Your Moment Of Zen

                                                                           Spring - Venice, CA

Venice For Change Endorses Debra Bowen For Congress

This announcement probably doesn't come as a shock to anyone who's read the blog over the last few weeks.

In reality, however, I've found myself struggling ever since Jane Harman announced her resignation on February 7th. The next day, I received a call from Janice Hahn, asking me to endorse her. We had a very pleasant conversation, but in the end I told her I needed to wait to see who else would get in the race (Debra Bowen wouldn't announce for another week).

Before we hung up, I told her I'd be happy if either she or Bowen ended up replacing Harman in Congress.

At the time, I meant it. But over the last few weeks, as I've researched and written about both candidates, I no longer feel that way.



The choice between Debra Bowen and Janice Hahn, in fact, could not be more clear.

It's the choice between the transformational vs. the transactional, between having a partner in congress or having a broker, between having someone who is willing to stand up for what is right in spite of the consequences or having someone who will be buffeted by the competing wishes of special interests.

It is the difference between having as our advocate in Congress an experienced and nationally respected lawmaker who's already represented our district for 14 years or having a termed-out LA City Councilwoman looking for a place to land.

That's why today, without hesitation or reservation, I endorse Debra Bowen for Congress.

_____________________________________________

In the late 1980's, Debra Bowen began her life of public service as a community organizer (a label decades away from being fashionable) who volunteered for her local Neighborhood Watch and Heal the Bay, where she helped stencil stormwater run-off warnings on drains that fed into the Santa Monica Bay. Using her training as a business lawyer, Bowen became intensely involved in environmental and neighborhood issues posed by an explosion of development in her home town of Venice.

On behalf of the Venice Town Council, she sued to stop developers from building a $160-million regional shopping mall at the western tip of Culver City. She formed community and non-profit groups that dealt with everything from responsible growth and development to creating a shuttle bus program that would mitigate parking and traffic congestion along the beach.

In 1992 she survived a brutal campaign and won her first term to the CA State Assembly in what was then a Republican-leaning district. For the next 14 years she served in both the Assembly and the State Senate. From the very beginning, her time in the California State Legislature would look very different than that of her peers.

On her office door is a sign that says she accepts no gifts--and she has been known to send staff members running down the hall to return gifts as simple as a single flower. She sees lobbyists as an information resource, but is wary of them. "The scariest thing for freshmen," she said, "is figuring out whom you can rely on, whose analysis you can trust, because you can't do everything yourself.

Bowen would go on to author the first-in-the-world law that put legislative information online in 1993, giving everyone immediate online access to information about state lawmakers’ bills, voting records, and more. In 1995, Bowen was the first California legislator to voluntarily put her campaign finance reports online.  In 2001, she took a leadership role during the Enron-generated energy crisis that caused rolling blackouts across California. That same year she pushed through a state law that protected consumers by forcing banks to protect their customer's Social Security numbers.

During her tenure as Chairwoman of the Senate Energy, Utilities & Communications Committee and as Chairwoman of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, Bowen earned her reputation as one of California’s leading advocates for conservation and environmental protection, receiving a 100% rating from the California Sierra Club and California League of Conservation Voters.

On social issues, NARAL Pro Choice has given Bowen a 100% rating, as has Equality California. In 2008, before the passage of Proposition 8, Bowen even officiated at the wedding of several same-sex couples.

It was her work as California's Secretary of State, however, that brought Bowen to national prominence.

Only the sixth woman ever to hold Constitutional statewide office in California when she was elected in 2006, Bowen made headlines within days of being sworn in when she ordered a top to bottom review of California's voting machines.

"We are going to do a top to bottom review of every voting system in use anywhere in California," Bowen said in an interview. "Yes, I would consider decertifying machines that my predecessor approved. Unfortunately, we've spent a lot of money on equipment that's not ready for prime time. Any Fortune 500 company would have sent those machines back with a letter saying they just don't do what they're supposed to."

