Daily Archives: September 6, 2008

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CA-04: Charlie Brown, General Wes Clark, and the Promises Kept

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It has been said that actions speak louder than words.

Thursday, September 4th marked another day on the calendar for many people. But for some veterans down on their luck in California’s 4th Congressional District, it was a day for hope. Retired Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Brown was joined by retired General Wesley Clark for a check presentation ceremony to three very special veteran’s service providers: Rebuild Hope, the Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition, and Cottage Housing.

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Gen. Clark & Charlie Brown present check to local veterans service providers

$30,000 was donated to these three groups from Charlie’s campaign-something no other political campaign has done in known history. Charlie Brown has been committed to doing good right now through his Promises Kept Veteran’s Charity Challenge giveaway. The results have been nearly $55,000 in campaign money since Charlie started this unprecedented event back in March 2008.

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Josh Steward, OIF veteran

The day’s events started with a speech by Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Josh Steward, who came to the meeting in support of Charlie and to tell his story of how a former Veteran’s Charity Challenge recipient, Soldier’s Angels, helped him get back on track after a terrible accident while in service.

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Dwayne & Carol Zanon, Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition

The 2nd runner-up in the Promises Kept Veteran’s Charity Challenge was the Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition. The Coalition helps homeless families or those who are at risk of becoming homeless, acquire, access, or maintain safe, temporary or permanent shelter—often veterans, or women with children. Charlie and the campaign presented the group with a $5,000 check. This money will be instrumental in their development for many months to come.

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Dana Hendrickson, Rebuild Hope

The 1st runner-up, Rebuild Hope, is a relatively new non-profit who’s goal is to help keep soldiers and their families financially stable through tough times. The group received $10,000 from the Brown campaign, which will help drastically increase their scope and the number of families they can assist. Rebuild Hope is a national non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing individual Americans to improving the financial health of severely injured soldiers, veterans and their families during their transition from military to civilian life. They are the only group in the nation to provide such services.

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Tim Burke, Cottage Housing

Finally, the Promises Kept winner, Cottage Housing, received a check from Charlie for $15,000. Cottage Housing creates healing residential communities where homeless people are able to support one another while accessing the full range of supportive services they need to make the transition from the streets to self-sufficiency.

Tim Burke, a veteran and one-time recipient of assistance from the group, said that the pride he felt in knowing that he was “a tax-payer instead of a burden” helped motivate him and he now works with Cottage Housing to help get his brothers & sisters off the streets.

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Gen. Wes Clark

With General Wesley Clark on hand, Charlie was doing something amazing. He was shining a spotlight on a need in not only this district, but this country as well. Too often our men & women are bravely sent off to fight & defend our freedoms. When they come home from battle, no one seems to want to care for them. It takes groups like Cottage Housing, Rebuild Hope and the Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition to provide services to help get through tough times. Now that they are receiving the attention they deserve, maybe more help will come.

General Clark said it best: “Everybody needs money and wants support, but this is the first time I’ve come to a candidate who gives back as he raises.”

For more information on these groups and what the Promises Kept Veteran’s Charity Challenge, please visit our Promises Kept page on our website.

Please visit our website, www.charliebrownforcongress.org, to learn more about Charlie, his historic mission, how to donate, and the ways you can help send an American hero to Congress.

PS- Check out our local press coverage here, here and here

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget

Cal Tax Association Endorses Arnold’s Sales Tax Plan

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After what was described in the Sac Bee as “hard lobbying” from the governor’s office, the California Taxpayers Association has endorsed Arnold’s plan to balance the budget with a temporary sales tax increase that becomes a reckless and nonsensical sales tax cut – below the current level – in 2011.

The 82-year-old association is a nonprofit representing all taxpayers, but some of California’s largest corporations dominate its sizable board of directors, which voted 28-19 on Friday to back the proposal…

“As an association representing taxpayers, we have not arrived at our position lightly,” CTA President Teresa Casazza said in a statement. “Given the current circumstances, however, we can support a temporary sales tax increase as long as it is accompanied by meaningful budget reform, an economic stimulus plan and a future reduction in the sales tax rate that will make the change a net tax reduction over time.”

A long-term reduction in the tax is only a good idea if it is replaced with another source of revenue – a restored Vehicle License Fee, higher taxes on the wealthy, closure of corporate tax loopholes. Otherwise it’s yet another measure designed to ensure our budget and therefore our government are broken and unable to properly deliver the core services Californians need.

Arnold is clearly hoping this will give Republicans cover to vote for his plan and end the budget crisis. But the Republicans are still in thrall to the most extreme members of the right wing, and continue to reject this plan:

“It doesn’t change our position at all,” Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines of Clovis said of the Cal-Tax endorsement. “I mean, Cal-Tax, I’m not exactly sure what the organization is supposed to do, but if it looks like a tax and it sounds like a tax, it is a tax, regardless of what Cal-Tax or anybody else calls it.”

