While California Dreams- Weekly Update Vol.1 No. 22

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday November 05, 2007 · 2:46 PM PST

2007/11/05 · 14:46

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento

For the week ending November 3, 2007

Key bills and issues we've been following during the

Past week and beyond

This is usually a pretty quiet time in Sacramento. While this situation remains pretty much the case, the slowly dying Special Session still remains. With the big battle over water ending in a stalemate, the debate over health care reform showed a glimmer of activity this week as the Assembly Health Committee held a full-blown hearing on the Governor's health care proposal. There wasn't any progress to speak of, although the Speaker, Fabian Nunez pledged to keep working to reach a compromise. Unfortunately, few in Sacramento believe either side will make necessary concessions to make that happen.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday November 01, 2007 · 10:32 AM PDT

2007/11/01 · 10:32

I remember as a youngster believing that the President and the government would protect us from harmful things---like gas fumes at the pump and toys that broke off and could hurt babies and little children. Of course, I was quite young at the time, not yet at double digits, the country was much more naive and Dwight Eisenhower was president. This was obviously a long time ago!

But I took the notion seriously that government had a moral and constitutional responsibility to protect the public and keep us from harms way---whether it be from enemies to our shores, criminals threatening our personal peace and safety or just known bad things being cast upon us by those who didn't care about our well-being.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 03, 2007 · 10:25 AM PDT

2007/10/03 · 10:25

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento

For the week ending September 29, 2007

Key bills and issues we've been following during the

Past week and beyond

With traveling solons returning home from various parts of the world next week, both Healthcare and Water Policy are two special session topics that are heating up. There are various views on both matters and some new Special Session legislation has been introduced this week.

And, in breaking news, the so-called "Dirty Tricks" initiative to change how California allocates its Electoral College votes appears to be dead, at least for now.

Governor "green" speaks at the United Nations, upstaging the absent President Bush (who held his "own" global warming conference to upstage the U.N.) and gets a chance to sign three major environmental bills. Let's see if he puts his pen where his mouth is.

Public Safety bills on the Governor's desk get support from the former Attorney General.

And now, for the week's goings-on:

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday September 27, 2007 · 9:38 AM PDT

2007/09/27 · 09:38

There is no one in California with any knowledge of our state's prison system who doesn't agree that it is in crisis. While we expand the number of offenses for which incarceration is the penalty and then expand the length of sentences for those offenses, we have expanded the prison walls beyond capacity. As as result, the courts have intervened in our correctional system's process and threatened to close the doors to new prisoners unless the conditions within the prisons improve significantly.

With state government squeezed for funding, we have seen the cost of the corrections portion of the state budget increase geometrically over the past two decades. With more and more "three strikers" clogging up the prisons, and more elderly lifers needing expensive medical care as they age and die in prison, the problem has only gotten worse. What can and should the state do about this?

What will it take to avoid the state's prison system being taken over by the courts, with consequences that are unacceptable to the people of the state?

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday September 26, 2007 · 2:06 PM PDT

2007/09/26 · 14:06

It's quite amazing how the Constitution of our country seems to come through---even to skeptics who think it's an antiquated or unrealistic set of principles. While those who don't support its freedoms try numerous tricks and subterfuge to undermine it (unfortunately, with some success), it nonetheless remains an extraordinary living and breathing document. The most precarious of these principles, particularly "in time of war" is the First Amendment, dealing with the right of free speech. That's the one that reads,

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 24, 2007 · 12:28 PM PDT

2007/09/24 · 12:28

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento

For the week ending September 22, 2007

Key bills and issues we've been following during the

past week and beyond

Now that the regular session of the legislature has ended and a variety of bills are waiting the Governor's approval or veto, the special session is in full gear. The big battles over water and health care reform have taken over the stage front- and -center. And with Hillary Clinton's unveiling of her version of healthcare reform, the issue has become even more prevalent in political debate not only in California, but nationwide.

With a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California coming out this week as well, we've seen how the failure to produce meaningful healthcare reform and a swift resolution of the annual budget stand-off has impacted the popularity of our Governor and the legislature. Not good news for either side.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday September 20, 2007 · 11:04 AM PDT

2007/09/20 · 11:04

The American people are getting to be more and more like the frog in the pot of water. You know the analogy---if you put a frog in water and slowly up the heat, the frog doesn't know when he's getting cooked until the water is just about boiling and his fate is sealed because he can't jump out. Ive been feeling that this is what is happening to the American people recently and we're not yet aware that the first amendment, like the frog, is being destroyed by a slow, but sure attack on dissent.

