Monday, August 14, 2006
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Save Our City Land
As you may or may not know local politicos fund their campaigns by sweet deals with developers and public land givaways. State Senator Perata and his loyal servants ( Ignacio De La Fuente, Larry Reid, Jean Quan and Henry Chang) want to sell off Oakland school land and the Oakland waterfront (the Oak to Ninth Development) and the supes want Fairmont Hospital and Highland if they can get it. The greedy bastards also want the Peralta College land over by Laney.
Oaklander's have wised up to the real estate rip-off , a coalition has formed to fight the Oak to Ninth Development. I'm giving them my time and money, so should you.
Here's the link http://www.abetteroaktoninth.org/
Oaklander's have wised up to the real estate rip-off , a coalition has formed to fight the Oak to Ninth Development. I'm giving them my time and money, so should you.
Here's the link http://www.abetteroaktoninth.org/
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Help, I Need a Brochure!
No, this is not “normal,” 78 murders in Oakland this year. Real estate at all-time highs and earnest Berkeley/Albany parents worried about their kids getting shot at parties. We have more money, more desperation, more death and violence than in years past.
County Supervisor Nate Miley’s office said, “Well, that’s Oakland and the City Council’s responsibility.” I said, “ We have nothing for people, no support services to offer the broken, the battered and the frightened.”
Nate Miley got lots of great press for his violence prevention program and feels he’s spent enough resources on Oakland. I sounded so pitiful on the phone that Miley’s staff felt sorry for me and said they’d send over a brochure.
I didn’t bother calling my City Council Member, Jean Quan. Jeanie prefers not to talk about crime: it frightens people who vote.
So my dear friends and co-workers if it feels like we’re standing alone in a flood of violence, diseases of desperation and community disintegration that’s because we are. Politicians say they want to help the sick, the poor, the injured, the unparented and the over and under-medicated but the truth is they don’t mean it.
See, the county hospital catches all the fabulous failures of our bureaucratic and inept county and city services. Jails fail to prevent chronic illness and disability, compassionately release inmates to Highland. Adult Protective Services fails to protect –that’s right Highland. A nursing home ships a psychotic patient from Hopunk California because they get paid extra to take care of the guy and they realize he bites and throws feces. No problem, send him to Highland. How about Behavioral Health they cost effectively under-manage mental illness and substance abuse for years and then just send their clients to the Highland. Violence prevention fails to prevent violence, that’s right, let Highland deal with it.
That’s why our patients and our hospital get defunded and attacked by politicians: we take care of people. Politicians hate us because we remind them of their failures. They don’t come to Highland to see victims of violence and their families – they hold Summits and press conferences to talk to campaign donors and to expound on how much they are doing about the problem.
See, people fall between the bureaucratic cracks. County’s all about spreadsheets, power points and political pork programs; it’s no longer about people or their problems. Caregiving has become an act of political defiance. So, for all you baby docs, yes, our leaders indifference is more frightening than the carnage and yes, it is up to us the fix world as well as our patients. But don’t despair Supervisor Nate Miley is going to send us a helpful brochure!
County Supervisor Nate Miley’s office said, “Well, that’s Oakland and the City Council’s responsibility.” I said, “ We have nothing for people, no support services to offer the broken, the battered and the frightened.”
Nate Miley got lots of great press for his violence prevention program and feels he’s spent enough resources on Oakland. I sounded so pitiful on the phone that Miley’s staff felt sorry for me and said they’d send over a brochure.
I didn’t bother calling my City Council Member, Jean Quan. Jeanie prefers not to talk about crime: it frightens people who vote.
So my dear friends and co-workers if it feels like we’re standing alone in a flood of violence, diseases of desperation and community disintegration that’s because we are. Politicians say they want to help the sick, the poor, the injured, the unparented and the over and under-medicated but the truth is they don’t mean it.
See, the county hospital catches all the fabulous failures of our bureaucratic and inept county and city services. Jails fail to prevent chronic illness and disability, compassionately release inmates to Highland. Adult Protective Services fails to protect –that’s right Highland. A nursing home ships a psychotic patient from Hopunk California because they get paid extra to take care of the guy and they realize he bites and throws feces. No problem, send him to Highland. How about Behavioral Health they cost effectively under-manage mental illness and substance abuse for years and then just send their clients to the Highland. Violence prevention fails to prevent violence, that’s right, let Highland deal with it.
That’s why our patients and our hospital get defunded and attacked by politicians: we take care of people. Politicians hate us because we remind them of their failures. They don’t come to Highland to see victims of violence and their families – they hold Summits and press conferences to talk to campaign donors and to expound on how much they are doing about the problem.
See, people fall between the bureaucratic cracks. County’s all about spreadsheets, power points and political pork programs; it’s no longer about people or their problems. Caregiving has become an act of political defiance. So, for all you baby docs, yes, our leaders indifference is more frightening than the carnage and yes, it is up to us the fix world as well as our patients. But don’t despair Supervisor Nate Miley is going to send us a helpful brochure!
Personals
“Bald, black and broke.”
-San Francisco Bay Guardian Personal Ad
I almost answered that ad, I figured at least the dude’s honest. For the record, my husband has a full head of hair and a job and so you wonder what do personal ads have to do with the job, the Medical Center. Well, the subject of relationships has come up.
For the last ten years I’ve done lots of moonlighting. My second job consists mainly of working with other folks to keep my first job open. We’ve, rallied, vigilled, blogged leafleted, called, faxed and emailed. We had a “fire Dave Kears” campaign and rally once. I stood two cars away from a huge spotless sedan in a reserved parking space in the county lot when then Supervisor Mary King came out, turned red, and ripped our literature from her windshield and shredded it.
Mary and I had a relationship. She misrepresented me, my values and my interests and I called, faxed and flyered her with what I felt was helpful information. That’s as much relationship as I need with a politician. I just want them to do the right thing; I don’t want to do lunch.
When activists, organizers, and wonks get together into groups with bylaws, committees and minutes the strategy discussion often becomes should we compromise with a politician who’s not doing the right thing so we can build a “relationship” or should we do something that would make a difference.
The whole notion that the Medical Center should be subsidizing the county budget with “debt” and “interest” payments is a big hot steaming pile of horse…..
I feel so hurt, so dirty, so used, I thought we had a “relationship” with the board of supes. Boo hoo.
-San Francisco Bay Guardian Personal Ad
I almost answered that ad, I figured at least the dude’s honest. For the record, my husband has a full head of hair and a job and so you wonder what do personal ads have to do with the job, the Medical Center. Well, the subject of relationships has come up.
For the last ten years I’ve done lots of moonlighting. My second job consists mainly of working with other folks to keep my first job open. We’ve, rallied, vigilled, blogged leafleted, called, faxed and emailed. We had a “fire Dave Kears” campaign and rally once. I stood two cars away from a huge spotless sedan in a reserved parking space in the county lot when then Supervisor Mary King came out, turned red, and ripped our literature from her windshield and shredded it.
Mary and I had a relationship. She misrepresented me, my values and my interests and I called, faxed and flyered her with what I felt was helpful information. That’s as much relationship as I need with a politician. I just want them to do the right thing; I don’t want to do lunch.
When activists, organizers, and wonks get together into groups with bylaws, committees and minutes the strategy discussion often becomes should we compromise with a politician who’s not doing the right thing so we can build a “relationship” or should we do something that would make a difference.
The whole notion that the Medical Center should be subsidizing the county budget with “debt” and “interest” payments is a big hot steaming pile of horse…..
I feel so hurt, so dirty, so used, I thought we had a “relationship” with the board of supes. Boo hoo.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Go Gavin!
