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Jun 03, 2014
Updated Post
Santa Monica Daily Press Publisher Ross Furukawa conducts a one on one conversation with Kristie Holmes in anticipation of the upcoming election for California US Representative, 33rd District.
Kristie Holmes believes her background as a clinical social worker gives her the perspective to attack the problems of homelessness. "I love working with the private sector, but you need solutions coming from the top and bottom." She cited an experiment in Colorado of converting a prison to housing that has worked out quite well, especially in terms of budget savings. She also cites Colorado as an example for marijuana legalization, which she says is "semantics at this point. They've lowered crime rates around shops," and solved the banking legalities. "I know our revenue would be a lot higher here in California than the billion that has been projected there." (See more on Kristie's view on Legalizing Marijuana here).
- See more at: http://smdp.com/video-kristi-holmes-candidate-for-us-representative-33rd-district/134833#sthash.iZNwClw5.dpuf
Kristie Holmes discusses Student Loan Debt and it's effect on the economy, especially for young adults. At this time of year, many students are graduating without adequate employment, and many have to move back in with their parents. We are over $1 Trillion Dollars in debt in this country- surpassing the level of credit card debt.
Kristie Holmes, Barbara Mulvaney, David Kanuth, Matt Miller and Wendy Greuel participated in a Congressional Candidate forum this morning. Issues discussed were focused on the NSA, Privacy and Healthcare issues along with factors that impact economic growth and prosperity.
Thank you to the Los Angeles Times for this coverage. It should be the one topic, if nothing else, that gets voters to vote in a Primary Election.
McCutcheon Ruling, Kristie Holmes
Created Post
Joseph MailanderSelect Recs
These are not endorsements. They are softly-spoken recommendations for Tuesday's election.
GovernorJerry Brown, Neel Kashkari
This race is still very meaningful, if mostly for statistical purposes. You'll be able to tell by adding the Kashkari-Donnelly and comparing it to Brown's total how excited Republicans should get about this fall. A few down-ticket Republican candidates will benefit from the peaking interest in the Kashkari-Donnelly race. Kashkari is a man who always thinks, and Donnelly is a man who always tries to sound like he does. I'd especially like to interview Kashkari because of his role in the bank bailout of 2008. But if the GOP in aggregate score over 37.5% of the total vote for Governor, that will be a profound indicator that they'll outperform in November.
House CA33Elan Carr, Kristie Holmes
You can read the rest of his recommendations here: http://www.josephfmailander.com/2014/06/select-recs.html
See how easy this is? But really, here are cheat sheets on everyone.
Candidate Names with Photos and Links to Websites. Handy, handy! Thanks KPCC.
LA Times- Similar to above but only for House Race
Santa Monica Press- Tells you a lot about the candidates and what they are passionate about
"Complaining on Social Media is Not Voting."
(36.99% engagement rate- keeps going up).
The Santa Monica Daily Press sent candidates for Supervisor, Congress and State Senate a list of four questions. Each candidate had up to 800 words to use as they saw fit answering some or all of the questions. We will print their responses, over the next few days. Answers from Supervisor candidates ran on May 28, answers from State Senate candidates ran on May 29. Below are the responses from candidates running for Congress who responded to our requests. Responses have been edited for spelling and punctuation. Video statements from the candidates are also available online at www.smdp.com.
Congressional candidates were asked:
...Who is best equipped to address the ongoing problem of homelessness in our communities? How can government agencies work together to find solutions and should there be more reliance on solutions from the private sector?
- See more at: http://smdp.com/and-the-next-congress-member-will-be/134889#sthash.Gf8M3WL5.dpuf
Kristie Holmes
Not everyone needs to be a social worker, or even have the heart of a social worker. They can simply "do the math" on social justice issues like housing or our drug policy to see that it is actually less expensive for tax payers to create a reasonable floor for human rights in the US. Is it a human right in the United States to eat? Have a roof over your head? Have access to preventative health care as well as emergency services (including mental health)?
Colorado is showing us right now that there are viable alternatives to the way we have been treating our homeless population in the US. Taxpayers annually spend $43,240 on individuals who live on the street, but in Fort Lyon's supportive housing program, the state will have to invest only $16,813 to provide an effective recovery program. Health services, substance abuse treatment, counseling and job training will be covered in this price tag.
Social Workers go to the root of the issues that aim to elevate the totality of the community … and issues like gun violence do not discriminate, regardless of zip code. We often look to those in poverty, or in what we tend to accept as run of the mill violence (gang neighborhoods are unsafe, and there is gun violence there). However, what is missed is that during a tragedy of the magnitude of what happened in Santa Barbara yesterday, where there were multiple fatalities inflicted upon humans in both grotesque and planned ways- it was perpetrated by a young male with means, who had "legal" guns and shot them from his moving BMW targeting females, after stabbing his three roommates to death.
Teachers are often our first line of defense and need to be given the tools to help students succeed regardless of their economic status. This includes adequate training and support- both in and out of the classroom in identifying development and mental health issues. There must also be adequate and timely referrals available once issues have been identified and some way to protect teachers who are trying to protect other students- as well as themselves in reporting, and not have to face threatening behavior due to shame or anger in the family (or by the administration that doesn't want to have a "press nightmare").
We have cultural issues that underlie many of our attitudes towards mental health and standard levels of violence in our society- what we get upset about- and the daily news items that get filed away as "run of the mill" violence. Universities have been under fire this past year due to their failure to meet the Federal Clery Act in reporting sexual violence on campus. A fine of $35K did not turn out to be enough of a deterrent to avoid failure in reporting. What happened in Santa Barbara is a magnification of the attitudes seen in our "standard" campus rape cases. We are failing as a country to address the violence that crosses all socioeconomic boundaries.
We send our soldiers to war, then we are unable to take adequate care of their physical or mental health when they return (I probably don't need to go on about the VA scandal), and 22 of them are taking their own lives every day. Many end up as one of the homeless. We pat ourselves on the back when we get a single mother to take a minimum wage job, despite the fact that adequate care for her children and transportation costs are more than what she makes, even full time and is unable to participate in her children's education. These issues have a long- term societal impact that is costly.
Kristie Holmes is best suited to work on issues related to the 58,000 homeless in Los Angeles as well as the embedded social issues district 33 faces on a local, state and federal level- all of which have an economic impact. The Congressional Social Work Caucus is focused on issues related to communities, mental health, human rights and the social work reinvestment initiative, so as a freshman in congress, I would have an established group to join that has already made these issues a priority and which Henry Waxman, at one point, chaired.
Just click here or go to http://www.lavote.net
If you had a mail in ballot and haven't already sent it in- just walk in to your polling place, and you'll get the "I voted" sticker.
…"I also want to commend all the Democratic candidates for running good races and putting themselves and their families through the all-consuming process to serve this district. A special shout out to Kristie Holmes for Congress for fighting the good honest fight with next to no cash (and no direct mail!), and of course Ted Lieu, our outstanding State Senator and all-around good man."
Thank you, James Graf. Like I've said before, this has really been a great group of people to do this with.
Tue Jun 03, 2014
Liking on Facebook and Retweeting doesn't count for voting- but please do that once you've voted and remind all of your friends and family!
Want to create jobs and reinvest in our infrastructure? Not to mention-reduce our reliance on oil? http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml
At least, they don't feel like it is worth the bother when they are old enough to step up. We are missing from boardrooms, the entertainment industry, and in global leadership.
I serve as an NGO Delegate to the United Nations Commission Status on Women and Girls, and at a recent anti- corruption session, we (the US) were dismissed outright when a global leader stated while waving their hand, "Why are we even discussing the US? They have never even had a female Vice President in the history of their country."
We are now at 90th place for global female leadership- behind countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and China. For those not interested in Gender Equality- know that it is an economic issue, not "just a woman's issue".
As a Social Worker who started out her career with the Department of Children and Family Services, I gained intimate knowledge of issues that plague even our district- which is one of the "wealthiest" districts in the country. I have been teaching undergraduate and graduate students for the past 7 years with the motivation to inspire them to challenge the status quo. I have a small private practice and am a homeowner, so I've also struggled with the burden of taxes and student loan repayment. Finally, I'm a wife and mother of two (LAUSD). I hope to make an impact on how legislation is created, and through whose eyes it is being viewed.
