As you can guess by my username, I am in San Jose, California. Locally Democrats hold most of the elected offices, and the GOP of Silicon Valley is reduced to supporting candidates like Hon Lien, candidate for City Council, District 4. Lien is in a run off with a GREAT Democratic candidate, Kansen Chu

What, exactly is wrong with Lien?  Well for starters she wasn’t even registered to vote until late last year when she filed to run for school board. She has voted exactly 2 times in her life (she is in her 40’s).  It is sort of funny that she had no need nor care for voting until she decided to run for office, and her campaign states that she was “wrong to think that her vote wouldn’t count.” 

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Of course there is also the issue that she hasn’t done much by way of community service, and Lien has never served on any type of commission nor has she ever been elected to any office.  She did run for school board in November and she placed last.

Here is what Lien has done by way of community service:
 

*  2003 – present: Trustee and Treasurer: Lincoln Law School of San Jose.
  * 2003 – present: Executive Council Member of Silicon Valley Children’s Hospital Foundation.
  * 2004 – present: Member, San Jose Rotary Club. Currently serving on the International Committee with the Rotary Club.
  * Through AGAPE, an organization from Sweden, Hon helped provide over 750 wheelchairs and hospital beds to Binh Duong Clinic and other hospitals in Vietnam.

Chu, on the other hand has served the community for over 22 years, he is currently an elected official, he has won numerous community service awards and he has lived in the district for over 20 years.  Here is but a partial list of Chu’s involvements:

Leadership and Community Involvement
  * Board of Trustee, Berryessa Union School District, 2002 to present
  * Board of Directors, YMCA Santa Clara Valley Metropolitan Board, 1998 to present
  * Board of Directors, Vietnamese Voluntary Foundation (VIVO), 1998 to present
  * Board of Directors, Shin Shin Educational Foundation, 2003 to present
  * Board member, Berryessa Neighborhood Accountability Board, 2003 to 2004
  * Commissioner, Santa Clara County Mental Health Board, 1997 to 2005
  * Commissioner, Private Industry Council (JTPA) 1995 to 1997
  * Member, California State Superintendent Delaine Eastin’s Educational Round Table
  * Lord of Longevity, Santa Clara County Self-Help for the Elderly, 1996
  * Advisory Board Member, Vision New America, 2002 to present
  * Advisory Board Member, Californians for Justice 2005 to present
  * Board of Directors, KNTV Channel-11 Community Board, 1997 to 1999
  * Advisory Board Member, Asian Law Alliance (ALA)
  * Chairman of the Board, Alliance for Preserving the Truth of Sino Japanese War 1996-1998
  * President, Organization of Chinese American (OCA) – Silicon Valley, 1995
  * Founder, 2nd Harvest Food Bank Chinese New Year Food Drive

Four organizations, and only since 2003, and this woman wants to serve as a council member of the 10th largest city in our nation.

If that isn’t enough for you, how about a few of her current unethical and dishonest actions, seemingly fully supported by our local GOP as they continue to fully endorse her.

Last week Lien sent out a hit piece on Chu.  This piece had

Cross posted at Daily Kos

It has taken me a week to be able to write this diary.  First I was in tears, then I was angry, then I was frustrated, and now I am just a total mix of all those emotions, but more then anything the overwhelming sense of disgust at the GOP envelopes all of my being.

Many of you already know that my Mother was very ill at the start of this year, she was in and out of the hospital and there was a point that the Doctors thought she wasn’t going to pull through.  During her illness she lived with us, thankfully she recovered and is now in better health then she has been for years (of course my household is still recovering from her 5 month stay with us : )

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Because my Mother was so ill she was on many different medications, but as she recovered she didn’t need to take everything (such as diabetes medication, her numbers went back to normal after a few months) that had been prescribed in the beginning of the year.  She used up her “benefit” from the new “drug plan” and thus has hit the “donut hole,” which means NONE of her medication is covered by “the plan.”

The other day she went to get her medication at Kaiser and was told the bill was $900, to which she burst into tears and didn’t know what to do.  She didn’t have $900 (her monthly income is Social security of about $600 and some income from property she owns, she lives month to month with little if any “extra” income). She called me in tears, and I told her to charge the amount on her Visa.

After I got off the phone with her I was crying (mainly because we are not in the position to give her much financial help), and then I became so very angry, angry at those who passed this shitty drug plan that makes our seniors cry.  How can any group of people be proud of a program that has so many shortcomings it becomes everything but what it says it is. 

It isn’t just my Mom though, so very many people who are in retirement are facing these issues, for example, San Diego County just took away the health benefits of:

current and future retirees, virtually assuring the benefit will disappear, under a plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors yesterday.

