Thank you Arnold

In a stunning show of honesty Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Republican Governor, called out the people who are trying to subvert our democracy for private gain. Now, there are many things that I have disagreed with the Governor about, but on this we stand together. Big Oil companies are spending millions of dollars trying to overturn a popular energy reform law passed by more than 2/3 of the California congress. The people overwhelmingly support clean energy laws but the largest polluting industries have sponsored a ballot initiative (Prop. 23) to kill a bill know as Assembly bill 32. The law requires energy producers to be cleaner and that pisses off the dirty oil companies.
The initiative freezes all provisions of AB 32 until California's unemployment rate drops below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters. WHAT? -- four consecutive quarters of 5.5% unemployment -- that has only happened 3 times in the last 30 years. Currently, unemployment in California hovers around a devastating 12%. The oil companies know that those rates won't drop to 5.5% in a long, long time. You see how devious proposition 23 is. Not only is it created by out-of-state oil companies only interested in protecting their bottom lines, there are a lot of reasons that Californians should reject Prop 23: besides the fact that Texas oil billionaires are trying to fool the citizens of California with lies and half truths with millions of dollars of TV ads. AB 32 has already done a lot to ramp up investment in clean energy in California, positioning the state to be a leader in an important industry. It's already creating jobs in an important sector, clean renewable energy. As it reduces greenhouse gas emissions in California indirectly reduce numerous other air pollutants by restricting carbon emissions, making California's air healthier saving unknown millions in hospital bills related to smog induced illness. Hooray for Arnold and the other conservatives that are speaking the truth about how big money is trying to buy laws that benefit no one but themselves. I'm voting no on Prop. 23, let's send the Texas billionaires back to Texas.

The health of our nation

Welcome back. I've bee away for awhile dealing with a family medical situation. At the time when some of the health care reforms are about to go into effect I'm astounded at the rhetoric from the right about taking away the very meager reforms that could make it through congress. I'll tell you, health care is not cheap, even with Medicare it cost my family a lot of money. The outright lies that have been told about "Obama Care" with imaginary death panels and many other ridiculous statements on the behalf of Billion Dollar Insurance CEOs. Health insurance is a racket, the insurers get to charge whatever they want and cancel policies after someone gets sick, and the only people who win are the CEOs who take home 100 million dollar paychecks. It's interesting to watch how the U.S. has fallen in every measurement of quality of life. Many in our country live in fear of getting sick and loosing everything they have worked hard their whole lives to achieve. There is something very wrong when Insurance companies can cancel a policy after years of paying premiums when someone get a serious illness and ruin a family all for a fatter bottom line. The Republicans want to repeal health care reforms but who are they really looking out for? CEOs, that's who. Health care should not be for profit it should be a right.