Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "protest"

Judge upholds city ordinance in Occupy Sacramento case

2011-11-04T19:14:09Z

Federal Judge Morrison England denied a motion by attorneys for Occupy Sacramento Thursday to order a temporary restraining order against the city from enforcing a parks ordinance that limits park hours.

The motion was filed Tuesday as an emergency request by local civil rights attorney Mark Merin on behalf of Occupy Sacramento in an attempt to prevent the city from arresting protesters who remained in Cesar Chavez Plaza – the site of the occupation since Oct. 6 – in violation of park curfew.

“I’m disappointed in the decision,” Merin said after the ruling. “Obviously, we hoped the judge would see the case differently than he did.”

The restraining order motion was part of a recent lawsuit filed by Merin claiming Occupy Sacramento protesters’ First Amendment rights are being violated because the ordinance prohibits protesters from remaining in the park for 24 hours and unreasonably limits freedom of speech.

England noted before making the ruling Thursday that Occupy Sacramento representatives had not applied for a permit to remain in the park and that detail could be “fatal” to their motion.

“The word permit does not appear in the section of code that relates to park hours,” Merin argued, “and where there is an oblique reference to a permit, the section does not apply to (the Occupy Sacramento) group exercising their First Amendment rights.”

England also said that it had been approximately 25 days since the occupation began and that “on the face of it, (it) would seem to indicate (the motion) was not an urgent matter.”

An attorney for the city, Brett Whitter, argued in court that the city ordinance, which has been in place for nearly 30 years, did not create an unreasonable restriction on protests.

“The regulations are narrowly tailored to accommodate the time that demonstrators would most likely get their message heard,” Whitter said.

Citing a U.S. Supreme court case, “Clark v. Community for Creative Nonviolence” (468 U.S. 288 – 1984), as precedent, England ruled that the city park curfew ordinance was “content-neutral and a reasonable time, place and manner regulation.”

Although the temporary restraining order was denied, Merin said he and other legal representatives will continue to pursue the lawsuit against the city.

The next step in the lawsuit – a preliminary injunction hearing – is set for Jan. 5 in federal court.

More 'Occupy' arrests in Sacramento

2011-10-26T08:57:58Z

Occupy Sacramento participants once again stood their ground at Ceasar Chavez Park in Downtown Sacramento. At midnight, an hour after the park is officially closed, dispersal orders were given and 4 (including one in a wheel chair) were arrested peacfully.

The Why of Occupy Sacramento

2011-10-21T06:32:57Z

Why Occupy?

Right now, regular folks ― young, smart, educated young people ― are frustrated because they don't see a way to claim their piece of the American dream.

For Julio Escobar, 19, a Sacramento City College student who grew up in Oak Park, the decision to stay and offer himself up for arrest by not leaving Cesar Chavez Park was one of principle.

The issue with the park started on Oct. 6, when 19 protestors elected to stay after closing at Cesar Chavez Park on behalf of the 99%. The nineteen took the bullet for the majority refusing to leave in civil disobedience despite repeated warnings by the police to disburse or be taken to jail.

A video of the events unfolding can be seen here.

Hundreds of people have protested in Sacramento’s downtown financial district in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, a movement that started in New York’s Zuccotti Park now renamed Liberty Plaza. The movement has many people fueled with discontent over the country’s economic woes, the disparity of “have” and “have nothing” as evidenced by the people in the "99%."

The Cesar Chavez Park arrests is merely a sign of the times, a thermometer heating up the people’s economic conscience. As of October 15, 2011, 951 cities and 82 countries have joined together in this new form of democracy in action, a single global protest. Government by the people, not at the hands of elected officials who failed their expectations by catering to the few who control the majority of the nation's resources. The net effect is an ever shrinking middle class.

In Sacramento, the Occupy movement continues to gain traction, showing up at City Council meetings, and growing influence into neighboring cities like Davis. Davis launched their version of Occupy about a week ago. Tents are strewn in Central Park just like Cesar Chavez Park except there is not an ordinance in place to keep demonstrators from meeting at night.

"We are love on the frontlines," said Kevin Carter, an activist from Oak Park who led the march to a recent City Council meeting. “When you see a brother down, you’ve got to help them back up. We’re not complaining, the signs explain what we do. We need to take responsibility for our community.”

Contrary to the belief that Occupy is a leaderless organization, at general assembly facilitators take matters into their own hands by appointing leads for committees on finance, education, park clean-up, media, and other special needs.

“There is no reason why an Occupy movement should not exist in every city in America,” said a young mother who attended the open forum on Monday with her baby and asked that her name not be used. “Knowledge is power. We need to get in front of the politicians.”

General assembly had over one hundred participants meet in the park, brainstorming ideas to fix the ills of a broken society, the exemption to the no camping overnight ordinance was one of the first order of business but not the only issue they grappled with.