Free love, good eats and universal healthcare. Gavin Newsom beat Dellums to universal healthcare. Read all about it. Click here:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_4069114
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_4069114
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Discussing Utopian Visions of Healthcare
Wright Lassiter III CEO. ACMC (left)
Ron Dellums Mayor-Elect of Oakland (right)
Terremoto
Leave it to the Supes to use a natural disaster as an opportunity to dismantle the Medical Center. All hospitals must be earthquake safe by 2012 to be in compliance with state regulation. Kaiser got the go ahead to expand and the Supes blessings but the poor Medical Center trustees are out behind the back room arguing with the Supes. The Supes want to build an outhouse and the hospital trustees and Wright Lassiter III want to build a hospital.
That’s the kind of progressive visionary thinking Alameda County deserves. In the event of a major earthquake the hospital will crumple and prisons will be left standing. If current county budgetary trends continue, getting jailed might be the only way for the uninsured to get healthcare.
That’s the kind of progressive visionary thinking Alameda County deserves. In the event of a major earthquake the hospital will crumple and prisons will be left standing. If current county budgetary trends continue, getting jailed might be the only way for the uninsured to get healthcare.
Wright Lassiter III Doing Diligence
Alameda County Medical Center CEO Wright Lassiter III will discuss his
strategic vision for ACMC at the next Vote Health general membership
meeting.
The meeting will be held at 7:00 pm
The Oakland City Council will vote on a resolution in support of SB
840, Sheila Kuehl's single payer bill, the following night, Tuesday, July 18th.
The city council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at city hall.
Kay Eisenhower,
Chair Vote Health
strategic vision for ACMC at the next Vote Health general membership
meeting.
The meeting will be held at 7:00 pm
on Monday, July 17
California Nurses Association located at 20th and Franklin Streets, Oakland
For more information, please call 510-832-8683.
The Oakland City Council will vote on a resolution in support of SB
840, Sheila Kuehl's single payer bill, the following night, Tuesday, July 18th.
The city council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at city hall.
Kay Eisenhower,
Chair Vote Health
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Dave Kears’ Weed Not Greed Treatment Center
That’s right! The time has come to identify and treat Alameda County’s most pernicious, widespread and contagious social problems. It’s an epidemic, a pandemic and it’s maiming and killing thousands- it’s a scourge, a plague, it’s the “green death.” That’s right it’s greed. Overpaid overfed bureaucrats, policy shakers and makers, politicians have gotten richer and richer undeserving the poor. The Sheriff, Dave Kears (Director of Health Services) and Susan Muranishi (Chief Administrative Officer) salaries are over half a rock and that’s without kickbacks, pensions, junkets and free food.
They vote themselves frequent fat raises while cutting and privatizing public services like healthcare. They give themselves awards and hold fancy parties for other greedy people and everyone congratulates each other as they divide up the public funds for the next fiscal year. It’s a public health crisis: TB, AIDS, homelessness, sexual exploitation of children and imprisonment in general are all up and our leaders are throwing a victory party with melon martinis and novelty napkins.
The time has come to take county government and medical marijuana to a higher level. All the “top dogs” will live communally in the Weed Not Greed Treatment Center.
Let’s take a quick look at our leaders after a week of intensive treatment:
Dave used his left toes to pick up a pair of worn running shorts, he kicked them into the air and caught them in his right hand knocking over a lamp and a half can of beer in the process. He grabbed a chair with his left hand and stepped into the shorts pulling them up over his bare ass. He looked under a pile of clothes for a shirt but couldn’t find one, and wandered out of the room shirtless and shoeless looking for his friends.
Charley Plummer wore an open black bathrobe and sat fully reclined in a pink vinyl Lazy Boy, in the common room. Susan Muranishi lay on the red rug on the floor. One of her favorite Gucci silk scarves tied around her breasts as a top. She lay very still but her belly button ring, a plastic peace sign with a bell jingled each time she breathed. She sounded like a snoring cat.
Dave: “Hey Chuck, I’m so sorry about last night, that was my bad.”
Charley: “No problem, Dave I’ve been known to get a little psychedelic myself.”
Dave: “That’s righteous of you dude, I think I love you.”
Charley: “I love you to.”
Dave: “I mean it Chuck, your kindness will never be obliterated.”
See at Dave’s Weed Not Greed Treatment Center the motto is why get rich when you could get high? Dare to care, dare to share. Toke for a cure: treating corporate crime one spliff at a time.
You can support Dave Kears’ Weed Not Greed Clinic by participating in the “Toke for a Cure” Smoke Out and Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition.
They vote themselves frequent fat raises while cutting and privatizing public services like healthcare. They give themselves awards and hold fancy parties for other greedy people and everyone congratulates each other as they divide up the public funds for the next fiscal year. It’s a public health crisis: TB, AIDS, homelessness, sexual exploitation of children and imprisonment in general are all up and our leaders are throwing a victory party with melon martinis and novelty napkins.
The time has come to take county government and medical marijuana to a higher level. All the “top dogs” will live communally in the Weed Not Greed Treatment Center.
Let’s take a quick look at our leaders after a week of intensive treatment:
Dave used his left toes to pick up a pair of worn running shorts, he kicked them into the air and caught them in his right hand knocking over a lamp and a half can of beer in the process. He grabbed a chair with his left hand and stepped into the shorts pulling them up over his bare ass. He looked under a pile of clothes for a shirt but couldn’t find one, and wandered out of the room shirtless and shoeless looking for his friends.
Charley Plummer wore an open black bathrobe and sat fully reclined in a pink vinyl Lazy Boy, in the common room. Susan Muranishi lay on the red rug on the floor. One of her favorite Gucci silk scarves tied around her breasts as a top. She lay very still but her belly button ring, a plastic peace sign with a bell jingled each time she breathed. She sounded like a snoring cat.
Dave: “Hey Chuck, I’m so sorry about last night, that was my bad.”
Charley: “No problem, Dave I’ve been known to get a little psychedelic myself.”
Dave: “That’s righteous of you dude, I think I love you.”
Charley: “I love you to.”
Dave: “I mean it Chuck, your kindness will never be obliterated.”
See at Dave’s Weed Not Greed Treatment Center the motto is why get rich when you could get high? Dare to care, dare to share. Toke for a cure: treating corporate crime one spliff at a time.
You can support Dave Kears’ Weed Not Greed Clinic by participating in the “Toke for a Cure” Smoke Out and Chocolate Chip Cookie Competition.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Dirt Readers Rock the Board
Under intense pressure from the voting public the supes managed to do good, 8 millions dollars worth of good. Super Supes Keith Carson, Nate Miley and Scott Haggerty came together to help out healthcare. Supervisor Gail Steele was the only supe to object. After almost having lost her seat due to her dismal record on healthcare, she plans to serve her last term being even more mean-spirited. Oh well, at least she’s consistent.
We obviously should be talking to our local politicians more often and more honestly, left to their own committees they come up with some really bad ideas. A thousand thanks to everyone who wrote, emailed, called, and faxed. Vote Health’s Kay Eisenhower and Brad Cleveland spent most of their weekend on this campaign, as did most of the hospital’s shop stewards.
It is shocking how invested people are not just in the Medical Center but also in Measure “A”. People really want the promises of Measure “A” to be protected and they will stand up and fight if they feel someone is undermining its success. Nice to see people fight for our patients, it makes those of us who work at the Medical Center feel really good.
We obviously should be talking to our local politicians more often and more honestly, left to their own committees they come up with some really bad ideas. A thousand thanks to everyone who wrote, emailed, called, and faxed. Vote Health’s Kay Eisenhower and Brad Cleveland spent most of their weekend on this campaign, as did most of the hospital’s shop stewards.
It is shocking how invested people are not just in the Medical Center but also in Measure “A”. People really want the promises of Measure “A” to be protected and they will stand up and fight if they feel someone is undermining its success. Nice to see people fight for our patients, it makes those of us who work at the Medical Center feel really good.