It is important to have representation that is reflective of the female gender, but also in an age group that can connect to younger voters through technology and share the concerns of families with small children. The average age of appointment to Congress is around age 50, and even older for females.
Yesterday I was asked by someone in City of LA government my thoughts on the Congressional race to fill Waxman's seat. The race has had some recent buzz on local radio as there's 11 days left and there are four people who are in the hunt for two chances at a runoff.
I put those thoughts here at my personal website, and they're a little gossipy and a little numbers-driven too and those thoughts involve talking to people involved with the race. But I'll say after the jump what I didn't say there that might be of interest to people far outside the District.
By registration, a Republican has almost no chance of winning. But there is a chance. That chance is amplified by Williamson, running as an independent who is disillusioned with Obama. That is a message that resonates even if Williamson is unlikely to finish in the money. If she continues to carry that message to the district (and the country, or her corner of it) after the primary - and writers do typically like to stay oracular, in fact, races for them rarely end, regardless of where they finish - it will only hurt the Democrat.
The thing about November will be that that message won't translate into a vote for either person who makes the runoff. It will simply after June 3 translate into Democratic voters staying home. Even if, as is expected, two Democrats make the runoff. But if Elan Carr were somehow to replace Lieu, or even Wendy Greuel (who appears to be the frontrunner) as one of the two candidates in the General, Democratic inertia will give either Lieu or Greuel a tougher time--even if both would rather face the Republican Carr than face each other.
Williamson is not likely to crack 15% of the vote in June, and you will probably need 25% to make the general. Nonetheless, bizarrely in recent weeks, Greuel, perhaps recognizing that her best shot for eventual election is a Greuel-Carr race, has been going after not Carr but Williamson, especially with regards to her legal-but-with-roadblocks position on abortion.
That hurts nearly everyone on the left, because it makes Williamson all the more determined to carry her independent message to the masses, such as they are. I don't think the nuanced abortion statements bugs people nearly as much as Team Greuel has calculated, and there is always the danger for Team Greuel that if it successfully does indeed bother anyone, they will go clicking around and maybe settle on some truly alternative candidate like Kristie Holmes rather than old school Wendy. Wendy was described to me by one woman when she lost last year this way:
"'She didn't just look dumb next to Eric, she looked San Bernardino dumb, especially in those stiff jackets,'" a snippy friend of mine in Jimmy Choos and a breezy blouse told me." That is what I reported when she lost, and whether or not it belongs in politics, that's what many people in fashion-breezy LA were thinking last year.
And that is still Greuel, and conversely Williamson and her crew have been described to me as people who went to a Montana Avenue yoga class to make sure they stay beautiful and cool all day long. They aren't the usual operatives, activists, voters.
The other thing about Greuel that is of concern to Democrats is that she has no natural base in the District. Hell, she doesn't even live in it. I've spoken to a few more people since I posted my thoughts, and I now think that any candidate, even Greuel, reaching 30% in the primary is at best a 50-50 proposition now. Only Greuel has the organization to get to 30%. And yet when you look at the map, it's hard to see anyplace where Wendy might have a base in the district. You have a recognizable Lieu base. You have a Carr base: Westlake Village and Calabasas. You even have a Williamson base: Montana Avenue to Malibu, in fact. But where is the Wendy home court? It's a very small number of precincts immediately east of the 405 south of Mulholland. That small LA finger immediately below the city of West Hollywood is really the only place that is up for grabs.
This is not saying that all blue-blooded Democrats should automatically back Lieu. But I am saying that unless two Democrats face off in the General, this seat is no slam dunk - which you probably already know anyway from the last race, but for very different reasons this time around.
By Joseph: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/23/1301554/-Replacing-Waxman#
Six of those who spoke Sunday are looking to take over Rep. Henry Waxman's 33rd District U.S. Congressional seat.
By Jimy Tallal / Special to The Malibu Times May 22, 2014
Six Democratic candidates for the U.S. Congressional 33rd District sat on a small, crowded stage of the Point Dume Clubhouse last Sunday morning, eager to share their election platform with a Malibu audience of about 75 Democrats. The six represent just one-third of the 18 names on the crowded ballot for the job, which also includes four Democrats who did not attend Sunday's event, three Republicans and five others.
The candidates are seeking to replace Rep. Henry Waxman, who earlier this year announced plans to retire after serving 40 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and many other Westside cities. His announcement threw the field wide open for the first time since the Ford Administration. The candidate forum, sponsored by the Malibu Democratic Club, also featured personal appearances by candidates running for the state-level positions of State Controller and Secretary of State. Candidates had a limited amount of time to introduce themselves, answer audience questions and make a closing statement.
Congressional candidates First up was Wendy Greuel, who probably has the most name recognition after serving as Los Angeles City Controller from 2009-2013 and running as a candidate for Los Angeles mayor in 2013. Greuel said the issues important to her include veterans, a woman's right to choose, equal pay and "protecting the beautiful beaches and mountains." She has "Progressive values" and is "willing to take on the tough issues and the special interests." Political newcomer David Kanuth, an attorney who spent seven years as a public defender, wants to address a failed educational system, a flawed criminal justice system, climate change and gun control. "We need to send people to Washington that aren't status quo," he said.
Buoyed by his endorsement from the Los Angeles Times, Matt Miller, author, public policy analyst, Pacific Palisades resident and host of KCRW's "Left, Right and Center," is making his first run for public office. Besides being a riveting speaker, Miller displayed an in-depth knowledge of healthcare and other issues. "Too often, progressives fight for policies that won't make a meaningful difference. A minimum wage of $10.10 is still not a living wage — it needs to be $15 an hour. Send someone to Washington that doesn't accept the terms of debate, but helps shape them," he said.
Kristie Holmes, a social worker and professor also running for office for the first time, distinguished herself from the other candidates by being the only one to voice her support of "the full legalization of marijuana" because of the revenue stream it would produce. "Colorado has already made a billion dollars" she said. Holmes also offered insight on problems with the education system and student loan programs.
*Note (Kristie Holmes clarification): Colorado has projected One Billion Dollars in Revenue in the first year- and estimates look towards exceeding this projection.
Also throwing her hat into the political ring for the first time, attorney Barbara Mulvaney of Santa Monica said she was the only candidate with foreign policy experience. "I worked for the U.N. on the Rwanda genocide and I also worked for the State Department in Baghdad," Mulvaney said. Ted Lieu, represented by local Dorothy Reik, is a Torrance resident, attorney, USAF officer and the only candidate with legislative experience. He has served in the California State Assembly and Senate since 2005, introducing or sponsoring numerous pieces of legislation such as regulation of sub-prime mortgages, overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling and banning fracking. Lieu has been endorsed by various Democratic groups in the state.
Beverly Hills Debate "Class Photo".
Video Link Here: http://westsidetoday.com/2014/04/28/33rd-district-congressional-candidate-forum-santa-monica-beat/
Kristie Holmes, a Democrat running for Congress in the 33rd District, is among the many candidates in L.A. County who chose not to pay to publish a statement in the sample ballot for the June primary because of the expense.
When you crack open your sample ballot booklet to read about candidates running in the June 3 primary, be aware that you're getting only a part of the picture. Fewer than one in five candidates chose to pay to have their biographical campaign statements published in the L.A. county version of the booklets.
Kristie Holmes, a Democrat running in the crowded 33rd Congressional District to replace retiring Congressman Henry Waxman, was stunned to realize it would cost more than $18,000 to place a 200-word statement in the sample ballot booklet in both English and Spanish. She blogged about her decision to forego the candidate statement.
Full Story:
Updated Issues
I drive a Chevy Volt Pulg in Car with a backup gas tank. It goes 44 miles before it needs to be recharged.
Sun May 18, 2014
Pursuit of Justice Gala, honoring Rock the Vote.
¿Qué vamos a hacer con toda esta deuda sobre préstamos estudiantiles?
El momento de la Graduación Universitaria está a la vuelta de la esquina, ¿y cuáles son las perspectivas? ¿Cuánta deuda tienen nuestros estudiantes?
Las perspectivas de trabajos no son las mejores para los egresados, y muchos de ellos están considerando volver a estudiar para poder aumentar las posibilidades de obtener trabajo con un nivel de educación más alto con el fin de ser más competitivos. Sin embargo, ésto también aumenta la cargas de sus deudas. FAFSA se convirtió en un tema de tendencia a la hora de completar los formularios de ayuda financiera. Mis estudiantes de posgrado tenían un estrés muy parecido a éste cuando recientemente intentaban obtener una hipoteca, ya que algunos eran "rechazados" por tener deudas estudiantiles "normales" y tuvieron que recurrir a préstamos "alternativos" de mayor precio.