Eight months later, under intense pressure from both state officials who had already invested $450 million in electronic voting machines and the manufacturers who stood to profit from them, Bowen made good on her threat.

With only minutes to spare before a midnight deadline to determine whether the various electronic voting machines used by counties were reliable, California's bleary-eyed secretary of state concluded there was the potential for serious security breaches. She decertified the voting machines used in 39 counties, including Los Angeles County, whose InkaVote system could be reinstated in time for the February primary. She also imposed a slew of security protections for upcoming elections.

It was an astonishing and unprecedented act of political courage.

"She's one of the few people who, when they make a splashy decision like this, it's not about the headlines," Ned Wiggelsworth, a former policy advocate for Common Cause, which lobbies for campaign finance reform, said at the time. "It's about the issue."

In 2008, Bowen was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile In Courage Award for her work to protect voting integrity in California. On the organization's website, the award is described as a celebration of "individuals who choose principles over partisanship – who do what is right, rather than what is expedient."

That phrase, more than any other, encapsulates why I'm supporting Debra Bowen.

I want someone who puts principle above partisanship. I want someone who will do what is right, rather than what is expedient.

I want Debra Bowen to represent me in Congress.

. 

And Now A Message From Your Blog Mistress

Dear readers,

Starting today commenters will no longer be able to post anonymously on this blog.

While I like a good pie fight as much as the next person, over the last week, supporters of one candidate in the CA-36 race have made anonymous posts on this site referring to political opponents as "bitches" "hacks" and "shills".

While I'm happy to have a variety of viewpoints represented on the site, I won't let it become a platform for misogyny and hate.

From here on out, if you want to post on this blog, you'll have to do so with your real name.

Namaste'

Marta Evry
Community Organizer

BREAKING: After 10 Years On The LA City Council, Janice Hahn Discovers Santa Monica Has An Airport

                                                           photo credit - Alex Thompson

Ya gotta love elections.

LA Councilwoman Janice Hahn has an amassed an impressive collection of endorsements since she announced her candidacy to fill the CA-36 congressional seat vacated by Jane Harman. It's a list she's worked very hard to collect, and for good reason. An impressive and extensive list of endorsements convey inferred legitimacy to a candidate. They act as "validators" for the busy voter, who might not be paying very close attention to a politician's policies, but who sees the name of a trusted official or organization endorsing a candidate and thinks their policies and values must closely mirror their own.

As such, endorsements are valuable commodities, not to be given away lightly or for free. In fact, if played correctly, the endorsement can be more beneficial for the person making the endorsement than it is for the person receiving it.

Or, as one politician who's name sits high on the Hahn campaign's endorsement list told me, "Look kid, if Hahn loses, I still have to work with her. If she wins, I have a friend in congress."

Which brings me to Councilman Bill Rosendahl, one of Janice Hahn's first endorsements, and the press release he and Hahn put out on Thursday:

ROSENDAHL, HAHN MOVE TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AROUND SANTA MONICA AIRPORT

LOS ANGELES – Responding to concerns from residents in Venice, Mar Vista, and West L.A. regarding air pollution and safety, yesterday Councilman Bill Rosendahl and Councilwoman Janice Hahn moved to make it the official policy of the City of Los Angeles to pursue a change in the departure path at Santa Monica Airport (SMO), and to close down its six flight schools, their offices announced Thursday.

Rosendahl and Hahn presented the resolution to Council colleagues during the meeting this morning after local residents expressed concern. 

- snip -

"We can’t sit and wait anymore for the FAA to make this change," said Rosendahl, "we need to start lobbying Washington D.C. for a permanent solution to the suffocating jet emissions from Santa Monica Airport."

Councilwoman Hahn added, “I sat down last week in a West L.A. home and listened to residents talk about the toxic fumes that seep into their neighborhoods from SMO.I heard for myself the jet engines idling on the runway nearby.As a long-time advocate for clean air and a healthy environment, I want to do something now.”

