Philadelphia takes steps to end business-unfriendly taxes, fees

key parts
Kenney said his bill would eliminate the $2,000 to $5,000 in fees that businesses have to fork over to set up shop in the city.
His bill also would exempt start-ups from paying business taxes for two years if they employ three city residents in the first year and six by the second year.
“This is kind of a

October 15, 2011
August 15, 2011

August 5, 2011

Eco Justice Track at Allied Media Conference Closing Ceremony from Worcester Roots Project on Vimeo.

Halloween is coming up, and we’ve got quite the fun action planned for all of you! Get into the holiday spirit and join local activists for a fun, light-hearted demonstration outside of McDonald’s on Saturday, October 22, at 12:00 p.m. in order to remind passersby that flesh is for zombies. That’s right: Eating corpses is creepy!

Don’t leave your costumes at home! Feel free to get as creative as you can with zombie costumes and makeup, but you’re also welcome to just show up as your normal, wonderful self and hold a sign. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

What: “Flesh Is for Zombies” protest at McDonald’s
When: Saturday, October 22, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Where: On the public sidewalk outside of McDonald’s, 982 Grafton Street, Worcester, MA

All materials will be provided. Also, please note that reserved parking will not be available.
For any questions or to RSVP via e-mail, contact  MelissaSehgal@hotmail.com

RSVP – FACEBOOK EVENT

Members of VegWorcester, Private Citizens for Pets in Peril , and Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition (MARC) met up on Saturday, October 8th to protest Ringling Bros Circus Cruelty. The peaceful protest included sign-holding and leafleting to circus-goers in front of several Worcester DCU Center entrances to a Ringling Circus event.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has a long history of animal abuse. Alleged mistreatment and investigations cover things such as the animal deaths due to over-heating during transportation, beatings with bull-hooks, constant chaining, lack of adequate veterinary care, forcible separation of babies from their mothers, causing trauma, psychological stress, a variety of physical harm to animals, and more.

Approximately 30 people attended the protest, including a few children who already understand that cruelty to animals for entertainment is wrong. Check out this guest-blog post at Telegram’s MassMoms.com from Erin, a VegWorcester member who attended the protest.  More Photos at Facebook.

We urge you to share the message with your family that circuses are no place for animals!

Loving Hut Chandler’s monthly vegan buffet fundraiser is this weekend– Saturday, October 8th, from noon-5pm, 415 Chandler St. Worcester, MA. As always – ALL VEGAN! ALL TASTY! ALL YOU CAN EAT! Its only $10, and 10% of proceeds are donated to VegWorcester to support local events and outreach. This week, some members of VegWorcester will be attending the Ringling Circus Protest in Worcester from 1:00-3:30 at the DCU Center, so if you’re coming to the protest with us, join us afterwards also for the Loving Hut Buffet from 3:30-5:00pm.

Remember to always get a new plate (for health code reasons,) and please only take what you can eat! Plates of wasted delicious vegan food are a big no-no! Loving Hut always has new vegan items in the fridge, so go ahead and buy something to take home and try out your mad cookin skills. Don’t forget to grab your copy of the Worcester Veg-Dining Guide at the front door of Loving Hut too

Facebook Event

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”      -Bruce Lee

The 2012 Olympics will be taking place next summer in London, and the city is preparing for the thousands of athletes and the millions of fans that will converge on the City.


Looking ahead, the 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil and, again, many are preparing to make the pilgrimage to Brazil to experience the games firsthand.

Well, before the 2016 Summer Olympics can take place in Brazil, the country is currently preparing to play host to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.  


After the perceived success of the 2010 FIFA World Cup that took place in South Africa, there is a lot of talk about the 2014 games being attended by 2-times the number of people that attended the matches in South Africa.


While this will be good for Brazil, and the various businesses in the country, there is a dark side to the country playing host: The people that are some of the most marginalized are being forced from their homes, and left to fend for themselves, while the country takes over entire towns and villages to building stadiums, train stations and apartment buildings in time for the games.


In the short film, “The World Cup No One Sees”, filmed in Brazil by the Worcester-based cooperative- Future Focus Media Coop- addresses the…

attempted displacement of tens of thousands of residents. But in Fortaleza and other host cities, people are resisting this social cleansing and demanding their rights to housing and their right to the city.

On October 1, 2011, in Boston, the film was shown for the first time at the International Congress of Right to the City alliance.

I first heard about Insane Clown Posse, often referred to as ICP, while living in Rhode Island and saw some kids in the Lincoln Mall with their faces painted and rocking, what I would call Coolio-esque braids that stood straight-up.

Fast-forward to today and the Juggalos are more prominent and I’ve seen a number of Juggalos and Juggalettes in Worcester.  Typically, when I see one or more of them, I like to watch people’s reaction to them, especially older folks.

Well, Director Sean Dunne created the short film “American Juggalo“, which highlights the annual “Gathering” that takes place in Illinois over the course of 4-days filled with music, fun, drinking, getting wasted, and being with family.

Sean’s film is insightful and powerful, but left me asking a number of questions:  How does living a Juggalo lifestyle affect a person?  What are some of the misconceptions of being a Juggalo?