FREE SAM KUHN - Tenant Action Group (Belleville, Ontario)

1.THE SPECIAL DIET ALLOWANCE STORY
2.WHERE TO SEND YOUR CONCERNS AND PHONE CALLS
3.A PRE-WRITTEN E-MAIL FROM SAM KNOWING HIS ARREST WAS IMMINENT
4.SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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Comrades...One of our best comrades has gone done...please read the story,
read Sam's heartwrencing letter, and send some solidarity in this very
difficult time!! Please research Tenant Action Group of Belleville, Ontario
at (www.ocap.ca/tag) and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
(www.www.ocap.ca)...thanks great...joey

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1.THE SPECIAL DIET ALLOWANCE STORY

It's with a heavy heart that I am speading the news that a very dear
comrade has been taken down by the Police. Sam Kuhn was one of the two
people to start Tenant Action Group in Belleville before more of us got
involved around 2000. TAG has been responsible for preventing probably
close to 1000 evictions under the 'Tenant Protection Act', 1263 Hydro
Cutoffs when Belleville's utilities were privatized, fought and defended
numerous welfare cases and was part of a slew of squatting actions to
combat the homelessness which kills hundreds every year in Ontario's
cities. Not bad for a poor peoples group with anarchist politics, no
funding, no office, and the majority of its members being single moms.

This past year TAG, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and other
militant anti-poverty groups began to exploit a loophole in welfare
legislation called the Special Diet Allowance. With the aid of doctors, TAG
managed to sign about 1000 people up for this Special Diet Allowance,
which gave an extra $250 to each person on welfare...who would normally
get only $521 if they were a single person. A single mom with three kids
would get the $250 for each kids. Doctors agree that poor diet is a health
concern for the poor, poverty in Ontario is now at staggering proportions.
Doing this TAG managed to put $2.7 million into poor peoples pockets in
Hastings County.

The McGuinty Liberal Government changed the legislation and now people are
being stripped of their Diet Allowance. So TAG threatened action against a
local MPP named Ernie Parsons, Parsons promised he would take TAG's
concerns to Sandra Paputulo (at the Ministry of Social Services). When he
failed to meet his promises he found his office under attack. Several
members of TAG were rounded up...and arrested...Sam managed to avoid
escape until he was caught in Guelph last weekend.

Sam is being held now in the Belleville jail, TAG members believe he might
be up for bail tomorrow, but the chances look good that he will not be let
out. Sam is a great friend, a father of two, a hard working anti-poverty
activist, and a hero to many of us in Belleville. Please send
encouragement, bail money, or anything you can do to help TAG in this crisis.
Without a lot of solidarity it will be difficult for TAG at this time.

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2.WHERE TO SEND YOUR CONCERNS AND PHONE CALLS

Jamie: autum760@hotmail.com.

Andrew: nuclearguru@gmail.com

Niki: niki_tag@hotmail.com

Jamie's phone number is (613) 967-0675.
Andrew can be reached at (613) 968-9473

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3.A PRE-WRITTEN E-MAIL FROM SAM KNOWING HIS ARREST WAS IMMINENT

Everyone: This is an e-mail I've drafted in case they put me in the "big
house". I've asked my best friend and comrade, Jamie, to send this out and
respond to people's concerns if necessary.

We've been very busy upping the ante prior to the release of the
provincial budget. Actions in Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough, Guelph,
Kitchener, Toronto and Sudbury have made it very clear to the McGuinty
government what is at stake and what the Ontario Common Front is prepared
to do if we don't get a meaningful raise in welfare and disability rates;
let's cross our fingers, eh?

No one of credibility is talking about hurting anyone...

Unfortunately, if you get this e-mail I've been arrested. This will mean
probably a couple of months in jail - three square meals, regular sex and
the chance of an education of a life time! Not to belittle the downside,
but jail is an occupational hazard for anarchists and this has been a long
time in coming.

Anyways, we can all be so very proud of ourselves with the certainty that
if every town did as much as our little collective then there wouldn't be
a hungry kid in this province.

Please make sure that my kids are given a positive spin to this insanity -
let 'em spend weekends in my room and with you guys if you can and no
sadness, ok? They are proud of me and understand our cause. Keep them in
the loop, ok?

My rent should be covered for at least two months - so I'm fine financially.

Absolutely no regrets because, in the end, we got poor people in this town
2.7$ million dollars - put directly into their pockets - and we all see
how much hope and relief this brought! If someone had asked me if netting
2.7 million was worth six months in jail, obviously I'd had answered
"yup".

Attacking Parson's office was part of that - it was militancy that got us
the money - remember, the County at first refused to process the money for
our people and we had to threaten them to get them to listen to our
doctors. Same thing with Parson's: we threatened and carried out that
threat. I don't think it is possible to dissect tactics and say this
action was good but that was bad - the very worse thing is that if we
regret our actions as not worth it; like we are Nostradamus and can
predict where things will lead.

I do feel bad for The Sophs...so if anyone can help make things easier in
anyway that would be great.

The issue is devastating poverty - kids goin hungry. We didn't use
rhetoric - we were always upfront - and we didn't hurt anyone. However,
you can be honest and criticize and I'll take it in a spirit of concern.

I love you all deeply. Samuel

4.SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION

TAG attacks Parsons’ office
from the Belleville Intelligencer

By Barry Ellsworth
Local News - Friday, March 10, 2006 @ 10:00

A photocopier was smashed, a desk was overturned and papers were sent flying when three masked members of the protest organization, Tenant Action Group (TAG), made a surprise attack Thursday on local MPP Ernie Parsons’ office on Front Street.

Police are investigating the incident.

It is the second time in a week that Parsons’ office at 143 Front St. has been targeted by TAG. On March 2, five of the group’s members were arrested for invading the office.

Only one staff member was in Parsons’ constituency headquarters at about 1:30 p.m. when the trio stormed in, ripped an L-shaped desk apart, tossed office papers around, kicked a tropical plant and broke the photocopier.

The attack lasted only 15 seconds and the culprits fled.

The constituency worker was on the telephone when the attack occurred. But she told police she believed she could identify one of the attackers.

The employee telephoned Parsons’ administrative assistant, Brian Smith, and told him what had happened.

“I’ve been TAGGED,” she said. “I have called the police. This was an attack. They turned some stuff over and then they left. I’m not sure if the photocopier is toast.”

Belleville Police Const. Rob Travers arrived to investigate the incident. He interviewed the employee, then talked with Smith came to the office immediately.

Travers said police have no problems with peaceful demonstration, but to ransack an office was going too far.

“This was an attack,” Travers said. “It’s a criminal offence. That’s completely unacceptable.

After the March 2 incident, when five TAG members were arrested for occupying Parsons’ office, a buzzer system was ordered that would allow people to be identified before the door was opened.

The buzzer access system was still on order when Thursday’s attack took place.