The park has been inhabited by demonstrators every day since Oct. 6 and arrests are up to 58. It’s one way to let others know of the urgency to correct what is wrong and have the elected politicians work for us not the other way around.

There are bigger problems plaguing the middle class besides holding on to a park. Protesting is one way to take the power back to the people as implied by the Constitution. The people need to feel safe to express their First Amendment rights not just in the park, but in their everyday lives.

Because governments have adopted policies that compromise the well-being of the middle class, millions now suffer a debt that is creating havoc for the 99% of American families who are not very wealthy. Banks were bailed out by government but there is no bail out for these families. Many are fighting for homes that they may no longer have if they lose the battle to foreclosure. The banks were bailed out but the people are the ones stuck with the bill.

Other consequences include rising tuition costs, program cuts in schools, veterans losing benefits, lack of jobs, and adequate health care, the "Why" of Occupy is about economics.

Without reform America is headed to a lifetime of servitude. See it as a wheel, without affordable education, the middle class is ill prepared to take on better paying jobs. Jobs that help pay for basic needs of our families - like food, health care, and education. Without change, the next generation will suffer a nationwide poverty cycle much like the depression of the 1930's.

Ironic, because America used to be one of the few place in the world where immigrants could work and break through the status quo by building a business.

The opportunities are slipping away taking our best and brightest overseas where cost of living is still affordable. One such example is some UC Davis students who are opting for studies abroad to finish their college degree. Countries like Spain and the Philippines offer a college education for a fraction of the cost in California.
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“You can dissolve corporations, but you can’t dissolve the people,” said Steve, who asked not to use his full name. Despite losing a home that housed eight students barely getting their start in life in West Sacramento to a loan-modification scam by Bank of America, Steve lifted himself up by giving time to mentor a high school student.

“It’s going to take more than occupying a park to rebuild the dream. Everyone needs to support each other. That's one way to make a difference”.

Occupy Sacramento holds open forum at Cesar Chavez Park on a regular basis, come visit with the volunteers under the blue tent or check the website for meeting times.

*This is a photo documentary of Occupy Sacramento from October 6th to present.

Disclosure: Unfortunately, I am not rich enough to be part of the wealthiest 1 percent.

'Occupy' group stops at Bureau of Indian Affairs on march to Capitol

2011-10-18T00:21:36Z

'Occupy' protesters in Sacramento marched on Capital Mall Friday afternoon with a stop at the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 650 Capital Mall with some definite opinions of Columbus and the recent celebration of Columbus Day. After their brief stop and rally at John E. Moss Building, they continued east on Capital Mall where they rallied again on the north steps of the Capital Building

See video from demonstration>>

View some other 'Occupy' articles on SacPress>>

Occupy Sacramento continues after 20 protesters arrested

2011-10-07T23:50:31Z

Authorities said 20 protesters were arrested at about 12:45 a.m. Friday when they refused to leave Cesar Chavez Plaza, the site of the Occupy Sacramento demonstration.

Both police and protesters described the arrests as peaceful.

“They went without any problems or issues,” said Sgt. Andrew Pettit, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. “They were booked for failure to disperse after a lawful order.”

Anthony Bondi, a spokesman for Occupy Sacramento, agreed.

“It was completely violence-free,” he said Friday afternoon. “The protesters laid down and chose to be arrested.”

Despite what some protesters said they think was an overbearing police presence, Pettit said units involved were either on patrol already or “flexed” their hours to take part in the arrests.

“We had two SWAT teams, the entertainment team and three graveyard teams,” he said, noting that about 40 officers were involved.

The entertainment team is a unit that normally deals with drunken driving and enforcement of laws associated with entertainment venues such as nightclubs, he added.

The protesters who were arrested were booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, and Bondi said supporters marched to the jail Friday morning.

“Everyone is out now,” he said. “A couple have come back (to Cesar Chavez Plaza).”

Officers making arrests donned riot helmets, which Bondi said seemed excessive.

“I do believe that the police were a little bit overkill with the riot gear,” he said. “I mean, you can’t get less violent and more peaceful than (the demonstrators) were.”

Pettit acknowledged the nonviolent nature of those arrested but said wearing the gear is a standard procedure to ensure the officers are protected in case the situation turns violent.

“It was a precautionary measure,” he said. “They were nonviolent, but it’s to protect our officers in case someone else comes in and gets aggressive.”

He added that officers carry their riot gear in their vehicles at all times, so no specialized units needed to be called in.

The occupation has been in place since Thursday morning, when Sacramentans took part in the nationwide trend.

One of the common questions raised by those observing the occupation has been what the activists’ objective is – and that’s a question the activists themselves are pondering.

“The general consensus here – and I know it’s incredibly broad and vague – is change,” Bondi said. “Even in the Wall Street protests, over a week or two, there was no definitive list of demands.”