10 de abril de 2014
Telemedicina en la Atención Médica
Los costos de atención médica pueden disminuir y la eficiencia puede incrementar favorablemente con el uso de la telemedicina en las necesidades de atención médica primaria y urgente.
Imagine que su brazo tiene un terrible sarpullido, y que usted tiene fiebre. Saque una foto con su teléfono inteligente (smart phone) y haga clic a través de un breve cuestionario de admisión, incluyendo su temperatura. A 3 especialistas en dermatología les aparece una foto de usted en sus pantallas y ellos le comunican el diagnóstico en unos pocos minutos. Con una tasa de exactitud en el diagnóstico que sea igual a una consulta en persona (o superior, con 3 especialistas), ¿estaría usted interesado en esa atención? Los resultados serían enviados a su médico de atención primaria para su expediente y su revisión rápida. Si procedimientos adicionales fueran solicitados, una videoconferencia de HIPAA podría ser utilizado.
Se ahorrarían innumerables horas de tiempo perdido y recursos para muchos padecimientos. Otros problemas que necesitan análisis podrían también llevarse a cabo con una escapada a la farmacia con el fin de obtener recetas para los asuntos rutinarios, tales como las infecciones del tracto urinario. Esto por supuesto, permitiría que los médicos atiendan a pacientes que necesitan un cuidado cara a cara en lugar de una mirada superficial.
Acabo de terminar mi 5to año en Medetel, que es una gran conferencia anual que proporciona todas las actualizaciones de organizaciones de la salud de todo el mundo relacionados con la telemedicina.
21 de marzo de 2014
Tomando el ejemplo de Colorado: La despenalización del uso recreativo de la marihuana
Estoy a favor del ejemplo de Colorado y me comprometo a impulsar la legalización del consumo recreativo de la marihuana en los 50 estados.
Colorado y Washington han sentado las bases. Despenalizar el uso recreativo de la marihuana traerá a este distrito (CD33) millones de dólares en ingresos , los cuales pueden ser dirigidos en nuestras escuelas y generar miles de puestos de trabajo. Ha llegado el momento de legalizarla. Necesitamos que nuestros cuerpos policiales se concentren en prioridades que no se encuentran vinculadas con el uso de la marihuana. Actualmente la prohibición le cuesta al gobierno estatal y federal cerca de $20 mil millones al año (Jeffrey Miron, Profesor de cátedra de Harvard University).
Colorado proyectó cerca de $600 millones de ventas al año y cerca de $70 millones en ingresos fiscales por la venta de marihuana en 2014 (Huffington Post).
La marihuana de uso medicinal ha sido legalizada en 21 estados, y dichos estados ganan el doble de dinero, pero ahora también son el blanco de los carteles para transbordar a los estados en los cuales la marihuana es ilegal.
Comentarios al Foro de Santa Mónica, marzo 2014:
Estoy a favor del ejemplo de Colorado y me comprometo a impulsar la legalización del consumo recreativo de la marihuana en los 50 estados como un imperativo económico. California ya ha legalizado el uso médico. La eliminación de la prohibición traerá a este Estado millones de dólares en ganancias, y miles de puestos de trabajo- tal como lo hizo en Colorado y en el estado de Washington. Colorado ha sido la meta con sus proyecciones, con 1 mil millones en ingresos para el primer año fiscal. Los primeros 400 millones deberían dirigirse directamente a la construcción de escuelas, y con resto propongo que California divida los ingresos entre la educación y un sistema férreo ligero del siglo XXI. Esto a su vez, reducirá considerablemente el interés de Carteles en este lado de la frontera. La mayoría de los estadounidenses respaldan la legalización, lo cual terminará la confusión sobre el mosaico de leyes estatales."
Referencia por dos Congresistas (Blumenauer y Polis)
8 de marzo de 2014
Menos tiempo en Washington DC, más tiempo con la gente a la cual representamos
Se invierte demasiado tiempo en DC, presionado por intereses especiales. El tiempo invertido en el distrito debería aumentar un 30%.
Esto reduciría el gasto que se derrocha en asuntos rutinarios para votar, y se prestaría atención y eficiencia para que se cumpla la finalidad prevista de la oficina. Con la tecnología actual, no existe la necesidad de que vuelen cientos de políticos de todo el país en forma semanal. Es probable que la presión/intereses especiales tengan un menor impacto si los representantes se encuentran la mayoría del tiempo en sus distritos correspondientes, disminuyendo cenas de agasajos e incrementando el interés en los temas importantes.
7 de marzo de 2014
Mejor Cuidado para nuestros Veteranos de Guerra
Por día, 22 veteranos que han arriesgado su vida por este país, se suicidan. Debemos tratar la crisis que se encuentra en el cuidado de las familias militares
El cuidado hacia nuestros militares ha sido una de mis pasiones desde que comencé con la carrera de trabajo social. Actualmente ofrezco horas pro bono a través de Give an Hour y Google Helpouts.
Comunicado de prensa del 3 de abril del 2014
"Estoy desconsolada por el acontecimiento que ocurrió ayer en Fort Hood. Mis condolencias van dirigidas a las víctimas y sus familias. Lo que no se puede pasar por el alto es que en medio de esta terrible tragedia se encontraba un soldado que había sido diagnosticado con Trastorno de Estrés Postraumático (TEPT) relacionado con el combate. Por día, 22 veteranos, tanto hombres como mujeres que han arriesgado sus vidas por este país y sus habitantes, se suicidan. Esta es una tragedia de enormes proporciones. Sin embargo, los veteranos de guerra van a seguir siendo un riesgo, hasta que el gobierno federal no se comprometa totalmente con el tratamiento de las necesidades de la salud mental de nuestros combatientes. La epidemia de TEPT que se encuentra en los militares es el legado involuntario, pero real, de enviar a nuestros hombres y mujeres del servicio militar a la guerra. Incluso ante una tragedia de esta envergadura, lamentablemente, el Congreso sigue recortando los beneficios para nuestros veteranos. Hoy, tomemos un momento para pensar en los hombres y mujeres de todo el mundo que todavía combaten y en los que han regresado a sus hogares, pero siguen luchando contra enfermedades relacionadas con la guerra. Una vez más, mis más sentido pésame tanto para las familias de los afectados como para las víctimas." Kristie Holmes es candidata para el Congreso de los Estados Unidos en el Distrito 33 de California. Ella es Asistente Social Clínico Autorizado, quien he trabajado con veteranos. FIN
23 de febrero de 2014
Igualdad de Acceso en Educación y Seguridad en Escuelas
La educación pública no es igualitaria. La calidad se encuentra reflejada en la vivienda que usted puede pagar en esta ciudad, acceso a una educación inicial y a una educación superior.
Es necesaria la redistribución del presupuesto para volver a dar prioridad a la educación en lugar de los intereses políticos, mientras se establecen relaciones con una comunidad sostenible, con organizaciones sin fines de lucro y con programas basados en la fe para impulsar el éxito de los estudiantes. Los cambios son posibles, como ya ha sido demostrado por muchas organizaciones de bases y las evidencias basadas en el éxito.
Ética, Fraude y Corrupción
El año pasado me preguntaron en un evento de la ONU, "¿Cuánto cuesta comprar un asiento en tu gobierno?". Lamentablemente, no era una broma.
Aunque nuestro sistema fue creado para representar al ciudadano común, ya no es así. El trabajar con grupos internacionales me ha dado una perspectiva distinta sobre nuestro gobierno, y me ha mostrado discrepancias en lo que decimos que hacemos, y lo que realmente hacemos. Entonces comencé a investigar lo que se necesita para "representar" las voces en Washington. Respuesta #1: Dinero Para llegar a ser un candidato "viable", se necesita mostrarle el dinero a todos. "¡Miren la cantidad de dinero que hemos recaudado! ¡Ahora se nota que lo digo en serio! ¡Ahora tengo dinero para crear desagradables anuncios publicitarios por correo sobre otros candidatos que distorsionan la verdad!" Los titulares de los medios de comunicación en los últimos dos meses han estado llenos, dejando al descubierto la corrupción generalizada de nuestro propio Senado de California, que no está exento de la compañía del resto del país. El gobernador tuvo que pedirle a tres miembros del senado que renunciaran, ya que no lo harían por su propia cuenta debido a acusaciones por fraude, soborno, asesinato por encargo, y tráfico de armas.
