May

16

Losing Elections, Gaining Ground

Filed Under California, Cerritos College, Election 2010, Links, United States | Leave a Comment

The May Revise is an utter disaster for California’s future. This is no surprise. We lost the advantage in the fight for California’s future in 2006 when the Governor was re-elected and compounded in 2008 when state Democrats were unable to obtain a legislative two-thirds super-majority in 2008 (though this was never expected). Democrats have an opportunity this year to reclaim the Governor’s Office and obtain a two-thirds majority in at least one chamber.

On a federal level, all 435 U.S. House of Representatives seats and 33 U.S. Senate seats (including one in California) are up for re-election. (Go Democracy!)

The minority House Republicans are itching to get back into the majority after maintaining a choke hold on government from 2000 to 2006. Congressional Republicans cite a January victory in Massachusetts to replace the late Edward Kennedy, over a dozen retirements of Democratic representatives since then, and the nearing conclusion of a Hawaiian and Pennsylvanian congressional special election to replace retired Neil Abercrombie and the late John Murtha as positive signs that Republicans will take back the House come November. Their spirits are high, the wind is at their sails and they are coasting forward.

I don’t want to sink the Republican boat, just poke it hard enough to start a leak.

Strategically, it’s to the Democrats’ advantage to allow Republicans’ perceptions to be their reality. When you feel like you are winning, you’ll elevate all the reasons you can win and diminish all the reasons you can lose. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. The special elections where Republicans won since January 2010 allowed them to concentrate their firing power. Every Republican or conservative leaning organization has weighed in with bussing in volunteers, sending checks and paying for television ads.

Political market saturation works, especially in areas were the Democratic infrastructure has eroded over the decades. It’s kind of hard for voters to get excited about electing someone for the nth time, don’t you think?

But what happens when 435+33 elections come to head? This is where the real fun starts.

Republicans have been outraised and out-organized up to this point, and right now they are playing catch up by trying to take over the Tea Party movement (good luck with that, those anti-government types aren’t all too excited to listen to Republican leaders say “Put us in power and we’ll fix it.� These guys are incumbents and the epitome of the establishment).

Republicans continue begging their uber-rich conservative donors for money (by flying them on privately chartered jets and sending them to bondage clubs in West Los Angeles; you have just got to love LA), incessantly pandering to Big Oil (uh, let’s keep drilling even though the South’s conservatives are about to become environmentalists, except  these environmentalists are the mussel-hugging, calm-coddling, shrimp-squeezing type; welcome to the club!), coddling Corrupt Wall Street (no, I am a Senate Republican and I will not vote to move forward debate on financial reform so corrupt financial institutions and banks can screw Main Street, again, and ask for another bailout, again), and finally egging on the anti-immigrant zealots by saying it’s OK to pull people over in Arizona because they think they are undocumented (not, illegal, as some put it).

This last one, this last one is a doozey for me. How does a political party, that is trying to maintain relevance (especially in California), in their right mind think that flicking The Bird to the fastest growing minority in the United States by saying the Arizona law is good is of any benefit? Seriously?! Anyone who supports the Arizona law will NOT have a political future certainly in California and, in the long-term, the United States. Keep a tally of all the idiots who are out their talking to anti-immigrant zealots, egging them on and attacking hard working people and families and making them feel like second-class citizens. I am all worked up; time for some organic strawberry-kiwi juice, ah.

California 2010 is a show down between the Attorney General Jerry Brown (yeah, that dude our parents first voted for in 1970-whatever) and whoever manages to survive the bloody, and amusing-to-Democrats, Republican primary between “Her Highness� Meg “Please Bailout Goldman Sachs So I Get My Own� Whitman and Steve “I Hate Immigrants, But At Least I Tell Them With Millions of Dollars in Television Ads To Their Face� Poizner.

Democrats will inch closer to obtaining a super-majority in at least one chamber and hopefully re-capture the Governor’s office.  2010 will set the ground for the 2012 Presidential election. (I think it’s best not to have an incumbent Republican Governor of California helping get media attention for the eventual Republican Presidential nominee and millions in contributions from some the sleaziest conservative corporate backers in California. Let’s just not have that this time around, ok? Bush 2, Round 2 and McCain, Round 1 was certainly too much.)

