EBYD February Confab! (aka Membership Meeting!)

Join EBYD for our first membership confab of 2010. We’ll be discussing the priorities and projects for the club for the year, reviewing our endorsement calendar, and determining criteria for our report card on elected officials.

If you’re interested in getting involved and shaping the direction of the club, this is the meeting to attend. All are welcome and encouraged to participate!

RSVP on Facebook!

At this meeting, we’ll also be electing a new At-Large Executive Committee member, as Christine Smith has resigned after moving to Pennsylvania. To nominate someone or if you have questions about this position, please email Rebecca at president@ebyd.org
 
Monday, February 22, 2010
6:30PM-8:30PM
Spice Monkey Cafe
1628 Webster St.
Oakland, CA


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Terminating Hope Tour!

The Terminator Tour continues…

 
At the Peralta Community Colleges hope is starting to become scarce; last year, their budget was cut $13 million. The 20,000 students that attend Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney College, and Merritt College have seen teacher and staff lay-offs, 400 classes cut, and class sizes increased from 20 to 40 students.
 

EBYD Member and President of the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, Abel Guilen said:

“The Governor is proposing that they do away with the Cal Grant program. That affects 44,000 students in the state of California. Many of our most needy students need that money to get through school.  Some students have to make the decision whether or not they’re going to be able to pay their rent or childcare. Some students are even opting to bring their children to class because they just can’t afford to pay a sitter.” Click here for the entire interview

 

Marlene Hurd, former Senator for the Student Senate for California Community Colleges said:

“One of the things that I witness a lot is students lining up for financial aid and those lines get long. What I see are students who need this service and can’t get it. Where do those students go? Some of them may end up dropping out of school and maybe they’re right at the end about to graduate and they need that extra cushion to pull them through.” Click here for the entire interview

 

More students are opting to attend community college because of the increase in tuition at California State and University of California higher education institutions. Students wanting to attend community college will now have to compete with students who would normally attend 4-year universities or decide not to attend college at all.

Nakia Dillard, a student who is looking forward to transferring to SF State in the Fall said, “It’s going to be really hard for our youth to have hope if our Governor is putting these budget cuts on education and making it harder for youth to get into college. It’s really hard to get jobs, it’s sad to say (students) might turn to the streets and other negative ways to make money…they have to make a living somehow.” Click here for the entire interview

For every dollar California invests to get students in and through college, the state’s economy receives a $3 net return on investment. For every dollar spent on economic and workforce development programs at Community Colleges, there is a $12 increase in California’s business income and employee wages.

Students, staff, and administrators are holding their breaths after hearing Schwarzenegger’s latest budget boondoggle.

If you are a student, former student, or a person who cares about education you can submit your story online at http://www.terminatortourca.org/.

CYD Presents: STATEWIDE CANDIDATE FORUM — SATURDAY!

Join the California Young Democrats on Saturday from 1-4pm in San Francisco to hear from the next Governor of California — as well as at least 11 other candidates for statewide office.

We’ll be joined by young dems from throughout the entire Bay Area — from Sonoma to Santa Cruz.

This will be a special opportunity to hear from the candidates on this June’s primary election ballot.

Come hear and ask questions of the following candidates:

GOVERNOR
• Hon. Jerry Brown*

LT. GOVERNOR
• Hon. Janice Hahn

ATTORNEY GENERAL
• Hon. Kamala Harris
• Mr. Chris Kelly
• Hon. Pedro Nava
• Hon. Alberto Torrico

TREASURER
• Hon. Bill Lockyer

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER
• Hon. Hector De La Torre
• Hon. Dave Jones

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
• Mr. Larry Aceves
• Hon. Tom Torlakson

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
• Hon. Betty Yee

*(Candidate is invited as a rumored candidate, but has not officially declared).

Here are all the details:

Saturday, February 6th
1-4 p.m.
SEIU Local 87
240 Golden Gate Avenue, SF

(2 Blocks North of Civic Center BART Station)


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PLEASE RSVP TODAY!

Colin Powell Says DADT Should Be Repealed!

Colin Powell today joined Admiral Mullin to oppose Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and call for its repeal!  Check out this video from tonight’s Hardball with Chris Matthews as he interviews a Republican and Democratic strategist on the issue.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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California Awarded $2.35 Billion for High Speed Rail!

The White House announced yesterday that California would recieve $2.35 billion for for rail related projects.  Specifically, $2.25 billion for high speed rail construction, wich included $400 million reserved for construction of the SF Transbay Terminal Station, and $1 billion for Amtrak corridor improvements including:

Capitol Corridor-South Terminal Station Improvement
Capitol Corridor-YoloXover (Yolo West Crossover)
Capitol Corridor-Track Relocation
Pacific Surfliner -Railroad Crossover Program
Pacific Surfliner – Oceanside Stub Project 1
Pacific Surfliner Corridor-MOW Spurs
Los Angeles to Fullerton Triple Track
Pacific Surfliner Corridor-PE NEPA Ortega
Pacific Surfliner -Corridor Strategic Assessment
Rolling Stock-Locomotive Emissions Upgrade (including San Joaquins)
Rolling Stock-Cab Car Bicycle Storage

I am a staunch supporter of high speed rail in California, and all over the US for that matter.  I have wanted to see a high speed rail in our state since i was a little kid.  I remember absolutely HATING the fact that my mother, who refused to drive through Tehachapi, would make me and my sister join her in the 5 hour journey to San Bernardino to visit my grandparents (driving in a car vs. public transit is only 4 hours).  The trip was a 1 hour Amtrak train ride from Hanford to Bakersfield, followed by a 4 hour bus ride from Bakersfield to San Bernardino.  I get closterphobic just thinking about it.  This same trip on the proposed CAHSR would take approximately 2 hours from Fresno to Ontario or Riverside stations.