Until last Thursday, Rosendahl was alone amongst his city council colleagues when it came to dealing with sound and air pollution issues coming from Santa Monica's airport.  In her 10 years on the LA City Council, Hahn showed little interest in the issue, but with the Congressional election and Rosendahl's endorsement, she's found religion.

Rosendahl should be commended on how well he's parlayed his endorsement.

In fact, I think this is fantastic. I want more of it, because there's a whole laundry list of stuff we need for our part of the district that's been been languishing for years inside the LA City Council bureaucracy.

How about a left turn lane and signal on Rose and Lincoln? Rosendahl's been promising us that one since 2005. How about repaving the Venice boardwalk? Extending the bike path into the Marina Peninsula? An off-leash dog park at Dockweiller Beach? Extra police officers to patrol during the high-traffic summer months?

The possibilities are endless. If I were Rosendahl, I'd be encouraging all my fellow council members to take the plunge,

Eric, Tom, Bernie, the water's great! Jump on into the CA36 race! All the cool kids are doing it!

Bill, we're counting on you. We sure do need that left turn signal on Rose.

Janice Hahn City Hall Allies Conduct Whisper Campaign, Claim Debra Bowen Is Against Marriage Equality

Oy. This is going to be a long election.



A couple of days ago rumors started circulating around the interwebs that CA36 Congressional candidate Debra Bowen was against marriage equality. Things came to a head on Monday when Chad Molnar, Councilman Bill Rosendahl's LAX-Community Liaison and one-time staffer to Congresswoman Jane Harman, posted this comment on Venice Patch.

Yesterday, Bowen's campaign released a statement to correct the record.

Bowen's campaign said Tuesday that information listed on Project Vote Smart's 2002 National Political Awareness Test is incorrect. Campaign spokesman Steve Barkan said her record and actions put her firmly in the camp of those in favor of same-sex marriage.

As a state senator, Bowen twice vote in favor of same-sex marriage: in 2004 on Assembly Joint Resolution 85, which opposed the federal marriage amendment, and in 2005 on Assembly Bill 849, which would allow same-sex couples to marry in California.

Bowen has even officiated some same-sex marriages, including the wedding of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Zeke Zeidler and his husband Jay Kohorn, Barkan said.

Montana-based Project Vote Smart sends its National Political Awareness Test – now known as the Political Courage Test – to candidates in state legislative, congressional, gubernatorial and presidential races, asking for their views on a variety of issues, including hot-button topics such as abortion and gun control.

In 2002, Bowen was running for re-election for a state Senate seat and filled out the survey. She was elected as Secretary of State in 2006, after being term limited out of the state Senate.

Project Vote Smart national director Kristen Vicedomini said her organization sends the surveys to candidates, who fill them out and return them. In some instances a campaign worker or representative can fill out the survey, but the candidate herself must sign off on it. Three different Project Vote Smart employees check the information before putting it online.

Barkan said he doesn’t know how it came to be that Bowen’s 2002 survey said she was against gay marriage.

“It could’ve been an error on the part of her. She didn’t have a campaign staff in 2002. … More likely it was an error by a volunteer,” Barkan said. “What’s more important is her record.”

Gay rights organization Equality California, which has put out a legislative scorecard every year since 2004, has given Bowen consistently high marks for voting in favor of gay-friendly legislation as a state senator. In 2004 and 2005 she had a 100 percent rating, and in 2006 she scored 93 percent.

"She voted for the marriage bill in California and has been a strong and vocal supporter of marriage equality," Equality California spokesman Vaishalee Raja wrote in an e-mail.

Vicedomini said Project Vote Smart allows candidates to update their answers if their positions have changed, but since Bowen's survey is from 2002, “it’s a little bit past the window to update that.”

Bowen also responded directly to the concerns on a local listserve.

This issue is very personal to me - I have long told people that I am an automatic aye on any civil rights issue, and if voters don't like that, they will have to find another rep. I have no room for compromise on this issue. I've talked to new members about finding their own such bottom line issues. This is one of my key no-room-for-negotiation bottom lines.

