Living New Deal

UC Berkeley Sells Off Precious New Deal Artwork

Dick Walker — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:36:59 +0000

The University of California has sold off a redwood carving by renowned Berkeley African American artist Sargent Johnson. The sculpture, completed in 1937, hung in the School for Deaf and Blind, now the Clark Kerr Campus, of UC Berkeley. Johnson worked for … Continue reading →

Machinists Union Calls for New WPA

Dick Walker — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:36:14 +0000

The International Associations of Machinists (IAM) is circulating a petition calling for a new Works Progress Administration to create a 21st cntury infrastructure program. To find the petition, click here.

Venice Post Office Rally

Dick Walker — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:35:20 +0000

The Venice post office is a gem built by the federal government during the Great Depression. Its tile roof and New Deal artist-created mural makes it one of the classic works of the 30′s. Now it is threatened by … Continue reading →

Why We Got Ayn Rand Instead of FDR: Thomas Frank

Dick Walker — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:28:55 +0000

Thomas Frank is author of a provocative new book, Pity the Billionaire, on how Tea Party Populism derailed a New New Deal. Editor’s note from AlterNet: In 2008, the house of cards came crashing down around us, and all of … Continue reading →

FDR’s Continuing Relevance – David Woolner

Dick Walker — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:18:54 +0000

130 Years After His Birth, We Still Live in FDR’s World “[If people] were to pause for a moment to consider just how much Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership continues to influence their lives, they might soon conclude, as the late … Continue reading →

Selling Off New Deal Post Offices

Dick Walker — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:52:48 +0000

During the New Deal, the federal government built over 1,100 post offices, and many of them are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The New Deal also commissioned murals and sculptures for many of these post offices, … Continue reading →

Citizens Fuel Effort to Restore Coit Tower Murals

Shaina — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:11:25 +0000

Dismayed by longtime neglect of the murals, San Francisco citizens take matters into their own hands, proposing a ballot measure to ensure protection for the murals. Prompted by Gayle Leyton and Ruth Gottstein, daughter of one of the muralists, the … Continue reading →

Coit Tower Murals Due for Restoration

Dick Walker — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:47:30 +0000

The New Deal’s first public murals, in San Francisco’s famous Coit Tower, are much in need of attention after 75 years of wear and tear. Efforts are just getting underway to do the necessary restoration work. A full account appeared … Continue reading →

18,000 City Bridges Structurally Deficient

Ying Lee — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:37:46 +0000

A new report shows that more than 18,000 of the nation’s busiest bridges clustered in the nation’s metro areas are rated as “structurally deficient.” Overall, there are some 70,000 structurally deficient bridges, but those in the metro areas carry 75 percent of the … Continue reading →

New Deal’s Legacy in Danger of Being Ruined

Ben — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:34:07 +0000

Many of those who worked for the New Deal believed that they were building a civilization. They left us thousands of schools, colleges, bridges, dams, murals, parks and aqueducts, now falling into ruin, as did those of ancient Rome. To … Continue reading →