my, nor my constituents' votes in the next election. Leah Wolfe 914 W. Benton #24 Iowa City, IA 52246 319-358-7048 "On Feb. 25, the Ames City Council unanimously approved a resolution appointing a non-voting student liaison to the council." - The Daily Iowan "The City Council in the place hit hardest by the September 11 attacks approved a resolution Wednesday opposing war with Iraq except as a last resort." - NEW YORK (AP) 3/13/03 Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Clark Kenyon [ckenyon@inav. net] Thursday, March 13, 2003 8:12 PM cou ncil@iowa-city.org Anti-war Resolution Dear Mayor Lehman I was happy to have read that the City Council did not pass the Anti-war Resolution. I was at the City Council meeting en Feb.18th and I know that it must have been difficult to make such a decision under se much pressure. I believe that it would be kind of an insult to the men and women of the National Guard from our city who have been called up. I appreciate that you understand that the City Council has mere important things to worry about than something that doesn't have any thing te do with the city. Jon Kenyon Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Dykstra, Eugene [eugene-dykstra@uiowa.edu] Friday, March 14, 2003 3:46 PM 'cou ncil@iowa-city.org' Antiwar Resolution Dear members of our city council: I found this article recently and thought it might be of some interest to you. I include it here in its entirety. I'm hoping that it may make you reconsider a citywide resolution decrying the impending conflict with Iraq. In any case, keep up the good work, as always. Gino Dykstra Building Cities for Peace by John Nichols ~ny Lake and 159 other residents of Salisbury, Connecticut, trudged through snow and freezing cold to gather at the Town Hall on the night of January 17. There, Lake read a resolution declaring that the townspeople of Salisbury oppose a pre-emptive military action against Iraq and calling on President Bush and Congress to work with the United Nations for peace. When the 44-year-old social studies teacher finished, someone made a motion to approve the resolution and just about everyone in the hall yelled "Second!" Then, by a vote of 156 to 4, this rural, Republican-leaning community became a "City for Peace." First Selectman Val Bernardoni wrote a note to President Bush urging him "to lead the world community toward universal understanding and good will," television stations broadcast the news, and folks from across the state started calling Lake to ask how their towns could do the same. "Our intent was to make some noise, to really get people talking, to educate people," says Lake. "The Cities for Peace movement has turned out to be the perfect vehicle. I think we all felt as if we had reclaimed our citizenship." Lake's enthusiasm is matched by that of activists in communities across the United States. Over the past five months, jurisdictions that are home to more than 30 million ~kmericans have passed 140 antiwar resolutions--forming what Telluride, Colorado, Council member John Steel described at a February 13 rally of Cities for Peace activists outside the White House as "the collective conscience of our country." Says John Cavanagh, the director of the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), which has played a critical role in promoting the Cities for Peace movement, "What we are witnessing is a remarkable grassroots movement that has had a role in transforming the debate about the war and that, I think, offers us a new model for educating and organizing that gives people at the grassroots a real voice in debates about national and international issues." In Cavanagh's view, that model has enormous potential on a number of fronts. He foresees the possibility of networks of local officials who could "think globally, act locally," and who could work with organizers and activists across the country to put neglected issues on the national radar. Ultimately, says Democratic Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, one of the most enthusiastic backers of the Cities for Peace push, these networks could become vehicles for pressuring Democrats in Congress--and perhaps even some 1 Republicans--to weigh in on issues that they are now too politically cautious to address. "We could use that pressure," says Schakowsky, who gets no argument from local officials who have backed Cities for Peace resolutions. As Los Angeles City Council member Janice Hahn said when she announced she would vote for that city's antiwar resolution, "We're debating this issue because those we have elected to debate this issue [in Congress] have abdicated." Anger at that abdication is at the root of the Cities for Peace movement, which began around the time ef last fall's Congressional vote to cede authority on decisions regarding Iraq to Bush. "A lot of folks decided that if the people st the federal level were refusing te listen, they would start talking te City Hall," says Karen Delan, a fellow at IPS, which has established a Cities for Peace clearinghouse. The first con,unities to take a stand--places like Santa Cruz and Sebastepel, in California, and Tompkins County, New York, did not pass peace resolutions as part of a planned protest. But as word spread that antiwar resolutions were being enacted, college towns that have long been centers ef antiwar activism--Berkeley and Ann Arbor, Madison and ~nherst, Oberlin and Ithaca--acted. Then came the big cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Paul, San Francisco and Seattle. Washington, DC, voiced its objection to war early, while New York City said no to war on March 12. "It's like wildfire," says Dolan. "By the end of the holidays, we had about twenty-two cities. By the end of January, we had fifty-seven, and that's when there started to be some publicity. Then this movement just exploded. Now we've got more than 130 in thirty states, and there are more than 100 additional campaigns under way." At the National League ef Cities conference in early March, the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials offered a resolution on the war, and representatives from cities that had passed resolutions integrated discussions of the impact of a potential war--and new homeland security panels--into the debate over hew cities will meet fiscal challenges. Modern technology, particularly the web and e-mail, has powered the Cities for Peace campaign as it has other aspects of the antiwar movement. After activists in Washington organized the effort to pass that city's resolution, Dolan helped develop a website with a "tool kit" for local activists. "When we started talking about doing a resolution in Los Angeles, I went to citiesforpeace.org and found the tool kit, and then I said, 'Look, this is how to do this,'" says Suzanne Thompson, an organizer of the campaign that won passage of the LA resolution by a 9-to-4 vote. The effort has also been aided by the Northampton, Massachusetts-based National Priorities Project, which has helped local officials detail the potential costs of war to their cities. Information about the economic trade-offs has frequently been included in resolutions--as an answer to those who ask why cities and countries are weighing in on national and international issues. "Workers in Millinocket face a more immediate threat to their livelihood than Saddam Hussein: They need their mill reopened," argues Maine State Senator Ethan Strimling, a prime mover of antiwar legislation in his state's legislature. "More than 300 people were recently laid off at L.L. Bean in Freeport. The city of Portland is thinking of giving pink slips to more than 100 of its wQrkers. For all these reasons, we need the federal government to focus on our struggling families with the same energy and determination it has focused on Iraq. That was one of the major goals of [Maine's] resolution." Maine's debate over antiwar legislation was front-page news there, as resolutions have been in many places where they have been considered. And the coverage extends well beyond local papers, drawing widespread national and international media attention. This, in turn, has inspired dozens of communities in Japan, Canada, England and other countries to pass antiwar resolutions; the mayors of London, Rome, 2 Berlin, Vienna, Paris and Brussels recently issued a joint declaration, saying, "We, the Mayors of the major capital cities of Europe, wish to forcefully assert that a new conflict in Iraq can and must be avoided." But the biggest impact of the campaign has been felt in US political circles. On the floor of the House, Jan Schakowsky proudly announced that her hometown, Chicago, has voted 46 to 1 against launching a pre-emptive attack. Says Schakowsky, "I think a number of members feel validated in their opposition to the war by the fact that the cities they represent have taken the same stand." Representative Sherrod Brown of Ohio, one of the savvier political players in Washington, says that even if President Bush doesn't bow to the demands of Gary and Kalamazoo for a shift in national priorities, you can bet that the White House has noticed. "[White House political czar] Karl Rove thinks about nothing but politics, and I think this has got to be driving him crazy," says Brown. "When cities like Cleveland and Lorain pass antiwar resolutions, you know they think about that at the White House. This isn't people demonstrating in Paris. This is local elected officials, who know what the mood is in their towns, and they are taking an antiwar stand." Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, concurs. "The cities getting organized has given a real boost to the broad antiwar movement that I think caused the Administration to slow down at least for a time, and that's something we should all be paying attention to," says Edgar. "When local officials, who usually are the officials that most people know best, start to address national issues, and when they make the connections between national debates and what is happening at home, that sends a powerful signal." In fact, it is nothing new for City Councils to pass resolutions that address issues that are seemingly outside their legislative purview. As far back as 1774, New York officials condemned the closing of Boston's port by the British, and in the 1850s the Chicago City Council challenged the federal Fugitive Slave Act. Before World War I, referendums in Midwestern towns expressed opposition to joining Europe's fight. Similar votes were held in communities across the country during the Vietnam War. In the 1980s, cities across the country declared themselves to be nuclear-free zones, and antiapartheid resolutions were common. But, says veteran political strategist Steve Cobble, "With the antiapartheid movement, and even with the nuclear freeze, it was a slower process. Now, with the Internet and e-mail, it's easier to get people on the same page quickly, to get things rolling and then to build on our victories. Peace is a pretty good issue, but there's no reason to stop there." Already, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee has launched a Civil Liberties Safe Zone campaign, which so far has been endorsed by sixty-four towns, cities and counties across the country. In March, before Federal Communications cou~missioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein came to Seattle to hold a hearing on media consolidation, media reform activists convinced the City Council in Seattle--one of the first big cities to pass an antiwar resolution--to pass one urging the FCC "to protect content diversity and press freedom by retaining and strengthening existing media ownership regulations, including regulations that limit the number of stations one owner may hold." Within hours of its passage, media reform activists were talking about launching a campaign to have other cities do the same. IPS's Cavanagh says local elected officials who have seen the power of the Cities for Peace initiative are already talking about working together on broader initiatives that could make cities--including those from Republican-leaning states--a force to challenge the Bush Administration on a variety of fronts. Adds Edgar: "Many of the people who run cities came up as activists, either on national issues like civil rights and the Vietnam War or on neighborhood issues. But they are activists, and they are smart. They know that resolutions like this would only have a limited effect if one or two cities passed them. But, as part of a national movement that is getting a good deal of attention, they know this makes them part of the debate." It