ON Carbon, Race, and Housing

There is a new coalition for social justice rising up in Marin, one that includes and is lead by people of various colors. Their website www.concernedmarinites.org. In this battle over affordable housing, racial and economic inequality, regional and state planners versus local control what has been lost sight of is the intention of the state’s legislation to cut down on auto travel to reduce greenhouse gases. The concept that commuting and housing are linked is evident in Marin as 85% of us live along the 101 corridor, pressed against the bay shore line. Our state has set us on a course to reduce our GHG emissions more than 80% in the next 35 years. Forty years ago it was regional, state, and local planning that saved our bay from destruction and it will take such coordinated collective actions today to address the challenges of carbon pollution. It is hypocritical to think that we can stop the Keystone XL pipeline simply by ‘putting on a comfortable pair of shoes’ for a warm Sunday afternoon walk in San Francisco while we oppose efforts here in Marin to reduce our demand for oil. This state did not take on this fight for social justice reasons, but the forces of inequality and racism have aligned to defeat this initiative. ‘No Growth in Marin’ is not a rallying cry for sustainability. I feel like we are reliving the story of Genesis. The story of the first 9 generations in the Hebrew Bible is of a fratricidal struggle between human development and conserving the natural environment that ends with the destruction by a great flood. Many environmentalist have this same sense of impending doom for our planet from such a flood. This time science is warning us of sea level rise. We cannot protect our beautiful landscapes unless we likewise do so for those outside Marin. Our survival requires us to see the Bay Area, California, and the whole world. In the next 35 years science tells us that the earth’s population will increase another 2 billion people and California’s by 13 million. The agricultural and natural landscapes of the other 8 Bay Area counties are just as dear as Marin’s and worthy of protecting. The only alternative to urban sprawl is more densely populated urban environments that have already been greatly impacted by development. That is or current duality. We either learn to live more sustainably within existing urban boundaries or we perish from our own misguided myopic view of the world. We must make positive efforts for both social and environmental justice. These struggles can longer be separated from each other. We will not save the planet by simply standing on the sidelines of this struggle and criticizing the efforts of others. If we have found fault we must put forward alternative just and sustainable solutions. Race and affordable housing are counterposed in Marin. Our successful evolutionary trait of tribalism now presents us with an opportunity to delight in and grow from our wondrous ethnic diversity. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X both taught us that racism is exploited to divide us by stirring up fear and loathing towards the other. Racism is ginned up to send us to war and to maintain the power of an elite by preventing us from seeing our common condition. In the years since Proposition 13 destroyed the quality of California’s educational system my family followed many others to Marin. Marin figured out early that local communities could raise money for their schools. Marin also has a truly impressive conservationists spirit that has kept much of its beautiful landscape undeveloped. We do not develop housing units at a pace that even matches our birth rate. People move here for the schools, the fantastic weather, and to be with their kids and grand kids. This tremendous pressure on housing is what drives the cost of living here so high. Our motives are not driven by hate but by admirable emotions and contemplations. It is without a doubt a great privilege to be able to live in this paradise with engaged community-minded folk, a mostly well functioning governance, in addition to the natural beauty. This privilege however is not shared by all. Wealth is power. It is the great divider. And wealth inequality is the essential ingredient of our racism. Our racial aspect is not that of the Alabama State troopers defending Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge. Marin is not for batons, dogs, and fire hoses. But Marin has two toll bridges of its own. If you have the toll you can live here. If you are black or brown the chances of that are much less. Marinites do not need the federal government’s Housing and Urban Development Department to tell us that institutional racism thrives here. Most of us know that Marin is one of the richest counties in the country. We also know that minorities make up a majority of California yet 4 in 5 Marinites are white. Our great wealth, in a big picture economic sense, is our right to demand services. And that wealth brings tens of thousands of workers here every day seeking part of those riches. Its divisiveness sends these workers home when their days work in done. This greatly contributes to our Greenhouse Gas emissions. It is the disparity of our wealth that is both our blessing and our curse. Marin is in need of a social justice organization that is well intentioned and capable of directing us towards a sustainable path both environmentally and socially. The consequences of inaction will be another flood caused by man and not god, it’s called sea level rise. Join with Concerned Marinites and contribute your efforts.