Friday, June 23, 2006
We Got 8 Million!
I guess it's true. I read it in the Tribune the supes came up with 8 million.
Read all about it:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3971271
Read all about it:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3971271
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Stay Turned...
We may live to fight another budget battle. Supervisor Keith Carson has put together a plan to get us 8 million dollars. Susan Muranishi, the county's Chief Administrative Officer found the cash in her other shoe. She makes a cool quarter million a year because of moves like this, but what do I know about high finance.
So Carson's proposal goes to a vote and if it passes the Medical Center will feel much better. Cross your fingers, hold your breath, pray, whatever works, we deserve a break.
So Carson's proposal goes to a vote and if it passes the Medical Center will feel much better. Cross your fingers, hold your breath, pray, whatever works, we deserve a break.
Budget Crisis Coverage
Well the Berkeley Daily Planet did it again, best coverage of Oakland and healthcare issues. To read Jesse Allan-Taylor's piece about the budget hearing click here:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=06-20-06&storyID=24432
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=06-20-06&storyID=24432
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Help the Medical Center Now!
Care about healthcare here's you chance to act.
Sign the petition to insure that Measure "A" dollars are spent on healthcare.
http://www.petitiononline.com/HelpACMC/
To read about the supes latest move on the Medical Center click here:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3952370
Sign the petition to insure that Measure "A" dollars are spent on healthcare.
http://www.petitiononline.com/HelpACMC/
To read about the supes latest move on the Medical Center click here:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_3952370
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The Bond Boondoggle
Well the board of supes continue to milk Measure “A” revenues out of the Medical Center and back to the county coffers. That’s right between rent increases, undocumented “debt” and that debt’s interest public healthcare will be subsidizing the county budget to the tune of about 20 million.
The county supes have shown great initiative and motivation with a couple years of practice and low resistance they will be sucking the full 75 million out of the hospital and into their own pet projects like prisons and puppies for Supervisor Gail Steele.
The “Dirt” interviewed real people about the current state of financial affairs.
“I voted for Measure “A” and all I got was this sheriff’s substation.”
“I voted for Measure “A” and the County Supervisors got a thirty thousand dollars raise.”
“I voted for Measure “A” and all I got was this lousy blog.”
The county supes have shown great initiative and motivation with a couple years of practice and low resistance they will be sucking the full 75 million out of the hospital and into their own pet projects like prisons and puppies for Supervisor Gail Steele.
The “Dirt” interviewed real people about the current state of financial affairs.
“I voted for Measure “A” and all I got was this sheriff’s substation.”
“I voted for Measure “A” and the County Supervisors got a thirty thousand dollars raise.”
“I voted for Measure “A” and all I got was this lousy blog.”
MSM
That’s right MSM (Main Steam Media) got Oakland all wrong all the newspapers: the Chronicle, the Tribune and the Express all endorsed Ignacio for mayor. The press forgot to talk to the public they just spoke to the politicians. Jesse Taylor from the Planet and the blogs got it right they went for Dellums. What’s the message? What difference does it make to the Medical Center?
Lots you see Larry Tramatula, the political consultant who ran De La Fuente's Karl Rovesque campaign which appealed to the pissed off and priced out of San Francisco yuppie elite of the Oakland hills, also ran Measure “A.” He just got his clock cleaned trying to get approval to build a hospital up in Sonoma County, maybe that’s why he appealed to self-righteous self-interest.
Who knows, still watching this campaign many were moved to help themselves not the poor. If the Medical Center plans to continue to exist we depend on the public and the press’s better nature. Public healthcare is about our willingness to care for each other and to foot the bill for our common humanity and decency. While decency and a humanistic vision prevailed in the mayoral race, our politicians, press and pollsters found a huge pocket of self-interest. This view of Oakland as under serving the over privileged and over serving the poor will play prominently in the future of the Medical Center.
If you want to know what’s really going on read the blogs and the Berkeley Daily Planet they’re smarter than the MSM (Main Steam Media.)
Kid Oakland http://kidoaklandblog.blogspot.com/
The Berkeley Daily Planet http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/index.cfm?issue=06-13-06
Lots you see Larry Tramatula, the political consultant who ran De La Fuente's Karl Rovesque campaign which appealed to the pissed off and priced out of San Francisco yuppie elite of the Oakland hills, also ran Measure “A.” He just got his clock cleaned trying to get approval to build a hospital up in Sonoma County, maybe that’s why he appealed to self-righteous self-interest.
Who knows, still watching this campaign many were moved to help themselves not the poor. If the Medical Center plans to continue to exist we depend on the public and the press’s better nature. Public healthcare is about our willingness to care for each other and to foot the bill for our common humanity and decency. While decency and a humanistic vision prevailed in the mayoral race, our politicians, press and pollsters found a huge pocket of self-interest. This view of Oakland as under serving the over privileged and over serving the poor will play prominently in the future of the Medical Center.
If you want to know what’s really going on read the blogs and the Berkeley Daily Planet they’re smarter than the MSM (Main Steam Media.)
Kid Oakland http://kidoaklandblog.blogspot.com/
The Berkeley Daily Planet http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/index.cfm?issue=06-13-06
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Early Election Results
I'm too old to stay up all night but right now, we got good and bad news, the Super Chicks :Gail Steele and Alice Lai-Bitker are winning. Boo hoo but Ron Dellums is also winning, whew. Here's the numbers:
Dellums 44.3% De La Fuente 36.2% Nadel 14.6% Oz 2.8% & Arnie Fields 1.4% (4.73% reported)
Alice Lai-Bitker 48.6 % Sheila Young 31.8% Jim Price 8.8% Glenda Nardine 6.5 % Lou Filipovich 4.1% ( 4.4% reported)
Gail Steele 54.3% and Richard Valle 45.5% ( 2.16% reported)
Here's the link for those who can stay up all night:
http://www.acgov.org/rov/current_election/custom.htm
Dellums 44.3% De La Fuente 36.2% Nadel 14.6% Oz 2.8% & Arnie Fields 1.4% (4.73% reported)
Alice Lai-Bitker 48.6 % Sheila Young 31.8% Jim Price 8.8% Glenda Nardine 6.5 % Lou Filipovich 4.1% ( 4.4% reported)
Gail Steele 54.3% and Richard Valle 45.5% ( 2.16% reported)
Here's the link for those who can stay up all night:
http://www.acgov.org/rov/current_election/custom.htm
A Better Blog
For those infrequent travelers in the blogosphere here's a treat:
http://kidoaklandblog.blogspot.com/
http://kidoaklandblog.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 05, 2006
Vote Health- Highland Hospital
Vote for health, for hope and for our children. Jim Price and Richard Valle for County Supervisor and Ron Dellums for Mayor of Oakland.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Charlie Ridgell said...
Both the Tribune and the Daily Dirt are missing the big point, namely that, when it comes to Measure A and ACMC, the Board of Supervisors misled, and continue to mislead, the voters of Alameda County!
Alert observers will recall that, at the time the Board of Supervisors put Measure A on the ballot, there was controversy about its provisions. As a result of the controversy, Local 250, the largest union of health care workers in the county and one of the original proponents of Measure A, refused to support Measure A in the form the Supervisors placed it on the ballot because, as it was written by the Board of Supervisors, it failed to guarantee that the Board would not use the new funding stream as an excuse to reduce its support of the Medical Center through some other means.
In typical politician fashion, it was only after the voters approved Measure A that our Board of Supervisors raised their outrageous demand that the County's medical center "repay" the County almost $200 million for the County's past support of the County's Medical Center.
The County bureaucrats refer to these funds as "loans", but nobody has produced any loan contracts or documents with any signatures by anyone in authority at the Medical Center promising to pay anything back as a condition of receiving the money.
