Save KLSD - Save Democracy Rally

The following e-mail has been making the rounds:

Dear All,The only liberal/progressive broadcast media outlet in San Diego County is about to be shut down. Clear Channel, who owns KLSD 1360 AM, is in the process of switching the liberal talk format to yet another Sports Talk station.

We need our voice in media – and you can help. The political spectrum from old fashioned liberal Democrats, to peace activists, to independent progressives should all be extremely concerned about what’s happening right here in our community. This is a national issue.

Let’s take a stand, right here and right now. The relentless march of right-wing media consolidation must stop – and we are the only people to do it. It is given to us to make a difference.

We must work together and take all measured steps to show that we won’t back down, we will be heard, and we will win.There will be two gatherings, both outside of the Clear Channel’s offices at 9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA 92123. [Map]

The first meeting will be to help organize the big rally. All interested individuals and groups, who are willing to work on this issue, should meet on Saturday, August 25th at 9:00am. At 10:00am we will announce the specific plans for the big rally on Monday.

The main rally, the one that is most important to have a massive turnout, will be at 7:30am to 9:30am Monday, August 27th in the parking lot of Clear Channel. Please be careful where you park, as the police may be there handing out tickets. If you park in the lot of a local business, be sure to make a purchase.

We must also be prepared to work beyond these two events.

Right now, here’s what you can do to help:

• Distribute this message to every one of your friends, everyone in your group.
• Call KLSD, get on the air, say you’re mad as hell and we’re not going
  to take it anymore.
• Call Air America and tell them we’re working to save KLSD.
• Prepare to get to the rally on Monday – also come to the organizational meeting on Saturday, if you can help, or just can’t make the Monday rally. The most important thing will be to have hundreds of people in Clear Channel’s parking lot at 7:30am on Monday. The press will be there, every major progressive group in the county will be represented there, and we will be heard.
• Listen to KLSD and support their sponsors – call the sponsors, even if you can’t buy something right now, let them know you heard about them from KLSD.
• Don’t think that someone else will do this for you – you must make the effort.
• More information can be found at http://www.saveklsd.com/ and
  www.nonstopradio.com/sandiego.html (a site that helps support communities in our situation – this has happened before, and stations have been saved).
• Also an email group has also been formed at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saveklsd/.

Please, if nothing else, just be there on Monday. Car pool if you can, reach out to friends and neighbors to make this happen. It’s more important than any of us can imagine.

Thanks, We hope we can count on support from the following organizations to reach out to all their members and affiliations: San Diego Democracy for America - Progressive Democrats of America - East County United PAC - - Activist San Diego - Guerrero Azteca Peace Project - San Diego Democrats - San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice - San Diego Veterans For Peace - Democratic Clubs of San Diego County - Clean Elections - World Can't Wait- San Diego Democracy for America - North County Democratic Unity - Progressive Democrats of America - East County United PAC - Activist San Diego - Guerrero Azteca Peace Project - San Diego Democrats - San Diego Coalition for Peace and Justice - San Diego Veterans For Peace - Democratic Clubs of San Diego County - Clean Elections - World Can't Wait - North County Democratic Unity?

*PROTEST*- Save KLSD - Save Democracy- *7:30am to 9:30am *RALLY* Monday,* August 27th* in the Parking Lot of Clear Channel’s offices at 9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA 92123.

Candidate Gore?

Press release pm Wednesday from the California Draft Gore organization is going to start a signature collection effort in order to put Al Gore's name on the February California presidential primary ballot.

Reasonable Senate Republican Please Stand Up

Okay, after 52 days late Sacramento finally completed their job and approved a state budget. This was only after the state government's budget was held up by Senate Republicans to supposedly show fiscal responsibility, but after the Governor agreed to their demands, only 2 out of 15 voted for it.

We must question their fiscal responsibility:
Is it responsible for a company or the state to not pay its vendors, not pay its employees expenses and not pay the interest on its bonds? No, but the Republican Senators expected vendors to hold back on their invoices without charging interest. No, but the Republican Senators expect the employee credit card companies would not charge interest of these workers for racking up work related costs that required reimbursed. No, the Republican Senators expected the market to wave their hand and skip asking to be paid on the interest on state bonds.

