Tuesday, April 29, 2008 11:00:02 PM
PIO News
From: Mark Coplan
Subject: Assemblymember Hancock: Town Hall on California’s Budget Crisis
To: PublicInfo

Assemblymember Loni Hancock is very pleased to see the leadership the
Berkeley school community has provided in responding to the state wide
budget crisis. She asked me to pass this invitation for an update in the
hopes that some of us can make it to Alameda this Saturday.

Mark Coplan, BUSD Public Information Officer
=======================================

A Town Hall on California’s Budget Crisis

Saturday, May 3rd
10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.
Encinal High School
210 Central Avenue • Alameda, CA 94501

Please join me at a town hall to examine California’s budget crisis and
its impact on our schools and other services. Empower yourself by being
involved in the budget process. Help to ensure that the budget is fair;
that it is not merely balanced on the backs of our children, the elderly,
disabled and our women and men in uniform.

To RSVP or for more information, please call my district office at (510)
559-1406.

I look forward to seeing you on May 3rd.

Assemblymember Loni Hancock

Website: [ http://www.assembly.ca.gov/Hancock
]http://www.assembly.ca.gov/Hancock
Email:Assemblymember.Hancock@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0014
Phone: (916) 319-2014
Fax: (916) 319-2114 District Office
712 El Cerrito Plaza
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Phone: (510) 559-1406
Fax: (510) 559-1478

Sincerely,
Dot Lofstrom
Project Manager
DTSC

I’m writing to remind you of a really important conference and Forum on a subject that is at the heart of what is going on in American politics and the economy and which has major implications for the labor movement. General Motors and Chrysler have been negotiating with the UAW over health and other working conditions. Behind those negotiations is the threat of the entire auto industry going non-union, either in the US or by building what were American cars in China where workers are not permitted to form an independent union. The All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is a state union run from the top to serve the interests of the state or “foreign” manufacturers. We are having a round-table discussion of this complicated subject with some leading labor experts on Saturday afternoon, October 13. The round-table will be preceded by the showing of an amazing documentary made by a local film-maker: “China Blue” — shot surreptitiously in China it shows the gross exploitation of young Chinese women clothing workers by the new “capitalists” in China. Imagine if someone had been able to make a film in 19th century England about the exploitation of the textile workers there and you will have an idea of what this film is like. Following the round-table there will be full audience participation — discussion and questions. Coffee and cookies served.

We will adjourn at 5 to go to dinner at a local restaurant and return for Professor Nelson Lichtenstein’s Forum: “Wal-Mart: the Face of 21st Century Capitalism” — copies of his book by the same name will be available for purchase courtesy of Books Inc. Please join us EITHER at the conference in the afternoon OR the Forum in the evening — or, even better, BOTH. I promise you it will be an intellectually stimulating day. As always — and even more so in this case — our aim is to go into the intellectual background of the issues confronting us in order to help activists intervene as intelligently and effectively as possible. Co-Sponsored by California Healthy Communities Network. The Alameda Public Affairs Forum is a continuing project of the Center for Global Peace and Democracy. Please forward this email to your friends and contacts.

To sum up:

“A Conference on Labor, Wal-Mart and China: Challenge to the American Labor Movement. (1PM for showing of “China Blue” - followed by round table discussion 2.15-4.45; Dinner at Luciano’s, 2319 Santa Clara Ave.,5-6.45; Evening, 7 to 9.30, Alameda Public Affairs FORUM Professor Nelson Lichtenstein, UCSB, “Wal-Mart: The Face of 21st Century Capitalism”– all at our NEW location, The Alameda Free Library, corner of Oak and Lincoln. Round-table participants include: Nelson Lichtenstein (UCSB); Steve Diamond (Santa Clara Law School) David Brody (UC Davis); Ken Jacobs (Institute of Industrial Relations, UCB). Donations at door.

Directions: coming south on 880 turn on 23rd Ave exit, cross Park St Bridge - turn right on Lincoln, one half block to parking lot behind Library. In the evening look for signs directing you to the side entrance.

Coming north on 880, take 29th Ave. exit toward Fruitvale ave., Turn right onto East 9th St., Turn right on Fruitvale Ave., Fruitvale Ave. becomes Tilden Way; Tilden Way becomes Lincoln Ave., go one-half block and turn right into Library Parking lot (Library is at 1550 Oak St.). I’ll have my cell phone if you need more help: (510) 846-5464.

“’No Child Left Behind?’ What is the Conservative, Corporate Agenda for Destroying Our Public Schools?”

Throughout the country and here in Alameda, a Federal law entitled “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) requires testing that undermines your child’s education. This law is part of a corporate agenda to destroy public education in this country. Additionally, in California cities, including Alameda, redevelopment drains our schools and other public services of much needed tax revenue funding. Hear our panel of speakers explore these topics vital to every person.

Kathy Emery, Jack Gerson, Marsha Feinland and Gretchen Mackler-Lipow

Kathy Emery, has taught high school history for 16 years, has a Ph.D. In Education from UC Davis, and is currently working with Teachers for Social Justice and the San Francisco Organizing Project. Ms. Emery is co-author with Susan Ohanian of “Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Schools?” This book has received the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contributions for Honesty in Public Language. Ms Emery heads the San Francisco Freedom School summer program. Copies of Ms. Emery’s book will be available for purchase at the event.

Jack Gerson teaches at Castlemont Leadership Prep High in Oakland, California, where he is the lead math teacher and a member of the school district’s math curriculum council. He is on the Executive Board of the Oakland teachers’ union (the Oakland Education Association), and has been an active opponent of the state takeover of Oakland public schools and of the role of the Broad and Gates Foundations in imposing privatization via a “business model” for public schools. He has an M.S. in mathematics (Stanford) and a Ph.D. in biostatistics (Berkeley).

Marsha Feinland and Gretchen Mackler-Lipow retired Alameda teachers and activists.

Saturday, June 16th, 2007, 7:00 To 9:30 P.M.
1300 Grand Street, Alameda
Join in a challenging presentation and discussion of the vital issues
confronting our world today.

CDs of all previous forums are available at the website http://www.alamedaforum.org
email: AlamedaPublicAffairs@comcast.net * call: 510-814-9592
Donations at the Door

Too bad - REALLY too bad our state of the art new library could not provide access to record to the webcast center the important PB meeting held there Jan 31st. I guess the rule is if you don’t want people to know - make it hard for them to find out- SOS in Alameda.

The Transportation Commission is discussing classifying streets in Alameda into residential streets, and various kind of collector streets. Although Central/Encinal is designated to be a fairly heavy traffic street.(s), Bayview and Gibbons are listed as streets to be protected.

One of the items on the consent agenda was for Alameda to join a state program which will allow developers to get long term financing for tax debts due for improvements of their property. Instead of getting their own private loans if needed, they will now be able to get loans to cover their tax debt from State issued bonds. This is another gift for Catellus and friends as it only helps with this kind of tax exceeding $250,000.

No one on CC even pulled the item for discussion on how this could possibly benefit the people of the city they represent, or the people of the State which will be responsible for guaranteeing the bond.

From the votes on both the consent and regular agenda, it is obvious that this edition of our City Council is overwhelmingly developer-friendly. I used to think the reputation of “Democrats” was to stand for the welfare of society, while the reputation of “Republicans” was to stand for the welfare of the ‘corporate state’. Looks like party affiliation names here are just meaningless words. It is easy for those in management positions of the Public Sector to spend, other peoples money regardless of the outcome. (Just look at APT) It is the job of elected officals to safeguard public assets. What is going on here in Alameda?