Blog
BUDGET PROBLEMS: Taxing or Spending? YES!
Sunday May 9th, 2010
A dancer friend of mine sent me an email announcing she had changed her registration from Republican to Green Party. I was the first to congratulate her!
She sent me a link to an article about Baby Boomers, the Tooth Fairy, and the next generations,
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/opinion/09friedman.html?hp
I found much to agree with in the writer's analysis of the problem of debt spending, but his solution focused solely on the need to reduce spending -- on pensions, on caring for people who’ve worked in “hazardous” jobs (his quotes), and on benefits to seniors for heating and buses -- and barely touched taxes!
While we in the middle class may spend more than we need to be truly happy and healthy, we as a state and country have created a generation of mega-rich billionaires and corporations. With the behind-the-scenes tax giveaways in the old Prop 13, we reduced their taxes, while they took the money and ran, to headquarters in the Cayman Islands, and jobs outside of the country. Who hasn’t had the experience of calling customer service and talking to people from distant parts of the globe?
There are solutions! If we stop playing games where most people lose, and start having FAIR taxes for a change, we can then face up to our ecological and economic problems, and solve them.
Earth Day
Thursday April 22nd, 2010
NEW! Hundreds endorse Laura Wells
“We’re saving the earth,” my five-year-old daughter said when I answered the grocery cashier’s “paper or plastic” question with, “I brought my own.” The cashier and I smiled, knowing it would take a lot more than bringing my own bags to save the earth.
Habits! I knew from personal experience how difficult habits are to make or break. I worked in the recycling industry for six months before I developed the habit of bringing bags when I went shopping. Finally I said to myself, “Laura, do you go to the store without your wallet? Well, don’t go without your bags!” And that sunk in.
Can we change our choices? And take care of the earth, and take care of ourselves, and have fun?!?
Yes.
One of the 10 Key Values of the Green Party – which, by the way, is the largest political party in the world – is Personal and Global Responsibility. Big changes happen when we act as individuals and as citizens, engaging in our communities, our civil society, our government.
Celebrate Earth Day in some fun and effective – and habit-forming – way!
Titanic Parties
Wednesday April 14th, 2010
Shortly before midnight on 14 April 1912, four days into the ship's maiden voyage, Titanic struck an iceberg and sank two hours and forty minutes later, early on 15 April 1912.1
When I call the two biggest political parties the Titanic Parties, people immediately know what I’m talking about. Both Titanic Parties are heading straight for the iceberg, and their leaders are not changing course.
California is not the Titanic; the status-quo political parties are. They have set up a game where only the richest of the rich individuals and corporations can win.
Let’s change the game! California is a wealthy state with abundant resources — both natural and human. We’ve been a golden state of great schools, health, environment, and job opportunities, and we can be that golden state again. We will change the game, and start building solutions.
__________
1"RMS Titanic," Wikipedia
Campaign core...
Wednesday April 14th, 2010
Had an excellent meeting of the emerging campaign core team on Monday. We were aiming for 6-8 participants, ended up with 22. Some traveled long distances. Some wrote big checks.
From the very beginning, we've felt the energy. This could be our year, where we Californians change the game - actually STOP the game that California politics has been - and start the solutions.
Unlucky 13
Thursday February 4th, 2010
Prop 13: Unlucky for California in 13 Ways!But first, the GOOD part of Prop 13:
Californians voted for Proposition 13 in 1978 to allow residents, especially seniors on fixed incomes, to stay in their homes rather than lose them due to rising property taxes. That’s what people voted for, and it’s a very good thing that needs to be kept.
And now, How Prop 13 was BAD for California in 13 Ways:
Page 3 of 4
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