is that movement-building potential that excites Green Party activists like Ben Manski, co-chair of the party's national steering committee. At least twenty peace resolutions passed around the country were sponsored by Green elected officials, Manski says. "We've always believed that you cannot talk about problems in one city without looking at what is going on nationally and internationally." He adds, "What's happened with Cities for Peace shows how having Green elected officials, who communicate with one another regularly, makes it easier for movements like this to get started." Democrats, too, are excited. "There is so much disappointment among grassroots Democrats with how the party leadership in Congress has responded to the question of war. I think some of these coalitions that we are seeing come together around the country will, ultimately, try to address that," says Edgar, who served six terms in the House as a Democratic representative from Pennsylvania. "It may not change Congress overnight, but I think it could, eventually, lead to a transformation of the Democratic Party in Congress." Schakowsky says she expects that Democratic members of Congress who did not challenge the Bush Administration on the war will be asked why local officials were willing to take a stand and they were not. "Cities for Peace votes at the local level drive home the fact that this is a political issue. That's going to make it hard for some members of Congress to explain why they were so silent," she says. "This could shake the party up, and it could be a factor in the presidential primaries." Lisi Standen, an 87-year-old refugee from pre-World War II Germany who spearheaded the campaign to pass the antiwar resolution in rural Kent, Connecticut, hopes the shake-up will go well beyond party politics and cause Americans--including some powerful Americans in Washington--to re-engage with democracy. "One of the duties of living in a democracy is to join the great debates, to make ourselves heard by the powerful. So Kent's Town Meeting has made itself heard," she says. "President Bush would do well to listen to the little towns of America. We, in these small towns and the great cities of America--we uphold democracy better sometimes than does our Congress." Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: debra seeley [dleaseeley@yahoo.com] Wednesday, March 12, 2003 7:41 PM council@iowa-city.org Jonathan Torres; campaignagainstwar@yahoogroups.com; lamurfin@hotmail.com; sharyrubin@hotmail.com Peace Resolution - Congratulations Dear Mayor and city council, First, thank-you Irvin Pfab and Steven Kanner for your support of the anti-war resolution. To the others: First a couple points of interest: Their is clearly - clearly - something wrong when the world's super power is no longer able to buy, bribe, or intimidate enough UN countries to back their illegal war. That alone should raise a red flag for those of sound mind. And did you know the second US diplomat resigned in less than a month, along with the senior intelligence analyst in Australia over Bush's War Plans with Iraq? Sorry, this is not something you'll hear from Never-Neverland News with Peter Jennings or Channel 2's "Showdown with Saddam". Now to your issue - and it is your issue. This war is illegal This war is immoral This war is unconstitutional But we'll leave out your morality and lack of conscience for now. Let's just talk legalities: This war is in violation of International Law; in breach of UN Charter, Article 51; and unconstitutional - Article 1 , Sec. 8 (look it up - your supposed to know this remember?) As we speak over 70 lawyers, 12 House Democrats and many parents of soldiers (that truly support the troops!) are filing a lawsuit against this war. Oh, remember, it is in your city council oath to "uphold the US Constitution." Imagine that. It IS your civic duty to denounce this war. In your silence, you support and are complicit in this illegal war. In your silence, you support and are complicit in the genocide of innocent Iraqis and American soldiers. In your silence, you support and are complicit in international war crimes. In your silence, you support and are complicit in retaliatory terrorist attacks. The world and it's people are against this war. 58% of An~ericans are against this war WITHOUT UN support, according to the Washinton Post. A high percentage of Germans supported Hitler, proudly waving their flags, as their country annihilated innocent people. Start waving your flags, and be proud. Sleep well. Sincerely, Debra Seeley Iowa City Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Benn Dunnington [b_dunnington@hotmail.com] Wednesday, March 12, 2003 5:37 PM ipiraq@BLUEWEEG.UIOWA. EDU; cou ncil@iowa-city.org rbignellic@iowacity.gannett com; daily-iowan@uiowa.edu Open Letter to Iowa City Council Dear Council: Yesterday, while Ernie, Dee, Mike, Connie, and Ross were offering a shameful string of lame excuses for ducking a simple request by local citizens to consider an innocuous resolution favoring a peaceful solution in Iraq, New York City (of all places) became the 141st city to pass a (much stronger) anti-war resolution, as reported in the AP excerpt pasted below. Disgusted in Iowa City, Bonn Dunnington Iowa City, Iowa 52240 NEW YORK (AP) The City Council in the place hit hardest by the Sept. 11 attacks approved a resolution Wednesday opposing war with Iraq except as a last resort. The 31-17 vote came after months of debate over whether New York should stake out a position. "We of all cities must uphold the preciousness and sanctity of human life," said Councilman Alan Gerson, a Democrat who voted for the resolution and whose district includes the World Trade Center site, where 2,792 people were killed in the attacks. MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: dennis kowalski [mayflyd@yahoo.com] Wednesday, March 12, 2003 9:10 AM counci[@iowa-city.org california To those of you this may concern, The administration has repeatedly stated the difficulty of finding weapons in a country the size of California. I find it arrogant and cowardly, that the worlds most powerful nation is about to attack a country with a meager military and the size of California. I find it equally arrogant and cowardly that the city council could only come up with a watered down proclamation. Without intense pressure from citizens, the council, probably wouldn't have even done this. When the bills come do, not only from the war, but also from the second failed trickle down economic theory. You will come to us. I for one will tell you to go to Hell! Do not forget, that we are also a lobby and collectively have more power and money than your corporate buddies. Have a Nice Day! Dennis Kowalski 1932 Hafor dr Iowa City 52246 Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online http://webhosting.yahoo.com Page 1 of 2 -Marian Karr /~,~ (/3) From: Shams Ghoneim [ghoneim@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu] Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 2:41 PM To: council@iowa-city.org Cc: ipi@uiowa.edu Subject: A citizen Peace proclamation: A citizen Peace proclamation: The poet Ralph Chaplin wrote in 1915: Mourn not the dead in the cool earth lie --/But rather mourn the apathetic throng--/The cowed, and the meek/Who see the world's great anguish And its wrong,/And dare not speak. The challenge facing us today is how to fight for peace and justice without war and destruction. WHEREAS, the City Council of Iowa City has declined to vote on a resolution opposing a war with Iraq or on a peaceful resolution to that conflict. WHEREAS the number of dead and injured USA soldiers and Iraqis mount, WHEREAS the Iraqi people and their cities and environment crumble, WHEREAS the entire region is at an increased risk of instability and violence, WHEREAS the anguish of men, women, and children, in 3 continents 4/4/03 Page 2 of 2 deepens WHEREAS the desert get drenched with blood and tears. I proclaim my commitment to peace, justice, harmony, and to the ending of the current violence in Iraq, the region and the World. Shams Ghoneim April 4,2003 4/4/03 Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Holly Berkowitz [crankyl00@mchsi.com] Friday, April 04, 2003 11:22 PM cou ncil@iowa-city.org Re: Peace Resolution of, by, for Liberty and Justice for All, the foundation of peace for prosperity, prosperity for peace enough for all to share PEACE RESOLUTION TO PRODUCE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL 3-Apr-03 GARDEN FOR EDEN Holly Berkowitz 612 Granada Court Iowa City, Iowa 52246 (319) 351-3489 crankyl00@mchsi.com Iowans for Peace with Iraq Peace Resolution Contest ipiraq@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu Garden For Eden: Produce peace for prosperity, prosperity for peace enough for all to share now, generations from now by Holly Berkowitz ©2003 Re: Peace Resolution of, by, for Liberty and Justice for Ail, the foundation of peace for prosperity, prosperity for peace enough for all to share PEACE RESOLUTION TO PRODUCE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL WHEREAS We need peace to produce prosperity of any definition in any living system, cell or self or globe inalienable, and we need public prosperity to produce public peace, to produce economic cycles upwards enough for all to share through time, WE NEED PEACE TO PRODUCE PROSPERITY OF ANY DEFINITION, PROSPERITY TO PRODUCE PEACE ENOUGH FOR ALL TO SHARE WHEREAS Every action causes an equal and opposite reaction in nature's worlds of the universe, positive actions causing positive outcomes to lift all up to light slowly~..and negative actions causing negative consequences and costs te suck all down into gravity's heavy weights ........ obvious er not, counted in human cash or not ......... human worlds a subset of nature's universe of reciprocity ....... EVERY ACTION CAUSES AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION, POSITIVES CAUSING BLESSINGS, NEGATIVES CAUSING CURSE EVERY ACTION CAUSES AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION, POSITIVE ACTIONS CAUSING BLESSINGS, NEGATIVE ACTIONS CAUSING CURSE EXPONENTIALLY WHEREAS We need to value life to survive as a self, nation or globe, life inalienable, life impossible to count in cash, VALUE LIFE TO SURVIVE WHEREAS Humans need to obey the laws of nature to survive, or pay the price, obvious or not, counted in human cash or not, the laws of nature far beyond the ability and will of human beings to understand in simple terms of cash, OBEY NATURE'S LAWS OR PAY WHEREAS Humans need to balance nature's infinite budget of critical, inalienable flows for life to balance more finite human budgets of cashflow counts, BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET WHEREAS We need to redefine "economy" and "riches" and "wealth" and "worth" to produce a mere positive world, to redefine in terms ef productivity potentials of life enough to enable living worlds te produce enough to carry 1 life into a more satisfying future for all enough te cause peace enough to share... REDEFINE "ECONOMY," "RICHES," "WEALTH," "WORTH," WHEREAS We need to redefine "economy" in terms of both quantity of numbers, "eco+nomic" and of logic, "eco+logic" of quality of life to balance nature's budget, to count both cash as a tool and life as the garden to cultivate and nurture and produce diverse riches enough to call public prosperity in any terms, BALANCE QUANTITY AND QUALITY, NUMBERS AND LOGIC ENOUGH TO BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET WHEREAS We need to redefine "prosperity" and "riches" and "wealth" and "worth" in more than private terms of cash, but also in public terms of life's productive worlds and the worlds' life productive enough to produce public prosperity enough for all to share, to lift all up to light enough to win, to enable fragile lands to carry life toward a more positive future for all to share. REDEFINE "PROSPERITY," "RICHES," "WEALTH," "WORTH" AND "ECONOMY" IN MORE THAN PRIVATE TERMS OF CASH, BUT ALSO IN PUBLIC TERMS OF LIFE REDEFINE "PROSPERITY, .... RICHES," "WEALTH," "WORTH" AND "ECONOMY" IN MORE THAN PRIVATE TERMS OF CASH, BUT ALSO IN PUBLIC TERMS OF LIFE WHEREAS The term "eco-" means "house" in Greek, as in "eco+nomic" and "eco+iogic," not every house produces a nurturing "home" or positive worlds enough to nurture inhabitants or habitat .............. Cashflow floods of harsh, violent, insensitive houses, walls, barriers of cash-driven urban consumption crushing life and houses, instead, NOT EVERY HOUSE PRODUCES A NURTURING HOME Whereas human senses can blind the self to the universe that does affect U.S ........ obvious or not, counted in human cash or not ......... and powerful and primitive emotional button firestorms can blind U.S. as private selves stuck in only one obvious now, emotional explosions of cash and war destroying logic easily and quickly to disable our ability and will to see our world objectively and fairly ............ and greed drives human history, bulldozing logic time after time, fragile but vital logic of conscience critical for the many to find a safer course through an uncertain future together, any future ................ and G.W. Bush and the Republican War Machine have worked overtime to sell the unacceptable as acceptable, using deceptive, virtual illusion and mirage to sell war as peace in a march to seize world domination of, by, for oil and private cashflow floods for some secretive private few of privilege, for private profit for one private self .......... at public taxpayer expense ..... blocking our vision of the rest of the world, blinding U.S. to the needs of the many for peace, to worlds we desperately need to learn about enough to survive ........... HUMAN SENSES OF GREED FOR TOTALITARIAN PRIVATE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE DISTORT OUR PERCEPTION OF OUR WORLD HUMAN SENSES OF GREED FOR TOTALITARIAN PRIVATE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE DISTORT OUR PERCEPTION OF OUR WORLD WHEREAS Deuteronomy demands that we learn to understand the difference between causing blessing and causing curse, positive actions causing positive public outcomes slowly, to lift all up to light, obvious or not, counted in cash or not~and negative actions causing negative public consequences and costs, deadly downward tailspins to suck all down easy, cheap, quick. Deuteronomy commands U.S. and many to produce peace, not war, blessing not curse .... DEUTERONOMY COMMANDS US AND MANY TO CAUSE BLESSING, NOT CURSE, PEACE NOT WAR WHEREAS Peace is more difficult to produce than war, and demands a more educated and caring population in a more nurturing world to produce peace or prosperity of any definition, never easy, cheap or quick to produce, peace and prosperity in public worlds shared to prevent negative consequences and costs that suck all down, to prevent harsh, violent, insensitive and deadly force for power and power for force that suck all down into the negatives of gravity's heavy weights, PEACE IS MORE DIFFICULT TO PRODUCE THAN WAR WHEREAS The true definition of "peace" refers to peace within the self, 2 possible only in a world nurturing for the many, a world free from desperate want, free from fear, free from paralyzing fear, fright, flight, fight, war that the Bush administration tries to sell as peace, erroneously, PEACE INNER PEACE WHEREAS Liberty and Justice for Ail, the foundation of a free and democratic societyof satisfying self-determination forms the foundation of a more productive system, self or nation or globe, a system more able and willing to grow upwards freely toward light enough to lift life up to light as a garden for Eden, enough to produce enough safe, affordable access to enough safe, affordable and nurturing worlds enough to produce enough peace to produce prosperity and prosperity enough to produce peace and democracy, liberty and justice enough for all to share, PEACE TO PRODUCE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY AND SATISFYING SELF-DETERMINATION ENOUGH TO CAUSE PEACE WHEREAS Peace holds the fragile web for all life intact, and the fragile web for all life holds all worlds for life intact, all, each, every cell, self, nation and globe inalienable from the other, each of a specific and unique purpose genetically, every part and whole interdependent, each exchanging critical flows of specific supplies for demands, demands for supplies producing and consuming, exchanging inifnitely intricate and vast flows and cycles for life through infinity impossible to count in human terms, PEACE HOLDS THE FRAGILE WEB FOR ALL LIFE INTACT ENOUGH TO PRODUCE AMAZING PATTERNS FOR LIFE, EXCHANGE OF SUPPLIES AND DEMANDS INFINITELY IMPOSSIBLE TO COUNT IN HUMAN TERMS WHEREAS We need to value life to survive as a self, nation or globe, life inalienable, life impossible to count in cash, VALUE LIFE TO SURVIVE WHEREAS Humans need to obey the laws of nature to survive, or pay the price, obvious or not, counted in human cash or not, OBEY NATURE'S LAWS OR PAY WHEREAS Humans need to balance nature's infinite budget of critical, inalienable flows for life to balance more finite human budgets of cashflow counts, BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET WHEREAS Cashflow counts of our economic system count cash more than life, ironically counting the most critical flows for sustaining life the least, ironically counting the least critical flows the mostS~..cash counting critical flows of air, oxygen as 02, water, soil, sun and care the least, inversely ....... cash counting deadly diamonds and gold and oil the most, ironically, IRONICALLY, CASH VALUES THE MOST CRITICAL FLOWS FOR SUSTAINING LIFE THE LEAST, AND THE MOST DEADLY FLOWS THE MOST WHEREAS We need to question the value of an economic system that fails to value the most critical flows for sustaining life, an erroneous and dangerous devaluation that threatens the ability of our world to survive, obvious or not, counted in human cash or not, WE NEED TO QUESTION AND CORRECT THIS DESTRUCTIVE SYSTEM THAT VALUES CASH MORE THAN LIFE WHEREAS Our cash-driven economic system of human worlds counts cashflow counts the most, but fails to count the critical nature oflife or life of nature that any need to survive: Egocentric cash counts cashflow floods more than life, cash counting to divide to conquer, to crush the competition, to eliminate the political opposition, but fails to count the value of living organisms, the value of critical flows and cycles for sustaining and nurturing critical lives and worlds enough to produce peace or prosperity of any definition, EGOCENTRIC CASH WORLDS COUNT CASH MORE THAN LIFE, CASHFLOW FLOODS THAT DESTROY THE DIVERSE NATURE OF LIFE THAT ANY NEED TO PRODUCE ANY PROSPERITY OF ANY DEFINITION WHEREAS Our cash-driven economic system of cashflow floods destroys the fragile but vital natural capital, critical flows and cycles, structures and functions of nature's life and life's nature, of lives inalienable from worlds, nature's riches, nature's capital that any need to produce any prosperity of any definition, CASHLFOW FLOODS DESTROY NATURAL CAPITAL OF THE FRAGILE BUT VITAL WEB FOR ALL LIFE THAT ANY NEED TO PRODUCE ANY PROSPERITY OF ANY DEFINITION WHEREAS We cannot measure complex public worlds of life in erroneously oversimplifying private terms of cash, or those privatizing divisions will destroy the fragile but vital nature of life and life of nature and worlds and integrity of life's critical flows and cycles that any need to produce any peace or prosperity for any, WE CANNOT MEASURE COMPLEX PUBLIC SYSTEMS IN ERRONEOUSLY OVERSIMPLIFYING TERMS OF PRIVATE CASH THAT DESTROY NATURE'S LIFE AND LIFE'S NATURE WHEREAS Nature's life and life's nature produce all critical flows for satisfying the basic critical needs, wants, desires, dreams of any living organism, including humans, human economies only rearranging the structures and functions of these flows, functions and structures, dividing and destroying those critical but fragile lives and worlds in entropy, concrete and asphalt cracking and crumbling through time while natural system integrate critical genetic purpose enough to heal the wounds of life: Some call this divine. NATURE'S LIFE AND LIFE'S NATURE PRODUCE ALL CRITICAL FLOWS FOR LIFE, HUMAN ECONOMIES ONLY REARRANGING THESE FLOWS, STRUCTURES AND FUNCTIONS WHEREAS Any living system, cell or self or globe needs peace enough to produce critical cycles of life enough to produce critical flows enough to nurture life's nature and nature's life, to produce peace enough to produce prosperity and prosperity enough to produce peace, to learn to function successfully enough to produce enough to count, ANY LIVING SYSTEM NEEDS PEACE TO LEARN TO FUNCTION SUCCESSFULLY ENOUGH TO COUNT WHEREAS G.W. Bush has violated both peace and prosperity for the many, assuming erroneously that the private self of greed can take from the other to get for the private self .... at public taxpayer expense ..... to win .... defining winning in totalitarian and destructive terms of either-or politics of black for bad, white for good, me good, you bad, pushing all into deadly either-or boxes that divide a complex, dynamic world of nature into either-or oversimplifications that destroy the basic functions of nature's life and life's nature of the world, G.W. BUSH HAS VIOLATED BOTH PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN DANGEROUS EITHER-OR TERMS USED BY DICTATORS WHEREAS G.W. Bush and the Republican party push deregulation of local, national, international laws and logic, radical privatization and division of public worlds, anti-tax rhetoric, accumulation of private wealth of cash in private bank accounts, and glittering, gli~ering cashflow floods that destroy fragile watersheds of life, and limit private vision and public vision to private worlds and walls of private spheres, to the obvious, short term, private and immediate worlds of only one private point of view speeding carelessly, thoughtlessly through public space, crashing carelessly, ripping apart the fragile web for all life that any need to produce any public prosperity of any definition for any, BUSH AND REPUBLICANS PUSH DEREGULATION, PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC WORLDS, DIVISION, ANTI-TAX RHETORIC, PRIVATE ACCUMULATION OF CASH, DESTROYING LIFE, BLINDING THE MANY, RIPPING APART THE FRAGILE WEB FOR ALL LIFE WHEREAS All life needs safe, affordable access to enough safe, affordable, nurturing, productive worlds and opportunities to grow upwards enough to produce enough to prosper, to produce more positive worlds to produce more positive lives, and need to nurture worlds of nature to produce worlds nurturing enough to become positive and productive people and nation and world, ALL NEED SAFE, AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO ENOUGH SAFE, AFFORDABLE, NURTURING, PRODUCTIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRODUCE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE PUBLIC PROSPERITY WHEREAS We need to hold the fragile but vital web for all life intact to function enough as living organisms, to produce enough critical flows enough to prosper in any definition, life fragile but vital, vulnerable but valuable, hidden but essential, invaluable but undervalued in a harsh, 4 violent, insensitive and desensitizing world of cashflow floods destructive, WE NEED TO HOLD THE FRAGILE WEB FOR ALL LIFE INTACT WHEREAS The infinitely intricate and vast, fragile but vital worlds of nature hide from private perception of the urban world, as the world looks flat every morning when I get up, and I need to reach out and up for light enough to see and seek the infinite nature of life and life of n~ture's worlds, always beyond the obvious, always cycling, exchanging supplies and demands, flows and cycles, structures and functions, differentiating and uniting, longterm, public, inalienable, mysterious, complex, changing, challenging, diverse, dynamic, adapting, highly specific, connecting, demanding, stimulating, inspiring, nurturing, nourishing, cleansing, cooling, buffering, productive, protective, renewing, instructing, informing genetically, healing, LIFEZS NATURE AND NATURE=S LIFE: We need to reach beyond the simple, easy, cheap and quick of cash, to try to understand the infinite nature of life and life of nature's worlds always beyond the obvious, beyond the imagination, always cycling, interdependent, exchanging supplies and demands, producing, consuming critical flows and cycles, structures and functions, differentiating and uniting, longterm, public, inalienable, mysterious, complex, changing, challenging, diverse, dynamic, adapting, highly specific, connecting, demanding, stimulating, inspiring, nurturing, nourishing, cleansing, cooling, buffering, productive, protective, renewing, instructing, informing genetically, healing, WHEREAS We need to honor and respect the fragile but vital nature of life to prosper, and seek understanding, compassion and empathy, abilities, will, strength, courage, vision and wisdom beyond our own private point of view to succeed in this world, in this complex, changing, challenging world of nature of life, in this diverse, dynamic, adapting, demanding, stimulating