Yo no tengo un antecedentes políticos, y para serles sincera, me he dado cuenta que he estado muy impresionada con muchos de los políticos que he conocido recientemente. Desearía que los constituyentes pudieran pasar tiempo con esa versión de sus representantes - aquellos que no tienen que intentar complacer y engreírse a quienes ostentan el poder (y que por lo general se representa por quienes te entregan dinero), pero aquellos con los que se puede hablar sobre los problemas y los estragos que llevan para trabajar en un sistema que hace que sea difícil evadir las prácticas corruptivas, que ya todo el mundo sabe que es poco ético, aunque fuera "legal". Si lo dicen en voz alta, van a perder su apoyo.
Además, en 2010, California aprobó la norma de "los dos más votados", en la cual solamente los dos candidatos con la mayor cantidad de votos de cualquier partido político, pueden pasar a la siguiente ronda. La mayoría no se dio cuenta cuando votaron de que esto acababa de hacer todo más difícil para que los partidos no dominantes (o candidatos independientes) pudieran obtener una oportunidad sin una considerable fortuna personal.
**Por favor, vea mi publicación del 10 de marzo sobre la tasa de llenado para iniciarse en esta actividad ($18.940,00). Para firmar la petición en línea dirigida hacia el Secretario de Estado para exigir la igualdad de acceso para los votantes y potenciales candidatos, consulte aquí.
¿Realmente queremos esperar cientos de años para la equidad?
Podemos promocionar los avances que hemos realizado, pero al paso actual, tardarán 500 años en lograr alcanzar la equidad.
Translated by Daniela Miller.
For the second time in five days, most of the candidates running for the 33rd District congressional seat traded jabs and ideas in a debate at Temple Emmanuel of Beverly Hills. This time, Green Party candidate Michael Ian Sachs was the only one not to participate.
The debate was moderated by Carl Thurmond, a leader of the synagogue and a "superlawyer," who kept the pace of the debate fluid as he asked sharp questions of each of the candidates. Mr. Thurmond began by outlining the format of the debate: each candidate got a two-minute opening statement, then the moderator called up three groups of five candidates at a time and asked each candidate in the group one question. After they gave their responses, the moderator called on each candidate and asked them to agree or disagree with what their competitors had just said. After the mini-group debates were completed, each candidate got two minutes for closing statements.
The moderator began by introducing the candidates, appearing to go in order from the left to the right of the stage. However, when he got to Marianne Williamson, he passed her over. The audience thought a mistake had been made, but the moderator picked up on it and noted he was introducing the candidates alphabetically. When Williamson's name was called last, she got the loudest applause of all.Like last week's debate, the gloves came off during the opening statements. Democrat Vince Flaherty slammed fellow Democrat Matt Miller in the first ten seconds of his opening remarks, saying Miller, as economic adviser in the Clinton White House, presided over the repeal of Glass-Steagall and the collapse of the secondary mortgage market.
However, most candidates just introduced themselves and explained why they were running. Libertarian candidate Mark Matthew Herd jokingly thanked all the Williamson supporters who came to fill the seats saying, "I'm gonna be honest with you, politics is a hobby for me." Democrat Kristie Holmes cited her experience as a social worker. She said the District was badly missing out on technology and explained that her overall focus was on the economy. Democrat Zein Obagi good-naturedly ribbed the L.A. Times, who were in attendance, and claimed to understand the needs of young people in the district.
However, Democrat state Sen. Ted Lieu and Independent Marianne Williamson appeared to have the strongest opening statements. Lieu explained that he was the only person on stage with a real legislative record, and cited his immigrant background along with his time in the U.S. Air Force. Williamson noted her 30-year career in "crisis management," her desire to "disrupt" the status quo, and said money in politics is a "cancer eating at our society." Again, the crowd went wild for Williamson.
The first group of candidates called for the debate's next segment were Lieu, Williamson, Republican Lilli Gilani, and Democrats Vince Flaherty and Barbara Mulvaney. The moderator asked the group the following question: "If Israel were to initiate a military strike against Iran, would you publicly support that decision?"Lieu got to answer first: "Absolutely," he said without hesitation. He said America has to support Israel unequivocally, and referred to his strong legislative experience in support of Israel. Mulvaney said she gained a "healthy respect" for rocket fire during her time working in Baghdad, and said she believed the Israeli government would only strike militarily if it had to. Williamson said she was uncomfortable with the question, along with the notion that any politician running for office has to include public support for Israel as part of their platform, while Gilani agreed with Williamson's assertion that "peace is the best solution." Gilani also noted her Iranian heritage saying, "We must dismantle regimes that don't respect international law." Flaherty, as at the last debate, said he would need to be "briefed" on the matter first.
In the follow-ups, Williamson was asked to agree or disagree with Flaherty. She said that in reality, most Congressmen probably do not get briefed about every subject, even though she wished they did. Mulvaney and Gilani both reiterated that military options should be considered last, while Lieu came out strongly in support of Israel, saying America's national security is inextricably linked with Israel's, and that Iran's nuclear program represents an "existential threat to the whole world."
The second group of candidates consisted of Democrats David Kanuth, Kristie Holmes, and Zein Obagi; the Republican Elan Carr; and the Independent Tom Fox. The moderator asked them: "The L.A. Unified School District is the second largest in the country. Should we focus on federal, state, or local standards to improve the district?"Kanuth went first, saying the issue of improving schools is "inherently local," before noting that 10% of the school district's funding comes from the government. He said "we can do better," and warned that increasing teacher salaries would not fix the problem on its own. Holmes challenged the premise of the question, saying any time standards are followed, problems can arise. She said before the school district can face its problems, the disparities between children attending the schools would need to be evaluated. Obagi was confident and assured in his response: he said he does not understand why the best teachers in the district are allowed to move into administrative positions for higher pay. "We're losing our best teachers," he said, before proposing changes to both state and local standards. "That's why I'll never get elected," Obagi joked. "Teachers unions hate me." Next was Carr, who referred to his experience as a gang prosecutor to explain the failings of the district's school system. He said he has put teenagers in jail for longer than most have been alive, and asked when the district's school system would start "nurturing these kids." Tom Fox closed the group by saying that the United States ranks 1st in money spent per child educated, while ranking only 17th in the world in education. Fox said education standards should be focused on the local level, and agreed with Kanuth's assertion that more money is not the answer.The last group featured the remaining candidates: Democrats Matt Miller and Wendy Greuel, Republican Kevin Mottus, Libertarian Mark Matthew Herd, and two recent entrants into the race, Michael Shapiro and Theo Menonopolous. The question for the final group: "What is your position on the regulation of schools, businesses, and charitable organizations?"The audience at the synagogue groaned at the broad nature of the question. One of the candidates asked Mr. Thurmond to repeat it. After he did, Miller answered first.Miller explained that he views regulation as essential, saying a totally free market would exacerbate the problem of income inequality in the country. He said Wall Street has been under-regulated for years, before finishing with an emphasis on the district's need to "strike the right balance." Kevin Mottus unapologetically deflected the question and instead railed against campaign finance reform and the poison of money in politics. Interestingly, Mottus seemed to steal a little bit of Williamson's thunder on campaign finance reform, drawing loud cheers in the middle of his statements while Williamson did not discuss much of what has been her top campaign platform so far. Herd articulated the Libertarian position that government should get out of the way and regulate as little as necessary, while both Shapiro and Greuel proposed that some regulation is always necessary. Theo Menonopolous, the write-in candidate, said he would focus regulation efforts on two areas. First, he argued, higher education needs to be regulated – specifically, the problems of student debt. Second, he said, LGBT rights needed to be protected. "As the race's only openly gay candidate, I will be the LGBT warrior in this race," he concluded.The candidates were initially allotted two minutes for closing statements, but as the debate dragged past its two-hour time frame, the moderator cut the statements to one minute.Williamson went first. She said politics should be "real," and that young people are "disenfranchised and disengaged." She finished by pledging she would bring the necessary change to Washington. Obagi hit Lieu briefly, before reiterating his commitment to immigration reform and better use of state transportation funds. Mottus asked the audience to vote for him if they "want someone who cares about people," and he brought up the hazards of wireless technology, one of his campaign's key messages. Menonopolous may have taken a small swipe at Williamson when he said he wants to bring a "new era" to Congress, not a "new aura." Kanuth and Miller both claimed to have the leadership skills necessary to take on the job, while Shapiro promised to "fight to make changes in the state and across America." Greuel and Holmes talked about women's issues, and Gilani expressed the need for "better schools, a better business environment, and a safer world." Carr said he could "fashion real solutions for real problems," while Tom Fox lamented, "We've lost our way. Our democracy has been purchased."
