Friday, July 31, 2015

[SDCPJ] Fwd: VFP eNews: Convention Updates-Tabling & Registration Hours, Golden Rule Update, Project RENEW Update & MoreLast Minute Convent

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Veterans For Peace" <vfp@veteransforpeace.org>
Date: Jul 31, 2015 2:42 PM
Subject: VFP eNews: Convention Updates-Tabling & Registration Hours, Golden Rule Update, Project RENEW Update & MoreLast Minute Convent
To: <caroljahnkow@gmail.com>
Cc:

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Friday, July 31, 2015

Convention Updates

Registation begins at 9am on Wednesday, August 4th.  Registration packets, pre-ordered convention t-shirts, dinner cruise tickets, signup sheets and answers to questions about the convention will be available at the registration table.

Meals:  All meals are on your own except for the Saturday banquet.  The local chapter will order box lunches on Saturday for those who pre-order at the registration table.  The box includes a sandwich, (turkey, beef, ham or veggie) chips, bottle water and a cookie for $8.50.  Be sure to sign up at the registration table.

Tablers:  Tabling will be held in The Regency Ballroom/Windsor.  Setup starts at 3pm on Wednesday, Aug 4th.  All merchandise must be removed by 3pm, Saturday, August 8th to allow hotel staff time to prepare for the banquet.  Due to the overwhelming response for tabling and to accommodate all tablers, table sizes have been reduced to 6'.

Tabling Hours

Wednesday      3pm - 7pm 
Thursday      8:30am -6:00pm
Friday            8am -6:00pm
Saturday         8am -2pm

Transportation to/from events

Sign-up sheets will be available at the registration desk if you need transportation to/from an off-site event.  

  • Thursday, Aug 6 - Peace at Home, Peace Abroad

  • Friday, Aug 7 - Harbor Dinner Cruise

  • Sunday Reconciliation Ceremony

If you are willing to assist with transportation, please let us know by submitting this form.

Want to cut cost of your hotel room? There are attendees who are looking for a roommate, let us know at the registration table, if you would like to share your room.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the convention, contact Gloria Daviston @ gloriadaviston@cox.net

Convention t-shirts will be available at the VFP National store table for $20. 

VFP 30-year anniversary baseball caps will be available at the VFP National store table for $15.

Proposed resolutions and bylaw amendments have been posted to the convention site.

Workshop presenters, please review the workshop tab for scheduling updates.

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Golden Rule Update

The Golden Rule peace boat and her intrepid crew of four arrived at the Santa Barbara marina at 3 pm on Thursday afternoon.  

The Golden Rule and her crew will depart Santa Barbara on Friday morning and are expected to arrive in San Diego on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.  They are eager to meet with Japanese American groups at the VFP national convention, whose theme is "Peace and Reconciliation in the Pacific."

Follow the progress of the Golden Rule here.
 
Check out the Golden Rule website and Facebook page for updates!

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Update on Project RENEW/VFP grant proposal with USAID

Submitted by VFP Project RENEW Committee Chair, Mark Foreman

Project RENEW and National VFP are hopeful that USAID will eventually grant Project RENEW $7 million to help Vietnamese people in Quang Tri Province who've been injured by left over U.S. ordinance, as well as health affects due to Agent Orange. U.S. and Vietnamese government officials chose not to included Quang Tri Province in their original APS (Annual Program Statement) grant offer, but are now reevaluating the needs of the Vietnamese people who live in Quang Tri Province. If Quang Tri officials can convince MOLISA (Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) in Vietnam that there is great need for assistance in Quang Tri Province, then it will be much easier for USAID to recommend that the APS be amended to include Quang Tri Province.

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Travel Opportunities for Activists

We will embark on our third VFP trip to Cuba in January 2016. Members and  supporters of our message of peace are welcome to join us.  However, please be advised that we take 15-20 people. Our tours are led by VFP member and Cuban documentary film maker  Jim Ryerson, who has been to the island more than 25 times.  If you are interested, please get on our mailing list. Like the other 2 trips, this one will sell out.

Here is the itinerary   

http://cubaexplorer.com/tours/jrjan/

Password: jrc  (Click on Book Now to see prices)

At the VFP convention in August, Jim will lead a workshop on our evolving relationship with Cuba, and present a film of our historic trip in January of this year. For additional information and to confirm your interest please contact Jim at jim@cubaconnections.org.

