‘Hey, Jon Kyl, where are the jobs?’ Kyl’s staff huddles in office while protesters call out their boss (video)
Approximately 25 stalwarts representing National Nurses United, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), and MoveOn.org braved 108 degree temperatures to protest outside of US Senator Jon Kyl’s suburban Tucson office on September 1, 2011.
The lcoal demonstration was part of a national movement to encourage Congress to think about Main Street– rather than Wall Street– when making spending (and cutting) decisions in the near future. Kyl’s office was chosen as the site for the local demonstration because he has been appointed to the Super Congress, which will make tough spending and cutting decisions this fall.
Kyl’s staff locked themselves in a conference room as peaceful protesters knocked on the office door and chanted outside.
Since Kyl’s staff refused to open the doors and listen to local constituents, activists left dozens of Post-It Note messages on his door encouraging him to save social safety net programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, and unemployment), tax the rich and corporations to raise revenue, and put Americans back to work.
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17 comments on “‘Hey, Jon Kyl, where are the jobs?’ Kyl’s staff huddles in office while protesters call out their boss (video)”
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We often hear that corporations need migrant workers because Americans “don’t want to do these jobs.” When I hear this statement, I picture farm workers picking vegetables. Recently, I toured two dairies and an animal feed packing plant in Pinal County. The photo above from the Zinke Dairy shows a giant cow milking carousel. Nine migrant workers milk 4000 cows three times a day at this dairy. Legislators watched the two men pictured here– working at a brisk pace– bend over and pick up, lift, and attach large electronic suction cups to the cows as they ride the carousel around the giant facility. This level of automation is the wave of the future for industrial jobs.
Protesting migrant deaths in the Arizona desert.
Protesting cuts to education
Jobs with Justice marching with Occupy Tucson in support of postal workers.
Desconocido (unknown)
Despite the sweltering heat, Jim and I had a great time at the Labor Day Picnic. We collected a lot of Clean Elections $5 donations and signatures. Here I am with LD9 chair Michael Dues.
In the 1980s, the Tucson Weekly called Tucson the “Baked Apple”.
We are the 99%.
Occupy encampment in Armory Park– before it was cleared out in the middle of the night by Tucson Police.
Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley with members of the Tucson Chapter of NOW on opening day at the Arizona Legislature, 2018.
The Living Economy event was very informative; we had a great time hob-nobbing. My husband Jim is a small business owner and a member of Local First Arizona. I have owned two small businesses in the past– Powers/Queen Associates and Wind Dancer Design. We support Local First Arizona and buying/investing locally. We believe that supporting local small businesses with low-interest loans through a public/private partnership between a public bank and community banks and credit unions is the sustainable route to improving our local economy. Trickle down economics doesn’t work; it’s time for new ideas.
#RedForEd teachers and supporters in the Arizona House Gallery, 2018.
There have been many lively debates in the Arizona House in 2018. This team of House Democrats fought for consumer protections and fought against risky financial deals in a “regulatory sandbox.” (Pictured are Reps. Mitzi Epstein, Kelli Butler, Athena Salman, Pamela Powers Hannley, Ken Clark and Isela Blanc.)
Congressman Ron Barber and Pamela Powers Hannley at Cyclovia
PDA Tucson Coordinator Jim Hannley speaks against both the crowd management ordinance and the urban camping ban at the City Council meeting.
The Oberlin Rescuers outside of the Cuyahoga County Jail.
Arizonans for New Economy co-directors Jim Hannley and Pamela Powers Hannley with UA Tech Park VP Bruce Wright.
It was truly a honor to meet Nevada State Senator Patricia Spearman (center) in October and to confer with her regarding our efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Arizona. Spearman led the successful Nevada efforts to ratify the ERA in 2017. Here we are with activist and NOW leader Dainne Post after the ERA workshop at the We the People Conference in Phoenix. There are a lot of Arizona women who are ready to make history in 2018. Watch my blog here and my Facebook page here for ERA updates.
Protesting anti-woman laws at the Arizona state capitol.
Ironically, I posted this blog post on the anniversary of this election on June 19. 1970ish.
Governor Ducey had proposed increasing prison beds and funding, while cutting education. Protesters took issue with that short-sighted idea.
PDA members, including Advisory Board Chair Mimi Kennedy, protested food stamp cuts in front of Congressman Henry Waxman’s office.
Safe Park, downtown Tucson
Protesters hand deliver symbolic big check from corporate American to McCain.
A giant poet’s head made up of stainless steel letters marks the stop near the UA Poetry Center.
This is a broken sink in the Ladies’ Room at the Arizona State Building in downtown Tucson. One of the elevators also was broken. It’s time to fix Arizona government.
John Nichols of ‘The Nation’ addressed progressives and unionists at a Tucson event.
Visiting with PALF chairman Fred Yamashita at the 2016 Labor Day Picnic.
Martin Luther King, Jr. march.
A homeless man sleeps in the shadow of corporate America.
Giving the LD9 update at the June meeting. What a great crowd!
