Mosque at Ground Zero
Welcome to the United States of America where we offend often and make our own rules as if we are on the earth alone, so we cater to the sensitivities of main stream Americans with little or no regard for outside perspectives or influences. My facetious introduction relates to heated debate over whether or not to build a religious mosque/temple near Ground Zero – site of the historic 9/11 attacks on the United States.
I guess it’s better to build nothing over 9 years than to build anything religious and definitely not anything related to Islam. The perception of America comes off very arrogant and closed minded in regards to this topic. The 9/11 attacks on America allegedly orchestrated by extremists who happened to be Muslim is not representative of the entire religion of Islam. Cue the close-mindedness of America >> One incident (though it catastrophic) should not prevent one from being least of all, fair to a religious sect other than one’s own. If the issue is about erecting a structure in the space, let that be the issue. However, there has been flack on all sides, before this Muslim Mosque being built was even a thought.
There are those who oppose anything ever being built in the space where the World Trade Center once existed, then there are those that complain that there has been no memorial structure established to honor those victimized by the World Trade Center attacks. In a space where sensitivities are to be respected, that notion seems to have a double-standard where instances outside of the World Trade Center attacks are concerned. There have been catastrophes and major tragedies to happen before, and life has gone on and buildings have been replaced or restructured and the event has gone down in history for one reason or another. The contemplation and speculation about how to proceed with the space is really unacceptable, in my opinion. Allowing this debate to continue while there are still no concrete plans in place to make any progress at all, is a waste of energy. It has not been confirmed that the Mosque will indeed be erected in an area four blocks away from where the World Trade Towers once stood, but the idea of this building anywhere near the space of the historic attacks offends many and speaks volumes about how race and religion is viewed in America.
Proposed site of mosque.
Most Americans are intolerant of anything related to Islam or the Muslim culture based solely on ignorance and the attacks of 9/11. I feel comfortable in assessing that most Americans lack the understanding of the religion of Islam and don’t care to educate themselves on their practices or why they exist. Most relate the entire religion to terrorism and will not consider anything positive about the association of Muslims in America. From plenty of examples of racial profiling since the 9/11 attacks that have been targeted specifically towards Muslims or people of Middle-Eastern descent, to the demonizing of the president during his run for office based on an incorrect assumption of his religious affiliation, it clearly displays the unwillingness to accept a perspective from another human being about their choice in spiritual or religious counsel. This is a dangerous cycle. It’s a display of hate at its’ worst, no matter who was affected and no matter who is being targeted.
Those in opposition to a religious structure being built anywhere near Ground Zero is simply being selfish and judgmental. Anyone who lost a loved one in the 9/11 attacks will always grieve no matter what replaces the site or even if nothing replaces the site of such a horrific and tragic event. Outside of those affected personally from the World Trade Center attacks, why would their say in what should happen to space be validated? Because they live near there and they’re fearful of another terrorist attack? If that is the logic, does one ever go to an airport and get on a plane? What would be the difference? We have some growing to do America. Break out of your boxes and open up your hearts and mind to something different than what you have always known. Karma is unmistakable. All decisions and actions will be held accountable to some standard by the universe. Blocking something out of hate can only have negative karmic retribution. Judge carefully.
The Gulf Oil Spill
The tragedy of the gulf oil spill is heartbreaking especially to those residents in the gulf who relied heavily on the ocean as a source of income for their professional purposes. It’s now reaching the 4-month mark and there is little progress that has been made. According to government released information, there only remained about 26% of the oil in the Gulf Region. Reports released cited this information directly from White House officials and advised that it was okay to resume activity that was previously precluded due to the oil spill, but this information has since been contradicted by a University of Georgia study that says close to 70% of the oil still remains in the water in the region.
The UGA study includes data from scientists that believe this problem will take much longer to resolve than is being reported. The scientists feel that the misinformation being reported on the situation can be misleading if you are taking the information at face value. They think it will actually be years before the oil completely disintegrates from the ocean and also can’t really gauge the impacts that this disaster may have. The immediate impacts seem clear with the effects the spill is having on the food industry as many struggle to supplement their livelihood through limited means.
The President visited the gulf region over the weekend and actually got in the water to take a swim with his daughter basically trying to prove the progress that is being made with the removal of the oil. BP is still taking the reins and trying to be productive with providing results to lay some of the blame off of them to preserve whatever reputation may be left from the disaster occurring at their hands.
