Bush's Hardline on Cuba Threatens Milwaukee Church Members Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - "Art Heitzer" For immediate release, May 20, 2002 Contact: Sandra Edhlund, (414) 273-1040 Press Conference, Monday, 3:30pm: Bush's Hardline on Cuba Threatens Milwaukee Church Members As President Bush re-iterates his hardline on Cuba, his previous call for a crackdown on "excessive travel" to Cuba is hitting growing numbers of people in Wisconsin, according to Milwaukee attorney Arthur Heitzer, who represents US travelers to Cuba now being threatened with large fines. This includes three members of Milwaukee's Central United Methodist Church, who were commissioned by their church to participate in the 100th anniversary of their sister church in Havana, in January 1999. They are now being threatened with fines of up to $7,500 each, and they consider the escalating US government attempts to interfere with their travel to Cuba to be an unconstitutional infringement on their rights as free people. Their case also raises ticklish questions of separation of church and state, as well as arbitrary and apparently discriminatory enforcement. For example, of the six CUMC members who traveled together, only three have been hit with proposed fines, including both of the African-American members of the delegation. They will describe what happened to them at a press conference on Monday afternoon, May 20th: PRESS CONFERENCE MONDAY, MAY 20, 3:30 PM CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 639 N. 25TH ST (AT WISCONSIN AVE.) WHO: DOLLORA GREENE-EVANS (MOBILE TEL 414 870-6888) WILLIAM FERGUSON, JR. THERON MILLS (invited, pending confirmation) Accompanied by CUMC Pastor Rev. Earl Kammerud (414) 344-1600; and Atty. Sandra Edhlund of the National Lawyers Guild & CUMC member (414) 273-1040 For further information, including background and comments on latest developments, contact: Atty. Art Heitzer, NLG Cuba Subcommittee Chair (414) 273-1040, ext .12; mobile (414) 305-9309, or Raul Galvan, leader of the Milwaukee-Nuevitas (sister city) Assn. & a Cuban-American, mobile (414) 698-5015 [Note: both Messrs. Heitzer & Galvan will be in Washington on Monday, attending a national legislative strategy session on Cuba, returning Monday evening.] And note these upcoming events this week re US Cuba relations: Tuesday, May 21, 7pm, Milw. Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba monthly meeting/program: featuring a short report from the May 20th National Legislative Strategy Session in Washington, and on the "Milwaukee Methodist 3," before the main feature: Presentation by Shorewood High School Students on their Bike Eco-Trip to Cuba in April, 2002, at CUMC, 639 N. 25TH St., Milwaukee. Friday, May 24, 7:30, Benefit Concert for Hurricane Victims in Cuba and for Local Efforts to Normalize Relations, at the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, 1342 N. Astor (at Ogden Ave.), co-sponsored with the Milw. Coalition. For information on the Cuban-born and other performers of this concert of classical and semi-classical music, see www.Cubawifriends.org -30- ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytact-05.20.02-15:17:57-18389