Media Advisory For:
Thursday, August 7, 2008 MOVEON MEMBERS VISIT REP. JOHN CAMPBELL'S (R-CA) OFFICE TO CALL FOR END TO GRAND OIL PARTY (GOP) STUNT ON HOUSE FLOOR
GROUP WILL GATHER AT NOON TO DELIVER PETITIONS DEMANDING A CHEAP AND CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE
MoveOn members in Irvine will gather at noon on Thursday to call for an end to the Republican's political theater on the House floor.
They will deliver petitions calling for real solutions--not gimmicks--for Americans suffering from this energy crisis. The event follows on a similar one at the Capitol on Tuesday in Washington DC and will be held at the same time as dozens of events in Republican districts around the country (to date, 250,000 petitions nationally).
Since Friday, the Republicans in Congress have been playing to the television cameras with theatrical stunts because Speaker Pelosi blocked their offshore drilling plan. The Republican plan will not lower gas prices but it will line the pockets of Big Oil executives, the same people donating millions of dollars to Republicans.
"The political theatrics in the House right now are brought to you by the Party that's been sold to Big Oil," said Kate Nikolenko, a local MoveOn member. "Americans need solutions, not gimmicks. Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) could have voted to move forward last week, but instead he is grandstanding for a bill that will not lower gas prices but will line the pockets of Big Oil CEOs."
The petition, signed by people in this district, reads, "America must commit to producing 100% of our electricity from cheap, clean renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, within 10 years."
WHO: MoveOn Members from Irvine
WHAT: Call for an End to Republican Big Oil Stunt on Capitol Hill
WHERE: Rep. John Campbell's Office, 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 330, Newport Beach, CA
WHEN: Thursday, August 7th, at noon
MoveOn.org Political Action is a political action committee powered by 3.2 million progressive Americans. We believe in the power of small donors and grassroots action to elect progressive leaders to office and to advance a progressive agenda. We do not accept any donations over $5,000, and the average donation to MoveOn.org Political Action is under $100.
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Regards,
Bill Wood
Media Lead
Irvine Chapter of MoveOn.Org
Something amazing is happening tomorrow. DFA Campaign Academy is coming to Southern California! Tomorrow, progressive activists from all over Southern California will be coming to Orange County to learn how to win next year and in future elections. And guess what? All of us activists will be learning from the experts who know a thing or two on how to win.
Oh, and here's some more good news. Even though registration for attendance is already at 160 people, DFA is still accepting sign-ups for tomorrow! That's right, even if you haven't signed up yet, you can still come to DFA Training! So what's happening at DFA Training? Follow me after the flip for more...
This morning, I was looking through The Register. And suddenly, I had to stop in my tracks once I saw this:
UC Irvine has collected an additional $3.9 million for the study of human embryonic stem cells, raising its backing from the state to about $17.5 million and making the campus among the most heavily funded in the world in this nascent area of biomedical research.
Wow, so it looks like our decision to invest in stem cell research is starting to pay off! Thanks to Prop 71, UC Irvine can continue its groundbreaking research that may one day lead to real cures for nasty diseases. Follow me after the flip for more on what UCI will be doing with that additional $3.9 million...
Today, the FBI confirmed what CA AG Jerry Brown said in May, Irvine is one safe city. In fact, it's the safest in the nation:
For the third year running, Irvine tops all large cities in the nation with the lowest incidence of violent crime after posting a nearly 17 percent drop in 2006, according to a report by the FBI. Reported violent crimes for the city – which include homicide, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault – fell from a total of 151 in 2005 to 126 in 2006, for a rate of 67 per 100,000 in the preliminary posting of the 2006 FBI Annual Uniform Crime Report. (OC Reg 6/5/07)
Last time, I talked about the importance of parks and recreation. And of course, economic factors surely weigh into the amount of crime. Given that Irvine has a pretty high per capita income, it's not surprising to see a low rate of crime. But Irvine actually does better than similarly sized cities with higher per capita income. Take that Sunnyvale! (Ok...Sunnyvale is #2 on the AG safe city list, but that's one slot below #1).
But something else is also at play here, that is the role of the city's various crime prevention programs. Irvine has implemented geographic policing, neighborhood watch programs, and Internet reporting. Follow me over the flip for more..
This morning, I've been leisurely perusing through The Register. I may not always agree with their opinions (OK, so it's more like ALMOST NEVER, but whatever), but I like their local news and I like their columnists. Well anyways, I was reading Gordon Dillow's column today and I was stopped in my tracks!