and inspiIing life of nature, never easy, cheap or quick as cash, WE NEED TO HONOR AND RESPECT THE FRAGILE BUT VITAL NATURE OF LIFE TO SUCCEED, NEVER EASY, CHEAP OR QUICK WHEREAS Ail living things need enough safe, affordable, nurturing worlds for life and life enough to produce nurturing worlds, to produce enough critical flows such as air, oxygen as 02, cycles, water, soil, sun and care to grow upwards toward light enough to produce prosperity of any definition for any, and the Bush administration continues to conduct a war not only in Iraq, but also on basic civil rights, human rights, basic liberties of many, critical liberties and justice essential for any living organism to grow up to light enough to function, enough to produce any prosperity of any definition for any, WE NEED PRODUCTIVE WORLDS ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ENOUGH CRIITCAL FLOWS, AIR, 02, WATER, SOIL, SUN, CARE TO GROW GARDENS, BUT BUSH THREATENS LIBERTIES WE NEED TO GROW WHEREAS Ail living things, cell or self or globe produce to consume critical flows, supplies and to consume to produce critical flows, supplies enough to satisfy cellular needs, demands of life enough to cause peace and prosperity of any definition, and need peace to produce prosperity, not war that destroys the ability of life to produce enough to satisfy critical demands of life: ALL LIFE NEEDS TO SATISFY CELLULAR NEEDS, SEEKING CRITICAL FLOWS, SUPPLIES POR DEMANDS, DEMANDS FOR SUPPLIES OF NATURE'S ECONOMY, TO BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET ALL LIFE NEEDS TO SATISFY CELLULAR NEEDS, SEEKING CRITICAL FLOWS, SUPPLIES FOR DEMANDS, DEMANDS FOR SUPPLIES OF NATURE'S ECONOMY, TO BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET WHEREAS Religious scriptures of the world co~nand us to honor and respect the fragile rights and bounds and potentials of life's productivity potentials, hidden genetic potentials that any need to produce any prosperity, any peace to heal a broken world, any kind of blessing of the Divine that religions were established to honor. Ironically, the so-called "Religious Right" that is neither that put G.W. Bush into the White House values cash more than the fragile but vital flows and cycles that sustain life, critical for life to continue, while hiding behind a deceptive label $ of "pro-life" that threatens the nurturing potential of the home, THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT, THAT IS NEITHER HAS ABUSED RELIGION TO PUT G.W. BUSH INTO THE WHITE HOUSE WHEREAS, G.W. Bush and the radical Right Wing of the Republican party of the stealth and dangerous military-industrial-corporate complex seized total control of every branch of the U.S. Government, the Judicial, Legislative and Executive in November, 2002, and this presents an unprecedented threat to the democracy, to the freedom from tyranny that sparked the formation of this nation, THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT AND THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL-CORPORATE COMPLEX SEIZED TOTALITARIAN CONTROL OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN NOVEMBER, 2002, THREATENING THE SURVIVAL OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM FROM TYRANNY WHEREAS The Bush administration and/or oil industry threatened the Taliban with "a carpet of goldS~or a carpet of bombs" (Brisard, 2002) before 9 11, exposing the raw motives of the Bush administration to seize political control of the oil fields in Afghanistan and Iraq and beyond ......... stigmatizing the French during the Iraq conflict, the French who have uncovered information that exposes the motives for the Bush administration to cause 9 11 ......... I believe that the Bush administration and oil industry and weapons dealers had the motive to cause 9 11 to cause war, to stigmatize and abuse an entire religion to cause war to cause more demand for weapons and oil to cause more profits for private CEOs of the weapons and oil industries and the Bush administration .... and Enron ............ BUSH/OIL INDUSTRY/WEAPONS INDUSTRY HAD MOTIVES TO CAUSE 9 11 TO CAUSE WAR FOR PROFIT WHEREAS Our cash economic system manufactures artificial and mechanical counts of cash in cashflow floods, counting to divide to conquer, causing war, mechanical divides that fail to satisfy the basic critical needs of human beings or other cellular organisms, causing war, instead, destroying the critical producers of critical flows for life inalienable that any need to produce any prosperity of any definition, CASH-DRIVEN ECONOMIES CRUSH LIFE WHEREAS, G.W. Bush and the radical Right Wing of the Republican party of the stealth and dangerous military-industrial corporate complex seized total control of every branch of the U.S. Government, the Judicial, Legislative and Executive in November, 2002, and this presents an unprecedented threat to the democracy, to the freedom from tyranny that sparked the formation of this nation, THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT AND THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL-CORPORATE COMPLEX SEIZED TOTALITARIAN CONTROL OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IN NOVEMBER, 2002, THREATENING THE SURVIVE OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM FROM TYRANNY WHEREAS The Bush adn~inistration and/or oil industry threatened the Taliban with "a carpet of gold~or a carpet of bombs" (Brisard, 2002) before 9 11, exposing the raw motives of the Bush administration to seize political control of the oil fields in Afghanistan and Iraq and beyond ......... stigmatizing the French during the Iraq conflict, the French who have uncovered information that exposes the motives for the Bush administration to cause 9 11 ......... I believe that the Bush administration and oil industry and weapons dealers had the motive to cause 9 11 to cause war, to stigmatize and abuse an entire religion to cause war to cause more demand for weapons and oil to cause more profits for private CEOs of the weapons and oil industries and the Bush administration .... and Enron ............ BUSH/OIL INDUSTRY THREATENED TALIBAN BEFORE 9 11 WITH "A CARPET OF GOLD~.OR A CARPET OF BOMBS"~EXPOSING RAW MOTIVES TO SEIZE POLITICAL CONTROL OF OIL FIELDS OF AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ AND BEYOND, TO ABUSE RELIGION TO SEIZE CONTROL OF THE REGIONS, TO CAUSE 9 11 TO CAUSE WAR TO SEIZE CONTROL OF THOSE REGIONS FOR CONTROL OF OIL FIELDS WHEREAS G.W. Bush has clearly demonstrated that he wants war, not peace, 6 violating international law, clearly bypassing the international safeguards of many nations critical for balance of power on this globe, such as the United Nations, balance of power critical for preserving the peace, peace critical for growing prosperity enough to produce peace of any definition for any, G.W. BUSH WANTS WAR, NOT PEACE, BECAUSE WAR MANUFACTURES PRIVATE PROFIT AND HE ASSUMES ERRONEOUSLY THAT PEACE DOES NOT WHEREAS G.W. Bush and the Republican party rely on cash-driven economics that values cash more than life, cash-driven priorities counting cash of quantity more than life of quality, cash of quantity manufacturing war because oil barons and war profiteers profit privately more in war than in peace, G.W. BUSH AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY VALUE PRIVATE CASH MORE THAN LIVES OF THE MANY, COUNTING QUANTITIES OF CASH MORE THAN QUALITY OF LIFE, CAUSING WAR WHEREAS G.W. Bush and the Republican party depend on the military for political power, as demonstrated in the Republican convention of 2000, glorifying war: When ballots were being counted in Florida, military absentee ballots were expected to be counted for Bush. And the Republican party consulted with the Pentagon in 1997 for strategies to win elections. And, G.W. Bush has repeatedly sought militant, belligerant answers to complex problems and questions that could have been answered more skillfully and diplomatically enough to cause peace, BUSH AND REPUBLICANS NEED MILITARY TO SEIZE POLITICAL POWER OF THE NATION AND THE WORLD, IN AN AUTHORITARIAN PYRAMID SCHEME THAT CRUSHES QUESTIONS, THAT FEARS CHALLENGE FROM THE POSITIVES OF LIFE WHEREAS Prescott Bush, G.W. Bushes grandfather served on the board of the Union Bank that help lift Adolf Hitler to power, PRESCOTT BUSH SERVED ON THE BOARD OF THE UNION BANK THAT PUT ADOLF HITLER IN POWER WHEREAS G.H.W. Bush served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency during the Ford administration when the U.S. Was working with the Taliban to dig caves in Afghanistan, G.H.W. BUSH SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF THE CIA WHEN THE TALIBAN WAS AN ALLY OF THE US WHEREAS The Bush administration has put our young men and women in harms way to invade Iraq that has not threatened US, selling this war on presumptions of possibilities, not on actual, documented evidence, and has violated international law to invade Iraq preemptively and unilaterally without the support of the United Nations, without respect for the United Nations that we need to cause peace in this world for you now, for your children's childrens' children 80+ years from now, BUSH HAS SOLD GULF WAR II ON SHAKY AND FAKE PRESUMPTIONS AND GREED, NOT EVIDENCE, AND HAS VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW AND MORALITY IN UNILATEP~AL, PREEMPTIVE STRIKES WHEREAS Iowa City is a center of one of the most enlightened populations in America, and enlightened populations seek peace before war to resolve public problems, and G.W. Bush has failed to demonstrate a will to seek peace through words, words being more powerful than bombs, because words determine when and where the bombs will fall, ENLIGHTENED POPULTATIONS HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS TO CORRECT A PUBLIC COURSE GONE ASTRAY DOWNWARD WHEREAS British troops qbserved "heavy-handedness" of American troops, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The United States allow the United Nations to govern soon in Iraq and stop the march toward world domination. BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The United States treat other nations with honor and respect to earn honor and respect from other nations. BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The United States reverse and nullify the assaults on the U.S. Constitutional rights, on civil and human rights that so many have 7 fought so hard to defend, that defend U.S. from terrorists, those who would take civil and human rights from U.S.. TO: City of Iowa City Council 410 E. Washington, Iowa City Iowa 52240 RE: Proposed Ordinance related to Nuisance Rental Properties I am writing to you in regard to the latest proposed ordinance addre~sing"Nuisance Rental Properties and Tenants". Most Landlords, Property Managers, and tenants want neighborhoods free of criminal activity, and unsafe/disintegrating housing. However thc methods one uses to achieve these goals should bc practical, cost efficient, compatable with State Rental Housing Law, and respectful of thc civil and individual fights of both Landlord and tenant. The methodology recommended in this proposal presents many practical, legal and civil rights concerns. The rationale for making Landlords/Property managers responsible for tenant(guest) behavior (especially criminal behavior based on complaints, not conviction) is impractical, baffling foolish, and obtuse. How can one person be respons~le for the behavior of another person? The identified range of respons~ility even extends to the adjacent property. ff criminal behavior needs to be addressed, isn't there a better way'/ We should be sure that the "cure is not worse than the disease". The majority of Landlords and tenants in ~ community are law abiding. The neighborhoods are safe and pleasant, and the housing in good condition. So why go to all this trouble for a few problems? Will the ordinance solve those few problems? IS THIS ORDINANCE NECESSARY? I DON'T THINK SO!! Februa~ 1, 2003 TO: City of Iowa City Council 410 E. Washington, Iowa City Iowa 52240 RE: Proposed Ordinance related to Nuisance Rental Properties I am writing to you in regard to thc latest proposed ordinance addressing "Nuisance Rental Properties and Tenants". Most Landlords, Property Managers, and tenants want neighborhoods free of criminal activity, and unsafeddisintegrafing housing. However the methods one uses to achieve these goals should be pmetioal, cost efficient, enmpatable with State Rental Housing Law, and respectful of the civil and individual fights of both Landlord and tenant. The methodology recommended in this proposal presents many practical, legal and civil