Project Economic Refugee

From OneCare.org:

Businessman Alberto Saavedra points out that 30% of Latinos do not have health insurance, even though healthcare is a basic human right. He encourages all Latinos to help reform our dysfunctional health care system with single payer, California OneCare. (In Spanish; subtitled)

It never ceases to amaze me how the wealthy West Side interests in Los Angeles have been able to hinder if not right out block the completion of a light rail line that could ease L.A.’s horrendous traffic. Some West Siders have voiced concerns about “safety”, which as I have explained before in this previous post of mine, other cities with very similar conditions as L.A. simply do not seem to have. The L.A. Times recently reported this:

Though we sympathize with the residents — few people would want a train running past their backyards– the impacts of the line would actually be minor, and its benefits would be great. Planners expect the Expo Line to carry about 64,000 riders a day by 2030, relieving traffic, boosting the economy and cutting pollution. The agency is building sound walls to reduce noise, grade separations to lessen traffic delays, and parking facilities. That’s not enough for residents, who are demanding unnecessary additional grade separations that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and make the project financially unfeasible. The board must politely turn them down.

Frankly, I am just glad that the County of Board of Supervisors has more sense than to listen to the elitist and short-sighted demands coming from some West Side residents: the Supervisors just voted 6-0 to certify the “Phase II” of the final environmental report to move the process forward.  This prompted the Expo Line Board of Directors to move towards the hiring of a design-build contractor.  The Expo Light Rail Line Facebook page explains:

This action represents the first step toward hiring a design-build contractor to construct the long-awaited light rail extension to Santa Monica. Upon completion of successful negotiations, PE contracts will be awarded to both firms and PE work will continue for six months. In November 2010, the Authority will select one of these PE firms as the design-build contractor to complete the design work and construct this vital mass transit link, which is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

I remember being awaken in the middle of the night and seeing my whole room shake up and down hearing things crashing down to the floor.  Half-asleep, at first it took me a while to process it that I was experiencing an earthquake but once it fully sunk in, my only thought was “when will this be over?” because it seemed like an eternity.  Back then, we were living in the same house with my Grandmother, so my Dad told me to go check on her.  The power was completely out, so I grabbed a flashlight and quickly rushed to check her room, which she shared with one of my aunts.  I asked them if they were okay.  They were of course terrified, crying; I had never seen someone that scared.  I told them I’d go check on others and be right back.  What would follow would be equally scary: finding out all the destruction around you and all over Southern California.  Going to the grocery story and finding them closed because all their products had fallen off the shelves and were splattered all over the floor.  Spending over a week going through aftershocks that felt like the whole ground was sinking right below you with you on it.  Having your heart race every time you thought the ground moved a little.

That was in  Southern California, during the Northridge Earthquake of ‘94, which was 6.7 in magnitud.  I can’t even begin to imagine an earthquake in 8.8 magnitude, which is exactly what happened in Chile yesterday and some are now saying that it terms of scale, it was 100 times stronger than the Northridge one and released 500 times more energy than the recent Haiti earthquake. 

President Obama announced yesterday that he was closely monitoring the situation and expressed his support for the people of Chile:

For more information on the White House’s reaction, you can visit their site here. 

Also of concern, is that it looks like the aftermath of the quake not only involves aftershocks but tsunamis on American soil.  Heal the Bay reports:

Tsunami Advisory In Effect for U.S. West Coast due to Strong Chilean Earthquake

Posted: February 27, 2010
A tsunami advisory is in effect which includes coastal areas from the CA-Mexican border to Alaska. The advisory is the result of a massive 8.8 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Chile, about 60 miles northwest of the city of Chillan.

According the the National Weather Service, those in the advisory areas should move out of the water, off the beach and out of harbors and marinas.

A tsunami advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves is expected. Widespread water inundation is NOT anticipated.

Tsunamis are a series of waves that are potentially dangerous several hours after the initial arrival time. Estimated times of arrival for CA locations are as follows:

La Jolla: 12:02pm

Newport Beach: 12:12pm

San Pedro: 12:15pm

Santa Monica: 12:25pm

Santa Barbara: 12:31pm

San Francisco: 1:26pmMore:

West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

Tsunami Advisory Issued for California Coast After Chile Quake – LAist

Chile earthquake update: Heed local officials, Obama tells Americans – CNN

In the midst of all this, my heart goes out to our hermanos y hermanas de Chile.  Chilenos y Chilenas estamos con ustedes!

Update: photos from Chile are starting to come in.  To view some, click here.

