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Can I Get a Witness?

Freedom is a Constant Struggle

I noticed this lovely little tidbit this morning, in the daily roundup of Sacramento activities. It's the language of an initiative now in circulation for the statewide ballot:

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. DRIVERS' LICENSES. COLLEGE EXPENSES. PUBLIC BENEFITS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Prohibits illegal immigrants from obtaining: drivers' licenses or government-identification cards; college-fee or tuition exemptions; government grants, contracts, or loans; professional or commercial licenses; or any other public benefits not required by federal law. Authorizes state citizens to sue to enforce prohibitions, requires State to defend initiative, and provides costs and attorney's fees to prevailing party. Imposes personal liability for litigation costs, attorney's fees, and actual damages on any elected or government official who willfully violates prohibitions. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Program savings to the state and local governments due to reduced expenditures for certain public services. These savings could be in the low hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Proponents - Jeff Evans, Mike Spence and Richard Mountjoy, 916 858 8190 - must collect 598,105 valid signatures by Feb. 20, 2007.

So even as we are in the fight of our lives this year, against horrible immigration policy at the federal level and against a Republican Governor who chooses to ignore the rabidly racist forces within his own party, our opponents do not relent one single bit. They are circulating more anti-immigrant rhetoric, continuing to make life harder for California Latinos who are already feeling heightened levels of discrimination whether they came here legally or not.

I wish I could say that something like this would never get enough signatures in a state as progressive as California to make it onto the ballot. But I know that is the work that needs to be done, and that PowerPAC is doing. So I keep repeating the phrase in my head that I have heard PowerPAC President Steve Phillips say so often: Freedom is a constant struggle.

The Exclusive Electorate

The Public Policy Institute of California released a report last week called California's Exclusive Electorate that confirmed again what PowerPAC has been saying for three years now: Unless something is drastically changed, California will continue to be governed by a small and elite group of people not representative of the state's population. The report also points out that those who do not vote regularly are much more progressive in their views; much more willing to view government as a critical partner in working toward a common good for everyone. PowerPAC also saw this in a poll we did earlier this year.

PPIC has released a similar report each year for the last several years. And yet, in the world of campaigns and elections, little has changed. Every major campaign, even for very progressive candidates like Phil Angelides, continues business as usual, failing to reach out to critical constituencies -- Latinos are the most glaring example -- who are clearly necessary for any true progressive victory in California.

People need to wake up. We aren't going to win over people of color without actually talking to them. Unless we overhaul the way we run campaigns -- which means dumping the consultants who are advising Democratic candidate after Democratic candidate that they do not need to run ads on Spanish-language media -- we aren't going to have a chance. California is a majority people of color, the most diverse state in the nation, and a bellweather for the country. If we can't figure this out here, where on Earth can we figure it out?

I've had enough

I know it's not the "in" thing to do right now, but I am going to go ahead and refrain from calling the election seven weeks out.

Is it possible that the mainstream media has nothing better to cover in a major statewide election other than how one of the candidates might as well pack up and go home because he's already toast? The way the campaign for Governor in California is being covered by the press right now is so indicative of reporters' complete inability to cover politics. They only know how to cover a horserace, so when the polls show there isn't much of a horserace, the only thing they can do is completely bury the guy who is behind with article after article deconstructing his "loss" SEVEN WEEKS before voters even go to the polls.

This is beyond ridiculous.

Telling It Like It Is

Erin Aubry Kaplan is asking the question of the day in today's L.A. Times: Why are so many politicians of color (and I would add any other high-profile Democrats) dismissing the Governor's racist comments?

Kaplan is one of the first writers in a mainstream publication to call this autrocity -- both the Governor's comments and the compliant reaction that followed -- out for what it is, and her analysis is completely spot-on:

I especially recalled — with a cringe more intense than Arnold's, I assure you — the story Schwarzenegger himself told a porn magazine in 1977 about how he and other bodybuilders "jumped" on a black woman at Gold's Gym in Venice; asked if it was a "gang bang," he said yes. The colonialist notion that blacks, especially mulatto women, are notable only for their sexual prowess and availability is hardly new — which is why it's so disturbing to detect it in the remarks of the governor of California in 2006. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Even more uninspiring is the so-what response by some Latino and black politicians to this whole affair. Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia of Cathedral City, the Puerto Rican lawmaker who was the subject of his remarks, is a Republican before she's a Latina, so she can be expected to accept (or decline as unnecessary) his apology.

But it's discouraging to see Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles) and Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier) blow off any negative implications of Arnold's remarks. Is the price of success for Latinos the sense of ethnic identity and common destiny that fueled their rise in the first place?

The black acquiescence bothers me even more — because we know what Arnold meant. The media led with the Latino angle, but the governor's most incendiary comment was that it's "black blood" that makes the difference. Such a worldview calls to mind Jim Crow, the Southern legal system based on strict percentages of "black blood" — also known as the one-drop rule — that segregated public facilities and governed daily life for much of the 20th century.

It is times like these when leaders are distinguished by which side they choose to stand on. With the exception of Phil Angelides and Rep. Barbara Lee, every elected Democratic official in this state has chosen the wrong side, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

Why the Tapes Matter

Since a recorded conversation of Gov. Schwarzenegger making casually racist and sexist comments about a Latina legislator surfaced last week, nearly everyone in the political establishment and the media has rallied to his defense, or dismissed the comments as not newsworthy. For the record, this has included: every mainstream political columnist, several major elected Democratic leaders including, unbelievably, the Latino Speaker of the Assembly, and dozens of "political strategists" both named and unnamed.

Why is this?

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Note to All Democrats

Just to be perfectly clear, the answer to every question about mp3gate is:

The audio files in question were downloaded from a public website in the context of a political campaign for Governor of the largest and most diverse state in the country. Just because the Governor did not want those tapes to see the light of day, and his own staff was not competent enough to properly protect them, does not mean downloading them from a public website was in any way inappropriate. What is inappropriate, and what is the only thing that matters in all of this, is what we all heard the Governor say on those tapes -- comments that are part of a pattern of casually racist and sexist remarks. What we need in California right now is leadership that will help us move toward a functioning multicultural society. Caricaturing colleagues based on their gender and race is just not helpful.

That's pretty much it. If people could start saying something like this that would be really awesome.

The Tape Doesn't Lie

Gov. Schwarzenegger's spinmeisters were working overtime yesterday in a desperate attempt to distract from their inability to stage-manage their boss' racism and sexism.

After the Governor embarrassed himself into apologizing for derrogatory comments made about a Latina legislator and other Republican lawmakers, his taxpayer-funded staff has successfully steered the mainstream media into making this an insider story about how the tapes were obtained by the Times.

It is clear to anyone who has ever done Internet research that Schwarzenegger's staff did not properly protect those audio files, and that the Angelides campaign took advantage of that incompetence by digging around on the public website and finding them. Whether the campaign gave the tape file to the Times is irrelevant -- people leak public documents to the press all the time in politics. It's neither interesting nor a crime or wrongdoing of any kind.

Again, it is merely a distraction from the real issue -- Schwarzenegger behaving in a way that is unbecoming of a top elected leader in the largest state in the country -- and another chance for right-wing Republicans to attack the L.A. Times for being the only paper willing to engage in real investigative journalism when it comes to Schwarzenegger.

The tape story and Schwarzenegger's sexist comments reminded people that Schwarzenegger is a sexist pig, in part from the Times' coverage before the 2003 recall of dozens of women who said they were groped by him. That isn't so happy-making for his team and the Republicans, so they are relying on other, completely unfair, means to dig themselves out.

It is not unlike Joe Lieberman's claims on the verge of his Connecticut Senate Primary loss that his opponent Ned Lamont hacked his website.

In both cases it comes down to two things: desperation and incompetence.