2012 is the key. I anticipate a lot of Generation Obama types will look at their face, degrees, and biological clocks and be like “no time like the present� to run for city, county, state and federal elected office. We have already seen the first wave of young America engaging in the political parties, processes and institutions that form the backbone of American democracy and some are even running for office. Organizations like the New Leaders Council and the Young Elected Officials network have been cultivating the under 40, progressive crowd for several years now with great success. Presidents Obama’s re-election will be supported by the emerging generation making the case to the current generation that the proverbial torch must be passed, albeit to a more progressive generation that is willing to spit in the face of the status quo.

However, there are concerns afoot. The OMG, Republicans-Are-Going-To-Win elements of the Democratic movement should be heard. Their concerns are legitimate because the prospect of losing too many elections this November (and possibly the majority of the House, the more progressive and legislatively active of the two chambers) is certainly cause for pause and will feel like a setback. But in my opinion it is a shiny distraction to the greater challenge ahead, and that is how Democrats, especially progressive ones, gain ground for the long-term especially with President Obama’s re-election battle in 2012?

There are five issues the progressive movement must own: equality for all, inclusiveness of immigrants, national security, progressive taxation and investment, and fiscal transparency.

Let’s start where we are strong. It’s clear that progressive Democrats own equality for all: we have done more to advance gay rights, further expand women’s rights and minority’s rights and develop essential civil rights in a post-9/11 era of overly invasive government in the private lives of citizens (Can anyone say PATRIOT Act?). The work will always continue on this issue, but when we end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, overturn Proposition 8 in California and ensure the same federal benefits and rights to homosexual couples that heterosexual couples currently enjoy, we can put the proverbial feather in the cap and continue forward, happily, merrily and gay. Take that Ultra-Conservative Right!

Inclusiveness of immigrants is a growing issue among progressive Democratic circles, but we need to do more. Most intuitively understand the need for “comprehensive immigration reform� and also fostering and promoting an environment of a society that is fair, open and welcoming of people of diverse cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, opinions, beliefs and religions. We live in a global world, and while we compete with each other academically, economically and financially, the need to cooperate is growing ever more apparent as we become more interconnected.

Further, we will have to confront some wicked matters like nuclear proliferation, depressed-educated populations that are growing up in politically extremists controlled environments and the emerging socio-economies of the East and South. Being fair, open, welcoming in the United States will go a long way towards advancing the attitude aboard.

National security kind of comes from right field, I know, but we got to own it. Almost all Americans believe the government must do whatever it takes to protect the people of the United States from enemies foreign and domestic. To be strong on national security, we must change the definition of what “strong� actually is. Strong isn’t just how ridiculously big the defense budget is or what kind of fighter jets and anti-whatever defense systems we deploy, but also about how we engage other governments and the people of other nations.

We get dinged all the time as being contradictory, hypocritical or worse because of how the government treats people here and around the world. Eight years of President George W. Bush didn’t help us at all and thankfully President Obama is working our way back to the world. Things like the Peace Corps, Doctors Without Borders, regular anti-war protests (to symbolize the dissent that exists) and being a leader on reducing greenhouse gas emissions (like a self-imposed cap-and-trade) will go a long way in building a greater, stronger understanding of the United States and appreciation of its leadership on issues of vital international significance.

Now, tax and fiscal policy are not sexy (or even mildly attractive, at night, in a crowded club, after a few drinks). It is few and far between when I am traversing progressive political circles that I find myself engaged in thoughtful conversations about on our nation’s tax structure and fiscal policies. If we truly want to increase investment in pre-school to PhD (P2P) education, green and clean technology and research, international and humanitarian assistance, public transportation (maintaining highways, bridges, roads and expanding commuter, light and heavy rail and building high speed rail), conserving and recycling water and just a overall great place to live, we will need a progressive taxation system.