The Board of Supervisors' actions since the passage of Measure A and right up to the present validate Local 250's (now the UHW) criticism.
If it weren't for this so-called "debt" there would be no deficit at ACMC! For the hard of hearing, I repeat:
IF IT WEREN'T FOR THIS SO-CALLED "DEBT" THERE WOULD BE NO DEFICIT AT ACMC!
The questions for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors are:
"Why did you lie to the voters?"
and:
"When will you tell the truth and admit what you did with Measure A was dishonest?"
The question for the ACMC Trustees is:
"When will you find the courage to live up to your fiduciary obligation to ACMC and repudiate the bogus 'debt' so that the Medical Center can deliver what was promised to the voters?"
By the way, two members of the Board of Supervisors are up for re-election. Let's connect the dots, people!
Bárbara Selfridge's Crib Sheet for the June 6, 2006 Primary Election
Are you a democrat? Apparently I'm one, so these are my votes in their primary. (I thought I'd switched to Peace and Freedom, but I guess I switched back.)
The important votes for me are governor (I have that institutionalized sister whose life hangs in the balance every time the Republicans get on their no taxes hobby horse), Oakland Mayor (no to De La Fuente/Don Parata/developers machine), Alameda County School Supe (make Sheila Jordan pay for her role in the state/developer takeover!), Superior Court Judge (because there's so little info out there), and the Democratic Central Committee (because there are at least four Lyndon LaRouchies on the ballot!)
Prop 81: Bonds for Libraries--Yes. Because how else do we fund libraries in a no-taxes-except-on-future-generations time?
Prop 82: Tax the Rich to Pre-School 4-year-olds--YES. Wow! A progressive project without a regressive tax/bond financing plan! Take note, prop 81!
Gov--Phil Angelides. He's friends with Cornel West, and he's the Dem who has fought for low income housing and entitlements for the developmentally disabled, and is willing to raise taxes, which is so needed and so different from Schwarzenegger. Steve Wesley, the ebay millionaire, is running as a no-new-taxes Schwarzenegger-lite. My man in Sacto says that a Schw-lite may be more effective in getting the taxes over the 2/3rds hurdle (that's how a minority of Republicans in the legislature can prevent new taxes), but then, that's the same rational that told me I might get new taxes out of a Republican-lite like Arnold.
Lt. Gov--Jackie Speier. The Bay Guardian likes her better than Garamendi (a headline-chaser/past loser for the Dems) and Figueroa (a potential loser, they say, judging by her lack of support).
Secy of State--Deborah Ortiz? Debra Bowen is actively fighting Diebold and theft by voting machine, which would be her job as secy of state, but Ortiz is at least as good and we'd get a Latina into a state-wide office.
Controller--John Chiang? The Bay Guardian likes Enron-fighter Joe Dunn a little better than Chiang, and I'll probably go with a Green or Peace and Freedom candidate -- Laura Wells or Elizabeth Barrón -- in November.
Treasurer--write in Mehul Thakker. Bill Lockyer disappointed me as Atty General, so why should I give him my vote in an unopposed election? Thakker's the Green.
Atty General--Rocky Delgadillo. The Bay Guardian says Delgadillo's articulate and experienced and has tremendous chraisma, but he's not so good on the issues: no crackdown on corporate crime, etc. Maybe he's better, they say, than the bombastic Oakland mayor Jerry Brown, but worse than the old Pacifica talkshow-host Jerry Brown. Why give Jerry Brown another chance, I say.
Insurance Commissioner--write in Tom Condit. The Kraft cheese heir isn't running a real campaign against Cruz Bustamante, and Tom Condit's a really smart Peace and Freedom activist.
Board of Equalization, 1st Dist.--Betty Yee. The Bay Guardian likes this incumbant for getting money out of the big corporations and utilities.
State Schools Supe--Sarah Knopp. The Bay Guardian likes incumbant Jack O'Connell as a smart pro-kid liberal, but he's all about exit exams. Knopp's a Green running on anti-No Child Left Behind, pro-taxes, and strong teacher's unions.
US Senator--write in Marsha Feinland. Why waste a vote on hawkish/PATRIOT act-supporter Feinstein when she's running unopposed so it's painless to make a statement--albeit an extremely SMALL statement--in favor of the Peace and Freedom party?
US Representative--Barbara Lee. She still speaks for me.
State Assembly, 16th Dist--Sandré Swanson. John Russo's flashier, more ambitious, and not that bad, but Sandré is Barbara Lee's staffer who's closer to me on all my issues.
Democratic Central Committee, 16th dist (vote for 6)--Egerman, Andropoulos, Neal, Berzins, Sweeney-Griffith, Williams. I know very little about these people (Kathy Neal is Elihu Harris' wife) except that they're Democrats and at least 4 of the other 6 are Lyndon LaRouche-supporters (ie left rhetoric/fascist practice) who just obstruct obstruct obstruct: Jason Alexander Ross, Oyang W. Teng, Summer Justice Shields (probably elected last time because she was a woman but he's not), and Sylvia Spaniolo. Let the Democrats run their own party.
Note: in the 14th and 18th districts, the alameda county afl-cio and the Lesbian-Gay-Bi_Trans Democratic Club both endorse these slates: Weinstein, Gee, Kelly, Jaramillo, Echols, Green (14th) and Prola, Torello, Sanborn, Fernandez, Trullinger, and Perry (18th). Must be Dems.
Superior Court Judge, #21--Dennis Hiyashi. Hiyashi is the social justice lawyer who helped overturn Fred Korematsu's conviction for disobeying WWII internment laws. The Greens also like Mike Nisperos for his social justice analysis and experience. The Bay Guardian likes Fred Remer as a trial lawyer, an alternatives to incarceration advocate, and the endorsee of retiring judge Donald Squires.
County Schools Supe--John Bernard! The Bay Guardian likes Shiela Jordan, which makes sense since they've been using the ex-Trotskyist as their go-to gal on Oakland politics for years. If Oakland is ever to get community control of its schools back tho, it'll have to do so over the dead bodies of State Senator Don Perata and County Schools Supe Sheila Jordan who both played major roles in putting in State Administrator Randolph Ward. (note: I've included the Daily Planet article on the subject at the end of this crib sheet)
Bd of Ed trustee, area 1--Lois Corrin?? Jackie Fox Ruby's the incumbent with lots of union ties and endorsements, but in '02 Sheila Jordan put all her campaign money and focus on putting Ruby in to be her yes-person. Hard to say yes to that. Corrin's an African-American Stanford alum, otherwise unknown to me.
Note: after reading a Berk Daily Planet article, I like Marcie Hodge in area 2, Nicholas González Yuen in 4, and Melanie Sweeney-Griffith in 6, mostly based on their endorsements.
Alameda County Measure A: Peralta College Bonds--Yes. Schooling takes money.
Assessor--write in Eddie Ytuarte. The Bay Guardian is backing the uncontested lack-luster incumbant, but my friend Nora says Eddie Ytuarte, a Peace and Freedom candidate for state assembly, is smart, a disabled rights housing advocate, and easy to work with in the Pushing Limits disability rights radio collective.
County Auditor-Controller--write in Jack Harrison. The Bay Guardian endorses the incumbent because it's no big deal, but why not, then, a Peace and Freedom incumbent? Harrison is running for Atty General.
DA--write in Michael Wyman. The Bay Guardian says not to vote for pro-death-penalty Orloff, but there's no one else. Wyman is the Green candidate for Atty General.
Sheriff--Gregory Ahern? The Bay Guardian isn't expecting a lot from Plummer's hand-picked successor, but he's unopposed and they give him the nod. Maybe we should write in Mike Hennessey, the wonderfully progressive chief cop of SF.