Location

Sponsored by

Dates

Contact for Additional Information

Colombia

Witness For Peace

Jul 8 – Jul 18, 2015

For information contact:

pkbonner@earthlink.net

Cuba

Jim Ryerson

January 2015

For more information email Jim Ryerson at jim@cubaconnections.org..

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In This Issue:

Convention Updates

Golden Rule Update

Update on Project RENEW/VFP grant proposal with USAID

Travel Opportunities for Activists

Hancock Anti-Drone Resisters Jailed This Week

No Warlords Need Apply, -- A Call for Credible Peacemaking in Afghanistan

VFP Iowa Chapters to Sponsor McGovern & Rowley Tour

VFP 30th Annual Convention

Upcoming VFP Endorsed Actions/Events


Hancock Anti-Drone Resisters Jailed This Week

Four anti-drone resisters were sentenced ​on July 29th, 2015 in Judge Joseph J. Zavaglia's DeWitt (NY) Town Court for alleged trespass at a "die-in" on April 28, 2013 at Hancock Air Base, home to the 174th Attack Wing of the NY National Guard, just north of  Syracuse, NY.   At their four-day trial in June, the six-person jury acquitted the four of disorderly conduct and obstruction of government administration.  <More>

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No Warlords Need Apply, -- A Call for Credible Peacemaking in Afghanistan

By Kathy Kelly and Buddy Bell

A second round of peace talks between Afghan government officials and Taliban representatives, expected to begin before the end of July, 2015, suggests that some parties to the fighting want to declare a cease fire.  But even in the short time since the first round on July 7th, fighting has intensified.  The Taliban, the Afghan government forces, various militias and the U.S. have ramped up attacks, across Afghanistan. <More>

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VFP Iowa Chapters to Sponsor McGovern & Rowley Tour

FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley and former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern will speak at organized events in nine Iowa cities beginning Sept. 24.  For more information contact Ed Flaherty (319) 621-6766 or flahertyem@aol.com or John Jadryev (319) 430-2019 or jadryevj@gmail.com.  <More>

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VFP 30th Annual Convention

ThemePeace & Reconciliation in the Pacific

When:  August 5 - 9, 2015

WhereTown and Country Resort & Convention Center San Diego, CA


Banquet Keynote Speaker - Seymour Hersh

General Registration  

Online registration closed on Tues, Jul 28 and will reopen in San Diego on Wed, Aug 5 @ 9am

Convention Registration now available.

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Workshops

Visit the workshop tab for a listing of workshops times and room assignments.       

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Hotel Registration

Rollaway bed:
$15

Parking:
$8 per car, per night for hotel guests

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Ads for Program Book

Payment for ads placed in the convention program book can be made online or sent to

VFP National Office
Ad Payment
1404 North Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63102

Ad prices

Full Page Ad            $200     
Half Page Ad           $125     
Quarter Page Ad      $75     

Back to Top



Friday Night Social Events

Back to Top



Upcoming VFP Endorsed Actions/Events

Aug 5-9  - VFP National Convention in San Diego CA

Aug 13-16 - Camp Casey Reunion in Dallas, TX

Aug 14 - 15 - 17th Annual Kateri Peace Conference

Aug 27 - 28  - Anniversary of the Kellogg-Briand Pact

Sep 21 - International Peace Day in your city

Oct 7  - Anniversary of US Invasion of Afghanistan

Oct 9-24 - Maine Walk For Peace

Nov 20-22, 2015 - SOA Watch 25h Anniversary Vigil

Back to Top


Did you know?

In 2011, Tarak Kauff, Ellen Davidson & several other VFP members launched "Veterans Peace Teams" to provide a group of well-trained members to stand between police & Occupy activists.



Forward to a Friend

Veterans For Peace, 1404 N. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102,

 

Veterans For Peace appreciates your tax-exempt donations.

We also encourage you to join our ranks.



Click to no longer receive updates from Veterans For Peace

 

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Thursday, July 30, 2015

[SDCPJ] Fwd: [prcsd] Week of special events

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "PRC SD Info" <info@prcsd.org>
Date: Jul 30, 2015 1:43 PM
Subject: [prcsd] Week of special events
To: "PRCSD list" <prcsd@lists.riseup.net>
Cc:

August each year is Nuclear Free Future Month, but this year is extra notable because it is the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Additionally, San Diego is where the Veterans for Peace are holding their 30th annual convention from Aug 5th-9th.