In California, the emerging generation already sees Proposition 13 (that famous initiative of the 1970s which reduced property taxes to ridiculously low levels and strangled funding to schools, cities and counties) as needing to be overhauled, we view the 2/3rd voter requirement to pass budgets or raise taxes as utterly undemocratic, and we see corporate tax breaks and loopholes as needing to be eliminated or closed so instead of protecting the fat cats, we ensure upward mobility for everyone.

To advance our presence in this arena, we need to quantify the need to invest and advance the argument and every turn. The conservative movement has made the debate: government is wasteful and must be cut. It’s easy to find one bad apple in the bunch and claim it’s indicative of the entire system. (OMG, ACORN is teaching people how to skirt laws, let’s ban them from receiving federal monies.)

However, is waste hiring a city resident to work at a community college as a secretary? Is waste employing a teacher at the nearby high school? Is waste paying an electrician to keep the city power plant operating? Is waste paying a senior citizen to re-stock the public library book shelves? Is waste making sure we have scientist testing our drinking water for chemicals that cause cancer? Is waste offering a grant to a low-income student to be the first in their family to go to the university? Is waste making sure children have free, preventative health, dental and vision check-ups? Is waste having the aged, blind and disabled receive in-home support services? Is waste living in an American that is free, open and welcoming to the world?

The answer to all these questions and more is “No, it’s not a waste. Actually, it is an investment in our community and our society.�

What is a waste is that we let the Republican get away with the argument that everything government is wasteful and should be cut. We need to demolish the premise and build on the fact that government is a force of good and employs a lot of people directly and indirectly.

We lose the argument because we don’t have enough information. Example: I have asked by former community college in Southern California to produce two budgets, instead of one.

The first budget is called the sad face :-( budget because it assumes decreased funding from Sacramento. The second budget is called the happy face :-) budget because it assumes increased funding from Sacramento. Without an alternative, we lose because we can’t show what we want to invest in and why.

Right now, all we have is the :-( budget. It’s hard to rally and cheer for less classes, less staff, less professors and a weakened learning environment (except, of course, if you are an anti-government fanatic that believes the :-( budget doesn’t cut enough: we must cut more and more and more, ad infinitum).

But, if we had the :-) budget, we change the ground of the debate from (cut, don’t cut) to (cut, don’t cut, invest). One day, I would love to argue, with a :-) budget in hand, and turn the argument on anti-government ranting goon: “You say you want to cut? You say you don’t want to invest? Well, if we had the money, if we paid the taxes, we could hire X new staff, Y new teachers, serve Z more students and have the library open 24 hours during finals week.� Oh, I can’t wait.

This leads me to the final issue, fiscal transparency. Conservatives are not the only ones who care about spending our money wisely, everyone cares. We all have check books to balance, bills to pay and money to spend. For some reason, fiscal transparency (accountability, responsibility) is somehow viewed as conservatives’ bread and butter. Well, it’s our bread and butter too!

Instead of ranting and raving that government is wasteful; maybe we should sit down, calm down and read the President’s or Governors Budget, line by line. I know it’s hard, but give it a try. Recovery.gov, that website which shows how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money is being distributed and used is just great. It even let’s you download spreadsheets so you can work with the numbers. Unfortunately, at a state level, we are vague about how money is spent. I know you can visit www.ebudget.ca.gov and dig into the budget top-level and department/agency-level numbers, but some people want to know everything. I have been searching, and still cannot find, one giant spreadsheet of all revenues and expenditures for the State of California. Fiscal responsibility is everyone’s responsibility. Like the President said about the BP/Halliburton/Transocean finger-pointing, blame-game testimony this past week: “there’s enough to go around.�

These five issues, equality for all, inclusiveness of immigrants, national security, progressive taxation and investment, and fiscal transparency, are important and some are more important to others. In a community of coalitions as diverse and colorful and outspoken as Democrats, our big tent philosophy is not just about making sure no one is left out in the rain (or blistering sun), but ensuring a forum for their thoughts, beliefs and concerns to be heard and made a part of the broader effort. This is the fundamental difference between the two parties, one is open, the other is not.

So what’s the bottom line: Democrats are losing (some) elections, but gaining (a lot of) ground. That’s American Democracy, that’s what the swinging pendulum of power does: it goes back and forth. As long as the pivot of the pendulum moves to the left, that’s what matters.

