Progressive Democrat Issue 237

The right wing is getting crazier and crazier. Glenn Beck is showing he doesn't believe in American democracy and is calling for revolution. Followers of Sarah Palin are threatening Jews with being stuffed into ovens. Teabaggers are threatening assassinations. All of this is disgusting, un-American bigotry and proves once again that the right wing extremists in America really at heart hate everything America stands for. I have never seen such a bunch of whiny, hysterical, stupid fools as modern day right wing Republicans. Of course one of the main things driving them to new heights of hysterical fear (aside from a simlpe polite bow by our President to the Emperor of Japan) is healthcare reform. Speaking of which, let's keep in mind why we need healthcare reform:



Starting this issue I am going to try to introduce a few more local pages focusing on particular counties or congressional districts in Texas, California and New York. These are focused on some swing districts that I think are worth concentrating on where I think I have readers. So keep an eye open for some new info on some local districts in these three states. My intention is to compile some info which I won't necessarily update regularly, but will still be a good resource for people in those areas. This week I start with two Congressional districts in Texas that I want to start chipping away at with the intention of turning them blue. My motivation is that these are potential swing districts with Republicans who are abandoning the needs of their constituents on healthcare.

This week I add two Congressional districts in Texas that are worth targeting.

And let me leave you with a good idea for the holidays. If you are looking for the kind of gift that encourages true values and not materialism (and I am not completely against materialism!), you might want to check out Alternative Gift and GoodGiftShop.org (UK site, but takes US orders...just remember to convert currencies). They have some really cool stuff that make good gifts for the less materialistic minded people on your list. Other people have been making it a tradition to give Kiva gift certificates for gifts.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

An Updated Look at Healthcare Statistics

Retired Military Brass to Republicans: Stop Yer Bellyaching!

Scientific Consensus on Global Warming

Silicon Valley, CA Focus

Orange County, CA Focus

San Diego, CA Focus

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

Texas Needs Healthcare Reform!

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Dallas County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

Texas 10th District Focus: Turn TX-10 Blue

Texas 21st District Focus: Turn TX-21 Blue

TEXAS FOCUS

Atlanta, GA Focus

Fayette County, GA Focus

Coweta County, GA Focus

GEORGIA FOCUS

Warren County, NJ Focus

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Passaic County, NJ Focus

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

Putting a Face on Healthcare Reform, from the Virginia Organizing Project

Charlottesville/Albemarle County, VA Foucus

Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania County, VA Focus

Hanover County, VA Focus

VIRGINIA FOCUS

WASHINGTON STATE FOCUS

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

Florida Alliance for Retired Americans on Healthcare Reform

Alex Sink for Florida Governor

FLORIDA FOCUS

Michigan Congressman John Conyers: Public Option Is Necessary

MICHIGAN FOCUS

ILLINOIS FOCUS

ARIZONA FOCUS

MINNESOTA FOCUS

Iowa Senate Focus: Roxanne Conlin for Senate

IOWA ACTION: Help protect air quality in northwest Iowa

IOWA FOCUS

Wisconsin for Healthcare Reform: Facts and Actions

WISCONSIN FOCUS

Colorado Senator Bennet On Healthcare Reform

COLORADO FOCUS

Nevada: Public Option Model that SAVES Money

NEVADA FOCUS

North Carolina Justice Center: Myths About Health Reform

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

An Updated Look at Healthcare Statistics

I have in the past analyzed the actual health outcomes we get for the amount we pay for our healthcare in the US, and it doesn't add up. I recently came across a site that allows me to do this analysis again, and to analyze the details of expenditure on healthcare. Herein I am comparing the US with several other nations, comparing how much we spend both per capita and as a % of GDP, what percentage of this expenditure is public spending, the availability of care (hospital beds, nurses and physicians per capita), and various health outcomes (healthy life expectancy, maternal mortality, chance of living to 65, etc.). Here are the numbers: (playing with http://www.nationmaster.com )

Total (private and public) Expenditure per capita (in US $):

1. US: $6,096.2
2. Luxembourg: $5,904
3. Switzerland: $5,571.9
4 Norway: $5,404.7

9. Sweden: $3,532

12. Netherlands $3,441.7

17. Canada: $3,037.6
18. UK: $2,899.7
19 Japan: $2,831.1
20 Finland: 2,664.3

27 Israel: 1,533.5 $

72 Cuba: 229.8 $

Bottom line: we spend the most, counting both public and private money, of ANY NATION IN THE WORLD on healthcare. Nations like Canada, UK, Japan, Finland and Israel spend about half of what we spend. So when you look at what is outlined below, consider whether we are getting twice as much as nations like Canada, UK, Japan, Finland and Israel are getting.


Total expenditure (public and private) on health as % of GDP
1 United States: 14.6%

4 Switzerland: 11.2%

15 Canada: 9.6%
15 Norway: 9.6%

23 Sweden: 9.2%

25 Israel: 9.1%

30 Netherlands: 8.8%

43 Japan: 7.9%

47 United Kingdom: 7.7%

53 Cuba: 7.5%

56 Finland: 7.3%

79 Luxembourg: 6.2%

Bottom line: we also spend the most of any nation as a percentage of GDP on healthcare. We spend more than Switzerland. The UK, Finland, Luxembourg, and Japan spend about half what we spend as a percentage of GDP. Again, consider whether we are getting our money's worth in comparison with these nations that spend about half of what we do.


Public Spending as % of total healthcare costs:
(some nations I am looking aren't mentioned in regards to this figure)
3 Luxembourg: 85.4%
4 Norway: 85.3%
4 Sweden: 85.3%

7 United Kingdom: 83.4%

12 Finland: 75.7%

20 Canada: 69.9%

22 Switzerland: 57.9%

24 United States: 44.9%

Bottom line: we spend about half of the public money compared with nations like Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and the UK. Keep in mind that we also spend twice as much total as many of these nations (as a percentage of GDP), so that means we are each PRIVATELY paying out of pocket the difference.

Next I want to consider some measures of whether we are getting comparable care in terms of things like available hospital beds, nurses and physicians per capita. Given that we are paying the top price for our care, do we have the healthcare providers available for the money we pay.

Hospital beds per 1000 people:

4 Japan: 14.3 per 1,000 people

21 Finland: 7.2 per 1,000 people

33 Israel: 6.1 per 1,000 people

36 Luxembourg: 6 per 1,000 people
36 Switzerland: 6 per 1,000 people

50 Cuba: 4.9 per 1,000 people

55 Netherlands: 4.7 per 1,000 people

62 United Kingdom: 4.2 per 1,000 people

69 Norway: 3.8 per 1,000 people

71 Canada: 3.7 per 1,000 people
72 Sweden: 3.6 per 1,000 people

81. US 3.3 per 1,000 people

Bottom line: we fall short when it comes to available hospital beds. It is true that Sweden, Canada and Noway are comparable, but they also spend far less than we do on healthcare. Other nations, also spending less than we are, have far more hospital beds per capita available. You want to know why hospital care tends to be inferior and rationed in America? It is because the money we spend on healthcare is NOT going to providing enough hospital space to meet our needs. Even Cuba does better by this measure than we do, and Israel, Finland and Japan have about twice as many hospital beds available than we do.


Nurses per capita:
(Cuba and Israel not reporting??)
1. Finland: 14.7 per 1,000 people

3 Netherlands: 13.4 per 1,000 people
4 Switzerland: 10.7 per 1,000 people

6 Norway: 10.3 per 1,000 people
7 Canada: 9.9 per 1,000 people

12 Sweden: 8.8 per 1,000 people
12 United Kingdom: 8.8 per 1,000 people

14 United States: 8.1 per 1,000 people
15 Japan: 7.8 per 1,000 people

Bottom line: once again we fall below. We are NOT getting the care we are paying for.


Physicians per capita

2 Cuba: 5.91 per 1,000 people

13 Israel: 3.82 per 1,000 people

26 Sweden: 3.3 per 1,000 people

34 Norway: 3.1 per 1,000 people 2003
34 Netherlands: 3.1 per 1,000 people

43 Luxembourg: 2.7 per 1,000 people

46 Finland: 2.6 per 1,000 people

52 United States: 2.3 per 1,000 people

55 United Kingdom: 2.2 per 1,000 people

58 Canada: 2.1 per 1,000 people

64 Japan: 2 per 1,000 people

Here we fall short, but Canada, Japan, UK, Finland and Luxembourg are comparable. All of these pay less than we do. So by this measure America pays more money for similar service.

So the next thing to look at is whether the money we pay actually delivers good health in the end. I want to look at a series of very bottom line measures of health to see how we rank. Again, we pay the most, so we should be ranking the best in most of these measures if we are getting our money's worth. The fact that we rank mediocre on available hospital beds, nurses and physicians per capita already suggests we aren't getting what we pay for. But what about health out comes?

