Cleaning sewage lines helps keep in touch with what’s important to working people.
Posted on September 6, 2008
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By Randy Bayne
Imagine how different things might be if all the state’s legislators got a little dirty and cleaned sewer lines — literally.
That’s what 80th Assembly District Candidate Manuel Perez and Assembly Member Mary Salas did as they participated in the Service Employees International Union’s “Walk A Day In My Shoes” program. They worked with Calexico city employees Juan Diego Lopez and Antonio Retana.
Durston Responds to Lungren “Speaking Out”
Posted on September 6, 2008
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By Bill Durston, M.D.
Durston for Congress
The article, “Lungren Speaks Out,” on page A6 of the August 29 edition of the Grapevine is a gross distortion of the truth, typical of our current congressman, Rep. Dan Lungren.
In the article, Lungren claims that House Majority leader, Steny Hoyer, is “figuring out how to get more time off” in advocating a four day work week for federal employees. Lungren knows this is untrue. Hoyer is proposing that federal employees work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days, to reduce commuting time and gasoline consumption. Either way, they work 40 hours/week.
Pointing Out Irresponsibility of Republican Budget Proposal
Posted on September 6, 2008
Filed Under Budget, Media | Leave a Comment
In this week’s Democratic weekly radio address, future Assembly Budget Chair Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) and current Budget Chair John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) point to impacts of the Republican budget proposal, which is balanced purely through cuts and borrowing. They point out that Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger agrees with Democrats that new revenues are needed if the state budget is going to be balanced responsibly.
Listen in English (2:44) or in Spanish (4:19) or read the transcript on the flip.
Open Letter to all you unimportant Community Organizers out there.
Posted on September 5, 2008
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By Liz McCulloch
I value your service to our community. Without you there would be no cities in Amador County, no sewers, no fire protection, no schools, no libraries, no parks, etc., etc., etc.! Without you no one would hold County and City officials accountable for their actions. I value your service! And, yes, you are accountable for your decisions; your reputations are at stake and sometimes you actually put your lives on the line.
You are vital to the health of our community; you are the conscious of our community. Without you there would be no Stars Camp out for Cancer, no Interfaith Food Bank, no Hospice of Amador, no Amador Hospital, no Amador County Senior Center, and no help for neighbors when tragedy hits and so many more wonderful things that make our community great and greater as you continually work for them. And we would have Home Depot in Jackson.
I do not discount the service of our county and city officials. They work had and do the best they can. They have tough jobs and I have the greatest respect for them, but without you they would not truly represent the citizens of this county and that means YOU.
Never let some crass politician suggest you don’t understand diplomacy, that you have no negotiating skill, and that you have no valuable experience to offer. To be an effective elected official the most important qualification is to identify what your community as a whole needs and find a way to provide it. That means listening to everyone.
Without community organizing there would be no towns, no cities, no states, no American Revolution, and, yes, no Unites States of America.
Thank you and keep up the good work!
Liz McCulloch is Treasurer of the Amdor Co. Democratic Central Committee, President of the Democratic Club of Amador County, and a community organizer. (Aren’t we all to one degree or another?) She wrote this following a conversation we had on Palin’s speech after a club meeting.
AD-10: Alyson Huber releases new Website
Posted on September 5, 2008
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Alyson Huber this week released an new updated version of her campaign Website. Huber is running for the 10th Assembly District. Check out her new site, and don’t miss out on the First Annual Alyson Huber Oktoberfest.
Senator Mike Machado with Alyson Huber at the State Democratic Convention.
Photo of the Week
Posted on September 5, 2008
Filed Under Photographs | Leave a Comment
Some, or most, may not know that I am a photographer. I used to do some professional work but put that aside when overhead became rather expensive. That was back in the days of film, chemicals, dark rooms, and hours. With the advent of digital photography it has become much easier and less expensive and rarely do I travel without my camera.
I’m going to try something new here and post at least one of my photographs each week. I’m starting with this one taken Wednesday, September 3, 2008 of a Red-tailed Hawk I saw perched on a dead tree while on my way home.
Your comments are welcome, either here or in my Gallery.