Retired San Diego County employees (from left) Larry Carolan, Bernard Schermerhorn and Donald Bennett showed their displeasure as the county Board of Supervisors voted to cut some health benefits. Because of the overflow crowd, they watched from a conference room.
Supervisors unanimously approved the cuts yesterday over the objections of more than 200 current and former employees.

Pensioners now receive up to $400 a month to help pay for health insurance premiums, under a plan that is not guaranteed but has been in place since 1974.

And there are so many more working people without health insurance, so many diaries written here about far too many who cannot afford even the simple health care they deserve and should be entitled.  How can a 21 year old afford $460 a month for health care insurance?  (Our daughter, while still covered by our insurance, took a semester off from school, the cost was $460 a month to keep her covered). 

As San Diego County cuts benefits, will other counties, cities in CA follow suit?  My husband (who is 11 years older then I am) wants to retire in 5 years, and when he retires I will lose my health insurance.  Right now he will continue to be covered (but he works for a public agency, will they have to go the way of San Diego?) We will have to figure in the cost of my insurance as well as our son’s (who will be in college), which will amount to $900 or so a month, added to our house payment, college tuition and basic living costs with an income that will be less then we have now. 

Our situation is not unusual, and actually we are better off then most Americans, however, the fact of the matter is that we are middle class and  we could easily find ourselves living below the poverty level in a few short years.  How many other Americans are going to get the same wake up call?  How many of our seniors are struggling, right now, with the inability to improve the quality of their last years by having affordable access to the medications they need?

I have read about the GOP congressman who was complaining that he was going to have to show up for work five days a week due to the Democrats who are requiring congress to actually do their job, claiming how harmful to his family this workload would be.  If that GOP congressman had DONE his job when HIS party was in power, maybe, just maybe, there would be more time for longer weekends with his family, but because the GOP has done NOTHING for Americans, they are going to see how their “do nothing” congress has harmed our families: seniors,  working families and our nation.

It is our job to remind Americans why our Seniors cry when they go to get their medication, it is our job to remind Americans that their retirement is not going to be their “golden years,” it is our job to tell Americans over and over that we are at this place because of GOP leadership, we cannot stop reminding Americans that the the GOP ignored the well being of our citizens, and we must fight like hell to make sure that our majority in congress addresses these issues and we once again protect working and retired Americans.

(Ah, missed this when I wrote mine. I’ll add the pictures to the flip of this diary. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

The LA Times has found out that Richard Mountjoy is a liar:

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mountjoy has claimed in his campaign biography that he served aboard the battleship Missouri during the Korean War, but his military record shows no assignment on the famous vessel, The Times has found.

Now remember this is the man who is running around CA talking about sins and sinners, a man who has invoked, over and over, Christianity in his campaign.

More from the Times:

In an interview Thursday, Mountjoy acknowledged that he did not serve on the Missouri. Last week, when first asked about his record, he said his Missouri stint had been “very brief” and that he otherwise served on the U.S. heavy cruiser Bremerton, which has a less celebrated history.

However:

The statement about the Missouri was on Mountjoy’s campaign website, alongside a photo of him as a young sailor. It read:

“After graduating from Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School, Dick joined the Navy and served during the Korean War aboard the Battleship Missouri.”

Mountjoy claims that he didn’t know that the statement was on his website, and as of yesterday his website has finally removed the statement.

Editor’s note: I added images from his site after the flip

Before:

After:

(It is very disappoiting that Arnold is just like the other GOoPers, using the gays to throw red meat to his base. Second verse same as the first. Arnold=Bush=Arnold=Bush. They’ll both throw anybody they can under the bus just to stay in power a little longer to throw more power to their corporate masters. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Our dear governor is showing his true colors:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have barred textbooks from using language that would be discriminatory to gays, saying the state’s education laws already prevent discrimination.

More from Capital Notes:

Schwarzenegger has largely attempted to split the difference on issues affecting gays and lesbians, supporting some rights and protections, while rejecting others. And in his veto message, he again seems to be trying to strike a balance between liberal and conservative philosophies.

And Ahnold also will veto the universal health care measure:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday that he will veto a universal health care bill that is headed for his desk, claiming the measure would set up a “vast new bureaucracy” that would be too expensive.

When people tell you how moderate Ah-nold is, remind them he vetoed these two bills, both of which are progressive and needed in our state.

(Westly gets a big boost in the major Democratic battle field. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Today the SF Chronicle  endorsed Steve Westly in the Democratic primary race for CA Governor:

What distinguishes Westly is his specificity and courage in taking on important, but politically thorny, issues that others in Sacramento would rather avoid. For example, he embraces a plan by Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley to reform the “three strikes” sentencing law so that the third strike is a violent felony. He advocates setting aside a portion of the state’s surge in revenue to cover promised health-care benefits to retirees, a multibillion-dollar time bomb for the state if it is left unaddressed. He recognizes that the state’s failed foster-care system is resulting in a “stunning” number of its emancipating youth becoming homeless or incarcerated. He supports reforms to take the drawing of legislative districts out of the hands of legislators. He has even taken on “Turbo Tax” maker Intuit in pushing for a streamlined income-tax process that would not require filling out a separate state return.