The California primary will be held on June 3rd.
Original Story, Daniel Nussbaum
Washington, D.C. – Women Under Forty PAC today announced the endorsement of two more women candidates who are pursuing public office. They are Kristie Holmes (CA-33) and Maggie T. Oliver (New Mexico Secretary of State).
"WUFPAC is honored to announce the endorsement of Kristie and Maggie," said WUFPAC President Kate Farrar. "They are both exceptional leaders in their community and I believe they will exemplify those same talents in public office."
Kristie Holmes is running to represent California's 33rd Congressional District. Currently, she is a Clinical Social Worker and Adjunct Professor of Social Work at the University of Southern California Los Angeles. Kristie is passionate about increasing the number of women in office and hopes to inspire young women to pursue their dreams. She is a NGO delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and was just nominated to the Board of Directors for UN Women, United States National Committee. For more information about Kristie's Congressional race visit http://www.kristieholmes.com. If you'd like an inside perspective on the race, she is blogging about it at http://www.kristierunningforcongress.blogspot.com
Most of the candidates vying for California's 33rd Congressional District seat were on hand Saturday to endorse themselves, slam each other, and discuss policy in an unusually formatted Internet debate hosted by moderator Cenk Uygur and the Young Turks, an online news show.
Some candidates were notably absent from the debate; Democrats Wendy Greuel and Ted Lieu and Republican Lilli Gilani didn't participate, and Uygur told the audience just before the debate began that Brent Roske, the Independent TV producer, had just dropped out and endorsed Marianne Williamson.
Due to the sheer number of candidates debating, the Young Turks adopted an unorthodox strategy in their presentation: the debate was split into three hour-long segments, each featuring a different group of candidates. The first segment featured the Republican Kevin Mottus; Democrat Zein Obagi, Jr.; and the popular Independent Marianne Williamson.
The second segment featured Democrats Kristie Holmes, David Kanuth, and Vince Flaherty; and Libertarian candidate Mark Matthew Herd. The last segment included Democrats Matt Miller and Barbara Mulvaney, Independent Tom Fox, Green Party candidate Michael Ian Sachs, and Republican Elan Carr.
After brief opening statements, all three groups were asked the same five key questions, although the follow-ups in each segment were different. The five questions explored, in order, each candidate's number one campaign priority; his or her opinion of Obama's presidency thus far; their views on California's transportation problems; their foreign policy ideas; and finally, each candidate's position on campaign finance reform. Each candidate then had sixty seconds for a closing statement.The debate's tone turned confrontational early in the first segment, when Williamson slammed several of Kevin Mottus' transportation policy ideas as "naive"; Mottus, in turn, called Williamson naive for her proposal of a constitutional amendment aimed at reforming campaign finance law. Williamson, who said in her opening remarks that campaign finance reform is her first priority, asserted in the debate that a constitutional amendment would be the only way to significantly change campaign finance practice.
Democrat Vince Flaherty also listed campaign finance reform as his top priority; for Carr and Kanuth it was education; for Fox, Miller, and Holmes it was the economy. Barbara Mulvaney said her top priority is the environment, while Obagi said providing immigrants with a pathway to success was tops on his list. Mottus said he is running on transportation issues and removing the dangers of radio-frequency radiation caused by mobile technology.
In his opening statement, Miller took a swipe at Wendy Greuel and Ted Lieu: he said it was nice to participate in a forum where candidates have to answer tough questions, and questioned both candidates' reasons for not appearing.Next came the candidates' opinion of the President's tenure; most candidates said there was a mix of good and bad in Obama's presidency to this point, although Libertarian candidate Mark Matthew Herd said, "Are you kidding me? This guy's gotta go and he can't go any sooner. We gotta have a President that doesn't lie about [the ACA]."
Kristie Holmes said she was disappointed with the President's lack of progress on immigration reform, saying Obama has deported more people than Bush did. "I want to see more humanity in the process," she said.
In his transportation questions, the moderator asked each candidate whether they supported the $68 billion high-speed rail currently being built in California. Most candidates indicated their support of the project, but almost all supporters noted they would have to revisit their support in light of recent reports of rising costs. Carr, Kanuth, Holmes, and Herd all mentioned in some form that they do not support the project.
On the question of Iran, almost all of the candidates had the same ideas; Uygur asked each candidate whether military options would be on the table if Iran refused to stop their uranium enrichment program. Each indicated that military options would necessarily be considered last, although Elan Carr stood tough on the question: "We must maintain a real, credible, threat of force to deter Iran." Williamson said we "shouldn't even have the idea of [military intervention] in our minds," calling the Iranian people "our friends," and noting that the President's sanctions plan on Iran is plenty tough.
During the questions on campaign finance reform, Mark Matthew Herd issued a challenge to the other candidates; he dared everyone in the race not to raise any more money for their campaigns. When Uygur followed up and asked the candidates whether they'd accept Herd's challenge, Holmes and Flaherty explained they're already running on very little money; Kanuth said the way to lessen money's impact on politics is to have an engaged electorate, but ultimately turned down Herd's challenge.
Williamson and Obagi said early on that public financing of elections is necessary in the fight for campaign finance reform; Fox, Carr, Sachs, and a few others said transparency was the key to the election process. Mostly, the candidates with little campaign money slammed those with large money stashes, as the well-funded candidates tried to downplay their fundraising success.
In the last segment, Uygur asked some of the candidates directly if they would legalize marijuana. Tom Fox and Barbara Mulvaney said yes; Miller said he would adopt a wait-and-see approach, looking for how Colorado and Washington handled their legalization of the drug; while Elan Carr adamantly rejected legalization, saying his experience as a prosecutor taught him that marijuana can "sap people of their ambition."
In their closing statements, many candidates mentioned their websites and asked for votes. Tom Fox noted this would be an important election, and made an appeal to millennials to get involved in the process. Miller hit Greuel and Lieu again before claiming he has the necessary qualifications to "shake up" the status quo in Washington, while Carr said that Washington has "descended into total dysfunction" and deserves solutions instead of hyper-partisanship. Obagi claimed to be the young successor Waxman would endorse, while Williamson reiterated the need for a pro-democracy movement in America. Herd spoke the only curse-word in the debate and provided a laugh when he said if voters don't want the same old "bullshit" they should vote for him.
…"Kristie Holmes, a Democrat running in the crowded 33rd Congressional District to replace retiring Congressman Henry Waxman, was stunned to realize it would cost more than $18,000 to place a 200-word statement in the sample ballot booklet in both English and Spanish. She blogged about her decision to forego the candidate statement…"
A four minute audio statement is included for the story.
Brentwood News, part of the Mirror Media Group, recently hosted a "Meet the Candidate" forum at University Synagogue.
All 17 candidates vying to replace Henry Waxman participated. Approximately 400 attended the event.
To watch a two-hour video of the proceedings, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9vbu4ZVafg&feature=youtu.be.The primary is June 3. At that time, the race will narrow to the top two contenders (Westside Today).
Kristie Holmes begins at 49:33
What a wonderful promo banner on the main page. http://www.crispinc.org
Kristie Holmes, a social worker who teaches at USC who is also a NGO Delegate to the United Nations Commission Status on Women, spoke on the need for more women in leadership.
"We're 51 percent of the population, but just 17 percent of Congress," Holmes said. "At this rate, we'll reach parity at about 100 to 500 years. This is not a women's issue. It's an economic issue as well as global leadership issue. Look, we all have a lot of education and ability up here, you've already heard it."
Holmes also spoke about "getting the money out" of politics.