The Peace Resource Center will be one of a handful of local organizations tabling at the convention. If you'd like to volunteer to help at our table, please contact us ASAP at volunteer@prcsd.org

Below are some special * FREE PUBLIC * events we'd like to highlight...
( which also are posted at prcsd.org/calendar )


** SAT AUG 2nd -- "Golden Rule" Peace Boat 
Estimate 2pm at Shelter Island

The recently restored peace boat, the "Golden Rule" is presently sailing south from Northern California and will arrive in San Diego at 2 PM, Sunday, August 2nd, to be involved in the 30th Annual Convention of the Veterans For Peace in San Diego. The public and press are invited to the arrival of the Golden Rule, to be held at 2 PM on Shelter Island, at Slip #28 of the Harbor Police Public Dock at the south end of Shelter Island. Detailed information on this amazing peace boat can be found at: www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org
 
Directions to the event:  Proceeding from Rosecrans Drive on Shelter Island Drive, drive south (right turn at the circle) and proceed to the very south end of Shelter Island (about a mile), where the Harbor Police and Fire Department are located in a cul-de-sac.  At the Harbor Police parking area, look for the tall tower with the red and white insignia, which is the entrance to the Harbor Police Public Dock.  The Golden Rule will be the first boat on the right side of the ramp, in Slip #28. Parking on Shelter Island is FREE but very limited and drivers with passengers should drop them off at the boat before returning to the roadway to look for free street or public lot parking.


** Wed. Aug 5th ** TWO events

8/5 @ 4-5pm -- Yokohama Friendship Bell Ceremony
1402 Shelter Island Dr. San Diego, CA 92106
at same moment rung in Japan for Hiroshima, where it's August 6th

SD-WISH "Peace & Humanity Day" invites you to join on the beautiful Shelter Island for an afternoon of commemoration as we gong the Friendship Bell to celebrate 70 years of freedom from nuclear weapon usage and send our WISH for eternal peace. Community members and leaders share their messages of dedication to peace, understanding and tolerance. (Note: UN declared "International Day of Peace" is celebrated annually Sept 21st)

8/5 @ 7:30 PM -- Film "Pictures from a Hiroshima Schoolyard" 
in the Regency Ballroom at Town and Country Resort
500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA  92108
Free admission – Hotel Parking is $8
A collection of surprisingly joyful drawings created by school children living among the ruins of Hiroshima in 1947 becomes the heart and soul of this true, inspiring story about an exchange of gifts between American and Japanese children after a devastating war.  (82 minutes)


** Thur. Aug. 6th @ 7:30 PM -- Panel discussion 
"Peace At Home, Peace Abroad"
(What is the relationship between U.S. foreign and domestic policies?)

at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego
4190 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92103
Free admission and free limited church parking

A panel discussion will be facilitated by Dylan Jason Ratigan, New York Times best-selling author and former host of the MSNBC Dylan Ratigan Show.  Panelists will include  Nadia Keilani, lawyer, peace activist, member of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and of the Arab-American Advisory Committee to the City of San Diego Chief of Police;  Kim Moore, public speaker, advocate, mentor, social entrepreneur, activist, change agent and Black Lives Matter organizer;  Pedro Rios, Program Director American Friends Service Committee, San Diego; and Michael T. McPhearson, Executive Director of Veterans For Peace and Co-chair of the Saint Louis Don't Shoot Coalition.  


** Fri. Aug. 7th @ 6:00-8:45 PM -- Floating of Paper Lanterns

1825 Strand Way Coronado, CA 92118
at Community Pool, 100 yards south of Council Chamber just beyond Community Center. Public parking available on the City Hall property and street parking available along Silver Strand Blvd.

Adopting a traditional Japanese ceremony tōrō nagashi (tōrō means "lantern" and nagashi means "cruise, flow"), we celebrate peace and humanity by floating paper lanterns with written messages to the world as a hope or WISH for global peace and well-being. 

We invite guests to write messages on paper lanterns and enjoy a relaxing San Diego evening at the waterside Coronado City Council Chambers patio along with light food, refreshments, origami, exhibits, presentations, and live music – a wonderful experience to gather and celebrate with fellow community members and leaders. You can make and float your very own paper lantern (materials will be supplied for free) and you're welcome to take it home with you at the end of the evening. Yukata are welcome! ... Free and All ages welcome.


