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The power of Public Banks and the lies of Prop 13!

The year 2020 has been a challenging year! We have in front of us, however, two great opportunities. Please forward this message to your contacts, you never know who needs to hear this message of hope. 1) PUBLIC BANKING has a lot of momentum right now. It’s a root solution that helps all other solutions […]

Earth Day 50th Anniversary – and Invitation!

Earth Day’s 50th anniversary is April 22, 2020. There are many individual changes we can make to celebrate Earth Day, but we know that in addition to individual efforts, institutional changes are necessary. Right now, even during this time of COVID-19, we can make a strong institutional statement about the urgent need to protect the […]

US can learn from the world – 3 encouraging things!

During this coronavirus pandemic, it is easy to see that many other countries have responded more quickly and with better and more available testing and treatment than the US has. It is also easy to see that we would benefit by shifting away from acting as if the US is a world unto itself, toward […]

Money always talks, but it doesn’t always win.

Big money will be talking plenty between now and November 2020. How does it make us do what it wants, even going against our own self-interest? One of big money’s targets will be the “Prop 13 reform” initiative on the ballot in California. Winning Prop 13 reform will have repercussions across the country. The money […]

Prop 13: PEOPLE can win against MONEY

“Tax The Rich” is an idea approved by more and more people across the political spectrum according to multiple polls taken in 2019. Right now we have a very real chance to move this popular idea forward. California passed Prop 13 in 1978, flattened property tax for residents and corporations, and unfortunately started an overall […]

Running Against Barbara Lee: 13 Surprises in a Challenging Campaign

1. AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY I had not planned to run for Congress at all, certainly not against Barbara Lee, arguably one of the most progressive longterm members of Congress. However, when we realized she would be unopposed on the primary ballot, we saw an opportunity we needed to seize: we could have a one-on-one contest […]

How did the Venezuelan economy get so messed up?

Venezuela is facing significant difficulties, and one of the worst is the widespread misinformation spread by governments and media. Here is a list of 13 basics to help shed light on this complicated situation. There are three U.S. options that can help: (1) no war, (2) end government sanctions, which are illegal and a form […]

Why did both Obama and Trump sanction Venezuela?

This question has deep relevance. In my first BLOG after returning from the Alliance for Global Justice “End Venezuela Sanctions” delegation, my goal was to provide the most fundamental information possible about what we can do as a government and as citizens of the United States. Most people in Venezuela and the U.S. can agree […]

What is really happening in Venezuela?

I just returned from 11 days in Venezuela, my sixth trip there since 2005. Many people have asked me how they can understand what’s really happening in Venezuela based on information from public institutions such as the U.S. government and the mainstream media. Sources they have used include television ranging from Fox News to MSNBC […]