ASSEMBLYMAN ANDERSON URGES LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL IN GAZA CONFLICT
Printer-friendly versionASSEMBLYMAN ANDERSON URGES LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL By Miriam Raftery January 27, 2009 (Sacramento)– Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon), has introduced Assembly Concurrent resolution (ACR) 10, California’s Resolution to Stand with Israel. The move has drawn praise from backers of Israel and criticism from supporters of the Palestinians. “It’s vital that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel as they defend themselves from terrorists,” said Anderson, who introduced the measure on January 13th. ACR 10 resolves that the Legislature supports Israel’s right to seek peace and security for its citizens, the prime obligation of any government and we stand with Israel. In addition to ACR 10 Anderson created a web site: “Californians Stand with Israel,” www.californiansstandwithisrael.com, to tally support and keep citizens updated and informed. Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in August 2005. Anderson’s website states that “Since then the terrorist organization Hamas has launched more then 6,400 rockets from Gaza, terrorizing the civilian population of Southern Israel. As a surrogate of Iran, Hamas not only terrorizes Jewish and Christian populations around the world, it has been brutal to the Muslim Arabs living in Gaza and across Israel. Hamas has declared it will not stop its rocket attacks on Israel.” Anderson states that “ACR 10 will send a message that Californian’s oppose terrorism not just when aimed at the United States, but will support our friends and allies when they are the target of brutal terrorists attacks.” The Republican Assemblyman, whose district includes most of East County, spoke at a “Stand with Israel” forum at Fresno’s Cornerstone Church in mid-January. “He understands what Hamas is all about. He understands that we need to pull our money out of terrorist governments,” said Pastor Jim Franklin. But others have voiced concern over Anderson’s measure. “The war on Gaza that started on December 27, 2008 has been one of the bloodiest episodes in recent military history,” said Waleed Arikat, executive director of Muslim American Society Freedom, San Diego Chapter ( http://www.massandiego.org/). “More than 1300 Palestinians have been killed and more than 5,300 have been injured during 22 days. Most of these have been civilians, including 415 children, 110 women, and 115 elderly,” he said. Arikat called the war “the latest stage in a long list of attacks by Israel on the Palestinian people, including a 19-month siege that has strangled Gaza and destroyed the economy,” and said that war crimes have been documented and will be presented to the International Court at the Hague for possible prosecution of Israeli generals and politicians. He faulted the Bush administration for funding weaponry for Israel, including fighter jets, helicopters and chemical weapons. “It is our duty as U.S. citizens to demand that our tax dollars not be used to kill innocent Palestinian civilians,” concluded Arikat, who called for a lifting of the blockage and opening of border crossings to allow humanitarian aid and supplies into Palestine. Long-term, he believes that “any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must end Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” as well as occupation of the Gaaza Strip and establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In an editorial published in San Diego Jewish World at http://www.jewishsightseeing.com/#bryen , Shoshana Bryen, special projects director for the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, defends Israel’s action. “What is a civilized country to do when terrorists hiding amidst their own people fire ever-increasing numbers of ever-increasingly long-range and precise rockets into your civilian towns and villages? Or, “What is a civilized country to do when a terrorist organization backed by a large, wealthy revolutionary country (Iran) announces that it will no longer honor a ceasefire previously honored largely in the breach anyhow, and the terrorists announce they will increase the frequency and range of the rockets and then proceed to do so?” she writes. “Because while Israel was not retaliating, Hamas was making increasing headway in targeting Israeli towns and infrastructure, one might ask, “How long should Israel put the safety of Palestinian civilians, not on a par with its own civilians, but ahead of its own?” And, in the end, one might ask, “How long could Israel ignore the evident unwillingness or inability of Egypt to prevent the smuggling of increasingly lethal weaponry into Gaza?” For more information on Anderson’s resolution, see: www.assembly.ca.gov/anderson & www.californiansstandwithisrael.com. Printer-friendly version
AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION SENDS LETTER TO OBAMA OPPOSING SCHWARZENEGGER REQUEST TO EXPEDITE SUNRISE POWERLINK; CITES CONCERNS OVER AIR QUALITY AND FIRE RISK
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery January 27, 2009 (San Diego)–East County Magazine today received a copy of a letter sent by the American Lung Association of California to President Barack Obama in opposition to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s request for the U.S. Forest Service to fast-track approval of Sunrise Powerlink. The letter cites concern that the project, if approved, would negatively impact air quality in San Diego and Imperial Counties, harming people with asthma and other respiratory conditions. Specifically, the Lung Association warns that fossil fuels from Mexico could worsen air quality and that smoke from future fires potentially caused by Powerlink could adversely impact the health of people in our region. The letter criticizes SDG&E for marketing Powerlink as a project based on renewable energy, when in fact SDG&E stated to the California Public Utility Commission that “if the company were required to guarantee that the line would be substantially loaded with renewable energy, they would abandon the project.” As a result, CPUC approved the project with no guarantee that it will carry any renewable energy, leading the Lung Association to conclude that “there are substantive reasons to conclude that the line may well wind up harming air quality and increasing greenhouse gas emissions by importing fossil fuel-derived electricity from Baja California and on the spot market. This is of vital concern to the American Lung Association, due to the potentially serious respiratory health impact on the Imperial Valley, which already suffers from the highest asthma rates in California.” San Diego County residents face even worse threats due to the fire hazard posed by Powerlink, concludes Debra Kelley, senior director of advocacy and strategic health initiatives, who signed the letter. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has concluded that SDG&E power lines caused multiple major wildfires in San Diego County including the devastating 2007 Witch Creek fire, which “generated abysmal air quality impacting the one in ten residents who suffer from lung disease,” Kelley concluded. Her letter asks that the Forest Service give the project thorough consideration and not shortcut environmental legal requirements. Copies were sent to Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, Congressional members Bob Filner and Susan Davis, and Forest Supervisor Will Metz of the Cleveland National Forest as well as to President Obama and his transition team. Printer-friendly version
