Dear Readers,
As the final accounting for our 2005 fund drive winds up, I want to thank each and every one of you who gave your time and money to the People’s Weekly World. At press time, we are at $123,000 or 80 percent of our $150,000 goal.
We had some great fund-raising events during the fund drive. Friends of the PWW organized banquets, luncheons, coffee shop get-togethers, phonathons and theater parties. One longtime volunteer worker, Ken BeSaw, even had a bowl-a-thon. He bowled a 97, raising close to $300, plus had a great time with his friends.
All these and more not only raised money for this fighting newspaper, they also raised spirits, and were important political events for the community. Readers gave generously, often times budgeting a day’s pay or more to the cause. Congratulations! Let’s celebrate all the generosity and hard work!
But I wouldn’t be honest with you if I didn’t say I am disappointed. It looks like we will fall shy of our $150,000 goal. More money from our successful phonathons is coming in and will increase the total. We will report the final amount in an upcoming issue.
These are difficult times. The Bush administration is ruining this country and destroying the world. Capitalism is throwing hundreds of millions of people around the globe into a one-way “race to the bottom” — from wages, war and violence to disease, inequality, climate catastrophe and democratic rights.
But there are glimmers of silver linings, because life goes on and where there is life there is struggle, hope and victories. The maturing “all-people’s” anti-ultra-right coalition in the U.S., the worldwide peace movements, the growth of the left and socialist movements and governments, especially in Latin America, are all part of the on-the-spot-part-of-the-struggle-reporting and analysis People’s Weekly World and Nuestro Mundo staff and volunteers produce each week.
The fund drive only covers a portion of our costs. It’s expensive to publish a weekly, national newspaper. We don’t rely on corporate advertisers. The editorial board will look at the results and analyze where we have to cut costs and how we can raise more money. There is no magic formula. With a newspaper like ours it takes lots of collective effort to raise money from working-class people.
There will be many more opportunities to give to the People’s Weekly World. Start planning now. You can give monthly pledges on your credit card. Ask me how.
Yours in struggle and peace, Terrie Albano
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