Bondi described Occupy Sacramento as a democracy where no one person is a leader, and objectives are being worked out.

“We’re trying to get more organized at this point,” he said. “I just hope people stick with us.”

Pettit said police will continue to enforce the city’s listed park hours and “no camping” ordinance.

“We are anticipating to stay there and do the same thing again,” he said. “We’ll see if the same people want to be arrested. It’s up to them. Our primary concern is keeping the peace.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Medical marijuana supporters protests in front of Sacramento Federal Courthouse

2011-10-07T18:42:11Z

Around 20 medical marijuana supporters protested Friday in front of the Sacramento Federal Courthouse. The protest started at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to end by 1 p.m.

Local workers join nationwide movement with Occupy Sacramento

2011-10-07T01:10:23Z

Protesters took to Cesar Chavez Plaza Thursday to fight what they say is the richest 1 percent of Americans controlling 50 percent of the country’s wealth – and they plan to “occupy” Sacramento for at least a week.

“I’m out here to fight for the people so we can get power back from the corporations,” said Neph Garcia, a diesel mechanic from Woodland.

“The 1 percent is making the decisions, and the 99 percent suffers from those,” he added. “We have to be free from corporate decisions. The politicians are pretty much their puppets.”

About 300 protesters with Occupy Sacramento assembled at Cesar Chavez Plaza downtown on Thursday morning before setting off on a march around the Capitol, chanting slogans such as “banks got bailed out, we got sold out.”

Police on horseback and bicycle kept watch over the marchers, occasionally blocking traffic as they crossed streets. Protesters stayed on the sidewalks, as they did not have a permit to demonstrate on the streets.

Christopher MacDonald, a spokesman for Occupy Sacramento, said there is no set time for the occupation to end, and the idea is to raise awareness of the issue as well as stand in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street group and others like it across the country.

Occupy Sacramento is not directly affiliated with other groups around the country, he added.

Sacramento Police Department spokesman Sgt. Andrew Pettit characterized the protests as peaceful, estimating that on Thursday afternoon the number of people demonstrating at the plaza was around 150 or 200.

“They’re obeying the traffic signs and rules, they’re not disturbing businesses and they’re even staying in the crosswalks,” he said.

Earlier in the day, some demonstrators tried to enter a couple of banks, but the doors were locked, and no demonstrators got in, Pettit said.

By Thursday afternoon, no arrests had been made, and no additional police patrols were called in.

“We’re using our existing patrols and diverting some of them downtown,” Pettit said.

Sacramentan Pedro Leon, who operates a printing press for the California Department of Justice, said he came out to show his support for the movement.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “We thought we sent the message when we elected Obama and others, but that message is not being heard.”

Leon said the ultimate goal, as he sees it, is to allow Americans to once again embrace the American Dream.

“It’s no longer what my parents had,” he said. “Then, a father could work and support his family comfortably. Now, you can’t even do that with two incomes.”

Other protesters said they shared the frustration of their compatriots in other cities, with Sacramentan Jacob Mendez, a student assistant, saying the U.S. economy is “one-sided” and characterizing big business as “corporate fascists.”

Sacramento stay-at-home mom and activist Krystin Leonhardt said she is upset that oil companies, banks and big agriculture businesses are “posting record profits” while schools can’t afford supplies.

“I’d like to see our government recognize that they represent us, not corporations with big money,” she said. “People are starting to take power, and they’re realizing there’s power in numbers.”

According to the Associated Press, labor unions joined the fray Wednesday when they gave their support to the activists.

The Local 1000 chapter of the Service Employees International Union supported the Occupy Sacramento movement.

"I encourage everyone to support these demonstrators in Occupy Sacramento and Occupy Wall Street because we need an economy that supports middle class families," Local 1000 President Yvonne R. Walker said in a press release.

"The Occupy Wall Street movement has done a great job of drawing attention to income disparity in this country and the need to create middle class jobs,” she added. “We need to do what we can to support them here in California."

The union represents about 45,000 Sacramento-area workers, and SEIU spokesman Jim Zamora said between 12 and 20 union members were staffing a tent and first aid station throughout the day, handing out water and other items to the protesters.

“It’s not a Democrat or a Republican issue,” said Diana Bennett, a protester from Roseville who works as a bookkeeper. “People are really standing up to the corporate money running this country. We’re fighting to get it back.”

Cesar Chavez Plaza closes at 11 p.m. and reopens at 5 a.m., according to Pettit. Demonstrators may be cited or arrested if they stay in the park while it is closed.

MacDonald said protesters planned to stay in the park and were talking with police on Thursday afternoon.

“We want to work things out,” he said, “but this is a full occupation, so we want to stay.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Co-op bylaw amendment stirs debate

2011-06-17T01:18:09Z

A proposed amendment to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op bylaws is being seen by some as a necessary procedure to ensure equality, while others see it as an attempt to take the members’ voice away on certain issues.