Of the two candidates Westly, in my opinion, is the better candidate.  Of course if Angelides wins the primary I will support him in the general, however I do think that Westly has the best chance to take out Ahnold.

Westly is a good, strong Democrat, he has supported Democratic values and issues all his life, and he is also someone who works hard to do what is best for our state.

While Angelides has the endorsement of the CA Dem Party (as a delegate I can tell you that the party endorsement is skewed, and our party would be better served if we stayed away from endorsements in primaries), Westly has the ear and attention of many voters.

In just a few short weeks the primary will be over and we will all be supporting our Democratic candidate, and it is my hope that Steve Westly will be that candidate, and the SF Chron agrees with me : )

(Cross-posted from DKos. Edited slightly for space. – promoted by SFBrianCL)

Howie K. is perhaps one of the best “GOP poster boys” one could hope for, the gift that just keeps on giving and giving. First of all he posts pictures on his website of Turkey and calls them “downtown Baghdad,” then he blames the mistake on his webmaster (of course he is just following the leadership of the rest of the GOP which is “the buck never stops here”), and then we find out that liars like Howie just can’t seem to ever be truthful.

Seems Howie has pissed of some CA GOPers because, well Howie just couldn’t find the truth if it bit him in the ass. The rest of the story below the fold….

From the San Diego Tribune:

State Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, wants to clear up something: He did not endorse former state Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian of San Marcos for the 50th Congressional District race.

Kaloogian mailers have gone to Republican households containing a picture of McClintock with quotes from the popular conservative saying nice things about Kaloogian. McClintock, who is running for lieutenant governor, protested yesterday that those quotes were from two years ago when he endorsed Kaloogian for U.S. Senate.

Over and over and over Howie finds a way to twist the truth to fit into his idea of what reality is, only problem is that truth has no place in Howie’s reality, rather Howie has shown himself to be an example of how the GOP operates by using lies, fake endorsements and worse.

Howie was instrumental in the recall of Davis in CA and he has a non-profit he uses for political purposes (tsk, tsk, but to be expected from someone who seems to think truth and honesty don’t apply to him).  The more one “sees” of Howie, the more one gets to “know” what he is really about.

Oh, and Howie is also “implying” that one of his GOP challengers for the seat vacated by the Duke has “endorsed” Howie:

“Howard Kaloogian’s campaign Web site includes a picture and a quote from me from 2001 that implies that I have endorsed his candidacy for Congress,” Morrow, R-Carlsbad, said in a press release. “Howard knows that I have not endorsed his candidacy, and that I am running for the same congressional seat.”

Honesty?  Truth?  Not with the GOP, especially not if the truth is in no way close to their agenda.  

First of all I want to say that this is a great place to catch up on California Politics, bravo for starting this blog!

I have lived in California all of my life, first in San Francisco, then a few years in Monterey, and for the last 21 years San Jose has been my home.  During my 46 years in California there have been changes politically, swings to the right, swings to the left and some moderation popping up here and there.  Right now we are seeing an attempt by the GOP to swing our state to the right, and we have a Governor that is without a doubt unqualified to lead this state.

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If, like me, you are fed up with the lack of leadership from this governor, if you are ready to help take your state back, come to a “Call to Action” in San Jose this Saturday morning.

“Calls to Action” are organized by the county Democratic Party to help get out the vote in upcoming elections, to organize voter registration and to distribute information to voters on upcoming elections.  If you have two hours on Saturday, from 9 am to 11 am, come to the “Call to Action” and find out how you can help defeat Ahnold in November.

The “Call to Action” will be this Saturday, here are the details:

SCCDP Call to Action
10/08/2005 09:00am
Sheriff’s Auditorium, 55 Younger St., San Jose, Central San Jose

Hurricane Katrina has exposed fundamental differences between the Republican philosophy that renders government incapable of responding to national emergencies and the Democratic philosophy that government is the agent through which we strengthen society. Join our Call to Action to learn more about the failure of the Federal Government to respond adequately to the Hurricane and to find out why Arnold’s special election will help lead California down the same path. We will discuss actions that can be taken to help make people aware of the true nature of the Republican ideology and mobilize to Stop Arnold’s special interest agenda. Our guests include Meri Maben, District Chief of Staff for Congressman Mike Honda and Assemblyman Ira Ruskin.

If you can’t come Saturday, visit the Santa Clara County Democratic Party website (www.sccdp.org) and sign up for the newsletter or check the calendar for ongoing volunteer opportunities (you can also sign up online to volunteer).  

Hope I see you this Saturday!