Apparently, none of this satisfied Mr. Molnar, who posted this comment on Venice Patch in response to the story.

Chad Molnar's boss, Councilman Bill Rosendahl, was one of Janice Hahn's first endorsements. According to Rosendahl's city website, Molnar is:

experienced in understanding and addressing constituent concerns with large transportation hubs, having previously served as Congresswoman Jane Harman's District Director and top advisor on issues surrounding the Port of Los Angeles. He is a political veteran, having managed several campaigns for Congress and the state legislature.

His biography would suggest he's worked closely with Janice Hahn, a council ally with Rosendahl's office on many controversial LAX issues. And, of course, Hahn's council district includes the Port of Los Angeles. 

Campaign records show Molnar donated $250 to Hahn's campaign in 2008.

Responding to inquiries at his office if he was the same Chad Molner who posted on Venice Patch, Molner had this to say.

Whatever happened to the first amendment, Marta? I respect your right to express yourself, and you should respect mine.

In 2002, Debra said she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman. That's all I've said. And that's all I will say.

I am gay, and I am proud. And I won't let you bully me into silence.

UPDATE


I contacted Cory Allen, the president of the Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club that Chad Molnar referenced in his original comment to Venice Patch. Mr Allen confirmed that Bowen wasn't present for the endorsement meeting, but disputed the characterization that Bowen "snubbed" Lambda.

Allen said officers from the club had attempted to contact Bowen through Facebook and the candidate's website, but was not able to get a hold of her in time for the meeting.

Although Long Beach Lambda ultimately endorsed Janice Hahn, Allen believes Debra Bowen is a strong supporter of equal rights.

"It's clear she's an ally for our community."

I also contact Bill Rosendahl, but he declined to comment for this story.

The Horror! Best Selling Author Stephen King Blasts Republican Governors, "It's Larry, Curly, and Moe"

Appearing at an "Awake the State" rally in Sarasota, Florida, the bestselling horror author took on a real life horror show, Republican governors and their attack on union workers.

You know what, as a rich person, I pay 28% tax. What I want to ask you is, why is it I'm not paying 50? Why is it that anybody in my bracket is not paying 50? You know, the Republicans will tell you - from John Boehner to Mitch McConnell  to Rick Scott - "we can't do that"because if we tax guys like me, there won't be any jobs.

It's bull. It's total bull. Don't you think it would make a dent in the problems that Florida has if Rick Scott matched the amount he spent to get elected and stuck that right in the budget?

If you like your weekends (off), thank a union guy. If you like a 40 hour week, thank a union guy. If you like a day's honest pay for a day's honest work, thank a union guy."

A Third Republican Announces Run for CA36 Race To Replace Jane Harman

The Hermosa Beach Patch is reporting this morning that Kit Bobko, a Republican serving his second term on the Hermosa Beach City Council, will throw his hat in the ring to replace Jane Harman in CA36

Bobko, 41, now joins Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin and City Attorney Mike Webb as Republican candidates in the race to fill Harman’s seat.....

“I’m going to Washington to take on the establishment politicians who think we can borrow and spend our way to growth,” Bobko said in a statement Sunday.

Bobko, who has lived in Hermosa Beach for 11 years and serves as a litigation partner at a Los Angeles law firm, hopes to appeal to voters by touting a fiscal conservative message and promising to fight on taxpayers’ behalf.

“Folks don’t want more expensive government programs or more red tape, and they certainly don’t want more taxes,” Bobko said. “What people tell me is that they want the bureaucrats and politicians to get out of their way so they can grow their business, keep more of the money they earn, and save for their families.”

During Bobko’s terms on City Council, he has been outspoken about public pension reform and serves on the Business License Tax Review Committee. He is also proud that the city hasn’t faced a deficit during his tenure, he said.

