Meet In The Middle 4 Equality

Sat May 30, 1:00pm - Fresno, CA - City Hall

Meet in the Middle 4 Equality

United for Equality
Join us in Fresno, the middle of California, as we galvanize our forces with a day of unity of all peoples - gay and straight alike. Our peaceful events, including our Equality March and our Equality Rally, share the theme of "United for Equality". Join with us and then take our vision back to your own communities where we can work together to change our world to include federal level equality, access & justice for all.
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Sat May 30, 1:00pm - Fresno, CA - City Hall

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TeaBaggers Join Dick Armey 4 Hump Day

I couldn't resist.

D-Day has the story.

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East bay Tea Baggers

I'm sure you've been hearing plenty about the Tea Party Tax Revolt protests that are going on next Wednesday.

Lucky us...Amador valley Community Park in Pleasanton is apparently one of the protest sites.

East Bay conservatives say they are TEA'd off — taxed enough already.

The sentiment is expected to spur hundreds of local residents to join the nationwide "Tea Party" movement at a Pleasanton protest April 15, which is not coincidentally that most beloved American deadline to file tax returns.

Dave Johnson of Seeing the Forest was listening to KGO yesterday when they had on John Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, just making shit up about Californian's paying the highest taxes in the country.

As David Dayen points out...

"Right now we're at the bottom of per capita spending in almost every major category - 44th in health care, 47th in per-pupil education spending, dead last in highway spending and 46th in capital investment among all states."

Interestingly enough, Forbes just recently took a look at the most taxed Americans and released their top ten list.

Forbes: Where Americans Are Taxed Most:

10. Pennsylvania (not California)
9. Wyoming (not California)
8. Washington (not California)
7. Massachusetts (not California)
6. New York (not California)
5. New Jersey (not California)
4. Minnesota (not California)
3. Connecticut (not California)
2. Hawaii (not California)

Drum roll ....

... keep scrolling ...

--- And the winner is ...

1. Vermont (NOT CALIFORNIA!)

I'm sure in the coming days we'll be hearing a whole lot more from these Tea Baggers. Just remember, when they start going on and on about Californians paying the highest taxes in the country...

remind them we're not even in the Top 10.

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March in March: Rescue Education

Bayne of Blog covers today's rallies and explains why cutting education is counter-productive in growing our economy.

Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a University of California regent and California State University trustee, joined thousands of community college, CSU, and UC students today during the California Community Colleges’ “March in March: Rescue Education”, calling on lawmakers to recognize the importance of California’s continued investment in higher education and job retraining.

“We cannot slam the door on higher education particularly at the community colleges where everything from nursing to preschool education to retraining Californians who have lost their jobs takes place,” Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said. “We need to keep the doors of education opportunity open for all.”

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Oakland Man Shot in Protest

Tristan Anderson, one of the infamous Berkeley tree-sitters, was badly injured in a protest in the West Bank last Friday.

Tristan Anderson, 38, was injured during a protest over the separation barrier that Israel erected between it and the West Bank. An Israeli soldier fired the canister during a clash with protesters and hit Anderson in the head, said Ulrika Jenson of Sweden, an activist with the International Solidarity Movement.

Jenson, who saw the incident, said in a statement released by the group that "the Israeli soldiers were standing on the hill looking over us, firing tear-gas canisters straight into the crowd."

"Tristan was hit and fell to the ground," Jenson said. "He had a large hole in the front of his head. I tried to stop the bleeding, but he was bleeding heavily from the head, nose and mouth."

Tristan's family has released a statement.

There will be a rally held at the Israeli Consulate in SF today.

Friends of Tristan Anderson, former tree-sitter at the University of California at Berkeley, and supporters of Palestine will gather at 4 p.m. Monday outside the Israeli Consulate at 456 Montgomery St. in San Francisco, said Kate Raphael, a fellow activist and friend of Anderson's.

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This Friday is Pink Friday

Remember that this Friday, appropriately Friday the 13th, is Pink Friday. It's the last day that districts have to send out pink slips to their teachers. Stand in solidarity with teachers across the state by wearing Pink on Friday, March 13. Better yet, attend a protest and stand with the teachers literally.

