Burbank Democratic Club

Here are the results of a recent Field Poll about CA budget deficit (here are the complete results):

How would you prefer that the state government deal with its budget deficit, which could range from eight to fifteen billion dollars – mostly through spending cuts or mostly through tax increases?
Mostly Spending Cuts: 67.4% Mostly Tax Increases: 23.4%

Do you favor or oppose the requirement that in order to enact new taxes in California both houses of the state legislature must approve of them by a two-thirds majority vote?
Favor: 69.5% Oppose: 26.5%

Some have proposed changing this rule to allow the legislature to enact new taxes with a simple majority or 50 percent plus one of legislators in both houses so long as they reduce other tax revenues by a similar amount. Do you favor or oppose allowing this change?
Favor: 39.8% Oppose: 51%


So they went on to ask which areas should be cut and what taxes should be raised. This is where it gets interesting.

What should we cut
a) higher education, including the state's public universities, colleges and community colleges Favor: 31.2% Oppose: 66.5%
b) public transportation Favor: 42.5% Oppose: 54.6%
c) state prisons and correctional facilities Favor: 58.7% Oppose: 37.7%
d) health care programs for low income Californians and the disabled Favor: 25.5% Oppose: 72.1%
e) environmental regulation Favor: 40.0% Oppose: 55.7%
f) child care programs Favor: 30.1% Oppose: 66.3%
g) state parks and recreational facilities Favor: 50.9% Oppose: 47.1%
h) the public schools Favor: 25.4% Oppose: 73.1%
i) law enforcement and police Favor: 23.4% Oppose: 73.8%
j) state road and highway building and repair Favor: 43.1% Oppose: 54.0%
k) water storage and supply facilities Favor: 31.2% Oppose: 62.5%
l) mental health programs Favor: 30.5% Oppose: 66.1%

And what taxes should we raise?
a) increase state alcohol taxes Favor: 73.6% Oppose: 25.6%
b) expand the state sales tax to include goods and services not currently taxed, such as
entertainment purchases or legal, medical, accounting or other professional services Favor: 24.8% Oppose: 71.3%
c) legalize marijuana for recreational use and tax its sale Favor: 56.2% Oppose: 41.7%
d) increase state income taxes on individuals earning more than 1 million dollars a year Favor: 74.4% Oppose: 24.7%
e) increase state gasoline taxes Favor: 26.7% Oppose: 71.7%
f) collect sales taxes from Californians who buy products from out-of-state sellers over the Internet Favor: 51.4% Oppose: 71.7%
g) increase state tobacco taxes Favor: 74.9% Oppose: 24.7%
h) increase the state's indebtedness by issuing more bonds Favor: 36.5% Oppose: 56.9%
i) create an oil severance tax on oil drilled in California Favor: 54.0% Oppose: 38.6%
j) create a special sales tax on the sale of pornography in California Favor: 80.3% Oppose: 18.2%
k) increase taxes on business property Favor: 37.1% Oppose: 58.2%
l) create a carbon tax on gasoline, diesel and jet fuel based on the amount of greenhouse gases each fuel emits when burned Favor: 44.7% Oppose: 50.8%

I home again. Phew. Howard Dean was fabulous. John Burton scared me. He called himself an old . .. fashioned Democrat. I hope he wasn't implying that us new Fashioned democrats don't care as much about children and workers and all that.

The endorsement for the propositions clearly did not go as planned by the Resolutions Committee. The Party will NOT endorse 1A, 1D or 1E. It was a lot of fun for me to watch this happen: 1st the chairman made a motion to accept the recommendation of the committee to endorse all of the propositions and it was seconded somewhere in the audience. But it had been agreed in advance that any individual in the Hall could ask that the one particular prop be removed from that motion. One by one each prop was dropped. So that apparently meant that now each prop had to be considered one at a time. First up Prop 1A. 3 speakers on each side were allow 2 minutes each to make their case. They had also been picked in advance (I guess attending the Resolution and rules committee meetings really matters.) This pitted the elected officials against the upstart progressive. Nasty things were said on both sides. After the debate, better describe as a shouting match, some asked that the debate be extended - and this had to be pout to a vote. Which much grumbling on all sides, the extension was voted down overwhelmingly - no need to count the votes. Then we proceeded to a vote on the resolution to endorse Prop 1A. In this vote you have to hold up your delegate card to indicate your vote. First they called for the Yes vote - which meant you agreed with the committee that the party should endorse the prop. Then the Nos and Neutral. People walking downs the aisles were counting the votes, they were totaled and 1A failed to get 60% of the vote (it got 58%!) So the Party will take no position on Prop 1A.