Bobko's announcement is good news for the two Democratic frontrunners in the race, Debra Bowen and Janice Hahn. Since it's unlikely that any candidate will get the 50% +1 they'll need to win the first round of voting outright, a crowded Republican field will dilute vote totals for conservatives and help Bowen and Hahn emerge as the top-two vote-getters, allowing them to advance to the general election.

No election date has been set yet. Gov. Jerry Brown has until March 14 to announce the date of the special election will be held.

Bowen and Hahn Kick Off CA36 Campaigns At Separate Events In Torrance

Bowen greets a supporter

Debra Bowen and Janice Hahn collectively drew hundreds of activists and supporters to separate campaign kickoff celebrations this weekend at campaign headquarters within 4 miles of each other.

Staff from both campaigns claimed over a hundred supporters and activists came to the respective events.

Hahn's event was crowded into a small storefront in a stripmall off of PCH, and mostly populated with local activists from the San Pedro and Wilmington area (her home district on the LA City council) along with a healthy representation from LA City politicos. CA Assembly speaker John Perez, who's endorsed Hahn, gave the opening remarks. Hahn spoke for a few minutes as camera from NBC, ABC and FOX rolled, then spent the rest of the afternoon greeting supporters while a DJ played and pizza was consumed.

Hahn talks to activists

Four miles away, at Ted Lieu's old campaign headquarters, Assembly member Betsy Butler, who's district overlaps much of CA36, introduced Debra Bowen to the crowd. Activists from Venice, Mar Vista, El Segundo, the Beach Cities, Torrance, and San Pedro listened to Bowen's opening remarks. Bowen spent the rest of the morning fielding questions then talking to attendees as campaign staff busily signed up volunteers.

Bowen gives remarks to a diverse crowd of supporters

If Hahn's kickoff felt like a party and media event, Bowen's felt more like a homecoming for the candidate, as Bowen greeted many supporters as long lost friends. According to Bowen's campaign, the "official" campaign kickoff will happen sometime after the March 8th special election.

If there was any doubt that the race to replace Jane Harman really comes down to two candidates, I think events this weekend puts that debate to rest.

The Hahn event had a nifty DJ setup

Bowen's campaign staff signs up volutneers

Sign up sheet at Hahn headquarters for precinct walkers.

No takers yet.

To view more photos from this weekend, go to this link.

Rewriting History, Janice Hahn Now Says She Supports Ballot Initiative To Tax Big Oil

When it comes to Measure O, the ballot initiative to tax oil taken from within LA City limits, Janice Hahn was for it before she was against it before she was for it.

Responding to reports in this blog and also at Calitics, Janice Hahn is apparently trying to rewrite history in regards to Measure O, the oil severance tax she opposed putting before voters for the March 8th special election.

The City Maven wesbsite is reporting tonight that Hahn is once more reversing her position on Measure O, releasing a statement in support.

“I’ve always supported an oil extraction tax, and I continue to support it. In fact, during my recent campaign for lieutenant governor, I proposed a statewide oil extraction fee to help fund higher education,” Hahn said. “I support Measure O. I proposed Measure O. I will vote for Measure O. I hope Measure O passes.”

Quibbling with the past, Hahn went on to say that her no vote was out of an abundance of concern regarding voter turnout.

“I supported placing Measure O on a regular election ballot where turnout and participation is higher and it would have a greater likelihood of passing. I opposed placing it on the March ballot because turnout is substantially lower and less representative of the electorate as a whole,” Hahn said.

According to City Maven, a review of of the November 17th council meeting shows there was no mention of voter turnout in regards to the oil tax. At the time, Hahn was quoted as saying,

“I’ve reconsidered this and I have heard from various business groups who do feel like this might be the wrong climate to put this on the ballot. We know the oil companies are probably going to mount a massive campaign to defeat this and at the end of the day, the way we’ve structured it, really would only generate around $2 million to the city of Los Angeles. So, at this time, it is my recommendation that we don’t put this forward on the ballot.”