Bob Sivestri is an evangelical apostle of free market capitalism

I first wrote this in June of 2012 to a priate audience. Bob Sivestri is an evangelical apostle of free market capitalism that has driven us to the brink of climate crisis. His arguments that government is the problem and private capital is the solution flies in the face of recent history and is counter to the principles of the social justice. He argues for exception from rules for the privileged class who live in Marin. His long historical rant leaves out any analysis of private capital in the hands of the auto and oil industry that destroyed public transportation though out this country after the second world war and the consequential changes in urban planning that drove suburban sprawl. His tasteless pap does not address the 60,000 people who commute to Marin everyday for work. It is only enticing to those who deny that building is diverted to other counties or for those who view of people of lower economic or diverse ethnicity with fear and loathing. The Best of Bob Silvestri Mr. Silvestri treats the readers of his anti-ABAG trilogy to a variety of false assertions and non-sequiturs that lead to faulty conclusions. He counter posses his meritorious personal efforts to reduce his own greenhouse gas footprint with the need to address the GHG footprint of all Californians and specifically those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Marin. That is the heart of my objections to his illogic. His premise is that urban planners ought to be replicating the privileged conditions of those who live in Marin to solve climate change. He simply does not address the Housing and Urban Development report that faults Marin for having regulatory barriers preventing people of diverse ethnicity and economic means from living in Marin. Marin on a per capita basis is one of the wealthiest counties in the country and that has relevance to the argument for affordable housing. “The New Urbanism planners of the world should be coming to Marin to learn not to preach.” Mill Valley, CA Patch, The Best Laid Plans - Part I: A Brief History of Planning, Bob Silvestri, June 7, 2012 Mr. Silvestri’s articles are rife with assertions that are simply untrue. In part 2 of this series he asserts without substantiation that building for more density creates greater GHG emissions, “New Yorkers [are] the most egregious polluters on the planet on a per capita basis.” In fact that is not true. Time Science reported that Manhattan has a greenhouse gas footprint less than 30% that of the national average. “America's Environmental Garden Spot: Would You Believe Manhattan?” By BRYAN WALSH Tuesday, May 03, 2011. Additionally again without substantiation he asserts that the GHG footprint attributed to light trucks (includes SUV’s) and autos of California is well below the recognised level of 40% and is closer to 25%. The facts are, “According to the Marin Countywide Plan Update, 62% of greenhouse gas emissions in Marin (GHG) come from the transportation sector. In some local jurisdictions such as Mill Valley the estimates are as high as 65% from transportation. Transportation is the “low hanging fruit” of GHG reduction. The greatest local opportunities for GHG reductions will come from getting Marinites out of their cars and onto their feet, bikes and public transit.” Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Bicycling and Walking – August 2008 The final point I will make about Mr. Silvestri’s articles is his mischaracterization of ABAG. He premises that if we develop according to the guidelines of ABAG we will somehow be prevented from addressing GHG emissions and the consequential climatic changes by other technological means. Nothing in ABAG’s One Bay Area Plan stops Marinites from adding solar panels to their homes or buying all electric vehicles. He asserts that ABAG is the state’s big government imposing its will one size fits all on cities and counties. California passed AB32 and SB375 laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It has left the implementation of these guidelines to multiple regional planning bodies throughout the state that are closer to their impacts. By any measure of democracy Marin is over represented on this body. All 9 Bay Area counties and their 92 cities are represented. Marin has 12 members of the 102 or 12%. Additionally the Joint Policy Committee directed to implement SB375 has 20 members, two from Marin or 10%. Marin has a mere 3% of the population of the Bay Area. ABAG, the Association of Bay Area Governments, does not direct cities or counties to build. Its membership is voluntary. It does require that local governments decide for themselves through their planning process where to build to meet state guidelines. ABAG recently suggested that Marin plan for 2,000 new residential units over the next 30 years.