fights concerns. The rationale for making Landlords/Property managers responsible for tenant(guest) behavior (especially criminal behavior based on complaints, not conviction) is impractical, baffling, foolish, and obtuse. How can one person be respens~le for the behavior of another person? The identified range of responsibility even extends to the adjacent property. If criminal behavior needs to be addressed, isn't there a better way? We should be sure that the "cure is not worse than the disease". The majority of Landlords and tenants in this community are law abiding. The neighborhoods are safe and pleasant, and the housing in good condition. So why go to all this trouble for a few problems? Will the ordinance solve those few problems? IS THIS ORDINANCE NECESSARY7 I DON'T THINK SO!! Additional comments: M~. Martha Barrows LT. City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: March 7, 2003 To: City Clerk From: Beth Pfohl, Traffic Engineering Planner ~ Re: Item for April 8, 2003 City Council meeting: Installation of NO BETWEEN SIGNS signs on the north side of Lakeside Drive PARKING As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A(10), two signs stating NO PARKING BETWEEN SIGNS will be installed on the north side of Lakeside Drive. The signs will be installed 25 feet on either side of a school crosswalk in front of Grant Wood Elementary. Comment: This action is being taken at the request of Grant Wood Elementary in order to improve visibility at the crosswalk. jccogt p/mem/b p-lakesidenpbs.doc Marian Karr From: Sent: To: Subject: Tim Walker [twalker@avalon.net] Monday, April 07, 2003 4:26 PM cou ncil@iowa-city.org The proposed Nuisance Rental Property Regulations Hello Members of the Iowa City City Council, I cannot be at the work session this evening, but please imagine me sitting there, glowering as necessary on behalf of the neighborhoods. I want to remind you of my support for the Nuisance Rental Property Regulations and add my voice to those that point out its increased importance in light of the move toward 21-only bars. If the Daily Iowan is correct and underage drinking is pushed out into the neighborhoods, then the tools provided by the Nuisance Rental Property Regulations will be welcome to the neighbors, landlords, and city staff who will have to deal with that side effect. Even if underage drinking doesn't expand in the neighborhoods, the proposals are necessary to correct problems that became institutionalized during years of lax enforcement of the existing codes. I hope that those of you who do not currently support the proposals will appreciate that: 1) the proposals are necessary because of years of accumulated problems and frustrations in neighborhoods all over the city, 2) it is easy for landlords to be unaffected by the proposals--just follow the rules about occupancy, upkeep, etc. 3) there has been an astonishing and heartening increase in energy and attention given to the problems that called the Neighborhood Relations Task Force into being, not only on the part of citizens but also, I am extremely grateful to recognize, on the part of city staff. Thank you very much, Tim Walker ~l~erea*, 161 U.S. City Councils have, as of March 24, 2003, formally expressed their opposition to the U.S. military attack against Iraq, and ~berea~, the City Council of Iowa City has failed in its duty to act in a democratic fashion when asked to vote on a resolution opposing a war with Iraq thus denying the citizens of Iowa City their constitutional right of representation, and freedom of speech is protected by the U.S. Constitution, .~o111, ~;Ijerefore, Iowa City for Peace Resolution Campaign does hereby proclaim April 8, 2003, as iti en's eare rorIamation, map in Iowa City, and urges all residents to issue their own anti-war or pro-peace proclamations at the April 8th Formal Council Meeting. 2ffurtbermore, Iowa City for Peace Resolution Campaign announces a contest of citizens' proclamations with prizes awarded to the three most original and relevant texts. All submitted proclamations will be published in the "The Book of Citizens' Peace Proclamations" to be distributed at the Council meeting on April 8th and presented to the council as a matter of public record. Elena Perkhounkova, Co-coordinator Iowa City for Peace Resolution Campaign March 24, 2003 Whereas sand and smoke choke every thought; Whereas orders blot out every choice; Whereas civil life is learned and taught; Whereas civil strife mutes peaceful voice; Whereas here we're blessed with safety's bliss While those in far off places starve and burn Because our leaders pound their greedy fists, And moral law is something they can't learn. Whereas the lesson taught to all our kids Is killing someone you don't like is right, And world resources can go up for bids, And living violence is the way to might. Be resolved our city be apart and free From vengeance, hate and war and tyranny. Franklin Seiberling Iowa City April 2, 2003 Rc~,~trdlcss of SUl)pOl't or Ol)position to Ibc currcnl sololions ol]~rcd I~n' dcaling *~th thc Middle l'~ast's issues, thc dis;~a'ccmcnt is ao obvious indication that all sides nccd to shed pcrsotud biases and nationalistic pride Io devise a better solution. Thc *w~rld is quickly losing sight ol'its goal to bring peace to a rch~on so long without it. If thc debate is stronger than tl~c cliP,ri to solve il, civil mn'cst rc;whcs critical proportions, and thc initial l~ghl is l~rgollCll. How call WC light l~r peace ifwc arc w;~ng a ~var ~%~tinsl ourselves, ~trmcd with nothing morc than tbolish pridcP Wc tlltlsl put away our l~d~cls -- religious, racial, gcndcl'- spccitic, dcmog~'al~hical, political, national, gc'oga';q~hical, g:W, straight, animal, vcgt'lablc and mineral -- and SlCl) trader Ibc most important umln'clla o{' all, htlmal~ily. Thc l)roblcms of thc Middle l~Sast tlc) oot I)clong solcly to thai rcgiotl. American soil is thc only l)lacc atlackcd l)y a radical clement, nor over time may it ccasc to bc vulnerable mtothcr. Corrul)tion is not a local l)rol)lcm, ao~l~crc. Wc must l)c cxtrcmcly carclid cdocatc ourselves with truth, not l)rOl)ag~mda, to 1~oI I)c bi;tscd by spin-doctoring administrations, ;tt~{1 Io sec clearly thc g~'owing mmd)cr of inlrcly-li~r-cntcrtailm~Cnt- value media. Wc nccd lo keel) our eyes, hearts, ami minds open to thc truth, never stop lmrsuing it, and cducalc cvc~onc with it, diI)lomalic~dly. Igq~orancc and cOral)latency ;irc what got us hcrc in thc Iii'si place. Together wc arc strong enough to stol), clilninatc, and l)l-cvcnt thc controlling power of thc individual and thc sullbfing ol'thc many at thc hands ol'thc l~w. Wc tnust clean up homcs 1)cli)l-C destroying others', usc thc l>owcr of our collcclivc minds [)rcvcl~l t)roblcms instead of relying on military lnusclc beyond our rcach, and most importantly, rClllCOlbCl' that l)cacc is not an abstract ideal but a reality. Thc only way it) achieve world t)c;tcc is with a world trailed to crc~ttc it. This is a human's pica It) thc world lo rclncmbcr that leaders do liOl speak lin' all l)coplc when they (lo not know thc way, and an Alncrican's I)lCa lo her [;cllow cotmt~Tmcn that il' wc Wahl IBc world to lklllow our Icad, all o1' os nccd lo start In'acticing thc dcmt)cratic ideals that wc I)rcach. Leah Wolfe Iowa City March 25. 2003 ea£e rorlarnation We know that violence begets violence We know that the easiest response to hatred is to hate back. Peace takes far greater courage. The principles for peaceful relationships are the same principles that create peaceful societies and peaceful world relations. It is the person, the community, the society who can return hate with love That becomes safe. When we hurt others, we must always be watching our back for the retaliation. That is when we lose our freedom - when we feel we have to lock ourselves in our houses out of fear, when we build bomb shelters in our basements, when we stock up on duct tape. Only when we treat our family, our neighbors, and our fellow nations in a peaceful way are we truly safe. The natural response to bullying behavior is to seek revenge. We lose our freedom by inciting the revenge of those we have stolen from or those whose loved ones we have killed. Just as, on the personal level, you can't FORCE someone love you - On the political level, the use of FORCE does not lead to peace. Peace is a natural result of justice and equality. When we show others that we consider them equal; when we show others that we will help them when they are down - then we earn the loyalty and love that leads to peace. In any cycle of violence - retaliation - violence revenge - more violence - It is that one person, one community, one society, who returns hate with caring, who gives a gift instead of hoarding, who begins to break the cycle. We have heroes who have shown us this: Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Jesus. Violence, Like an avalanche, Picks up bulk, speed and destructive power if it tumbles unobstructed. In this community, we put up barriers to stop the avalanches of hatred. We, as a community, Join together and say no to the behaviors that history has proven will hurt us and lead to perpetual violence. We hereby join the other communities in this nation who realize that invasion, murder of innocents, and greed for another society's resources only begets more violence. We live by the same principles in the public sphere that we adhere to in our private sphere and that we teach our children: Be kind to others. Don't hit. Use your words instead of your fists. Forgive. Share. Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you. Therefore: The invasion of Iraq, the subsequent murder of Iraqi soldiers and civilians, the planned occupation of Iraq, and the Bush-Cheney plan to pre-eruptively attack other nations according to their own will and for their own benefit, are all behaviors that violate this community's principles for Peace. Ginny Paulson Iowa City. Iowa April 4, 2003 iti en eace rottamatmn The poet Ralph Chaplin wrote in 1915: Mourn not the dead in the cool earth lie But rather mourn the apathetic throng The cowed, and the meek Who see the world's great anguish and its wrong, And dare not speak. The challenge facing us today is how to fight for peace and justice without war and destruction. WHEREAS, the City Council of Iowa City has declined to vote on a resolution opposing a war with Iraq or on a peaceful resolution to that conflict. WHEREAS the number of dead and injured USA soldiers and Iraqis mount, WHEREAS the Iraqi people and their cities and environment crumble, WHEREAS the entire region is at an increased risk of instability and violence, WHEREAS the anguish of men, women, and children, in 3 continents deepens WHEREAS the desert get drenched with blood and tears. I proclaim my commitment to peace, justice, harmony, and to the ending of the current violence in Iraq, the region and the World. Shams Ghoneim Iowa City April 4, 2003 A CITIZEN'S PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, A PROCLAMATION EXPRESSES HOPE AND THOUgHFUL REGARD FOR ISSUES. WHEREAS, THE 10WA QTY CITY COUNCIL CHOSE NOT TO ACT IN A DEMOCRAT](; FASHION WHEN ASKED TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION THAT EXPRESSED THE WILL OF MANY IOWA CITY CmZENS TO NOT GO TO WAR WITH IRAQ UNLESS IN ACCORDANCE OF THE UN CHART'E~ AND ~TB~NATIONAL LAW. WHEREAS, THE PROCLAMATION PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR TONIGHT EXPRESSES SENTIMENTS THAT WERE THE INTENT OF TIE RESOLUTION WIn-lOUT THE SATISFACTION OF THE REPRESENTATIVE DE[v'~3ORAT~C VOTE WHEREAS, PEACE MUST BE WAGED WITH THE SAME E~ERGYAS WAR BY A'~OALJTION OF THE WILLJNG," WHEREAS, WE ARE NOW WAGING WAR WiTH IRAQ WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE UN AND IN VIOLATION OF THE INTENT OF RESOLUTION 144J. AND THAT TIE ACT OF WAR IGNORES THE COMMON BOUNDS OF HUlvtANITY BY EXPOSING CITIZENS OF THE WORLD TO ATROCITIES INCLUDING: DEATH, INCINERATION AND MAIMING BY BOMBS, HEAVYARTILLERY, AND GUIDED MISSILES OF MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN; SHOOTING DEATHS OF CIVILIANS AND SOLDIERS AUKE; AND THE MANY OTHER UNFORTUNATE AND LONG-LASTING EFFECTS OFTHE RAVAGES OF WAE WHEREAS, IT IS PATRIOTIC TO VOICE OPPOSITION TO THE ACTS OF GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY ARE NOT REPRESIDITATIVE OF THE PEOPLE. WHEREAS, T~ BEST WAY TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS IS TO BRING THEM HOME AS SOON AS POSSEILE AND WELCO~ THEM BACK WITH DIGNITY. THEREFORE, ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO FEELTHEIR VOICE DOES NOT CARRYAND THEIR POWER IS L~TED, J