Category Archives: Bay Area

CA-48th: A Question for All…Help Shape the Message

(I like this idea. The Blog Brain… – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Ok. Here’s a brainstrom. Let’s use our collective Blog Brain to help me gather some info for the CA-48th campaign which has it’s General Election on Dec 6th.

Now that we are in a General Election it is natural that there will be more conflict between the limited field. In the primary there were 17 candidates.

Now, realistically, there’s Steve Young (D), John Campbell (R) and Jim Gilchrist (More important stuff on the flip.AIP).

[Note before you write-off Gilchrist,  know that today he is having a $1000 per person fundraiser abroad one of the Tall Ships around here for a day of seagoing etc. And he’ll sell it out is my guess. I’ll let you know.]

If we were to change message at all, assuming you’ve been watching our message, what would you like to see?

 

Check the website, Steve Young for Congress, to get a feel for his core message and stand on issues, then tell us how you would approach the coming General Election where the Three Frontrunners have to confront their differences more directly and, perhaps, dramatically.

All responses will be taken seriously if written that way. Thanks.

PS: This isn’t a debate about his view, BTW. They are what they are although he’s shown himself to be open to other sides. This is about the General Election Message in a Red District.

First Rule: Before you can govern, you must win.

CA-48th: The Real News

Well, the CA-48th has settled into a three period waiting for the November 8th statewide elections.  Everyone in the 48th is trying their best to help do the work necessary on the November 8th election and still help CA-48 and Steve Young and it’s hard on everyone! I think both will pick up dramatically for us after the Statewide General Election is finished and the Governor’s effort is defeated.

Yesterday Governor Muscles started his official GOTV effort in OC and Steve Young was out front with the Firefighters, Police unions and other labor groups protesting with signs and shouts. He is due to go to a Senator Clinton fundraiser tonight. Will he get an official photo we can use? I don’t know yet. That was still being talked about last I heard.

But the most amazing piece of info from this mornings article about the Statewide General Special Election was that even Muscles was only predicting a 30% turnout!

With the tens of millions that both sides have already spent on this race I thought it would be much higher than that.

This makes my own prediction for Dec 6th (the Final General Election for Ca-48th) of 18%, down from the 22% of the Oct 4th Primary, seem realistic…not just wishful.

If we can move a relative handful of our 108K Democratic Base and the 75K Indy base…much less pick up the Republican women that won’t vote for the Republican because he’s Anti-Choice….

We can win this race!

We need you good Democrats and Independents to work hard to defeat those damn propositions but not forget the hard work of Steve Young, his volunteers and give generously as you can.

All of us know this isn’t the easiest time to be a Democrat in California. We are faced with huge money and an enormous machine.

But remember that the modern Democratic Party was born in the struggle of the Union movement when getting to the negotiating table was done with physical fighting, blood and broken bones. What we do today is nothing compared to what was done by those brave people a generation or two before us.

Work hard and never, ever give up. Our Democratic forefathers, many of whom shed blood on the picket lines or getting into polling places, demand it of us.

San Diego Mayoral Election News

( – promoted by SFBrianCL)

It’s not getting the same kind of press as the special election, but the San Diego mayoral race is an interesting contest as well.  From Hotline at nationaljournal.com:

Racked by scandal, San Diego is choosing a new slate of leaders. “Polls suggest that former Police Chief Jerry Sanders has a comfortable lead over Councilwoman Donna Frye. He’s a Republican, former Red Cross and United Way official and born-again tax-fighter. She’s a Democrat and surf-shop owner who has dared suggest the city may need a half-cent boost in sales tax to dig its way out of the worst fiscal mess in its history. Even in a mini-era in which everything else at City Hall is topsy-turvy, mayoral politics seem to be following the pattern seen repeatedly in the last three-plus decades. A moderate beats a liberal. A Republican beats a Democrat unless the Republican is tarred as a lackey of land developers. The candidate who pledges fealty to the local anti-tax orthodoxy has an advantage over one who does not. Frye has a smattering of Democrats, women’s groups and private-sector labor unions. Public-employee unions, criticized by both candidates for the city’s $2-billion pension deficit, are staying neutral. A poll by DataMar Inc., a local polling firm unaligned with either candidate, showed Sanders leading Frye 47% to 40%, with 12% undecided. He led among Republicans 80% to 11%. She led among Democrats but by a smaller margin, 65% to 27%.” (Perry, Los Angeles Times, 10/9)

We all know that Donna Frye won the original election over Murphy.  The fact that some people didn’t bubble in “write-in” cost the city millions of dollars and one corrupt mayor.  Sanders, while not as dirty as Murphy, is not what San Diego needs right now.  Frye will clean out that city, balance their books, and repair the city’s image.