"We all say we want to get the money out of politics because it corrupts and this whole process while promoting with the media who has raised the most money," Holmes said. "We are here to represent the people, not obnoxiously educated people who flush millions of dollars down the toilet to print post cards – no one wants it anyway." (rest of Westside Today article here)
Last night's Top 7 Candidate Forum focused on many issues- but my focus was on the money in politics, regardless of where it comes from. The amount of money fed into the mailers and television time disrupt the balance for voters. Those who can spend more can drown out the voices of those who can't. I hope to see more voters show up in the primary and take a look at all candidates. As fellow candidate Barbara Mulvaney stated last night "Check their price tags." In 2014, most of us have access to a lot of information about each candidate online. And it's likely you will be taking that tool with you into the voting booth.
Money campaigns rely on the fact that you are more likely to vote on name recognition alone.
Venue was changed due to a picket line.
"WUFPAC is proud to endorse you in your upcoming race."
Using what may end up being my most popular photo on Google...
The sad 7 second March to (hopefully) the recycling bin in District 33.
This district is committed to environmental issues, so in 2014 this should be drastically reduced or eliminated.
Need a short summary? I'd love to hear your questions, so please feel free to ask.
The Congressional Forum for District 33 was a beautiful sight to behold. The University Synagogue hosted, and were gracious and fair with all of the candidates.All rounds were in random order, and kept to a very strict time- with a bell. If the bell went off, you simply needed to "sit down". Somewhere around halfway, they had us do musical chairs, so that no one spent the whole time up front.
What seemed to be an unusual level of camaraderie ensued, with candidates who had never met before laughing, joking and teasing as the two-hour program sped forward at an amazing pace. I think we all realized how 30 seconds to 3 minutes to speak was all anyone really wanted or needed to hear from candidates, no matter who they were, or what they were talking about.
It was astounding to hear the level of qualifications among candidates. If you can't find someone in this group of 17 to support, then you aren't reading about them. It may seem strange that as a candidate, I'm promoting everyone. The way the media reports on candidates is unfair- one story this morning had large photos of 6 candidates, and they were, of course the ones who had raised more than $350,000.
This was on the heels of an LA Times story with the ironic headline, "Fundraising May Narrow Field for Henry Waxman's Seat" (you think?). I'm working on a comparison chart to see how other factors range amongst candidates. After this forum I am betting that many have qualifications that surpass money as a sole qualifying factor.
Many audience members made it clear to me how frustrated they were after the forum after hearing so many "clearly wonderful" candidates that are available- and that they don't hear about them due to bias at forums (keeping many out), media attention on money only, and the affordability of mailers (needing a million dollars to send campaign materials to voters in the off- chance the slick mailer makes it past the trash can into the house to be read by voters). And of course, since this is District 33, there were many comments about the environmental ramifications of such waste and abuse of our environment (trees, chemicals, ink, trash, sustainability).
The bipartisan, unifying theme by most candidates was the corruption that is rife in our institution of elected officials, especially now with multiple indictments in the California senate, and a new indictment of a Congressman this week. This system of begging for money creates a breeding ground for ethical violations and illegal activity that is often overlooked. Then everyone steps back at gasps at the public servant "bad behavior".
Be brave, vote in the primary and use your free tool to decide: Google.
Wednesday's SM Democratic club endorsement for CD33 went to no one. For the rest of us that thought it was a foregone conclusion- we can see this as good news!
Two Democratic Party candidates in the primary race for California's 33rd congressional district in West Los Angeles have accused local party officials of using an arbitrary fundraising minimum to favor established insiders--then raising that minimum at the last moment to exclude them from a recent candidates' forum.
Democrats Kristie Holmes and Barbara Mulvaney issued a joint press release earlier this week, accusing the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club (PPDC) of "uninviting" them from a forum on Sunday, April 13 "after first zealously pursuing them." Only candidates who participated were eligible for the club's endorsement.
As Breitbart News reported, the club--based in the wealthy Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to Hollywood A-list celebrities--declared that all participants in the candidate forum had to have raised at least $200,000 in contributions prior to April 8. Only four candidates qualified, and incumbent State Sen. Ted Lieu was endorsed.
However, Holmes and Mulvaney say that the minimum contribution rule was introduced at the last moment to keep them out. "At the last minute, the PPDC, claimed to have a fund-raising requirement which has ranged from $100,000-$200,000, depending on which candidate you ask," they said in their joint statement.
Holmes, who holds a doctorate in social work and teaches at the University of Southern California, told Breitbart News that club official Janet Turner "pursued me" and was eager to have her participate. Later, however, Turner told her that she had to raise $100,000 to qualify, and that the invitation was revoked.
On the day of the forum, Holmes posted at her blog: "I was enthusiastically invited by the organizers after my first time speaking publically as a candidate, and was then contacted for photos for a flyer to be mailed out....There were a few phone conversations and follow up involved where my attendance was confirmed.
"Later, I received an email followed up by a phone call stating that they were very sorry, but that the only candidates who could speak at the candidate forum/ debate would have need to have raised at least 100K by that time." Holmes had not raised the requisite $100,000, and had only recently received an FEC ID number.
Human rights lawyer Mulvaney, who had raised over $100,000, was told by the club that the threshold was in fact $200,000. Abigail Anderson, her campaign manager, told Breitbart News that she suspects the number would have remained at $100,000 had she not told the club that Mulvaney had raised $100,000."All of this was done orally. We had no written criteria," Anderson said. Holmes charged that the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club had protected "establishment" candidates--unlike a forum by the Santa Monica club, which had been open to all. Anderson agreed: "I don't see how you can come to any other conclusion." she said.
Turner, reached by Breitbart News on Friday afternoon, confirmed that Holmes was "uninvited," but disputed her an Mulvaney's version of events: "No one was ever told there was one number and then another number." "This is what happened," Turner said. "We like to invite all candidates to our forum. For a while, it looked like maybe there was four or five. So we reached out to other [Democrats]. Suddenly, we were deluged by all of the other candidates who were coming.
"To be fair to our members who were coming to hear the leading candidates, we looked for a rule that had been in place--similar to a rule at the West L.A. Democratic Club--to pick the most viable candidates. West L.A. had chosen $200,000 for this particular race, and we agreed that was reasonable."She said that the club relied on candidates' public statements and their word as to how much they had raised."As a club, we support clean money, and campaign finance reform," she told Breitbart News. "But until that happens, we need to find a way to be fair to our members, who want to be able to hear the leading candidates."Ten Democrats, and eighteen candidates overall, are vying to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA).
Images source: Facebook
Thank you to Breitbart for coverage of this story.
The Pacific Palisades Democratic Club set a standard for Democrats vying to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman (D) in the 33rd congressional district: You must have raised $200,000 by April 8 to qualify.
The club used that standard to whittle down the field from ten contenders to only four: State Sen. Ted Lieu, radio host Matt miller, trial lawyer David Kanuth, and former L.A. mayor candidate Wendy Greuel.
Those who did not make the money cut for the club's Apr. 13 endorsement meeting were social worker Kristie Holmes, human rights lawyer Barbara Mulvaney, lawyer Zein Obagi, and sports executive Michael Shapiro. Lieu won the club's backing, the Los Angeles Times reports.
President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party have led a nationwide push to "get money out of politics," targeting wealthy conservative donors.The Times Jean Merl notes: "Not surprisingly, the four candidates displayed similar views on most issues."
There are eight other candidates in the race, including independent spiritual guru Marianne Williamson, who was the first to challenge Waxman (before his retirement) and is already highly visible in parts of the district.
The primary election will be held June 3, and the Democrats will compete together with all other candidates.
Photo: AP/Reed Saxon
As you can see, the only candidates with money publicly available with the FEC were Independent Candidates. All Democratic Candidates had a report number of $0. This makes the report to the L.A. Times interesting, as Barbara Mulvaney and myself were not asked for any type of proof of funds (this was the the explanation of exclusion after confirmed attendance).
"CA33 (Coastal Los Angeles): Some Democratic candidates in the congressional race to succeed Henry Waxman are crying foul over the process used by the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club to endorse...The LAT reports on Sunday's forum and endorsement:
Those who met the club's criterion -- demonstrating that they had at least $200,000 in their campaign coffers by April 8 -- were Lieu, former Los Angeles city controller and councilwoman Wendy Greuel, journalist and radio talk show host Matt Miller and defense attorney David Kanuth.