On Tapegate

Last week, courtesy of the L.A. Times, the California public got an inside and unscripted glimpse of what goes on behind closed doors of the Governor's office. What we learned was not a surprise -- that our Governor is a racist, sexist pig. What was even more interesting, though, was the reaction that followed, and what it confirms for me is that our society just does not know how to deal with racism and sexism, no matter how blatant it may be.

For those of you who haven't been following, let's take a look at what our Governor said, entirely in context of a back-room, back-slapping conversation between an elected official and his top staff person:

They move on to Garcia, a Cathedral City lawmaker who is the daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants. On her website, Garcia is described as "born on the Lower East Side of New York to teen parents."

"Bonnie Garcia is great," Kennedy says on the recording. "She's a ball-buster. She's great. Is she Puerto Rican?"

"She seems to me like Cuban," Schwarzenegger says.

"She's not Mexican," Kennedy replies.

"No," the governor agrees.

"But she said something," Kennedy says, "and I thought, I thought she was Puerto Rican."

Then Schwarzenegger offers a theory.

"She maybe is Puerto Rican or the same thing as Cuban. I mean, they are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."

Since these comments were made I have heard lectures from George Skelton and Bill Bradley and any number of other Touchy White People that I, and anyone who dares speak out against blatant generalizations based on race and sex, are "overreacting."

To those people I would like to ask: Just what exactly is "black blood," and how does it contribute to making someone "hot"? Call me crazy, but I don't like to hear the Governor of the fifth largest economy in the world throwing around phrases like "black blood." And this is not an isolated incident. As Phil Angelides rightfully pointed out, this is a pattern of behavior from a Governor who has been unable to show the kind of dignity and respect that is required from a major leader in a civilized society.

It may not have political ramifications for him -- how can it when the media and the pundit class have given him a total free pass despite the fact that he has acted like a complete buffoon with no real political convictions, wasted millions of dollars on a failed special election that got us nowhere, and lied through his teeth on several occasions on his path to get re-elected.

What's a little racism and sexism to add to the mix?

Lost in a Lack of Spin

Reporters just don't know what to do with themselves when politicians don't require dramatic amounts of spin to talk to Latinos.

That was the case today in a story by Edwin Garcia in the Mercury News about Phil's speech to the National Latino Congreso in Los Angeles.

But despite the scope of the convention -- deemed ``historical'' by organizers -- Angelides, a keynote speaker, largely stuck to his standard campaign speech but inserted the word ``Latino'' in key phrases.

``It's time to help hard-working middle-class families, like the millions of Latinos who make this state's economy strong,'' he told more than 600 people at the capacity-crowd dinner. ``We find families, millions of Latino families, working hard at one job, sometimes two, just to stay even.''

This is Phil's main message in the campaign. He talks about it everywhere he goes. Why shouldn't he also talk about it to this gathering of Latino leaders and activists? Perhaps Mr. Garcia is used to Phil's opponent and the Republicans, who must put heavy spin on any speech to people of color, if they show up to the gatherings at all. That's because where the Republicans want to take (and are taking) the state and the country does not work for Latinos or other people of color. Phil's opponent could never deliver his standard stump speech to the Congreso -- he would be promptly booed off the stage.

Mr. Garcia has clearly heard Phil's speech more than a few times, by nature of his job, but that does not give him the right to just belittle it. Rather than check whether his annoyance was reflected in any of the people in the audience at the event, he just felt free to put his own personal bias right into the story. It happens all the time, every day, in the mainstream media. But that does not make it OK, and that is why we have to be diligent on the blogs to watch this coverage and to call it out when it's not fair.

I think it's pretty amazing these days that Phil can be perfectly honest about what he wants to do for California, and that message works for Latino as well as non-Latino audiences. We are one state, after all.

Angelides.com Redesign

Check out the very much new and improved Phil Angelides website!

While it's nice to see smoother navigation and a prettier design, the most significant addition is the blog, as two-way communication was sorely lacking on the old site.

Get over there and join the conversation!

What Happens in Black Rock City Doesn't Stay in Black Rock City

I just got back from Black Rock City, the temporary community that crops up at the end of the summer each year in the barren Nevada desert. I had intended to try to live blog from there, but one lesson about Burning Man is that intentions and plans tend to melt away in the intense heat of the playa!

Politics and Burning Man have always had a tricky relationship. Most people who go say politics is the last thing they want to think about when they're out there bonding with friends, meeting new people and enjoying mind-blowing art. It's always been difficult for me to connect with Burning Man enthusiasts about politics, and I hadn't figured out how to reconcile my political passions with my desire to be at this event. Until now.

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Universal Health Care Passes Assembly

In a historic vote, the California State Assembly has passed SB 840, Sen. Sheila Keuhl's bill to provide health insurance to all Californians. Whether or not California families will ever see this much-needed reform to the system will depend of Gov. Schwarzenegger, who is likely to veto the bill.

Health care is in crisis in California, with nearly 7 million people uninsured and with Californians spending a whopping $186 billion a year on this broken system. SB 840 would save the state and California families $8 billion in the first year, while also guaranteeing everyone's right to choose their own doctor. This bill is a long time coming in California, and we simply cannot wait any longer.

Frank Russo at the California Progress Report has been doing the best coverage on this issue's movement through Sacramento this year, including a great report on the press conference held immediately after today's vote.

Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg spoke of the health problems that worsen because of the lack of prompt treatment. Later, these conditions not only cost more to treat, but are more debilitating for those who are sick. She cited real stories of her constituents who have faced bankruptcy, foreclosure, and other financial ruin to get treatment needed by their children.

“I find it an embarassement to be a Democrat, a progressive Democrat to live in a state without health care coverage for all of us” was how Assemblymember Patty Berg from Eureka started out her remarks. She spoke of her district, which is a poor, rural area and how SB 840 would help those she represents. She reminded all that with SB 840, California can be a leader in the nation.

Sid Cohn, an insurance agent for over 50 years was rather blunt and revealing. He said “Today I find myself in the position of selling a product that I do not completely believe in, but I have to provide what is available. I do not make these sales with the kind of pride and satisfaction that I would like.”

Late to the press conference, Sheila Kuehl arrived to applause, saying that she was sorry to be late to her own press conference. “Sometimes you can leave the Senate floor and sometimes you cannot.” She was apparently locked in the Senate chambers at the time of the start of the press event. Speaking of what she is expecting to occur, she said that this will be historic because it will be the first time that both houses of the state legislature have passed such a plan.

Well honed from four years of working tirelessly on the 90 plus page bill, she was nimble in her dissection of arguments against the bill and how it would be funded. She said “It creates access for all Californians by steeply reducing administrative overhead and emphasizing preventive and primary care instead of endlessly cutting coverage and access to care or increasing consumer spending.” She said this is “not ‘government run health care.’ It is an insurance plan. All providers remain as they are, private or public, but they would actually get to treat patients as they think best.”

Schwarzenegger Can't Have it Both Ways on Immigration

As Gov. Schwarznegger tries to rally his conservative base by saying he's going to crack down on immigrants while at the same time trying to court the Latino vote, many of us are intent on not letting him have it both ways.

Immigration is an important issue in this governor's race, and each candidate has a very distinct view of the issue and of solutions. Phil Angelides views it as a human rights issue, and believes that those millions living and working here as second-class citizens deserve a chance at citizenship if they work hard and don't commit crimes. He sees the Governor's office as a powerful place from which to advocate for this kind of reform at the federal level.

Schwarzenegger's so far has consisted of policy-less pandering, depending on who he's talking to. He tells Latinos he's an immigrant and understands people wanting to come here. He throws red meat at the state GOP convention, saying things like "Being an American means learning English!" And of course, we cannot forget his famous support of the Minutemen Project, armed individuals patroling the border who even President Bush called vigilantes.