This is reality of the Republican Senators actions: It was reported in the U-T that Gary Byrnes from the Hillcrest Manor Sanitarium in National City Byrnes was owed $260,000 from the delayed state budget, had exhausted the reserves and credit line and was required due to the Republican Senators to operate on a loan from his relative and the help of staff members who agreed to work without pay. He should have asked our own San Diego regional Republican Senators Wyland, Battin or Hollingsworth for the loan.

Is it fiscally responsible for a corporation or a chamber of commerce board to allow a third of their board of directors to hold up its yearly budget? No, but the Republican Senators think it is okay when it comes to themselves.

The Republican Senators claimed the budget still was not balanced and were against tax increase, but rather favored cut to services. What about the marvel idea of eliminating some of the millionaire tax breaks rather then looking at cutting the poor?

If you are married, then the next time you you have to pay a credit card bill, tell them your spouse is opposing the payment and you will work it out in 52 days. Oh, if they question you about interest, tell them you should not have to pay it, because you learned this is fiscally responsible from the actions of our own Republican Senators.

Also, Republican Senators had a chance before the budget was due to make their case and should not have been allowed to hold hostage taxpayer services, businesses and public workers.

When Talking-the-Talk is not enough

Most people are familiar with the ongoing struggle among the employees at Children’s Hospital to form a union. I wanted to share this article from last week’s OC Weekly about the efforts of health-care workers trying to form a union at the Sisters of St. Joseph hospital in Orange. What I found intriguing was that Sisters of Joseph have a long Social Justice tradition:

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange trace their roots back to 17th-century France; the order is well-known for a solid record of commitment to the poor. They’ve marched with Cesar Chavez and supported janitors’ and garment workers’ union-organization efforts. They opened their first hospital in Eureka in 1920 after the big flu epidemic of 1918, giving birth to a health-care system that is now 14 hospitals strong and served just more than 2 million patients last year.

According to the article, “[t]he St. Joseph Health System says it endorses its employees’ rights to unionize,” however, it has poor track record on allowing its own employees to actually unionize. The entire article is very interesting read on the difficulties faced by workers when they try to organize, even if they work for an organization that has a history of Social Justice.

Spray Paint not Included

This morning UT reports on a San Diego-based marketing firm call Brickfish that has been hired by an Alexandria, Virginia think tank called the Reform Institute to create an online competition titled “Design Your Portion of the Border Fence.” As ridiculous as this sounds, the competition which runs until September 12th, will be awarding a Grand Prize winner. Who stands to earn a $1000 scholarship to the school of “life.” In addition, they’ll also awarding a Passion Prize and prizes for the Best American Side and Best Mexican Side of the fence. Who knows maybe the next Diego Rivera will be discovered!

Bob

OK, so I have to ask… is anyone really surprised about the recent stories about Bob Filner’s aggressive behavior? Come on, we all knew he had a temper, that he is assertive, strong-willed and sometimes rude. But, isn’t that why we love him? It is that same “lack of filter” that makes him such a strong advocate for progressive causes. He rarely shows caution in taking on anyone who tramples on the little guy. Notice his recent stance against Establishment-Mayor Cheryl Cox and her lack of leadership on Gaylord. So, I read the stories, yawn and say “that’s our Bob.” So, he may be an ass, but at least he's OUR ass.

North County Sprinter...Soon You Will Be Able to Get Downtown on Public Transportation in Only 3 Hours*

*Offer only valid on weekdays from 6 to 8 a.m. in which the moon is full. Cost to be determined, but it will certainly cost more than driving yourself.

The U-T reported today that North County's Sprinter Commuter Train traveled through San Marcos for the first time Monday night.

Residents of San Diego's North County, always trying to make public transportation as inconvenient as possible, will soon be able to hop on a train in Escondido, ride it for 45-60 minutes to Oceanside, transfer to the Coaster, ride the Coaster for another 60 minutes to Old Town, transfer to the trolley and ride another 10-15 to Downtown. Simple as that.

Well, at least CSU-San Marcos students will finally be able to join in the local college tradition of trolley-ing to the border.

I'm Going to be Sleeping Much Better Tonight Knowing This...

The UT had a story today informing us that Petco Park ranks fourth best among "vegetarian friendly" Major League Baseball ballparks. Don't they know that the baseball is a leather hide stitch together and the players use gloves made of leather? I guess that didn't figure into their calculations. I have nothing more to add here.