Blue Angels in San Francisco

I hate the Blue Angels. Every fall they come; every fall the US Air Force buzzes San Francisco in conjunction with Fleet Week. What crap! No city should be subjected to stunt pilots flying low over populated areas to demonstrate their cajones and prove US power to say “fuck you” to the world.

It is not like the damn things don’t fall down. In October, 1998 two of the planes crashed into Georgia woodlands — how many would have died if that had been a neighborhood in San Francisco?  Previously, two planes collided during one of these shows over Niagara Falls; one pilot died.

Why does the Navy do these displays? The Chronicle interviewed the downtown lunchtime crowd subjected to practice runs yesterday.

“They’re the products of the devil,” said street artist Ulysses Dickerson, who was trying to sell his $25 paintings of angels and nymphs. “They’re overlords. They’re invaders. But there’s always something happening in San Francisco. One week it’s anti-Bush rallies, the next week it’s the military saying, ‘Look what we can do.’ “…

“At first it seems kind of cool,” said Christina Wolf, munching on a chicken salad. “But then it reminds you of what Iraqi citizens experience every day. But over there it’s real. So I guess it’s a mixed message.”

At a moment when even President Nincompoop is calling for fuel conservation, each F/A-18 uses approximately 8,000 pounds or 1,300 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel in a show.

Aren’t there any local authorities that can interrupt this nonsense?

Cross posted at Happening-Here

Pombo: I think there are some owls who aren’t fans

Wouldn’t it be great to take down Pombo.

From Roll Call (Subscription required):

CA-11
Incumbent: Richard Pombo (R)
7th term (61 percent)
Outlook: Safe Republican
Democrats dream of knocking off Pombo, the controversial chairman of the House Resources Committee. Three Democrats have entered the race so far, with retired airline pilot Steve Filson considered the most promising at this stage. But the party’s strongest potential candidates remain on the bench, so there is little hope of an upset.  Still, this race could get interesting. Former Rep. Pete McCloskey (R-Calif.), angered over Pombo’s attempts to alter the Endangered Species Act, has threatened to challenge Pombo in the GOP primary.

Maybe a nice dirty primary with a fight over natural resources would be the ticket.  I imagine that Pombo’s endangered species moves have angered more than just McCloskey.  

I don’t know much about Filson, McNerney or any of the other candidates.  But in these heady days, maybe it’s enough to be an outdoorsy Democrat without the stain of corruption to beat a guy like Pombo.

CA-11 – Pombo must go!

(Pombo is making the possibility of taking CA-11 a more realistic opportunity. It would be great to capitalize on that. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

In CA-11, Dems have a good fight ahead of them.  Yes, an area Repub heavy in CA!  However, on a closer look, we have a very ripe opportunity to dispose of the current Repub congressman:  Mr. GOP Crony himself: Richard Pombo.

There is a candidate for Dems in the area: Mr. Jerry McNerney.  He has a platform that directly talks about the “Pombo problem” and also address local jobs (a nice term too: “outsource proof”), and a variety of important local issues.

Please recommend/spread the word so the most CA Dems and anyone who can help can get the word out.

Some facts about Richard Pombo:

He’s had ethics issues, including ties to Delay, and it’s been going on for years.  Link Here < http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ethics25sep25,1,759138.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true > (registration required, latimes.com)

He’s put his family’s personal gain ahead of his district for years through direct and indirect proposals in Congress.  Link Here < http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/news.asp >

He chairs or is a member of 2 major House committees, including the powerful Resources committee.  Link Here < http://www.house.gov/pombo/member/committee.htm >

He is the notorious individual that most wants to open the ANWR (Alaskan Oil) initiative and US Shale.  Link Here < http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/issues/emr/anwrrpt.htm > and Here < http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/Press/releases/2005/0621oilshale.htm >

He wants to allow National Parks’ naming rights to be sold (Halliburton’s Yosemite anyone?).  Link Here < http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050924/ap_on_re_us/arctic_refuge >

He is also a major Repub fundraiser, and has put together donation schemes for pools of money to hard to win Repub areas for years.  Link Here < http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/news.asp >

Many opinions have been written that compared him to a Trent Lott or Tom Delay type who has a lot of power behind the scenes.  Someone even called him “further right than Bush”.

He has a Dem candidate Jerry McNerney running against him.  Jerry has an energy/business background, and is an environmentalist.  He went into the 2004 election at the last minute on a write-in campaign that got 40% of the vote!  Not bad for a last minute write-in campaign.  

There is also another new Dem candidate Steve Filson, however his views/positions are unknown, so I’m withholding an opinion on him for now.

Now, it’s time to take down Pombo on 2006.

Please, recommend this diary and pass it along to Dems and moderates you know in California.

If you are a Dem in CA-11, read this article about Pombo < http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/news.asp > and anyone who wants to see a major Repub go down in 2006 – support and volunteer for Jerry McNerney. < http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/ >

Thanks!