President Obama and his daughter Sasha swim in cove behind their hotel in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Can we please go back to a time when only a portion of the United States knew who Sarah Palin was? Every day it seems like she’s in the headlines for something that could have easily been contained to the local Alaskan newspaper but since the world knows her name, I’m reading about her opinions on a daily basis. No thanks. Count me out of the group of folks concerned with her remarks as if they respect what she has to say. I think the Palin- tolerance (yes, I made that a word) is based more on an Anti-Obama attitude than a Pro-Sarah allegiance.
At any rate, the flavor of the day is her adversarial comments in response to NAACP President Ben Jealous’ remarks about the Tea Party, which Sarah Palin strongly supports. The need for Palin to speak up on this topic further reminds me why I’m looking at her name in the political sphere of media each and every day. The NAACP head calls out the Tea Party (still trying to understand why this organization is relevant) because of their alleged “tolerance of bigotry” and thereby passed a resolution to denounce the Tea Party Movement. The movement has notoriously catered to the needs and interests of what most would determine a conservative following not receptive to much diversity. That analysis is arguable but mostly accurate based on the representation of the party. They’re trying to establish their presence as a legitimate political party and forcing their views on people as an alternative to the other conservative party (GOP) that could not win the Presidency/Vice-Presidency, with such a radical mouthpiece (Palin) that had a separate agenda from her party’s original intent.
The NAACP is the nation’s oldest Civil Rights organization, they were founded in 1909 by members of different races fighting for justice and equality for all human beings. The resolution has not made official and apparently it won’t take effect until October. The language of the final resolution will not be released until then at the earliest, but some Tea Party members were asking that the resolution be withdrawn citing that the claims were unfounded. The NAACP’s position, according to a spokeswoman is that, “They are pulling people together and focusing on the negative, and then it’s hard to make anything positive out of that,” said Anita L. Russell, president of the Kansas City, Mo., branch of the NAACP, which introduced the resolution. “And then these groups, these extremist groups, are looking for something, and they are latching on to this.”
This is the M.O. of the Tea Party movement in my opinion and it just creates an environment of hostility and anxiety with opinions and intent being misconstrued on a continual basis. In the same breath that Sarah Palin can give power to a “Patriotic” American or make a claim suggesting that certain Americans possess a more entitled sense of worth because of their patriotism and denouncing other people’s beliefs that are different. It’s pure hypocrisy, and this type of dialogue keeps Palin in the press daily. We’ll see what becomes of the resolution, but not before Palin does the rounds on the cable news shows, (Right Wing that is) giving her opinion to no avail.
Michael Steele as Jennifer Hudson?
RNC Michael Steele
“There’s no, no, no, noooooooo way I’m leaving…I’m not going to leave you, there’s no way I will….”
The song made famous by Jennifer Hudson’s role in ‘Dreamgirls’ reminded me of Michael Steele’s recent attitude towards the calls for his resignation by members of his own party after accusing President Obama of picking the Afghanistan War as a “war of his choosing”. To the critics, Steele simply says, I ain’t going anywhere”. Steele has said since his term in office that “mistakes happen baby”, so he’s smooth sailing as the Chair of the RNC until he’s fired. His loose allegations towards the president regarding the Afghan war has gotten him into some hot water with the party, but even more with critics and most people with a brain seeing as how his comments are inaccurate.
With General Petraeus at the helm of command, the Republican Congress supporting a clean war funding resolution and soldiers risking their lives daily, the comments by the RNC chair were seen at the very least as insensitive. It will remain to be seen how Steele can get out of this one until the next slip up. Any one joining the Republican party these days?
Monday night marked the 10th anniversary of Trevor New York benefiting The Trevor Project and honoring the work of it’s call center life line volunteers, youth who have endured hostility/hate but triumphed, Macy’s for their LGBTQ commitment and Vanessa Williams as the Trevor Hero. Williams has shown excellence both professionally and personally with a full spectrum of roles and her outspoken support towards marriage equality, adoption rights for same-sex parents and furthering arts education.
Listen to her speech here:
The event held at Capitale on the Lower East Side brought out several celebrity supporters including presenters and adorable couple Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Ally Sheedy who announced she is the daughter of a gay mother and a mother of a gay daughter, Dustin Lance Black, hottie from “White Collar” – Matthew Bomer, host for the night Rachael Harris from “The Hangover” and guest B.D. Wong. The hilarious comedian Arden Myrin who can now be seen on Chelsea Lately conducted the live auction and had the audience in laughter, cult cabaret singer Justin Bond opened the show in full drag and Anna Ortiz presented a wonderful tribute to her friend and colleague Vanessa Williams.
Aside from Ms. Williams, the other stand out was a performance by singer Jason Mraz who sang his number one hit, “I’m Yours”. He also performed two other stand out songs while playing acoustic guitar. His refreshing performance moved the crowd to participate in a sing-a-long and give Mraz a standing ovation.
Trevor Project was started by James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone. The three of them created the 1994 Academy Award winning short, “Trevor”. The story revolved around a 13 year old boy who attempts to take his life after being rejected by friends for being gay. The movie inspired the three creators to start an organization and lifeline phone service to address teens in similar crisis. To find more about Trevor and to get involved visit their site: www.thetrevorproject.org
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos at Trevor Project 10th annual Gala in NYC
Singer Jason Mraz at 10th Annual Trevor Project NY
Ana Ortiz from presents Vanessa Williams at 10th annual Trevor Project NY
Mayor Steve Pougnet - Democratic Candidate for U.S. California's 45 District
Last Thursday in New York on the eve of Gay Pride weekend Mayor Steve Pougnet of Palms Springs was the guest of honor at the home of David Freedman on the Upper West Side. Pougnet recently won the Democratic nomination for the 45th Congressional District which would make him the first and only gay, legally married parent in Congress. His opponent Mary Bono-Mack is the Republican candidate who recently voted against the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’.
Mayor Steve Pougnet (right) with husband Christopher Green and their twins Julia and Beckham
Mayor Pougnet talked about the three top issues that will be priority if he wins on November 2nd. Obviously LGBT issues will be at the forefront dealing with ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and Gay Marriage. He was married in California and was one of the lucky 18,000 that were able to have their marriage honored in the State. As Mayor of Palms Springs he also married more couples than anyone else in California. His second concern, which he has already proven as Mayor, regards saving taxpayer money through sustainability and creating green jobs. He is the Vice Chairman of the Energy & Water Conservation Subcommittee and will continue to make environmental issues part of his mission. Finally, he is committed to looking out for small businesses giving them tax brakes and help those who own a small business thrive.
Pougnet shared with me that his opponent Bono Mack has not been knocking on as many doors like Pougnet utilizing a grass roots campaign. She hasn’t shown up to some of her Republican events thus having some Republicans jumping aboard his campaign. Pougnet has asked for a series of 4 debates to take place closer to elections in the Fall. Mack has agreed but enrolled herself in public speaking courses to prepare. Kinda late in the game, don’t you think?
I think the best part of Mayor Pougnet’s speech was his insistence that we have a choice to vote someone out of office if they do not honor what they stood for during elections. I encourage you to keep up with Mayor Pougnet’s election and support him for his clear cut issues and for changing the face of Congress as an openly gay married father of two.
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg apologies to America 'Small People'
Oil My Goodness!!
What is happening in the gulf? The poor little birds! And will I be able to eat seafood again? Somebody help! Obama is ready to kick some butt and take some names. This is atrocious that the oil spill is going on at the rapid pace it’s continuing to spread. Something must be done. BP is the leading culprit of everything going on in the Gulf Region and they’re hastily taking little responsibility. President Obama and BP have concluded that a $20 billion fund will be needed by BP to compensate victims of this catastrophic mess they have caused in the Gulf of Mexico. BP has stopped all dividends to its shareholders to help pay for the costs according to BP chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg. Svanberg also apologized to America for the worst spill in US history and managed to make matters worse overly stating that BP cares about the ’small people’.
Unfortunately, there looks like there’s no end in sight. All the critics of the administration have lofty ideas of what should be done, but on a realistic level of execution, there doesn’t seem to be a tangible plan in place. Poor Louisiana, this place has been hit so hard over the past few years, and local residents that build their entire lives around the water is suffering and have no idea what they will do to maintain their income. While monitoring the situation itself, it makes me wonder if amongst all of those vocal against BP (British Petroleum), where has PETA been? I haven’t heard a peep out of them regarding the fate of all the oil covered animals and endangered species. Just a random observation but necessary thought to expound upon.
Primary Round-up
In campaign news, last week, 8 states held primary elections to select candidates to be on the ballot come November. One of the most notable of the statewide elections was that of the California primary race. In the race for Governor,
Billionaire and former head of eBay, Meg Whitman
sailed through the election with the Republican nomination after spending tons of her own money to join a sector of society that she’s previously had no background – I’m talking about the monster, POLITICS! Meg better get ready if she thinks she has a shot at the title for Governor. She’ll be going up against the Democratic primary winner, Jerry Brown, who has previously served as Governor of CA and held a few other political posts. Who knows how far Whitman’s pocketbook can take her but as we approach November, things will definitely heat up.
In the state of South Carolina, there were some interesting developments as an unemployed, unknown,
32-year-old Alvin C. Greene
non-political, non-campaigner and regular citizen and former veteran, who didn’t spend any money to campaign, won a seat from an incumbent for a senate seat. That’s worth nothing. 32-year-old Alvin C. Greene didn’t use the internet or man on the street marketing he just used his confidence obviously. After his win, he was sitting pretty until some former felony charges have temporarily slowed down his momentum. The shock of a virtually unknown candidate competing and winning is a remarkable feat especially with absolutely no money! Politics is changing? Or America in general is just fed up and there are no rules anymore.
Progressive pulse will monitor each and every political race as we approach November, but there’s no way to predict what can and will happen.
Oil booms seen on shore near the South Pass of the Mississippi River in Venice Louisiana
The Gulf that Just Won’t Quit
I’m not sure what this region did in its’ former life, but the universe is paying the Gulf Region back in environmental karma. First, we witnessed Hurricane Katrina completely transform Louisiana and Mississippi as we know it, and claim hundreds of lives in the process and now the Oil Spill is the most catastrophic in U.S. History. What is becoming known as the pride of BP (major American oil company) is rendering the Gulf region once again helpless and heartbroken. This massive oil spill has yet to be stopped after 43 days of murky waters in the gulf coast and not to mention an environmental disaster of epic proportions.
Everyone is offering suggestions on how to handle this oil spill that has now topped the Exxon Valdezs catastrophe of 1989 that released 10 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound near Alaska killing many endangered species habitating in the waters that encompassed roughly 11,000 square miles of ocean. The current oil spill in the Gulf region is very difficult to broach in the wake of the “Drill, Baby, Drill” mania popularized by former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. President Obama is being heavily criticized for his handling of this crisis and he has been a proponent of off-shore drilling after a moratorium on the proposed off-shore drilling on the East Coast in the U.S. His efforts to correct this problem has included using mud unsuccessfully, and a Top Kill option that has obviously not worked either. The President’s instructions have been as simple as to “plug the hole” and while he’s committed to solving this crisis, pundits suggest that his attention has not been solely dedicated to this disaster.
BP has been the major fall guy in this situation as they are the face of the oil spill in the wake of the corporate organizations being identified as less than favorable outlets in the wake of the economic downturn amongst everyone but rich corporations.
Al Gore and Tipper announce split
Despite the obvious disadvantages that come along with a crisis so overwhelming, another casualty of this disaster has been the 40-year marriage of former VP Al Gore and wife Tipper. Looks like the Gores couldn’t withstand all of the global warming and environmental disaster on the horizon. It would be too much for one to handle all alone and with the former veep trying to save the world/environment one step at a time, he can’t be bothered to remember details of a long-suffering wife. Now, we’ll see how many environmental issues can be tackled now that this will be out of the way. Good luck Tipper, we’ll be rooting for the former presidential candidate and oscar-winner to continue to save the world from itself. Pouring some out for your marriage…here’s to a great 40 years, 2 VP terms, a presidential election win (popular vote only) and an Inconvenient Marriage?