Dick Cheney is Psychic, He Just Forgot

A friend recently sent me a video from 1994 of the Vice President offering his opinion of what would happen if the United States were to take out Saddam Hussein.

Apparently Dick Cheney is psychic (see video below). Nine years before the invasion of Iraq, he was able to correctly predict the quagmire the United States now faces in Iraq.

I guess he just had the Alberto Gonzales syndrome, and could not remember his own prediction.

It's too bad the mainstream US media couldn't do a little research and uncover the Vice President's vision of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.

CNN's Anderson Cooper at least spoke to Sharif Ali Bin Al-Hussein and Faisal Qaragholi from the Iraqi National Congress. In each interview, Cooper asked the men their thoughts of a post-Saddam Iraq.

Good job, pretty boy. Maybe you should have asked a few follow up questions, or searched the archives of Operation Desert Storm.

Friends of Pete

Some interesting names found on the “Friends of Pete” list Honoring the “Governor Pete Wilson, Horton Walk: San Diego’s Walk of Fame.” Along with the typical-Republican establishment, there was your smattering of so-called business Dems, like Murray Galinson, Alan Bersin and George Mitrovich, no big surprise there. But, also listed was our City Attorney –Mike Aguirre and his spokeswoman Maria Velasquez. I didn’t know we had “Friends of Pete Wilson” in the City Attorney’s Office, that’s a little scary. Another interesting name was former (Democratic) Senator Wadie Deddeh. I can’t say I am surprised by the politics of that one. But, how does this affect his nephew, newly-converted Democrat Auday Arabo, who is running in the Democratic primary for the 78th AD? Another indication of the family’s right of center politics?

Where is the Taxpayer Association Fleece Award?

The San Diego County Taxpayer's Association (SDCTA) has been pointing out wasteful government funding and last year awarded the County a badge of honor for kicking off thousand's of retired county workers from healthcare, many who will end up on the County's welfare roles now. Where is the real cost savings, just moving them from one pot to another pot.

However, where is the SDCTA on the wasteful use of taxpayer dollars by the County Supervisors. They have their names engraved on buildings, are rewarded with huge campaign donations and sent on luxary overseas trips. You ask how? By using our taxpayer money as a personal slush fund. As was reported in the Voice of San Diego today on Supervisor Pam Slater-Price raking in campaign donations based on her slush fund. Then there was Supervisor Ron Roberts and Pam Slater-Price heading overseas thanks to giving away taxpayer money. Look around the County and see buildings with our beloved Supervisors. Did they donate the money themselves, like the generous Irwin Jacob or did they just use our taxpayer money and take the credit? The building should have a thank you to the taxpayers of San Diego County and not an elected supervisor spending the taxpayers money.

SDCTA, please review this issue and I will look for your report.

Regards,

Just your kindly San Diego County Taxpayer

Florida in 2000. Ohio in 2004. California in 2008?

From the folks that brought you the 2003 Recall election, now comes their latest endevor. It is an attempt to reallocate some 20 of California's 55 electoral votes to next year's GOP nominee.

Here is how it works. Quite simply their plan is to place an iniative on the ballot for next June's election. If the iniative passes ... WhamO! Califorinia's winner-take-all system of adwarding of its electoral votes, gets replaced by a new system for awarding electoral votes based on the vote for each of the state's 53 CDs and the remaining 2 electoral votes awarded to the overall winner of the statewide popular vote. How does that sound?

Great ... especially, when you consider that George Bush lost California by over 2 million votes to Al Gore and then as a "wartime president" turned around lost California a second time to John Kerry by 1.2 million. Why try and nominate a candidate that would appeal to a majority of Californians? When you can rely on good 'ol malapportionment to do part of the job for you.

It is bad enough that California has only 55 electoral votes, when you consider that its population is approximately equal to the following states: Connecticut, Iowa, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, West Virginia, Nebraska, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Vermont, Wyoming and the District of Columbia, which together have 101 electoral votes.

I guess this is what the modern GOP has come to. If you can't disenfranchise voters (i.e. Florida 2000), or rigged the election (i.e. Ohio 2004), then their is always the tried and true way of malapportionment. Well at least we have done away with the 3/5s rule.