For more background, check out this documentary piece on the Minutemen Project in Arizona by a New Mexico public television station:

Playing Politics with People's Lives

Dan Walters has an interesting piece in today's Sac Bee looking at the issue of universal health care in California.

Sen Keuhl's SB 840, which would mandate a universal health care system for California (though the how it will be funded part was left out of this version), passed out of a key Assembly Committee last week and is expected to pass the full house sometime in the last few days of the legislative session. But as Walters notes, it is almost certain that Gov. Schwarzenegger will veto it. Again, our governor will be given an historic opportunity to dramatically improve the lives of millions of people, and again he will choose to side with his big-business contributors.

Walters examines breifly why such necessary change has not been able to be achieved at the ballot box:

It is, as much as anything, an ideological question that's affected by the simple fact that the vast majority of Californians who vote -- 90 percent or more -- already have health care coverage, while the vast majority of those lacking coverage do not vote.

The California Nurses Assn. has made that analysis, and also realized that structural change like universal health care will never pass in California until the undue influence of corporate money in politics is removed. That analysis was part of the Nurses' motivation for Prop 89, which would establish a system of public financing in California. Not surprisingly, Schwarzenegger is against that as well.

We are lucky to have a candidate for governor, Phil Angelides, who has said he does support universal health care for all Californians, and who has pledged to put the power of his office, as the fifth largest economy in the world, into making it happen. It is quite a contrast to what we have now.

Selling Out Low-Wage Workers...Again

The good news is, 1.4 million California workers earning minimum wage will get a $1.50 pay increase, over the next two years. The bad news is, the unwillingness of Phil's opponent to stand up to his big-business contributors means that workers were again denied the potential to have this increase mean anything in the marketplace.

Lawmakers backed off on their push for a minimum-wage increase tied to annual increases in the cost of living, the absence of which has caused the purchasing power of the minimum wage to decline more than 11% since it was last raised in 2002, and more than 33% since it started in 1968. The California Budget Project has a great summary of this issue here (PDF). They did this because Phil's opponent would have vetoed the bill, as he has twice already. The first time he vetoed the increase it did not include the automatic cost of living adjustments; he just wasn't up for re-election then.

It's important to note that Phil Angelides, however, does think it's a problem that people who are working full time still have to live in poverty. He sums it up perfectly to the L.A. Times:

Schwarzenegger's opponent in November, Democratic state Treasurer Phil Angelides, said that if elected he would sign any bill indexing minimum wage increases to inflation so that "working families are not held hostage to politics."

Historic Health Care Vote This Week

Sen. Sheila Kuehl's California Health Insurance Reliability Act has passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will be heard this week on the Assembly Floor. The vote is extremely close, and 41 Assemblymemners will have to vote yes to move the bill to the Governor's desk.

Click here to send a message to your Assembly representative, letting them know that you support health care for all Californians, and that you demand our state's leaders show some real leadership on this issue and pass SB 840.

Here is the email message Sen. Kuehl sent out this weekend:

This is a truly historic vote – the first time in the history of California that a concrete proposal for universal health insurance reform is poised to pass both houses of the Legislature and be placed for signature on the Governor’s desk. Within days, we could be one signature away from affordable and comprehensive health coverage for every Californian.

SB 840 is the only plan that will cover every Californian with reliable health insurance, stabilize costs, and improve quality at the same time. This plan saves businesses money, is affordable for families and guarantees every Californian the right to choose his/her own physician.

As amended, the bill is funded by drawing in current public spending as well as replacing the premiums, co-pays and deductibles paid to insurance companies with premiums paid to the system. The bill calls on a blue ribbon panel of health finance and technical experts to develop the premiums.

This is an important first step toward free, universal health care for all Californians. Right now nearly 7 million of our state's residents are without health coverage, forcing them into bankruptcy or to leave illnesses unattended until they become very serious or fatal. It is a despicable state of affairs for the richest state in the richest country in the history of the world, and it is about time we do something about it.

Governor Phil

A group of California bloggers, myself included, have launched a new website focused on Phil Angelides and why we want him to be our next governor.

Aside from following the campaign from a grass-roots perspective, we hope to provide lots of good pro-Phil resources, including quick access to his positions on issues, as well as photos and videos from the campaign trail.

Check it out here:

http://www.governorphil.com

Winners: Ned Lamont and people-powered politics

Markos has a very comprehensive and inspiring post today analyzing the shocking and encouraging results of the Connecticut Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate, in which progressive, people-powered Ned Lamont won over the centrist, establishment-backed Joe Lieberman. I'd link to his site, but it's still "under construction," after bogus claims yesterday that the Lamont campaign had anything to do with his site going down.

I encourage everyone to read the above post from Kos, and to do everything they can to both convinve Lieberman he should not run as an Independent in the general election, and help Democratic nominee Lamont win over Republican Alan Schlesinger and help take back the Senate in 2006.

How hard is it to put up a canopy?

Is the question the UFW poses today, and we would like to join them in asking California growers to explain just what is so difficult about providing shade to the workers who are toiling in record heat out in the fields.

New rules requiring growers to provide shade, water and adequate breaks for workers took effect June 15, but reports are that six outdoor workers have died since this last heat wave struck, according to the UFW.

From their action alert to the Farm Bureau, which we urge you to sign:

In a recent issue of the agricultural newspaper Capital Press, Carl Borden, counsel for the California Farm Bureau, said the new rule requiring access to shade during heat spells could potentially cause problems.

The newspaper quoted Borden: "That could pose compliance issues for employers in certain situations where you may have dozens [and] dozens of employees out there working (and asking for shade) and essentially it requires the erection of a number of shade canopies, for example...That can be somewhat daunting if we’re talking about a field situation."

An ad you may not have seen

Check out this web ad from Phil that you may not have seen on his website, or on the air. It's a decent response to the attacks about taxes on "middle class families" that he got from both Westly and Schwarzenegger, which we all know is just patently false.

When Phil talks about the state's economy, he doesn't talk just about taxes, ebcause he understands that "taxes" is not an issue that can stand on its own. The issue for Phil, particularly in this ad, is fully funding public education. And the question facing the voters of this state is: Are we willing to pay for it? In his campaign, Phil is challenging the conventional wisdom that fully funding schools would create a hardship for any taxpayer in this state. With numbers to back it up, he argues we need to stand up to the corporations and the wealthiest Californians who are simply not paying their fair share.

The real Phil Angelides

Edwin Garcia has a nice piece in the Merc giving a small glipse into the real Phil Angelides -- the one many of us know and love from our own interactions with him. The millions of dollars in advertising that Scwarzenegger and the Republicans have spent are beginning to take their toll, as recent polls have shown with Schwarzenegger leading by as much as 13 points.

I am really glad Phil is getting out there with the people more in this campaign, and I hope he will continue to do that, although it would be nice if he got as much pres as Schwarzenneger tends to. But the truth is that the vast majority of people who will cast ballots for Phil will never get to see this up close and personal side of him. So his campaign must work, every day until they get it right, to make his television ads and his website branding exude those most appealing parts of his personality.

Thus far, Angelides has been charicatured, while Schwarzenegger's campaign has done an outstanding job, on his website and in ads, connecting with voters the most appealing parts of him. With Schwarzenegger of course, it's all smoke and mirrors. Because behind the pretty graphics and nice rhetoric, there is a record of failure on the most important issues facing California: pubilc education, health care, and decent wages for struggling working families. With Phil, the meat is there. It's the dressing and packaging that needs a whole lot more work. And yes, it's important. Because at the end of the day, this Governor's race, like every election, is a numbers game, and in a state like California, Phil cannot win over every person he needs to vote for him one-on-one.