Healthy Life Expectancy:
(Cuba and Israel not reporting??)
1 Japan: 73.6 years
2 Switzerland: 72.8 years
3 Sweden: 71.8 years

10 Norway: 70.8 years
11 Luxembourg: 70.6 years

15 Finland: 70.1 years

17 Canada: 69.9 years
17 Netherlands: 69.9 years

20 United Kingdom: 69.6 years

22 United States: 67.6 years

Bottom line: we do relatively poorly here. Nations that pay half what we do, but using a higher percentage of public money to cover it, do comparably or better than we do.

Maternal Mortality:
(Luxemburg and Canada not reporting??)

95 Cuba: 33 per 100,000

116 Japan: 8 per 100,000
116 United States: 8 per 100,000

121 United Kingdom: 7 per 100,000
121 Netherlands: 7 per 100,000

124 Norway: 6 per 100,000
124 Finland: 6 per 100,000

130 Switzerland: 5 per 100,000
130 Sweden: 5 per 100,000
130 Israel: 5 per 100,000

One thing to note here is that this statistic is one measure where Cuba does poorly, though compared to other third world nations they do well. They pay about 1/30th we do for healthcare, but in this case they aren't faring well enough, I'd say. However, we do poorly compared with many of the nations that spend half what we do. So although we beat Cuba, I don't think that is something to be proud of.


% of life lived in ill health (female)
(Cuba and Israel not reporting??)

6 United States: 13.5%

8 Canada: 12.6%
9 Netherlands: 11.9%

15 Norway: 11.4%

18 United Kingdom: 11.3%

21 Sweden: 11.1%
22 Luxembourg: 11%

26 Finland: 10.8%

28 Japan: 10.6%
29 Switzerland: 10.2%

We do pretty comparably here with the other nations I am comparing us to. But I think again it is critical to realize we are not beating nations that spend half what we do on healthcare.


Probability of reaching 65 (Male)
1 Israel: 85.1%
2 Sweden: 84.8%

5 Japan: 84%

8 Netherlands: 82.7
9 Canada: 82.3%
10 Switzerland: 82.2%
10 Norway: 82.2%

14 United Kingdom: 81.5%

19 Luxembourg: 80.1%

28 Cuba: 78.1%

30 Finland: 77.9%

32 United States: 77.4%

Bottom Line: Well we are comparable with Cuba here, even though we spend 30 times what Cubans pay for healthcare.

The take home message: The American healthcare system is way too expensive, gives mediocre outcomes and puts the burden excessively on individuals and businesses. Nations that spend half as much but fund it more through public finances (yes...that means taxes) have far better out comes.

This is the same as what I saw last time I did this kind of analysis a couple of years ago. Last time I looked at a wider range of health outcomes and focused on the fact that we ranked with nations like Albania, Slovenia, and Croatia while the nations that ranked best were nations like Sweden, Japan, UK and Canada, nations with a far more "socialized" healthcare system. So I focused on the fact that socialized systems did better, and I took on faith that they also spent less.

Well, this analysis covers fewer healthcare outcomes (enough to confirm my previous analysis that we get mediocre outcomes) but includes data that shows we really do spend the most by any measure, put the burden more on businesses and individuals rather than using public funding, have worse coverage (meaning less actual healthcare services), AND have mediocre outcomes.

Folks, we are doing it wrong. It doesn't even make capitalist sense because we are spending more for less. That is BAD BUSINESS! Hell, even Switzerland spends less, puts in more public funding, and gets better outcomes. We have a failed system and we need to pay attention to how the nations with the best outcomes with half the cost do it. Those nations are Sweden, Cananda, Finland, Israel, the UK and Japan. They do it better by all measures. Why shouldn't we learn from them?

Retired Military Brass to Republicans: Stop Yer Bellyaching!

Seems dozens of top retired military brass are fed up with Republican lies and fear-mongering and are supporting Obama's decision to close Guantanamo Bay's detention center. Get a load of the list of signatories:

GENERAL JOSEPH HOAR, USMC (RET.)
GENERAL CHARLES KRULAK, USMC (RET.)
GENERAL DAVID M. MADDOX, USA (RET.)
GENERAL MERRILL A. MCPEAK, USAF (RET.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL RONALD E. ADAMS, USA (RET.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL ROBERT G. GARD JR., USA (RET.)
VICE ADMIRAL LEE F. GUNN, USN (RET.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CLAUDIA J. KENNEDY, USA (RET.)
VICE ADMIRAL ALBERT H. KONETZNI JR., USN (RET.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES OTSTOTT, USA (RET.)
VICE ADMIRAL JACK SHANAHAN, USN (RET.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL HARRY E. SOYSTER, USA (RET.)
LIEUTENANT GENERAL PAUL K. VAN RIPER, USMC (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL PAUL D. EATON, USA (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL EUGENE FOX, USA (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FUGH, USA (RET.)
REAR ADMIRAL DON GUTER, JAGC, USN (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL FRED E. HAYNES, USMC (RET.)
REAR ADMIRAL JOHN D. HUTSON, JAGC, USN (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL MELVYN S. MONTANO, ANG (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM L. NASH, USA (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL WALTER L. STEWART, JR., USA (RET.)
MAJOR GENERAL FRANK TERRELL, USAR, (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID M. BRAHMS, USMC (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES P. CULLEN, USA (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL EVELYN P. FOOTE, USA (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL LEIF HENDRICKSON, USMC (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL DAVID R. IRVINE, USA (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL RICHARD O’MEARA, USA (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL MURRAY G. SAGSVEEN, USA (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL ANTHONY VERRENGIA, USAF (RET.)
BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN N. XENAKIS, USA (RET.)

And here is what these top military leaders of all branches of our military have to say:

Dear Senator/Representative:

As retired generals and admirals of the U.S. Armed Forces, we write to express our
profound concern about the continued use of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility to imprison terrorism suspects. We welcomed the Executive Orders signed by President Obama on January 22nd mandating the facility’s closure, ending torture and other abusive interrogation techniques, and returning to a policy of adherence to the Geneva Conventions. We strongly support the prompt closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison as a necessary and important step toward rebuilding the reputation of the United States as a nation committed to the rule of law. Closing the facility should be an urgent priority, and we urge you to do all you can to accomplish it.

Whatever the current detention conditions there, past violations of the Geneva Conventions at Guantanamo have marked it around the globe as a symbol of injustice and of a great nation setting aside its laws and values for the sake of expediency. Continued detention of prisoners at Guantanamo provides our enemies with a powerful propaganda weapon which they are using to recruit forces against us, undermining vital counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and impairing our ability to secure the goodwill of people in the Middle East and our allies around the world whose cooperation is necessary for the achievement of our military goals. Serving U.S. flag-rank officers have maintained that, because of its effectiveness in recruiting insurgent fighters into combat, Guantanamo is a key contributing factor to U.S. combat deaths in Iraq. Depriving the enemy of this weapon is important for our own security interests and will do much to demonstrate that the United States values adherence to the rule of law and humane treatment of enemy prisoners in our custody.

The U.S. military has a strong interest in ensuring that all prisoners in U.S. custody are treated humanely and that our nation can lead the world in promoting adherence to the Geneva Conventions. When our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines go into battle, we owe them the assurance that, should they be captured by the enemy, the United States will be in a position to aggressively assert their rights to humane treatment. The importance of maintaining this fundamental norm has led many current and retired will be in a position to aggressively assert their rights to human military leaders, including General Petraeus, to speak out publicly over the last several years, warning against the abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody. Fortunately, there has been significant progress toward restoring U.S. policy to ensure compliance with these standards. Closing Guantanamo will send a strong signal to the rest of the world that the U.S. does not tolerate torture.

We have watched with disappointment efforts to engender fear among the American
people about the prospect of bringing suspected terrorists to the United States for trial. Our federal justice system has a proven track record of successfully prosecuting terrorists and incarcerating them safely in our prisons. Our courts have convicted 195 terrorists since 9/11. Meanwhile, there have been only three successful prosecutions of terrorists by military commissions over that same period; two of those found guilty were released in less than a year. Those convicted in our federal courts, including many al Qaeda terrorists, are serving long sentences in federal prisons. The highly respected American Correctional Association, the nation’s largest corrections organization, in a recently passed resolution assured the American public they “would be safe from harm and free
from danger should any detainees be transferred to a facility or facilities within the United States.” Our prisons currently house more than 150 convicted terrorists and none has ever escaped.

