The Loop: July 2011

Submit articles, Truth Bytes or Did You Know items to  Marie McDonald or Ellis Goldberg; be sure to include source links.   Articles from elected officials, labor unions and individual Democrats are encouraged. An editorial board of Democratic Party of Contra Costa County Central Committee Members including the Chair review and comment on the material in THE LOOP before publication.

Issue 3

> Truth Bytes by labor leaders
> Did you know?
> My family raised me union
> Willie Pelote on Privatization
> California's Budget
> Pete Stark on Libya
> Redistricting
> Who are (R) legislators?

AND much more

Labor unions have played an extraordinary role in the development of our middle class.  Today labor is under siege.  This issue of THE LOOP includes several labor perspectives.

Truth Bytes

Did You Know?

Trumka: Working People Want a Strong, Independent Labor Movement   
by James Parks, May 20, 2011

In a major address at the National Press Club today, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka charted an aggressive independent approach by working people and their unions to build the power of working people in the workplace and in the political sphere. Trumka told the live audience and thousands of viewers on C-SPAN and other news outlets:
Working people want a labor movement strong enough to help return balance to our economy, fairness to our tax system, security to our families and moral and economic standing to our nation. Our role is not to build the power of a political party or a candidate. It is to improve the lives of working families and strengthen our country. 
Full Story

Social Security Scaremongering

W. Lee Hammond, President of AARP interviewed:
Q – Is it true that Social Security has contributed to the huge federal budget deficit?”  
A – No. Social Security operates at a surplus and has not contributed one dime to our nation’s budget deficit.  Even in the current recession, the Social Security Trust Funds have continued to grow.   In addition, Social Security benefits already are modest. The average retirement benefit is only about $14,000. a year and for women, the average comes to less than $12,000 a year.  What is there to cut?  And despite the scaremongering Social Security isn’t “going broke”.  Even without any changes at all, Social Security could pay out full benefits until 2037.   It will take only modest changes to endure that Social Security remains strong for us, our children and grandchildren.”
Full Story

We are at war and it’s class warfare
By Greg Feere Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council

We are at War in the United States of America and it is class warfare. Let’s make it perfectly clear it doesn’t make any difference if you are union or non union, what’s at stake is the elimination of “Middle Class America” as we know it today.
Full story

MOST AMERICANS OPPOSE CONVERTING MEDICAID TO A BLOCK GRANT IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE FEDERAL DEFICIT

New Poll Finds Support For Medicaid May Be Linked to Broad Ties To The Program, With Half of Americans Reporting A Personal Connection

1 in 5 Adults Has Received Medicaid Benefits Over Time, And For Most, Experiences Were Positive, Although One Third Of Them Report Having Had Problems Finding A Doctor
Source – Kaiser Family Foundation

The Truth About the Economy by Robert Reich
in 2 minutes and 15 seconds.  Watch the video

Watch him connect 6 dots:

1.      Economy doubles since 1980, but wages are flat.  Where did the money go?

2.      All gains from the economy go to the super rich. And….

3.      With money comes political power. Taxes on the super rich slashed, revenues evaporate.  This leads to…

4.      Huge budget deficits.   Middle class agitated – fight for scraps.

5.      Middle class divided.  Buying and borrowing slow.  Resulting in:.  Buying and borrowing slow.  Resulting in:

6.      Anemic recovery.

Big Oil – corporate welfare

The TV news programs have been abuzz recently with clips of the Senate hearings about the huge tax-breaks and subsidies given to the big oil companies.

The CEOs of ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, BP America,  Chevron and Shell were called before the Senate finance committee to explain why they should continue to receive current tax-breaks and subsidies paid by the American taxpayers. It is indeed shameful that now, when drivers across the nation are paying over $4.00 a gallon for gasoline, the oil companies are recording record profits, well over $100 BILLION a year. Meanwhile us common folks struggle to pay our bills, and are forced by circumstances to buy their gasoline at outrageous prices. 
Full Story

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau appointment

Relating to the appointment of Elizabeth Warren to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Republicans have blocked this appointment by threat of the standard filibuster but also by stopping the Senate from adjourning to prevent Pres. Obama from appointing her as a recess appointment.  FULL STORY

A message about California's Budget  
by California Assembly Member Joan Buchanan AD 15
7/11/2011

Fellow Democrats,

As all of you know, June was an eventful month. 

I believe the people of California are tired of the polarization that exists in our state and national capitol and desperately want their government to work again.  They want us to use common sense and solve problems.  That is why, like it or not, they passed initiatives to change how we draw districts, passed the open primary, and, most importantly, passed Proposition 25 which allows the legislature to pass a budget with a simple majority vote.

Having served on a local school board for almost two decades, I understand how important Proposition 25 is because local governments and agencies cannot complete their planning and budgeting until the State does its job.  I also understand the importance from the perspective of a state assembly member.   Constantly giving permanent tax cuts for temporary revenues is not a good budgeting practice. Tax cuts should be targeted to help infant industries, but too often, tax cuts become a company’s profit margin.  That is not good business for anyone.

So 2011 became the year that the legislature passed an on-time budget with a simple majority vote in many decades.  The Governor proposed a budget in January and in his May revision that included extension of temporary revenues.  This was because he recognized our obligation to resolve the structural deficit, pay off our mountain of debt, and provide essential services like education and public safety.  This required a two-thirds vote and, unfortunately, the Governor was not able to secure two Republican votes in each house.