Welcome to Gov. Schwarzenegger's California

The day after Schwarzenegger told the La Opinion editorial board that he thinks his vote on Prop 187 in 1994 was "the wrong decision," he ventured out of his Sacramento-Beverly Hills bubble to mingle with Republican voters in Southern California. A woman who belongs to the Minutemen border patrol group -- yep, the same one the Governor has praised as "terrific" -- launched into a tirade about immigration. It seems the "intense prejudice" swirling around the immigration issue -- the prejudice that folks of color deal with every day -- has somehow escaped our governor's attention until now. From The Chron:

The questioning on immigration dominated a morning town hall meeting in La Mesa, just miles from the Mexican border in San Diego County, where some voters were outspoken in their anger with the governor on the matter.

"The illegals hop over our fence ... and they get medical, they get everything free,'' said one woman who would identify herself only as Sally, an activist with the Minutemen organization. "Right now, I don't see much difference between you and (Democratic gubernatorial candidate) Phil Angelides ... I don't see where you're standing up for the citizens of California.''

An unidentified town hall attendee said: "I want my country back.''

Later, according to an AP account of the exchange, Schwarzenegger reacted to reporters:

Afterward, Schwarzenegger told reporters he was troubled by some of the comments and surprised by their tone.

"It was pretty much the first time I saw the intensity of prejudice," Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself, said. "This one woman came up to me and said, 'Stop the invasion.' It was that kind of dialogue, and not 'Hey, is there something we can do about immigration?' And I think that's going into a dangerous area."

It's amazing that Schwarzenegger can get away with this dopey, "How did I get here?" schtick. I mean, come on. He is running the largest state in the nation, and the 5th largest economy in the world. He is surrounded by people who have successfully co-opted the entire U.S. government. Are we really supposed to believe that he just fell off the turnip truck? As Bill Cavala noted today, Schwarzenegger need not look any farther than his party's own nominee for U.S. Senator, Dick Mountjoy, for the same kind of racist, xenophobic rhetoric on immigration he encountered yesterday outside of San Diego.

We all know that the immigration debate coming out of the Republican party is fueled with racism. We understand that this is a problem for those Republicans who are also trying to win a portion of the ever-critical Latino swing vote. Schwarzenegger's response thus far seems to be to play dumb. We'll see how far that gets him. Luckily, Angelides knows exactly where he stands on immigration, and that is not only the right position, it will win him favor with progressive Democrats and with Latinos. Angelides will be well-served if he can make immigration a central part of this Governor's race. It's an important issue to bring to the surface, and it will force Schwarzenegger to deal with the racism that his California is allowing to fester.

Latinos prefer Angelides by wide margins

Two new statewide surveys, one from Zogby and one from the Field Poll (pdf) vary in their ultimate predictions on Schwarzenegger vs. Angelides (Zogby has them tied, where as Field has the Governor 8 points ahead) but are consistent about one thing: Latino voters are running away from the Governor in droves.

The Field Poll shows Latinos at just 22% in favor of Schwarzenegger, with 58% of those surveyed saying they would vote for Angelides if the election were held today. The Zogby poll shows a slightly closer race for the Latino vote, but still has Latinos favoring Angelides by 14%.

Given the magnitude of the efforts underway statewide to register and move Latino voters, these margins are going to be a significant factor in this race. There are a total of 3 million Latinos in California who are currently unregistered or not voting regularly in state elections, according to PowerPAC's research. That is more than enough votes to swing an election as close as this one is going to be.

The Enduring Power of Jimmie Lee Jackson

The funeral of Jimmie Lee Jackson in Selma, Alabama in 1965.

In February of 1965, Jimmie Lee Jackson tried to protect his mother from police attacks during a peaceful march for voting rights in Selma, Alabama. Jimmie Lee, a 27 year old Black man, was shot and killed while defending his mother. Outrage at his murder led to the Selma-to-Montgomery marches that included "Bloody Sunday" where now-Congressman John Lewis and hundreds of marchers were set upon by police dogs and cops on horseback. The moral and courageous witness of thousands of people -- and the ultimate sacrifice made by Jimmie Lee, Rev. James Reeb, and Viola Liuzzo -- shocked the conscience of the nation and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Jesse Jackson summarizes this history by saying the Voting Rights Act was written in blood before it was signed in ink.

Today, despite conservatives holding every lever of power in the federal government and strong opposition from Southern politicians, the United States Senate responded to the lobbying of 1,000 NAACP members, the imperative of racial justice, and the enduring moral -- and political -- legacy of Jimmie Lee Jackson by voting 98-0 to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. Despite controlling all institutional power, the Right Wing still feared the power of the forces of racial justice and had to acquiesce to a fundamental protection they didn't want to provide. It's a lesson for all of us about harnessing and unleashing the historic forces of equality and justice in the political arena, and it's a fitting tribute, forty-one years later, to the memory of Jimmie Lee Jackson and all the others who gave their lives in the struggle for basic human democracy in the United States of America.

Abel was right.

Remember when Kanye West famously remarked, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people?" The comment drew so much controversy in part because, in the wake of the Administration's unbelievable and undeniable failures after Katrina, people knew that Kanye was right.

Similarly, when an angry Abel Maldonado told the L.A. Times that Gov. Schwarzenegger's support for Latinos is only paper thin, he spoke a truth that sent shockwaves through the Governor's office and the statewide press corps: "When he needs Latinos, Latinos are always there for him,'' Maldonado said, and "when Latinos need him, the answer's been no." And then, the real kicker: "Arnold Schwarzenegger cares about one thing, and that's Arnold Schwarzenegger."

The truth just sounds different, doesn't it?

Poor Abel couldn't stand his ground for more than 24 hours before bucking to pressure and apologizing to the Governor. And look what that got him. Schwarzenegger won't even return his call.

Fortunately for those of us on the other side, Republicans in California just don't get it when it comes to Latinos. If Abel is their "Ambassador to Latino voters," why wasn't Schwarzenegger willing to take a stand and endorse Abel in the Senate primary against Yet Another White Guy (and a particularly mediocre one at that, Tony Strickland)? Why did the Republicans choose Yet Another White Guy to run against the Democrats for U.S. Senate instead of a well-qualified Latina? Where are the Latino candidates they are grooming and backing? Where are the broad sweeping policy changes that Latino voters are demanding? Where is the strong stand against the Minutemen vigilantes and in favor of a legal path to citizenship for immigrants?

You'll find a lot of that from the Republicans nationally, but you won't find it here. Because when the rubber hits the road, the California GOP, led by Gov. Schwarzenegger, doesn't care about Latinos. They are all pander, all the time.

Abel was right, and it's too bad that no one has had the guts to get his back.

In case there was any doubt...

As to which candidate is supported by the Latino community in California, Phil Angelides has released an exhaustive list of leaders who are backing his campaign. Unfortunately, this news doesn't seem to be getting out with the Sacramento press corps, who are still focused on Schwarzenegger's laughable efforts to reach out to Latinos. Then there is the wrinkle of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa withholding support for Angelides in some bizarre (and misguided) power play for the Governor's seat in 2010.