Update #2: looks like Hawaii “dodged a bullet”; now there’s concerns with Japan facing tsunamis; here’s the story.  Also, here’s an interesting analysis of how the earthquake damages and response has differed between Chile and what happened previously over in Haiti.

This is an interesting concept … is your city doing anything like this?

Tacos for Justice: Innovative Effort Launches

LA-area plan will help fund national advocacy strategy for immigrant justice 

For Immediate Release

Contacts:    Armando Gudino:  562-413-9003, Erin Glenn:  213-434-0071 

(Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 22) Responding to the call of the National Latino Congreso (NLC) held in El Paso, Texas, January 29-31, a multi-level partnership launched Tacos for Justice/Tacos Para Justicia today, an effort to include millions of local immigrant justice supporters in the national campaign to achieve legalization for America’s 10-12 million undocumented persons in 2010.

“Through Tacos for Justice the simple act of eating is converted into an act of social justice,” said Erin Glenn, Executive Director of the Asociación de Loncheros L.A. Familia Unida de California. “Our trucks will give a 10% discount to every patron as well as donate to the national Immigrant Justice Campaign for every Tacos for Justice coupon used in a purchase of the “Justice Menu” at our participating trucks,” she continued. “The lunch truck addresses are on the back of the coupon or can be accessed online at tacosparajusticia.org.”

More than one million discount coupons are being issued by the Latino Voters League (LVL), an advocacy group designated by the National Latino Congress to manage the proceeds. “Grassroots funds gathered through Tacos for Justice will fund organizers and media in key states and congressional districts throughout America to persuade federal legislators to support good immigration reform bills. For example, HR 431 (the CIR ASAP Act) would legalize all qualified undocumented and Dream Act, would legalize 65,000 college eligible undocumented high school graduates,” said Armando Gudino, Communications Director of the LVL, agudino@latinovotersleague.net.

The general public can download the free coupons at tacosparajusticia.org now. Some 200,000 coupons are being distributed this week to participating organizations to give to their members including Anahuak Youth Sports Association, La Placita Church, Mexican American Political Association, National Day Laborers Network, William C. Velasquez Institute, National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, and others.

“Any interested group can order bulk discount coupons from their members (300 booklet minimum order; booklets contain 16 coupons each) by contacting me. Also restaurant chains that want to join the “Tacos for Justice” can also contact me,” said Tacos for Justice LA Coordinator Carmen Amaya (323-246-2210 or info@latinovotersleague.net).

“The NLC is organizing numerous efforts across the country as part of its Immigrant Justice Campaign. Later in this week the high tech companion to “Tacos” will be released: Texts for Justice, as well as a new immigrant-interest scorecard,” said Angela Sanbrano for the NLC Conveners.

Update:

Tacos for Justice Update: Coupons Hit the Field!

Over 100,000 Coupons Will be Distributed This Weekend…With More Available Online!

What’s the Latest:
Monday, the Latino Voters League (LVL) announced it was launching the “Tacos Para Justicia” program, as part of the National Latino Congreso’s Immigrant Justice Campaign. 

This weekend, the first 100,000 coupons will be hitting the community, as partners Anahuak Youth Soccer Association, La Placita Church, Dolores Mission Church, and IDEPSCA will join the LVL in distributing coupons for 10% off selected menu items at various Lonchero locations, listed on www.tacosparajusticia.org.  Another 70,000 coupons will be ready for circulation at the beginning of next week when partners MAPA and NALACC hit the field…and even more partners are on their way!

The general public can download the free coupons at www.tacosparajusticia.org now…just sign up for the Latino Voters League email list. 

George Lakoff defines what freedom means for progressives in the healthcare debate:

Health means freedom. If you have a serious illness or injury and cannot get it treated, your freedom will be limited in many ways. Your physical freedom: you may no longer have the freedom to move around. Your economic freedom: you may not be able to work or your medical bills may impoverish you. Your emotional freedom: you will not be free to live a happy life. 

To read the rest of Lakoff’s advice, click here.

Unlike what Rush Limbaugh claims, being white, right-wing conservative, and male (like the screaming guy on this video) will still get you ahead of the line in terms of media coverage; in fact you might be cheered on.

Just like they do every year when they gorge on 24/7 coverage of missing white blonde women, the corporate media is once again unabashedly choosing to give disproportionate coverage to the “tea party movement”, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and the potential effect that the conservative and/or regressive white voters might have in the upcoming midterm elections of 2010. 

The Latino vote could very well be key to the midterm elections but we hardly hear anything about that in the daily narrative being repeated over and over in the cable news circuit.  All we hear is take after take of what the mythical “tea party” voter thinks. 

Every year, the media loves to show footage and analysis of the CPAC gathering, while almost completly ignoring the progressive America’s Future Now conference.