January Capitol Report: How They Voted
Printer-friendly versionCongress approved several major bills in January, including measures to improve healthcare for low-income children, provide oversight of bail-out funds, delay conversion to direct TV, set aside public lands and ocean areas as environmental preserves, protect fair pay for women, and improve remedies for victims of discrimination. The Senate also approved nomination of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Do you know how your elected officials voted? Find out here! For more information on these and other bills, visit www.vote-smart.org or www.govtrack.us FEDERAL BILLS & VOTES (CONGRESS) Nomination of Timothy Geithner as Secretary of Treasury Status: Nomination confirmed 60-34 Votes: Senators Boxer and Feinstein: Yes S. 328: DTV Delay Act Status: Passed Senate by unanimous consent. A record of each Senator’s position was not kept. Description: Delays conversion of TVs from analog to digital technology for four months beyond the original Feb. 17, 2009 deadline. HR 384: Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Status: Passed House 260-166 on January 21, 2009 Description: Reforms the Troubled Assets Relief Program of the Secretary of the Treasury and ensure accountability under such Program. Votes: Representatives Davis and Filner: Yes Representatives Bilbray, Hunter and Issa: No S. 22: Omnibus Public Lands Act Status: Passed Senate 73-21 on January 15, 2009 Description: Safeguards over 270,000 acres along over 1,000 miles of rivers in Oregon, California, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Massachusetts and add 2,800 miles of new trails to the federal system. Also provides funds for protection of oceans and coastal wetlands and for a study on ocean acidification. Votes: Senators Boxer and Feinstein: Yes H.R. 2: CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2009 Status: Passed House 289-139 on January Description: Provides funding to improve healthcare access for low-income children and pregnant women. Votes: Representatives Davis and Filner: Yes Representatives Bilbray, Hunter and Issa: No S. 181: Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for Women Status: Passed House and Senate, sent to President Description: Clarify that each discriminatory paycheck or compensation constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act. As long as workers file their charges within 180 days of a discriminatory paycheck, their charges would be considered timely. Bill restores rights eliminated under a May 2007 Supreme Court decision. Votes: Senators Boxer and Feinstein: Yes Representatives Davis and Filner: Yes Representatives Bilbray, Hunter and Issa – No HR 12: Paycheck Fairness Act Status: Passed House 256-153 on January 9, 2009 Description: Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes. Votes: Representatives Davis and Filner: Yes Representatives Bilbray, Hunter and Issa – No STATE BILLS AND VOTES The State Legislature remains mired in a budget impasse and has not held any votes on significant bills in January. The Governor has declared that he will not consider any non-emergency measures until a budget agreement is reached. Printer-friendly version
SAN DIEGO ASSEMBLYMEMBER LORI SALDAÑA NAMED SPEAKER PRO TEM OF STATE ASSEMBLY
Printer-friendly versionJanuary 27, 2009 (San Diego) — Assembly Member Lori Saldaña was sworn into her new role as Assembly Speaker pro Tempore in a ceremony in the Capitol on December 1st. The Assemblywoman’s district encompasses most of the City of San Diego, including neighborhoods east of I-15 between Highways 94 and 52. Printer-friendly version
THE WILL POWER REPORT – Bad Political Theater
Printer-friendly versionNothing but the Truth! By Will Power January 23, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) — Arnold “Terminator” Swartzenegger, the cinema millionaire, thinks it is amusing to cut payments to the elderly, the poor and the disabled. To the Terminator, these folks are just props in a California comedy that has degenerated from melodrama to tragedy as the state approaches bankruptcy. The problem? Swartzenegger won’t sign a budget. He refuses to acknowledge that the corporate tax breaks, borrowed money, and falling revenue due to the depression will bankrupt the state by February. Just closing corporate loopholes could raise the budget to a manageable deficit. But Swartzenegger is a closet neo-con who owns 400 suits. He simply does not care about the poor since he has never met anyone who is poor. Swarzenegger is doing his best to imitate Ronald Reagan, But Reagan had the good sense to raise taxes when necessary. Swartzenegger has become a millstone around California’s neck. His popularity is crashing even among Republicans, who realize they can’t let California’s government abdicate its fiscal responsibility. Swartzenegger tried to finance California’s government by borrowing from large New York Banks, many of which are now shaky and receiving bail-out money. But why should he care? He’s a multi-millionaire. In 2000, his total income was $31,104,000. Schwarzenegger paid $8.5 million in federal income taxes and $2.6 million in state taxes. In 2001, Schwarzenegger’s income was $26,138,000. He paid $7,395,000 in federal income taxes and $1,923,000 in state taxes. Swartzenegger’s mismanagement of California makes many voters wish they had good old wishy-washy Democrat Gray Davis back. California voters would do well to remember the difference between an actor and a politician is that a politician actually believes his lines. I think what the Terminator wants to do is put the state in horrific debt, then go after State Employee’s Retirement money, which is about the only thing the Terminator hasn’t plundered. The Terminator was a bad actor, but he’s a worse Governor. Time for him to hit the road. Exit the Terminator stage far right! Will Power is a retired teacher who holds a masters degree in creative writing. Printer-friendly version