In the face of these lazy reporters and self-interested politicians, we will do our part here and reprint the impressive list:

Statement From Latino Leaders for Phil Angelides

"Phil Angelides knows that Latino families are looking for better jobs, increased educational opportunities and healthcare. That is why we are standing with Phil Angelides for Governor." - California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, Angelides for Governor Campaign Co-Chair

"Latino families know we can count on Phil Angelides to fight for education, affordable health care, good jobs, investments in struggling communities, and economic fairness for working families." - UFW Co-Founder Dolores Huerta

"Phil Angelides has always stood with us on the issues that matter - increasing access to quality health care, expanding college opportunity, and standing up for hard working families." - Senator Gil Cedillo
Latino Leaders for Phil Angelides
Campaign Co-Chair

Speaker of the California State Assembly Fabian Núñez
Elected Officials

Congressman Joe Baca
Congressman Xavier Becerra
Congressman Dennis Cardoza
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
Congresswoman Linda Sánchez
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez
Congresswoman Hilda Solis

State Senator Richard Alarcón
State Senator Gil Cedillo
State Senator Denise Loreno Ducheny
State Senator Dean Florez
State Senator Gloria Romero
State Senator Nell Soto
Assemblymember Joe Baca Jr.
Assemblymember Gloria Negrete-Mcleod
Assemblymember Lori Saldaña
Assemblymember Simon Salinas
Assemblymemeber Alberto Torrico

Cruz Reynoso, Former Associate Justice, California Supreme Court

Blanca Alvarado, Supervisor, Santa Clara County
Salud Carbajal, Supervisor, Santa Barbara County
James Gonzalez, Former Supervisor, City and County of San Francisco
Gloria Molina, Supervisor, Los Angeles County
Victor Carrillo, Supervisor, Imperial County
John Vasquez, Supervisor, Solano County

Mayor Pro Tem Pablo Catano, City of Hawthorne
Mayor Pro Tem Richard Chavez, City of Anaheim
Treasurer Maria Antonieta Contreras, City of Baldwin Park
Councilmember Rose Espinoza, City of La Habra
Councilmember Marlen Garcia, City of Baldwin Park
Councilmember Victor Gordo, City of Pasadena
Councilmember Roger Hernandez, City of West Covina
Mayor Pro Tem Meline Juarez, City of Covina
Mayor Victor Lopez, City of Orange Cove
Mayor Louie Lujan, City of La Puente
Councilmember Laura Macias, City of Mountain View
Mayor Pro Tem Nury Martinez, City of San Fernando
Councilmember Roberto Ocampo, City of Salinas
Councilmember Ana Ventura Phares, City of Watsonville
Mayor Anthony Portantino, City of La Canada Flintridge
Councilmember Antonio Rivas, City of Watsonville
Former Mayor Julia Sylva, City of Hawaiian Gardens
Ray Cordova , Former Director, Region 18, California Democratic Party

Councilmember Marco Robles, City of Pomona
Mayor Pro Tem Julie Ruiz-Raber, City of Carson
Councilmember Elito Santarina, City of Carson
Councilmember Jose Solorio, City of Santa Ana
Mayor Norma Torres, City of Pomona
Education

Rene Aguilera, Board Member, Roseville City School District
Christine Aranda, President, Southwestern College Board of Trustees
Rebecca Garcia, Board Member, Cabrillo Community College District Board of Trustees
Nicholas Gonzales Yuen, Board Member, Peralta Community College Board of Trustees
Maggie Mejia, Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District
Andre Quintero, Board Member, Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees
Sylvia Ruiz, President, Sacramento County Board of Education
Maria Elena Serna, Trustee, San Joaquin Delta Community College
Michelle Yanez, Board Member, Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees
Other Organizations/Leaders

Mexican American Bar Association, Political Action Committee
California La Raza Lawyers Association
Latina Lawyers Political Action Committee

Miguel Bustos, Former Executive Director, California Latino Civil Rights Network*
Hildy Carrillo-Rivera, Executive Director, Calexico Chamber of Commerce
Henry Cisneros, Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Frank Martin Del Campo, President, San Francisco Chapter Labor Council for Latin America*
Christina Felix-Carrasco, President, Latino Lawyers Bar Association*
Robert García, Executive Director, Center for Law in the Public Interest*
Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder, United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO
Nativo Virgil Lopez, President, Mexican American Political Organization*
Mickie Luna, Former State Director, California League of United Latin American Citizens*
Irma Munoz, President and Founder, Mujeres de la Tierra*
James Rojas, President, Latino Urban Forum*
Placido Salazar, Director, Northwest Region, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project*

Schwarzenegger reaffirms support of Minutemen vigilantes

As Gov. Schwarzenegger runs for re-election and attempts to court the Latino vote, there are several things that we on the opposition want to remind these critical swing voters, lest they be confused by the facade of the "really new and improved" Schwarzenegger (it's hard to keep track, with all his self-reinventions).

Luckily, Schwarzenegger has started to do that for us! This week, the Governor reaffirmed his famous and controversial support of the Minutemen border patrol. When he praised the group last year, after many leaders -- including even George W. Bush -- labeled them as "vigilantes," he drew criticism from a deeply offended Latino community.

Apparently he was trying to undercut some of that criticism and lack of support by holding a PR event called "Hispanic Families for Arnold," where he...repeated the gaffe.

Immigration politics also surfaced in California's gubernatorial race Tuesday, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger renewing his support for the civilian Minuteman border patrols at a campaign stop to showcase his Latino supporters in a Mexican restaurant in Lynwood.

"I support any time that a civilian wants to go and do the job that law enforcement cannot do," Schwarzenegger said in response to a question.

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Read My Lips: Taxes aren't the issue

So the big news today is Gov. Schwarzenegger predictably declaring he won't raise taxes if elected for a second term this November. This is the problem (well, one of them) with the mainstream media. Why, I wonder, isn't the headline "Governor promises not to balance the budget"? That is what is at the heart of this debate, and the relentless hammering on "not raising taxes" is only a convenient and politically expedient distraction.

As the story in the Bee says, Angelides has talked about a plan to make corporations and California's extremely wealthy pay their fair share in order to balance the state budget while providing for the needs of the state's 37 million residents.

But the mainstream media is playing right into Schwarzenegger's strategy to make this election all about taxes. Give me a break! There are 7 million people in California who don't have health insurance. The cost of living is skyrocketing for families, putting the typical California middle-class dream out of reach for millions of people year after year, and further squeezing those lucky enough to be living a middle-class life now. Meanwhile, wages remain stagnant for those at the bottom of the economic scale, under a Governor who has twice vetoed a minimum wage increase.

These are the issues that matter to most Californians, and these are the issues that the media and the public must hold Gov. Schwarzenegger and Phil Angelides accountable to. Schwarzenegger can and will keep delivering his well-rehearsed lines about taxes in order to try to trick people into voting for him, but those of us who know the truth have to fight back.

Stop the Violence. Save the Children

The violence is out of control, and we must reclaim our youth. Urban American has been plagued with an epidemic of murder that is taking the lives of far too many children. In San Francisco, we ran an inspiring campaign to dedicate $10 million/year to homicide prevention programs and came within a couple thousand votes of winning. In San Bernardino, California the San Bernardino Sun newspaper has a simple and heartfelt message -- "Enough." From San Francisco to Oakland to San Bernardino to Los Angeles and every other city dealing with this epidemic of violence it is time for all of us to say, "Enough." We need to come together in a statewide summit to bring attention to this issue and mobilize resources to stop the violence and reclaim our youth. Quite literally, our future depends on it.

The Common Good

A number of progressive thinkers and writers recently have made the argument that the Democrats are a party lacking an identity or purpose, and that our purpose should be securing the common good.

The summary of this line of thinking is that the Democrats of the past (and unfortunately still today) have focused on individual rights and individual issue areas, without a cohesive philosophy that can actually connect with people. The assertion that the Dems are a party in search of an idea is backed up with piles of polling data showing Republicans have double-digit advantages in nearly all segments of voters on the question of "knowing what they stand for." Securing the common good for Democrats means creating an economy that works for everyone, not just the extremely wealthy. It means embracing universal programs that benefit everyone equally, such as health care for all and free higher education. And it means having a foreign policy that reflects a global common good.

I completely agree with this analysis, and I have heard it now from many different sources and in many different forms -- the kind of synergy that happens when the right analysis begins to take hold. A top task for progressives in this political moment is to help the Democratic Party define itself. My question is, how do we begin?