The same process then proceeded for the remaining props. 1B Passed by 67%. 1C also passed, but 1D failed after some very emotional debate. Then Lee and I had to leave to catch our plane. On the Shuttle to the airport - filled with delegates - we learned via iPhone and twitter that 1E failed. Over pizza and beer in the airport, Lee got a twitter that 1F passed. So the California Democratic Party will only officially endorse 1B and 1F. Of course 1B willl not go into effect if 1A fails, so what's the point?

I think's safe to say the propostitions are not going to pass state wide if loyal rank and file Democrats won't vote to endorse them. Pretty amazing stuff from my perspective. The rules are convoluted and difficult to an outsider like me, but I saw them work exactly the way they were meant to - with voices being heard, but not endlessly and with movement forward to come to a conclusion and result in an action (or in this case, to prevent an action.) Of course this was after the Committee's had rangled over these for 2 days.

More later.

Begins with his famous shout.

Generational revolution.
We took our country back!!!

I love how Howard Dean included facts in energetic speeches!

Debra Bowen speaking now. We're thinking she'd make a great replacement for Diana Feinstein.

Battery running low, so logging off.

Region awards are over. Burton is the new Chairman, talking now. If the speaches are next then we won't be able to stay for voting on the resolutions, though except for the Propositions the outcome is pretty clear. The Party will be for getting rid of the 2/3rds vote, it will be for looking into impeaching Bybee, it will be for Marriage equality, it will for taxing oil drilling and a few more.

Sitting in the convention hall right now - 10am. Already behinf schedule. Watching a montage video of the Convention. Might have to leave before voting on resolutions,

Lee and I wandered over to the College Dems block party around 7:30 and it was dead. Then a band started playing and we watched them, shook out heads and left. They were awful - but it was early and the real party wasn't supposed to start till 10pm.

Back at the convention - after a rest - we arrived early for the Hospitality Suites - as they are called. Basically small parties in the convention suites up on the 3rd floor, where the caucus meetings were held. Free food and music and in some cases free drinks. One room had a bunch of iMacs along one wall where you could take your picture - I used the effects to make sure you couldn't see my tired un-shaven face well enough to recognize me. Nice.

Each room is presented by an elected official or a lobbyist group or a candidate for office. Lee tells me these Hospitality Suites don't compare to the ones hes been too in the past, but we didn't do too badly - we got free wine and free sushi and sliced porterhouse and heard some good jazz.

The other thing about these conventions is meeting people. Sadly I am very bad at that. But there were people I knew and a few who suffered my ailing wit. The wine helped. We only stayed an hour.

Back in the Hotel Room, the local news reports that the Block Party is huge and Wyclef Jean is playing and they show the whole block I walked through empty, packed with dancing people.

Also heard that the election results had one surprise - the incumbent Controller was not re-elected.

Saturday Night Live just started....

After lunch we heard from Nancy Pelosi. Also Stuart Milk (brother of Harvey) and Anne Kronenberg. Then from the Statewide Officer candidates. The tone completely changed. These people want these jobs! There are the candidates that are the shoe-ins and then the upstarts. There are gangs of sign carrying followers lining up to go on stage with their candidate. I didn't even know there was a challenge to John Burton, Chriss Finnie. She was introduced by her son and she said some really good things about making the party more inclusive, more bottom up and less top down. Burton clearly didn't think he'd need to make a speech at all because his was not good, mostly ranting about taking Republican seats but not saying how. I'm sure he'll win. When Eric Bauman accepted his unanimous election (there was no other candidate) we thought, wow - now why did he step aside for Burton? But we know why. And I'll be shocked if Finnie wins, even though she earned my vote.

And it's an odd feeling to cast a ballot that has your name on it!

Next up - the block party. I'm sure I'll collapse in exhaustion before the show starts at 10pm (Wyclef Jean). Tomorrow we will vote on the resolutions and the propositions. And then off to the airport and home again, ahh.