County Tax Collector--Eddie Ytuarte? Donald White is the incumbent, and I've heard nothing against him, but as long as I'm writing in Peace and Freedomer Ytuarte for Assessor, I may as well tag him again for Treasurer.
Oakland Measure B: School Bond--no. I know I took that oath never to oppose a school bond ("schooling takes money"), but what if it just goes to Randolph Ward and the state takeover team? What if they get the bond money, but sell school real estate off to the developers anyway, just because the developers want it? The Bay Guardian says vote no till Oakland has an empowered School Board again, and the Greens point out that the teacher's union is also withholding support.
Oakland Mayor--Ron Dellums! Ron Dellums is so smart and so liberal and such a great speaker/motivator, and we need to take Oakland back from the developers (whether they're working thru the Jerry Brown or the Don Parata machines, they all know De La Fuente is their fix-it man on the city council). I support progressive councilmember Nancy Nadel, just not when I think she's going to lose to De La Fuente.
Oakland Auditor--Courtney Ruby. The Oakland Tribune published leaked info on the abusiveness/dysfunctionality of incumbent Roland Smith and now he's going after the leaker. The Bay Guardian likes Episcopal Charities CFO Courtney Ruby (a woman) best among the three challengers. The Greens aren't so sure Smith is in the wrong.
The important votes for me are governor (I have that institutionalized sister whose life hangs in the balance every time the Republicans get on their no taxes hobby horse), Oakland Mayor (no to De La Fuente/Don Parata/developers machine), Alameda County School Supe (make Sheila Jordan pay for her role in the state/developer takeover!), Superior Court Judge (because there's so little info out there), and the Democratic Central Committee (because there are at least four Lyndon LaRouchies on the ballot!)
Prop 81: Bonds for Libraries--Yes. Because how else do we fund libraries in a no-taxes-except-on-future-generations time?
Prop 82: Tax the Rich to Pre-School 4-year-olds--YES. Wow! A progressive project without a regressive tax/bond financing plan! Take note, prop 81!
Gov--Phil Angelides. He's friends with Cornel West, and he's the Dem who has fought for low income housing and entitlements for the developmentally disabled, and is willing to raise taxes, which is so needed and so different from Schwarzenegger. Steve Wesley, the ebay millionaire, is running as a no-new-taxes Schwarzenegger-lite. My man in Sacto says that a Schw-lite may be more effective in getting the taxes over the 2/3rds hurdle (that's how a minority of Republicans in the legislature can prevent new taxes), but then, that's the same rational that told me I might get new taxes out of a Republican-lite like Arnold.
Lt. Gov--Jackie Speier. The Bay Guardian likes her better than Garamendi (a headline-chaser/past loser for the Dems) and Figueroa (a potential loser, they say, judging by her lack of support).
Secy of State--Deborah Ortiz? Debra Bowen is actively fighting Diebold and theft by voting machine, which would be her job as secy of state, but Ortiz is at least as good and we'd get a Latina into a state-wide office.
Controller--John Chiang? The Bay Guardian likes Enron-fighter Joe Dunn a little better than Chiang, and I'll probably go with a Green or Peace and Freedom candidate -- Laura Wells or Elizabeth Barrón -- in November.
Treasurer--write in Mehul Thakker. Bill Lockyer disappointed me as Atty General, so why should I give him my vote in an unopposed election? Thakker's the Green.
Atty General--Rocky Delgadillo. The Bay Guardian says Delgadillo's articulate and experienced and has tremendous chraisma, but he's not so good on the issues: no crackdown on corporate crime, etc. Maybe he's better, they say, than the bombastic Oakland mayor Jerry Brown, but worse than the old Pacifica talkshow-host Jerry Brown. Why give Jerry Brown another chance, I say.
Insurance Commissioner--write in Tom Condit. The Kraft cheese heir isn't running a real campaign against Cruz Bustamante, and Tom Condit's a really smart Peace and Freedom activist.
Board of Equalization, 1st Dist.--Betty Yee. The Bay Guardian likes this incumbant for getting money out of the big corporations and utilities.
State Schools Supe--Sarah Knopp. The Bay Guardian likes incumbant Jack O'Connell as a smart pro-kid liberal, but he's all about exit exams. Knopp's a Green running on anti-No Child Left Behind, pro-taxes, and strong teacher's unions.
US Senator--write in Marsha Feinland. Why waste a vote on hawkish/PATRIOT act-supporter Feinstein when she's running unopposed so it's painless to make a statement--albeit an extremely SMALL statement--in favor of the Peace and Freedom party?
US Representative--Barbara Lee. She still speaks for me.
State Assembly, 16th Dist--Sandré Swanson. John Russo's flashier, more ambitious, and not that bad, but Sandré is Barbara Lee's staffer who's closer to me on all my issues.
Democratic Central Committee, 16th dist (vote for 6)--Egerman, Andropoulos, Neal, Berzins, Sweeney-Griffith, Williams. I know very little about these people (Kathy Neal is Elihu Harris' wife) except that they're Democrats and at least 4 of the other 6 are Lyndon LaRouche-supporters (ie left rhetoric/fascist practice) who just obstruct obstruct obstruct: Jason Alexander Ross, Oyang W. Teng, Summer Justice Shields (probably elected last time because she was a woman but he's not), and Sylvia Spaniolo. Let the Democrats run their own party.
Note: in the 14th and 18th districts, the alameda county afl-cio and the Lesbian-Gay-Bi_Trans Democratic Club both endorse these slates: Weinstein, Gee, Kelly, Jaramillo, Echols, Green (14th) and Prola, Torello, Sanborn, Fernandez, Trullinger, and Perry (18th). Must be Dems.
Superior Court Judge, #21--Dennis Hiyashi. Hiyashi is the social justice lawyer who helped overturn Fred Korematsu's conviction for disobeying WWII internment laws. The Greens also like Mike Nisperos for his social justice analysis and experience. The Bay Guardian likes Fred Remer as a trial lawyer, an alternatives to incarceration advocate, and the endorsee of retiring judge Donald Squires.
County Schools Supe--John Bernard! The Bay Guardian likes Shiela Jordan, which makes sense since they've been using the ex-Trotskyist as their go-to gal on Oakland politics for years. If Oakland is ever to get community control of its schools back tho, it'll have to do so over the dead bodies of State Senator Don Perata and County Schools Supe Sheila Jordan who both played major roles in putting in State Administrator Randolph Ward. (note: I've included the Daily Planet article on the subject at the end of this crib sheet)
Bd of Ed trustee, area 1--Lois Corrin?? Jackie Fox Ruby's the incumbent with lots of union ties and endorsements, but in '02 Sheila Jordan put all her campaign money and focus on putting Ruby in to be her yes-person. Hard to say yes to that. Corrin's an African-American Stanford alum, otherwise unknown to me.
Note: after reading a Berk Daily Planet article, I like Marcie Hodge in area 2, Nicholas González Yuen in 4, and Melanie Sweeney-Griffith in 6, mostly based on their endorsements.
Alameda County Measure A: Peralta College Bonds--Yes. Schooling takes money.
Assessor--write in Eddie Ytuarte. The Bay Guardian is backing the uncontested lack-luster incumbant, but my friend Nora says Eddie Ytuarte, a Peace and Freedom candidate for state assembly, is smart, a disabled rights housing advocate, and easy to work with in the Pushing Limits disability rights radio collective.
County Auditor-Controller--write in Jack Harrison. The Bay Guardian endorses the incumbent because it's no big deal, but why not, then, a Peace and Freedom incumbent? Harrison is running for Atty General.
DA--write in Michael Wyman. The Bay Guardian says not to vote for pro-death-penalty Orloff, but there's no one else. Wyman is the Green candidate for Atty General.