Being focused mostly on California politics these days, it got me thinking about the incredible opportunity we have in the coming months with the 2006 Governor's race. I'm not sure many people even realize this opportunity, and it is quite possible that I am overly excited about it, given the lackluster campaign that Phil Angelides ran in the Primary. But I believe that even if Phil does not run the kind of campaign we wish he would, he is the kind of candidate we have been waiting for in California. And given the decidedly lame platform the House Democrats have come up with, the Governor's race in California looks to be our best chance at putting these big ideas to the test.

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MAYOR Ronald V. Dellums

Thirty-three years after Black Panther Party Co-Founder Bobby Seale ran for Mayor of Oakland, it's now official. Ronald V. Dellums -- the tall, dignified, articulate, and passionate crusader for justice and peace who came of political age in Oakland during the time of the Black Panthers -- will be the next Mayor of Oakland. Dellums has pledged to work to make Oakland a model city. In 1973, the Panthers sought political office to harness the power of government and put it in service to the people. People have marched, struggled, sacrificed, and died for the ideal of giving "All Power to the People." Now Ron Dellums is mayor, and we have a historic opportunity to use that power to improve the lives of the people of Oakland and provide a shining example to the country of what is possible in terms of enlightened municipal governance. Let's get to work.

The article about Dellums's victory is here.

Phil rocks

The entire speech by Phil Angelides as he accepted the Democratic nomination for Governor, posted below, is worth reading. This is the first time I have ever heard a candidate for Governor speak with conviction about truly lifting up those in our state who have been left out, locked out or left behind.

Despite the negative Primary campaign that turned a lot of people off, the reality is that Phil is a candidate for statewide office more commited to social justice than we have seen in a long time. Let's take the opportunity in the next few months until November to help more people become inspired by this truly progressive vision:

I want to thank the people of California, and each and every one of you, for this remarkable opportunity.

You’ve given me the chance to fight for you – for the California of our dreams -- and I’m not going to let you down.

We’re going to win this election – and we’re going to go on to build a better, stronger, fairer California for our children, and generations to come.

I want to thank Steve Westly, who called to offer his support in the months and miles ahead. I know he cares very deeply about this state, as do all who supported him in this election. And I look forward to working together on the road to victory this fall.

In these months of decision, we’ve been up, we’ve been down, more than once we’ve been counted out.

But we won this fight because we stood for something greater:

A California that gives its people more chances, not fewer, to climb the ladder of opportunity;

A California that lifts the burden from hard-working families – instead of just lavishing more on those who have the most.

A California that makes opportunity real for each new generation of seekers and idealists, in what is still the frontier of the American dream.

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Angelides Can Win

The current conventional wisdom is that Phil Angelides can't defeat Schwarzenegger in this Fall's electiion. I don't know what that "wisdom" is based on. According to the Secretary of State, there are 15.6 million registered voters in California as of May 22, 2006. 42.7% of the registered voters are Democrats, 34.4% Republican, and 18.5% Decline to State. The results can be found here.

Angelides is the Democratic nominee. With the exception of the unique circumstances of the Recall in 2003, the Democrat has prevailed in California in every election for Governor, Senator, or President. Granted, Schwarzenegger remains a larger-than-life figure and a formidable foe. Yet he is still a Republican. A Republican who vetoed gay marriage, who supports restricting a woman's right to choose, and who has raised student fees on nearly 3 million students two years in a row. Phil Angelides is the Democratic nominee, there are 1.3 million more Democrats than Republicans in the state, and if we get out the vote this Fall, Angelides could well be our next Governor.

Live from YearlyKos!

The blogosphere has materialized in person in Las Vegas at the YearlyKos convention. Kos, Joe Trippi, Ana Marie Cox (Wonkette) are all here as are the right wing media reps from the National Review and the Weekly Standard. If you look closely in the picture you can see Joe Trippi.

Black Power

One of the little-noticed developments in yesterday's election results is the success of African American candidates.

In a state legislature with only six African Americans, the size of the Black Caucus just grew by three as Laura Richardson won her race in Long Beach, Sandre Swanson won Wilma Chan's seat in Oakland (making him the only Black member of the state Legislature from Northern California), and Wilmer Carter won the race for the 62nd Assembly District seat in the Inland Empire. Also, Palm Springs mayor Ron Oden is trailing by just 253 votes in the 80th Assembly District.

In Oakland's 2nd District City Council race, rising star Aimee Allison made a strong showing of 37% to force a Fall runoff against the incumbent. And, perhaps most inspiring of all, it looks like Ron Dellums will avoid a runoff and become the next mayor of Oakland, California. Dellums has pledged to make Oakland a model city for the nation, and we should all do what we can to help him. When he agreed to run, Dellums said, "If Ron Dellums running for Mayor gives you hope, then let's get on with it." Well, Ron Dellums BEING Mayor really gives us hope.

Congratulations to all the talented Black candidates for their strong and successful showings yesterday.

Vote today!

Today is election day in California, so don't forget to go to the polls and let your voice be heard in a number of key statewide candidate races and two ballot measures, Prop 81 - library funding - and Prop 82 - preschool for all.

In San Francisco, vote Yes on Prop A for much-needed funding to combat the root causes of violence in parts of the city that are seeing record murder rates.

Check out voter guides from Speak Out California and the League of Young Voters for more information!

Officials are predicting a record low turnout. Don't be part of that dismal statistic. Get out there and vote!

Democrats have a chance at outsing Pombo

The Chronicle has a nice overview of the 11th District Congressional race in Fresno, one of the hottest contests in the country this year. Stars have aligned in a way that makes it possible, even for a gerrymandered district, to oust incumbent and enemy of the environment and working people, Richard Pombo.

Rev. Jackson preaches unity

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was in town this week, and Marissa and I were lucky to be able to attend a community breakfast he hosted in Oakland with about 100 faith, community and political leaders from throughout Northern California.

Rev. Jackson's overarching message was about "radical disconnection." Despite the connectedness through technology we experience every day -- laptops, cell phones, hand-held computers -- we are remarkably disconnected from one another when it comes to building political power.

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Why Angelides?

Harold Meyerson has one of the best insights I have yet to see on the Democratic Gubernatorial primary election in the L.A. Weekly, and in the media climate we've been subjected to through this campaign so far, I for one am extremely grateful.

The whole thing is a must-read, but here's the nut:

California’s treasurer ain’t nobody’s shrinking violet. During the energy crisis, he called for the creation of a state energy company to serve as a yardstick for the private companies that were then robbing California blind. He criticized Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budgets when no one else was criticizing Schwarzenegger at all. And he advocates raising taxes on the rich and corporations to improve the state’s schools.

For this, Westly has mounted a new ad campaign criticizing Angelides as a tax-raiser who may say he’s only interested in taxing the rich, but will someday be coming, dear viewer, after you. It’s a line of attack that Republicans always use against Democrats who favor progressive taxation. Should Angelides make it into the general (and at the moment, the polls depict the Democratic contest as a tossup), Westly is in essence previewing the ads that Schwarzenegger will use against the treasurer in the fall.

The question for Democrats is how much a Westly governorship would resemble Schwarzenegger’s as well. On most issues, the controller takes generally mainstream Democratic positions. But behind the scenes, his unwillingness to upset business interests has been troubling. Today, he touts his success at bringing in revenue to the state from all manner of one-time tax shelters. But when the bill closing those shelters was moving through the Legislature in 2003, and when it was sitting on then-Governor Gray Davis’ desk as the Gray One pondered his position (he ultimately signed it), Westly rebuffed invitations to endorse the bill either publicly or privately.