On Friday, March 13, 2009 across the state of California will be a protest by California's teachers who face a whopping 18,000 pink slips.

California's budget crisis and the worst recession in 70 years has led to tremendous and devastating cutbacks in education funding.

David A. Sanchez, president of the 340,000-member CTA:

“We are pushing back against this attack on public education because our students will feel these cuts for many, many years. The potential lay off of so many educators will hurt our communities and California’s future.”

According to a release from CTA:

"California's public schools, colleges and universities are facing more than $11 billion in state budget cuts. These cuts are going to impact an entire generation of kids and alter public education for years to come.

Read more at the California Progress Report

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Fruitvale is Fine

The protesters tried, but failed to shutdown Fruitvale BART last night.

Even though a promised Thursday afternoon shutdown of the Fruitvale BART station fizzled, organizers say they plan to target more stations to highlight their discontent with the handling of a fatal shooting of a passenger by a BART police officer.

The 4 p.m. demonstration drew a few dozen protesters who were outnumbered by police and reporters.

Passengers departing the Fruitvale station used an alternate exit to avoid encountering protesters. Those entering the station were directed by station agents to walk through the swinging gates, avoiding the turnstiles where protesters chanted, "No justice, no peace!" over bullhorns.

I'm just not sure how screwing things up for evening commuters helps bring sympathy to their cause.

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Fruitvale BART Protest

Protestors are planning on shutting down the Fruitvale BART station this afternoon.

Activists upset about the fatal police shooting of a BART patron New Year's Day plan to renew their protests today by forcing the afternoon shutdown of the Oakland station where the killing happened.

The protesters intending to gather at the Fruitvale Station at 4 p.m. cast the action as a necessary disruption and a preview of things to come.

It's about a quarter after right now. I just talked to my wife who is on BART and just passed through Fruitvale a few minutes ago. So far everything is fine. I'll keep my eye out for updates.

UPDATE:
Twitter / twoweheelmotion

Fruitvale BART station is shut down now. "We're beaners and we'll kick you in the face" what a great slogan to chant.

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Mass Mobilization to Shut Down Fruitvale BART

A whole lot of folks aren't very happy with the way BART has handled the Oscar Grant shooting.On March 5th, protesters plan on shutting down the Fruitvale station during commute hours.

A group of East Bay residents protesting BART officials' handling of the shooting death of Oscar Grant on New Year's Day say they plan to shut down the Fruitvale station on Thursday, March 5, during evening rush hour....

George Ciccariello-Maher, an Oakland resident and spokesman for the protest group No Justice No BART, said demonstrators hope to force BART officials to close the Fruitvale stop through a "mass mobilization" to the station. He said the protesters are ready to try other tactics -- although he said violence would not be necessary -- to shut down the station if their gambit doesn't work.

Plan your commute accordingly.

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Too Short Calms Crowd

From SFGate

Protests began to turn violent in Oakland again tonight, less so than last week. Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, rapper Too Short, and others spoke out against the violence.

"It would be so sad if this turned out to be violent," he said. "Let's do this one right - everyone is watching."

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Support Downtown Oakland Business

From Living in the O

Even though there were fewer businesses damaged than had been originally reported, for those that were, times are already tough. Well, I'm sure McDonald's is doing OK...but you know what I mean. If you happen to be downtown, why not stop by Colonial Donuts on your way to work, or grab some lunch at the Pure Natural Cafe over on 17th. The link to the map below lists all of the businesses in Downtown Oakland that were damaged in last weeks protest, do what you can to help them out. Suddenly I'm craving some Ichi Japon Sushi.

Map of Damaged Businesses in Downtown Oakland.

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Justice For Oscar! Free Palestine! Huh?

Why is that every protest in the Bay Area has to have a Palestine contingent? I'm all for the cause, but come on...focus people. You're not there to free Palestine, or eat Vegan, or spread Communism, or to free Mumia, or to spread the joy of Bongo Drumming. In this case you were supposed to be there to remember Oscar and to protest brutality by the BART Police, not to burn up teacher's cars or break in the hair stylist's window or to try and steal the news man's camera. Disappointing.

Anyways, here's an eyewitness account from last night's events courtesy of Living in the O.

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