Pacific Progressive

Annual Roe Dinner - Feb 6, 2010

Sheryl WuDunn won a Pulitzer Prize along with her husband, Nicholas D. Kristof for their coverage of the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in Beijing which ended in a military crackdown.  Together, they have written Half the Sky:  From Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, which tells of the feudal attitudes towards women in the developing world.  The book also discusses how a growing crop of mostly local women who are social entrepreneurs are working to transform their societies.

Sheryl WuDunn will speak at the Roe v. Wade event for the Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties on Friday, February 6, 2010 from 6:30 - 10 PM.  For more information, email [email protected]

Editor's note:  Date was originally announced for Jan 27 and has been moved to Feb 6.  

Will John Campbell Continue to Block Fixing Aliso Creek?

Aliso Creek needs to have habitat restored and water quality improved. This project is so important to Supervisor Pat Bates district that the project is listed on the 2010 Legislative Priorities for Orange County. At a recent Supervisors meeting, Pat Bates spoke about how much her district would like to see Aliso Creek work started, but there are projects that need to be done that only the Army Corps of Engineers can do.

And John Campbell won't ask for the Army Corps of Engineers to do the work or for the money.

Because he doesn't believe in spending money for allowing people to use the beach without swimming in fecal coliform.  

Aliso Creek has needed work for a long time. The recent build out of South County has put even more pressure on the watershed and adding to the urgency to get work going.  But John Campbell won't ask the Corp of Engineers to do the project or ask for the money.  Many times projects and money are given higher priority (meaning they get funded) if the Representative from the district the project is in asks for the money. But, because Representative John Campbell won't ask for his district, the project is pushed down in priority.

How much longer do we want to swim in poo-poo water thanks to Rep. Campbell?

Seven Things You Didn't Know Were In The Senate Health Bill

by Mary Agnes Carey, Phil Galewitz, and Laurie McGinley, KHN Staff Writers

This article was published by Kaiser Health News.

Pay attention: The "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" -- better known as the Senate health care overhaul bill – is chock full of interesting but little publicized provisions affecting consumers. Sure, the bill is mainly a blueprint for overhauling the insurance system. But look closely and you'll see a variety of items that would affect people from the cradle to old age – from breast pump use to retiree health benefits. It's a congressional tradition, adding pet interests that otherwise might not pass to a big bill that at least will be put up for a vote. 
Yes, there's plenty of time to change the bill. But political analysts say a final overhaul bill would more likely look like this measure than the version already approved by the House because Senate Democrats barely could agree on sending it to the floor for debate. In short, there's not much political room for major changes. 

Here are some examples of what lies in this 2,074-page bill: 

Nursing Mothers Get A Break 

Rep. Loretta Sanchez Holding Telephone Town Hall Events on Economy - Dec 3

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez will be holding two Telephone Town Hall events on Thursday, December 3.  The first town hall event will be held in English and is scheduled to begin at 6pm PST.  The second event will be held in Spanish and will immediately follow at 7pm PST.  Rep. Sanchez will be answering questions on the economy from residents of California's 47th Congressional District.

Constituents will receive an invitation phone call around 6pm PST for the English-language town hall and around 7pm PST for the Spanish-language town hall.  To join, all they have to do is stay on the line when they receive the call.  Constituents may also call Rep. Sanchez's district office at (714) 621-0102 to ensure their names are placed on our call lists.

Media interested in joining these Telephone Town Halls should contact Caroline Hogan, Rep. Sanchez's Deputy Press Secretary, at (202) 225-2965 or [email protected] . Reporters will be provided a "listen-only" number for the event upon confirmation.

Please note that these events are subject to change. If you plan on attending any event please verify the details with the office of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez in advance.

Orange County 1st Quarter Budget Report

At the November 24, 2009 Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting, an update on the County budget was given.  The General Fund is 15.5% below projections, but total revenues are 61.5% above projections from increased funding from State and Federal governments, grant and program funding, and drawing on reserves.  The decline in property and sales tax has caused the General Purpose revenues to decline by 39.7%.  At the same time, County expenditures are up by 52.9% than projected due to delay of receipt of reimbursements from the State.

The complete report along with charts and PowerPoint is available online.

OC Fair CEO Can Sign $200K Contract Without Bringing It Back to Board

The governance of the Orange County Fair and Event Center is coming under greater scrutiny as the date of the sale approaches.  One item that has raised interest is the $200K signature authority granted CEO Steve Beazley by the Fair Board.  

In Policy 2.3 - Financial Condition and Activities, item 5 grants the authority to sign for up to  $200K for items "explicitly itemized in budget monitoring data previously disclosed to the Board."  In addition to the dollar amount being way larger than that for local cities, the way the authority is granted is also questionable given the past actions of Fair management.

For instance, the City of Orange has a $30K limit on contracts before the item has to be brought before City Council for approval.  The $30K limit applies to items called out in the budget.  (See Title 3 - Revenue and Finance, 3.08 - Purchasing System in the municipal code.)  Orange operates a water company, public works, and three libraries year round, in addition to all of the regular city services. Items over $30K are brought in front of Council, put in front of the residents who pay the taxes, and are voted on in an open forum.