Feb

7

“But it can certainly influence the thinking of those who can.”

Filed Under California, Election 2010, Links, United States | Leave a Comment

In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a 5-4 majority of the United States Supreme Court overruled Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce (decided 6-3 in 1990) and thus eliminated the “basis for allowing the Government to limit corporate independent expenditures.”

Moreover, the 5-4 majority justifies their overruling of Austin by claiming that “the First Amendment applies to corporations” and cites First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti (decided 5-4 in 1978) and NAACP v. Button (decided 6-3 in 1963).

The Court’s opinion is being interpreted as providing a corporation the same right to free speech as a human being. In my opinion, the 5-4 majority is incorrect in overruling Austin and wrong in granting a corporation the right to free speech. It will take some time for the Court’s decision to be reversed.

It should be clear that corporations already exercise their right to free speech at a state level. The Court’s decision simply opens the proverbial gates of hell at a federal level.

With efforts already underway across the country and in Congress to mitigate the affect of the Court’s decision, the question is what can we do to inoculate ourselves from the onslaught of corporations exercising their right to free speech?

…

First and foremost, I believe each election matters, plain and simple, whether it’s your local school board or President of the United States.

Let’s think about the impact of elections on a local school board level:

  • A local school board decides what classes your children will be able to take.
  • Do you want your kid to become a doctor? Great! Then they will need to take advanced biology.
  • Do you know that some schools do not offer advanced biology?
  • If the school your child goes to does not offer advanced biology, what are you going to do about it? Petition the board and/or find a candidate for school board who will champion advanced biology. Board does not care and/or you can’t find a candidate, then run for school board and do it yourself.

Now, let’s think about the impact of elections on a state level.

On Tuesday, June 8, 2010, Californians will vote for 80 state assembly, 20 state senate, 53 congressional, 1 senatorial, 8 statewide offices and 5 statewide propositions.

People will start voting-by-mail as early as Monday, May 10, 2010, nearly a month before election day.

On June 8, and as early as May 10, Californians will vote for or against the following 5 statewide propositions:

  • Proposition 13, Constitutional Amendment, Property tax: new construction exclusion: seismic retrofitting.
  • Proposition 14, Constitutional Amendment, Elections: open primaries.
  • Proposition 15, Statute, Political Reform Act of 1974: California Fair Elections Act of 2008.
  • Proposition 16, Initiative Constitutional Amendment, New Two-Thirds Requirement for Local Public Electricity Providers.
  • Proposition 17, Initiative Statute, Allows Auto Insurance Companies to Base Their Prices in Part on a Driver’s History of Insurance Coverage.

Now, what do we know about these propositions? #13 is bad luck; #14 reminds me of my brother’s favorite soccer jersey number; #15 can only be divided by prime numbers; #16 would have been sweet, but I am not a girl; #17 is how old I was when I graduated high school (I turned 18 a week later). So to answer the question, at this point, not much.

From right… now, until… June 8, 7:59pm, we will be under the influence (and no, I am not talking about that), but the influence of our family, friends, local leaders, elected officials, political parties, labor unions and corporations to vote for or against these propositions.

Let’s look at who is officially for or against these propositions as of now:

Five Propositions, Support/Opposition

Click Image for Larger View

According to the chart above, a couple of things:

Proposition 13, Constitutional Amendment, Property tax: new construction exclusion: seismic retrofitting.

  • There is no support or opposition yet. This would imply it’s non-controversial at the moment or of less importance to organized interests.

Proposition 14, Constitutional Amendment, Elections: open primaries.

  • There is both support and opposition.
  • The support side has plenty of money to hire a consultant, build a website and air some radio advertisements in smaller media markets.
  • The opposition side has not reported its funding levels. I expect this to change soon.

Proposition 15, Statute, Political Reform Act of 1974: California Fair Elections Act of 2008.

