Got a few minutes?
Donate your time or money to elect Matt Gonzalez mayor of San Francisco. There’s less than week left, and this guy may actually pull it off! If you’re more accustomed to the lesser-of-two evils approach: Matt’s hair is slightly less criminal than Gavin’s.
MoveOn.org urges you to stop Bush’s looting. This time it’s $820B of your tax money in back-room corporate giveaways, monopoly media ownership, and rolling back rules regarding overtime pay.
WorkingForChange wisely suggests avoiding Wal-Mart this holiday season: “Wal-Mart engages in some of the worst labor practices in the country: paying its employees substandard wages, forcing unpaid overtime on its workers and refusing to provide affordable health insurance.” Plus, you can even send a “No presents from Wal-Mart for Festivus” e-mail to all your friends and family when you’re done. If you’re still not convinced, learn about Wal-Mart’s heavy-handed and possibly illegal behavior here in the bay area.
Salon gives me a Hardon
I really do love Salon, and you know what? The money they want for Salon Premium is totally worth it — it’s just that good, and I’m shamelessly plugging it. No one is perfect, including Salon, but they’re leaps and bounds above the rest — and it’s just good hard-hitting journalism.
Save the Earth — dump Bush: an interview with Robert Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer
All of the investment we have made in our environmental infrastructure since Earth Day 1970 is now being undermined in a three-year period of astonishing activity.
The NRDC Web site lists over 200 environmental rollbacks by the White House in the last two years. If even a fraction of those are actually implemented, we will effectively have no significant federal environmental law left in our country by this time next year. That’s not exaggeration, it’s not hyperbole, it is a fact.
Lining up to fight “the forces of evil”: The religious right will mount a scorched-earth battle against the Massachusetts decision to permit same-sex marriage. And the White House may join in. (This one really pisses me off. What the hell is everyone so damn afraid of?)
“Welcome to Vietnam, Mr. President”: As White House denials grow insistent, some of the sharpest thinkers of the Vietnam generation see stark parallels with the war in Iraq.
Is Dean too hot?: The Democratic front-runner has ignited a blaze of Bush hatred. But will it burn up the party’s chances in 2004?
Joe Conason’s Journal. It’s a nearly-daily dose of tasty food for thought.
My Kinda Granny!
NEW ORLEANS — Gertrude M. Jones didn’t want flowers or cards when she died. She wanted to get rid of President Bush.
The 81-year-old woman’s obituary asked that memorial donations be given “to any organization that seeks the removal of President Bush from office.”
And people around the country are following her wishes.
Full story: Woman’s anti-Bush obituary inspires donations [AP via salon.com]
Damn! I missed Protection From Pornography Week!
By proclamation of the “President” of the United States of America:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 26 through November 1, 2003, as Protection From Pornography Week. I call upon public officials, law enforcement officers, parents, and all the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.
Why Mr. Bush doesn’t like pornography is a bit of a mystery to me. It’s a private unregulated industry depicting his constituency (plumbers, truck drivers, pool boys, Maytag repair men) enjoying something he obviously enjoys doing every day (screwing the hell outta someone). So go figure.
You may be disappointed to know you probably also missed
National Character Counts Week in which “we must promote a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in our Nation” (mmm, Orwellian!) and the homophobic Marriage Protection Week.
Wal-Mart commits voter fraud?
While most have heard about Wal-Mart’s slave labor problems [nytimes.com], today’s Chronicle spotlights a local bay area community which said “no” to Wal-Mart [alternet.org] and it’s hidden costs to taxpayers. Wal-Mart’s response was nothing short of moral bankruptcy: an underhanded campaign to purposely mislead public opinion which could very well be just downright illegal.
Not only have they disguised their campaign as a do-good government program called “CAN”, but they are participating in what may be outright voter fraud:
You also get a chance to fill out a voter registration application, which is conveniently mailed to Wal-Mart’s CAN, rather than to the registrar of voters. If you want more information, you are referred to an 800 telephone number.
But 20 calls to the number elicited the same response: “Only ‘Kathy’ knows about the program, she’s on the other line, so just leave your name and number.” Is it conceivable that Wal-Mart has hired only one person who is familiar with CAN? Or is this just a ploy to gather names and phone numbers to enlist shoppers in its political campaign?
Pretty despicable stuff. But Americans have proven over and over again they’re too stupid to tell the difference between a real bargain and a boondoggle laden with hidden costs. Just look at our current administration! Of course, Wal-Mart knows this and they also know they’ll win. And guess what? That 22 cents you saved on Scope is going to cost you $22 in taxes and community services.
San Francisco Elections
Here’s the returns [sfgate.com]. About 10% reporting.
Natch, Newsom is out in front. I personally find him and his plastic wife unpalatable, but whatever, there will most likely be a run-off between the ultra-coifed Gavin and “Angry Angela.” She’ll loose, but were this Fight Club my money’d be on her.
