Archive for the 'California' Category

30
Apr

Let’s welcome Elizabeth Warren to the top 5

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It’s been a while since I felt the need to shake things up on my top 5 white girls list. Like any self-respecting angry populist, Ms. Warren has been on my radar for some time now.  After her appearance on The Daily Show, I wanted her to make me some hot cocoa and further explain how she was going to make those bad men pay for locking me and my hypothetical children into a lifetime of wage slavery at the hands of Capital One, Citibank, etc. After reading this piece in the latest Rolling Stone, and this Q & A on CounterPunch, I knew it was time to give her a spot.

Also, it will now be known as the Top 5 White Women list.  Much classier; especially given the new tilt of the list towards more serious issues.  And now, the new list.

  1. Bjork – Having said that, there is very little that I take as seriously as music.
  2. Amy Goodman – The more I read, the more documentaries I watch, the more conversations I have with interesting people at random parties and events, the more I find  myself saying or thinking, “I know about that because of Amy Goodman.”  Either through her work on Democracy Now or her talks and books, I can’t think of any single person other than Noam Chomsky who has introduced me to so many national and global news stories, socio-political issues, amazing thinkers and activists, and exposed the failings and lies of so many scoundrels and scalawags.
  3. Elizabeth Warren – It’s that serious.  Getting Wall Street under control should be one of the highest priorities of every global citizen.
  4. Shiela Kuehl – Former California State Senator who introduced SB 840; legislation that would establish a state single payer health care system.  Twice, the bill passed both houses of the legislature only to be vetoed by The Governator.  Last year, Senator Mark Leno re-introduced “The California Universal Healthcare Act.” SB 810, as it is now called, was passed by the Senate in January.  Also, Kuehl played Zelda on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
  5. Ruth Jones – Co-creator, co-writer and co-star of the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey.  My favorite performer on one of my favorite shows of recent years.  The accents can be a bit tough to penetrate, but if you can figure out what they’re saying on The Wire or in any Guy Ritchie film, you’ll be fine.

And that’s what’s occurring.

08
Jul

Bravo, Marijuana Policy Project

06
Dec

A response from Boxy Lady

My ongoing correspondence with my employees in Washington continues.  Back in October, I wrote to Rep. Henry Waxman and Senators Feinstein and Boxer regarding the report issued by the Global Cannabis Commission in particular, and this country’s backwards, illogical marijuana laws in general.  Yesterday, Senator Boxer’s office sent this reply:

Dear Mr. Adams:

Thank you for contacting me about the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate hearing from you.

Although I do not support the legalization of drugs for recreational use, I do believe that medical doctors should be allowed to use their best judgment, consistent with federal law, in deciding on the most effective treatment for their patients, especially those with terminal illnesses.

Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or any other issue of concern to you.

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Polite, curt and completely dismissive towards the substance of my letter.  I hold onto my naive idea that those who are elected to represent my interest should at least pay me the courtesy of actually addressing my concerns.  As such…

Senator Barbara Boxer

I appreciate your office taking the time to respond to my letter.  What I do not appreciate is the fact that you did not even bother addressing the specific issues that the letter addressed.  I’ll cut to the chase and ask you two specific questions.

When all the scientific, medical and criminal evidence tells us that marijuana poses significantly less harm to the individual user and to society as a whole than legal substances like alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs, why do you and your colleagues insist on maintaining the illogical stance of complete prohibition?

Further, when our state is facing a financial crisis, why would you and your colleagues continue to ignore the potential tax revenue from a cash crop with an estimated worth of up to $14 billion?

As always, thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Nick Adams

10
Oct

Another email to Wax Man, D Fine, and Boxy Lady

Rep. Henry Waxman

Senator Dianne Feinstein

Senator Barbara Boxer

Representatives,

It’s me, Nick Adams, again. I’m sure you guys are well aware of the report issued by the Global Cannabis Commission. You know, the international group of scientists who studied the issue of global cannabis policy and then released their findings in a 226-page paper, Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate? Just in case you haven’t gotten around to reading all about it, I thought I’d point out some of the highlights of their report.

The enforcement effort has not had much success in deterring use.

Translation: With regards to marijuana, the drug war has been a failure.

The probability and scale of harm among heavy cannabis users is modest

compared with that caused by many other psychoactive substances, both

legal and illegal, in common use, namely, alcohol, tobacco, amphetamines,

cocaine and heroin.

Translation: It’s less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.

The rationale for severe penalties for possession offenses is weak on both

normative and practical grounds. In many developed countries a majority of

adults born in the past half-century have used cannabis. Control regimes that

criminalize users are intrusive on privacy, socially divisive and expensive.

Thus it is worth considering alternatives.

Translation: Our current marijuana laws are costly and infringe on our civil liberties.

In countries where data are available, arrest rates are sharply higher for many

minority and socially disadvantaged groups.

Translation: The war on marijuana disproportionately effects minorities and poor people.

Given this data, I’m sure that you will all immediately reconsider your illogical and counter-productive stance on the continued criminalization of marijuana.

03
Oct

So, California needs $7 billion?

Image via Flickr Thomas Hawk

At least, that’s what The Governator thinks.  The LA Times has the scoop:

In a letter obtained by The Times, the governor warns that tight credit has dried up funds California routinely relies on and it may have to seek emergency aid within weeks.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, alarmed by the ongoing national financial crisis, warned Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson on Thursday that the state might need an emergency loan of as much as $7 billion from the federal government within weeks.

Where in the world could California possibly get $7 billion from?  If only there was a substance that could be grown easily across the entire state, that we could then tax and export around the country at a premium price.  Something that could easily bring in billions of dollars to the state’s economy.  Also, it would be great if it didn’t do as much harm to society as alcohol and tobacco, and there was already a demonstrated demand for it.  Wouldn’t that be great?  I’m gonna go smoke a joint and think about this some more.




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