PROCLAIM THIS: HALFA LOAF DAY WHILE, A HALF OF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NO LOAF AT ALL, TIE MAYOR, WITH HIS GOOD WORDS AND GO00 HEART, HAS DEUVI~,ED HALF A LOAF OF HOPE. BUT WE ARE STLL HUNGRY FOR MORS. IF WAR WERE NOTAN OPTION TO SECURE SELF.SERVING NATIONAL INTERESTS, THEN DEMOCRACY COULD THRIVE JF DEMOCRACY IS TO EXIST, IT MUST BE FREE OF THE FETTERS OF OPPRESSIVE ~ASURES, BOTH HERE AND ELSEWHERE WHEREAS, THE TO~ENTED SOULS OF FAMIUES AWAmNG THE RETURN OF THEIR LOVED ONES WOULD BE ALLEVIATED BY ENDING WAR, SO TOO WOULD BE THE UNFORTUNATE SHAME THAT RESULTS FROM NATIONS WHO SIMUTANEOUSLY FEELTORN BETWEEN SUPPORTING THOSE WHO WAGE WAR AND THE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDge THAT IT IS MORALLY REPREHI~ISE~LE TO WAge WAR IN THE F~ST PLACE. WHEREAS, THE FREEDOMS THAT WE ENJOY AS AMERICANS AND WORLD CITIZENS SHOULD BE SAFE. gUARDED FROM ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS WHO WOULD STRIP THE BILL OF RIGHTS FROM OUR HANDS, REINT~PRET THE CONSTITLJTION, OR TAKE AWAY OUR ABILITY TO BE WELL. REPRESENTED, WE WLL DO T~S WITH THE MOST FOWERFULTOOLS THATARE AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE DESIRE AND COURAGE TO USE THEM"' DIPLOMACYAND OUR VOTE. C. ARRY KLE]N, CITIZEN 4/8/03 IOWA CITY rocIamation WHEREAS. all members of this city council have sworn an oath to uphold and protect the constitution, and WHEREAS. Article VI of the constitution reads "This Constitution. and the laws of thc United States which shall bc made in pursuance thereol', and all treaties made. or which shall bc made. under thc authority ol'the United States. shall bc the supreme law of the land: and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding." and WHEREAS. thc Senate approved the UN Charter on July 28, 1945. by a vote of'89 to 2. WHEREAS. the nation of Iraq has not broken the "self defense clause" - Article 2. Clause 7 - of thc UN charter, which reads "Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which am essentiaUy within thc domestic jurisdiction or'any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under thc present Charter: but this principle shall not prqiudice the application of enlbrcement measures under Chapter VIh" WHEREAS, Article 2, Clause 4 of the UN Charter reads: "All Members shall relYain in their international relations from the threat or use of lbrce against thc territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with thc Purposes of the United Nations. ". but Article 36, Clause I reads: "The Security Council may, at any stage ora dispute of thc nature rel~:rred to in Article 33 or ora situation of like nature, recommend appropriate procedures or methods of adjustment.", and WHEREAS. the United Nations security council has not passed any resolution authorizing military action against the nation or'Iraq since the first Gulf War. and WHEREAS, that resolution was only in effect until a cease fire was reached, and WHEREAS. a UN-agreed upon cease fire was established, and WHEREAS, even if the resolution could be "reinstated" 12 years after the tiict - which would scl an extremely dangerous precedent covering resolutions back to the UN's lbunding - the resolution only allows for UN-sponsored military action with the official, stated support of the Kuwaiti government, not unilateral or limited-multilateral military action with unstated Kuwaiti support, and AFFIRMING the near universal consensus of international law scholars that the term "serious consequences" is not a code-word lbr war {that term being "all necessary measures"), invalidating the usc. ~f Resolution 1441 to give the right to wage war against the nation of Iraq, and AFFIRMING that the words "uphold" and "protect" are action verbs in thc English language, and not "states o£ being". AFFIRMING that thc violation of an oath is pc[jury, by the very definition of thc word. NOW, THEREFORE Iowa City docs declare that the war against Iraq is in violation ol'the UN charter. FURTHERMORE. Iowa City does declare that a violation of thc UN charter is a violation of thc US constitution. FURTHERMORE, Iowa City does declare that by refusing to take action made readily available to them to uphold and protect the constitution, the members of the City Council who chose this course ol'action have violated their oath of CONSEQUENTLY, the city of Iowa City declares its city council to be UNFIT I'or the office that they currently hold. and demands that they answer to these charges to their public, or forli:it their positions l'or their pcEjury. Karen Pease Iowa City March 25.2003 eate ro (amation I, S.J. Rotman, want Peace in this country, world, universe! W/Out Peace, TOLERANCE will ncvcr come to fruition. I want Peace for ALL Generations to COlnC, as well :is the Elder Peoi)le, Our Generation, and those to yet tbllow us. "War is uot healthy for children other living things." This is my TRt~'TH! Susan J. Rotman Iowa City March 31, 2003 Whereas one individual is making Iraq look bad and thousands are getting killed; Whereas oil is not worth blood; Whereas innocent people in and around Iraq will be killed; Whereas the U.S. spends $11,000 on weapons of mass destruction every second; Whereas we sold Iraq their weapons in the 1980s; Whereas peace through strength is much less effective than strength though peace; Whereas Iraq is less of a threat to us than we are to them and to world peace: The City Council Should pass a resolution for peace with Iraq. Tareq Abuissa 5th Grader, Shimek Elementary Iowa City April 2, 2003 This may be read today because what some of you may think of as the only way to achieve peace. But how do you find peace through bloodshed? The blood of innocent Iraqi men women and children. We were hurt on the day of 9-11-2001. The face of America and Justice was defaced. We want nothing more than to lash out at someone, letting them feel the hurt we had. Yet "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" makes for world full of blind toothless people. 9~11 and iraq have nothing in common. Saddam Hussein has threatened to kill us, and we attacked him. Should we make a war that children of the children in Iraq will regret for something as useless as oil and our own displaced hate? I declare that we find the evil that we have in ourselves before we attack others. Cooper Whittlesey 5th grader, Shimek Elementary Iowa City April 2, 2003 Whereas the city council recently refused the city peace resolution, I think there should be a peace resolution stating that: Many innocent civilians in Iraq are dying right now; The threat to us from Iraq is nothing compared to the destruction we are doing to them. While this war is going on we are losing more and more relationships from many other countries plus it will take many years to repair the relationships. Iraq was already very poor Hlled with poverty and in ruins. Now that we are having war with them their country will be in even more ruins. In school we learned about democracy. Is iowa City practicing it? Lukas Ovrom 5th grader, Shimek Elementary Iowa City April 2, 2003 . ea e . ro£1amatmn Because the war with Iraq IS NOT: in response to any attack, threat, or imminent danger to the US. supported by the United Nations or America's traditional allies. based on any legitimate connection between the attacks of September 11,2001 and the Iraqi regime. Because the war with Iraq IS: an unprovoke& unilateral, first-strike military action against the sovereign nation of Iraq. illegal according to the UN Charter and general International Law. costly in terms of human lives, including Iraqi civilians, and destruction to the already severely damaged Iraqi infrastructure. taking billions of dollars from federal and state budgets that would be better spent on social services, education and infrastructure. likely to bring a fundamentalist regime that would break up Iraq and spread the war to neighboring countries. likely to worsen US' global reputation as an arrogant unaccountable superpower, stimulating further anti-American terrorism. opposed by 163 US cities and counties. Therefore, the war with Iraq must be stopped and the US must return to working as a part of the United Nations to promote disarmament, human rights and democracy at home and throughout the region. Joseph Wade Iowa City April 4~ 2003 eare rocIamation Whereas, Iraq was not an imminent threat to the US or anyone else, Whereas, using military invasion to preemptively disarm Iraq is hypocritical, expensive, and wastes human lives, Whereas, trying to get rid of Saddam and the Baath party by violence after we helped bring them to power by violence (because they were anticommunist) and selling them weapons to gas the Kurds and fight Iran (the US government sold Iran weapons too to support a violent overthrow of a democratic regime we didn't like) makes it clear that the US prefers to use violence, Whereas, instigating violence in other countries is not democratic and pisses people off, not to mention killing innocent people, Whereas, the current bombing-the-hell out of a country that we have been bombing for ten or so years just seems excessive, Whereas, the people of Iraq have an interest in not being shocked and awed to death and subjugated to a dictatorship of a US general, Whereas, many people in the world resent the arrogance of the US taking out any country US corporations don't like, Whereas, with this current slaughter of the people of Iraq the US has broken with our former allies and strengthened Al Quaeda, Whereas, but Micronesia and Estonia are with us! Whereas, Bush and his friends are profiting from this war but the rest of us will face higher taxes, lower services from the government, and our children will receive an enormous debt, Whereas, Bush wasn't even elected and there should have a been a revote in Florida with the thousands of blacks re-enfranchised, Whereas, US soldiers should not have to die to make Bush and his friends money, Whereas, for the above reasons and many others, STARTING A WAR IN IRAQ WAS BAD and STUPID, Therefore, we declare this proclamation in support of the United Nations and peaceful disarmament of Iraq instead of killing the people of Iraq and we promise to vote always remembering that some elected politicians are for peace and others are for terrorism. In addition to voting, contacting our representatives, rallying in the streets, members of the household are planning nonviolent civil disobedience in an effort to force the government to deal with the moral outrage this war has generated. We, unlike some members of the city council, cannot stay silent in the face of this enormous sin and we will be heard. Kirk and Miriam Timmer-Hackert Iowa City April 6, 2003 We, the peace loving members of the greater Iowa City community, call upon all of our neighbors to stand up against war! The Bush administration has sent troops to Iraq in pursuit ofoil and empire--at an enormous human cost to the Iraqi people and our own and allied troops. Massive U.S. military spending is taking money from needed social services here--education, health care, jobs. Racist scapegoating by the government is targeting our Arab and Muslim brothers and sisters. We join Peace loving people across the country in standing with other groups to say that we reject Bush's vision of war, devastation, and racism. Maureen McCue Co-coordinator Physicians for Social Responsibility, Iowa Chapter April 6, 2003 eate esolution of, lap, for ilaertp uStite for tl! WHEREAS We need peace to produce prosperity of any definition in any living system, cell or self or globe inalienable, and we need public prosperity to produce public peace, to produce economic cycles upwards enough tbr all to share through time. WE NEED PEACE TO PRODUCE PROSPERITY OF ANY DEFINITION. PROSPERITY TO PRODUCE PEACE ENOUGH FOR ALI, TO SHARE WHEREAS Every action causes an equal and opposite reaction in nature's worlds o£ the universe, positive actions causing positive outcomes to lill all up to light slowly and negative actions causing negative consequences and costs to suck all down into gravity's heavy weights..., obvious or not. counted in human cash or not ..... human worlds a subset or'nature's universe or' reciprocity..EVERY ACTION CAUSES AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION. POSITIVES CAUSING BLESSINGS. NEGATIVES CAUSING CURSE EVERY ACTION CAUSES AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION. POSITIVE ACTIONS CAUSING BLESSINGS. NEGATIVE ACTIONS CAUSING CURSE EXPONENTIALI,Y WHEREAS We need to value life to survive as a selE nation or globe, life inalienable, fll~: impossible to count in cash. VAtAJE El Ftl TO SURVIVE WHEREAS Humans need to obey the laws of nature to survive, or pay the price, obvious or not. counted in human cash or not. the laws of nature tar beyond the ability and will of human beings to understand in simple terms of cash. OBEY NATURE'S LAWS OR PAY WHEREAS Humans need to balance nature's infinite budget of critical, inalienable flows fi~r life to balance more finite human budgets of cash flow counts, BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET WHEREAS We need to redefine "economy" and "fiches" and "wealth" and "worth" to produce a more positive wor[d, to redefine in terms olymductivity potentials of lil~ enough to enable living worlds to produce enough to carry litk into a more satist~ing Ihture ft~r all enough to cause peace enough to share. REDEFINE "ECONOMY." "RICHES.'