Pamela Powers Hannley, Progressive Democrat for Arizona House, LD9
I have a background in research. Help me build Tucson’s tech industry and grow our own local businesses.
Jim and I were part of a contingent of Unitarian Universalists who came up from Tucson. Here I am with Rev. Ron Phares from the Mountain Vista UU Church in my district. (Jim is photobombing us.)
Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales and I were interviewed by NBC at the Phoenix rally.
Tucson Progressive 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/02/phil-gringey-town-hall_n_946958.html This GOP town hall meeting seems to be Deja Vu for the GOP nationally, guess they never read the old saying “one can fool some of the people some of the time, but one cannot fool all the people all the time”, the angry formerly fooled are awake and not happy!
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‘Kyl’s staff locked themselves in a conference room as peaceful protesters knocked on the office door and chanted outside.’
From the article they appear they were more like a mob than “peaceful protesters.” The everything comes from the government slugs merely got themselves over heated and perhaps sunburn.
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Al– Not quite an “angry mob”– especially the 2 people in wheelchairs and the woman in a leg cast.
RH– yes, I think there are millions of Americans (from all political persuasions) who are fed up with the lies. You’re spot on. We’re awake and not happy.
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The protesters wanted Jon Kyl to give them jobs? They wanted government to pay their bills? Oh, I forgot, these were liberal protesters.
Perhaps Kyl’s staff “locked the doors” because of the thuggish behavior we’ve seen from liberal protesters nationwide (cough cough Wisconsin cough cough).
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So, Don, do you believe that 9% unemployment is acceptable?
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I thought that was what the “Shovel Ready” Stimulus Bill was for. One dollar in three thousand created jobs with that. I told you this would happen. Obama sought to empower the government at the expense of the private “money-hungry” sector, and he succeeded. I hope you holier than thou Stalinists down in Tucson are happy. Your local economy usually sucks anyway.
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So Pam, you weren’t satisfied with spending billions of our children’s money to pay off Democrat Party constituencies in the 2009 stimulus bill? You want more of our children’s money?
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I’ reminded of a recent and brilliant satirical article from The Onion: ” Tea Party Congressman Calls For Tax Breaks To Put Out Raging Wildfire In His District”.
When faced with difficulty, just keep coming back to the same message. You can’t have jobs because of “the children”. Who could be against children? Especially the children of the future; those sad-eyed, hungry children who will grow up knowing that our sacrifice today will guarantee them an abundance of great jobs involving hair nets and name tags.
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The protest was at 6pm. The Kyl office closes at 5pm. I can see why you don’t have jobs. And wow, all of 16 people gathered from 3 different organizations. A real powerful message. I’d have to say you made yourselves and your organizations look pathetic and ineffectual. Call the office when they are open, go talk to them about real ideas that you have to make things better rather than using cheap stunts to whine and complain. I thought this was supposed to be about the Financial Transaction Tax which I feel is an interesting idea, but not one mention of it. You would rather talk about how it’s hot. Another wow, it’s August in Tucson and it’s hot outside. Stop the presses on that one. It’s sad the Citizen gives air to such fluff. If you don’t have any solid ideas to share and you just want to make accusations against Jon Kyl, at least provide some facts. How has he harmed the elderly? What has he done to demostrate he is just a shill for big business? Or is just being a member of the Repulican party enough for you to feel those claims are justified?
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Pam, are you writing about a protest that occurred ONE HOUR AFTER the Kyl office closed? Are you trying to mislead TC.com readers? Or, do MoveOn.org members not know how to tell time? (Perhaps the protesters came in from out-of-state, and thought that Arizona was in synch with Mountain time?)
(If Javelina is incorrect in his/her assertion that your side staged their protest one hour after the Kyl office closed, no matter. Just strike the first three sentences of his/her post—what’s left is still pretty good stuff).
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People can get so unruly when they’re hungry, jobless and without hope. Let them eat cake, Don?
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If they can’t tell time, Left (see Javelina’s post below), it’s hard to feel sorry for them.
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Correction—above
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A few comments from your video:
– I couldn’t help but notice the sign that spelled “Poverty” in letters that appeared to be dripping blood. Right after that was a sign that insulted the GOP. Even if you didn’t stage your protest one hour after the Kyl office closed, that’s grounds right there for not letting you in. If you have no manners, don’t expect people to welcome you inside.
– I loved the “Jobs not Mobs” sign. But, I think that protester was in the wrong state. Shouldn’t she be in Wisconsin, with the other liberal protesters who are speaking truth to power by Super-Glue-ing doors shut on parochial schools?
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“If you have no manners, don’t expect people to welcome you inside.”
Unlike the Tea Party gatherings associated with the Affordable Care Act, wherein the mob was model of decorum.
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Really, Don is right. If the hoi polloi can’t do their suffering quietly and out of sight, we can’t be expected to have to listen to them. After all, we have paying customers to serve.
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Attaboy, Left. We’ll make a kulak of you yet.
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