All the propositions are passing, with the exception of the bizarre Taxi permit “protection” for the disabled — which was nothing more than a thinly disguised extortion racket by the permit holders.
Gavin’s dimwitted Prop M — the “Aggressive Solicitation Ban” — is good example of what’s wrong with this boy. It’s a popularity ploy touted to get those 2-toothed homeless begging for quarters outta your face, but it can do real damage to organizations such as The Salvation Army and The Girl Scouts. Yes, that cute little 8-year old is “aggressively soliciting” Thin Mints to you in front of Mollie Stone’s — lock that bitch up!
I found Angela’s Prop J, which promised to provide shelter for the city’s homeless youth, seniors, and disabled to be just soooo San Francisco. The entire legal text of the proposition was no more than 3 paragraphs and offered absolutely zero implementation details. In other words, it was nothing more than sympathy vote and guilt-removal for all us who step over and ignore these people every day.
UPDATE 10:43pm: Thankfully, Matt Gonzalez will be Newsom’s opponent in the December runoff. Good for Matt.
The Real Beneficiaries of the Iraq War
One of these days, I’m gonna stop spewing politics, maybe around November 2004, or perhaps when I move to Canada.
But not today. Check out Divvying up the Iraq pie [alternet.org], a detailed report on who the real winners of the Iraq war. (HINT: It’s NOT Iraqis!)
America’s Iraq-sticker-shock may turn to anger when taxpayers discover the small group of men and companies reaping the benefits of President Bush’s newly found appreciation for nation building. While Vice President Dick Cheney’s company, Halliburton, has attracted most of press attention for its Iraq-related contracts, Halliburton is hardly the whole story. Halliburton’s share is but a slice of multi-billion dollar pie being divided up among a brotherhood of unusually well connected and economically related individuals and entities.
Salon also notes To the cronies go the spoils.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch: SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Phone logs and records related to the Plame leak investigation will be given to White House lawyers before being turned over to the Justice Department. Some have fingered the Bush camp in the leak, calling it an act of revenge. But you knew we’d never really know what happened, didn’t you?
Gov. Arnold: Mmmm… Misguided Frustration
It appears Schwarzenegger will take the governorship of California. He ran as an “independent” Republican, a for-the-people, “let’s take back California” kinda guy. Bush “won” spewing this ideology in 2000, which was clearly utter bullshit, so why Californians are buying it this time around is beyond me. Ugh, misguided frustration, me thinks. But I digress…
Unfortunately, I don’t really think Arnie understands what he’s up against: This is a solidly Democratic state. The assembly and state senate are heavily Democrat, and I hate to break the news to him during his victory lap, but listen up Arnold: you’re only going to get as much done as they want you to…
But anyway… bygones. Let’s see what happens.
As for Gray Davis, for better or worse, his political career is effectively kaput.
Some interesting nuggets:
- Election Results [cnn.com]
- Prop. 54 went down, the so called “Racial Privacy Act” which really amounted to nothing more than “racial discrimination without a paper trail”
- San Francisco, where I live, is as Democratic as always, saying no to the recall by a 4-to-1 margin (80%). The rest of the Bay Area also said no to the recall, but by not nearly the same margins. The rest of the state was ~60/40 for, with Los Angeles being nearly 50/50. Just look at this SpatiaLogic map, and you’ll get an idea of why the Bay Area is so unique in this state.
- CNN Exit Polls: 64% of voters said Schwarzenegger did NOT “address the issues.” (Uh, then why’d you vote for him, fool!?) 47% thought the recall was a waste of money, and more believe we can’t solve the budget crisis without raising taxes than those who do not
- CNN Quick Vote [unscientific]: 83% believe the recall will NOT solve California’s problems
- Democrats are already circling their recall wagons… as if you didn’t see that coming. Target: 3/04. To get you started: Procedure for Recalling State and Local Officials [www.ss.ca.gov]
- Many pro-lifers voted for Arnold even though he’s clearly pro-choice. Usually a deal breaker. Republican win at any cost?
- Cruz Bustamante is still Lt. Governor and will continue to serve under Arnold’s administration
- Support Arianna Huffington’s Clean Elections Initiative for the March 2004 ballot
- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight: “This just in… Schwarzenegger has been accused of groping Hitler inappropriately.”
Recall Free-for-All 2003
Well, here we are, (re-)election day.
There’s little doubt Gray Davis will receive the most number of votes, more than Arnold, Cruz, or any other candidate. The problem is Davis needs at least 50% of the vote to just survive, and all Arnold needs is more votes than any other recall candidate — of which there are over 130. And, of course, there’s the rub: While unlikely, it is possible for Davis to loose with 49.9%, and Arnold to win with only 1% of the vote.
Food for thought. Now go vote.
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