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Because People Mater
Progressive News and Views March / April 2009
Inside this issue:
Editorial ....................................................2Endangered Species Act in Danger! .........3Budget Cuts and Me .................................4Furlough Fridays ......................................4Language Academy of Sacramento ...........5Letter to Obama (Media Policy) ...............5Sanctuary City ..........................................6High School Poetry Contest ......................7Poem: The 44 .............................................7Roe v Wade................................................7Reproductive Freedom Day .......................7Photo Essay: Faces of Women ................8-9Sacramento Area Peace Action: Tax Day Actions ....................................................10Gaza: A Very Public Lynching ...............11How Women Got the Vote .......................12Blacks Scapegoated for Prop 8 ................12Preparing for a Progressive Era ..............13International Human Rights Laws .........14Calendar ..................................................15Progressive Media ...................................16
By Rick Bettis
“Tose who cannot remember the past are condemnedto repeat it.”
—George Santayana, Lie o Reason
his is not always true; however a serious readingo history provides many examples o this cogentinsight. Sacramento Mayor Johnson pushed aninitiative that would amend the city charter to changeSacramento rom a Council-Manager to a Mayor-Coun-cil or “strong mayor” system o governance. Tis “strong”mayor would have extraordinary powers, including theauthority to veto actions o the city council, control thecity budget, and hire and re city employees.Sacramento did have a “strong mayor” system between1894 and 1912. Based on a reading o newspaper archivesand other historical papers it appears that this period o time was plagued by alleged cronyism, abuses o powerand controversy. In both news articles and editorials, the
Sacramento Bee
reerred to one prominent mayor o theperiod as “Boss Beard’ in the same vein as “Boss weed,”the amously corrupt leader o ammany Hall in NewYork.
Te
Bee
and its crusading publisher and editor, C.K. McClatchy strongly supported the progressive reormmovement and decried Sacramento’s own versiono a political machine.Tis time rame was the beginning o the Pro-gressive Reorm Movement led in Caliornia by Governor Hiram Johnson. Much o the impetusor this movement in Caliornia came rom theinordinate control over Caliornia politics andgovernment by the Southern Pacic Railroad (SP),as has been described in such noteworthy booksas
Te Octopus
,
Te Big Four
, and recently
Te Associates
. Tis inuence and control also appliedto Sacramento City government where the SPwas the largest employee in the city, which someconsidered to be nearly a “company town.” Te SPprovided employee housing, a company store andoperated their own hospital.Alleged practices included pledges o politicalsupport in exchange or jobs, behind-the-scenesland and other business deals, and the wholesaleuse o railroad workers as campaign “volunteers,”including many brought in rom out o town. Tey rounded up voters rom downtown saloons, whichnumbered approximately our in each city block.In addition to the SP, the mayor was closely allied with other business interests. Being a boardmember or employee o the Chamber o Commerce wasessentially a prerequisite to holding public oce. Terealso existed a revolving door between leadership in theChamber and the city.In 1912, ollowing 18 turbulent years, the city adopteda new charter consisting o ve elected commissioners,each responsible or dierent city services and opera-tions. Tis system proved to be ineective, probably dueto inghting or tur wars among the commissioners.In 1921 the system consisting o nine elected councilmembers, one o which would be the mayor along with aproessional city manager was adopted. Tis system hasbeen altered, rst in the 1970’s with the councilmembersbeing elected by geographic districts instead o at large
By Cres Velucci
I
n what may well be Sacramento’s biggest challengeto true representative democracy in a century, social justice, labor and other community groups bandedtogether to stop Mayor KevinJohnson’s drive to change the city charter and create a so-calledstrong “Boss” mayor.Te proposed ballot measure isdangerous and a “blatant powergrab that could lead to city cor-ruption,” said representatives o Stop the Power Grab. Te Sac-ramento City Council also hasconcerns, deciding in February to orm a city charter commis-sion to create its own charter initiative, and possibly counter Johnson’s ballot measure.Proessors, political watchdog groups and community activists, including ormer Sacramento mayor AnneRudin, spoke to the city council and stressed the needor public input beore a charter change goes to voters.Te city attorney released a report suggesting Johnson’s“strong mayor” initiative includes more power or themayor than virtually any other city with a similar system.It also creates an “imbalance o powers, lacks importantchecks and balances, and blurs the lines o authority andaccountability.”“Every day people in this city are discovering moreand more things that are wrong with this proposal. Inaddition to taking away power rom the people, this pro-posal is going to cost a lot o money,” said Joan Bryant,co-chair o the Stop the Power Grab coalition.“I passed, Sacramento will be a city with one mayorwho will have two votes. Instead o appointing vepolitical positions, the mayor will have over 500 politicalappointments. Instead o our voice being heard by themayor, the mayor will never be required to hear rom orbe accessible to the public,” said Bryant.According to ormer mayor Rudin, corruption andcronyism are why Sacramento reormed its charter dur-ing the last century. “Boss Mayor” systems don’t have agood history in Caliornia. “Tere is a reason the charterwas changed to our current system…it was to get rid o cronyism. Mayor Johnson has not given the [current]system a chance to work. I accomplished everything Iwanted to do in my terms as mayor using the [current]system,” said Rudin.Tis comment was echoed by Proessor Chet Newlando the University o Southern Caliornia School o PublicAdministration, who said,“While we still need leaders, aBoss Mayor system does notencourage local stars [indi- vidual members o the City Council] as much as a sharedmayor system would.”