Wake Up: We have a battle on our hands

(A reminder. Arnold’s props can not succeed. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

(crossposted on dailykos, Booman and MyLeftWing)

We have been telling you for weeks now that this fight not only is extremely important, but we have a damn good chance of losing.  You want proof?  Well you got it.  SUSA just released their first poll of likely voters on the initiative fight and the numbers are horrible.

Proposition 73:

Parental notification for abortions.

SUSA: Yes 59% No 39% Undecided 2%

(note: the Alliance is not working on this issue)

Proposition 74

The “Blame New Teachers Act” would raise from two year to five years the length of time until teachers are able to gain basic job protections.  This gives them protection against at will firing and entitles them to a hearing before dismissal.  There is no research that shows increasing the probationary period will do anything to improve teacher quality.  Instead,  is a deliberate attack against the  teachers in retribution for fights over maintaining education funding and backing other progressive causes. For a taste of the real ageda of the people behind proposition 74, note the “McCarthy clause”  – included in the grounds for dismissal is “Knowing membership by the employee in the Communist Party.”

What’s at stake: The ability to attract new teachers at a time when baby boomers are retiring and the population of California continues to grow.  It is estimated that California will have to hire 100,000 new teachers in the next decade.

SUSA: Yes 55% No 44% Undecided 2%

Proposition 75:

The “Paycheck Deception Act” would require public employee unions to receive written permission every single year from their members authorizing using their dues money for political activities.  It unfairly targets teachers, nurses, firefighters, police and other public employees with restrictions that don’t apply to other groups or corporations, which regularly spend shareholder money on politics without permission.  Prop. 75 is a deliberate attack on public employees’ ability to oppose the Governor’s agenda, including cutes to education and health care.  

Their tactics have been to create a “phenomenon of anger” towards the unions.  The major sponsor Lew Ulher is an unabashed McCarthyite, former leader of the right-wing extremist John Birch Society and current head of the National Tax Limitation Committee.

What’s at stake: Funding for progressives and their causes.  This initiative would eliminate a major source of funding for traditionally Democratic goals like education funding, benefits for those who die in the line of duty, retirement benefits and heath care.  With union money out of the picture, Norquist inspired Republicans will have a much easier time getting their extremist agenda passed.  If this thing is approved, expect to see it popping up in other states across the country.

SUSA: Yes 60% No 37% Undecided 3%

Proposition 76

The “Cuts School Funding Act” would devastate our public schools and other vital services, cutting school funding by over $4 billion every year – $600 per student, leading to more overcrowded classrooms, teacher layoffs, and fewer textbooks and classroom materials. Our schools lost two billion dollars when Governor Schwarzenegger broke his promise to repay the money he took from education, and if this initiative passes, the Governor will never have to repay that money to our schools. It also overturns the voter-approved Proposition 98, eliminating the minimum funding guarantee for education. It also cuts funding for local government — cutting police and firefighters, as well as local health care services that protect children and the elderly. This initiative hurts our most vulnerable populations including the sick, the elderly and the young.

What’s at stake: All of the above, plus under this initiative Governor could declare a “fiscal emergency” and cut funding for vital services like education, health care, fire and police without approval from anyone else.

SUSA: Yes 58% No 38% Undecided 6%

Proposition 77

Proposition 77, unlike Ohio is a complicated, ineffectual attempt to reform the redistricting process and is opposed by respected government reformers and a broad coalition of citizens’ groups.  It hands over the redistricting reins to a panel of three retired judges who are picked by legislators.  The judges are explicitly prohibited from including any consideration of “communities of interest” while redistricting. This essentially eliminates any future challenges by community and minority groups seeking to retain voting power for their communities.  There is a right way to create an independent redistrict method and a wrong one.  Just because they call it reform does not make it so.

What’s at stake: Potential mid-decade redistricting.  The initiative gives the go-ahead to immediately create new maps with data that is 5 years old.  The new maps would be enforced then sent back to the voters for approval.  “If voters reject redistricting plans, the entire process starts over – new judges, new plans, more elections, and more political bickering – wasting millions of tax dollars.  This could go on indefinitely… with election after election… until voters finally approve… all at taxpayer expense.”

SUSA: Yes 59% No 36% Undecided 6%
————————————————–

Look, this poll is an outlier from other numbers we have seen.  But this is a big wakeup call to those who have not been paying attention to this race.  Enormously important issues are at stake and we could seriously lose.  These initiatives will have repercussions for decades if passed and tactics used here are sure to be replicated across the country.

Stop them now.  Join the Alliance for a Better California and help us defeat Arnold and his cronies.

Here is how you can help

Come over to the BetterCA community to learn more about the issues and join the discussion.  The trolls have found us so there is always a battle going on.  You can watch our ads, comment in the discussion forum, and print out some flyers.

Check out our Netroots page for more ideas on how to get involved.