Two other Democrats--Kristie Holmes and Barbara Mulvaney--claim that the club initially invited them and then rescinded the invitation and imposed the fundraising screen. They point out that no candidates had filed their FEC reports at that time and thus there was no public verification that or how the fundraising minimums had been met."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LOS ANGELES, CA- Democratic Congressional candidates Kristie Holmes and Barbara Mulvaney expressed outrage today after their invitation to the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club candidate forum was revoked. In a joint statement, the women, both running for Henry Waxman's former seat in the 33rd district, blasted the PPDC for uninviting them after first zealously pursuing them to participate. "It is an embarrassment to the Democratic Party that two well credentialed women were excluded by this criteria," said Holmes. "Money is the corrupting influence in politics, yet shamefully, money is the metric by which the PPDC is judging the viability of candidates. Further, there was no vetting of funds for these two candidates through official or unofficial means." THE PPDC rescinded their invitations claiming that the Holmes, who holds a doctorate in social work and teaches at USC, and Mulvaney, a former District Attorney and lead prosecutor at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, had not raised enough money. At the last minute, the PPDC, claimed to have a fund-raising requirement which has ranged from $100,000-$200,000, depending on which candidate you ask, in order to participate in their forum held Sunday, April 13th. "Though at times there may be a need for restrictive criteria, Democracy should err on the side of inclusion," said Mulvaney. "To condition participation on money debases the free market of ideas. The result is that club members are not provided with access to hear otherwise qualified candidates, in this case two very accomplished women." "The Democratic party prides itself on being the party of inclusion- that no mater who you are, where you come from, what language you speak, or who you love, you are welcome. It is shameful that the PPDC is excluding qualified women at a time in which our elections are overrun by special interests and dark money," said Holmes. According to the Federal Election Commission reports, none of the candidates invited have met the criteria, because the FEC has yet to report fund-raising results for the April quarter. It is questionable how the PPDC determined who had met the goal and which candidates to invite. Both Holmes and Mulvaney are sending a letter to Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, to express their disappointment. Kristie Holmes is a candidate for US Congress in California's 33rd district. END
There is an event I will not be attending today that I was previously confirmed for by the hosts, apologies to those who wanted to hear from me. They have instituted a fundraising requirement at the last minute. Apparently, I can't afford to speak at this candidate forum. It seems that most others are in the same boat as they now have only 3 "featured" speakers.
The Impact of Social Media on Health Information Sharing.
"I am heartbroken by the events that took place yesterday at Fort Hood. My sympathies go out to the victims and their families. What cannot be overlooked is that at the center of this terrible tragedy was a soldier diagnosed with combat-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Each day 22 veterans, men and women who have risked their life for this country and its citizens, commit suicide. This is a tragedy of tremendous proportions. However, until our federal government fully commits to the treatment of the mental health needs of combat veterans they will continue to be at-risk. The epidemic of PTSD that runs through the military is the unintended, but all to real, legacy of sending our service men and women off to war. Even in the face of a tragedy of this magnitude, regrettably, Congress continues to cut benefits for our veterans. Today, let us take a moment to think of our men and women around the world who are still fighting and those who have returned home but continue to struggle with combat-related illnesses. Again, my deepest condolences to both the families affected and the victims." Kristie Holmes is a candidate for US Congress in California's 33rd district. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked with military veterans. END
Money Out, Voters In
Be Part of the McCutcheon Rapid ResponseThe U.S. Supreme Court has issued its ruling in the next Citizens United.
Never before has our political campaign system been as corrupted as now with unlimited corporate spending and dark money. Our democracy is eroding before us. But all over the country people are also fighting back and demanding change. 16 states called for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and related cases and the movement is growing.
Today is the day to mobilize across the nation!
This was a terrible decision today by the Supreme Court. With this ruling the court continues to destroy our nation's campaign- finance laws that were enacted to protect political equality. Congress must act.
Stop Dark Money,
Curb Corporate
Recreational Marijuana
Fund Schools
and Light Rail
Remove Cartel Interest
Change the Face of Congress,
Quotas for Women
on the Ballot
Kristie is a Social Worker, Small Business Owner and Adjunct Associate Professor at USC.
She is currently serves as an NGO Delegate to the United Nations Commission Status on Women.
Kristie Holmes: Democrat for Congress
Great morning celebrating with Social Workers, because "All People Matter". Thank you to David Green, for giving me the best introduction of my life. I'm proud of all that you have accomplished- and it's clear that you've earned the respect you have from so many.
Pictured with the Green Brothers: (Michael and David Green)
Also Honored today as Champions for Children:
Nury Martinez, LA City Councilwoman
Astrid Heger, M.D., Violence Intervention LAC+USC
Dean Marilyn Flynn, USC
Miguel Velasquez, St. Barnabas Senior Services
Blog Update
If you'd like to make a difference in how campaigns are financed, let's start with step one- make it so those who are qualified but not independently wealthy, can file to run for office. Sign the online petition here.
To: California Secretary of State
Make voter access to Candidate Sample Ballot information Equal & require transparency: It is a Paid Advertisement. Only candidates who can afford the estimated $18,940 are provided to voters.
Thank you to UN Women, Knowledge Gateway for giving me the opportunity to speak at today's event "Information and Communication Technologies for Women's Empowerment and Poverty Reduction". Liz Ford from the Guardian did an amazing job as moderator.
I was fortunate to be able to spend time with Doris Schapira, to learn more about Campaign Finance Reform and Jill Sen who is working with an inspiring MDG focused clinic in Uganda.
Article Full Link
Leadership Roles in Congress/ Parliament Representation by Women: In Nordic Countries 42.2% (49.2% in the Executive) 18.5% in the US, (The Americas) 22.9%, Africa 22.9%.
And remember, in the US, we currently have an 11% approval rating for Congress.
Full Map Released by the UN by the IPU
Knowing where we stand among our global peers is important in shaping the way we grow. This event is especially helpful for helping government representatives, NGOs (non governmental organizations) and civil society learn form each other through both successes and failures in the previous year.
(working post)
I was aware coming into this that I would have to come up with $1740.00 to file. I wrote that check then moved on to another window at the County Clerk with the reminder that it wasn't refundable.
Next window- lots of paperwork, signature petitions to take to the community and then the last form was flipped over to reveal the attached with the question- would you like English only or English and Spanish?
I was baffled and looked at her blankly. She said quickly that it wasn't required but it's hard for voters to know who you are without that blurb.
I left the County Clerk's office floored and wondering how I had never known that the pamphlet I relied on every single election of my voting life was not an unbiased bit of helpful information. The only ones who can be in it have to be able to afford it. How many great, completely qualified candidates are locked out by this because they can't afford to pay this- just to begin the process?
If you'd like to make a difference in how campaigns are financed, let's start with step one- make it so those who are qualified but not independently wealthy, can file to run for office. Sign the online petition here.
Even if you aren't interested in voting for me, you should vote. If you don't see yourself making it to your polling place on election day, do a mail in ballot so that you have flexibility.
Public education is not created equal. Quality is reflected in the home you are able to afford in this city, early ed and higher ed access.
At the heart of it all, I'm a Social Worker for all socioeconomic levels and happen to love Los Angeles. My training and experience is in problem solving and implementing solutions in real time following a code of ethics.


text:
Feds Open Criminal Probe of Oil Spill; Obama, Holder Vow Legal Justice, Regulatory Reform
Byline: Kara Rowland and Jerry Seper, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Opening a new front in the battle to contain the worst oil spill in the nation's history, the Obama administration on Tuesday began a criminal investigation into the causes and consequences of the environmental disaster plaguing the Gulf Coast.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. revealed the criminal and civil probes into the BP oil-rig disaster just hours after President Obama vowed that government investigators would conduct a full and vigorous accounting of the still-uncapped spill. The president also ordered the oil giant to compensate those whose livelihoods have been harmed.
We have an obligation to investigate what went wrong and to determine what reforms are needed so that we never have to experience a crisis like this again, Mr. Obama told reporters in the Rose Garden after a meeting with the two co-chairmen of a new government panel that will oversee the probe.
While on a tour of the area in New Orleans, Mr. Holder promised a meticulous, comprehensive and aggressive government probe to ensure that the American people do not foot the bill for this disaster and that our laws are enforced to the full extent.
That is our responsibility, and we will do nothing less, said Mr. Holder, revealing that a team of Justice Department lawyers from Washington had met with attorneys general and U.S. attorneys in the states and districts whose coastlines and residents have been affected by the spill. We will not rest until justice is done.