Still others have said theyhave, at the very least, concernsabout how the mayor’s initia-tive was written, without inputfrom the community and thecity council.“We strongly agree that a community-driven processis desirable [and] all ideas are examined. We believe thatchecks and balances are necessary,” said JoAnn Fuller,associate director of California Common Cause.Although Johnson in early February announced a holdon the initiative—paid for by big corporate special inter-
ests, according to campaign nance reports—to establish
a “strong mayor” system, the Coalition is not relaxingand asks citizens to work together to stop the initiative.While not widely publicized, Johnson’s effort failedto gather enough valid signatures to make the ballot. Aclaim of collecting 37,000 signatures, if true, is about10,000 short of what is typically necessary to garner the32,000 valid signatures to qualify. Usually proponents of ballot measures shoot for 50 percent more than actually
required because many signatures are disqualied.
“The mayor’s decision to put this initiative on holdvalidates what this grassroots coalition has been sayingall along, that there are more important issues the cityneeds to address at this time…we continue to expressour strong opposition to this power grab. We encouragethe mayor to abandon his current proposal and insteadwork with us and the community to approach this issuein a more transparent and open manner,” said Bryant.Groups are encouraged to
sign a petition opposing theinitiative, and to help mobilize against it,
at
www.stopthepowergrab.com
.
Cres Veluci is active in the Green Party o Sacramento.
Strong Mayor or Political Boss: Can Sacramento learnfrom history?
Stop the Power Grab
Groups ght mayor’s plan to take
power from people
The city attorney released areport suggesting Johnson’s“strong mayor” initiativeincludes more power or the mayor than virtually any other city with a similar system.
A January 16 press conference featured former mayor Anne Rudin, left, with Joan Bryant,spokesperson for the coalition “Stop the Power Grab.”
Photo: Bill Lackemacher
See Boss Mayor, page 3
2 Because People Matter March / April 2009
www.bpmnews.org
Editorial Page
On the cover
The January 16 press confer-ence to oppose Mayor KevinJohnson’s “strong mayor” initia- tive. Former mayor Anne Rudin,left, shares the podium withJoan Bryant, spokesperson for the coalition “Stop the PowerGrab.”Photo: Bill Lackemacher
JoAnn Fuller, Coordinating Editor for this issue
By Jeanie Keltner
Nothing is truer than the old saw,
Freedom o the press belongs to the person who owns one
. And while many progressive views are supported by a majority o people in this country, you‘d never know it rom the corporateor-prot press. So it’s really quite wonderul or a community to have itsown paper. Especially when people in that community have news and viewsthey’d like to share. Independent papers widen and deepen the inormationstream. Tat’s crucial in a democracy—especially in crisis times like these.So it’s been a matter o deep satisaction and also pride–as well as lots o FUN!—to have been associated with BPM. For some o us in the old guardit’s been feen years!It’s time now or a shif—not a change in aim or orientation—but timeor new hands and minds and hearts to add new energies to the process o producing BPM—a process which o course has already changed more thanonce in this decade and a hal.BPM has had wonderul support rom all quarters. It has been the sort o project that has seemed to call to itsel what it needed at any given time. Asone talent would leave, another would almost magically show up. It’s been
People Mater
Volume 18, Number 2
Published Bi-Monthly by theSacramento Community forPeace & JusticeP.O. Box 162998, Sacramento,CA 95816(Use addresses below forcorrespondence)
Editorial Group:
JacquelineDiaz, JoAnn Fuller, JeanieKeltner, Roger White
Coordinating Editor forthis Issue:
JoAnn Fuller
Design and Layout:
Ellen Schwartz
Calendar Editor:
Chris Bond
Advertising and BusinessManager:
Edwina White
Distribution Manager:
Paulette Cuilla
Subscription Manager:
Gordon Kennedy
HOW TO REACH US:
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Send an e-mail with “calendaritem” in the subject line. Makeit short, and in this order,please: Day, Date. Name of event. Description (1–2 lines).Time. Location. INFO: phone#;e-mail.