The American people can have confidence that our judicial and penal institutions are strong and that our military, law enforcement and corrections professionals are second to none. Closing the Guantanamo prison facility will make Americans more secure, both on our own soil and on the battlefields where our service members fight valiantly on our behalf.

We urge you to do all you can to ensure that Guantanamo is closed promptly by sending detainees to their home countries or other nations willing to accept them, and by bringing those who have committed crimes against the United States here to face justice.

So when do you think the Republicans will FINALLY start supporting our troops and stop their fear mongering and bellyaching?

Scientific Consensus on Global Warming

Last month a coalition of 18 Scientific organizations (and these are big ones...some of the biggest in the world) issued this statement (PDF) to the Senate:

Dear Senator:

As you consider climate change legislation, we, as leaders of scientific organizations, write to state the consensus scientific view.

Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.

These conclusions are based on multiple independent lines of evidence, and contrary assertions are inconsistent with an objective assessment of the vast body of peer-reviewed science. Moreover, there is strong evidence that ongoing climate change will have broad impacts on society, including the global economy and on the environment. For the United States, climate change impacts include sea level rise for coastal states, greater threats of extreme weather events, and increased risk of regional water scarcity, urban heat waves, western wildfires, and the disturbance of biological systems throughout the country. The severity of climate change impacts is expected to increase substantially in the coming decades. [See Footnote #1 below]

If we are to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change, emissions of greenhouse gases must be dramatically reduced. In addition, adaptation will be necessary to address those impacts that are already unavoidable. Adaptation efforts include improved infrastructure design, more sustainable management of water and other natural resources, modified agricultural practices, and improved emergency responses to storms, floods, fires and heat waves.

We in the scientific community offer our assistance to inform your deliberations as you seek to address the impacts of climate change.



1 The conclusions in this paragraph reflect the scientific consensus represented by, for example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and U.S. Global Change Research Program. Many scientific societies have endorsed these findings in their own statements, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Chemical Society, American Geophysical Union, American Meteorological Society, and American Statistical Association.

The following societies signed this statement:

* American Association for the Advancement of Science
* American Chemical Society
* American Geophysical Union
* American Institute of Biological Sciences
* American Meteorological Society
* American Society of Agronomy
* American Society of Plant Biologists
* American Statistical Association
* Association of Ecosystem Research Centers
* Botanical Society of America
* Crop Science Society of America
* Ecological Society of America
* Natural Science Collections
* Alliance Organization of Biological Field Stations
* Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
* Society of Systematic Biologists
* Soil Science Society of America
* University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

The scientific consensus regarding global warming is overwhelming. It is time for the denial lobby to shut up. I recommend all my readers forward the above statement to their Congress critters.

Silicon Valley Area, CA Focus

I want to cover some Biodiesel stations, events, Democratic Clubs, and Co-ops in the greater Silicon Valley area.

Biodiesel: Biodiesel is an American produced fuel that is cleaner than traditional diesel. Up to B20 (a 20% blend of biodiesel and traditional diesel) any diesel engine, car or truck, can run on it. Above B20, some older engines may have problems but newer diesel engines should be ok. Here are some gas stations in the Silicon Valley area that offer biodiesel:

Rotten Robbie: 310 N Whisman Rd, Mountain View, CA 94043, 650-965-2609. Offers B20 (good for any diesel engine). Open 6AM-10PM

Rotten Robbie: 1304 Piedmont Rd, San Jose, CA 95132, 408-259-5535. Offers B20 (good for any diesel engine). Open 6AM-11PM.

Bay Area Biofuel: email biodieselperformance@gmail.com for info and an appt

Western States Oil Company: 1790 S 10th St, San Jose, CA 95112, 408-292-1041. Offers B99 (good for newer diesel engines, may not be good in some older engines). Open 7AM-5PM M-F.

The Green Station: 136 Gilman Ave, Campbell, CA 95008, 831-425-9100. Offers B99 (good for newer diesel engines, may not be good in some older engines). Open TUES, THURS, FRI 4-7.

Autopia Biofuels: 1025 S Railroad Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402, 650-571-1863. Offers B99 (good for newer diesel engines, may not be good in some older engines). Open M-F 8AM-7PM (CLOSED WEDS/SUNS) SA 1PM-4PM.

Mountain Feed and Farm Supply: 9550 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, CA 95005, 831-336-8876. Offers B99 (good for newer diesel engines, may not be good in some older engines). Open M-S 9AM-6PM SUN 10-2

SF Oakland Truck Stop: 8255 San Leandro Street, Oakland, CA 94621, 510-569-1624. Offers B5 (good for any diesel engine). Open M-F, 4AM-11PM; SAT. 6AM-10PM; SUN. 7AM-10PM

The Green Station: 433 Ocean Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, 831-425-9100. Offers B99 (good for newer diesel engines, may not be good in some older engines). Open 10-6 DAILY

USA Grown Fuels: 2680 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95062, 831-476-3653. Offers B5 (good for any diesel engine). Open 24 HOURS A DAY / 7 DAYS A WEEK; MUST BE MEMBER


MARRIAGE EQUALITY SILICON VALLEY is a grassroots effort, organized by volunteers in the Silicon Valley/San Jose/South Bay area, to educate, unite and mobilize all communities for equality.

Each month, on a Sunday, which might vary depending on other events, the Outreach to Religious and Youth Communities Group holds a potluck evening. We meet at 6 pm in someone's home for a shared meal. At 6:30 pm, we view an inspiring film which focuses on LGBT issues. After the movie, we discuss current and future actions to promote education and support for marriage equality. Open to everyone. For more information, contact Ray Hixson at (650) 346-7557 or Joanne Loomba at (408) 921-0041.


Here are some events (from the Silicon Valley Democracy for America calendar and the Santa Clara County Democrats calendar):

Democracy for America Link Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, 02 December, 2009
07:00 PM - 09:00 PM

Ralph & Jackie Wheeler's house
3956 Nelson Ct.
Palo Alto, CA 94306-4521

Hosted by the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley
Annual potluck & 2010 goals brainstorming

Event Contact Info
Ralph Wheeler
Email: rwheeler@inreach.com
Phone: 650 493-2652

Silcion Valley Young Democrats Monthly meeting
Monday, 21 December, 2009
07:00 PM - 08:30 PM

UFCW Local 5 Hall
240 S Market St
San Jose, CA 95113

The Silicon Valley Young Democrats seeks to embody the spirit of forward thinking that has made our home world renowned. We believe that ideas and ideals can transform the society. Our motto, “Innovation in Politics”, reflects our deeply held convictions that an idea holds immense power. We believe in the Silicon Valley spirit of possibility and the democratic ideals of civil and just society.

Voting Membership: Young Democrats (14-35)

Associate Memberships: Seasoned Democrats who want to support Young Democrats, includes special privileges. (Ask a Club officer for more details)

Jordan Eldridge
Email: eldridgejordan@yahoo.com
Phone: 408-991-2908


SILICON VALLEY DEMOCRATIC CLUBS: This list comes from the Santa Clara County Democratic Club website:

Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley. The Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley is an alliance in Silicon Valley, California dedicated to the issues brought forth by Gov. Howard Dean, M.D., his cause and his message of progressive, positive change. dfasv.org, www.dfalink.com/siliconvalley, Co-Chairs; Spandan Chakrabarti, Alice Smith. Contact deanclub_at_sccdp.org

Obama Democratic Club of Silicon Valley. A club of volunteers from the 2008 Barack Obama campaign and local arm of Organizing for America. Members of this club will continue to promote Obama's policies and priorities. Peter Allen, President, obama_at_sccdp.org. sites.google.com/site/obamadcsv/

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American Democratic Club. SVAPADC was founded in 1996 to foster member participation at all levels of the Democratic Party. Our goals are to unify and empower the Asian Pacific American (APA) communities; ensure fair representation of the APA's interests; and educate and promote political participation. Contact Buu Thai at apa_at_sccdp.org. The club's homepage is svapadc.org.

Silicon Valley Democratic Club. Formerly known as the Moorpark Democratic, the Silicon Valley Democratic club prides itself in developing a growing and diverse community with an organized and unifying voice in the political arena. The Club provides a forum for its members to focus, discuss, prioritize positions and promote important issues to our diverse community. Working together, our members help to elect Democratic candidates in local, state, and national elections. Clarence Madrilejos, moorpark_at_sccdp.org. www.moorparkdems.org

Silicon Valley Latino Democratic Forum. A venue for local Latinos to become active in the Democratic Party. Javier Gonzalez, svldf_at_sccdp.org.

Silicon Valley LGBT Democratic Club. Dedicated to providing a grassroots channel for the political participation of like-minded lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Democrats. President: David Parker, lgbt_at_sccdp.org. Visit the club on the web at http://www.lgbtdems.org.