Arizona the UN-Beautiful
Recently, the not-so-great state of Arizona has decided to wallow in the foolery that propels them to a national spotlight. The immigration reform tactics that have come into play on a state level has heralded attention from the entire nation with the outdated and overtly racist method in which the state has decided to take a stand. There are outspoken critics and there are those who laud the efforts of one of two remaining states in
Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne says the Ethnic Studies department "provokes racism"
the country that still don’t recognize MLK Day as a national holiday and their bold approach to outlaw immigration. Though Arizona is a state that would experience more border-crossing violations than many other states, its’ brazen and portentous efforts has caused more trouble than necessary and thus has sparked much more controversy than expected. As a reinforcement of the blatant racism that underlies the whole immigration controversy in the state, the Arizona State University has decided to support a state issue bill to eliminate their Ethnic Studies Department in an apparent support measure of the state-issued policy to ban immigration. State Superintendent Tom Horne says the Ethnic Studies department “provokes racism” and he wants the program shut down. The reason this is preposterous is that students in and out of state pay for the option to have a diverse education and offerings that will enhance their college experience, so to abruptly discontinue a program that had been in place for at least the last 10 years, this lacks professionalism and foresight on the part of the university president – Michael Crow. Though there shouldn’t be much surprise as this is the same university that failed to bestow the Commander-in-Chief an honorary doctorate degree as he delivered the university’s commencement just last year. It bothers me that there are so many examples of impropriety in this state to refer to, the problem is not going away, but to quote Dr. Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Arizona is doing a great job of convincing me that they’re doing nothing to be progressive.
Last week I had to try the new fast food restaurant alternative, OTARIAN, to see for myself why they call it the first ever low carbon restaurant. Started by CEO/President, Radhika Oswal, her vision was to create a low carbon restaurant that was meat-free. After seeing last year’s Oscar nominated film,“Food Inc.”and joining groups like, “Meatless Mondays”, I was fully aware of the effects of large-scale meat production and the impact it has on the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions and the feeding of improper diets to livestock have all contributed to excessive waste, pollution and health threats to our population.
With two restaurants in England and now two in New York, Otarian is at the forefront of cleaner sustainable practices that we can implement on a daily basis. Each and every item on the Otarian menu has a CO2e footprint showing how you are saving as opposed to the comparable meat product choice.
I decided to try the Tex Mex on the brown bun. The sandwich is filled with a spicy tex mex patty, tangy barbeque sauce, guacamole, salsa, cheese and lettuce. The patty consists of Roasted Vegetables (Kidney Beans, Onion, Red Pepper, Vegetable Oil, Spanish Paprika, Oregano, Red Chilli, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Garlic), Kidney Beans, Corn, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Wheat Flour, Salt and Black Pepper. For those concerned about getting protein, no worries as the burger contains 21 grams. I found the burger to look just like the picture above and the taste was delicious.
The good news is that a regular Tex Mex Beef Burger comes in at 2.28kg Carbon Footprint while the Otarian Tex Mex comes in at only 1.59kg or a .69kg savings! Oswal wants to educate consumers to realize that each meal is making a small but, meaningful difference to the planet. “…even if one Otarian meal saves a kilogram of carbon emissions and grain or a litre of water or oil, imagine the cumulative benefits of Otarian eating! Together we can change the planet’s current trajectory!”
Otarian restaurant: Low Carbon Restaurant with recycled furniture
In addition to the Tex Mex I added a side of small Sweet Potato Chiplets which are coated in a spicy crumb-mix. They made an excellent alternative to greasy fatty french fries. I can’t wait to go back and try some of the other menu items that look good like the PortobellO Mushroom, Spicy PotatO Flatbread, Spicy Vegetable Noodles, Tandoori Mushroom O Panneer wrap and the Avocado Tomato Mozzarella salad. One final note worth mentioning is that almost everything in Otarian’s restaurant from floor to ceiling is made from recycled materials.
Otarian is located in New York at 154 Bleecker Street and its new location near Columbus Circle: 947 Eighth Avenue. There are also two locations in London. Visit their website: www.otarian.com
Progressive Politics Kimberly Hayes interviews woman in Times Square
Progressive Politics Correspondent, Kimberly Hayes hit the streets of Times Square just days after the recent bomb scare to see how New Yorkers and tourists are feeling. Plus, she takes the opportunity to gauge feelings on Arizona’s recent law regarding immigration.
Aside from winning Best Documentary in this year’s Academy Awards, you should see “The Cove” for your awareness. The film goes under cover to expose a hidden area off the coast of Japan (The Cove) where more than 20,000 dolphins are slaughtered every year. A tiny fraction of these dolphins are captured and sold for hundred’s of thousands of dollars to be trained for ‘Sea World’ type entertainment and the rest are horrifically slaughtered.