** Sun. Aug. 9th @ 10 AM -- Ceremony/Panel
at Joan Kroc Peace and Justice Center
USD, 5998 Alcalá Park San Diego, CA 92110
Free (if needed, request parking pass at kiosk)

The convention will end with a formal Reconciliation Ceremony, where a panel of international dignitaries will discuss their journeys to personal reconciliation, and explain the ways their experiences have helped to light a positive way forward for others, including victims of war and injustice, both at home and abroad.  

Panelists will include:  Dr. Akiko Mikamo, founding president of the US-Japan Psychological Services;  Dr. Thao Ha, Vietnamese refugee and professor of Sociology at Mira Costa College;  Le Ly Hayslip, Vietnamese-American author, philanthropist, peace activist, and speaker; Claude Anshin Thomas, American Zen Buddhist monk and Vietnam War veteran;  Sylvia Aurora, descendent from the Choctaw and Cherokee nations, nurse practitioner and philanthropist;  Peter Andrew, who will provide music for the event.  (Note:  Photo press will be limited to outside portion of the event .... inside will be paper and pen only, please). 
 
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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

[SDCPJ] Fwd: NEWS ADVISORY: Peace Boat "The Golden Rule" to arrive in San Diego at 2 PM on Sunday, August 2, 2015



Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Gil Field" <gfield@san.rr.com>
Date: July 29, 2015, 8:04:35 AM PDT
To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
Subject: NEWS ADVISORY:  Peace Boat "The Golden Rule" to arrive in San Diego at 2 PM on Sunday, August 2, 2015

 
NEWS ADVISORY
 
For Immediate Release
 
The "Golden Rule" Peace Boat to arrive in San Diego at 2 PM this Sunday, August 2nd
 
The recently restored peace boat, the "Golden Rule" is presently sailing south from Northern California and will arrive in San Diego at 2 PM, Sunday, August 2nd, to be involved in the 30th Annual Convention of the Veterans For Peace in San Diego. 
 
The public and press are invited to the arrival of the Golden Rule, to be held at 2 PM on Shelter Island, at Slip #28 of the Harbor Police Public Dock at the south end of Shelter Island.
 
Detailed information on this amazing peace boat can be found below or at:  www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org
 
Directions to the event:  Proceeding from Rosecrans Drive on Shelter Island Drive, drive south (right turn at the circle) and proceed to the very south end of Shelter Island (about a mile), where the Harbor Police and Fire Department are located in a cul-de-sac.  At the Harbor Police parking area, look for the tall tower with the red and white insignia, which is the entrance to the Harbor Police Public Dock.  The Golden Rule will be the first boat on the right side of the ramp, in Slip #28.
 
Parking on Shelter Island is FREE but very limited and drivers with passengers should drop them off at the boat before returning to the roadway to look for free street or public lot parking.   
 
Gerry Condon, Vice President of Veterans For Peace, has provided some history (below) on the boat and its trip to San Diego, to be a part of the Veterans For Peace 30th Annual National Convention, here on August 5th-9th:
 

The Golden Rule Sets Sail from Eureka to San Diego
Sailing for a Nuclear Free World

EUREKA, CALIFORNIA - The historic Golden Rule peace boat, restored by Veterans For Peace and many friends, sets sail from the Eureka marina at noontime on Thursday, July 23, on its way to San Diego.

The 30-foot ketch and its crew ignited an international movement to stop the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1958, when they attempted to sail into a nuclear bomb test zone in the Marshall Islands.  The Golden Rule will now continue its mission to educate millions of people about the perils of nuclear weapons.

"Nuclear weapons are still with us and the threat of nuclear war is very real," said the Golden Rule's captain David Robson, a Veterans For Peace member from Baltimore, Maryland. "We are dismayed that the U.S. government plans to invest One Trillion Dollars into upgrading its nuclear arsenal, instead of reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons, as called for in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty."

Joining David Robson on the sail to San Diego is first mate Jan Passion of Pleasant Hills, California, and crew members Michael Gonzales of Trinidad, California and Helen Jaccard of Seattle, Washington.

"The ongoing nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, Japan reminds us of the dangers of radiation poisoning posed by nuclear power plants," said Golden Rule crew member Helen Jaccard.  "Nuclear power is the flip side of nuclear weapons, and we don't need either of them," said Jaccard.

The first voyage of the renewed Golden Rule sailboat will be from Eureka on California's north coast to San Diego near the U.S./Mexico border. After an estimated 7-10 days, the Golden Rule will arrive in time for the national convention of Veterans For Peace, August 5-9.  That week is also the 70th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed more than 200,000 people.  The convention theme is "Peace and Reconciliation in the Pacific."

In Eureka, there is a sense of shared pride and joy among those who have worked hard for the last five years to see this day. 

"This little wooden boat is a honey," said Leroy Zerlang, whose boatyard has been home to the Golden Rule during five years of restoration by volunteers.  "We all want to live in a peaceful world.  My family and staff were very happy to do our part," said Zerlang.

The Golden Rule will return to Eureka in October, after visiting ports along the California coast as it works its way north from San Diego.  Over the next ten years, the Golden Rule will carry its message of peace around the United States and possibly around the world.

Follow the progress of the Golden Rule on its website, www.vfpgoldenruleproject.org

For more information, call Gerry Condon at 206-499-1220 or Leroy Zerlang, 707-443-5180

 

#######################################################################################################################################################

This NEWS ADVISORY submitted by:

Gil Field

Director for Communications

San Diego Veterans For Peace

www.vfpnationalconvention.org

858-342-1964

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

[SDCPJ] Anti-militarist Web site recently updated

This is to let you know that NEW articles and updated content have recently been posted at http://www.comdsd.org/, the Web site of the Committee Opposed to Militarism and the Draft (COMD), based in San Diego, Calif., U.S.A.
 
The current update includes three articles from the latest issue of COMD's printed newsletter, Draft NOtices:
 
- "Bill Linking California Licenses to Draft Registration Advances," by Rick Jahnkow, gives an update on a bill moving through the state legislature that would automatically register males for a possible future draft if they apply for a California driver's license.
 
- "Marines Head to Central America — Say It Isn't So!," by Joey King, warns us about the implications of a recent deployment of U.S. Marines to Central America.
 
- "The $15/hour Minimum Wage Campaign Is Counter-recruitment," by Rodrigo de la Rosa, explains how the movement to raise the minimum wage in the U.S. could help activists working to counter military recruitment.
 
In addition to the above three articles, the current printed version of Draft NOtices includes such  topics as the amount of money devoted to war in the U.S. federal budget, protecting students' privacy from recruiters, and insight into the mentality of military recruiters.
 
To order the complete printed version of Draft NOtices, visit the Web site's Draft NOtices page.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Strange Bedfellows: Why Are the Koch Brothers & Van Jones Teaming Up to ...

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Richard Wolff: On Bernie Sanders and Socialism | #GRITtv

Cornel West on Bernie Sanders, Michael Eric Dyson, Trans Rights, and B.B...

Bernie Sanders on Israel


Bernie Sanders on Israel


[SDCPJ] 7/24/15 Union Tribune on "stay" of Che eviction


Friends,
 
Below please find the url and the copied text of the new UT article from Friday. And please see CCSN commentary after the article.
 
 
 
 

UCSD agrees to new Che Café inspection

School will pay for licensed professionals to evaluate safety of campus cafe

 

Monday, July 20, 2015

[SDCPJ] Sat 7/25 Conversation on Militarism, M.I.C., police & more

Each month the Peace Resource Center is hosting a conversation time to come together to talk about issues in our communities, what we know and can learn, and how we can act to make a better world.

Community Conversations Series
Last Saturdays from 10 am - 12 noon
@ PRC, 3850 Westgate Place, 92105

July 25th topic = MILITARISM (Military Industrial Complex, policing & more)

Aug 29: Spirituality's connection to social justice
Sept 26: Sustainability, climate change, environmentalism

For July, we'll explore concepts of Militarism* (as a system, like the "Military Industrial Complex"), review a short article and/or watch a video clip, and have discussion with questions, such as:

- What is our understanding/experience of this issue?
- Why do we care? How does it relate to our communities?
- What change is needed and how can we do it?