I was driving along an open stretch of Pacific Coast Highway the other day, at or just under the posted speed limit of 50 mph, and every hundred yards or so I was passing groups of two or three or a dozen bicyclists pedaling along in the bike lane. And that's when it occurred to me:
I don't want to share the road. More specifically, I don't want to share a high-speed road with bicycle riders – not because it's that big of a problem for me, but because it's too dangerous for them.
Now in case you haven't heard, "Share the Road" is the slogan that's here to encourage motorists to be more aware of bike riders while on the road, and to cooperate with them. Now this sounds like a good idea, but is it really? Or are we just asking for accidents on places like PCH? Gordon Dillow thinks so, and I think he might be onto something.
Last night, UCI Chancellor Michael Drake met with Jewish students to discuss the recent unrest on campus. Here's what The OC Register has to say about it:
UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake told several hundred concerned Jewish community members Wednesday night to join in on discussions and work together against what he calls isolated incidents of anti-Jewish speech by outsiders on campus.
Drake answered questions during a 90-minute town hall meeting at Shir Ha-Ma'alot in Irvine addressing concerns about what the Jewish community calls ongoing anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activity on UCI's campus.
"We promote dialogue, understanding, growth and tolerance at UCI," Drake said. "I'd like to enlist all of you in working with me to make Jewish life on campus as strong as possible."
So what's happening on campus? Is there an anti-Jewish problem on campus? Is there an anti-Muslim problem on campus? Why is UCI becoming such a hotbed of controversy? Follow me after the flip for more...
In case you forgot, DFA is doing its training academy this July. And this year, we're having it here in Orange County! Yes, we have some great campaign training planned for you in Irvine. And yes, we're already planning to show all of you fantastic Democratic activists who will be coming from throughout Southern California (from Oxnard to Palm Springs to Imperial Beach) how we REALLY do it in the OC! : )
So have you signed up for this yet? Do you still need to be signed up for this? Do you still need to learn more about this? Follow me after the flip for more on this great opportunity to learn how YOU can be a part of the big Democratic victory of 2008...
They've done it before, and they've done it again this year. Irvine is the safest large city in California. Check out the write-up in today's OC Register:
Violent crime in Irvine dropped more than 16 percent and overall crime in the city fell 6 percent last year, making Irvine the safest large city in California, according to preliminary statistics released Monday by the state attorney general's office. It's the third year in a row Irvine has topped the list.
From January through December 2006, Irvine's number of reported violent crimes - which includes homicide, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault - dropped from 151 to 126 - at the same time the state saw a 1. 4 percent jump in violent crime. Irvine recorded drops in property and theft, but the number of homicides in the city doubled from two to four in 2006.
Following Irvine on the list of the state's safest cities are Sunnyvale, Thousand Oaks, Santa Clara and Simi Valley.
Wow, now that's safe! So how does Irvine do it? How can they stay so safe? Follow me after the flip as I look for answers...
"There was a confrontation, if you will," said UCI Police Chief Paul Henisey, who is investigating the incident to determine if any crime was committed. The students "demanded to know why this person was following them, then the person left," he said.
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Chair of the Armed Services Committee, will be coming to University Synagogue in Irvine tomorrow to speak about "America's Role in the World". Levin, who has been leading the charge in Washington on stopping Bush's madness in Iraq, will be talking about what's happening with US foreign policy.
This event is open to the public. Again, this will be tomorrow at University Synagogue at 3400 Michelson in Irvine. For more information, or to RSVP to this and the Family-friendly Passover Seder that will take place before the Senator's speech, go ahead and call University Synagogue at (949) 553-3535.
Here are some wild and wonderful stories from behind The Orange Curtain that you just have to see to believe:
- Irvine protesters hold out hope for peace. There may have been only 80 antiwar activists holding their candles for peace last night, but they certainly made an impact. Martin Wisckol has more in today's Register.
- How have the Vietnamese-Americans assimilated... Or have they? That's been a question that all of us behind The Orange Curtain have asked since the special election debacle began to unfold last month. Guest bloggers Ralph E. Shaffer and Walter P. Coombs have some interesting answers at The Liberal OC. And finally...
After all that nastynewsyesterday, we finally get some GOOD NEWS out of OC to wake up to this morning! (From OC Register)
The city is drafting a law to expand its minimum pay standard to include contract workers along with city employees who already receive at least $10 an hour plus benefits.
Irvine is the only city in the county with a living wage law, and Tuesday night voted 3-2 (with Christina Shea and Steven Choi dissenting) to have staff add to the law to pay contract workers an hourly wage to raise their annual salaries above the national poverty line.
"We ought to set a standard that anybody paid by the city is paid at least $10 an hour," said Councilman Larry Agran, who suggested the concept. "We need to join other United States cities that are not just satisfied with paying a minimum wage."