Why is this bad? The film explains how these dolphins that are sold for entertainment are incredibly stressed once they enter the world of containment and exposed to loud noises like audience cheers. The slaughtered dolphins contain toxic levels of mercury which is being sold as food in Japan. Toxic effects of mercury can include damage to the brain, kidney and lungs. The ironic factor is that Mercury is caused by coal-fired power plants and by solid-waste incinerators which are released into the atmosphere. Mercury drops into lakes and rivers where it becomes absorbed by fish, dolphins, shellfish etc.
The first thing you can do is watch the film! Secondly visit www.takepart.com/thecove to sign a new petition to urge President Obama, Vice President Biden, the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S., the Prime Minister and Minister of Health in Japan to make an impact. The petition and letters will be taken to the Japanese Embassy in Washington and to the Minister of Health in Japan. You can also text your petition by texting DOLPHIN to 44144. Help spread the word to shut down the cove for good!
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor with Kimberly Hayes
Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the CA Democratic State Convention - one of the biggest meetings of political minds in the union. CA is the largest Democratic State and is historically blue. There are a lot of key races underway at the moment, the convention allowed for the candidates all over the state to convene and caucus with the heavyweights amongst unions that have the most strength in voting numbers. A few caucuses that were present and prominent where all candidates made it their business to appear were the following: Labor, Hispanic, African American, Women, LGBT to name a few. The most strategic candidates understand their base and know the importance of showing up to the mainstream caucuses to ensure their support on election day.
Attorney General, Jerry Brown and Candidate for Governor of CA with Kimberly Hayes
With the fields wide open in the big races, primary elections will be held in June to secure ballot presence and the final vote will be on Election Day in November. In an effort to get on the ballot, elections were held at the convention to secure the party nomination in each of the prominent races approaching the June primary. The most heated races seemed to be for office of Lt. Governor and Attorney General while the Governor race seems to be that of Jerry Brown’s to lose, not a highly contested race post -Governator’s term ending. The CA Dems are looking for someone to save the state from the miserable financial state they are currently in.
Amongst all the caucusing, voting, schmoozing and cocktail receptions you’d find heavy supporters for each candidate handing out pamphlets of literature about their candidate or against another. Once walking on the second floor of the new JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles, you found tables/booths set-up side-by-side of each candidate/union/cause trying to tell you why there is a presence for each at the convention. You could easily walk away with more pens, t-shirts, candy and literature than you could handle. It was a sight to take in with cameras set-up outside of the ballrooms where each caucus was being held, while anxious reporters tried to interview the hottest ticket of the day. Those speakers included:
Nancy Pelosi
Barbara Boxer
Jerry Brown
Antonio Villaraigosa
Arianna Huffington
Kimberly Hayes with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Of these heavy-hitters, the Speaker of the House was the main feature of the day on Saturday as she addressed the general assembly and went on to speak at individual caucuses. I was fortunate to sit-in on an intimate caucus where Madame Speaker addressed a group of young women (Emerge) that are considering a run for office some day. She was very inspirational, genuine and warm. The group was receptive to the Speaker while trying to gain some knowledge on her tips for being in public office in a very male-dominated society. Another party heavyweight, SF District Attorney Kamala Harris, currently running for CA Attorney General provided some words of wisdom to the group as well as being the keynote speaker at the African American caucus. Girl power was in full effect a the convention giving momentum to all the hopeful and aspiring young women future politicos.
SF District Attorney, Kamal Harris and Candidate for Attorney General with Kimberly Hayes
After hearing a full day of speakers, the tensions loomed around some party votes on propositions concerning Taxes, Campaign Finance Reform, Open Primaries and Car Insurance coverages. The energy of the party seemed hopeful, although the unions represented were adamant about their support not being taken for granted by any fast-talking politicians. The convention seemed like a success and I was able to meet some current and future leaders. Gavin Newsom threw a party on the opening night of the convention at the LA Grammy Museum with Guest DJ Benji Madden of Good Charlotte. Great atomosphere and crowd were in attendance all anxious to support their Lt. Governor hopeful candidate.
Post-convention - Now the task is on the voters of CA to get to the primaries on June 8; then the last stretch of this election will come full force in November. Don’t waste the vote, get out to vote California on June 8! Choose wisely. America’s watching.
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