~ "WEALTH," "WORTH." WHEREAS We need to redefine "economy" in terms of both quantity ol'numbers. "eco+nomic" and of logic. "eco+logic" of quality of Ii fe to balance nature's budget, to count both cash as a tool and life as the garden to cultivate and nurture and produce diverse riches enough to call public prosperity in any terms. BALANCE QHANTITY AND QUALITY. NUMBERS AND I,OG[C ENOUGH TO BALANCE NATURE'S BUDGET WHEREAS Wc need to value li~ to survive as a sell', nation or globe, life inalienable, life impossible to count in cash. VALUE LIFE TO SURVIVE WHEREAS Humans need to obey the laws of nature to survive, or pay the price, obvious or not. counted in human cash or not. OBEY NATURE'S LAWS OR PAY WHEREAS GW. Bush bas violated both peace and prosperity lbr the many, assuming erroneously that the private scffofgreed can take l¥om the other to get ~br the private sell~..at public taxpayer expense, to win ..defining winning in totalitafian and destructive terms of either-or politics of black fi~r bad. white lbr gt~*d, me good. you bad. pushing all into deadly either-or boxes that divide a complex, dynamic world of nature into either-or oversimplifications that destroy the basic lhnctions of nature's lili: and flf~'s nature of the world, G.W. BUSH }lAS VIOLATED BOTH PEACE AND PROSPEREFY IN DANGEROUS EITHER-OR TERMS USED BY DICTATORS STRIKES WHEREAS Iowa City is a center of one ol'th¢ most enlightened populations in America. and enlightened populations seek peace belbre war to resolve public problems, and G.W. Bush has lhiled to demonstrate a will to seek peace through words, words being more powerful than bombs, because words determine when and where the bombs will fall. ENLIGHTENED POPULTATIONS }lAVE A RESPONSIBH,ITY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS TO CORRECT A PUBLIC COURSE GONE ASTRAY DOWNWARD BE IT RESOLVED THAI: The United States allow the United Nations to gnvem soon in Iraq and stop the march toward world BE [T RESOLVED TtlAT: The United States treats other nations with honor and respect to earn honor and respect from other nations. BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The United States reverse and nullil~* tbc assaults on tbe U S Constituflonal rights, on civil and human rights that so many have flmght so hard to defend, that det~nd US t¥om terrorists, those who would take civil and human rights fi-om US Holly Berkowitz Iowa City April 4. 2003 April 8, 2003 Supervisor Pat Harney, Chair Johnson County Board of Supervisors 913 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: CZ03-00001 Rezoning Request Submitted by Tom and Emily Harney Dear Supervisor Harney: Johnson County has received an application from Tom and Emily Harney to rezone approximately 1.3 acres from Al, Rural to RS, Suburban Residential, for property located in Fringe Area A on the south side of 320th Street, east of Prairie du Chien Road. The Fringe Area Agreement for Area A outside the growth area states that rezoning to RS will be considered if the application to rezone includes a concept plan showing a minimum of 50 percent of the property designated as an outlot for open space or agriculture. At its March 6 meeting, by a vote of 7-0, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the City Council forward a letter to the Board of Supervisors recommending approval of the requested rezoning. The Harney farm is a 114-acre farm on the south side of 320~h Street, east of Prairie du Chien Road. While all of the farm is zoned RS except for an 8.75-acre strip along the east side of the farm, the applicant would like to rezone the north 1.31 acres of this Al-zoned "strip" to allow for a residential lot adjacent to the existing house. Locating a new lot in this location helps meet the spirit of the Fringe Area Agreement in that none of the area in crops will be lost to residential development, the location allows for the sharing of outbuildings and potentially the well, and the location is above the Rapid Creek floodplain. The applicant has also complied with the 50 percent open space requirement by proposing to place the remainder of the 8.75-acre strip of Al, zoned property into an agricultural outlot. Based on the above reasoning, Council agrees with the Planning and Zoning Commission, and respectfully forwards a comment to the Board that the requested rezoning is consistent with the policies of the Fringe Area Agreement for Area A. Therefore, Council recommends the rezoning of 1.31 acres from Al, Rural to RS, Suburban Residential for property on the south side of 320th Street, east of Prairie du Chien Road, be approved. Ernest W. Lehman Mayor 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY. IOWA 52240-1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356-5009 April 8, 2003 Supervisor Pat Harney, Chair Johnson County Board of Supervisors 913 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240 DRAFT Citl of Re: CZ03-00001 Rezoning Request Submitted by Tom and Emily Harney Dear Supervisor Harney: Johnson County has received an application from Tom and Emily Harney to rezone approximately 1.3 acres from Al, Rural to RS, Suburban Residential, for property located in Fringe Area A on the south side of 320th Street, east of Prairie du Chien Road. The Fringe Area Agreement for Area A outside the growth area states that rezoning to RS will be considered if the application to rezone includes a concept plan showing a minimum of 50 percent of the property designated as an outlot for open space or agriculture. At its March 6 meeting, by a vote of 7-0, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the City Council forward a letter to the Board of Supervisors recommending approval of the requested rezoning. The Harney farm is a 114-acre farm on the south side of 320th Street, east of Prairie du Chien Road. While all of the farm is zoned RS except for an 8.75-acre strip along the east side of the farm, the applicant would like to rezone the north 1.31 acres of this Al-zoned "strip" to allow for a residential lot adjacent to the existing house. Locating a new lot in this location helps meet the spirit of the Fringe Area Agreement in that none of the area in crops will be lost to residential development, the location allows for the sharing of outbuildings and potentially the well, and the location is above the Rapid Creek floodplain. The applicant has also complied with the 50 percent open space requirement by proposing to place the remainder of the 8.75-acre strip of Al, zoned property into an agricultural outlot. Based on the above reasoning, Council agrees with the Planning and Zoning Commission, and respectfully forwards a comment to the Board that the requested rezoning is consistent with the policies of the Fringe Area Agreement for Area A. Therefore, Council recommends the rezoning of 1.31 acres from Al, Rural to RS, Suburban Residential for property on the south side of 320th Street, east of Prairie du Chien Road, be approved. Sincerely, Ernest W. Lehman Mayor 410 EAST WASHINGTON STREET · IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240~ 1826 · (319) 356-5000 · FAX (319) 356 5009 City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: February 24, 2003 To: Planning and Zoning Commission From: John Yapp, Associate Planner Re~ CZ03-00001 Proposed rezoning from Al, Rural, to RS, Suburban Residential, for 1.31 acres of property located in Fringe Area A on the south side of 320th Street NE, east of Prairie Du Chien Road. The applicants, Tom and Emily Harney, have submitted an application for a rezoning from Al, Agricultural, to RS, Suburban Residential, for 1.31 acres of property located on the south side of 320th Street NE, east of Prairie Du Chien Road. The property is in Fringe Area A of the Fringe Area Agreement between Johnson County and Iowa City. It is located outside of the City's growth area. The Johnson County / Iowa City Fringe Area Agreement provides the City with the opportunity to review and comment on proposed rezonings within the two-mile fringe area prior to consideration of the rezoning by the Johnson County Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors. The Harney Farm is a 114.23 acre farm on the south side of 320th Street NE, east of Prairie Du Chien Road. All of the farm is currently zoned RS, Suburban Residential, except for an 8.75 acre strip along the east side of the farm, which is zoned Al, Agricultural. The applicant would like to rezone the north 1.31 acres of this strip, which abuts 320th Street, to RS to allow his son to construct a home on it. If the rezoning is approved, the applicant would request a three lot subdivision, with his residential lot as Lot 1, the new residential lot as Lot 2, and the remainder of the A1 'strip' of land, 7.44 acres, as an outlot designated for agricultural use. The Fringe Area Agreement for Area A outside the growth area states that rezoning to RS will be considered if the application to rezone includes a concept plan showing a minimum of 50% of the property designated as an outlot for open space or agriculture. The applicant meets this provision by designating the reminder of the strip of A1 property as an agricultural outlot. Staff would normally be hesitant to recommend rezoning a small piece of property from A1 to RS for a single house when there is adequate RS-zoned land on the same farm on which the applicant's son could construct the house. However, the applicant does not want to 'lose' any of the area being farmed. There are some factors that make this parcel an appropriate location for a second house on the farm, including: · This parcel is not in crops, so none of the area actually being farmed will be affected. This meets one of the Fringe Area Agreement purposes of preserving farm land. · Creating two residential lots in close proximity allows the property owners to potentially share a well and outbuildings, which helps meet one of the Fringe Area Agreement purposes of clustering development to be able to share infrastructure. The proposed residential lot is on higher ground outside of the floodplain; approximately the southern 2/3rds of the farm is within the 100-year floodplain for Rapid Creek. Transportation Issues 320th Street NE east of Prairie Du Chien Road is a gravel road providing access to four homes. With the proposed rezoning and subsequent subdivision, one additional home and driveway would be added. County staff has indicated this level of use is not a concern, and would not require 320th Street to be improved. County, City and Johnson County Council of Governments staff are just beginning to investigate potential alignments of the Oakdale Boulevard extension between Iowa Highway 1 and Prairie Du Chien Road. The alignment for Oakdale Boulevard is likely to cross part of the Harney farm, though it is unknown as yet where the alignment will be. Preliminary examination of area topography indicates that the alignment will not be in the vicinity of the proposed residential lot on 320th Street. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council send a letter to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors finding that the proposed rezoning meets the technical requirements and the spirit of the Fringe Area Agreement and therefore recommends approval of the proposed rezoning subject to general conformance with the rezoning exhibit. ATTACHEMENTS: 1. Location map 2. Letter from applicant's engineer 3. Rezoning exhibit Approved by:__ Robert Miklo, Senior Planner, Department of Planning and Community Development ORP CH 1 SITE LOCATION: 320th St. NE, Section 35, Newport Twp. CZ03-00001 '--~ , I'" ~SURVEYING AND ENGINEERING February 24, 2003 Thomas Anthony, LLS Ralph Stoffer, PE, LLS web page: www. landmark-surveying.com email: landmark @ landmark-surveying.com Johnson County Zoning Commission Johnson County Board of Supervisors Johnson County Administration Building 913 S. Dubuque Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Re: Tom Harney Rezoning - Additional Exhibit Dear Commissioners and Supervisors: At the request of John Yapp, City Planner, and in accordance with Paragraph "Fringe Area A (2)", Iowa City 28E Agreement, we are submitting this additional zoning exhibit titled "Platting Concept Plan" to be included with the previous submittal of February 13. This provision requires that 50% or more of the platted area be designated as open space or agriculture. This exhibit shows Lot A will be 7.44 Acres, which is 55.4% of the total platted area and 85% of the 8 3/4 Acre non-RS parcel (Lot 9). The south 40% of Lot A is in the 100 year flood plain of Rapid Creek. Call if you have further questions. Thank you. LANDMARK SURVEYING AND ENGINEERING Thomas TA:mf CC; Tom Harney Rick Harney Timothy Grady, Attorney John Yapp, Iowa City Planner t::UTUKE--~ ~ /-FUTUR. E ,~/ LoT ~ ~ I -- LOT ~ /~/ ¢.~ A~. I ~' ~ /~/ / ~ ~ ~, ~. I xo~ I I // ',., ,L 1, ~A ~ Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Phone (319) 354-1~4 LOT ~ - ~O~D, N E VqSEC. 3S '3D'~ s.~ City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM Date: April 1, 2003 ~ To: City Council From: Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney Re: Social Security Coverage for Council Members Attached you will find a letter the City received from IPERS dated February 12, 2003 concerning Social Security coverage for part-time elected officials. In 2002 the Iowa legislature adopted voluntary coverage for elected officials to permit each city to decide whether it desired to provide Social Security coverage to part-time elected officials in addition to IPERS coverage. The statute adopted by the Iowa legislature provided that such election could not be made until approval was received from the Social Security Administration. IPERS received Social Security Administration approval for the employer- by-employer adoption process on December 19, 2002. Prior to the Iowa legislature's action in 2002, part-time elected officials who were covered by IPERS were not entitled to Social Security coverage. In March 2002 the City received a newsletter from IPERS explaining that part-time elected officials were then excluded from Social Security coverage if they contributed to IPERS. As a result, the Finance Department discontinued withholding of social security and refunded amounts previously withheld in 2000, 2001, and 2002 and corrected the W-2s and filings with the IRS. I have placed a motion on the City Council's formal agenda to authorize the City Manager to complete the questionnaire that must be returned to IPERS on or before April 11, 2003, either by indicating Iowa City's desire to provide dual coverage or stating that Iowa City does not desire to provide dual coverage. Attached to this memo you will find a memo to me from the Assistant Finance Director which states the cost to the City of providing Social Security coverage for Council members. If the Council does desire to provide dual coverage, the approval process requires each employer of part-time elected officials to hold a referendum. I have had some initial discussions with the attorney for IPERS as to how this referendum process would work. It appears to me that the referendum is limited to affected employees. It is my understanding that the state is interested in holding a state-wide, as opposed to city-by- city, referendum due to the cost. If the City of Iowa City is interested in providing dual coverage, we will receive further communications from IPERS about the process. Attachments cc: Stephen J. Atkins, City Manager Dale Helling, Assistant City Manager Marian Karr, City Clerk Erin Herting, Assistant Finance Director Kevin O'Malley, Finance Director eleanor/memlss.doc Thomas J. Vilsack GOVERNOR Sally J. Pederson LT. GOVERNOR February 12, 2003 CITY OF IOWA CITY JAN BURR, PAYROLL CLERK 410 E WASHINGTON IOWA CITY, IA 52240 RE: Social Security Coverage for Part-time Elected Officials Dear JAN BURR: As the result of recent changes in Iowa law, IPERS must contact all employers of part- time elected officials regarding Social Security coverage. We apologize in advance for the length of this letter. We believe some detailed explanation of the current situation will help employers better understand the need for the information you are asked to provide to IPERS at this time. The original agreement between the State of Iowa and the Social Security Administration (SSA) by which Social Security coverage was extended to Iowa's public employees (the "218 Agreement!'), excluded Iowa's part-time elected officials from Social Security coverage. However, in 1991, the Social Security Act was amended to provide mandatory Social Security coverage for nearly all employees, including most part-time elected officials, unless the employee was covered under a retirement plan like IPERS. If the retirement plan exception applied, mandatory coverage ended. A problem arose when part-time elected officials were covered by IPERS, but the employer did not end Social Security coverage. IPERS received many requests from covered employers for authorization to provide both IPERS and Social Security coverage to their part-time elected officials. In response to these requests, IPERS agreed to pursue a modification to the 218 Agreement to allow dual coverage. The Iowa Legislature adopted voluntary coverage for ejected officials in 2002. The amendment was drafted to permit employer-by-employer adoption of this dual coverage. The next step was to request approval from SSA. IPERS finally received approval for the employer-by-employer adoption process from the Social Security Administration on December 19, 2002. The approval process requ res each employer of part-time elected officials to hold a refere0d~um IF the emp oyer desires to retain prior dual coverage for part-time elected. officialS, or to be.qin dual coverage. IPERS Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System 7401 Re~ister Drive · P.O. Box 9117 · Des Moines, IA 50306-9117 · Phone 515-281-0020 · 800-622-3849 Benefits FAX 515-281-0053 · Legal & Investments Management FAX 515-281-0045 · Operations Fax 515-281-0055 infoU~pers.org · www. ipers.org Letter re: SOCial Security Coverage for Part-time Elected Officials Page 2 If an employer does not act to ratify prior dual coverage, pdor Social Secudty contributions are considered to be in error and must be corrected. Tax years before 1999 are closed due to limitations set by SSA and IRS, so those employers and employees who are entitled to refunds of erroneous prior Social Security contributions will not be able to recover contributions made for previous years. Corrected income tax reporting forms will have to be prepared for employers in those situations. Preparation of corrected tax reporting dOCuments and refund requests will be the employer's responsibility with information provided by the IRS. We are now at the point where you, the employer, are asked to provide IPERS with information about how you have coordinated IPERS and Social Security coverage for your part-time elected officials, and what your plans are for future coordination of such coverage. Please complete the questionnaire on pages 3 and 4, sign as indicated, and return the form in the enclosed envelope. This form is to be completed and signed by an officer. Once IPERS has received all the responses, the Employer Relations Team will compile the answers and notify the employers of the next steps required under the new law. Your response to this letter must be received within 60 days from the date of this letter, Failure to cooperate in a timely manner may result in IPERS' referral of the matter to the Social Security Administration and the Intemal Revenue Service for further review, If you have any questions, please contact IPERS at one of the telephone numbers listed on page one, and ask for a member of the Employer Relations Team. Thanks for your assistance with this project. IPERS' Employer Relations Team This question is for: EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE PROVIDED ONLY SOCIAL SECURITY OR IPERS COVERAGE TO PART-TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS. This employer DOES NOT desire to provide both Social Security and IPERS coverage for its part-time elected officials. No corrections are necessary because the employer's payroll practice has been to discontinue mandatory Social Security contributions for part-time elected officials who choose IPERS coverage. The employer DOES desire to provide both Social Security and IPERS coverage for its part-time elected officials and hereby requests more information from IPERS about referendum and other requirements necessary to approve such dual coverage in the future. No corrections are necessary, because the employer's payroll practice has been to discontinue mandatory Social Security contributions for part-time elected officials who choose IPERS coverage. This question is not applicable for this employer. e This question is for: EMPLOYERS THAT PROVIDED BOTH SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE AND IPERS COVERAGE TO PART-TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS AFTER THE OFFICIALS COMMENCED IPERS PARTICIPATION. The employer DOES NOT desire to provide both Social Security and IPERS coverage to its part-time elected officials. The employer understands that corrected income tax reporting documents must be filed for tax years beginning with 1999 for all such individuals, and that the employer has sole responsibility for filing such corrected reports and for taking the additional steps necessary to obtain the applicable refunds of member and employer Social Security contributions. __ The employer DOES desire to provide both Social Security and IpERs coverage to its part-time elected officials, and hereby requests more information from IPERS about referendum and other requirements necessary to approve such dual coverage. Employer understands that, once approved through the referendum process, coverage will apply to all prior and future Social Security coverage for such officials. This question is not applicable for this employer. 3 This question is for: EMPLOYERS THAT PROVIDED BOTH SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE AND IPERS COVERAGE TO SOME BUT NOT ALL PART-TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS AFTER THE OFFICIALS COMMENCED IPERS PARTICIPATION. __ The employer has provided mandatory Social Security coverage and IPERS coverage for some, but not all, of its part-time elected officials, Please attach explanation. This question is not applicable for this employer. 4. This question is for: EMPLOYERS WHO HAVE NEVER PROVIDED ANY COVERAGE FOR PART- TIME ELECTED OFFICIALS UNDER EITHER THE MANDATORY SOCIAL SECURITY COVERAGE PROVISIONS OR IPERS. __ The employer has never provided mandatory Social Security coverage or IPERS coverage to its part-time elected officials. Please attach explanation. This question is not applicable for this employer, By signing and returning this form the officer represents that the officer has the authority to complete the form, or has been duly authorized by the employer's operating body to complete the form as submitted to IPERS. Name of official Date Title 52302 CITY OF IOWA CITY City of Iowa City MEMORANDUM To; From: Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney ~ Erin Herting, Assistant Finance Directo~' Date: March 31, 2003 Subject: City Council Social Security Coverage Currently, part-time elected officials ara excluded from Social Security coverage if they contribute to IPERS. The total FICA withholding each check is 7.65% of taxable wages, which consists of 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. When contributing to IPERS, council members are still responsible for the Medicare withholding. The Social Security Administration has now ruled that part-time elected officials may participate in both IPERS and Social Security, pending City approval. If the City authorizes Social Security coverage for the Mayor and council members, the estimated additional annual cost to the City would be $2,689. The City's annual IPERS contribution for all council members would be approximately $2,494. Therefore, the total amount of City cost for the Council's participation in both IPERS and Social Security would be approximately $5,183 per year. These estimates are based on current City Council wages, and assume that 100% of the council members' wages are taxable. If you have questions or need additional information, please let me know.