Progressive religious groups on the left also get the shaft, as any prouncement coming from the religious right gets broadcasted as news, sometimes going unchallenged.

So why is this? Is there an institutional bias on the part of the corporate media to favor conservatives?  The state of progressive radio hosts that remained after Air America died may be a healthy one but let’s face: it’s not a sustainable model in terms of the building a progressive media infrastructure.  We need to foster new successful media personalities and create opportunities for the format to grow.  We need a centralized media outlet that, outside of Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, will represent and speak for American progressives that are currently being grossly ignored by the mainstream cable news media.

Randi blogs about the ultra-secretive Washington D.C. group “The Family”:

If you forgot to mark your calendar, this [February 4th] was the National Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the secretive and shadowy far-right organization known as “The Family.”   Tea Parties? Prayer Breakfasts? Do you get the feeling that the people on the far right really want to be running a restaurant? If they could just open up a little diner somewhere and leave the governing to us, we would all be a lot happier. The National Prayer Breakfast is really the only thing that The Family does in public. It’s the stuff that they do privately that’s so disturbing.  The leader of “The Family,” has praised the tactical skills of Adolf Hitler. And you thought breakfast with your family was awkward! The Family is also pushing a law in Uganda that calls for imprisonment and execution for “aggravated homosexuality.” Why? Mostly simply because they’re aggravated by homosexuality. Of course The Family also runs the C Street house that sheltered and “counseled” adulterers John Ensign and Mark Sanford. There’s a nice breakfast tie-in: the problem with those guys was that they were makin’ bacon where they shouldn’t be. That’s a lovely agenda for a group that sponsors a prayer breakfast! “More orange juice?” “No thanks, I’ll just have a bowl of homophobia and a side of adultery.” 

Read her full blog here .

Organizing for America is currently requesting feedback from the public.  In the survey they have online, they do not list “immigration reform” as an issue that is “most important to you”.  However, you can select “Other” and type “Immigration Reform.  You can go to the survey here.  As you may already know, Organizing for America works closely with President Obama in terms of grassroots community organizing.

Speaking of President Obama … in case you missed it, here’s the video of President Obama taking the House Republicans on a Question & Answer session that some are hailing as a major game changer in terms of political momentum in his favor:

You can find the transcript of the Q&A session here.

Markos (Kos) Moulitsas has been posting content in support of an immigration reform that would help solve the humanitarian crisis that we currently have of economic refugees immigrating into the U.S.  Let’s show him support by linking back, distributing his material, and contribute constructive comments.  Here’s his latest post:

Immigration reform would be good for the economy

How timely that Naomi Kline’s How Corporate Branding Took Over the White House piece so well analyzes the state of Obama’s brand.  I found this portion of Naomi’s piece particularly on-mark:

[Obama] will boldly appoint the first Latina to the Supreme Court, while intensifying Bush-era enforcement measures in a new immigration crackdown…

This preference for symbols over substance, and this unwillingness to stick to a morally clear if unpopular course, is where Obama decisively parts ways with the transformative political movements from which he has borrowed so much (the pop-art posters from Che, his cadence from King, his “Yes We Can!” slogan from the migrant farmworkers - si se puede). These movements made unequivocal demands of existing power structures: for land distribution, higher wages, ambitious social programs. Because of those high-cost demands, these movements had not only committed followers but serious enemies. Obama, in sharp contrast not just to social movements but to transformative presidents such as FDR, follows the logic of marketing: create an appealing canvas on which all are invited to project their deepest desires but stay vague enough not to lose anyone but the committed wing nuts (which, granted, constitute a not inconsequential demographic in the United States).

By the same token, it’s particularly timely that George Lakoff has put in his two cents on his It’s Not Enough to Criticize Obama: Citizens Need to Take Action piece, here are few highlights:

In forming his administration, President Obama abandoned the movement that had begun during his campaign for deal-making and a pragmatism that hasn’t worked. [However] That movement is still possible and needed now…

The conservatives are winning the framing wars again – by sticking to moral principles as conservatives see them, and communicating their view of morality effectively. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama ran a campaign based on his moral principles and communicated those principles as effectively as any candidate ever has.

But the Obama administration made a 180-degree turn, trading Obama’s 2008 moral principles for the deal-making of Rahm Emanuel and Tim Geithner, assuming it would be ‘pragmatic’ to court corporations and move to the right, in the false hope of bipartisan support.

By the way, looks like President Obama will be focusing largely on jobs and dosmetic recovery on his State of the Union speech … we’ll see … you can watch the speech live below:

Update: here’s the post-game analysis: