Progressive Democrats Sonoma County

March 9, 2010

We highly encourage signing up for a PDA Issue Organizing Team (IOT) if you wish to actively engage in the work of PDA and PDSonoma County. If you have not already done so, you can get started by clicking on ‘Committees’ on the menu at the top of this website page and there you can:

*sign up for a PDA Issue Organizing Team via the PDA website and

*find the name and contact information for the local PDSonoma chapter team leader for that IOT. If you have not already done so, let that person know that you have signed up for the PDA IOT and they can add you to their local chapter list of activists on that particular issue.

SPREAD THE WORD ...
by George Lakoff

Dear Friends,

The California budget crisis is a democracy crisis.

The 2/3 vote rules have destroyed democracy. A small minority of extreme conservatives – 37 percent – has been controlling the state legislature
by saying no to all proposals until it gets what it wants. They want to destroy the ability of the state to serve public needs. They like the budget cuts. They don’t care about the pain they have caused.

We – the majority of voters – can change all that. We can pass the California Democracy Act, an initiative on the November 2010 ballot. It is one sentence long – only 14 words. It is simple democracy.

Norman Solomon
February 2, 2010

Take Action: Eat lunch for peace—become a brown-bagger

This isn’t “defense.”

The new budget from the White House will push U.S. military spending well above $2 billion a day.

Foreclosing the future of our country should not be confused with defending it.

“Unless miraculous growth, or miraculous political compromises, creates some unforeseen change over the next decade, there is virtually no room for new domestic initiatives for Mr. Obama or his successors,” the New York Times reports this morning (February 2)

Read the Rest Here

By Richard Halstead
Marin IJ
January 27, 2010

Marin residents who listened to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Wednesday included a progressive Democrat, who disliked many of the president’s policy prescriptions, and two Republicans, who admire many of those same policies but doubt Obama’s sincerity.

“The speech was nice but reflected deteriorating policies,” said Norman Solomon, a West Marin author and progressive activist.

Referring to Obama’s proposal for a three-year budget freeze, Solomon said, “Now he’s not only a military hawk in Afghanistan, he’s also become a deficit hawk with the domestic budget. This is exactly the wrong direction in terms of job creation. FDR would be rolling over in his grave.”

And that was not all that rankled Solomon.

Read the rest here

Let’s combine forces to form the Brownbagger Movement!
Here’s a suggestion for what we should call ourselves— us ordinary people, progressives, ethnic groups, students, labor unions, other workers, environmentalists, conservationists and poor and middle class people: …

Read the Rest Here

Ed. Note: Author Rick Massell is an active member of Progressive Democrats Sonoma County. PDSonoma County hosted David Swanson in Santa Rosa on January 13.

Dear Progressive Democrats Sonoma County,

Why We Can!

The California Democracy Act is the start of a movement in California to democratize the state, beginning with the state legislature. Most voters are not aware that the state’s problems stem from the fact that the majority of legislators, who are quite responsible, are controlled by a small minority, a situation that runs shockingly counter to the most fundamental of American values.

This is the only campaign that can change that situation. We intend, as well, to raise the issue of what government is about, not only in California, but in America – that it is the way that citizens protect and empower the entire citizenry.

Mike Hall
January 7, 2010, San Francisco, CA

Published by AFL-CIO Blog.

More than 100 union members, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and UNITEHERE! President John Wilhelm were arrested at a sit-in demanding justice and a fair contract for San Francisco hotel workers last night. The workers have been without a contract since August.

The sit-in in front of the Hilton San Francisco followed a march by nearly 1,000 members of UNITEHERE! Local 2, other union members and community and political supporters. Says Ingrid Carp, a cook for 29 years at the Hilton:

“We’re determined as ever to win a good contract. It’s wrong for corporations to position themselves to make billions with the coming economic recovery, and expect us to go backward.”

Read the Rest Here

By Norman Solomon
Marin IJ
December 27, 2009

Localism, if carried to an extreme, can drift toward isolation rather than connectedness. A key insight of environmental awareness – that all of nature is interconnected – is liable to be squandered if we tune out the larger regions, jurisdictions and forces at work.

AN AILING ECONOMY and a warming climate have caused many people to become more skeptical of business as usual in such matters as food, energy, housing, water and the environment. The virtues of self-reliance are compelling – and in Marin County, more than ever, the hunt is on for local solutions.

There’s a lot of value in “go local” perspectives. Far too often, our communities are beset by cookie-cutter chain stores, centralized bureaucracies and impersonal, corporate-driven forces that take precedence over environmental concerns, employees’ rights and civic compassion.

Read the Rest Here

December 27, 2009

One Sentence Can Change California History

Our proposition is simple – one sentence, 14 words:

All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote.

Why Is Our Budget Process Failing California?

Right now, a small minority of legislators (1/3 plus 1) of either the assembly or senate can block the will of the majority. This is undemocratic. It has led to the closing of our state parks, public libraries, and fire departments. It has decimated our educational system and social safety net. It is time now to ACT.

Michael Aparicio
Empire Report
December 22, 2009

Despite an administrative campaign defined by misinformation and scare tactics, and a competing union’s million dollar anti-union efforts, Memorial Hospital employees vote to unionize with National Union of Healthcare Workers. Why is their victory expected to have national significance?

Read the Rest Here

David Swanson
December 12, 2009

Join PDA’s End War and Occupations, Redirect Funding Issue Organizing Team (IOT); learn more here.

Published by AfterDowningStreet.

Sometimes it’s relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina, sometimes it’s hate crimes legislation, sometimes it’s education funding for veterans. One day soon it will be free kittens for children with cancer. It’s always something. It’s always something that could pass just fine on its own. But it’s included as lipstick on the recurring and ever-fattening pigs of U.S. politics: war funding bills.

Next week, the warfunding bill that was passed in June will come up for a final vote, as part of a larger military bill that is part of a still larger spending package. How would any member of Congress dare to vote against such a thing? Well, just in case any of them might begin to consider it, our congressional “leaders” will include in the war funding bill a special treat: funding for unemployment insurance (plus possibly COBRA health and food stamp benefits, tax breaks for small businesses, and funding for state and local governments). How’s that for alluring lipstick?

Read the Rest Here

By David Swanson
Speech at White House, December 12, 2009

video below

Can you imagine the outcries of national shame from liberal commentators if George W. Bush had accepted a peace prize by advocating for war and announcing his right to launch wars of aggression? What an embarrassment that would have been!

But Bush would have made such a speech with fewer troops in the field, fewer mercenaries in the field, a smaller war budget, a smaller military budget, bases in fewer nations, the imperial powers of the presidency less firmly established, and — of course — worse pronunciation.

Read the Full Story Here

December 10, 2009

This afternoon, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) sent this bulletin out to its mailing list:
__________________

NUHW Bulletin:

Political leaders, scholars, and clergy form commission to monitor anti-union campaign at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital

Today in Santa Rosa, a group of prominent political leaders, scholars, and religious leaders announced the formation of a Fair Election Oversight Commission to protect workers’ rights in the contested Dec. 17 union vote at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

By Peter Phillips
November 22, 2009

Police are arresting and attacking student protesters on University of California (UC) campuses again. “Why did he beat me I wasn’t doing anything,” screamed a young Cal Berkeley women student over KPFA radio on Friday evening November 20. Students are protesting the 32% increase in tuition imposed by the UC regents in a time of severe state deficits. The Board of Regents claims that they have no choice. Students will now have to pay over $10,000 in tuition annually for a public university education that was free only a few decades ago.

__________

September 14, 2009

With your help fiscally dysfunctional California can pass a ballot measure authored by Dr. George Lakoff that says, ”All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote.”

The California Majority Rule campaign is dedicated to making this happen. This is your chance to change California history.

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.

Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine, will draw the connections between economic policy, “shock and awe” warfare,and covert CIA-funded experiments in electroshock and sensory deprivation in the 1950’s. Based on four years of on-the-ground reporting in disaster zones, she will explain how disaster capitalism – the rapid-fire corporate reengineering of societies – did not begin with September 11, 2001.

Sonoma State University, The Cooperage
($2.50 parking fee)
$15 general admission, free to SSU students, faculty and staff
Information – 664-2382

October 15 at 7:00 p.m. the task force for SEATTLE+10 Sonoma County will meet at the Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa. Our speakers list is shaping up; we still need a place to hold it; we need help with publicity, sponsorships, outreach to convince Sonoma County that the Spirit of Seattle 1999 still lives.

