California NOW

Local Media for Social Change

Unhappy with local news? Concerned that our democracy and communities are not well served by today’s media? Then join us for this informative half-day summit. (Click on image for full-size flyer.)

Saturday, March 21
Occidental College, LA
11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Reception to follow

Sign up so that you can:

• Gain and share knowledge
• Network with local activists
• Learn how today’s media environment affects what we know -- and what we don’t
• Get tips on how to make your message heard
• Find out ways to bring about change

www.commoncause.org/mediasummit for info

Tickets $15 in advance / $20 at the door / $10 for students (with valid ID) and youth (18 and under). Add $8 for a boxed lunch.
Free for Occidental College students, faculty and staff.

Racism in California is Far from Dead

What is up with California Republican racists?

I'd like to think that our state is a little more forward-thinking, and that as one of the most racially and ethnically diverse states in the nation we'd be beyond some of this by now, but it seems like every time I turn around, some California Republican is sending out blatantly racist imagery about Barack Obama.

The latest is Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose (who has since resigned over this) who sent out this image of the White House lawn covered in watermelons with the tagline "No Easter Egg Hunt at the White House This Year."

As is usual with racist non-apologies, Grose claims he had no idea the image was racist, and is sorry if anyone was offended.  Thanks to Womanist Musings, here's Grose's email address: dgrose@ci.los-alamitos.ca.us

I'd like to ask Mr. Grose, if that image didn't have any racist connotations, what exactly was the point?  What makes that image "funny"?  The fact is, once you remove the racist background, the image makes no sense.  Would someone have sent that out if a white Southerner were president?  No way.  Maybe the image would have had BBQ, Nascar & Budweiser, but not watermelon.  It is ridiculous for Republican after Republican to claim they have no knowledge of the long-standing racist imagery surrounding watermelon, or chicken, and the degradation of African-Americans.

Frankly, I expect better from a politician, regardless of their party, than to claim ignorance of American history to that extent.

Conscience Clause Getting the Kibosh

Verifying what we reported back on Roe v. Wade Day, that HHS would not be proceeding with enforcing the "conscience clause" rule that Bush put into effect in his last few days in office, it looks like the Obama administration is seeking to actively repeal the rule.

The "conscience clause" rule was Bush's last-minute gift to the extremist anti-choice movement, and would have given anyone from a medical receptionist to HMO staff, a pharmacist, nurse or doctor the right to deny a woman her reproductive health services.

We expect the White House to get flooded with anti-choice calls opposing the change, so please take a few minutes to call in support of repealing this dangerous regulatory change.

Call the White House at 202-456-1111 or take action here.

Assemblymember Jones Introduces Pay Equity Legislation

Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) introduced state legislation today to ensure that victims of pay discrimination continue to have a fair opportunity to seek redress in the courts. AB 793 clarifies that the time period for alleging pay discrimination claims runs from the date of each payment of a discriminatory wage. This bill will ensure that state anti-discrimination laws are not weakened by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire & Rubber.

Tell your Assemblymember to support AB 793! Find your state legislators through: www.leginfo.ca.gov 

The first bill signed by President Barack Obama - the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act – restored federal anti-discrimination laws, but not state laws. At the signing ceremony he commented, “Signing this bill today is to send a clear message that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody – that there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it’s not just unfair and illegal, it’s bad for business to pay somebody less because of their gender, or their age or their race or their ethnicity, religion or disability.”

In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court by one vote overturned decades of precedent in Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., severely limiting workers’ ability to bring pay discrimination claims. The court said that Lilly Ledbetter had waited too long to sue for pay discrimination despite the fact that she had filed a complaint as soon as she received an anonymous note alerting her to the pay discrimination on the basis of sex. The court said that Ledbetter was required to file a complaint within 180 days of the discriminatory pay decision. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (the only woman on the Court) called on Congress to act to correct the Court’s reading of discrimination law.

LA NOW PAC Endorses Angela Reddock for L.A. Community College Board of Trustees

The Los Angeles NOW Political Action Committee has endorsed Angela J. Reddock for the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees.

Angela Reddock is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District. She has worked to protect funding for the community college system, increase outreach and enrollment. Her focus is on creating and protecting living wage jobs, and ensuring that every high school student has access to a college education.

Read more about Angela Reddock.