Yep, you heard me right! The Democratic majority on the Irvine City Council (Beth Krom, Larry Agran, and Suhkee Kang) voted last night to expand the living wage ordinance in Irvine to city contractors. And yes, Irvine is not only THE FIRST CITY IN ORANGE COUNTY TO ENACT ANY LIVING WAGE LAW, but now they are also ensuring that city-contracted workers earn enough money to afford living in this very expensive area! Kudos to Irvine for leading the county again in treating its workers well, and I can hardly wait to see the final living wage law that will be enacted! : )
Here are some wild and wonderful stories from behind the Orange Curtain, and direct from our friends at the Orange County GOP, that will make you laugh, cry, and scratch your head in total disbelief:
- "I Think I Can!" Yes, Trung Nguyen really thinks he "Can" Nguyen win this election, so much so that he's having his friend Can Nguyen file a lawsuit to overturn Janet Nguyen's win in the special election. Don't believe me? Well, go over and see Chris Prevatt's latest piece in The Liberal OC!
- Yes, Van Tran Can! Still, I wonder just how much of this "strategery" is really Trung's, and how much he is relying on Darth Schroeder and Lord Van Tran. Wait, are you wondering about that, too? OK, so let's both pay a visit to Art Pedroza at Orange Juice, where he's answering all our deepest and darkest questions about the Great Darth and Lord Van.
- No, you can't (smoke, that is)! In today's Register, I noticed that Irvine is now moving to ban smoking in all its parks...
Including the soon-to-be-opened Great Park! Good for them, as this will make it easier for them to keep those parks as lovely and clean and oh so inviting as ever. : )
- "What Can We Do About Janet?" That's what our other four lovely supes were asking themselves yesterday... And yes, Jubal/Matt Cunningham has all the video from yesterday's OC Board of Supes meeting at OC Blog.
Here are some wild and wonderful stories from behind the Orange Curtain, and direct from our friends at the Orange County GOP, that will make you laugh, cry, and scratch your head in total disbelief:
- Meet the Godfather. Who ever knew that "Godfather" Mike Schroeder would allow Don Daucher, husband of former (moderate GOPer) Assemblymember Lynn Daucher, to make nice with him. I guess Trung Nguyen really is bringing everyone together...
- And speaking of Mr. Photoshop... The California Republican Lawyers' Association has agreed to help Trung Nguyen in the recount. And why? Because "Ms. [Janet] Nguyen claims to be a Republican, and we found it puzzling she has involved so many Democrat Attorneys." 'Cuz ya know, them Democrat Attorneys like to make sure that elections ain't stolen, and they care about the law...
And it ain't that much fun to win an election legally... hehe ; )
- DeVore's Smokin'!! OK, maybe not... But our favorite Irvine Assemblymember is teaming up with Mark Leno (??!!) to reintroduce legislation that would legalize industrial hemp. As DeVore says in a recent interview with the ABC affiliate in SF, "It's absolutely criminal that American farmers, the most productive and efficient farmers on the planet, cannot be allowed to grow a naturally occurring plant, that grows wild in America." Wow, I actually agree with DeVore on something...
OK, so I'm feeling tired today...
And I still have so many things to do...
So here's a new weekend tradition that I'm starting here...
Yes, I'm starting it just for you!
- "Youthful Spring: 25 Glorious Years!" This weekend, Little Saigon will be going all out for this year's Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year. But why? Well, this one is extra special because this will be their 25th annual festival in Orange County! Get ready for a one million firecracker display, a traditional lion dance, a fantastic beauty pageant, and more. Oh my, this certainly looks to be fun!
I lived in Orange County for a very brief while, and then worked for a law firm that was based there. So, I know the Irvine Company well. My main frustration with them was that they had a monopoly on the apartments in the Irvine area and used that power as many monopolists do, to exploit their customers. But the Irvine Co.'s tentacles extend to the politics of Southern California and the state.
Powerful and iconic, the Irvine Co. is one of the heaviest hitters in California politics. But in spending millions to champion a big business agenda, it is a behemoth that prefers to stay in the background.
Whether it's registering an opinion in the Legislature, helping orchestrate a deal to get a tax measure off the ballot or combining its campaign contributions with other business groups around the state, the Irvine Co. is known for its political stealth and making an impact while leaving no fingerprints.
"Traditionally, they've been very involved in California politics, with lots of money, and not just in one year, but it seems like every year they're involved," said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies and author of California's Political Reform Act of 1974. "They've just been around a long time and have exercised their influence."(Sac Bee 4/1/06)