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always needshelp with big and small tasks.Call 444-3203.
COPY DEADLINES:
For the May/June 2009 Issue:
Articles:
Please tell us aboutyour article by March 20; articlemust be received by April. 1,2009.
Calendar Items:
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BECAUSE PEOPLE MATTER
is an all-volunteer endeavor to presentalternative, progressive newsand views in Sacramento. Weinvite and welcome your re-sponses. To discuss a proposedarticle, or help distribute thepaper, inquire about ad rates,or help out in some other way,call or write using the phonenumber and address listed un-der ”How to Reach Us” above.Please reproduce from any of the written contents, but docredit the author and BPM.Printed at Herald Printing byGraphics Communication UnionDC2 pressmen.
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quite astonishing and a sign, I think, that the paper lls a real need. Tat’swhy, as a ew o us move outside the active circle that makes BPM happen,I eel condent that new and substantial volunteer energies will presentthemselves so that BPM can continue and grow.Indeed, even as I write, there are already some new arrivals on the edito-rial scene, joining with BPM veterans to make a meaningul paper. But they need help. Substantial volunteer energies are needed—ve or so peopleneed to come orward—to join the editorial board, to track nances, tocoordinate volunteers, to help with stands.Te tasks are not huge or onerous. A clear working ramework exists toplug into. We just need a ew people who want to see a strong and healthy community paper and who can and want to commit to being part o thecore group.Are you one o them? Do you want to give it a try?Contact
bpmnews@nicetechnology.com
And come to the meeting on Wednesday, April 8 (seeeditorial, above)
In this issue o BPM you will nd our usualunusual assortment o local, state and interna-tional news and views. What BPM publishes isdierent rom what you’ll nd in other media.Where else would you hear about the LanguageAcademy’s afer-school programs or eorts toestablish Sacramento as a sanctuary city? Whereelse do you read the passionate writings by advo-cates or the ignored, unseen and disregarded?What other media outlet reminds us o our radi-cal history or points the way to a more inclusiveand democratic uture? Te stories in this issuealso remind us that rights are and can be with-held rom large segments o the population. Oneo the joys o a ree press, like BPM, is that it hasthe power to educate, alert and help us orga-nize. As editor or this issue, I hope the contentmakes you think, reach out or more inormation,and enables you to take action!Our volunteer sta has been publishing BPMor more than 15 years. As has happened beore, aew o the most dedicated supporters need tostep back rom leadership. Tis leaves openingsor new distributors, writers, editors and party planners.
JoAnn Fuller, Coordinating Editor
Will you consider stepping up? I youwould like to know more about BPM,who puts it together and how youmight help, join us on Wednesday,April 8 at 7pm at 909 12th St. in theconerence room.
BPM is calling for new hands, hearts, and minds
Sunshine Week is a national initiative to raiseawareness about the importance o open govern-ment and reedom o inormation. Journalists,civic groups, libraries, schools and others inter-ested in the public’s right to know are promotingthis nonpartisan eort to enlighten and empowerindividuals to play an active role in their govern-ment at all levels, and to give them access toinormation that makes their lives better andtheir communities stronger.Sunshine Week originated rom the work o several newspapers and is led by the AmericanSociety o Newspaper Editors to coincide withNational Freedom o Inormation Day on March16.
www.sunshineweek.org,www.asne.org ,www.nfoic.org,www.lwv.org
On March 20, 10-11:30am, Access Sacramento,4623 St., will host a viewing o a webcast livepanel discussion rom the Center or AmericanProgress in Washington, DC. on open govern-ment and secrecy, the impact on communitiesand what the public can do. Viewers will have anopportunity to call and email questions to thepanelists. INFO: 916-443-1792 x11, or 456-8600,x112. (Local viewing is sponsored by AccessSsacramento, League o Women Voters, and Cali-ornia Common Cause.)
California’s Freedom of Information Lawsinclude:
Open meetings law: Brown Act: Gov’t Code§54950-54960.5
www.thefirstamendment.org/Brown-Act-Brochure-DEC-03.pdf
Open Records law: California Public RecordsAct: Gov’t Code §6250-6268
www.thefirstamendment.org/ca-pra.html
Legal protections to journalists: CaliforniaShield Law
www.thefirstamendment.org/californi-ashieldlaw.pdf
Sunday, March 22, 2009 2 pm
Film Tickets: $10; Students $5Crest Theater at 1013 K Street, indowntown SacramentoINFO: 456-8600 or 443-1792 x 11Clear Channel neglects its emergency system, disaster strikes, and people die.
Pentagon pundits prot from the same war
they promote. Fox News gets a court rul-ing that news does not have to be true. And radio talkers rule.Media Policy is killing people in this country. Literally. And it is harming our
democracy, too. Corporate nanced policymakers have stacked the media policy
deck against We the People.Until now. We the People are taking the media back.
Written, directed & produced by Emmy Award winner Sue WilsonExecutive Producers, Earl Katz & Marcos Barron
www.facebook.com/pages/Broadcast-Blues/54133861902 www.myspace.com/broadcastblues www.broadcastblues.tv
Proceeds to benet Access Sacramento, California Common Cause and Sacramento
Media Group
Prescreening party
with Filmmaker Sue WilsonNoon–1:30 pm, $20
Crest Café, next to theater RSVP & Info: 456-8600
West Coast Premier:
Broadcast Blues
Crest Theater, 1013 K Street, Sacramento
SunshineWeek
March 15-21,2009
www.bpmnews.org
March / April 2009 BECAUSE PEOPLE MATTER 3
Soapbox
needs your help
Your business could be an underwriter
By Jeanie Keltner
Do you watch Soapbox?(Cable Ch 17, Mon-days at 8pm)?Have you appreciated our interest in the thingsyou’re passionate about—NEVER covered by thecorporate media?Have you enjoyed our conversations with localactivists and analysts about—among many othertopics—media consolidation, war resistance, thedeath penalty, keeping the Internet ree, peak oil,bikes, buses and light rail, the Black Panthers, vitamin D, and current politics rom a truly lefpoint o view?(Even more, have you
been
on Soapbox talkingabout your issue?)Ten would you consider making a contri-bution to keep it on the screen? We have ewexpenses because everyone, almost, works only or Pieces’ heavenly pizza and undying glory.But we want to cover Access membershipees—or the show itsel and or the wonderulcrew—as well as other small expenses.imes are very hard to be sure but please, i you can, won’t you consider sending check, cashor money order to 403 21st St. Sacramento 95814,made out to me, Jeanie Keltner, since the showhas no bank account.I you’d like to discuss underwriting and somepublicity or your business or group, please callme (916) 444 -3203.We believe Soapbox serves the progressivecommunity—and reaches the many people whodon’t pick up
BPM
or tune in to
DemocracyNow
—but who DO channel sur—and end up onSoapbox getting progressive ino almost in spiteo themselves!Any gif o $30 or more will receive a set o tenpostcard reproductions o original Keltner Paris
by Dan Bacher
B
arbara Barrigan-Parrilla, campaign direc-tor o Restore the Delta, has issued anurgent action alert in response to theintroduction o legislation to temporarily sus-pend the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as itapplies to the Caliornia Delta pumping acilitiesduring times o drought.Congressman George Radanovich (R-Mar-iposa) on February 4 introduced HR 856, theCaliornia Drought Alleviation Act, to bypass theESA so exports o Delta water to corporate agri-business in the Central Valley can be increasedduring this period o drought, a drought that hasbeen largely engineered by the draining o north-ern Caliornia reservoirs over the past two yearsby the state and ederal governments.Te bill will also establish a Delta Smelt con-servation hatchery, a bad idea that was deeatedin the State Legislature last year, due to opposi-tion by a coalition o environmental organiza-tions, shing groups and Delta residents.