Angelides is not the sum of human virtue. He’s brilliant and not shy about letting you know it. He’s micromanaged his own sometime-meandering campaign in a way that might portend problems if he’s elected governor. But the conventional media wisdom, that there’s really no difference between the two Democratic candidates for governor, is deeply wrong — wrong as only the conventional media wisdom can be. In a timid time, Phil Angelides has a clear record as a bold liberal. Steve Westly, I fear, may be — well, a cavity.

Courting the Asian vote

The San Jose Mercury today has a story about the growing focus on the Asian vote by political campaigns, highlighting efforts by both Phil Angelides and Steve Westly in the race for Governor.

The story quotes PowerPAC's poll results for Asian-American voters on the Governor's race:

Longtime political observer Tony Quinn sees the courting of Asian-Americans as part of a long political tradition, especially in the Democratic Party, which built strength through outreach to Irish, Italians, blacks and Latinos.

Seeking out ethnic voters ``is as old as the republic,'' said Quinn, who co-edits the non-partisan California Target Book analyzing state races. ``It's beneficial, sure, but it's much harder to do with Asians in California, because there's not one language or one demographic group.''

An April poll by the non-partisan political organization PowerPAC.org showed that Asian-American voters would favor either Westly or Angelides over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger if the election were held today. In the primary race, 16 percent of Asian-American voters surveyed preferred Westly and 7 percent favored Angelides, with nearly three-quarters undecided.

The large numbers of undecided voters among Asians and across racial groups shows again that the campaigns have a lot of work to do between now and June 6 to stop the standard bickering and political attacks and lay out a truly compelling and positive vision for California.

Pombo challengers have work cut out for them

Today's Modesto Bee takes a look at polling data on the Democratic challengers vying for the nomination to take on Rep. Richard Pombo, the seven-term Republican Congressman from Tracy who has become a top target for ousting by statewide environmental and social justice leaders.

Meanwhile, a San Jose Mercury News editorial lays out the case for why all of Pombo's challengers -- in both primaries -- represent a better choice for California voters.

From the streets to the polls

More stories today focusing on the potential for an increase in political participation by immigrants, particularly Latinos, in California politics. A terrifically researched piece is in today's Inland Daily Bulletin:

Latino and Asian civic groups last week reignited voter-registration drives by calling upon the thousands who participated in protests to take their enthusiasm to the ballot box in November.

But experts said that if history serves as any guide, short-term gains are likely to be few, while long-term gains will be significant.

‘‘If the next step and what we are seeing in the streets moves toward citizenship, voter turnout and registration, if that has any kind of legs beyond this year it will make California the darkest shade of blue possible and give rise to more Latino candidates at all levels,'' said Jaime Regalado, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute at California State University, Los Angeles.

‘‘It will probably usher in a decade of increased Latino political victories." Regalado said. "But, that's if things play out as organizers hope they play out.''

For now, organizers of Latino and Asian immigrant rights groups say that not since 1994 when a California proposal to deny illegal immigrants social services was on the ballot has there been such an urgency among their communities to register to vote.

Marching California to the polls and a new progressive era

PowerPAC.org President Steve Phillips has a column over at California Progress Report today, going more in depth on the background behind our statewide poll and what the surge of Latino activism around immigration reform really means for the future of California.

What all of these facts and figures mean is that the massive mobilizations of the past couple months definitely carry the potential power to reshape and reorder California’s politics and priorities. In the early 1900s, the expansion of democracy to include new immigrants and others helped lead to the Progressive Era. During that period, dramatic and lasting advances in social justice public policy were enacted – women’s suffrage, the minimum wage, the eight hour work day, pensions for teachers. One hundred years later, we may well be witnessing the dawn of another era of far-reaching public policy.

The families and friends of immigrants who have been marching through the streets definitely have the votes to elect new leaders and create new policies that will provide all members of the California family with high quality health care, education, housing, and economic security.

Frank Russo at the Progress Report also wrote an excellent piece yesterday on PowerPAC's poll release. Check it out!

A new civil rights movement

The L.A. Times has a great story today that lays out the challenge that lies ahead for progressives: turning the energy from the recent immigrant rights protests into votes.

Mexican immigrant Ofelia Luna, 42, has held a green card for nearly two decades but didn't become a U.S. citizen until about five years ago.

She is still not a registered voter but said she is now inspired to become one. She plans to register in time to vote for the next president, she said.

"I am part of this," she said, pointing to the crowd around City Hall. "I want my voice to be heard."

And immigrant supporters also see another source of new voters: high school students who will soon come of voting age.

Attorney Jessica Dominguez, who heads the immigration section of the Los Angeles County Bar Assn. and frequently speaks to students, said the recent marches and protests have helped politicize a generation that will soon be of voting age.

"These are U.S. citizen kids, and the message is they are going to vote," Dominguez said. "My own 19-year-old son is so excited. He knows we are living through historic moments, and he can't wait."

In California, we must not only register thousands of new voters, but also work to engage them in politics at a local and statewide level. There are 25 bills currently in the State Legislature that are anti-immigrant, and some of the legislators who have introduced them come from areas that are heavily Latino, but where the electorate is still predominately conservative and white. PowerPAC, as well as our community group and labor allies, are working to correct this imbalance in the most strategically significant parts of the state.

Anyone who went to one of the marches Monday or even just saw the dramatic photos cannot deny that something incredible is happening right now. Hearing the deep hope and convictions expressed by the people at these rallies makes me understand that It's not going to stop with marching. It can't. This is a new civil rights movement, and it will not stop until we see change.

Immigrant rights march is Monday

This Monday, millions of immigrants and supporters of immigrant rights will take to the streets to demonstrate their opposition to current policy proposals that are an attack on their human rights.

May 1, May Day, will also be known as "El Dia Son Immigrantes," as people will walk out of work and school and have pledged to buy nothing as a show of their economic strength in this country.

In San Francisco, PowerPAC.org staff will stand in solidarity with these marchers, and in support of this new movement in our community.

The fact that there are people living and working here, contributing to the economy and communities but living without many basic rights and freedoms is wrong, and a human rights issue. In that context, the racist and xenophobic policy proposals coming out of the Republicans is shameful, and worthy of protests of epic proportions.

Gathering begins at 11 a.m. at the Ferry Building downtown, and the march, begining at 1 p.m., will go up Market Street to Civic Center. We hope you will join us!

Is "Hotel Darfur" Next?

How many times will we stand idly by while genocide happens on our watch? What will it take for the media and the federal government to intervene and stop the slaughter in Darfur, Sudan? Read the following article, and please do what you can:

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A Casualty of Cruelness

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:

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Define "Illegal"

There's a great deal of discussion about "illegal immigrants." It seems to me that just who is where illegally has a lot to do with what time frame you're looking at. Were the European settlers "legal" immigrants in the eyes of the Native Americans? Was the U.S.-initiated war against Mexico that led to the annexation of what was once Mexico (and is now the Southwestern United Staes) "legal"?

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My eyes. My 'hood. 3 injured, 1 dead.

It’s been a while since I posted a blog, but I couldn’t take it anymore! Folks need to hear it!

Tuesday night, there was a fatal shooting in San Francisco, on Mission Street between 15th and 16th street that left 3 people injured and 1 dead. I was JUST there that night having dinner. When I got home, I turned on the TV to hear that through breaking news. The young man who was killed happened to be someone I went to school with. As I saw his sister (who I ALSO went to school with) cry on the television screen in front of me I grew angrier. My mom still lives less than two blocks from where the shooting occurred. My family has lived in that neighborhood for almost 30 years—and no, my mom’s not leaving any time soon. She has warned my partner and I about coming by the house because there has been a lot of violent activity and shootings happening near the house and she doesn’t want us to come around. Now, my partner and I grew up in that 4 block radius our whole lives, including in the Valencia Gardens Housing Projects that’s now under redevelopment.