Sheriff--Gregory Ahern? The Bay Guardian isn't expecting a lot from Plummer's hand-picked successor, but he's unopposed and they give him the nod. Maybe we should write in Mike Hennessey, the wonderfully progressive chief cop of SF.
County Tax Collector--Eddie Ytuarte? Donald White is the incumbent, and I've heard nothing against him, but as long as I'm writing in Peace and Freedomer Ytuarte for Assessor, I may as well tag him again for Treasurer.
Oakland Measure B: School Bond--no. I know I took that oath never to oppose a school bond ("schooling takes money"), but what if it just goes to Randolph Ward and the state takeover team? What if they get the bond money, but sell school real estate off to the developers anyway, just because the developers want it? The Bay Guardian says vote no till Oakland has an empowered School Board again, and the Greens point out that the teacher's union is also withholding support.
Oakland Mayor--Ron Dellums! Ron Dellums is so smart and so liberal and such a great speaker/motivator, and we need to take Oakland back from the developers (whether they're working thru the Jerry Brown or the Don Parata machines, they all know De La Fuente is their fix-it man on the city council). I support progressive councilmember Nancy Nadel, just not when I think she's going to lose to De La Fuente.
Oakland Auditor--Courtney Ruby. The Oakland Tribune published leaked info on the abusiveness/dysfunctionality of incumbent Roland Smith and now he's going after the leaker. The Bay Guardian likes Episcopal Charities CFO Courtney Ruby (a woman) best among the three challengers. The Greens aren't so sure Smith is in the wrong.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
In the News
The Tribune's latest on inspections, citations and funding. Click here:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_3858770
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_3858770
Monday, May 22, 2006
Write In
Don’t be a lemming. For goodness sake don’t give these sad sack unopposed, overfed and overpaid turds a free pass, write in a candidate! Your cat, your hamster, your husband your fish, your pet rock. Take charge and fight back.
Endorsed by The League of Pissed Off Voters
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Gail Steele & Alice Lai-Bitker
The press is on it. The Super Chicks, Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele each have a real race on their hands. Don't forget to tell a friend, vote Jim Price and Rich Valle and check it out:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/05/16/BAG88ISBVS1.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/05/16/BAG88ISBVS1.DTL
Monday, May 15, 2006
Democracy Starts with Democrats- Let’s Elect Some
I went to an orgy, I mean a candidate's night. My union hosted all the candidates for the county supervisors seats. The Democratic Party has real problems with quality control. First of all they obviously need some sort of litmus test to see if the candidate is a Democrat. Second, we need some kind of cognitive criteria, OK Skippy in the White House is a babbling idiot but do the Democrats plan to fight fire with fire by promoting and supporting our most feeble minded? What’s the plan here guys?
One candidate running for the District 3 Supervisor seat (the seat Alice Lai-Bitker is currently sleeping in), Sheila Young, sounds, acts and smells like a Republican or maybe a monarchist. She hates unions, doesn’t like working people and wants to privatize public services. If she had any talent, connections or money, the Republican Party would have given her work.
Then we have the incumbents, the Super Chicks: Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele. In the right corner weeping onto her power suit we have Gail Steele still tearful from hormones, an earlier meeting or just a fit of emotion about her 25th term in the seat. I think she would have retired if it weren’t for the huge raise the Supervisors just gave themselves; she can’t walk away from easy money. In the other corner in a pink suit and accompanied by her over-caffinated chief of staff sits Alice Lai-Bikter. Alice concluded her tortured and defensive remarks with one frank and honest statement. I can’t do Alice speak but to paraphrase she said, you better support me cause I’m the favorite and I’m going to win. These gals really know how to kill a party.
See this endless incumbent stuff stinks: dumber and dumber Democrats get sucked up the political food chain and their chief’s of staff get sucked into the vacated seats. Then the county bureaucrats manage these ninnys without breaking a sweat and government becomes less and less effective and more and more expensive and everyone votes themselves huge raises. Both the county supervisor seats have talented candidates in the race, Jim Price for the District 3 seat and Richard Valle for District 2 seat. They both bring real world skills and experience to the job, and they both appear more knowledgeable about county problems than the incumbents. So what’s the hang up?
Why do we have such trouble getting leadership on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors? This cycle of endless incumbents kills interest, ideas, change and imagination. Anyone who actually pays attention to our emotionally and intellectually challenged elected officials dies slowly of boredom and frustration.
Voters don’t can’t stand the candidates, so how do incumbents get these lifetime appointments. Well, first the county big dogs, the bureaucrats: the Sheriff, the Assessor, the Controller, the Treasurer and various and sundry board members* support the incumbent because well, weak is good and they might get a raise out of it. Then local democrats, herd animals that they are, chase the bureaucrats to new heights of mediocrity, they make glowing endorsements and modest cash donations, words are cheap and so are politicians. Then one hears a chorus of praise about all the incumbent has done for puppies and sick children, and the campaign coffers fill up. That’s why Alameda County voters stay home and watch American Idol instead of humping out to a candidate’s night. Compared to Alameda County elections American Idol is refreshingly democratic.
*All the above-mentioned bureaucrats endorsed Alice Lai-Bitker again.
One candidate running for the District 3 Supervisor seat (the seat Alice Lai-Bitker is currently sleeping in), Sheila Young, sounds, acts and smells like a Republican or maybe a monarchist. She hates unions, doesn’t like working people and wants to privatize public services. If she had any talent, connections or money, the Republican Party would have given her work.
Then we have the incumbents, the Super Chicks: Alice Lai-Bitker and Gail Steele. In the right corner weeping onto her power suit we have Gail Steele still tearful from hormones, an earlier meeting or just a fit of emotion about her 25th term in the seat. I think she would have retired if it weren’t for the huge raise the Supervisors just gave themselves; she can’t walk away from easy money. In the other corner in a pink suit and accompanied by her over-caffinated chief of staff sits Alice Lai-Bikter. Alice concluded her tortured and defensive remarks with one frank and honest statement. I can’t do Alice speak but to paraphrase she said, you better support me cause I’m the favorite and I’m going to win. These gals really know how to kill a party.
See this endless incumbent stuff stinks: dumber and dumber Democrats get sucked up the political food chain and their chief’s of staff get sucked into the vacated seats. Then the county bureaucrats manage these ninnys without breaking a sweat and government becomes less and less effective and more and more expensive and everyone votes themselves huge raises. Both the county supervisor seats have talented candidates in the race, Jim Price for the District 3 seat and Richard Valle for District 2 seat. They both bring real world skills and experience to the job, and they both appear more knowledgeable about county problems than the incumbents. So what’s the hang up?
Why do we have such trouble getting leadership on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors? This cycle of endless incumbents kills interest, ideas, change and imagination. Anyone who actually pays attention to our emotionally and intellectually challenged elected officials dies slowly of boredom and frustration.
Voters don’t can’t stand the candidates, so how do incumbents get these lifetime appointments. Well, first the county big dogs, the bureaucrats: the Sheriff, the Assessor, the Controller, the Treasurer and various and sundry board members* support the incumbent because well, weak is good and they might get a raise out of it. Then local democrats, herd animals that they are, chase the bureaucrats to new heights of mediocrity, they make glowing endorsements and modest cash donations, words are cheap and so are politicians. Then one hears a chorus of praise about all the incumbent has done for puppies and sick children, and the campaign coffers fill up. That’s why Alameda County voters stay home and watch American Idol instead of humping out to a candidate’s night. Compared to Alameda County elections American Idol is refreshingly democratic.
*All the above-mentioned bureaucrats endorsed Alice Lai-Bitker again.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Budget Story
This is Jesse Allan Taylor's piece in the Planet.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=05-12-06&storyID=24114
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=05-12-06&storyID=24114
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Layoffs, Leadership & Lack of Vision
The Alameda County Medical Center Board of Trustees meeting reminded me of Deep Space Nine, not the space bar scene, the scene where everyone is in suspended animation. At one point I counted two board members and nine managers, all-sleeping.