“By allowing the Delta Pumps to operate atincreased capacity, the CDAA allows availablewater to ow to Valley armers and providesa stimulus to the Caliornia economy withoutcosting the taxpayer a dime,” Radanovich saidin a statement announcing the introduction o the bi-partisan legislation. “We cannot allowCaliornia agriculture to wither and die becauseour precious resources are being hijacked by what amounts to economic eco-terrorism in theorm o the ESA and the entities that support thisdamaging law.”Radanovich cited a recent study by UC DavisDepartment o Agricultural & Resource Econom-ics and UC Davis Center or Watershed Sciencesclaiming that under an expected 85% cut in Cen-tral Valley Project (CVP) and State Water Project(SWP) deliveries rom the Delta and a maximumo 50 percent increase in the 2005 regionalgroundwater pumping, the Central Valley willlose 40,000 jobs. “o put that in perspective, thatis more jobs than General Motors plans to elimi-nate by 2012,” according to Radanovich.Te CDAA would direct the Bureau o Recla-mation to operate the C.W. “Bill” Jones pumpsat “increased capacity” during times o droughtemergency, giving the state “much needed waterreserves.”In addition, Radanovich claimed the bill rec-ognizes the “need to protect” the diminishingpopulation o the Delta smelt by directing theSecretary o the Interior to “work cooperatively”with the Caliornia Department o Fish andGame in developing a smelt conservation hatch-ery. “Te goal o the conservation hatchery isto sustain the smelt population and determinethe primary cause o its decline,” according toRadanovich.However, Radanovich neglected to mentionthat the state and ederal shery biologists havepinpointed increased water exports, toxics andinvasive species as the primary causes o thedecline o delta smelt, longn smelt, threadnshad, striped bass and other species on the Delta.Delta residents and environmental justiceadvocates noted that Radanovich also ailed tomention the thousands o commercial and rec-reational shing businesses devastated by shingclosures and draconian restrictions spurred by the collapse o Central Valley salmon and Deltash populations. Tis collapse is largely due tomassive exports o water and declining waterquality.“O course, Congressman Radanovich has or-gotten the economic eco-terrorism that has beeninicted on commercial sheries, the Delta sport-shing economy, and Delta agriculture as a resulto years o excessive water exports to supportCentral Valley agribusiness,” countered Parrilla.In a parallel development, the CaliorniaDepartment o Water Resources and US Bureauo Reclamation are trying to accomplish admin-istratively on the state level the same thingRadanovich is doing legislatively on the ederallevel—weaken Endangered Species Act restric-tions protecting Delta and longn smelt underthe guise o a “drought” emergency.Te State Water Resources Control Boardrecently issued notice o a public hearing toconsider taking an emergency drought-relatedwater rights action on “temporary relaxation o the February Delta Outow and the San JoaquinRiver Flow Objectives in response to current dry conditions.”How you can help? First, call the eight spon-sors o HR 856 to express your outrage at theirdisregard or the economic eco-interests o theSacramento-San Joaquin Delta. ell them thatthe business as usual regarding Caliornia waterpolicy must end.“Let them know that increased Delta exports ina time o drought will deal the nal deathblow toDelta sheries,” urged Parrilla. “Let them knowthat the Delta’s $2.5 billion economy is dependenton water owing into the Delta or sheries andDelta agriculture. Let them know that Deltaarms are mainly amily armers also deserving o economic protection.”Direct them to the Restore the Delta website(
www.restorethedelta.org
) and tell them thatRegional Water Sel-suciency, rather than mov-ing water rom northern Caliornia to southernCaliornia, is the best way to meet Caliornia’swater needs. ell them that they need to ocuson breaking dependence on the Delta to meetthe state’s water needs. Sel-suciency is the costeective way, in these dicult economic times, toaddress our water problems.In addition, contact members o the HouseNatural Resources Committee to express youropposition to H.R. 856. For more inormation,contact Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, website:
www.restorethedelta.org
, email:
Barbara@restorethedelta.org
.
Dan Bacher is a Sacramento writer and activist.
Congressman Radanovich Calls Endangered SpeciesAct “Economic Terrorism!”
watercolors.
PLEASE HELP US!
and the mayor being elected at large. Later in2002, the position o mayor became ull time;however the city manager remains the chie operating ocer. Tis system has ostereddiversity and resulted in substantial citizenaccess and involvement in city government.Returning to the “strong mayor” systemraises the specter o potentially returning to theabuses o power o the 1892 to 1914 period asalleged and documented in news accounts o the time.
Rick Bettis is a member o the SacramentoHistorical Society.
Boss Mayor
from page 1
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PIECES
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