Why Republicans don’t want us to have jobs

An open letter in support of Norman Solomon

I want to tell you why I am so passionate about Norman Solomon’s campaign for Congress because I think you will want to help out too. It is not often that voters anywhere get the chance to elect someone who is already recognized as a national leader for democracy. This is a grassroots campaign that does not accept corporate money. Its success will depend on your efforts as well as mine. And so far we are doing well. More than 1,100 people have already contributed and more than 300 have volunteered. Please contribute what you can:
http://solomonforcongress.com/

Nearly everyone today believes that we have a broken government that responds only to the wishes of large donors. With over 25 million people unemployed or underemployed, our Congress deservedly has an 82% disapproval rating. This is especially justified, as the only argument we hear coming from Congress now is how much should be cut from the budget, instead of how they could be creating jobs. Every dollar cut from the budget deepens this recession and adds to unemployment. At a recent panel discussion, Norman compellingly made the case that Congress is moving in the wrong direction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd19rxhBcAM&feature=related

The Republican Party is openly calling for layoffs, treating labor as a commodity and reducing its cost to employers in part by attacking Social Security and Medicare*. Sadly, many in the Democratic Party are following their lead. In contrast, Norman is very clear that he stands with us. Please make this your campaign too. Some of us unfortunately have lots of time and no money, while others have money and very little time. You can be sure that Norman’s campaign will make good use of whatever you can offer. Please join us and help introduce Norman to your friends and family.
Visit the website to volunteer, to donate, or to contact us.
http://solomonforcongress.com/

Sincerely,
Dan Monte


*Republicans have put their jobs plan to lower our wages in writing.
“Spend Less, Owe Less, Grow the Economy,” Executive Summary, March 15, 2011
Rep. Steve King (R-IA) speaks to workers from the House floor, “…labor is a commodity just like corn or beans….” June 1, 2011

All cuts are jobs lost!

The way the trigger mechanism works if the committee of 12 recommendations do not become law protects the benefits of Medicare recipients but not the providers –doctors and pharma. They will be subject to a 2% cut in payments. That will have an impact on those that receive care, as there will be less offered.

Cutting or more accurately, changing the drug benefit of both Medicare and Medicaid would be a great thing. That could allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and save hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

It really all comes down to who Reid and Pelosi appoint to this “super-congress.” If one supports cuts to these programs then that will be an indication that the bill will pass and get signed into law.

There are lots of programs that will be cut in any event. And as we are now in the double part of that double dip we are headed for an extremely deep recession.

Austerity Cuts into Unemployment

If you want to find out what is happening with the California State budget drive a bus delivering folks to their programs. Last week I stopped by a program that offers rehabilitation to the aging to help restore their mobility and other physical capabilities and the front desk person told me they are being shut down as a result of the $11.6 billion in state budget cuts. Yesterday it was an assistant teacher who received a pink slip and ask me to pray for her job. This is my prayer for her.

I know that teachers are planning a sit-in for the Capital Rotunda trying to highlight that another $15 billion in cuts will be coming if we don’t raise some taxes, but what about the first set of cut backs. California’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country at 12%, that’s 2,176,333 officially counted out of work Californians. The $11.6 billion in cuts will mean that another 100,000 plus will lose their jobs. That will move our UI rate back up to 12.5% where it was at the pinnacle of this recession.

Offering a referendum on raising $2 billion from the millionaires or $1 billion with a oil severance tax just won’t fix this crisis. We have a real need to change the course that our state government is heading. If we are to prevent an economic catastrophe we need to raise $26 billion and there is only one plan out there now that will do that. The 1.5% tax on business revenue compares well to the combined 1% sales tax increase, the 0.5% vehicle license fee increase, plus an income tax increase that only covers $15 billion.

Our choices are clear, continue down this path of raising taxes primarily on the working poor while at the same time laying off over 100,000 workers and denying services to the elderly, children, and those in medical need, or raise a tax on all businesses that will be shared by all Californians.

For more information on the 1.5% business revenue tax read below.