Palin speech helped my workout
Posted on September 4, 2008
Filed Under Election | Leave a Comment
By Randy Bayne
Thanks to Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin I was able to get a fairly vigorous workout in last night. Making it to the gym just in time for their back-to-back tirades, my workout was fueled by the anger that seethed within me. It was one thing to throw red meat to the angry mob of sycophantic Republicans they call an audience, it was quite another to belittle hard working Americans who work so selflessly as community organizers and community volunteers. It shows just how far removed the Republican elite are from real, average, every-day, ordinary Americans.
Consoling myself with the notion that these two, and many other speakers at the convention, were simply giving the non-diverse mass what they wanted to hear, I have calmed to a degree. After all, what can be expected from people who cannot talk about issues. For them to say anything about where they stand on any issue is inviting defeat. They are unable to defend continuation of the failed policies of the Bush administration over the last eight long years, and so they must attack.
It will be interesting to see how Palin does when she has to really speak. Last night’s speech was a prepared for her delivery and read from a teleprompter. It will be interesting, and telling, to see how she handles the weekend talk shows, the impromptu interviews, the debates, when she won’t have a friendly audience of people who never lifted a finger in community service.
Just before writing this I read this article by Frank Russo. A must read, I considered posting it here, but suppose the link will suffice. He has links to some other commentary about the Palin speech. He has said everything I could say, and so I won’t repeat except to say I love his title, “They’d Attack Mother Teresa for Not Having a Real Job to Get Elected—And They Don’t Put Their Country or the Truth First.” Oh, so true.
My pragmatic view of SB 840
Posted on September 3, 2008
Filed Under Health Care, Legislation, Media | 1 Comment
By Randy Bayne
Let me start by saying that I am a supporter of single payer health care. It is the solution that makes the most sense in curing our health care ills and is the only system that offers a long term solution to availability, affordability and access. In short, it is the “gold standard.”
Single payer health care passed the California Legislature this past Sunday. It is a great victory for proponents of universal single payer health care, but was hardly unexpected. All the hoopla over its passage is fine, but now the real work begins — continues really. Single payer is still not law and in spite of all the hopes that Governor Schwarzenegger will have a change of heart and sign SB 840, it ain’t gonna happen. Just as he did last time, he is certain to veto it again this time.
They’re serious about Palin, and we should be too.
Posted on September 2, 2008
Filed Under Election | 1 Comment
Joke and talk all you want about how unqualified Sarah Palin is to be Vice President. You wouldn’t be wrong. But it doesn’t matter. Writes George Lakoff at Huffington Post, “such truths may nonetheless be largely irrelevant to this campaign.”
“Democrats who simply belittle the Palin choice are courting disaster. It must be taken with the utmost seriousness,” writes Lakoff. Good advice.
Read Lakoff’s entire post.
CA-03: Lungren needs a math lesson
Posted on September 1, 2008
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By Bill Durston, M.D.
The article, “Lungren Speaks Out,” on page A6 of the August 29 edition of the Grapevine is a gross distortion of the truth, typical of our current congressman, Rep. Dan Lungren.
In the article, Lungren claims that House Majority leader, Steny Hoyer, is “figuring out how to get more time off” in advocating a four day work week for federal employees. Lungren knows this is untrue. Hoyer is proposing that federal employees work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour days, to reduce commuting time and gasoline consumption. Either way, they work 40 hours/week.
Lungren is hardly one to criticize others for taking time off. He was featured on ABC News’ Charles Gibson Report in June of this year for taking a four day luxury vacation to Hawaii paid for by special interests, despite House ethics laws which prohibit such trips. Congress was only in session an average of 3.2 days/week in 2007, and Lungren usually spent weekends at his home on the East Coast, rather than returning to the small residence that he bought in Gold River in 2004 to give the appearance that he lives here.
But the greatest distortion of the truth is Lungren’s assertion that he is working to drive down the cost of gasoline. Over the past two election cycles, Lungren has taken over $20,000 in contributions from oil executives and the political action committees of gas and oil companies. During that time, he’s consistently voted against preventing the oil companies from gouging us at the pumps, against developing renewable energy resources, and against improving public transportation.
The people of California’s 3rd Congressional District deserve a congressman who will tell the truth and represent their interests, not a carpetbagging career politician who distorts the truth and represents the oil companies. That’s why I’m running against Dan Lungren for Congress.
Bill Durston is the Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District in California. This is his response to the Grapevine article.
Tags: CA-03, Lungren, Durston, gas, oil, Hoyer
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