Santa Ana limits the City Manager to $25K without going to Council.  (Article VII.II Purchasing Rules and Regulations.)  And the County of Orange limits contracts to $100K before the Supervisors need to approve the item.  (See Title 1 - Government and Administration, Article 2 - Purchasing, Sec 1-4-13)

Each of the entities runs very well by bringing items back into the public view for approval. And, each of these entities operates very large operations, year round, serving hundreds of thousands of people, while allowing the public to see who is getting public money. 

The other issue to focus on is the odd wording "itemized in budget monitoring data."  What does that mean?  Remember the after-the-contract-was-signed 60% pricing increase given to Fair vendors?  Staff's justification for that was it was in the budget, which was approved by the Board.  Given that precedent for staff action, what can be signed for without explicit Board approval in public, during a meeting, on the record, may seem only limited by your imagination.

Why does OCFEC CEO Steve Beazley need $200K signature authority?

Poll: Public Most Concerned With Bread and Butter Issues in Health Care Reform Debate

by Christopher Weaver, KHN Staff Writer

This article was published by Kaiser Health News.

Even as the health overhaul legislation creeps forward, one thing that's been moving even slower is public opinion. The one-word description of American attitudes from different polls and different pollsters have been: "split," "divided," and, well, "split." What's more, they have been for months, and are expected to remain so barring a major new development in the debate, say the Kaiser Family Foundation's experts. (KHN is a program of the foundation). 

A new Kaiser tracking poll "shows little movement in measures of public opinion... from recent months." According the poll, 35 percent want Congress to take on health care now, and like what they've heard about the current Democratic bills. Slightly fewer, 33 percent , want reform, but not what Democratic lawmakers have in mind. And 26 percent think Congress should not spend time on the issue now. 
"There doesn't appear to be anything… that suggests debate is going to tip radically," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive of the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

Advisory Subcommittee to CDC Approves Ethics Guidance for Rationing Ventilators

by Sheri Fink

This article was published by ProPublica.

Health officials have been tackling the difficult question of how to apportion mechanical ventilators in a severe influenza pandemic when the demand far exceeds the availability of the treatment. Today, a prestigious group of advisors to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moved closer to delivering their guidance.

A subcommittee of independent ethicists approved, with minor changes, what it terms a draft ethical framework to help federal, state, and local policymakers develop guidelines about which patients should receive ventilators. The document, prepared by a group of CDC and non-CDC employees that met for more than two years, will now go to the full advisory committee to the CDC for approval. At today’s meeting, the subcommittee agreed to a request from CDC leadership that the document state it would not apply to the current H1N1 or “swine flu” pandemic unless a significantly more severe or widespread strain appeared.

Operation Holiday Homework

The public is invited to donate gifts to kids at the Aliso Viejo Boys and Girls Club, as part of a program designed to help promote education among club members.

Operation Holiday Homework is also meant to treat the youngsters - many whose families suffer from financial hardships - to toys and gifts during the holidays.

The kids will earn points for completing their homework assignments through Dec. 10 and then will redeem those earned points for new donated holiday gifts for themselves and their families. 

Donations of new, unwrapped toys and gifts from residents, businesses, groups and others are sought to be dropped off at the club located at 24671 Via Iglesia or at City Hall, 12 Journey, through Dec. 10. 

For more information, call 949-699-2552 or e-mail [email protected].

Costa Mesa 4 Options to Protect Fairgrounds Using the Ballot Box - Dec 1

On Tuesday, December 1, 2009, Costa Mesa City Council will consider four land use designations which could be used to protect the Orange County Fair and Events Center (OCFEC) from development. The zoning and planning designations would be included in a ballot measure sent to the voters for approval.  The initiative would include provisions that future changes to land use would require another vote by Costa Mesa residents.

In California's Government Code, there is a hierarchy for the land use tools available to Costa Mesa.  The General Plan is the master document - all other policies, standards, zoning and land uses must conform to the General Plan.  Under the General Plan is the Specific Plan and Zoning Code. 

There are four designations being considered at Tuesday's meeting.  Staff recommends the adoption of Option 4, adopting a General Plan Amendment.

Option 1:  Currently, the 2000 General Plan designates the OCFEC property as "Fairgrounds"  with a maximum allowable floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.10 and a compatible zoning of I&R (Institutional and Recreational.)  Costa Mesa planning staff believe that this designation does not adequately describe the objectives for residents and City Council members as expressed at recent meetings.

Schedule for Fairgrounds Sale Slipping

The sale for selling off the Orange County Fairgrounds is slipping.  Originally, the RFP had Friday, November 13, 2009, as the deadline to ask questions about the property and sale.  The answers to the questions was supposed to be made public on November 23, 2009.

Now, "The posting of this additional information is herein postponed indefinitely." according to Addendum No. 2, dated November 23, 2009, from the Department of General Services, which is managing the sale process.  This type of slip in the date to publicly answer questions about the sale creates problems for potential bidders because they can may not have time to adequately process the new information in time to submit a bid.  