Please meet with us!

This group is planning an event or series of events Nov. 28-Dec. 5 — in conjunction with activists in Portland and Seattle and other cities who are holding events in commemoration and continuation of the Spirit of Seattle. 10 years ago Seattle became the flashpoint for resistance to the WTO and its contribution to disaster capitalism. Join Seattle+10 – Sonoma County in creating a meaningful local event for this important anniversary. Bring your ideas, your enthusiasm and a little bit of your time.

The BradBlog
September 28, 2009

Following on Rachel Maddow’s tremendous coverage last Thursday of the GOP’s years-long witch-hunt of ACORN, and the media’s abysmal job at telling the truth about the lies used to smear the community organization, the MSNBC journalist calls it an “outrage” and kept her promise of following up with another episode on Friday.

Maddow continued her long-overdue exposé, by examining the “Defund ACORN Act of 2009”, which recently passed both houses of Congress by large margins, after sting videos showing low-level ACORN employees behaving stupidly (but breaking no laws) were created and posted by rightwing operatives. As she notes, the Congressional bill appears to be both unconstitutional, and incredibly hypocritical given that other, still-federally funded organizations —- such as Halliburton, Blackwater and many many more —- often receive far more federal funding in a single day than ACORN has received during the organization’s entire lifetime.

Furthermore, those other organizations which still receive billions from the U.S. government, were actually found to have committed actual crimes, such as millions of dollars worth of fraud, have been charged with murder and the deaths of U.S. troops, and even involve child prostitution and sex slavery!...

FULL STORY, VIDEO: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7437

By BOB NORBERG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
September 25, 2009

Wal-Mart’s proposal to add a supermarket to its Rohnert Park store was opposed Thursday by critics who said it offers low wages and few benefits to workers and will have a negative effect on other merchants.

“It’s a bad idea that couldn’t get worse,” said Dawna Gallagher, one of several who spoke at a hearing on the project’s draft environmental impact before the city’s Planning Commission.

Retail giant Wal-Mart is proposing to supersize its Rohnert Park store by adding a 35,000-square-foot grocery store that could open as early as 2011.

Wal-Mart’s low prices could be a boon to shoppers, who in interviews at several Rohnert Park stores this week said that during this recession, the cost of groceries is more important than ever.

Thursday night, however, it was only opponents who spoke during the 45-minute hearing. No representative of Wal-Mart spoke.

Read the Full Story Here

Alice Chan
July 14, 2009

Take Action: Tell Congress Take Action Help Main Street INSTEAD of Wall Street

The program for the July meeting of Progressive Democrats Sonoma County was the second in a series of informational programs on the topic of “Disaster Capitalism: the mortgage melt-down, and the current economic crisis.”

At the July meeting we saw a clip from a film about the calamity on Wall
 Street, Heist co-produced by Donald Goldmacher and Frances Causey. The film is a hard-hitting and no-holds-barred report on free-market economics, Milton Friedman’s view of how the world should work, how that translated into Reaganomics and corporate greed, and why that not-so-ancient history is important in understanding who’s getting richer and who’s getting even 
poorer today. In order to build a progressive action plan we need to understand what happened and how it happened and learn the vocabulary that the pundits and economists use.



Read more

Printed in The Press Democrat
July 14, 2009
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The North Bay needs a Green New Deal
By NORMAN SOLOMON

Can the North Bay achieve a modern version of the New Deal to revive the region’s economy and promote a sustainable green future?

The obstacles are huge — and so are the imperatives. A massive recession is boosting unemployment, while severe pollution continues to fuel global warming. The need for a Green New Deal is greater than ever.

Read the Rest Here

By Peter Phillips
Empire Report
posted July 5, 2009

Is California’s budget crisis a consequence of the recession? Are such analyses short-sighted? Or worse? According to this commentary, they’re part of a trend going back to 1993, during which wages and unions have been undermined to protect corporate profits.

California State Budget Crisis Not Caused by the Recession

What is the cause of California’s budget crisis?

by Linda Milazzo
July 4, 2009

This morning I received the following letter from President Barack Obama:

Read the Rest Here