The meeting got moved to Fairmont to discourage attendance and two different versions of the Power Point presentation were provided: the complete detailed package for managers and the dumbed-down version for line staff. I tried to get the thick packet from a nurse executive but she got surely and I don’t mess with people in tight shoes.
There was lots brag and gag about money saved, but people came because of the layoffs. Sheriff Plummer looked absolutely festive with his two commanders and three deputies. He doesn’t go anywhere without a security perimeter. No wonder he’s 40 million short this year, talk about fat and waste. He’s not laying anyone off he’ll just shake down the supes for the cash up front. Like we should be doing. While the rest of the county’s “movers and shakers” are dividing up the county funds the Medical Center is busy cutting off its own fingers and toes.
So here’s the damages, 60 United Healthcare Workers West jobs, 1 SEIU 535 job and 31 SEIU 616 jobs. They also propose cutting 16 managers union and non-union. The talk was all about money-“green dollars”. Dollars and cents, this Board of Trustees is all about the budget. They didn’t ask any questions about care, about quality about how taking things apart affects patients or morale. It’s a one-dimensional picture, flat monochrome and poorly composed.
Charlie Ridgell (UHW), Kay Eisenhower (Vote Health) and Wayne Templeton (SEIU 616) all got up and spoke with insight about the hospital. The president of the Board, Ben Tate, was openly rude to Charlie Ridgell who represents the 60 workers about to loose their jobs. This Board has a shocking amount of distain for the people who provide the care in the county hospital. If they think so little of us, I hate to think what they think of our patients. This sorry collection of wannabes, never-weres and has-beens couldn’t build a sandcastle, we need to get out from under this dead weight or we’ll slip into an endless cycle of downsizing.
The meeting got moved to Fairmont to discourage attendance and two different versions of the Power Point presentation were provided: the complete detailed package for managers and the dumbed-down version for line staff. I tried to get the thick packet from a nurse executive but she got surely and I don’t mess with people in tight shoes.
There was lots brag and gag about money saved, but people came because of the layoffs. Sheriff Plummer looked absolutely festive with his two commanders and three deputies. He doesn’t go anywhere without a security perimeter. No wonder he’s 40 million short this year, talk about fat and waste. He’s not laying anyone off he’ll just shake down the supes for the cash up front. Like we should be doing. While the rest of the county’s “movers and shakers” are dividing up the county funds the Medical Center is busy cutting off its own fingers and toes.
So here’s the damages, 60 United Healthcare Workers West jobs, 1 SEIU 535 job and 31 SEIU 616 jobs. They also propose cutting 16 managers union and non-union. The talk was all about money-“green dollars”. Dollars and cents, this Board of Trustees is all about the budget. They didn’t ask any questions about care, about quality about how taking things apart affects patients or morale. It’s a one-dimensional picture, flat monochrome and poorly composed.
Charlie Ridgell (UHW), Kay Eisenhower (Vote Health) and Wayne Templeton (SEIU 616) all got up and spoke with insight about the hospital. The president of the Board, Ben Tate, was openly rude to Charlie Ridgell who represents the 60 workers about to loose their jobs. This Board has a shocking amount of distain for the people who provide the care in the county hospital. If they think so little of us, I hate to think what they think of our patients. This sorry collection of wannabes, never-weres and has-beens couldn’t build a sandcastle, we need to get out from under this dead weight or we’ll slip into an endless cycle of downsizing.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Have You Kissed a Nurse Today?
I love nurses and now is a great time to tell a nurse thanks, or to buy them lunch or flowers, or even give them cash. Nurses know what to do with cash.
So I hope all the nurses I work with know how much I love them. I need their help, their parenting advice, their homemade cookies and their support.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Audit This
What’s the plan? What’s happening and to who. The Medical Center as a result of Cambio Healthcare Solution’s voodoo budget, mismanagement, excessive consulting fees and county payback faces a deficit. The new team just went through a “Margin Audit” process to try to identify fat, waste and new revenue. The massive ranks of middle management sat in hot rooms brainstorming. Sleepy, Dopey and Sneezey were out of the box and on the carpet trying to come up with millions in revenue. Most of us working stiffs haven’t heard a word about it from our supervisors although productivity in some areas did increase just by getting the supervisors out of people’s way.
So the results are in and the “Audit” is to be presented to the Trustees. Now’s your chance to get some information, insight and maybe a clue as to the plan.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday, May 9
Fairmont Cafeteria
3-5pm
This may change, so keep your eyes and ears open and if you need to call administration and ask.
So the results are in and the “Audit” is to be presented to the Trustees. Now’s your chance to get some information, insight and maybe a clue as to the plan.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday, May 9
Fairmont Cafeteria
3-5pm
This may change, so keep your eyes and ears open and if you need to call administration and ask.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Layoffs, Rumors and Still No Raise
Like the rest of the hired help at the Medical Center, I’m at home trying to figure out where I am on the seniority list and if I need to start looking for another job.
One friend said, “I’m gonna take a couple of days this week and start looking for a new job. I have a mortgage I can’t be unemployed.”
Another nurse said, “Oh, I’ll go work for Kaiser or something, I’m tired of this.”
Most people just said, “Again, didn’t we just do this?”
In an attempt to cheer my co-worker and myself up I called and asked when we would be seeing our raise on our checks. We negotiated it months ago. The COO’s assistant said they’d try to have it on the May19th check. I announced it at the nursing station thinking it might perk people up.
My friend didn’t even turn to look at me when she said, “Do you think they’ll try to lay us off first and save the cash.”
One friend said, “I’m gonna take a couple of days this week and start looking for a new job. I have a mortgage I can’t be unemployed.”
Another nurse said, “Oh, I’ll go work for Kaiser or something, I’m tired of this.”
Most people just said, “Again, didn’t we just do this?”
In an attempt to cheer my co-worker and myself up I called and asked when we would be seeing our raise on our checks. We negotiated it months ago. The COO’s assistant said they’d try to have it on the May19th check. I announced it at the nursing station thinking it might perk people up.
My friend didn’t even turn to look at me when she said, “Do you think they’ll try to lay us off first and save the cash.”
SEIU 616-the Team
These photos are of most of the members of the Tri-Local Negotiating Team. They negotiated the new contract, which will give all non-registered nurse union employees of the Medical Center a modest raise.
They’re my friends, my co-workers and my union representatives and they’re not a bad looking bunch.
Oversight of the Oversight.
Jesse Allan Taylor is a better man than me, he went to the Measure "A" oversight committee meeting, meeting mania. So here's the skinny on the committee, Dave Kears (Alameda County's Healthcare Czar) wants to tell the committee what to do and the committee actually wants to do the job. It's Dave Kears versus democracy, the saga continues.
Here's the news:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=05-02-06&storyID=24024
Here's the news:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=05-02-06&storyID=24024
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Ron Dellums at Highland
While the Bay Area has produced many great leaders, recently in local politics there has been something of a drought. Many local Democrats can barely hold the public’s attention much less inspire their imagination. They don’t visit the County Hospital because there are too many problems and too few voters.
Today the County Hospital had a visit from Ron Dellums. Like many I had forgotten how real leaders make you feel. What most impresses about Ron Dellums is how firmly he believes in us. He truly believes he can make Oakland better for all of us because he knows that is what we want and that we are willing to work for it. He sees the value and the pain in what we do and wants to help us to do it better.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Flea Season
I know I’ve been off my turf, out of my tree talking about teachers and politicos. It’s not my beat, I couldn’t help myself I’m a low budget lobbyist a social justice junky. You can take the blow-hard out of Berkeley but you can’t take the Berkeley out of the blow-hard.