The California High Speed Rail Authority released its business plan in December, detailing things like cost projections.  The plan stated it would cost about $42 billion to create the entire system.  Yes, $2.25 isn’t a lot vis a vis $42 billion, but it definately jumps starts a project and allows the Authority to create a visible and tangible portion of the system to help the hesitators and nay-sayors come over to the greener side.  Keep in mind that $42 billion is less than 1/3 the cost to expand our highways to accomodate the same number of projected future travelers at $150 billion.  Not to mention that whole, environmentally friendly and creating about 450,000 permanent and 500,000 temp jobs in the process and stimulating the economy in a recession, thingy…

Who’s excited?  I’m excited!

I will also give a plug to the grassroots organization working to help bring high speed rail to California: Californian’s for High Speed Rail.  They are a new group but i beleive they represent a great opportunity to bring on the ground momentum and make Californians excited about the idea of high speed rail.

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The State of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

Yes, like a good political junkie / nerd, i excitedly and hurried my way home from work at 5:30 so i could arrive at my apartment in time to watch the State of the Union address from start to finish.  Yes, i made it as well as made dinner in time to watch Obama speak.

I’m not here to write a article going over the entirety of the speech.  Mostly what i can tell you is that it was a great speech of one liners and bumper stickers.  It was brilliantly prepared to put the face of the blame game squarely (and rightfully) on the side of the Republicans.  But the one thing i took from it was the one thing i knew was coming… Obama called for the repeal of military’s Don’t Ask Don”t Tell policy (the DODT section is short and the vid below covers other stuff as well):

I admit that i actually went in to wathing the address hoping that Obama would say something beyond “I will work with…” or mereley suggesting or calling for the repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell.  I have to say i am one of those gay political activists (and donors) who believes Obama could solve this problem with, literally, the flick of a pen on an executive order that simply tells the military to stop trying.  Oh well.  I will say that even that call for, suggesting or even promise to work with is a first step.  But the repeal of this law is the final step that Obama should shoot for.

I still remain skeptical of Obama’s promises.  His promise to work with both Congress and the military is familiar from campaign rhetoric (Disclosure: I worked for and voted for Hillary).  But in the face of a troubled economy and suffering health care system, i can sit back and say, “Fine.  Work on the other stuff.”  But how long can you use the excuse of more pressing national matters before the matter of honorable and patriatic Americans being forced out of the military, who desperately needs many of their skills, is tackled and repealed?

It’s not all Obama, i agree.  Repealing DODT is a political hot potatoe.  Conservatives and the down Right (typo intentional) anti-gay groups will come out and try to keep things as they are.  Take John McCain’s statement immediately following the State of the Union:

“At a time when our armed forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy,” said McCain, R-Ariz.

Read full MSNBC article here

I have to say i’m actually really offended by John McCain’s statement.  To me, it feels as if he’s implying that the sacrifices by gay servicemen and women are somehow less than those by their straight brothers and sisters in arms.  As if allowing patriotic men and women who have voluntarily given up their civilian lives to fight and die in two wars; for people who don’t even want to acknowledge their rights as individuals; that to allow them to serve openly will somehow be harmful to everyone else.  Screw you John McCain.  Would you have turned away a gay servicemember had one come to rescue you from your Viatnamese prison because it would somehow discredit the sacrifices you made in war?

The point here is that there will probably never be a “good time” to tackle Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.  It will be a political hot button issue until it is finally repealed.  Gay activists are not wrong, nor selfish, nor impatient in their pursuit of equality and it should never be said that we do not act.  We should continue to press Obama and other politicians to face the fact that tackling DODT is going to be tough.  But in the recent words of President Obama: “It is the right thing to do” and ”we don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment”  Let us repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell!

State of the Union – Tonight at 6PM!

Don’t forget!  Obama’s 1st State of the Union address will take place TONIGHT at 6:00PM PST.  Don’t be afraid to tell the bartender to change the channel!  Every major news network will be broadcasting the speech.

Here are some fun links:

State of the Union Drinking Game! by Huffington Post

State of the Union Talking Points! by Politico

Love & Politics, Planned Parenthood Style!

Join Planned Parenthood: Shasta-Diablo Action Fund for a special Velentines Day event!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

6:00pm – 8:30pm

Havana Restaurant

1516 Bonanza Street, Walnut Creek, CA

Featured speaker will be Tiffany Shlain, founder of the Webbie Awards, a Pro-Choice advocate and a award-winning film maker. 

Tickets are $75 dollars each, and that includes entrance, tapas and mojitos!

For more information and to RSVP, visit: www.ppactionca.org/loveandpolitics

RSVP Deadline is February 10, 2010.

 

This event is NOT endorsed or sponsored by EBYD.  It does, however, sound awesome!  We are providing this as a community notice only.