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Study finds Southeast Asian youths at risk

A new study on juvenile crime in Richmond found high crime rates among Vietnamese and Loatian youths, who are isolated by language barriers and have little understanding of social welfare systems.

From the Contra Costa Times:

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"George Bush doesn't care about black people"

The Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet announced the winners of its 2006 Golden Dot Awards, which honor excellence in online campaigning. There are a couple of progressive winners that stand out, including George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People for best political web video or animation, and Wake Up Walmart for best national campaign.

Many of you probably saw the animation/video inspired by Kanye West's famous truth-telling on live national television following the Hurricane Katrina response disaster. Even if you have, it's worth seeing again, as those images, those words, and the utter callousness displayed by Bush during that time should never leave our minds.

Check out the entire list of winners here.

Comforting lies about income inequality

Paul Krugman hits one out of the park in today's New York Times:

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Web-Based Media – The Wild, Wild Web and the New Frontier

This blog is the fourth in a series on media – three other parts explore mainstream media (1-25-06), alternative media (1-31-06) and web-based media (2-7-06).

In talking about media – the fourth and newest form of media is web-based media. This new frontier can supplement existing media as seen in websites of established forms of media like the New York Times or CNN’s website. In this case the website incorporates newer media strategies like blogs from talking heads (I mean reporters) and journalists and such. Many established sites, such as MSNBC also include “citizen journalist” reports – that is, reports from “regular” folks like you and I. These reports tend to be topical pieces on events such as Hurricane Katrina or the Iraqi elections and tell stories from a more personal perspective. Or they cover more “fluff” stories such as sports or entertainment events. While presenting a different point of view (and maybe giving these established media some “street cred”), this type of reporting is what I call a “controlled perspective” kind of reporting – sure, it’s not Ted Koppel but the citizen journalism pieces these more established sites present seldom veer far off from the perspective presented by the host site. They tend to present a more “human” side for sure, but generally in keeping with the basic structure and perspective of the host site.

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World Social Forum 2006 in Caracas, Venezuela

What I Dreamt--

Join photographer Michelle Gutierrez and writer Amrah Salomon Johnson as they travel to the World Social Forum 2006 in Caracas, Venezuela.

The Belly of The Beast
We arrived back Saturday night to streamers, friends and chocolate awaiting us at Casita Precita, our lovely home in the Mission District. Sunday we a day of rest and reflection, as Michelle and I sank into the couch and tried to enjoy The Simpsons while struggling with the bitterness at being back in the US and away from the beauty and hope of Latin America. I've heard that the only coverage of the forum in the US focused on Cindy Sheenan, how she hugged Chavez and was arrested while trying to exercise her right to then hear her own president speak when she returned. Chavez refers to Sheenan as "Ms. Hope." And it seems that this average mom from the sticks does indeed represent the hope that many of us share, that average folks here will someday wake up and have the courage to do something about this awful mess we've created.

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The Highest Aspirations of the Human Soul

There is an excellent (abeit somewhat wordy) article on AlterNet about Michael Lerner's new book, The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right. I've been wrestling with how to re-connect the progressive movement to the wellsprings of power that flow from the moral struggles for justice and equality, and Lerner is articulating a similar approach. Here's one of his key sentences, "We should be talking in that kind of language, a language that transcends the normal discourse of the Left and the Right and reaches to the highest aspirations of the human soul." By speaking to the human aspirations for justice and compassion, we can recapture the support of the majority of American voters and people.

Why we need universal health care

Sen. Carol Migden is proposing a bill that would force companies with more than 10,000 employees -- mostly large retail chains like Wal-Mart and Target -- to spend more on health insurance for workers.

From the Mercury News:

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Ethnic Media – Different Voices, Different Perspectives

This blog is the third in a series on media – three other parts explore mainstream media (1-25-06), alternative media (1-31-06) and web-based media.

In thinking about different forms of media – we have looked at mainstream media that is, traditional means of getting information out such as major newspapers, broadcast TV news and their on-line offshoots – which has been hijacked by corporate interests looking to reach their targeted consumers. We then examined the reaction to that condition, alternative media which is (hopefully) more inclusive in its reach and its organizational structures. But a condition not addressed by alternative media is the need for ethnically- and language-specific news and information.

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Alternative Media – Our News

This blog is the second in a series on media – three other parts explore mainstream media (last week’s blog), ethnic media and web-based media.

Description of Alt Media vs Mainstream

Last week we looked at the origins of mainstream media as a barrier of information to the masses, and how our founding fathers saw the common man – the majority - as a threat to the opulent – the minority. We presented the practice of mainstream media selling their targeted audiences to its advertisers. Our conclusion? That mainstream media is actually an elitist mechanism for disseminating information geared towards a minority of desirable consumers (the opulent minority).

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Rest In Peace Coretta Scott King

SF Gate Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Coretta Scott King, who turned a life shattered by her husband's assassination into one devoted to enshrining his legacy of human rights and equality, has died, former mayor Andrew Young told NBC Tuesday morning. She was 78.

Young, who was a former civil rights activist and was close to the King family, broke the news during a phone call he made to the "Today" show. "I was not expecting it. She has been ill for last few months. My first reaction was she was ready to cross on over."

Asked how he found out about her death, Young said: "I understand she was asleep last night and her daughter tried to wake her up."

Efforts by The Associated Press to reach the family were unsuccessful. They did not immediately return phone calls, but flags at the King Center were lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning.

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Democratizing Technology and Social Change

With rapid-fire changes occurring on a regular basis in information technology, advocates for social justice must regularly assess the tactical and strategic implications of these technologies. A friend I respect was saying yesterday that we should work towards getting control of a television broadcast outlet and then do things such as replacing conservative religious programming with progressive religious programs. That conversation led me to wonder about the implications of Apple and Google making television shows available for download from their websites. As that trend accelerates, will television broadcasters have as much power as now, or will the democratizing potential of technology finally make all of us potential "broadcasters"? It's worth thinking about.

There is an interesting article today on Alternet about the political potential of social networking sites such as Friendster or Myspace. Here's an excerpt from the article:

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Mainstream Media Casts Its Spell

This blog is the first in a series on media – three more parts will explore alternative media, ethnic media and web-based media.

"... our government ought to secure the permanent interests of the country against innovation. Landholders ought to have a share in the government, to support these invaluable interests, and to balance and check the other. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority."- James Madison, during the 1787 debates over the federal Constitution

(Today the word “landowners” should be replaced with “corporations”.)

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Nurses propose new campaign spending limits

California Nurses Association leaders announced Monday it will be filing a ballot measure for the November 2006 election that would limit corporate campaign contributions and establish a system of public financing for campaigns in California.

The public financing component would be modeled after legislation currently making its way through the Capitol, Assemblymember Loni Hancock's AB 583.

From the L.A. Times:

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Voting is a Revolutionary Act

Somewhere along the line, voter registration and mobilization and electoral politics got defined as weak, wimpy, quasi-sell-out activities. Tolerated, but looked down as not hip, cool or revolutionary. I don't know how this happened, and at times I think it's part of a very successful right wing plot to divert our attention from the real levers of power. The point of a revolution is to gain control of a country and then govern it better and in the interests of the masses of people. Short of armed conflict, voting is the best way to do that. That is what Malcolm meant when he said, "The Ballot or the Bullet." Both are tools of revolutionary change.

I was reminded this weekend of the extraordinary sacrifices people have made to acquire the right to vote. I was privileged to serve on a panel with distinguished South African Judge Albie Sachs. Justice Sachs has been involved in the South African freedom struggle his entire adult life, and the South African police tried to kill him by blowing up a bomb in his car. Justice Sachs lost an arm and sight in one eye, but he has persevered. He was placed in solitary confinement in the 1960s, and supported the struggle for the democracy -- for the right to vote -- for thirty years before the franchise was granted to all South Africans.

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