Speaking of my hippie dippy roots I’ve reached that point in my mid-life crisis where liberals like myself start to wear only shades of purple. As a middle aged dumpy white woman I feel the need to express my interconnectedness to all the species of the planet and the rich native American tradition and culture which I have no real connection to but which I feel I can speak to anyway. Toward realizing my highly evolved and spiritual identity, I have been given an animal name, Pulex irritans, or just “flea” for those of you who don’t speak Latin.
You know the syndrome, I’ve heard Highland physician’s describe it: “Berkeleyitis.” It’s that overdeveloped since of self-importance and self-righteousness that can make us liberals less fun than a bar full of Mormons. See that’s the challenge with us liberals, we all agree but we can’t get along. That’s the great challenge of the Medical Center; with a bad budget we fight between ourselves about whose work is more important. What’s “non-essential” who’s “unproductive.”
As a whiny white woman I can blame and bicker with the poise and stamina of an Olympic athlete. Unfortunately, my self-righteous funk got rudely interrupted by the crisis that threatens to eat Oakland, murder city. We’re close to fifty murders this year and lots of other people shot up and coming to ACMC. At Highland my friends and co-workers have lost children, friends and family, it’s so sad. We have obituaries posted all over. You work with someone for over ten years and you don’t see a picture of their child until they’re gone. These are kids; we should be collecting money for Girl Scout cookies, not funerals. So if the Board of Supervisors, think now is the right time for the Medical Center to cut services and start giving the county money, they’re crazy! The Medical Center’s deficit is “debt” to the county and no one even showed us an IOU. Look you bloodsuckers we got a “situation” here, take it from me, I’m “the flea.”
Nurses Accept Contract
ACMC nurses and mid-level practitioners voted overwhelmingly ( over 80%) to accept a contract this week.
To read the details click here:
http://www.seiu616.org/docUploads/RN%20Sum_4.06vote.pdf
To read the details click here:
http://www.seiu616.org/docUploads/RN%20Sum_4.06vote.pdf
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Chris Thompson Down & Out at Highland
Highland has attracted the sustained attention of the Bay Area's best journalists. Chris Thompson from the East Bay Express was hanging out in our ED. He's a blondish attractive thirty-something very serious. If you see him, ask him out or offer to buy him lunch, he's been good and honest to us. It's important to see our work through the eyes of real thinkers.
Click here to read his latest piece: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-04-19/news/cityofwarts.html
Click here to read his latest piece: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-04-19/news/cityofwarts.html
Jesse from the Planet
I know lots of people in Oakland think Berkeley is another planet, but the Berkeley Daily Planet does quite fine coverage of Oakland. This is Jesse Allan-Taylor's latest work:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=04-18-06&storyID=23923
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=04-18-06&storyID=23923
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Thank You from an Oakland Teacher
Hi Ann –
This [the Petition to Support Oakland Teachers] is deeply, deepy appreciated. Healthcare workers, school teachers, firefighters we’re all in this to help people. And on a personal note, Highland’s ER/Trauma teamed helped save my 88 year old father’s life when he was run over in a crosswalk on Jan. 15th. Spent 4 days (!!) in the ER while we dickered with Kaiser—from what I was told at the time, 4 days is probably a record. We will always be grateful.
Bob Mandel
Adult English as a Second Language Teacher
Oakland Education Association (OEA) member
This [the Petition to Support Oakland Teachers] is deeply, deepy appreciated. Healthcare workers, school teachers, firefighters we’re all in this to help people. And on a personal note, Highland’s ER/Trauma teamed helped save my 88 year old father’s life when he was run over in a crosswalk on Jan. 15th. Spent 4 days (!!) in the ER while we dickered with Kaiser—from what I was told at the time, 4 days is probably a record. We will always be grateful.
Bob Mandel
Adult English as a Second Language Teacher
Oakland Education Association (OEA) member
Mac Supports Oakland Teachers- You Should To
See the little green sign not the one that says, "Plant Sale" the one that says, "I Support Oakland Teachers." There's hundreds of these signs all over Oakland.
Oakland teachers have gotten caught in a Cambio Healthcare Solutions style re-organization with Randolf Ward as the Warden and resident Spin Master. He’s quite effectively confused and frustrated anyone paying attention. He spends lavishly on PR and strikebreakers and plans to recover the money by cutting the costs right out of the classroom.
I say stop blaming public employees for weak government and bad management decisions. Don’t punish our patients or our children!
Show your support for Oakland’s teacher’s, children and families, click here to sign the online petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/Educate/petition.html
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Bad Budget News
It's so sad. To read it and weep, click here:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3705481
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_3705481
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Sykes and the Feeder
I really like this Express writer, Will Harper. Here's the latest, segment of the saga:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-04-12/news/bottomfeeder.html
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-04-12/news/bottomfeeder.html
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Don’t Litigate, Medicate!
I used to work for an entomologist. An insect guy, a doctor of Diptera, a mosquito expert, he actually had a mosquito named after him. Dr.Garcia was the hardest working straightest talking boss I’ll ever had, he was raised on a farm in Salinas. He just loved work. We’d get up at five a.m. and drive up to Lake County where we had experimental rice plots. One day as we drove north at dawn he pointed to the San Francisco skyline and said, “look at that, look at all those buildings: all that steel and concrete and waste and all the cars and people rushing over there just so they can push paper.”
Speaking of pointless paper pushing, Cambio Consultants and various and sundry ex-board members have dragged the Medical Center and the County of Alameda into the courthouse. What a waste. Anyway, the psychiatrists who went to arbitration over Cambio’s attempted union busting won, they got a decision in their favor and a judge threw the board member who sued the County over her removal from the Authority Board out of court. Justice has been served; too bad you can’t eat it. Hopefully we can stay in the hospital and out of the courthouse, with violent crime out of control in Oakland and the ranks of the aging and uninsured growing daily we’ve got plenty of real work.
Speaking of pointless paper pushing, Cambio Consultants and various and sundry ex-board members have dragged the Medical Center and the County of Alameda into the courthouse. What a waste. Anyway, the psychiatrists who went to arbitration over Cambio’s attempted union busting won, they got a decision in their favor and a judge threw the board member who sued the County over her removal from the Authority Board out of court. Justice has been served; too bad you can’t eat it. Hopefully we can stay in the hospital and out of the courthouse, with violent crime out of control in Oakland and the ranks of the aging and uninsured growing daily we’ve got plenty of real work.
Blogfesto
Ann on Oakland, in color, uncensored, unslept, unbathed and off her medication. Elected officials are taking Oakland on a wild ride without a Breathalyzer. Since we can’t get off the bus we might as well enjoy the scenery. You got to laugh at Oakland government, otherwise it’s just too sad and you’ll have to cry.
To get an eyeful (original art) and an earful of Oakland click here:
http://www.oakland911.blogspot.com/
To get an eyeful (original art) and an earful of Oakland click here:
http://www.oakland911.blogspot.com/
Nurses to Vote on Contract
A contract offer for Medical Center nurses goes to vote this week. As I always say vote often, vote early and vote out loud.
To read a summary of the offer click here:
http://www.seiu616.org/docUploads/RN%20Sum_4.06vote.pdf
For voting times and locations click here:
http://www.seiu616.org/docUploads/4.06_NursNtsConVoteT&D.pdf
To read a summary of the offer click here:
http://www.seiu616.org/docUploads/RN%20Sum_4.06vote.pdf
For voting times and locations click here:
http://www.seiu616.org/docUploads/4.06_NursNtsConVoteT&D.pdf
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Kronos and Other Greek Tragedies
The Berkeley Daily Planet's saying what those of us who need our money already know. I think it's a little better, a little better all the time.
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=04-04-06&storyID=23808
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=04-04-06&storyID=23808
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