Despite the “celebration” of having an on-time budget, let there be no mistake that this budget includes significant pain.  There were deep cuts to Health and Human Services and higher education and a realignment of services from the state to local agencies where they can be provided more effectively.  Funding for K-12 schools remained at the 2010-11 level.  The budget also included the elimination of Redevelopment Agencies along with a second bill that allows local agencies to opt into a new RDA with specified conditions.  This is controversial, will require cleanup language, and will be challenged in court.  Finally, the budget assumes additional new revenues based on increases in May and June receipts.  If these revenues do not materialize, automatic cuts will be triggered in 2012.

Overall, 2011-12 spending will be at the 1972-73 level.  The budget will close 75 percent of the structural deficit, but there remains much work to do.  We still need to close the remaining 25 percent of the structural deficit, pay off over $20 billion in borrowing and $15 billion in deferred payments, and repay the federal government for $11 billion in unemployment insurance loans.  If we don’t want to leave this debt to our children, some type of temporary revenues will need to be explored in the future.

US Congressman Pete Stark on Libya

 The U.S. has now been involved in Libya for over 60 days. We have provided 93 percent of the cruise missiles, 66 percent of the personnel, half the ships, and half the planes. All this military might, yet we were never attacked. We also never had a constitutionally required authorization for the use of military force. We are at war in Libya – one that I oppose in the strongest terms – yet we never had a declaration of war.
Today I voted in support of H. Con. Res. 51, introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), which would have required the President, pursuant to the War Powers Act, to remove our troops from Libya within 15 days. Congress would then review how our nation should move forward. I cosponsored this important resolution, but to my great disappointment, it failed by a vote of 148-265.
Sincerely,
Pete Stark – June 3 2011

Fred Norman read this poem on Memorial Day at the crosses in Lafayette.

Once Upon A Time

She said, once upon a time…  Full Poem

Beware the Invisible Hand of Privatization
by Willie Pelote, Sr. Assistant Director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

In California, the state government currently spends more than $34 billion a year paying private contractors to do jobs that civil servants can perform for half the cost. Another $900 million of taxpayer funds is wasted annually propping up the state’s failed enterprise zone program. Common sense dictates that any proposal to balance the state budget begin here.   Full Story 

My family raised me union by Jo Carson

Retirement started with a blowout party put on by my family.  I wore my very special tee-shirt.  It is one my union brother bought for me at the NEA convention two years ago.  He knows the story of my family and knew I would appreciate it.  The shirt is bright yellow and on the back it says, in big bold letters ‘MY FAMILY RAISED ME UNION.”   Full Story

Redistricting

By Shawnda Westly, Executive Director, California Democratic Party

Many of you have been following the work of the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission this past year. The Commission is charged with drawing all Congressional and Legislative districts that will be in place for the next ten years – for the first time ever, political parties will play no significant role in the process of redistricting.

We ps that were released on Friday.  To view the first draft of the Congressional, Legislative and Board of Equalization district maps click below:
http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/maps-first-drafts.html
Release of new maps creates political 'tsunami':
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_18249488
New California Lines Create Upheaval:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/California-redistricting-new-map-released-206364-1.html?pos=hftxt
New redistricting maps promise to reshape California politics:
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20110611/NEWS06/106110318
California Legislature may see more swing districts under draft political maps:
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/06/11/3692563/california-may-see-more-swing.html
New CA Redistricting Maps “Worst-Case Scenario” for Latinos:
http://www.greenlining.org/news/in-the-news/2011/new-ca-maps-worst-case-scenario-for-latinos
Redistricting map offers drama, but it's just a draft:
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x43955945/OUR-VIEW-Redistricting-map-offers-drama-but-its-just-a-draft
To survive, state GOP must reinvent itself:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-republicans-20110612,0,4554144.story
REDISTRICTING: Draft map would alter Inland congressional delegation:
http://www.pe.com/politics/miller/stories/PE_News_Local_D_redistrict12.41c1711.html
Redistricting: Rohrabacher says he's staying put:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/rohrabacher-304110-district-redistricting.html wanted to share a selection of news stories summarizing the Commission’s first draft of ma

Who are the California Republican Legislators?
by Ellis Goldberg

California Republican Legislators refused to let the voters decide about the tax extensions suggested by Governor Brown.  Republican Legislators are to blame for the all cuts budget that was just passed and all the damage and pain the cuts will cause in California.

!4 Senators and 27 Assembly Members have blocked all attempts at increasing revenue to fund critical state functions.  Check out the list of these legislators with links to their official state funded web pages and a list of cities and towns they represent including some zip codes.  The geographic information was found on Wikipedia. 

View list in MS WORD format or PDF

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY NEEDS YOUR HELP

Unless our county is given an odd number by the Redistricting Commission which Is currently reviewing various plans to redistrict our state, we will be given an even number which will mean that Contra County will not have direct State Senatorial representation for the 2 years between 2012 and 2014.   We have a number of vital issues facing our county in the next few years.  Please email the Redistricting Commission telling them that we are community of common interests comprised of 1,049,025 citizens and asking them to give our county an odd Senatorial district number.  Send mailto:redistrictingCA@gmail.com