  • There is support, but no opposition yet.
  • The support side has enough resources to hire a consultant, build a website and air some radio advertisements in smaller media markets.
  • I expect the opposition side to form late in April or mid-May and spend a ton of money on television and radio advertisements. There is no benefit to organizing early. If internal polling shows its winning, expect an infusion of resources from the opposition side who expect to lose from this proposition.

Proposition 16, Initiative Constitutional Amendment, New Two-Thirds Requirement for Local Public Electricity Providers.

Proposition 17, Initiative Statute, Allows Auto Insurance Companies to Base Their Prices in Part on a Driver’s History of Insurance Coverage.

  • There is opposition, but no support yet.
  • The opposition has enough resources to hire a consultant, build a website and air some radio advertisements in smaller media markets.
  • I expect the support side to come in late April/early May. Again, if internal polling shows its losing, expect an infusion of resources from the support side who expect to win from this proposition.

Proposition 16 attracts my attention and highlights my earlier statement that corporations already exercise their right to free speech at a state level.

If you clicked “Click here to see who…” link above, you’ll find that Pacific Gas & Electric donated $750,000, another $750,000, a whopping $1.5 million and another mere $500,000 for a grand total, $3.5 million dollars.

Take this example and imagine it replicated across the country, in 50 states, over 435 congressional seats and 100 senate seats.

…

Returning to the question that I asked earlier, so what can we do to inoculate ourselves from the onslaught of corporations exercising their right to free speech?

You just did it by reading this post. You armed yourself with information. But there is more to know and at the very least, when you start to hearing and reading about Proposition 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, you have a better sense of who really is supporting or opposing it.

But the onslaught has just begun and a corporation now has the same right to free speech that you do. The ultimate difference between a person and a corporation is that a corporation cannot vote, but it can certainly influence the thinking of those who can.
Name Total Contributions in 2009 Cash on Hand at end of 2009
13 Support n/a n/a n/a
13 Oppose n/a n/a n/a
14 Support CALIFORNIANS FOR AN OPEN PRIMARY $138,000.00 $137,794.12
14 Oppose PROTECT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – SAY NO TO THE OPEN PRIMARY n/a n/a
15 Support CALIFORNIA COMMON CAUSE FAIR ELECTIONS COMMITTEE n/a n/a
15 Support CALIFORNIANS FOR FAIR ELECTIONS SPONSORED BY CALIFORNIA CLEAN MONEY ACTION FUND $221,990.62 $78,801.29
15 Support CALIFORNIA CLEAN MONEY ACTION FUND n/a n/a
16 Support CALIFORNIANS TO PROTECT OUR RIGHT TO VOTE MAJOR FUNDING FROM PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY A COALITION OF TAXPAYERS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS, RENEWABLE ENERGY, BUSINESS AND LABOR $3,500,000.00 $27,800.82
16 Oppose TAXPAYERS AGAINST THE PG&E POWERGRAB, SPONSORED BY LOCAL POWER INC. & THE UTILITY REFORM NETWORK $5,525.00 $98.17
17 Support n/a n/a n/a
17 Oppose CALIFORNIANS FOR REAL INSURANCE REFORM: SPONSORED BY CAMPAIGN FOR CONSUMER RIGHTS $117,451.84 $96,500.86

Jan

21

A New President

Filed Under Barack Obama, Election 2008, Links, Political Participation, United States | Leave a Comment

Simply amazing. We have a new president for a new era in our nation’s history. I was in Merced, with Mayra, to listen to the speech. A truly historic moment. Over 2 years of hard work has resulted in the election of our new president.

Below is the full text of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address.

Inaugural Address

By President Barack Hussein Obama

My fellow citizens:  I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you’ve bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation — (applause) — as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.  The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.  Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.  At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents.

So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.  Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.  Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.  Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered.  Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many — and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.  Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.  They are serious and they are many.  They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.  But know this America:  They will be met.  (Applause.)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.  On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.  We remain a young nation.  But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.  The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation:  the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.  (Applause.)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given.  It must be earned.  Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less.  It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.  Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.  For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth.  For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.  They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions, greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today.  We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth.  Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began.  Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year.  Our capacity remains undiminished.  But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed.  Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.  (Applause.)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.  The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift.  And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.  We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.  We’ll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost.  We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.  And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.  All this we can do.  All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans.  Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.  What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.  Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.  Where the answer is no, programs will end.  And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill.  Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.  But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control.  The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.  The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.  (Applause.)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.  Our Founding Fathers — (applause) — our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man — a charter expanded by the blood of generations.  Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake.  (Applause.)