No announcement of a new due date for bids has been announced.

Thanks to Assemblymember Jose Solorio and Costa Mesa City Councilmember Katrina Foley for sending this over!

OC Supes Support Stopping the Fairgrounds Sale

On Tuesday, November 24, 2009, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution asking Governor Schwarzenegger to stop the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds.  The resolution was brought forward by Supervisors Bill Campbell and John Moorlach.  

During the meetings, Supervisor Bill Campbell remarked that when the Supervisors passed their resolution supporting the sale, their resolution "required the property be sold to another government entity".  The sale process has many worried that the property will eventually be developed if not sold to a government entity.  Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder expressed thanks on behalf of his city for the Supervisors support for stopping the sale.

During the meeting, Reggie Mundekis from the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society, asked the Supervisors and County Council for assistance in investigating the actions of the Fair Board.  The Fair Board hired Dick Ackerman to look into the sale of the property and formed a private foundation to buy the property.  County Counsel asked the Attorney General to investigate the actions of the Fair Board, but the AG declined due to a conflict caused by the AG serving as counsel to the Fair Board.  Currently,l the duty to investigate falls to Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.

The Supervisor's resolution asks all 34 cities in Orange County to pass their own resolutions asking that the sale be stopped.   At the meeting, three members of the public spoke in favor of the Supervisors resolution. There were no members of the public who spoke in favor of the sale.

Bring Home Furry Love for the Holidays - Dec 6

The Irvine Animal Care Center (IACC) is sponsoring "Home for the Holidays," a pet adoption event to raise awareness about Irvine's growing homeless pet population on Saturday, December 6 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. The free event features more than 500 animals available for adoption, pet-related vendors, food, a silent auction, raffle, bake sale and "Ask a Vet" and "Ask a Trainer" booths, plus Santa Claus will be on hand to take photographs with children and family pets.

Recognized nationwide as one of the most progressive municipal shelters in the country, the Center is home to approximately 250 animals awaiting their holiday gift - a loving family and a new home. Every cat and dog offered for adoption during the "Home for the Holidays" event is vaccinated, spayed or neutered, micro chipped and has had a medical evaluation. 

The IACC is open weekdays from noon-7 p.m., weekends from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and closed Tuesdays and holidays. The five-acre facility, located at 6443 Oak Canyon, Irvine, is home to four kennels, a farmyard enclosure, a veterinary clinic, and 10 outdoor play yards. The shelter's 39 staff members and more than 300 volunteers give every animal the care, socialization and affection it needs to become a great pet.  

For more information, contact Crystal Nettles at 949-724-7741 or visit the IACC website at http://www.irvineshelter.org/.

Increasing H1N1 Spread - Many Restaurant, Hotel, Retail Workers Have No Paid Sick Leave

The CDC’s guidelines to employers and workers to slow the spread of the virus says workers who suspect they have the swine flu or another influenza-like illness should stay home and employers should allow workers to stay home “without fear of reprisals or…losing their jobs.”

But nearly half of all private-sector workers—and 76 percent of low-income workers—have no paid sick leave. That leaves sick workers facing the dilemma of staying home and losing several days of pay or likely spreading the disease to fellow workers and the public. Many low-wage workers have jobs that have direct contact with the public, such as the food-service and hospitality industry, schools and health care.

Says Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, "Congress should waste no time in passing paid sick days legislation so that working people can earn paid time off and help prevent the spread of illnesses, without jeopardizing their economic security."

Parenting with a Plan: How TANF Can Support Positive Parenting Relationships and Foster Father Involvement

by Joy Moses

This article was published by the Center for American Progress.

Download the full report (pdf)

Future president Barack Obama addressed a packed church in his hometown of Chicago on Fathers Day 2008. Speaking on the issue of responsible fatherhood, he said:

But if we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing—missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.

These comments touched a nerve, sparking conversations in the blogosphere, at water coolers, in barbershops, and around kitchen tables. Obama was noting an issue that is clearly evident, but rarely raised by national-level leaders—the fact that many fathers are missing from their children’s lives. And this is reflective of another significant concern that receives even less attention—the difficulties involved in two people parenting together while living apart, and the frequent exclusion of low-income people from the systems that our nation has created to support such families.

The issue of post-break-up parental conflict pervades our culture, whether we are developing colorful terms for it like “baby mama drama,” or engrossing ourselves in how celebrities like Alec Baldwin, Charlie Sheen, or Jon and Kate mismanage the beginnings of their post-break-up parenting relationships. These examples of high-profile couples at the extremes of conflict and the pervasiveness of the issue can lead to the conclusion that nothing can be done to help families experiencing these difficulties. But the nation’s family courts and relevant practitioners have for decades been improving upon approaches such as mediation, parent education, and counseling that help couples reach agreements about visitation arrangements or parenting plans and set them on the right course toward effectively parenting together while living apart. These tools are definitely not a cure-all, and won’t work for all couples, but they have been associated with increased father visitation and child support payments.