Well, this is it folks.
It’s time to move on to whatever the next chapter in my life is going to be. A lot has happened since the SDFP site went live on June 4, 2012, and I have a few closing (and personal) thoughts to express. [Read more…]
Which Presidential Candidate Will You Support in 2020?
Ugh. The next presidential sweepstakes has already started. They’ve barely finished counting votes from the midterms and already there are [stupid] political rants on social media about the Democratic headliners for next election. It’s almost as bad as hearing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” in September.
Once upon a time these discussions were along the lines of “my candidate is better than yours;” now it’s you’re not a true progressive if you don’t support [fill-in-the-blank]. Pffft. The argument for ending that argument amounts to two words: Donald Trump.
The activist group MoveOn has asked subscribers on its out sized email list who’d they like to see as the Democratic candidate in 2020. I suspect this straw poll is more about engagement and fundraising than it is about flexing political muscle. [Read more…]
Mounting the Assault on Big Gay and Other Drivel From SDSU’s Minimum Wage Scrooge
A congressional hearing on the economic consequences of a $15 hourly minimum wage was cancelled this week due to revelations about bigotry penned under the guise of satire by one of its primary witnesses, San Diego State University economist Joseph Sabia.
The House Education and Workforce Committee was ready to feature testimony asserting poverty wages are in the national interest.
Sabia, an economist who penned a paper titled Minimum Wages: A Poor Way to Reduce Poverty, was to be their star witness until his past came back to haunt him. [Read more…]
With a Democratic SuperMajority on the San Diego City Council, It’s Time to Go Bold on the Environment
I remember a time not so long ago when the very idea of Georgette Gomez sitting on the City Council (let alone being President and setting the agenda), would have been considered wishful thinking in local political circles.
Gomez ran for the District 9 Council seat as the outsider, the person with progressive principles and a background in environmental activism. She persisted, made it through the primary and, despite the not-so-covert maneuvering of the usual propertied suspects, won in the November 2016 general election.
The vote to confirm Gomez as City Council President was unanimous, with both Republicans singing her praises. Go figure–having principles and being honest can foster real progress. [Read more…]
Hate Crimes in San Diego Don’t Just Happen in a Void
Today’s Union-Tribune has a front page article about hate crimes in San Diego County. There are lots of details about criminal/hate-inspired actions and almost no acknowledgement as to what motivates them.
Hate crimes are up, we’re told. While local prosecutions have increased in the past year, most hate crimes aren’t reported.
A majority (60%) of hate crimes are directed at people based on their race or ethnicity, followed by religion (20%) and LGBTQ (16%) orientation. [Read more…]
Amping Up the War on Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for the town criers at Fox News, when reality intrudes on their dreams of a White (Evangelical) Christmas.
This year the outrage was triggered by a church nativity scene referencing hypocracy about attitudes toward immigrants and an asssertion about The Left opting for child pornography over Rudolf the Red Nose Reinder for holiday entertainment.
San Diego’s Mike Slater got the call from Fox and Friends this morning to bemoan a statanic statue in Illinois, and the banning of candy Christmas canes in a Nebraska classroom.
Last year it was the #MeToo movement spoiling office holiday parties as companies limit alcohol consumption. And who could forget the 2015 uproar over Starbucks cups with “no Christmas designs?” [Read more…]
The Highway to Climate Hell vs The Green New Deal
The path away from planetary hell got a little steeper with release of a trio of scientific papers produced by 76 scientists from 57 research institutions in 15 countries associated with the Global Carbon Project on the eve of the opening of the 24th annual U.N. climate conference in Poland.
‘Everybody knows’ that something must be done and soon to at least keep the planet habitable for our species beyond the next century. The problem has been the lack of an agreement on a comprehensive course of actions bold enough to have an impact.
Cap and trade, carbon taxes, and increased government regulation are all (probably) well-intentioned piecemeal approaches. All of them together, assuming the political will to implement them could be found, still aren’t enough. [Read more…]
Many People Are Saying Today Would Be a Good Day for Trump to Resign
Why not say it? I mean, if The Donald can get away with making stuff up by saying it’s a popular thought, why can’t I?
Speaking of making stuff up, the hair-on-fire response to the 13 pages of former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s sentencing memorandum filed yesterday is a sight to behold. Tasty tidbits of information are being treated as if they were the main course of the Mueller investigation.
Come on, gang. I’m sick and tired of the “this will be the one that brings him down” bullshit. Having lived in DC through Watergate, let me assure you there is no one thing other than critical mass. [Read more…]
Memo to Democratic ‘Giga-Majority’ in Sacramento: Don’t Forget Who Sent You There
November’s Blue Wave gives California’s Democratic legislature the opportunity to do more than simply resist the Trumpian agenda.
If they move wisely, the Golden State will serve as an example of what’s possible in an era when good governance serving the needs of all the people takes precedence over schemes designed to line the pockets of the few at the expense of the many.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon has a “gigamajority,” with 60 of the 80 seats in that chamber affiliated with his party. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins shares a party affiliation with 29 of the 40 members in her chamber. [Read more…]
Despite Lousy Midterm Results, the Republican Party Isn’t Dying
There have been a plethora of pronouncements about the impending death of the Republican Party. I think the concern is misplaced. We should be talking about the impending death of representative democracy.
Keep in mind that it’s wrong to look at the 2018 midterms and the responses of Trump’s minions (who now are the party) outside the context of what’s happening in the world. Anyway you want to cut it, authoritarians are on the rise, and the United States is not immune.
The warning signs of authoritarian creep include projecting strength (“big brain”), demonizing enemies (“immigrants”), and dismantling institutions. I would argue that Republicans and their Dear Leader are busy working on electoral institutions this year. [Read more…]
UPDATED: Bauman Resigns! Democratic Party Facing Statewide and Local Leadership Challenges and Opportunities
UPDATE: Eric Bauman has resigned as Chair of the California Democratic Party.
“I have made the realization that in order for those to whom I may have caused pain and who need to heal, for my own health, and in the best interest of the Party…it is in everyone’s best interest for me to resign my position as chair of the California Democratic Party.”
Democrats in San Diego and California certainly have plenty of reasons to feel good about the future, given the results of the 2018 mid-term election results.
Unfortunately the state party is now under a cloud. Eric Bauman, the powerful chairman of the California Democratic Party, has stepped aside pending the results of an investigation following allegations by 10 staffers and 17 other individuals concerning inappropriate behavior, sexual harassment, and physical intimidation.
Helter Skelter News: Administration Sex Scandal, Big Brain at Work, Rotten Romaine, Pelosi Pummels Penn
I took a week off from writing this column over the Thanksgiving holiday. This time of year is typically slow in political circles, and it was obvious to me that Democratic wins in the midterm election would continue to accumulate. (And they have!)
These aren’t typical times, however. My morning meander through the media looking for topics, seemed like more work than trying to make a choice from one the many excellent New Orleans restaurant menus I viewed last week. [Read more…]
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