* See "Militarism Resources" (1 page PDF): http://prcsd.org/pdf's/prc2015-militarism1pg.pdf

We'll also pay attention to related events, such as:
- StopALEC Fest 2015, July 22-24
https://www.facebook.com/events/1113726135320791/
- Vets for Peace Convention in San Diego, Aug 5-9
http://www.vfpnationalconvention.org/
- PRISMS conference, Oct 17
https://www.facebook.com/events/105844486413930/

~~ About this Conversation Series ~~

"PRISMS" are a way to look at interconnection of issues, related to equity, culture/norms, and barriers to change. The initials stand for: Poverty - Race - Immigration - Spirituality - Militarism - Sustainability.

What do YOU care about?
Why do you ACT?
How can we SUPPORT you?

We'll gather inside our space at the Friends Center, enjoy light refreshments, talk about current issues, build community, as well as brainstorm together about what matters and our next steps, asking questions, planning new possibilities, and linking the past to the present and future… for PEACE & JUSTICE!

--
--
Peace Resource Center of San Diego
3850 Westgate Pl, San Diego, CA 92105
www.prcsd.org & www.sdfriendscenter.org
info@prcsd.org / 619-263-9301

[SDCPJ] StopALEC Fest 2015 in San Diego, July 22-24

THIS WEEK!!
For our peace community who want to be informed and possibly get involved...


---------- Forwarded message ----------

PRESS RELEASE / MEDIA ADVISORY -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALEC to Draw More Protestors than Attendees in San Diego

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conducts improper corporate lobbying events as if they are a nonprofit charity

"ALEC, You're not welcome in California" says San Diego

SAN DIEGO (July 16, 2015) -- On July 22, 2015, the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego will host the 42nd annual meeting of ALEC -- the American Legislative Exchange Council -- as protestors make it clear that ALEC is not welcome in California.

"ALEC is how unscrupulous corporations avoid lobbying regulations," said organizer Ray Lutz of Citizens' Oversight. "Why spend time at each state when you can bring state elected officials to one posh resort and train them to do your bidding? It's disgusting, displaying the worst of corporate America, and an obvious and clear violation of propriety."

Lutz said there are many different groups involved in this event, and more protest and educational events are still being planned for the three day period (7-22 through 7/24) of the ALEC convention. "ALEC will learn that San Diego is not happy to host such a group," Lutz commented. "We expect more protestors at this event than attendees being wined and dined by the Koch brothers and their friends."

StopALEC Fest 2015 -- SCHEDULE OF EVENTS -- MEDIA ADVISORY
PLEASE NOTE -- SOME CRITICAL EVENT INFORMATION HAS CHANGED

7/21     8:30pm    Introductory press conference and to-be-announced visuals for media.
7/22     3:00pm    Union-sponsored Rally at Embarcadero Park North (just south of the hotel)
                               https://www.portofsandiego.org/embarcadero-marina-park-north.html
                               (Public Restrooms are available here)
             4:30pm    Union March arrives at the Grand Hyatt Hotel; Gathering time.
             5:00pm    MAIN EVENT Rally begins at the Hyatt
             6:00pm    Launch tethered balloon banners (Not a "balloon release") & Active Protest Events
7/23    6:00pm     Common Cause hosts panel on ALEC at Airport Hilton (details TBD)

Note: More events are being added all the time. Please check latest at Facebook "StopALEC Fest 2015"
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1113726135320791/

MEDIA CONTACT: Ray Lutz, Citizens Oversight / 619-820-5321 / raylutz@citizensoversight.org

ENDORSING GROUPS - Please contact us to add your group! (* = speaker at event)
    (Note: More speakers will be announced soon!)
  • Af3irm* - Catherine Mendoҫa
  • All of us or none* - Rev. Dennis Malone
  • American Friends Service Committee* - Pedro Rios
  • AntiMedia* - Nick Bernabe
  • Artful Activist - Providing Banners and Balloons.
  • Activist San Diego - KNSJ Radio (89.1 FM)
  • Citizens Oversight Projects (COPS)* - Ray Lutz
  • Coalition for Labor and Community and solidarity (CLCS)
  • Common Cause - sponsoring panel event
  • Center for Media And Democracy & "ALEC Exposed"
  • Democratic Party of San Diego
  • Fight for 15
  • Green Party* - Hugh Moore
  • KNSJ Radio (89.1)
  • LCLLA -- Labor Council For Latin American Advancement - Richard Trujillo*
  • March against Monsanto San Diego (http://www.mamsd.org)
  • Nurses Union
  • Occupy SD
  • Overpass Light Brigade - dynamic lighting display
  • SanDiego350* - William Leslie
  • San Diego Imperial County Labor Council
  • SEIU 220
  • Socialist Alternative
  • Stop TPP* - Kali Katt
  • Union of Concerned Scientists
  • San Diego United Against Police Terror*
  • Vets for Peace

WHAT IS ALEC?
  • ALEC is lobbying machine for corporate interests and profiteering, but hides under cover of a 501(c)3 "Charity" so everything is tax-deductible, and lobbying controls are ignored.
  • Targets state legislatures with "model legislation" drafted by corporations, pushed through by legislators wined and dined at posh resorts.
  • More than 200 corporate & business members pay $7,000 to $25,000 in dues, with some like AT&T, Pfizer, and Reynolds American (tobacco) contributing $130K to nearly $400K each.
  • Leaders include: Bank of America, Altria, Exxon Mobile, Koch, UPS, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Verizon.
  • ALEC gives state legislators "scholarships" for junkets to posh resorts to learn what the corporations want, then go back to their jobs ready to recite the slogans and push through legislation designed by the corporate sponsors -- all in secret.
  • The organization's rules give corporations equal votes as legislators to approve model legislation. If corporations don't like it, it does not move forward.

WE MUST EXPOSE AND STOP THIS CORPORATE LOBBYING MACHINE AND REVERSE THOSE POLICIES SECRETLY INTRODUCED BY ALEC OPERATIVES! ALEC IS UNDEMOCRATIC AND JUST PLAIN WRONG!!

Out of State Politicians who are on vacation here with their millionaire and billionaire friends should be back home working to make the lives of their constituents better, not scheming with lobbyists how to make their lives harder.

But ALEC has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in corporate lobbyist money on this vacation for politicians and corporate lobbyists so they can come up with a new round of bills which will harm America's families.

The result of this junket: dozens of bills will be written by ALEC and forced into law across the country with no input from the voters whose lives will be affected. (More than 680 bills proposed by ALEC over the years).

These bills are nothing more than a way for the rich and powerful to squeeze every last dime they can out of families like ours all across the nation.

We do things differently here in California and are a model for the nation, and it's time we stand up to ALEC to let them know they are not welcome here.

ALEC Keynote Speakers "Hall of Shame"
  • Governor Scott Walker
  • Senator Ted Cruz
  • Governor Mike Huckabee
  • Elbert Lin, Solicitor General, WV
  • State Representative Rick Miller, TX
  • San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer
  • Dr. Arthur Laffer
  • Travis Brown

ALEC Corporate Participants "Hall of Shame"
These companies are engaged in illegal "lobbying" activities through ALEC.
Activists: Do not give any business to these companies!

(Source: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Corporations, 2015-07)

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power"
― Benito Mussolini

TRANSPORTATION:
PUBLIC TRANSPORTION
Trolley, Seaport Village Station (Green Line) is within a block of the hotel.

DRIVING
  • West on SR 94 -- Take I-5 North and follow directions below for "North on I-5"
  • North on I-5 -- Exit 6th Ave. Left on 6th. Right on Ash Street. Left on Pacific Highway to Hyatt Hotel.
  • South on I-5 -- Exit Front St. Right on Ash Street. Left on Pacific Highway to Hyatt Hotel
  • South on 163 -- Exit Ash St. Left on Pacific Highway to Hyatt Hotel
PARKING
  • FREE PARKING for three hours is available at Horton Plaza, less than 1/2 mile away.  (Validate your parking ticket before you leave!)
  • ON-STREET Parking is FREE after 6pm in most areas. Parking on G St. Kettner Blvd, and many other streets nearby is only $0.75 per hour, and can be paid with a credit/debit card or cash.
  • SEAPORT VILLAGE parking is NOT free! Seaport Village guests pay $4 for the first 3 hours with validation and $3 every 30 minutes thereafter.

###

Friday, July 17, 2015

Democracy Now: Black Lives Matter Activist Sandra Blank Found Dead in Jail Cell in Police Custody



Four U.S. Marines Killed in Shootings at Military Sites in Tennessee

    
Four U.S. marines were killed and three people were injured in shootings at two separate military sites Thursday in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The shooter, who died in a firefight, has been identified as 24-year-old Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez, a Kuwait-born naturalized U.S. citizen who attended high school and college in Chattanooga. President Obama spoke after the shooting.
President Obama: I’d ask all Americans to pray for the families who are grief-stricken at this point. And I want everybody to understand that we will be thorough and prompt in figuring out exactly what happened."
In a press conference, the FBI said the agency does not have "anything that directly ties" the suspected shooter to any international terrorist organization.

Shooter in Aurora Movie Theater Massacre Convicted of Murder

    
In news from Colorado, James Holmes has been convicted of multiple counts of murder for the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting, which left 12 dead and dozens wounded. Holmes had pleaded not guilty by reasons of insanity, but the jury rejected that argument. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Hundreds of Aid Packages for Yemen Instead Rotting in Storage in U.S.

    
A new Government Accountability Office report shows that hundreds of packages of aid intended for Yemen have not been delivered and have been sitting in a storage facility in Virginia for years. The packages include medical supplies and batteries, as well as military equipment. The revelations come two weeks after the United Nations declared Yemen faces the highest level humanitarian crisis, on par with South Sudan, Syria and Iraq. Julien Harneis, the acting U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, spoke on the situation.

Obama Makes History as First U.S. President to Visit Federal Prison

    
President Obama has made history by becoming the first sitting president to visit a federal prison as he continues a push to reform the country’s criminal justice system. On Thursday, he visited El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma.
President Obama: "Visiting with these six individuals, and I’ve said this before, when they describe their youth and their childhood, these are young people who made mistakes that aren’t that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made."
Meanwhile, at a speech to the NAACP Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton said he regrets signing the "three-strikes" law and other legislation that dramatically increased prison sentences.

#BlackLivesMatter Activist Found Dead in Texas Jail Cell

    
More than 50,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the Justice Department to probe the mysterious death of an African-American woman who died in a Texas jail. Twenty-eight-year-old Sandra Bland was arrested Friday after a traffic stop for failing to use her turn signal while changing lanes. Three days later, on Monday, she was found dead in her jail cell in Waller County, northwest of Houston. Jail officials said her death was a suicide, a claim disputed by her family.
Sharon Cooper, Sandra Bland’s sister: "We want to seek to understand what happened. We don’t know."
On Thursday, video footage surfaced of her arrest, which appears to show police pushing Sandra Bland to the pavement and restraining her as she asks why she is being treated so roughly and why they slammed her head on the ground. Bland was involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and had posted a series of videos online speaking out against police brutality and racial injustice.
Sandra Bland: "I want the white folks to really understand out there, black people are truly — we’re doing as much as we can. Not all of us, but some of us are really doing as much as we can. And we can’t help but get [bleep] off when we see situations where it’s clear the black life didn’t matter. For those of you questioning why was he running away, well, [bleep], because in the news that we’ve seen as of late, you could stand there, surrender to the cops and still be killed."

Top U.S. General: Drones are "Failed Strategy" That "Cause More Damage"

    
President Obama’s former top military intelligence official has described the administration’s reliance on drones as a "failed strategy" that creates more terrorists. In an interview with Al Jazeera, retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said, "When you drop a bomb from a drone … you are going to cause more damage than you are going to cause good." Flynn served as head of the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency up until last August. Meanwhile, the U.S. reportedly carried out another drone strike in Somalia Thursday targeting militants with al-Shabab.

NASA Mission Captures First Detailed Images of Pluto

    
NASA is scheduled today to release more photos of Pluto, the last major unexplored body in the solar system. It is located three billion miles away from Earth. Initial images show Pluto has icy mountain ranges and a surprising lack of craters.

Marlene Sanders, Groundbreaking Female Journalist, Dies at 84

    
And journalist Marlene Sanders has died at the age of 84. One of the first female reporters on television, Sanders paved the way for women in media. She also produced multiple documentaries on the women’s movement. She spoke with Democracy Now! in 2006 about the death of Betty Friedan, whom Sanders profiled in her films.
Marlene Sanders: "I talked a lot about her impact and how she affected those of us in the media. You know, we organized at all the networks and at the newspapers and so forth to confront our management, since she was very important to give us moral support. This was a nerve-wracking business in the ’70s."

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