ACLU DA candidates debate on Youtube

Rose has all of the youtube installments in order over on her blog.

Building and Construction Trades Council back Virginia Bass

From the the Council vial the Bass campaign:

For Immediate Press Release:

Delegates present at the April 6, 2010 meeting of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties voted to endorse Virginia Bass in her challenge to the Fourth District Humboldt County Board of Supervisors seat.

Faced with a struggling economy and uncertain future for Humboldt County, we feel that Ms. Bass can bring a fresh working class citizen’s perspective to the Board and will explore all options to help build a foundation for sustainable, family wage jobs in our area.

In a leadership capacity in the City of Eureka, she has demonstrated a proactive role in protecting prevailing wage law and exploring prequalification language in city bid documents to help weed out non-responsible contractors and encourage local contractors, workers, apprenticeship programs and quality construction projects.

Change can be positive from time to time, to bring a higher level of energy, creativity and productivity to public office. In this time of cost cutting and belt tightening, it requires an extra measure of hard work and dedication.

We feel Ms. Bass will provide that added quality to the taxpayers of her district and we urge you to vote for Virginia Bass for Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, Fourth District.

Sincerely,

Sid Berg

President
Building and Construction Trades Council

And Ms. Bass’ response:

“I am so honored and proud to be endorsed by the working unions of Humboldt County.

It’s time to put people back to work again starting with the immediate clean up of the Balloon Track, which alone would have 65 folks earning for their families.”

Virginia Bass

Humboldt County Fourth District Supervisor Candidate

Democrats and Republicans hunker down for a slugfest

The clouds of the storm are gathering.  And politically speaking, I just don’t see how the Democrats can lose this one.  But it appears that the lines are drawn.  Will the moderate Republicans want to go down with the ship defending the bankers and speculators who caused the crash?

Obama has threatened to veto any bill which does not significantly regulate the derivatives market.  All 41 Republicans in the Senate have signed a letter pledging to filibuster any bill which does (actually, the letter avoids mentioning a filibuster – implication with plausible deniability).

And to kick off the discussion, charges were filed against Goldman Sachs for fraud.

Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, facing a primary election and a tough general, who helped Lieberman torpedo the health care public option, has reversed course and is taking a populist stand with the Democrats.  And moderates like Snowe and Collins are feeling kind of jittery with the Republican consensus.  Bodes well for the forces of light.

Healthy Humboldt sponsored GPU focused debates

From Healthy Humboldt:

Candidate’s Forums on the General Plan Update

Greetings,

You are invited to attend candidate’s forums for the 4th and 5th district supervisors races specifically focused on the county General Plan update. The Healthy Humboldt Coalition and League of Women Voters are co-sponsoring the forums to educate the public about the issue and the candidates’ views on this important topic.

This is your chance to ask the candidates their opinions about land use, water resources, protecting agriculture and forest resource lands, trails and transportation issues, affordable housing and where future development should go — all these decisions are contained in the General Plan!

We need your help to make these forums a success!

Come hear the candidates in person:

4th District Supervisors Race
Where: Wharfinger Building, Eureka
When: April 19th, 7-8:30 PM
Candidates: Virginia Bass, Jeff Leonard and Bonnie Neely

5th District Supervisors Race
Where: Azalea Hall, McKinleyville
When: April 26th 7-8:30 PM
Candidates: Patrick Cleary, Patrick Higgins, Jeffrey Lytle and Ryan Sundberg

The forums will also be televised live on Access Humboldt, Channel 11. *Questions for the candidates about the General Plan can be submitted before or during the forum by phone at: (707) 633-8478 or by email at: info@healthyhumboldt.org.

The Board of Supervisors is the final decision-making body on the General Plan Update. The final draft of the General Plan Update is currently being heard by the Planning Commission and will be sent to the Supervisors for review and decision later this year.

Please help by coming to the forum and/or sending in questions for the candidates!

Thank you,

Elizabeth Conner

Director, Healthy Humboldt Coalition

Healthy Humboldt is a coalition of public interest groups working for a County General Plan that provides healthy housing and transportation choices while protecting our resource lands and watersheds.

One of the most powerful pieces written on a local political issue

The topic of the second installment of Cristina’s article is the Richardson Grove issue, but really it’s about much more.  It’s about the dynamics of local politics and it captures a great deal of what I’ve tried to say in a number of posts here and lays it out comprehensively and succinctly.  Yes, there are editorial elements in it and in that sense it’s “biased.”  Get over it.  She raises questions about our politics which apply to the Reggae War, the General Plan Update, and the Second District Supervisor election.  Liberals fighting liberals.  “Left wing tea parties.”

We live in a community rich in activism.  It’s a good thing.  People are willing to “speak truth to power.”  Some of them are willing to do much more than speak and make great sacrifices and physical risks in civil disobedience.  There is a great deal of passion.  We’re ready to take on the powers that be; to defy all that is wrong with the system “out there.”

If only we can learn to listen.

Karl Marx criticized philosophers for merely trying to interpret the world and failing to try to change it.  I’m thinking that many of us need to focus on learning more about the world.  We might become better at changing it.

But a hero needs a villain.  Odds and powers all against him.  A right and a wrong.  A hero knows both.  It’s all about the cause which sustains the hero.

Look at the comments attached to the article.  Sun Valley poisons workers.  Lost Coast brews bad beer.  Bauss sounds kind of like Bass.  Hank Sims is a plagiarist.  Trustafarians.  EPIC fail.  But no response to the central questions Cristina raises.

The cause is just.  Collateral damage is justified.  Nuance be damned.

Sometimes it’s really embarrassing.

Thank you Cristina.

Also check out Hank’s sideline editorial.