Our region (12) was seated way off to one side of the huge convention hall, in the dark. The chattering that never ends sometimes drowned out the speakers. Listening to all the speeches this morning I realized that, as much as there campaigns going on all around us for state party seats and for state wide positions, this whole event is really about us, the little people, who go out do the little things like registering voters or working on campaigns or even just talking to our friends and family about politics and joining clubs. All this little work, like each single vote, adds up to something bigger - something like the election of Barak Obama - as we were constantly reminded. Or the re-election of Barbara Boxer. It's a big pat on the back and a swift kick in the ass. Becasue it's work that never ends. And we are reminded that in order to overturn the 2/3rds vote requirement, for instance, we have to work harded. And we stand up and cheer! And then sit down and ponder how, exactly we are going to do it. But hell, Barak is president so we can do anything, right? Yes We Can rings out time and time again.

And perhaps that's why, like religion, we don't discuss it in polite company. Emotions are raw and on the surface. Everybody who speaks wants to be heard. Twice. And acknowledged. The rest of us snicker and leave the room or applaud and wait for the acknowledgment of others to vindicate out own parallel passion.

As I said to Lee this evening...not much seems to be getting done here at the convention, but it does seem like a lot is getting started. Caucus meetings and Workshops and Standing Committee meetings. The Resolutions Committee was packed and contentious because they were considering whether the Party will endorse the propositions. Silly me, I thought they already did. But no, just the elected officials who cobbled together the Budget support the propositions. There are people in the halls handing out fliers urging us to vote no on 1A. The rest of us know we need to vote yes and know 1A and the rest of them will fail - except 1F. Everyone, even the pols are for 1F.

The Computer and Internet caucus met in the smallest room in the center, but was filled beyond capacity. The ActBlue guy was interrupted by Gavin Newsom who did his Rock Star routine and then said some really amazing things about using the tools of the Internet not just to win elections and organize people, but also to better govern the state. There were gasps in the room and I was totally for it - whatever it was.

Tomorrow is all about speaches and elections for party officers. Now off to bed.

Labels: CA Dem Convention

Arrived in Sacramento. Nice weather. Hotel is a few blocks away. The line to register is up the stairs for three flights! Turns out I didn't pay my dues. What? Have to check that when I get a chance. Went to the Orientation and had to walk out 3 times to avoid disorientation - but learned a few things. Sitting in the ActBlue workshop right now. I like ActBlue and I think the club ought to add it as a tool for fundraising and dues - especially in advance of 2nd bi-annual BLLOTY Awards. Oh my, someone just came in asking if there is a doctor in the room! Someone stood up and went to help. Nice.

Better pay attention now.

See if this gets carried by the MSM, even progressive talkers or MSNBC... too soon to know if this is too quietly handled ...

But healthcare activist Jason Rosenbaum writes at HuffPo:

... It all comes down to this: Because of grassroots pressure, Republicans didn't have the votes to block reconciliation for health care. Republicans are threatening procedural war, but it looks very likely that a minority of Senators will not be able to block health care reform this time. And so the GOP has a choice: They can work with Democrats in good faith (something they have declined to do so far), or they can be ignored as Democrats pass the health reform this country so desperately needs with a simple majority vote in the Senate.

Either way, progressives won a victory last night, and we're one step closer to winning quality, affordable health care for all. ...

Labels: Big Health, healthcare, Senate

This incident is, sadly, a twin outrage: a Big Health fight against the reality of do-ability for public health care, and its insidious corporate infection of a U.S. “public TV” icon like Frontline, thanks to the system the Bushes set up. Crooks & Liars sets it up:

There was never any doubt in my mind that once PBS was moved by the Republicans to corporate sponsorship instead of full public funding, their content would inevitably grow to reflect the viewpoints of the people who wrote the checks. It seems that insurance company investments are paying off in the healthcare debate.

While this Frontline piece does address corporate abuses of their clients, the journalist who worked on it says it was altered to reflect insurance company interests, according to Russell Mokhiber, editor of Corporate Crime Reporter:

Last year, former Washington Post reporter T.R. Reid made a great documentary for the PBS show Frontline titled "Sick Around the World." The documentary that resulted – "Sick Around America" – aired Monday night [March 30] on PBS. …

But even though Reid did the reporting for the film, he was cut out of the film when it aired this week. And the film didn't present Reid's bottom line for health care reform: don't let health insurance companies profit from selling basic health insurance.

Instead, the film that aired Monday pushed the view that Americans be required to purchase health insurance from for-profit companies. ...

Labels: Big Health, corruption, Frontline, healthcare, media, PBS