KCET reports that the measure is opposed by the California Independent Petroleum Association, , which has lobbied extensively to expand offshore drilling off the coast of California and in ANWAR, opposes Cap and Trade, and any limits to hydraulic fracturing (aka "fracking"), a controversial and dangerous means of natural gas extraction made famous by the HBO movie, "Gasland" 

According the KCET, CIPA has given more than $400,000 to California candidates from 2001 to 2010. Sixty-two percent of those candidates were Republicans.

Some of Measure O's opponents have gone on to endorse Janice Hahn in her bid to win the Congressional seat vacated by Jane Harman.

Janice Hahn Opposes LA Ballot Initiative To Tax Big Oil She Once Proposed

On March 8th, Angelenos will have the opportunity to vote on a variety of ballot initiatives, everything from a proposal to tax medical marijuana dispensaries to a hike in property taxes to fund public libraries.

One of the most popular initiatives - Measure O, a proposal to impose an oil severance tax for oil extracted within the city limits of Los Angeles - was introduced by LA Councilwoman (and current candidate in the CA36 Congressional race) Janice Hahn. The measure is projected to bring in about $4 million in revenues annually. Neighboring cities of Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Long Beach, and Seal Beach already impose a similar tax.

Measure O is endorsed by the California Courage Campaign, the LA Conservation Corps, the Sierra Club, and other environmental organizations.

Yet a year after Hahn first proposed the idea, she now stands as the only LA City council member in opposition to the measure.

Hahn's turnabout shines a rare spotlight inside the world of LA City politics, where powerful interest groups often create chaos with the legislative process.

From the LA Times:

Buffeted by the competing wishes of special interests, the mayor and various civic leaders, council members repeatedly changed their minds on the ballot proposals, hastily rewriting some while killing others outright......

A separate tax on oil production was proposed by Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose harbor district has the most refineries. After representatives of those refineries complained, Hahn publicly rescinded her support on the day of the crucial vote.

Hahn's colleagues passed it anyway, delighted to find a new source of money for the city's cash-strapped budget.

KCET reports that the opposition is sponsored by the California Independent Petroleum Association, "a non-profit, non-partisan trade association representing approximately 450 independent crude oil and natural gas producers," according to its website. CIPA has lobbied extensively to expand offshore drilling off the coast of California and in ANWAR, opposes Cap and Trade, and any limits to hydraulic fracturing (aka "fracking"), a controversial and dangerous means of natural gas extraction made famous by the HBO movie, "Gasland" 

According the KCET, CIPA has given more than $400,000 to California candidates from 2001 to 2010. Sixty-two percent of those candidates were Republicans.

Some of Measure O's opponents have gone on to endorse Janice Hahn in her bid to win the Congressional seat vacated by Jane Harman.

Second Republican Candidate Enters Crowded Field For CA36 Race

From the LA Times:

Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin has become the second Republican elected official to join the already-crowded field to replace Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) in a yet-to-be-called special election.

Announcing his candidacy in a news release Tuesday, Gin said he has helped deliver a balanced budget -- and sometimes even a budget surplus -- every year since 1995, when he was first elected to the Redondo Beach City Council.

"I remain a tight-fisted fiscal administrator who believes in controlling spending and reducing our deficit in conjunction with creating good jobs in a new economy," said Gin, who is serving his second four-year term as elected mayor.

Governor Jerry Brown has not yet set the date for a special election to replace Harman. Besides Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, Mike Webb, the Republican city attorney for Redondo Beach, also has announced he's running.

Gin, who is a gay and supports abortion rights, is widely seen as more moderate than Webb, who has courted Tea Party support for his candidacy.

Debra Bowen Campaign Open House March 5th

CA Secretary of State Debra Bowen will be holding an open house/campaign kick off for her "people powered" congressional race in Torrance this Saturday.

Saturday, March 5

10am-noon

1311 Sartori Avenue

Torrance, CA 90501

Click on this link for directions

Come meet the candidate, nosh, and learn what you can do to be a part of her "people powered" campaign.

Please RSVP to info@debrabowen.com or call 323-212-6792.