Sound the alarm, spread the word.  We need to get a buzz going about this battle.  Post here, recommend our diaries and create your own.  Blog on your own site, email your friends and family.

If you are in California get in touch with your local Alliance headquarters, which are located all over the state.  We are walking on the weekends, calling most nights and they are always looking for more volunteers.  Start thinking ahead about setting time aside for election weekend.  We are going to need thousands of volunteers if we are going to win.

NorCal Alliance HQs
SoCal Alliance HQs
LACounty Alliance HQs

CA-48th: Today is The Day for the Primary

After a very short runup, more internal trouble from Democrats than we ever got from Republicans, the Open Ballot Primary for the CA-48th opened the polling places at 7 am this morning. They will close at 8pm tonight. 15 people on the ballot.

Expected turnout? Around 22-25%

Expected Democratic Nominee: Steve Young
Expected Republican Nominee: John Campbell
Expected A.I.P.     Nominee: Jim GilChrist
and other minor players

General Election is Dec 6th.

CA-48 has one election a month for three months.
Today OCT 4= CA-48 Primary
State NOV 8= State Special Election
Then  DEC 6= CA-48 General

It’s possible that the Dec 6th turnout could be lower than today’s. Amazing but true.

Please keep up the support. With Gilchrist in the race and Campbell with some wacko positions we have a real chance here.

The New Golden Gate Park and SF Round-up

With the coming opening of the new deYoung museum, and its magnificent facade, the news of the new California Academy is very positive.  This is from Christopher Caen (of the Examiner):

However, the place to be reckoned with was the new Academy of Sciences. It is a remarkable and truly beautiful building, and Renzo Piano and his crew have done a magnificent job on behalf of our city. In fact, I think the organic, undulating Academy and the rusty-colored de Young offer a great contrast in style and execution, and as such are the perfect bookends to each other.

I quickly corralled Jon McNeal from the architectural team and starting quizzing him on the pros and cons of the new building. First off, to make sure everyone is happy, the alligators are indeed going to be inside the front exit as they have since time immemorial. In addition, the planetarium is once again taking a prominent position, but here I have to admit one shortcoming. Although they have been able to keep track of all the original alligators from the old Academy…

Golden Gate Park is experiencing quite the revitalization under Newsom (although most of this is due to work of the Brown mayoral administration).  The Park is key to the continuing vitality of the City as a major tourist destination, a valuable part of our economy.  

More SF news in the extended…
(see the extended)

In other news, the new Octavia street freeway access route opened up:

Sixteen years after the Loma Prieta earthquake tore through the Bay Area, politicians and officials from San Francisco’s past and present joined city residents Friday to celebrate the long-awaited opening of Octavia Boulevard and a new freeway ramp.

The tree-lined boulevard begins at Market Street across from the freeway ramp and ends four blocks away at the Hayes Green, a pleasing stretch of grass and plants complemented by a large wooden sculpture. Meant as an oasis for pedestrians, bicyclists and cars — and with 50 percent of its new housing set as affordable — many speakers at the grand opening expressed hope that the Octavia Boulevard would serve as a blueprint for future projects in San Francisco.

“Let this not be a boulevard of new dreams, but a template to a new way San Francisco builds,” said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, whose district includes the area.

They’re getting nasty over Assessor-What?

Assessor-recorder? Really? They’re fighting over that?  I don’t know if there has been such a contentious assessor race?  From the SF Examiner:

Most San Franciscans would probably scratch their heads when asked the last time they thought about a race for city assessor, but the lack of attention has not kept the top two candidates from waging what is an increasingly aggressive — some might even say negative — campaign.

It gets nasty…let’s see the flip…

I had the chance to see all 3 candidates, Ron Chung, Gerardo Sandoval, and Phil Ting, at the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.  Ting, the assessor appointed by The Gav, is running as a non-politician.  Sandoval, the current Supervisor for the Mission, charges back that Ting has run several times for local office. Chung, on the other hand, is just struggling to get any attention.  The charges are flying back and forth:

The campaign of Ting, formerly head of the Asian Law Caucus, went on the latest offensive, targeting Sandoval for paying his wife $20,000 from his campaign account during and after his successful 2004 campaign for supervisor.
* * *
“It’s kind of a low blow on their part,” Sandoval said. “I’m fully expecting a vigorous negative campaign from Phil Ting to distract people from the fact that he’s a politician that has run for three offices in the past four years.”
* * *
On Monday, a campaign worker for Sandoval released documents showing Ting evicted a tenant to move into a property in the Sunset District in 1998. Sandoval had previously attacked Ting for having two campaign accounts open at the same time. Sandoval said it gave the appearance of running for two offices at the same time — something that is illegal in San Francisco.

I must say that I am a little surprised by how nasty this is.  I haven’t totally decided whom I’m going to support.