California Democratic Convention

The California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento this weekend was to my mind a success. I had three concerns that I wanted addressed and accomplished them all. I wanted to support the Progressive Caucus inside the Democratic Party and press them on issues of my concern. Of the nearly 1800 delegates to the Democratic Party over 800 are members of the Progressive Caucus. Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent democratic socialist from Vermont, addressed the general session and then came to our caucus to keep fighting the good fight. As most readers of this will know the Democratic Party of California is not a progressive body, and certainly not the national party.

My second reason for attending was to connect with PDA national and local activists from around our state and measure the support for Norman Solomon’s campaign for congress. He addressed the Progressive Caucus with a new sense of urgency of mission. We have a new Norman, who can address a crowd of progressive activists and make them stand and shout. But he was also was attending many of the smaller caucuses including the Resolutions Committee. They were a tough sell. Three separate groups submitted resolutions that required the shut down of San Onofre and San Luis Obispo nuclear power plants. This event reinforced my commitment to bring progressives into the leadership of the California Democratic Party. The Resolution Committee was populated by labor representatives, three who represented workers at these plants. Regardless of all the right talk the committee submitted a resolution for the plant operators to study themselves whether or not their plants were safe.

Finally I wanted to attend and let everyone there know that we do not need to accept the austerity budget that was recently passed by our Democratically controlled legislature and signed by our Democratic Governor. The Democratic spin machine was out in full force suggesting that it was all the Republican’s fault, when in fact they were all opposed to the governor’s plan of 50% in cuts and 50% in tax increases. Those cuts mean that during this economic downturn whit a 12% unemployment rate in California, our state will be laying off thousands of employees. 400,000 college students won’t attend school for lack of teachers, subsidies for daycare for the working poor are to be eliminated, as will healthcare and other human services for elderly disabled and poor. I was able to put the Social Justice Center of Marin’s proposal for raising money to prevent these cuts into 200 hands including members of the State Senate and Assembly.

I love the California Democratic Party because it will let anyone in and the spoils of victory go to the better organized. That being said, the Progressive Caucus even with its gaudy numbers of nearly half the delegates, spoke not one word about our austerity budget and the pain it will inflict.

Less Government for More Fees Initiative

It is beyond my comprehension that California is in a budget crisis again. Our new governor got the constitutional amendment he asked for, the ability to pass a budget with 21 senators and 41 assembly members, and he got his austerity budget passed with $11.6 billion in cuts to health, social services, and education just mention a few. The rub is that Republicans have refused to allow an initiative on the ballot to raise $15.4 billion in taxes, or more accurately keep them at this temporarily elevated level. Now Brown is traveling the state trying to encourage voters to put an initiative on the ballot themselves. If government were a utility we could call this the “Less Government for More Fees Initiative.”

I don’t think that folks facing sever cuts will be voting for increased taxes. So why not ask us to raise taxes sufficiently to cover the whole $26 billion deficit? I have been promoting a 1.5% tax on all business revenue that would erase the deficit without cutting services. You can read the simple proposal below. But my proposal is just that, one proposal, nothing to fight about. However the concept of a fair tax on all sectors of society and spread to all sectors of the economy is the important point. I have been told that the Governor does not think much of my idea. Well here’s back to him. I don’t think much about a Democratic Party controlled state asking its residents to shut down government during this great recession. With an unemployment rate of over 12% this austerity budget relies on laying off tens of thousands of people. 400,000 college students will not be able to find places in school this coming year. Many state workers, those that can keep their jobs, will endure a 5% pay cut. In Home Health Service workers and their clients will have less hours. Whole classifications of medical recipients will lose care.

But it could be worse. And that is Brown’s message, if you don’t vote for these cuts by approving increases in taxes the alternative will be even more drastic cuts. I use to admire his political acumen and after the November election victory for the Democratic Party I was in awe. But not now, no Republicans will vote for Brown’s deal, and only half of the Independents and Democrats at most. My proposal, and I am sure there are others, will cost an average of $750 per resident but it will fall much more heavily on the wealthy and business. We would all pay something. And it would help keep California out of the coming second half of the double dip recession.

Hug a Republican today for slowing the process down, and then call our Democratic legislators and tell them we will only vote yes on a No Cuts Budget!