Villines and Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said Schwarzenegger’s office lobbied Cal-Tax’s corporate board members hard over several weeks to get the endorsement.

“We think it’s unfortunate, and we don’t think it really changes a thing because the votes are not there in the Legislature, quite frankly,” Coupal said. “We’ll see. It’s disappointing that Cal-Tax folded under the pressure, but the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association will never do so.”

Cal-Tax may have 82 years of experience, but it’s the Howard Jarvis Association that calls the shots in the California Republican Party. And they won’t be happy until the state’s public schools are closed or its health care centers go out business.

Only a voter revolt against the Republican legislators who put the Howard Jarvis Association ahead of everyone else in this state will bring this hostage crisis to an end.

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CA-04 Gen Clark and Charlie Brown, 7 photos in September

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506 Clark/Brown

Brown08 Sept 4, 2008. left to right, General Wesley Clark, Tim Burke of Cottage Housing,Carol and Duane Zanon of GOHC, Dana Hendrickson of Rebuild Hope, Charlie Brown, as Charlie presents his second charity contribution for the Promises Kept Veterans Charity Challenge on Sept 4, 2008 in Roseville, CA.

“We always hear about candidates spending money to communicate their campaign promises,” Brown said.  “I think it’s high time we had a few who invested a little money in keeping them.”

“Among other things, Charity Challenge funds are helping to house and feed the homeless, connect at-risk veterans with earned benefits and healthcare services, and to prevent disabled Iraq and Afghanistan vets from falling through the cracks during tough economic times,” Brown said.  

The Brown campaign donated $30,000 total to 3 different charities,Cottage Housing, the Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition, and Rebuild Hope. The recipients were determined by online polling.

http://www.cottagehousing.org Cottage Housing Inc. “home to a brighter future.”

http://home.comcast.net/~gohc/… Greater Oroville Homeless Coalition. “Helping Families One at a time.”

http://www.rebuildhope.org Rebuild Hope. “Americans taking care of their own.”

“It’s important to call attention to the challenges war fighters and their families face when they come home.  However if history has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t let the conversation end there, and too often it does,” Brown said.  “The Promises Kept program is about bringing people together to keep that dialogue going and take action, because we can all be part of the solution here in our community.”

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499 Speakers

Brown08 Speakers Joshua Steward, Gen Clark, Don Harper,Chairperson of Veterans for Brown, Tim Burke, Carol Zanon.  What you can’t see here is that it is over a hundred degrees in the sun this afternoon and that even I have a water bottle tucked in a pocket to pour on myself or anybody if it gets too intense.  The audience was under a shade shelter, but I think this park could use a few trees.

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0514_2 Lincoln Dems

9/4/8LincDem   The Lincoln Area Democratic Club is Fired Up and Ready to Go. Imagine the shock of the commuter traffic returning home Thursday evening the night of the RNC convention and seeing this at the busiest intersection in town.  I had to stop and talk to them and take their picture after I saw this driving back from seeing Gen Clark and Charlie Brown in Roseville at the Veterans Charity Presentation.  This view was taken from the median. The reaction from the drivers was interesting. Some honked enthusiastically, and I could tell some were slightly less enthusiastic but didn’t want to be caught being unpolite.

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0531 Care packages

Brown08 Friday Morning Sept 5, 2008. Democrats at Work and General Wesley Clark graciously assist us in making care packages to send to Marines deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. What an energetic crowd, the room was humming !

The donated items were sorted out onto tables and then the boxes were passed around to be filled.  (Note the famous disco ball on the ceiling of the Historic Roseville Opera House.)

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9/5/8BrnClkRv Filling the boxes

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9/5/08BrnClkRv  Writing letters of support to put in the care packages.  I was fortunate to catch this. There was no big announcement, I just noticed a few people looking over at the corner and went over to see that Gen. Clark and Charlie were also writing letters along with the rest of us.

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0539 ThomasBates

9/5/8BrnClkRv   Thomas Bates of Democrats at Work. They partner up with different organizations needing volunteers and help organize.   He says he’s trying to change the way people engage in politics. Look how tidied up they’ve got the room already after our project!

And that’s what we’re doing during the other convention. Anybody care to join us ?

Here is Charlie Brown’s website:  http://www.charliebrownforcong…

Saturday morning September 6th is another Day of Action for canvassers and phone bankers. Roseville, Auburn, Placerville, Grass Valley, Oroville, and now Truckee all will have offices. http://www.charliebrownforcong…

Charlie Brown also should be at the Gold Country Fair up in Auburn Saturday afternoon Sept 6 after 2 pm.

(photos by diary author. turning Northern California blue one pixel at a time )

California

Strengthening the Labor Movement

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I’m sitting here at the San José Convention Center at the annual SEIU-UHW West leadership conference, with thousands of members gathered to plan for their union’s future. UHW has a lot of momentum, is engaged in a lot of organizing work to unionize more workplaces, and are among the leading progressive groups in the state at a time when we desperately need such allies.