Today I awoke to a plea from the folks at MoveOn.org asking that I call my U.S. Senators and urge them to reject an attempt by Senate Republicans to condemn Move On for its ad last week regarding the testimony of General Patreus. If you recall, they referred to him as "General Betrayus" for what they claimed was a dishonest and slanted analysis on the progress of the so-called "surge" strategy that Bush and his cronies imposed upon Congress, the American people, and most importantly our soldiers and the Iraqi people.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 18, 2007 · 3:52 PM PDT

2007/09/18 · 15:52

For those of us who remember the 60's (and yes, there are some of us who lived through them and still remember), it was a night to wax nostalgic and hopeful. Last evening, I had the pleasure of listening to Peter and Paul (two-thirds of the great Peter, Paul & Mary trio) talk and sing about what it has meant for them and still means for them, to sing about justice, freedom and a love between their brothers and sisters all over the land. They were in Santa Barbara, my home town, to receive the prestigious Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Distinguished Peace Leadership Award.

The award is presented annually to individuals who have "demonstrated courageous leadership in the cause of peace." To put this award in context, some of its prior recipients include: Dr. Helen Caldicott, Dr. Carl Sagan, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Walter Cronkite, Anne and Paul Ehrilich and Daniel Elsberg (among others). Obviously, a pretty impressive group.

While Mary was, unfortunately, back home in Connecticut recovering from back surgery (having won her battle against a virulent form of leukemia as well ), Peter and Paul sang gallantly (clearly missing that magnificent Mary Travers sound). They talked of their life-long commitment to peace, social justice and community well-being.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 17, 2007 · 3:15 PM PDT

2007/09/17 · 15:15

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento

For the week ending September 15, 2007

Key bills and issues we've been following during the

past week and beyond

The final days of this year's regular session ended in the wee-hours of the morning, September 13 around 3:30am. At that moment, the Speaker banged the gavel, announced that the session had ended and likely declared victory of some kind for the work that had been done. The drama was somewhat undercut, however, by the fact that the Governor had already called a "Special Session" to consider the healthcare and water issues that were not resolved during the regular legislative year, thus extending the legislative year for some additional period of time.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday September 13, 2007 · 9:48 AM PDT

2007/09/13 · 09:48

When I learned that UC Irvine had just hired Erwin Chemerinsky to become the first dean of their newly created law school, I was very impressed. It's quite rare for any law school to get one of the greatest legal scholars of our day as its chief. To get someone of Chemerinsky's stature to be the first dean of a new law school is an even greater coup. This is the real deal- a person who is going to put a beleaguered UC Irvine on the map and very quickly.

I didn't think for a moment, "Wow, and now we'll start putting out progressive lawyers to match the thousands being rubber-stamped out of conservative institutions, like those overrunning the federal government and the executive branch, in particular." What I thought, and apparently like so many others who have worked with Chemerinsky or heard him speak, is that this University will become an institution of excellence and pride, with thoughtful and quality lawyers. With a dean of Chemerinsky's reputation, this school will quickly put itself on the map. Go UC Irvine! ... Not.

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 11, 2007 · 12:08 PM PDT

2007/09/11 · 12:08

There is little doubt that watching legislation work its way through the process is much like watching sausage being made. The bottom line is: You don't want to watch. Although theoretically it is interesting, informative and exciting to see the democratic process of law-making take form, in reality there is so much push-and-pull, give-and-take and last minute backroom dealing that it's impossible to follow. It's often impossible to understand.

So when the Speaker of the Assembly asks his members to "read the bill" when debating the frenetically altered and re-altered health care reform measure, AB8, it's asking for a logical response to an impossible situation. How can one read a bill that comes to your desk literally "hot off the press", so hot that you can warm your hands on the paper? How can you understand what's there when it deals with a convoluted system in a convoluted way---with no opportunity to vet the latest in a series of compromises, re-writes and reformulated policy?

hbjackson

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 10, 2007 · 3:14 PM PDT

2007/09/10 · 15:14

A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento
For the week ending September 8, 2007

Key bills and issues we've been following during the
past week and beyond

The first of the final two weeks of the regular session is now done, with hundreds of bills having been heard and or otherwise disposed of. Healthcare, predictably continues to be front and center. The environment has seen some good news and bad, while civil rights--for both the gay community and working women round out the headline grabbers for the week.

Ballot initiatives and threats of same continue to be bandied about, while the Republican play to steal yet another presidential election is taking on broader national attention as its implications for Republicans holding the White House become known. Term Limits has dodged a bullet and will now appear on the February ballot, creating greater pressure to get a redistricting measure passed before the coming recess. And the Perata Iraq initiative sits on the Governor's desk, most likely facing a veto. Of course, the Gov didn't endear himself to his party this weekend at the Republican state convention, but that is of little concern as the Reps continue on a downward spiral in this state.

So let's get to the details:

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While California Dreams- Weekly Update Vol.1 No. 22

Keeping Big Business happy at our children's expense

While California Dreams- Weekly Update Vol.1 No. 17

Working to repair a dangerously broken prison system

Hooray for the First Amendment!

While California Dreams- Weekly Update Vol.1 No. 16

What ever happened to the right to dissent?

If I had a hammer---nostalgia with the great PP&M

While California Dreams- Weekly Update Vol.1 No. 15

Cowardice and Fear of Honest Debate at UC Irvine

Read the Bill---or how I got through 700 bills in 7 days

While California Dreams- Weekly Update Vol.1, No.14