Mr. Obama made his statement just days after BP's latest attempt at capping the gushing well off the coast of Louisiana, known as the top kill method, failed. The company is trying another risky temporary fix to contain the oil and siphon it to the surface by sawing through the leaking pipe and putting a cap over the spill.
The Associated Press reported that Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, said BP was making its first major cut with supershears that weigh 46,000 pounds and resemble a giant garden tool. BP's latest attempt involves cutting the broken riser pipe, making it spew as much as 20 percent more oil into the water for days while engineers try to position a cap over the opening.
Eric Smith, an associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute, said the strategy had about a 50 percent to 70 percent chance to succeed. He likened it to trying to place a tiny cap on a gushing fire hydrant.
BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said there was no guarantee the cut-and-cap effort would work. He did say the company has learned from past efforts to contain the leak, which gives it a better shot at success.
I'm very hopeful, Mr. Suttles told reporters. I think we'll find out over the next couple of days.
If all else fails, the company plans to drill a pair of relief wells as a last resort to stop the gusher, a process that will not be completed until August.
In the meantime, Mr. Obama said, more than 20,000 people in the region are trying to contain and clean up the spewing oil, which has gushed by the millions of gallons since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20. The accident killed 11 people.
Mr. Obama said Tuesday that he has authorized 17,000 additional National Guard members to respond across the four states whose coastlines are being affected.
Echoing remarks he made at a news conference last week, Mr. Obama slammed what he described as a far-too-cozy relationship between oil firms and their regulatory agencies. …

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the police officers and sheriff's deputies may have taken advantage of a glitch in the new program used for online training courses.
The newspaper reports that law enforcement agencies across the state have been told to investigate whether their officers actually completed required training.
The problem was discovered after the Cumming Police Department reported finding discrepancies in 15 officers' online training records.
The Public Safety Training Center says glitches in the online program either didn't accurately record time spent in training or allowed officers to get credit without actually completing training.


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Originally posted by OpinionatedB
reply to post by Druid42
Well, I know all that... but with this avi I see an almost celebration of the power of ignorance, and the sacrifice that would entail...
its kind of why I would prefer white.... but this is only my opinion, and I respect your views on what it means to you... but it is very difficult for me because of the almost centerpiece ignorance has, I know you see a balance to that in the awen and runes... but for me that is not balancing enough, especially considering the awen is not the ancient druid symbol, rather, a modern one.
But at any rate it is a nice avi (and I will shut up now!)
edit on 13-7-2012 by OpinionatedB because: (no reason given)


text:
Duck into the sprawling Scholastic Store in Sohoto take in one of the many free readings, craft events, and author signingsand be prepared to stop in your tracks. It's had quite a face-lift. By far the most useful change is the section breakdown by age and interest (birth to 2 includes board books, 3 to 5 houses pop-ups, and so on), plus there are areas devoted to arts and crafts, science, and a big Spanish-language selection. The grand reopening takes place on November 29, with hot apple cider and gingerbread cookies all day long. As you sip and munch, check out the new location of Clifford's house and a giant Magic School Bus big enough to host story hour. Scholastic characters will eye you as you browse (Ella the Elephant, Ike LaRue, and the ubiquitous Harry Potter, among others). After your shorter companions tire of exploring, everyone can curl up on the new eleven-foot-tall orange dinosaur (from the How Do Dinosaurs series). The tail is soft and cushy, and you can sit on it. We have parents and caregivers reading to kids all of the time, says Hope Van Winkle, director of retail. She swears the staff doesn't mind families who set up camp. We're absolutely encouraging that! It has always been an experiential store. Apparently no matter how, um, exuberant kids can be about new objects, she rarely sees damage. Our customers are pretty respectful of the merchandise. We don't have things torn apart and trashed, she says, laughing. Welcome news for parents desperately in search of indoor child-friendly space as the mercury plummets.
Fantastic Scholastic
The House That Harry Built gets a super-duper makeover.
11/29, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Scholastic Store, 557 Broadway, nr. Prince St. (212-343-6166 or shop.scholastic.com); free.


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Why Are Baby's Teeth Growing In Crooked?
Find out if you should be worried about baby's teeth growing in crooked.
Crooked teeth are usually genetic, but not in the way you might think. Sometimes, a child inherits her father's larger teeth and her mother's smaller jaw — which may cause some trouble. If that's the case, when the teeth begin to grow in, they start fighting for position because there isn't enough space for them in the arch of the mouth. That can lead to crowding.
Another reason for crooked teeth might be baby's habit of sticking her fingers in her mouth. If baby's a thumb-sucker, she'll put her thumb tightly between the upper and lower teeth when her mouth is closed. That places pressure on the upper front teeth and pushes them out. At the same time, the lower teeth are pushed back into the mouth, which can cause crowding. In some other cases, extra teeth develop, and crowding occurs because there isn't enough room.
If you're seeing spaces between baby's teeth, know that that's a good thing. If the teeth are all crowded, then it's very likely that when baby gets permanent teeth, they'll be crowded too, and she'll benefit from getting braces. You don't have to wait for the adult teeth to come in to do something about crowding. Even at a young age, your baby's teeth can be analyzed for deficiencies in arch length so treatment can be started. Children as young as four years old could get a removable retainer-like appliance that helps guide the growth of the arches in the mouth so that they can better accommodate the teeth size. Early arch expansion can make orthodontic treatment of the permanent teeth easier and more stable, if it's even needed at all.
Want to know about caring for baby's teeth? Get baby used to dental hygiene even before she gets her first teeth. Once a day, you can gently and carefully swab the inside of her mouth with a moistened gauze square or a small washcloth wrapped around your index finger. That way, once the first tooth comes in, your baby will already be used to this routine. You can continue to clean the brand-new tooth this way until baby has a few more teeth — that's when you can introduce the toothbrush. The most popular brush for kids in my practice is the FireFly because it has a flashing light that tells you when 60 seconds (the recommended brushing time for kids) is up for each arch. As for using toothpaste, most people believe that baby can't use it because she won't be able to spit it out. You can actually use a tiny amount of mildly flavored toothpaste with fluoride — a small amount of toothpaste won't be a problem to ingest. More families are using a xylitol gel to swab baby's mouth and to brush with — you can use it instead of toothpaste. When your child gets older, make sure xylitol is one of the ingredients in her toothpaste for extra bacteria protection. Xylitol is a natural sugar that's good for teeth because it can reduce cavity-causing bacteria by 95 percent with correct usage.
Until your child is old enough to brush by herself, be sure to do it for her twice each day. Make sure to gently brush the inside and outside of each of your baby's teeth, and try to also brush the tongue where bacteria collect. If baby's teeth are crowded or are contacting one another, it's also important to floss her teeth to make sure bacteria don't get stuck. Try floss picks — they're surprisingly easy to use on babies.
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August 19, 2004
Alonzo Horton names his top six schools
Alonzo Horton is one of the top prospects in the state of Louisiana. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker/defensive end has over 15 scholarship offers and believes he has more on the way. As a junior, Horton played defensive end and outside linebacker and racked up some impressive statistics. He totaled 95 tackles, including 75 solo stops, 32 tackles-for-loss and 23 sacks. He also blocked five kicks and forced two fumbles.New Orleans (La.) Abramson's
His play as a junior has led to offers from some very impressive schools.
"I've gotten a lot of offers," Horton said. "Some of the schools I know of are Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Michigan State, North Carolina and Alabama. I'm also interested in schools like Miami, LSU and UCLA."
Rivals.com currently has Horton rated No. 13 outside linebacker in the nation and the No. 6 overall prospect in the state of Louisiana for this year.
Horton says he hasn't given too much thought to recruiting this summer, but does have a top six.
"I would say my top six schools are Auburn, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and Miami," he said. "I like those six because they all put defensive ends into the NFL and they have great football atmospheres. They also all have my major, which is going to be criminal justice."
In terms of a timeframe on his decision, Horton says he plans to take his time and enjoy the process.
"I haven't been able to talk to many coaches this summer, but I want to go to a lot of college games and feel the atmosphere of each stadium," he said. "Then I want to take all the visits I'm allowed to and just enjoy the process. I want to go wherever is best for me because I have to live with my decision for four years."
As for which schools stand out the most in his top six, Horton says two have jumped to the forefront.
"Right now, I would say Auburn and LSU are my top two schools," he said. "But I'm nowhere close to making a decision. Everyone will know on signing day."
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