And they’re facing the threat of losing their elected leadership to the SEIU International, which is attempting to place UHW under trusteeship. The International accuses UHW of financial improprieties involving an “educational fund” segmented for a possible health care ballot initiative. UHW leaders and many outside observers believe the charges are groundless. The next move is a hearing on September 22-23 UPDATE: Yesterday Stern announced the hearing has been moved to September 26-27.

These developments dominate the meeting, but the rank and file members I’ve talked to seem resolute in their desire to defend union democracy. A group of allied reformers from other SEIU locals, SMART, have a significant presence here, a reflection of the intense battles going on within the broader SEIU movement regarding union democracy.

Whatever the outcome, there is a strong commitment to democracy among the 2,000 members here – democracy in the workplace, democracy in their union, democracy in their nation. Despite the internal politics that is an extremely positive sign. The labor movement has been at the forefront of social democratic politics in this country for over 100 years. When labor is strong, progressive politics are strong. Which makes the SEIU’s efforts to trustee UHW all the more disappointing, as we need unions to be laser-focused on this election and on the policy battles that will begin as soon as the dust settles in November.

Several Democratic politicians have already spoken at the convention, and more will be here tomorrow. Steve Westly spoke on behalf of the Obama campaign, exhorting members to sign up to help canvass for the campaign, particularly in Nevada and New Mexico. Kamala Harris and Jerry Brown are speaking tomorrow. I’ll have more coverage of their remarks at that time.

education

Friday Open Thread

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• Sen. Boxer released a statement on Sen. John W McCain’s speech:

Last night at the Republican National Convention, John McCain used the word “fight” more than 40 times in his speech. In the 16 years that we have served together in the Senate, I have seen John McCain fight.

I have seen him fight against raising the federal minimum wage 14 times. … [Litany of crazy right-wing McCain agenda items here] … And I saw him fight against the new GI Bill of Rights until it became politically untenable for him to do so.

John McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 100 percent of the time in 2008 — that’s no maverick. We do have two real fighters for change in this election — their names are Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

• Some fine folks are hosting a fundraiser for CA-03 Democratic nominee Dr. Bill Durston in Stanford on the afternoon of September 28. Full Details and RSVP here. Wouldn’t it be great if Dr. Bill could defeat the corrupt Abramoff-Republican Dan Lungren?

• The water situation could begin getting very ugly very fast.  After two of the driest winters on record, our reservoirs are dangerously low.  The state is now reviving a Water Bank to facilitate the buying and selling of water from across the water-rich North to the bone dry South.

So people, can I just say one thing? If I see people hosing down driveways, and well, having a lawn in the middle of the desert, make sure you want that more than you want, say, to drink a nice glass of water tonight. Priorities, people.

Also, I guess the movement to restore Hetch Hetchy won’t be heating any time soon. It stinks that we have to use our precious natural resources this way. The water from Hetch Hetchy is replaceable, but convincing people of that seems really tough right about now.

• In Orange County or thereabouts? Want to make sure Democrats take the White House?  Well, how about you hop aboard the CA4Obama bus to Nevada tomorrow morning. It’s leaving from Fountain Valley tomorrow bright and early (6:30am). Interested in joining them? Email ca4obama AT gmail dot com

UPDATE by Dave: A couple more:

• It’s a little-known side effect of the budget crisis, but funding for arts education, which is crucial to child development, is going down the toilet.  It’s fine to raise and educate a bunch of test-taking drones, but it doesn’t make this a well-rounded state.  No wonder so few of our schools fail to meet federal standards – they are not put in the position to do so.

• Meg Whitman for governor.  Yeah, that’s the big buzz out of St. Paul.  Bwahahahaha.  Interesting that the post says the Republicans expect her to face Jerry Brown.

• Another bill being sent to the governor’s desk is SB37, the national popular vote bill.  And today, DFA sent their California list an email urging the Governor to support it.

California is the largest state in the union, but when it comes to electing the president it can feel like the smallest.

California is ignored by presidential candidates because they believe the electoral vote is already locked up. And, with the Electoral College the way it is, they might even be right. But, if America chooses our president by the national popular vote, then suddenly California would rise to the top of every candidate’s priorities. The more Californians who vote for a candidate, the more that increases the popular count and the greater say you have in choosing a leader for the entire country. Since one out of every ten Americans live here, doesn’t that make sense?

The California Legislature has approved legislation that would award California’s electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. The bill now goes to Governor Schwarzenegger and he will make his decision any time.  You must act today to let him know how you feel.

Contact Governor Schwarzenegger now and urge him to sign the National Popular Vote bill.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Phone:  916-445-2841

E-mail at this link: http://gov.ca.gov/interact

CLICK HERE TO REPORT YOUR CALL