http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/community/group_rss/CourageCampaignStaff Blog posts from the Courage staff. Click All Network Posts for community blog posts. Today's LA Times basically confirms that the Mayor of the nation's second largest city, Antonio Villaraigosa is no longer the political rock star he once was. You may remember the coronation when he was elected mayor in 2005. His celebrity reached far beyond the suburbs of San Fernando Valley with a Time Magazine cover as he toured the major cities: including New York and Washington to keynote democratic events. His election represented the future of the Democratic Party, whereas ethnic minority politicians could build the necessary coalitions of folk to get elected. He even had close supporters and strategists who openly believed at the time, Villaraigosa had what it takes to become governor and possibly the nation's first Mexican American President. Serious, no kidding. But today, he has no formal role at Barack Obama's convention, where Obama will officially become the first non-white nominee of either major political party. The Times story lets Villaraigosa off the hook in my view. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL33 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL33/commentary#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:36:11 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL33 Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL33/ Arnold is admitting defeat with his petulant "I won't sign any bills" nonsense, which has accomplished exactly zero progress on the budget while confusing the fall ballot picture. He will sign AB 3034 today which will replace the existing high speed rail Proposition 1 with Proposition 1A. Prop 1A is a slightly modified version of Prop 1 with more fiscal oversight, clearer rules on public-private partnerships, and some environmental rules that the Sierra Club had sought. It was believed that the final deadline for changes to the November ballot was Sunday, but according to the Fresno Bee "the governor's office thinks there are a few days left." While it's good to see Arnold getting back to the process of governing, the whole sorry episode is another example of his failed tenure as our governor. Petulance isn't leadership. More information is at the California High Speed Rail Blog . http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3Q http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3Q/commentary#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:31:22 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3Q Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3Q/ One of the most important but so far overlooked narratives of this election cycle is the return of taxes as a major political issue. The recession is hitting government budgets just as that same downturn, combined with soaring gas prices and global warming is creating demand for new spending. Against this backdrop conservatives are now convinced that their way out of an ugly election cycle is to rally the public behind their rabid anti-tax politics. Constant attacks on Obama as a tax-raiser are partly to blame for McCain's recent rise in the polls. And here in the states Republicans are again turning to the tax revolt, their bread and butter for 30 years. Republican intransigence on the California budget is best seen as part of this national strategy to break Democrats on the tax rack. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3b http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3b/commentary#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:38:27 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3b Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3b/ Just when you thought the power and influence of the Religious Right was waning, the Bush administration is seeking once again to regulate their views into federal government. According to State Attorney General Jerry Brown the Bush administration is planning regulation that would unravel California's law that requires religious health institutions to provide full birth control services. At issue is whether or not, health practitioners or rather the company they work for must be forced to provide an abortion procedure or write a birth control prescription, acts they believe compromise their religious beliefs. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3F http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3F/commentary#comments Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:13:10 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3F Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3F/ When State Controller John Chiang pledged to defy the governor's executive order to slash state worker pay to the federal minimum wage (which is lower than the state's minimum wage), Arnold filed suit in an effort to assert his authority to stop the budget deficit bleeding on the backs of hardworking public employees. Today, Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley set a hearing date to consider the dispute for September 12th, effectively ensuring full pay for 145,000 state workers and their families for the entire month of August. Arnold's executive order was a draconian effort to force a budget compromise, but if Democrats could get the Republicans to compromise on a new budget before then, the September hearing will be moot. Ironically, Democrats are under their own pressure to get a deal done before the Democratic National Convention next week. Many Assembly Democrats are delegates to the convention and most of them certainly want to attend to hear our next president's nomination acceptance speech. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3H http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3H/commentary#comments Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:50:28 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3H Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3H/ Just Deserves! 48-days into a budget stalemate, the California Legislature held a rare Sunday evening session to vote on a budget proposal offered by the Democratic majority. True to form, "Yacht Party" Republicans vote no, and Democrat Assemblywoman Nicole Parra refuses to vote at all. Apparently, she feels a water bond for central valley agribusiness takes precedent over the budget, known more formally as public safety, public education, health services, environmental preservation and paying down the debt for everyone in the state. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3v http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3v/commentary#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:24:38 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3v Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3v/ After months of simmering, reports last week sounded rather certain that negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq to continue the American presence in Iraq would include the elimination of immunity for security contractors. Talk of a timetable for withdrawal- phased or complete- has been one sticking point, the Washington Post reported "Iraq's insistence that its laws should prevail stems largely from the excesses of private U.S. security contractors, whom negotiators have agreed would be subject to Iraqi law." Specifically the Nisoor Square massacre in which Blackwater agents killed 17 unarmed civilians without provocation. The road towards some sort of justice for that massacre has been a long and torturous one (see here for a brief rundown of the attempted coverup). Despite a U.S. military investigation finding no evidence that Blackwater was fired upon, blanket immunity was immediately offered and counter-theories popped up all over the place. But after fighting through the courts for almost a year, there's encouraging progress towards justice. Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported six Blackwater agents received target letters from federal prosecutors, suggesting that indictments for at least some of them will be forthcoming. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/lucasoconnor/CL3r http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/lucasoconnor/CL3r/commentary#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:27:57 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/lucasoconnor/CL3r Lucas O'Connor, Courage Campaign Lucas O'Connor, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3r/ The road show comes to California once again as Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Orange County hosts both presidential contenders Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain on the same stage at the same time. The candidates will discuss themselves, will not debate issues, but there is already plenty of debate surrounding the evangelical leader who has little interest in the agenda of the Christian Right. Though Warren is no liberal Democrat, he projects an appropriate role for faith in politics. Warren, the son of a Baptist preacher leads a 22,000 congregation and is the famed author of the book "Purpose Driven Life" which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. His Purpose Driven ministry newsletter boasts more than 200,000 subscribers. And he has put his vast resources into fighting illiteracy, poverty and AIDS. Though you will never find Warren's sermon on television (he refuses) his reach cannot be overestimated. That's why leaders across the Christian Right constantly lob criticisms at everything Warren does in an effort to bully him into taking up their anti-choice, anti-marriage agenda. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3c http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3c/commentary#comments Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:18:35 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3c Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3c/ Once again, State Sen. Don Perata emerges from budget negotiations to announce a compromise that gives significant concessions to the Republican Party and their governor. But even that may not be enough as Assembly Yacht Party leader Mike Villines speaks skeptically of Perata's deal. Meanwhile the Blogosphere is raging against the Democratic machine for accepting a Spending Cap and organized labor thus far is eerily quiet. Gathering from loose reports, the deal involves a combustible mixture of a temporary one-cent sales tax increase which would later revert to a permanent sales tax decrease; contributions to a rainy day fund for the next time our budget is in deficit; either a hard or soft spending cap; and powers granted to the governor to cut spending when revenues fall short, given California is the only state in the union that creates an annual budget in the middle of a calendar year. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3W http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3W/commentary#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:50:18 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3W Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3W/ The California Yacht Party, err…, Republicans need to compromise a reasonable budget compromise at once, for the housing crisis is expected to worsen nationally, especially here in California. The fun and games are over for the average working family and their mortgage lender; but the "Yacht Party" captains continue to hold the budget hostage, steering us all into the wrong direction. Bloomberg reports on the latest foreclosure numbers from Zillow.com . The skinny is does not bode well for entire regions of northern, central and southern California. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3Z http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3Z/commentary#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:51:15 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3Z Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3Z/ It's 1995 all over again, as Republican-induced government shutdowns are all the rage. Congressional Republicans are planning a shutdown in September if they don't get their way on drilling, which looks to be their core electoral strategy going into November. Here in California the possibility looms as Republicans show no sign of budging on the budget . Saturday is the deadline for adding propositions to the November ballot, and as most budget solutions proposed have involved going to voters - whether it's Arnold's lottery bonds, his sales tax plan, or the Republicans' spending cap demands, the deadline becomes all-important: http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3q http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3q/commentary#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:05:34 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CL3q Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3q/ We've been hearing about this Democratic wave that's supposed to be sweeping the nation with promises of electing Sen. Barack Obama and increasing Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress. Saturday the Fresno Bee buried a decent story highlighting evidence of the wave's impacts here in California. The state's Central Valley has been reliable Republican turf for decades, but now voter registration party preference there is shifting faster than the seasonal Santa Ana winds as Republican registration advantages are shrinking to lows only reminiscent of the Watergate era. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3X http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3X/commentary#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:07:57 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3X Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3X/ This morning, a three judge panel ruled that parents do have the right to educate their children at home even if they do not have teaching credentials. They basically fall under the same exemption as private schools who are not required to hire state credentialed teachers. Back in February, a judge ruled that parents did not have the right to home school their children if they were not state credentialed. The San Jose Mercury News writes there is "an estimated 166,000 children are home schooled in the state." http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3t http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3t/commentary#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:22:27 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CL3t Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CL3t/ As regressive as it is, Governor Schwarzenegger finally announced a plan to close the state's budget deficit. A one-cent sales tax increase, which disproportionately raises costs for low and moderate income families versus California's rich and wealthy. Speaker Karen Bass and the Democrats quietly released their plan last week. It calls for a reasonable one percent income and corporate tax increases for the very wealthy of our society. What has the California Republicans offered? Nothing, except for no tax pledges almost all of them signed a year ago. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLq2 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLq2/commentary#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:18:01 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLq2 Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLq2/ A few months late and several billion dollars short, Arnold has finally gotten around to making a serious revenue proposal - a 1 cent increase in the sales tax for a duration of three years. The SacBee reports this is expected to raise around $4 to $5 billion. Not one to offer a solution without strings, Arnold insists that this would only happen in exchange for "long-term budget fixes" such as a rainy-day fund. A rainy day fund is a good idea but that needs to come AFTER we fix the structural revenue shortfall . http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLqL http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLqL/commentary#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:18:50 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLqL Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLqL/ So much for Sen. John McCain's off-shore oil drilling plan. At least on the west coast, where all three pacific coast governors have announced a new action plan to clean coastal waters and beaches, restore fisheries, prepare for rising sea levels and to produce energy from the ocean's natural waves and tides. As a first course of action, Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger; Ted Kulongoski of Oregon; and Chris Gregoire of Washington told the federal government to keep new oil drilling rigs out of their waters and to spend more money on programs restoring the health of the Pacific Ocean. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLq3 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLq3/commentary#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:03:21 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLq3 Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLq3/ Despite your petitions, a personal delivery and Democratic leaders bending over backwards to compromise with "yacht party" Republicans, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made good on his threat to layoff 20,000 public employees and impose a federal minimum wage on approximately 200,000 state employees. Many of which are currently compensated through a legal collective bargaining agreement between the state and the workers' union bargaining agents. While it appears the Governor used this threat and action to leverage a budget compromise on Republican and Democratic legislators, it is irresponsible for him to play poker with a public servant's mortgage or children's school tuition. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqQ http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqQ/commentary#comments Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:05:39 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqQ Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLqQ/ Thanks be to God, internet technology allows us to renew our vehicle registrations and even file our tax returns online. Now, California is one step closer to allowing voter registration online with the help of the DMV. State bureaucracy has officially entered the 21st century. Currently, eligible voters can obtain and fill out the registration forms online. But, they must print it out, sign it and mail it to the appropriate government official. Online registration will allow you to save a stamp and a trip to the mailbox for eligible voters who have either a California's Drivers License or Identification Card. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqK http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqK/commentary#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:02:09 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqK Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLqK/ (cross-posted on Calitics) Today was supposed to be the day that Schwarzenegger signed the executive order to cut over 200,000 state employees pay to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour. He has delayed that action until at least Thursday, which SEIU Local 1000, the Courage Campaign, True Majority and CREDO Mobile can take some credit for. I just got back from a great day of actions at and around the capitol on this proposed wage cut. After picking up over 28,000 signed petitions, a big backdrop and an easel I headed to the airport to pick up Rick Jacobs, and Jethro Rothe-Kushel, our videographer. We headed straight for the noon rally held by SEIU Local 1000, which represents nearly half of the workers at risk of living in poverty due to the proposed callous action by the governor. It was a great rally of about 200 Local 1000 members wearing their purple shirts, marching, chanting, blowing whistles and waving signs. Jethro snagged a few interviews with some Local 1000 members and it should be part of the video he produces in a day or two. The folks at Local 1000 were really happy to see all of these non-union activists being so supportive of their members and pushing back against the governor. After the rally we grabbed a sandwich and then headed over with the sign, stand and the two boxes of petitions across the street from the Hyatt, where the governor stays when he is in town. Assemblyman Dave Jones joined us there. Sen. Florez and Controller Chiang had conflicts, but wanted to be there. We started off across the street from the capitol with Rick and Jones doing some one on one interviews. KCRA (local NBC affiliate), KXJZ (local NPR) and a few other print folks were there. The governor actually left in his motorcade as Jones was doing an interview. Rick carried the big box (that sucker must have weighed at least 60 lbs) and Jones the smaller one across to the Hyatt, plastered with the Courage logo. We decided to drop them off at the Hyatt to point out how out of touch Arnold is with what he has proposed. The governor pays $293/night to stay in the suite. It would take someone working 44.7 hours at the federal minimum wage, without any taxes being taken out to afford just one night's stay at the governor's special rate. That is more than a week's worth of work! http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/juliarosen/CLqF http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/juliarosen/CLqF/commentary#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:28:39 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/juliarosen/CLqF Julia Rosen, Online Political Director Julia Rosen, Online Political Director 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLqF/ The numbers are astounding. But the comments are painful to read. When we launched our "Stop Arnold" campaign on Thursday morning, we had no idea it would spark a grassroots firestorm, becoming one of the most widely supported Courage Campaign actions ever. We just knew it was the right thing to do. Over 48 hours later, 22,051 concerned citizens have signed on, including thousands of our friends from True Majority and CREDO Action, and the leaders of the California State Legislature -- Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President Pro-Tem Elect Darrell Steinberg. But, with 200,000 state workers facing Gov. Schwarzenegger's plan to slash their salaries to the federal minimum wage of $6.55 an hour, we can't stop now. http://www.couragecampaign.org/StopArnold/ First thing Monday morning, I will be flying from Los Angeles to Sacramento to personally hand-deliver your signatures -- and comments -- to the Governor, along with State Senator Dean Florez and Assemblymember Dave Jones. Rick Jacobs, Chair of the Courage Campaign Expect to hear updates soon! http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqH http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqH/commentary#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:46:09 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/elliottpetty/CLqH Elliott D. Petty Elliott D. Petty 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLqH/