Obaminator protest

Will Obama Meet the Resistance in Portland?

author: ri5er        e-mail: redistribution@comcast.net

Call for Organization of Protest at the Oregon Convention Center, Wednesday, October 20, 2010

President Barack Obama has scheduled a visit to Portland on behalf of Democratic Party gubernatorial nominee John Kitzhaber. Obama will be speaking to 10,000 or more pre-registered guests at the Oregon Democratic Party-sponsored function in an attempt to bolster the Kitzhaber campaign.

There is a handful of future public school educators organizing to send a message to Obama regarding his Administration's endorsement of the recent film "Waiting For 'Superman'" and the broader agenda it promotes to further corporatize the public education system in the United States for the benefit of multinational corporations that need semi-skilled labor at ever-lower prices. We plan on posting up outside the Convention Center with signs and loud voices.

If there are any other activists who would like to join with us, regardless of your issue/reason for protest, please reply to this posting or contact me via email.

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Short-Changed in the Obama-nation? Tell Barack About it.

Progressives,

On October 20, President Obama will speak at the Oregon Convention Center to stump for Democrats only.

A counter protest is planned for 3:30!

Meet at the NE corner of NE Oregon St (800 Block NE) and Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, across the street from the entrance to the Convention Center.

Saying we are disappointed in the current administration would be a massive understatement.

We've been short-changed and hope-winked.

Whether it's the continued wars, enlarged occupations, Wall Street bailouts, or rearranging the deck chairs on various sinking ships (the economy, healthcare, global warming, and others too numerous to mention)--we all have something that needs to be said.

Come out to the Oregon Convention Center and let the President know how you feel. Raise awareness that there is a choice other than the corrupt ways of the Democrats and Republicans who consistently bow to their corporate paymasters and ignore the will of the people.

Obama now complains that corporations are funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars, from secret sources, into Republican campaigns. But the Democrats could have prevented that by using their majorities in the House and Senate to require disclosure or even to add 2 more members to the Supreme Court and reveerse the Citizens United decision. But they did not, because the Democrats thought they would be the ones riding the corporate gravy train. After all, they got more corporate money than the Republicans in 2008 (reported the Wall Street Journal). But the corporations know better. They are buying Congressional seats for real Republicans who openly adhere to their agenda.

But doesn't action in the Senate require 60 votes? No. The Justices curcial to the Citizens United decision were themselves confirmed by 52 votes (Thomas) and 58 votes (Alito). Action requires 60 votes only when the majority party Senators want to fool people into believing they are impotent to protect the public interest. Impotence allows them to argue, "Make us stronger with a bigger majority." But the problem is not impotence. It is their allegiance to big money, which bigger majorities would not change.

Many groups are coming together for this one: See the note below from Dan Handelman of Peace and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group.

Onward!

Philip Kauffman
 philip@progparty.org
(503) 250-0327

Progressive Party of Oregon
ProgParty.org
320 SW Stark Street #200
Portland, OR 97204
503-548-2797




Dan Handelman of Peace and Justice Works writes:

Yes, we have to deal with these realities:

there will be massive security and we may not get our message out as directly as we'd like
there will be protestors there from the Tea Party and other communities who do not seek peace or economic and social justice
no matter how large of a crowd we have, the mainstream media will say we're a "handful"
Over 40,000 people flooded Waterfront Park in 2003 to try to stop the invasion of Iraq. About 100 stalwarts came out in the rain last week to say the US must complete its withdrawal from Iraq, get out of Afghanistan, and redirect its financial priorities.

We have a chance now to make our message clear and be sure that the President and his supporters, as well as candidate Kitzhaber, hear our voices.

We will have the signs about "Get the Hell Out of Iraq," "Stop the War on Afghanistan" and "Close Guantanamo," among others. Those will not be the messages carried by others planning to protest.

I hope to see you out there on Wednesday. We've got the word out to other groups who may or may not also be a part of this call to action.

Please take public transportation, or walk or bike to the protest as it will be very busy with supporters

Some Tea Pariers support pot legalization - CA

A Different Kind of Tea: Some Tea Partiers May Support Pot Legalization

by Leo E. Laurence, J.D. Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010 at 12:46 PM
leopowerhere@msn.com (619) 757-4909

Proposition 19, which would legalize and tax marijuana in California, may have some unexpected supporters in the conservative tea party movement, reports Leo E. Laurence, associate editor of Zenger’s magazine and a former deputy sheriff who's campaigning for the measure as a member of the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (L.E.A.P.).

A Different Kind of Tea

Some Libertarian “Tea Party“ Conservatives May Back Prop. 19

by LEO E. LAURENCE, J.D.

Copyright © 2010 by Leo E. Laurence • All rights reserved

Support for Proposition 19 on the November ballot to regulate, tax and control cannabis (marijuana) is coming from unexpected sources, including activists in the Tea Party.

Recent polls show support for the statewide initiative is growing, and it may pass with a bigger majority than expected.

The glossy, locally published NUG Magazine ran as its lead article in its October issue a story I wrote supporting Proposition 19 on behalf of the international organization, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. NUG is distributed within the cannabis community (and therefore widely read by young people). I’m a former deputy sheriff and once served in the San Diego D.A.’s office.

My article suggested that “the impact of the conservative Tea Party movement is unknown, and could threaten passage. Some [San Diego] City Councilmembers (Todd Gloria, Carl DeMaio) even refused to discuss it, ignoring the hundreds of millions of dollars that could come into our city treasury if Proposition 19 passes.”

“[The] impact of the fiery, neo-conservative Tea Party movement is unknown,” I wrote in NUG.

After that magazine hit the streets, I received a phone call from conservative El Cajon.

“Proposition 19 is not a partisan issue, especially in East County,” said Justin Price, 26, after reading my NUG article.

Price is a Tea Party supporter.

“Conservative support for Proposition 19 might be stronger than you think,” he added.

“There are lots of Republicans and Tea Party activists who are smoking a joint in their home while watching TV,” he believes.

Price works in a convenience store and reported that many of his customers, including conservative seniors, are talking about it and intend to vote for it.

Change in Law

Under current state law, the possession, cultivation or distribution of marijuana is illegal. In 1996, medical marijuana was approved by voters, but recent San Diego City Council restrictions on the location of medical marijuana dispensaries threatened to create a nearly de facto ban on it.

While possession of it heretofore was misdemeanor, the governor recently signed a state law that reduces it to an infraction, similar to a traffic ticket. Unlicensed sales remain a felony.

Under Proposition 19, everyone over 21 will be able to lawfully possess, share and transport up to an ounce of marijuana. Use will be restricted to a residence or any non-public place.

Cultivation of marijuana will be permitted in an area up to 25 square feet per residence or parcel, and possession of any items of equipment associated with those lawful activities will be permitted.

State and local law enforcement agencies will not be able to seize or destroy marijuana from persons in compliance with the state law.

Employers under Proposition 19 will retain exiting rights to address the consumption of marijuana that impairs an employee’s job performance.

Smoking in the presence of minors — anyone under 21 — will be unlawful, as will driving under the influence and possession on the grounds of an elementary, middle or high school.

Existing laws prohibiting penalties for furnishing marijuana to minors under 18 will remain.

Big money for local governments

Up to two billion dollars will flood into the treasuries of local and state governments with passage of Proposition 19. That figure is an estimate by the state’s taxing agency, the Board of Equalization.

That could make a big dent in the huge budget deficit that the City of San Diego is experiencing.

Another state agency, the independent, non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), says, “To the extent that a commercial marijuana industry develops in the state, we estimate that the state and local governments could eventually collect hundreds of millions of dollars annually in additional revenue.”

So why are local politicians (e.g., City Councilmembers DeMaio and Gloria) refusing to even discuss it with the media?

The initiative is carefully worded to insure that most of its money goes to local government, not the state in Sacramento.

Inaccurate Opposition

In a published statement that ran in our local newspaper, the San Diego Union-Tribune, our district attorney Bonnie Dumanis provided grossly inaccurate facts. Why? Here are some “facts” she wrote:

1. “The truth is, Proposition 19 does not regulate, does not control and does not tax marijuana as its name implies.” FALSE! Apparently she did not read the official state LAO report.

2. “It means zero revenue for the state of California.” FALSE!

3. “The proposition would prohibit an employer from firing an employee who is under the influ-ence.” FALSE!

When I was a deputy sheriff, I would sometimes question a suspect by asking questions, the answers to which I already knew. If they lied on some significant facts, I would question the credibility of all their facts. The same applies to the D.A.’s, inaccurate statements opposing Proposition 19. Why does the opposition have to lie?

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the prohibitions against marijuana have been based on lies ever since the first commissioner of the federal government’s Bureau of Narcotics, Harry J. Anslinger, lobbied Congress to enact them in the 1930’s.]

The Basics

Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, marijuana is not physically addictive. Its use does not lead to heavier drugs.

Legalization will lead to reduced consumption, according to studies made in countries (like the Netherlands) that already made that change.

Marijuana does not make consumers violent, as does alcohol.

Consuming cannabis does not have long-term toxic effects on the body, as does smoking tobacco.

Passing Proposition 19 will hit the Mexican drug cartels hard. An estimated 64 percent of the cartel’s revenues come from marijuana. Its cultivation soared by 36 percent, and is higher than at any time in nearly two decades, according to the U.S. State Department. That’s why former Mexican president Vicente Fox has called on his own government to legalize marijuana.

The U.S. has about 5 percent of the world’s population, yet it has 26 percent of its prisoners; some in prison for possession of a single joint and typically people of color.

More information is available at http://www.taxcannabis.org

Contact writer Leo E. Laurence, J.D. at (619) 757-4909 or leopowerhere@msn.com

zengersmag.blogspot.com

It came out of the comcasket

Vampires come out of the comcasket and turn themselves into bats, seducing women and biting them in the neck, turning them into vampires.

Portland Police cover up

NEWLY - RELEASED DOCUMENTS REVEAL POLICE LIES AND COVER-UP IN THE DEATH OF JAMES CHASSE

author: <<< i >>>

PRESS RELEASE: Attorneys for the family of James Chasse will share these revelations on Monday, October 18, at 1:30 P.M. Evidence includes documents. Until now kept from the public under a "protective order". That disclose a deliberate web of false statements by Portland police officers, planting of false evidence to support their false statements, and a general pattern of cover-up to conceal vital incriminating evidence against the officers.

NEWLY-RELEASED DOCUMENTS REVEAL POLICE LIES AND COVER-UP IN THE DEATH OF JAMES P. CHASSE, JR.

The Portland Police Bureau demonstrated a consistent pattern of lies, deception and cover-up in the death of James P. Chasse, Jr., according to evidence contained in previously-withheld documents that the City of Portland has now released as ordered by the Court.

Attorneys for the family of James Chasse will share these revelations on Monday, October 18, at 1:30 P.M.

Evidence includes documents.
Until now kept from the public under a "protective order".
That disclose a deliberate web of false statements by Portland police officers, planting of false evidence to support their false statements, and a general pattern of cover-up to conceal vital incriminating evidence against the officers.

WHO: Attorneys for the family of James Chasse
WHAT: Media event, open to the public, to share new revelations about police cover-up in the case of James Chasse
WHERE: Ace Hotel, 1022 SW Stark Street, Room: "The Cleaners" (10th Avenue entrance)
WHEN: Monday, October 18, at 1:30 P.M.

Review of the Logitech D-pad game controller

In my opinion, the Logitech D-pad F310 game controller is the best D-pad on the market.  It sells for about $25.00 on average and had 8 fire buttons and a CD.  The CD is Windows compatible, but can be configured for Linux (I do not know about if it works for Apple)  It connects via USB port and has both digital joystick control (similar to the NES pad) and 2 joysticks that are analog.  There is a button that has a green LED that switches between the two modes.

Big Blue Brotherhood

This is a secret society of police officers.  This includes local law enforcement and FBI.  The FBI is known to slow down the networks of political activists illegally.  They often beat up activists on the streets and hararass activists otherwise.

October 9 anti-war protest Portland, OR

Video and Report Back: October 9, 2010 Rally, March and Teach-In

author: Jim Lockhart

Video and report back from the Portland Rally, March and Teach on October 9, 2010, commemorating the 9th year of the war and occupation in Afghanistan.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTuuDDD9cA8

Report Back by Peace and Justice Works- Thanks to all the hearty individuals who braved the rain and rallied in the South Park Blocks on Saturday, marching over an hour to our teach-in at PSU! I counted about 100 people in the park and between 100-150 marching down the park blocks, toward the waterfront, and back up Broadway. It was a spirited crowd who didn't let a little "Oregon sunshine" get in the way of getting out the message "Money for Jobs and Education, Not War and Occupation!" The rally featured music by Morris McClellan; guest speaker Nate from the Veterans for Peace national board talking about Afghanistan and Iraq; local JL Dunn of Iraq Veterans Against the War and VFP Chapter 72; Meredith Reese of the International Socialist Organization (ISO) on the economic disaster that is the USA; Will Seaman of Jewish Voice for Peace about the continued failure of US policy in Israel/Palestine; Megan Hise, coordinator for the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee and Ismerelda Gonzalez, a PCC student about US policy in Latin America and the recent raids on activists; and Ali Al Hihi, of Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights (SUPER), explaining how the Qu'ran is not a template for hatred, and asking why, then, all the Islamophobia? Host Rebecca Nay, interim evening news director at KBOO 90.7 FM, hosted the rally and kept the energy going, braving mud and rain to make sure the show would go on. The march went by a surprising number of pedestrians given the inclement weather. The No War Drum Corps kept a steady and upbeat pace as the "End Wars" banner made the 30-plus-block trek, stopping at the World Trade Center to denounce Wall Street's war on workers and the Oregonian building to call for "no more lies!" At PSU, the teach-in began with a 7-member panel, hosted by Nicole Bowmer of the ISO. There was a crowd of between 70-100 people there, many of whom were not on the march--you could tell because their clothes and hair were dry. Presenting were: Zaher Wahab, an Afghan-American Education Professor at Lewis & Clark College, who has spent about four months a year in Afghanistan since 2002; Zaher called for a withdrawal of US troops; Israa Hasani, an Iraqi-American community activist, gave the historical picture of US policy in Iraq which led to the rise of the Baath Party (and Saddam Hussein), the deadly sanctions and war of 1990/1991-2003, and the invasion and occupation which are still ongoing; Tasha Triplett, a Senior at Portland State University and a member of SUPER, gave a scathing report card on the US supporting the apartheid regime in Israel--that is, while Palestinians are treated as second class citizens, there is no true pathway to peace; Robin Hahnel, a visiting professor in the department of economics at PSU, made the connection between the failing US economy and what he called the "imperialist wars" overseas; Goudarz Eghtedari, director of the American Iranian Friendship Council and an Iranian-American, described the efforts inside the Obama administration to push for war on Iran, warning that an attack by the US was more likely than one by Israel. Alexis Ball, former field director for Witness for Peace in Mexico, broadly outlined US involvement in Latin America and focused deeply on the carnage caused by the so called "war on drugs" fueled both by US demand for drugs and arms supplied by our government to theirs; Kate Chester, community relations manager at Portland Community College's Sylvania Campus, described her work with the Institute for Christian-Muslim Understanding and the Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon in trying to combat anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim sentiments through dialogue and respect. At about 2:30, the remaining crowd broke into three "workshops": One focusing on Iran and scapegoating which included Kate and Goudarz; one about the economy which included Professor Hahnel, Tim Koch of the ISO and Pam Allee from the Oregon Community for War Tax Resistance/War Resisters League; and the third combining Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel/Palestine and featuring Prof. Wahab, Israa, JL Dunn, Kelly Campbell of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, Wael Elasady of SUPER and MaryAlecia Briggs of Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights. In the Smith Ballroom, during the teach-in, about 10 organizations had literature tables to inform the crowd further. Comments from attendees leads me to believe that the event was well-received, particular compliments went to the panelists. I don't know if there was any mainstream media coverage beyond a great interview with Tasha on KOIN-6 at 6 PM on Saturday. I saw a few recognizable local videographers and photographers at each part of the event. We did, much to my surprise, get some pre-event coverage at the Willamette Week blog ( http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2010/10/08/anti-war-rally-this-saturday) and at KGW ( http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/weekend/Weekend-Guide-Oct--104178174.html). It was a good thing so many of the cosponsors had created web pages about the event, as our website went down for several hours on both Friday and Saturday mornings!!! So, from the folks who came early to set up, to the ones who slogged equipment through the mud and the others who emptied the ballroom when it was all over, to the many cosponsors and endorsers (especially the PSU student groups ISO and SUPER, the First Unitarian Church, PPRC and KBOO!!!) a warm thanks from us here at Peace and Justice Works. Let's hope that the cumulative effect of these educational events will be to bring all the troops home, and get money directed to human needs, not war!!!

homepage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTuuDDD9cA8