Silicon Valley Young Democrats. SVYD serves Democrats under 36 years old from throughout the Silicon Valley. We provide networking, social, and personal growth opportunities for young people dedicated to progressive ideals. President: Julie Lind, svyd_at_sccdp.org. Visit the club's website at svyd.org.


SILICON VALLEY AREA FOOD CO-OPS: These are the only ones I could find near Silicon Valley, though they are all somewhat peripheral

Kresge Food Co-op
600 Kresge CT, Kresge College UCSC
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Phone: (831) 426-1506
coop@dv8.org
http://k9.dv8.org/~coop/

The Kresge Food Coop is a student-run cooperative health food store located at Kresge College on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus. We currently consist of twelve Core Collective Members who own the coop and are responsible for its daily operations and for any number of working members. This page has been created in order to better serve our community. Through this page you can email the coop, learn about our Core Collective Members, sign up to be a working member, make suggestions, check sales, read and reread our newsletter, and browse our links to other coops and health food stores.

The Cooperative Grocery (The CoG)
1450 67th Street
Emeryville, California 95616
Phone: (510) 868-2883
FAX: (510) 868-2893
info@thecog.org
http://www.thecog.org/

The Cooperative Grocery—The CoG—is a non-profit, working members cooperative that offers high-quality groceries at an affordable price to individuals and families in our community.

Members of The CoG work 2 1/2 hours every 4 weeks, performing jobs like stocking shelves, building orders and providing member services. By providing much of the labor for the store, our members keep our operating costs to a minimum. We then pass the savings onto our members in the form of lower prices. Our model is based on the successful Park Slope Food Co-Op in Brooklyn, NY, which serves 13,000 members.

To further control costs and grow our co-op in a responsible manner, we launched the CoG as an online store that is served from a warehouse located in Emeryville, with easy access to communities in Berkeley and Oakland. Our long term plan is to build a retail business as finances allow.

Bolinas Peoples Store
P. O. Box 808
Bolinas, California 94924
Phone: (415) 868-1433
FAX: (415) 868-1219

Rainbow Grocery Co-op
1745 Folsom
San Francisco, California 94103
Phone: (415) 863-0620
FAX: (415) 863-8955
comments@rainbowgrocery.coop
http://www.rainbow.coop/

We have been in San Francisco's Mission District since 1975. We strive to offer resources, education and a forum for informational exchange for many local communities and organizations.

Rainbow Grocery is open every day from 9AM to 9PM

We are located in San Francisco's Mission District at 1745 Folsom Street. Our cross street is 13th Street (also known as Duboce), which runs directly under the central freeway. Use the map below for directions by car. Click here for Public Transit directions. Click here for bicycling directions.

Other Avenues Community Food Store
3930 Judah Street
San Francisco, California 94122
Phone: (415) 661-7475
FAX: (415) 661-0835
info@otheravenues.org
http://www.otheravenues.org/

Orange County, CA Focus

News from Orange County:

Beth Krom on the Radio

Video of Orange Juice Blog Linking to NAMBLA

Five Orange County Congressmen are Hypocrites on House Health Care Bill...Yet again Loretta Sanchez Rocks!!! Probably not too many people remember who she replaced, but I am eternally thankful for Loretta Sanchez. She brought considerable sanity to Orange County at a time when it was leaning extremist and also going bankrupt.


Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County: The Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County are dedicated to the mission of electing LGBT and Pro-Equality Democrats in California and throughout the country.

The Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County typically meet on the last Sunday of the month:

Local 50 Union Hall
527 S Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92805

Click here to join.


Orange County Biodiesel Cooperative: Working together to increase availability of biodiesel in the Orange County region. Biodiesel is better for the environment because it is made from renewable resources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel. It is less toxic than table salt and biodegrades as fast as sugar. Since it is made in the USA from renewable resources such as soybeans, its use decreases our dependence on foreign oil and contributes to our own economy. Go to their website to sign up for more info.

And here are some other biodiesel stations in/near Orange County, CA:

Extreme Biodiesel: 1560 N Maple St, Corona, CA 92880, 888-998-7223. Offers B99.9 (nearly 100% biodiesel, good for newer diesel engines, some old engines not ok). MEMBERSHIP REQD

Nickey Petroleum: 925 S Lakeview Ave, Placentia,, CA 92870, 714-547-4123. Offers B20 (good for any diesel engine), B99 (ok for newer diesel engines). CALL AHEAD

Socal Biofuel: 1006 E South St, Anaheim, CA 92805, 888-888-4121. Offers B99 (good for newer diesel enginns, some old engines not ok). Open 8-4:30 M-F


I found this round up of events in Orange County, California, thanks to Orange County Democracy for America:

Nov 27 Friday 10-6pm: BUY NOTHING DAY-Black Friday We are honoring Buy Nothing Day at our store on Friday Nov 27th. Our store will be a site for trade barter only, no cash or cards, bring something to trade and trade with others. Our back lot will have items for trade only. We will be hosting beverages, and snacks.
The Road Less Traveled Store, 2204 N. Main Street, 92706 roadlesstraveledstore.com

Dec 1 Tues 6:30pm, Huntington Beach: Holiday Pot Luck Party, 68th Democratic Assembly District PAC and 67th Democratic Area Wide Alliance. Speakers include State Senator Lou Correa, Coast Community College Board President Jim Moreno, City Councilmember Jill Hardy, OC Central Committee Carina Franci-Pantone. Opportunity drawing, silent auction and opportunity to meet candidates, VIPs and elected Democrats. MC is Ray Cordova. Co-chairs are Jim Benson and Mohammad Amin. Requested donation is $10. Location: International Association of Machinists Hall, 5402 Bolsa Ave., Huntington Beach. Mail your name, address, city, state, zip, number attending and dish you are bringing to 68th Assembly Democratic PAC, c/o Jim Benson, 11382 Trask Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92843.

Dec 4 Fri 6pm, Irvine: 15th Annual Harry S Truman Awards Dinner This year, our special key note address will be given by Speaker Nancy Pelosi! This year's award recipients are: Harry S Truman Award honoree will be Assemblymember Jose Solorio. Samuel Gompers Award honoree will be Florice Hoffman. Lifetime Achievement Award honoree will be Marti Schrank.
Irvine Airport Hilton, 18800 MacArthur Blvd. Irvine, CA
General Admission: $150 per person Sustaining Member Rate: $125 per person actblue.com/page/2009truman

Dec 5 Sat 8pm, Newport Beach: Evergreen OC Holiday Party It's a party with a purpose! evergreenoc.com On Saturday, December 5, take part in this year's biggest green holiday party in Orange County at a hip, waterfront venue in Newport Beach. More than 350 attendees are expected at the first annual Evergreen Holiday Party, a collaborative effort of more than twelve sustainability-focused organizations Cash proceeds will benefit The Eli Home, a shelter for abused children and their mothers in Anaheim (www.elihome.org). In-kind donations will benefit Laura's House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Ladera Ranch (www.laurashouse.org). To get into the party, just bring one lightly-used children's gift and pay $20 in advance ($30 at the door). Once inside, you'll get two free drinks, and all the free appetizers and desserts you can eat. This will be a Zero Waste event - using reusables, food scrap composting, and other green measures. Have fun while doing good - click the link above to purchase tickets.
GreenGo Enterprises, 2122 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92663

San Diego, CA Focus

BIODIESEL IN SAN DIEGO:

Biodiesel is one of the alternatives I have been pushing for some time. It can be used in any diesel engine, is less polluting and has a smaller carbon footprint than regular diesel.

Here are some gas stations that offer biodiesel in the San Diego area:

Carr's Car Center: 3940 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA 92054, 760-433-2166. Offers B5 (5% biodiesel, good for any diesel engine). Open M-SAT 6AM-6PM.

Soco Group: 145 Vernon Way, El Cajon, CA 92020, 858-627-0440. Offers B20 (20% biodiesel, good for any diesel engine). Open 7 AM - 5PM M-F.

Pearson Ford/RTC Fuels: 4067 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92105, 619-243-0456. Offers B99 (99% biodiesel, good for new engines, some old engines not ok). Open 7AM-10PM.


Here is a great calendar of events for San Deigo, California, thanks to the San Diego County Democrats:

South Bay Democratic Club meeting
Date(s): Saturday, November 21, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: 140 W 16th St., National City, 91950
Contact: Mona Rios at (619) 994-0884
Email: monarios@gmail.com

Chula Vista Democratic Club Meeting
Date(s): Sunday, November 22, 2009
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Description:
We are holding our first meeting and all are welcome to attend and partifipate. The meeting will mainly consist of club business - the "nuts and bolts" of the organization that still need to be addressed and ironed out. We hope to be an active group of Democrats that will help foster party ideals and encourage and support individuals running for office in Chula Vista. Looking forward to working with all of you.

Location: The Brew House at Eastlake
Contact: Ed Valerio
Email: president.cvdc@gmail.com

San Diego Democracy for America Meetup
Date(s): Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: At Giovanni's Restaurant, 9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, SD 92123 (Corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd and Ruffin Rd. across from Registrar of Voters).
Contact: Carol at (858) 459-7044
Email: cchangus@san.rr.com

Oceanside City Recall Election
Date(s): Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Time: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Description: Last day to register for this City Recall election is November 23rd. Last day to request mail in ballot is December 1. Be sure and vote!
Location: City of Oceanside

East County Caucus for the San Diego Democratic Central Committee Meeting
Date(s): Saturday, December 12, 2009
Time: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: At CWA Local 9400 Union Hall, 566 E. Main Street, El Cajon 92020.
Contact: Christopher Pearson
Email: chrispearson11@hotmail.com

Naturalization Ceremony Voter Registration
Date(s): Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Time: 10:10 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: At Golden Hall, Corner of 3rd and B Street. Parking at Horton Plaza.
Contact: Greg Bolan. Note: The San Diego Voter Registration team uses Google Groups to send out volunteer emails.
Email: sdvoter@gmail.com

Mesa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting
Date(s): Monday, January 11, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Description:
We will be kicking of 2010 will elections of officers. While we do have a slate, we welcome others candidates who would like to play a leadership role. Speaker is not yet scheduled.
Remember, club dues are due in January.
Location: Party Headquarters
8340 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Suite 105 (Turn into Industrial Park Driveway at lights)
Website: www.mesa.sddem.org

SDCDP Central Area Meeting
Date(s): Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Description:
Central Area members of SDCDP are encouraged to attend, especially members of the SD County Central Committee.
Location: 8340 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite 105, San Diego CA 92111 (Go North on Industrial Park Driveway)
Contact: (858) 277-3367
Email: CentralVC@sddemocrats.org


SAN DIEGO FOOD CO-OPS:

Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Co-op
4765 Voltaire St.
San Diego, California 92107
Phone: (619) 224-1387
FAX: (619) 224-5089
editor@oceanbeachpeoples.com
http://www.obpeoplesfood.coop

Ocean Beach People's Organic Food Market is a member-owned vegetarian consumer co-op that has been serving the community since 1971. Originally a worker's collective, the cooperative has grown to include 6000 feet of retail space and more than 8000 member/owners. The Co-op offers an extensive selection of organic produce, grocery, dairy, and bulk foods and herbs, as well as vitamins and homeopathics, cruelty-free bodycare, and aromatherapy products. Enjoy a full service sit-down deli featuring a delicious selection of home-style vegetarian and vegan entrees, salads, sandwiches, freshly prepared baked goods, desserts, and more! At People's, San Diego's only community owned grocery store, we specialize in products that are organic, wholesome, minimally processed, cruelty-free, and environmentally safe.

They also have a good community events calendar.

The UCSD Food Coop
0323F Student Cooperative Center,
San Diego, California 92093
Phone: (619) 546-8339
foodcoop@burn.ucsd.edu

I used to shop at this one way, way back when I went to UCSD. It was great then!

Since its introduction to the campus in 1978, the Food Co-op has committed itself to providing the UCSD community with a natural food alternative, as well as a resource for environmentally conscious products and information.

The Food Co-op carries a variety of food and non-food products ranging from baked goods, juices, sandwiches, fresh organic produce, macro-biotic and ethnic foods to cruelty-free cosmetics and environmentally safe cleaning agents. Many foods are stocked in bulk to reduce the price to the customer and the waste of packaging (please bring bags when buying!). Special orders can be made at discount prices (good for items not necessarily carried in the store, as well!).

Come in to shop, get informed, and/or volunteer as a general member of our store. For more information, call (858) 546-8339.

I will also point out some other UCSD co-ops that I liked when I was a student there.

The Ché Café

The Ché Café Collective is dedicated to providing cheap, healthy vegetarian food, all-ages entertainment, and alternative education. We have All-We-Can-Eat dinners every Thursday from 5 pm to 7 pm. Entertainment at the Ché ranges from poetry readings and plays to forums, or shows of local bands.

The Ché Café is surrounded by a grove of old eucalyptus trees and is next to the beautiful garden of the Farm Co-op. Tables and chairs inside and outside of the Ché and its close proximity to the Farm Co-op make it an inviting place to eat, study, or just hang out.

The Ché Café is open to having people come by and help out. The Café provides a great opportunity for people to get involved in the process of cooking, running a restaurant and/or putting on events at any level they feel comfortable at. Stop by or call us at (858) 534-2311.

(The Ché Café is located on the Revelle campus behind the Undergraduate library and down the hill from Stonehenge. We're the building with all the murals on it.) Read more about the Che Cafe Collective at its very own website: http://checafe.ucsd.edu/.

General Store

The General Store Co-op is a student-run store which was founded in 1980 to offer students a less expensive alternative to the high Price Center. [EDITOR'S NOTE: This is not quite right...the Price Center didn't even exist when the General Store was founded and greatly appreciated by students like myself.] As a student cooperative, we try to provide the University community with the best quality merchandise at the lowest prices. And we succeed! The General Store Co-op carries items such as selected essential school and office supplies, household and personal items, stationery and gift wrap, clothing (including UCSD logos), craft-center jewelry, and some food and snack items -- all of which range from 5-25% less than anywhere else on campus.

Students are generally most interested in the fact that we sell textbooks, which are guaranteed to cost less than at the UCSD bookstore. We also try to carry as many used texts as possible. Also, we buy back current editions year round. Stop by to check which classes' books we're carrying.

We encourage everyone to visit the General Store Co-op for our low prices and friendly service. Additionally, anyone is invited to come in and volunteer anytime as volunteers are the backbone of our organization. For further information or friendly help please feel free to call us at (858) 534-3932.

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Blogs, Stonewall Democrats, Alternative Energy, Groups and Events

CALIFORNIA 2010: I now have my California 2010 Act Blue Page up. Act Blue is a way for many small political contributions to add up to some serious political impact. For 2010 I am highlighting several local Young Democrats organizations (supporting the future of the Democratic Party), Stonewall Democrats (pushing back against homophobia), Latina Sol PAC (fighting for the rights of Latino working families), and highlighting several Congressional races. Those races include three conservative Republican seats that are considered ripe for a Democratic take over (CA-3, CA-4 and CA-44), and two solid progressive Democrats who need some support in the face of Republican attacks (CA-11 and CA-13). I particularly want to see Democrats do better in California because in genral I have found California Democrats to be among the best in the country and because we have to fight to make California a LEADER in LGBT rights rather than a reactionary force. Give a donation or two to keep momentum going.

News from the blogs:

Five Orange County Congressmen are Hypocrites on House Health Care Bill...once again I am THRILLED that I supported Loretta Sanchez from day one. She is among California's best Congressional Reps!

Healthcare Reform and Workers' Compensation

51% of Californians Approve of Gay Marriage

If you want to know where this stupid anti-gay crap leads: Rhode Island Gov. Denies Same Sex Funerals...this is just disgusting. Deliberately hurting those already grieving is a sin...and that is a word I do not use lightly.

Ten reasons the health care bill is a good bill

SF seeks green power alternatives to PG&E

Mayor Villaraigosa wants commuter rail now, not decades from now

Boxer and Feinstein sign letter supporting a strong public option

LA-SF Nation's Second Busiest Air Route - Shows Need For HSR: The busiest route, the Boston-NYC-DC route, has a high speed rail that is extremely well used. Time for the second busiest route to follow the same path.

Has the Federal Stimulus Helped YOU? Congressman Pete Stark (CA-13) has put together a tagged Google map indicating each appropriation to the district approved through the federal stimulus package.


BLOGGING CALIFORNIA: Here are some blogs covering California Politics

Calitics is an open source news organization for California.

The Liberal OC covers politics in Orange County.

LeftyBlogs California is the place to find out what's happening in the progressive blogosphere across California.

The California Progress Report is published by Frank D. Russo, a longtime observer of and participant in California politics.


STONEWALL DEMOCRATS and related organizations in California:

Stonewall Democrats of Los Angeles. Look for upcoming events here.

Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County: The Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County are dedicated to the mission of electing LGBT and Pro-Equality Democrats in California and throughout the country.

The Harvey Milk Stonewall Democrats of Orange County typically meet on the last Sunday of the month:

Local 50 Union Hall
527 S Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92805

Click here to join.

Central Valley Stonewall Democratic Club
Stockton, CA

Fresno Stonewall Democrats
Fresno, CA

Stonewall Democrats of Ventura County
Meetings: First Thursday of the Month, 7:15 PM
Ventura County Rainbow Alliance (VCRA)
4567 Telephone Rd., Suite 100
Ventura, CA 93003

Stonewall Alliance of Chico: The Stonewall Alliance Center offers a range of services to help connect people to their community. Volunteers staffing the Center provide information on activities and events and offer referrals for services. Our Education & Outreach give community members access to the Harlan Adams Memorial Library, Out Education classes, we deliver speaker’s panels to local colleges and presenters to area organizations and groups.

Beginning July 15th, Connecting Circles of Care (CCOC) will be collaborating with Stonewall Alliance Youth (SAY) to offer a weekly drop-in group for Gay, Lesbian, Two-Spirit, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning Youth age 14-18. The group will focus on education and providing an environment where youth are valued and respected. Drop-in times are 3:30-5:00pm at the Stonewall Alliance Center, 2289 Cohasset Rd Suite 5 Chico. CCOC will be providing pizza at the first meeting on July 15 and some type of snack at each group thereafter.


Alternative Energy in California:

Some statistics from Repower America:

# California is ranked 3rd in the nation for its 2,517-megwatts of installed wind capacity. The state’s 60 wind farms are in 5 major wind resource areas and 4 new projects are underway.

# Southern California Edison and Florida Power & Light are operating the largest single source of solar energy in the world at 310-megawatts in the Mojave Desert.

# Solel and Pacific Gas & Electric will begin operating a 553-megawatt solar plant in 2011. When completed, the 6,000-acre solar field will bring power to 400,000 PG&E homes in northern California.

Alternative energy and YOUR energy bill: YOU can be part of the solution for America by signing up to purchase your energy through a Green Power Provider. My wife and I have been doing this in NYC for years. All our energy usage is provided through wind energy generation on American farms. So we use clean energy AND help American farmers. It costs us three cents per kilowatt-hour more per month, but we feel great about it. Although our actual energy may come from anywhere, we are paying to purchase wind energy for the energy grid. Each state has different programs available, usually through yuor existing energy provider right on your existing energy bill. To find such options in California, go here and pick your energy provider from the list. If you need help, you can email me and tell me who you get your bill from (don't give me any other info!) and I can tell you who to contact to go green through that energy provider. Or you can do the same thing using Renewable Energy Certificates through an organization that works with utility companies, though in this case it is a separate bill. One off the cheapest (.4-1 cent per kilowatt-hour), but still e-Green certified, ways to do this is through Good Energy. Or, for about half a cent per kilowatt-hour you can purchase renewable energy certificates through Carbonfund.org. ANY of these ways you do it, you are helping the environment, helping America, and helping cut carbon emissions.

Here are some Biodiesel Cooperatives in California. If you have a diesel truck or car, joining one of these co-ops can help you drive more green.

The Berkeley Biodiesel Collecctive
Berkeley, CA
email: berkeleybiodiesel_at_yahoo.com. Or check out their website.

The Biofuels Research Cooperative
Sebastopol, CA
email: veggieoilcoop_at_yahoo.com.

I also want to highlight Conserv Fuels in Los Angeles, which offers a selection of alternative fuels (biodiesel and ethanol included) as well as pretty cheap regular gasoline. Joy and I buy our fuel (whatever we need) when we are in Los Angeles.

And Propel Fuels have several stations around California that offer biodiesel (and, according to a reader, they also offer E85 ethanol blend): (I discovered them when I saw they did carbon offsets)

* Rocklin
6700 Five Star Blvd
Sacramento, California 95677

* Citrus Heights
7741 Auburn Blvd
Citrus Heights, California 95610

* Sacramento, Folsom Blvd.
8090 Folsom Blvd.
Sacramento, California 95826

* Sacramento, Norwood Ave.
4200 Norwood Ave
Sacramento, California 95838

* Sacramento, Florin Road
8062 Florin Road
Sacramento, California 95828

* Elk Grove
9190 E Stockton Blvd
Elk Grove, California 95624

* Roseville
999 Sunrise Ave
Roseville, California 95661

* Placerville
151 Main St
Placerville, California 95667


Here are other alternative energy resources for Califorina:

San Francisco Community Power pilots innovative programs that improve our neighborhoods' environmental and economic conditions. We help small businesses and low-income families lower their expenses and reduce their ecological footprint. Our work provides policy makers with demonstrative ways to solve complex resource allocation issues.


California for Democracy:
Here are some local Democracy for America groups (click on the link for more info)

DFA Marin

Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Democratic Club of Coarsegold

DFA - Central Coast

DFA-CFD of Fresno & Madera Counties

DFA-CFD of Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties

Democracy for Monterey County

DFA-Orange County

East Bay for Democracy

Sacramento for Democracy

San Diego for Democracy

(San Fernando) Valley Grassroots for Democracy

San Francisco for Democracy

San Mateo County Democracy for America

Santa Barbara Progressive Coalition

Sonoma County DFA


Here are some local political meetings in California:

San Fernando Valley Young Democrats: San Fernando Valley Young Democrats shall endeavor to stimulate in young people an active interest in governmental affairs, increase the efficiency of our government, maintain the viability of our free institutions, and contribute to the growth and influence of the ideals and philosophy of the Democratic Party. Check their calendar of events here.

Pasadena Young Democrats:
PYD welcomes students and young adults from throughout the region to join us. The mission of PYD is to encourage young people to participate in the political process, support progressive ideals and Democratic candidates and have a lot fun in the process!

If you are actively looking to find out about the local scene, get involved with a campaign, or even if you are just looking for some fun progressive people aged 14-35 to hang out with, we encourage you to join PYD and attend one of our meetings or events. Check out their calendar here.

Orange County Young Democrats: We are young workers, young families, college and high school students--ages 14-35--who are commited to the Democratic values that make America strong and provide opportunity for all. As the official voice for young people in the Democratic Party of Orange County, OCYD is a network of Young Democrat activists around the county that are helping to provide a Democratic presence around Orange County and around college and high school campuses. Check out their calendar here.

San Ramon Valley Democrats Meetings
We are a group of dedicated Democrats living in the San Ramon Valley who have come together to support and promote the progressive social and political principles that always have been fundamental to the Democratic Party. The San Ramon Valley is comprised of Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo, Danville, San Ramon, and southern Walnut Creek, and members of our club come from each of those communities. We meet once a month for an educational program at Mudd's Restaurant in San Ramon, alternating between lunch on the second Tuesday, and appetizers (no-host bar) on the evening of the fourth Thursday (6:30 PM). We register people to vote, walk precincts to arouse voters, raise money for candidates, and enjoy the opportunity to socialize with people of common interests. Go here for more info.

Our meetings are lively and our programs are focused on issues of concern to Democrats, locally, statewide, and nationally. Our speakers are chosen for their astute insight into the problems before us as citizens and as voters. We socialize before and after the formal meetings, and enter into animated discussions about the topic of the day. In the process we become fast friends.

Mudds Restaurant
$22 per person (meal included)

Democrats of North Orange County
Bill Daly, President
714-990-6767
Bruce Sandercock, Vice-President
714-871-5244
P. O. Box 6597
Fullerton, CA 92834
Monthly meeting: First Thursday, Sizzler Restaurant,
1401 N. Harbor, Fullerton; 6 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. meeting

Santa Clara County (San Jose) Democratic Party Meetup
We meet at 7:30pm on the second Tuesday of each month at the Dem Party Office, 2102 Almaden Road, Suite 114, San Jose, 95125. Feel free to bring snacks to share.

Brought to you by the Santa Clara County Democratic Party (http://www.sccdp.org).... Please join us to learn ways to help elect Democrats in Santa Clara County and beyond.

~~Together, America Can Do Better!~~

On Almaden ROAD (not Expwy), between Curtner and Canoas Garden. It's OK to park in the big lot, despite posted warnings.

Internet directions usually suggest taking Almaden Expressway, which is sometimes backed up. A lower stress route is to take Bird Avenue west from 280 and follow it all the way until it dead-ends at Malone. Left on Malone, Right on Almaden Road and 2102 is on the first corner on your left.

We meet in Suite 114, first door on your left as you enter the glass doors marked Main Entrance.


Drinking Liberally:

For those who like a more social, and beer focused, environment, there's Drinking Liberally. Here are the Drinking Liberally groups in California:

San Jose
* Second Thursday of each month, 6:30 and on
* Trials Pub in downtown San Jose, 265 N 1st St (main cross streets: W St James and W Julian)
* September is our first meeting with our new host! I'm looking for a co-host, so let me know if you are interested
* Hosted by Mia White, sanjose (at) drinkingliberally.org

Downtown Los Angeles
* Third Wednesday of each month, 6:00-8:00 pm
* The Edison, 108 West 2nd St
* We'll be in the area past the bar, known as the "Generator Lounge" (the entrance to the bar is through the alley off of 2nd street)
* Hosted by Vincent Jones, Cecilia Cabello, Becca Doten, Roxi Reeves and Jim Kennedy, downtownla (at) drinkingliberally.org

Hollywood
* Second Wednesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 PM
* Molly Malone's Irish Pub, 575 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles 90036 (near corner of 6th avenue)
* http://www.mollymalonesla.com/
* Hosted by Vincent Jones, Jim Kennedy and Mary Jack, la (at) drinkingliberally.org

Pasadena
* Every Tuesday, 7:30-10:00 pm
* Madeleine's Wine Bistro, 1030 E Green St (between Wilson and Catalina)
* We'll start out in the wine bar, then move out to the front patio.
* Hosted by Asa Hopkins, pasadena (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Fernando Valley
* First and third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* The White Harte Pub, 22456 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills (Two blocks west of Shoup Ave.)
* Hosted by Andy Beaton and Jon Hytowitz, sfv (at) drinkingliberally.org

Westside
* Fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:00-9:00 pm
* Trip Bar in Santa Monica, 2101 Lincoln Blvd
* Contact: westsidela (at) drinkingliberally.org

Monterey, California
* First Wednesday of each month, 6:30 pm onward
* Ol' Factory Cafe, 1725 Contra Costa St (In Sand City, off of Del Monte Blvd)
* http://www.olfactorycafe.com/
* Please note that The Ol' Factory Cafe currently only takes cash and local checks.
* Hosted by Annie Ho, monterey (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Ana
* Every Thursday, 8:30 pm onward
* Memphis Bar, 201 N Broadway (Artists Village)
* Hosted by Mike Lawson, orangecounty (at) drinkingliberally.org

Rancho Santa Margarita
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* Canyon Fireside Grille, 22312 El Paseo
* Hosted by Gary Kephart, rsm (at) drinkingliberally.org

Huntington Beach
* First and third Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Oggi's Pizza & Brewing Co. - Out Back On The Patio, 19461 Main St
* Next Meeting will be on Thursday November 15th
* Hosted by Scott McKown and Louise Stewardson, huntingtonbeach (at) drinkingliberally.org

Sacramento, California
* Second Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* BJs Restaurant and Brewery, 3531 N Freeway Blvd (Natomas)
* Come check out our new venue and meet some new people!
* Hosted by Leslie Simmons, sacramento (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Diego, California
* Every other Tuesday, 7:30 pm onward
* Nunu's Cocktail Lounge, 3537 5th Ave (Between Brookes and Ivy Ln)
* We will also be meeting periodically at Firehouse in Pacific Beach for special editions of Drinking Liberally. 722 Grand Avenue Pacific Beach, CA 92109
* Hosted by Jesse Rubin and Jason Miller, sandiego (at) drinkingliberally.org

San Francisco
* Every Monday, 7:00-9:00 pm
* Nickie's, 466 Haight Street (between Fillmore & Webster) (Look for our red, white and blue striped bottle!)
* Hosted by Susan Harrison, sf (at) drinkingliberally.org

Oakland
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
* Luka's Taproom & Lounge, 2221 Broadway
* Join us for the Eating Liberally Oakland Brunch at Luka's
* Hosted by Cyril Allen and Philip Combs, oakland (at) drinkingliberally.org

Napa
* First and third Monday of each month, 5:00-6:30 pm
* Compadre's, 505 Lincoln Ave
* Hosted by Mick Winter and Lauren Coodley, napa (at) drinkingliberally.org


San Luis Obispo, California
* First and third Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* The Graduate, 990 Industrial Way
* Hosted by Lorrie Toles and Sergio Monge, slo (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Barbara, California
* Every Wednesday, 8 pm - 10 pm
* Elsie's Bar, 117 W de la Guerra St (behind Paseo Nuveo Mall)
* Elsie's is 21+ and cash only
* Hosted by Daryl Chrisman and Bart Woolery, santabarbara (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Clarita, California
* Second Wednesday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Mulligans, 25848 Tournament Rd (Near Cal Arts)
* Hosted by Michael Cruz, Bill Bailey and Minerva Williams, santaclarita (at) drinkingliberally.org

Santa Cruz, California
* First Tuesday of each month, 8:00 pm onward
* Cafe Pergolesi, 418 Cedar St (In the orange room to the right and back)
* Hosted by Brandon Smith and Natalie Rojas, santacruz (at) drinkingliberally.org

Stockton, California
* Third Friday of each month, 7:00 pm onward
* Stockton Grand Hotel, 2323 Grand Canal Blvd (Front of Bar)
* Grand Hotel tel. 209-957-9090
* Joel's Cell: 209-351-3397
* Hosted by Joel Carignan, stockton (at) drinkingliberally.org

Ventura, California
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 8:00 pm
* JJ Brewsky's, now and forever, 2344 Ventura Blvd, Camarillo (in the heart of Old Town Camarillo)
* Join us every second and fourth Wednesdays at 8:00 PM for a pint and some politics!
* Heather, Marie, Mark and Brian
* Hosted by Heather Schmidt, Marie Davis, Mark Eggertsen and Brian Mack, ventura (at) drinkingliberally.org

Brooklyn, NY Focus

New Lawsuit Filed Against Atlantic Yards:

This comes from one of my district leaders, Jo Anne Simon:

Brooklyn Community Organizations and Elected Officials Announce Filing of a Lawsuit against the Empire State Development Corporation (ESCD) and Forest City Ratner Corporation (FCRC); Seeking to Reverse ESDC’s Approval of Atlantic Yards’ Modified General Project Plan...

The suit contends that the plan was approved without sufficient study of the impacts of its extended construction schedule and completion risks. It also alleges that the ESDC has illegally delegated to FCRC much of its governmental power to determine the future content and configuration of the Project. Groups and elected officials filing suit include the Atlantic Avenue LDC, the Brooklyn Heights Association, the Boerum Hill Association, the Fifth Avenue Committee, the Park Slope Civic Council, the Pratt Area Community Council, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblyman Jim Brennan and City Councilmember Letitia James. Attorney Albert K. Butzel of the Urban Environmental Law Center is representing the plaintiffs.

As sponsors of the BrooklynSpeaks initiative, the organizations have tried for three years to engage the ESDC regarding impacts of the Atlantic Yards project on the surrounding communities. This includes putting forth a thoughtful proposal for the governance of the project which proposed a strong advisory role for local elected officials and community residents currently excluded from any meaningful participation.

“Given the agency’s inability to follow through on commitments to provide transparency and oversight to the largest single-source development project in the City’s history, we have found no alternative than to bring suit in order to require a realistic assessment of the long-term impacts of Atlantic Yards before further irreversible action is taken,” says Jo Anne Simon of the Boerum Hill Association.

News from Brooklyn:

Eminent Domain Ruling Expected Soon...What Will it Mean?...personally I think the fight will have to continue no matter what. I am not convinced losing a single lawsuit will stop Ratner. He has more tricks (which translates to tame politicians) up his sleeve. And Brooklyn isn't going to give up to Ratner without a fight no matter what. But the decision will be a major one, one way or the other.

How New York Abuses Eminent Domain: The Atlantic Yards Case

Brooklyn has fallen out of love with Bloomberg...about time! For some time now just about everyone I know involved in education (parents and teachers in particular) are sick and tired of Tsar Bloomberg and his inefficient privatization of our schools.

With a Solid Council Win, Reyna Breaks With Vito Lopez

Atlantic Yards Gets $55 Million Subsidy For Make-Believe Affordable Housing....Meanwhile, Bloomberg is yet again demanding cuts to cops and firehouses!


Friends & Residents of Greater Gowanus (FROGG)

We are a community based grass-roots organization advocating for environmentally sound community planning for the Gowanus Canal neighborhoods.

The Gowanus Canal is a very unique resource for our community and all of New York. It has long historal significant as a pre-industrial and industrial transportation waterway in addition to playing a significant roll in the Battle of Brooklyn. This natural tidal estuary connects our urban world to the waters that surround us and opens our city to the natural habitat it was built upon. Even today, it provides an open sky, early industrial/estuary landscape that can not be matched anywhere in our city.

With extensive urban Brownfields and an Aquatic Brownfield standing, we work to see this water way brought back to life with water quality standards that sincerely meet state standards for fishable and contact use; not only for the community but also for local wildlife.

For more information: FROGGcommunity@earthlink.net


PLASTIC RECYCLING IN BROOKLYN:

Recycling of plastics not accepted in the city recycling can be done at the Park Slope Food Co-op at 782 Union Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues)

Bring clean, dry plastic to the Coop's sidewalk during monthly recycling hours. We close up promptly. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the collection end time to allow for inspection and sorting of your plastic:

2nd Sat., 10 AM-2 PM
3rd Thur., 7 PM-9 PM
Last Sun., 10 AM-2 PM.

As of 2/16/09 and until further notice, we collect....

* #1 and #6 transparent plastics (Labels OK. Mouth is wide or wider than the body, meaning NOT bottles.)
* #5 plastic tubs, cups & specifically marked lids and caps. Must be especially clean and dry. (Discard any with paper labels, or cut the labels off.)
* Plastic film and bubble wrap. 100% transparent only -- must be able to see through the plastic. No colored or opaque. No paper labels. Minimal writing OK.

All the above must be brought to the Coop CLEAN AND DRY.

These changes result from a significant decline in the worldwide market for recyclable materials that has affected recycling programs everywhere. Please be patient and cooperate with us as we adjust to these changes, as well as to any further changes that may be necessary.

We are currently updating our literature and will make new fliers available as soon as possible. Or, contact us at plasticrecycling@foodcoop.com.

And on a related note, you can help increase the demand for recycled plastic products by shopping through these companies that specialize in recycled plastic products (including lumber!!).


BROOKLYN REFORM DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS:

Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats is a community-based Democratic club. CBID has fought for reform and progressive causes since 1968. As a Brooklyn-based Club, we have been instrumental in the election of many candidates for public office. Much of this success was a result of our question-and-answer forums with prospective candidates as well as our extensive on-the-street contact with our constituents.

Staunchly opposed to political corruption, we are proud of our independence and our commitment to progressive reform in city, state and national politics. We are a vehicle for citizen empowerment and making government more accountable to our neighborhoods.

We meet monthly, usually the fourth Thursday evening of the month in the basement of the Park Slope United Methodist Church, on the corner of 6th ave and 8th street, at 7:30pm. All are welcome.

New Kings Democrats (”NKD”) is a new, grassroots organization in Kings County (Brooklyn), New York whose primary mission is to recruit and prepare individuals to run for Kings County Democratic Committee. NKD hopes to achieve the goal of an inclusionary and participatory democracy by making it easy for individuals to run for local, elected office. NKD will serve as a training ground for individuals seeking higher office, and hopes to build and nurture a new group of Brooklyn Democratic leaders.

Democracy for NYC in Brooklyn:

Democracy for New York City (DFNYC) is a volunteer-driven non-profit politicalaction committee. We are part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideals espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard Dean.

We work both locally and nationally to ensure that fiscally-responsible and socially-progressive candidates win elections at all levels of government. We develop innovative ways to advocate for the issues that matter to our members and promote legislation which has a positive effect in our communities. We engage people in the political process and give them the tools to organize, communicate, mobilize, and enact change on the local, state, and national level.

Currently there is only one Brooklyn chapter:

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn - Meets First Wednesday of every month. 7:00pm, Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead 1669 E. 22nd St. with host Annette Mont and Estelle Glasser.


DRINKING LIBERALLY IN BROOKLYN:

An informal, inclusive progressive social group. Raise your spirits
while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher.
Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place
to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a
book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent
frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk
politics.

Park Slope
* Second Wednesday of each month, 7:30-10:00 pm
* Commonwealth, 497 5th Ave (at 12th Street)
* Hosted by Anthony Accurso, Emilie Harkin and Emily Farris, parkslope (at) drinkingliberally.org


FOOD CO-OPS IN BROOKLYN:

New Food Co-op Coming to Brooklyn: (info sent to me by a reader)

They are not active yet, but their website is: http://www.foodcoopbayridge.com

They are recruiting new members and looking to open summer/fall 2010.

For more info, and if you want to get in at the start, you can email ( fcbrmembership@gmail.com ), call ( 347-247-8172 ) or follow them on Twitter (twitter.com/thefoodcoop) or on Facebook.

Park Slope Food Co-op
782 Union Street
Brooklyn, New York 11215
Phone: (718) 622-0560
FAX: (718) 622-5685
linda_wheeler@psfc.coop
http://www.foodcoop.com/

This is the largest Food Co-op in America. Joy and I are members. Low prices and high quality even if it can be a bit inconvenient at times.

Flatbush Food Cooperative
1318 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, New York 11226
Phone: (718) 284-9717
FAX: (718) 284-9719
info@flatbushfoodcoop.com
http://www.flatbushfoodcoop.com/

Established in 1976, and located on Cortelyou Road in the heart of Victorian Flatbush since 1985, Flatbush Food Coop is a community-owned, full-service natural foods store specializing in organic products. We are committed to serving the diverse community in which we are situated, and beyond, by providing goods and services that promote personal and environmental well-being. Like the 300 food coops across the nation with which we are affiliated, we are open to all—it is not necessary to be a member to shop. By joining the Coop, however, you become a joint owner of our business and are able to take additional savings on your purchases. There are opportunities for varying degrees of involvement in the coop, and our member-owners are able to influence the direction of our organization. We are particularly proud that the dozens of ethnic groups in Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhood are reflected in our staff, our close to 3,000 members, and countless shoppers.

Queens, NY Focus

News from Queens:

Con Ed at fault for explosion death

Fewer cops & firehouses, more layoffs in 2010...yeah, more Bloomberg as usual. Pay millions to developers but close firehouses, cut back on cops and cut jobs. Meanwhile: The cost of renovating City Hall has zoomed to an eye-popping $90 million -- nearly 50 percent more than the original estimate. Sounds like mismanagement to me!

Candidate Kevin Kim and Sacred Heart RC Church in Bayside Mixing Politics and Religion...I really hate it when Democrats do the wrong thing.

Queens Harvest Food Co-op in LIC, NY seeks core members & volunteers: seems people are trying to start a Food Co-op in Queens. Which is a GREAT idea. For more info, go here: http://www.queensharvestcoop.com/


Update on Slasher Monserrate:

Dem Party dinner serves up a challenger to disgraced state Sen. Monserrate

US Senator Gillibrand calls for Slasher Monserrate to Resign

Monserrate Found Guilty... Of Misdemeanor. That means he can keep his state senate seat if he wants. So Queens has a State Senator who switches parties on whiims, slashes the face of his girlfriend, and lies like crazy. State Senator Liz Kruger is demanding Monserrate resign. You can sign the petition to fire Slasher Monserrate

Some reminders about Slasher Monserrate, one of the traitors who stopped reform in Albany:

Here is video of Monserrate dragging his girlfriend outside after the slashing he claims was accidental. Is this how you would treat YOUR loved one after accidentally slashing her? From Albany Project:



Constituents of dissident Dems are angry, confused...really bad idea to piss off your constituents

The Facts on Hiram Monserrate

Marty Golden: Monserrate should resign

Hiram Monserrate: Queens City Douchebag

Hiram Monster Rat


Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens

The Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens (LGDCQ) is the only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender independent Democratic club in the Borough of Queens.

The LGDCQ was founded eleven years ago to increase the visibility of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the political arena of Queens, New York City, New York State and the nation.

To receive the monthly newsletter or to be put on the Club's mailing list contact;
Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm at
Write "LGDCQ Newsletter" in subject title.


Democracy for NYC in Queens:

Democracy for New York City (DFNYC) is a volunteer-driven non-profit political action committee. We are part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideals espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard Dean.

We work both locally and nationally to ensure that fiscally-responsible and socially-progressive candidates win elections at all levels of government. We develop innovative ways to advocate for the issues that matter to our members and promote legislation which has a positive effect in our communities. We engage people in the political process and give them the tools to organize, communicate, mobilize, and enact change on the local, state, and national level.

Currently there are three Brooklyn chapters: Each meets the First Wednesday of every month.

Astoria, Queens - 7:30pm, - Ommonia Cafe 32-20 Broadway, with host Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Costa Constantinides.

Sunnyside, Queens - 7:30pm, Bliss Street Station restaurant, 47-02 Greenpoint Ave., with host Dan Jacoby.

Bayside, Queens - 7:00pm, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics.


DRINKING LIBERALLY IN QUEENS:

An informal, inclusive progressive social group. Raise your spirits
while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher.
Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place
to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a
book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent
frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk
politics.

Queens
* Fourth Wednesday of each month, 7:30 pm onward
* Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102 (group of young liberals taking up one lane)
* Hosted by Donald Graff, queens (at) drinkingliberally.org