And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity.  And we are ready to lead once more.  (Applause.)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.  They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please.  Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy.  Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.  We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.  With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense.  And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken — you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.  (Applause.)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.  We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers.  We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.  (Applause.)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.  (Applause.)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.  And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect.  For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains.  They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service — a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.  For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.  It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.  It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new.  The instruments with which we meet them may be new.  But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old.  These things are true.  They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths.  What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.  This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.  This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.  (Applause.)

So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.  In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.  The capital was abandoned.  The enemy was advancing.  The snow was stained with blood.  At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words to be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America:  In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words.  With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come.  Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you.  God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

Oct

8

I’m Voting for Barack Obama

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I’m voting for Barack Obama.

With election day less than a month away, I eagerly await the opportunity to vote for the Obama/Biden ticket.

Senator Obama is the leader we need at this time in our nation’s history.

A troubled national economy, a weakened global economy and changing world require the kind of insightful, thoughtful, deliberative leadership of Barack Obama.

Senator McCain does not have the temperment, strength or vision to lead the United States. His philosophy is dated, his approach is derisive and his vision is coarse.

I’m voting for Barack Obama and I hope you to do.

Onward to January 2009 and a new president for a new era.

Sep

6

Jon Stewart: LOL

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This is a must-watch; I was LOL throughout the clip.

Sep

6

Joe Biden: “What I didn’t hear”

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Senator Biden is a fiery orator and he effectively argues how the RNC failed to address the issues affecting everyday people in America. I am fired up, ready to go and prepared to put my community organizing skills to work! :-)

May

18

Hard Line, Always

Filed Under California, Human Development, Links, UC Merced, United States | Leave a Comment

I just had a conversation with Juan Carmen, Associated Students of UC Merced Director of Student Advocacy about a recent article in the Merced Sun-Star where he is quoted as saying:

Student Juan Carmen, 20, from Los Angeles, said he wasn’t surprised about the fee increase, mainly because of the state’s budget crisis. “I’m just glad it wasn’t like 10 percent or more,” Carmen said. “It’s still an increase, but it’s not like a major one.”

7.4% is a major increase! $490 is 50+ hours of work. Such fee increases places an additional burden on a students who have to pay for their education, housing and other living expenses.

We cannot continue to believe that moderation is the best approach to the issue of student fee increases.

The time has come where we have to be hard line, always. This continued march to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from 200,000 or so students over the past decade must end.

Apr

12

We Can Solve It

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We are facing a crisis of historical proportion: climate change.

Visit: http://www.wecansolveit.org/ and let’s move forward on confronting the challenge.

I think every bit helps. From using environment-friendly soap to taking the bus to/from work once a week, we can all make a difference.

Jan

3

Hope

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“Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. It’s not sitting on the sidelines or shirking from a fight, hope is that thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it, and to work for it, and to fight for it.” – Senator Barack Obama the Night of the Iowa Victory

Visit http://www.barackobama.com/, sign up for My.BarackObama.com, and stand for change!

Jan

2

Time for Change, 382 Days from Today

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Today, Thursday, January 3, 2008, is the beginning of the time for change. In the state of Iowa, hundreds of thousands of folks will be leaving the warmth and comfort of their homes and walk to a neighbor’s residence, walk through the old doors of their high school gym, walk downstairs into the basement of their church, or meet in the hall of the community center and caucus for change, caucus for a new direction, and caucus for a new America.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 12:00:01PM noon Eastern Standard Time, President Barack Obama will be our nation’s new face, our country’s new leader, and our history’s new visionary who will begin the arduous process of reorganizing our government, redefining our values, reshaping our nation, rebuilding our image around the world.

I look forward to that day, some 382 days from now. And the first step in our journey to that moment begins with tomorrow’s caucus in Iowa.

Go Obama!

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