All 12,000 co-op members will have the chance to vote on the amendment, which must pass with at least a two-thirds majority in the next election cycle, scheduled for late summer or fall, said Board Member and Policy Committee chairwoman Michelle Reynolds.

According to Reynolds, the amendment proposed at the June 7 board meeting is a procedural process designed to ensure that the co-op has written anti-discrimination policies in its bylaws after a restructuring of its policies for more efficiency started last May.

“We had to tweak our existing policies,” Reynolds said Thursday. “As a result, a lot of our nondiscrimination language went away. We wanted to create a place for it in the bylaws.”

She said such policies in bylaws are common in nonprofit organizations and co-ops across the country.

Those opposed to the change, which include a group that is currently seeking to ban Israeli products from being carried at the co-op, say the amendment will prevent boycotts of products based on national origin and political issues, as detailed in this article.

“It seems designed to try to create another obstacle to any kind of purchasing decisions based on any criteria as to policy and country of origin, which at worst would override anything like what the people were trying to do who were opposed to Israeli products,” said David Mandel, a co-op member since the mid-1980s.

Mandel is both Jewish and an Israeli citizen. He came to Sacramento a couple of months after immigrating to the United States in 1985. He is also a member of the Sacramento chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace and said he doesn’t necessarily support a blanket boycott of Israeli products, but supports boycotts of companies that profit from the occupation of Palestine.

Reynolds said it is possible that the amendment could block boycotts of products based on national origin, but that is not its intention. She said the amendment would have been introduced with or without the objections to Israeli products.

Last May, the board chose to adopt the Policy Governance system as its framework to increase efficiency in a move many similar organizations have taken, Reynolds said.

That framework left no place for the manner in which the nondiscrimination policies were previously written, prompting the current proposed amendment, she added.

Mandel said he thinks the amendment is unnecessary, since the organization’s existing bylaws as well as state and federal laws prohibit discrimination against membership or employment.

“It’s not necessary to any legitimate purpose,” he said. “I think the co-op board should have the ability to make purchasing decisions based on fair trade, environmental (issues) and politics. It should conceivably be able to decide against a certain country engaging in human rights violations.”

He added that, though he was not one of the initiators of the drive to ban Israeli products, he thinks it is a legitimate issue to consider, and he doesn’t want to see the co-op “tie its own hands” by preventing the discussion on an official level.

Reynolds said she feels the group trying to boycott Israeli products is “cherry-picking” the bylaws without looking at the whole set, comparing it to someone choosing only certain parts of the Bible or any other religious canon to follow.

To see a list of the co-op’s bylaws and policies, click here.

All board meetings – held at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month – are open to the public. They are held at 1914 Alhambra Blvd., in the co-op’s Community Learning Center. The next one is scheduled for July 5.

The co-op is located at 1900 Alhambra Blvd.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Gov. Jerry Brown Proclaims Sunday “Harvey Milk Day”

2011-05-21T02:53:58Z

Equality Action NOW Hosts Event at the Crocker Art Museum

Today, California Governor Jerry Brown officially proclaimed Sunday, May 22, Harvey Milk Day. Last year Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the Harvey Milk Day bill, in honor of the slain San Francisco supervisor who fought for LGBT rights.

The proclamation begins by saying, “In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man in the history of the United States to be elected to public office. This milestone achievement gave hope to millions of gays and lesbians across the country that a day would come when they could live their lives openly and honestly without fear of discrimination.”

This year, even more then the first Harvey Milk Day, there has been a backlash of anti-gay rhetoric from organizations such as SaveCalifornia. After learning of the proclamation, Randy Thomasson, President said, “"Children are being led down a wrong road by the glorification of Harvey Milk. An official 'Harvey Milk Day' promotes the unnatural and unhealthy homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual lifestyle to minors. Just as Harvey Milk ignored the health risks of homosexual behavior, his legacy will be to pull even more young people into this disease-prone lifestyle. Just as he advocated for openly homosexual teachers as role models, 'Harvey Milk Day' will train boys and girls to follow a worse role model -- Milk, a predator of teens who knew no sexual boundaries or sexual danger."

Ignoring the negative calls for boycotting and protesting events honoring Harvey Milk, celebrations have grown worldwide. Here in Sacramento, Equality Action NOW, a local civil rights, organization is hosting live entertainment by spoken word artist, Jovi Radtke, and the screening of the Academy Award winning documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk at the Crocker Art Museum, Sunday beginning at 6:30pm.

Equality Action NOW leaders are inviting individuals and families to participate. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door. For more information visit their web site: www.EqualityActionNOW.org.

4 Sac State student protesters get disciplinary actions

2011-05-06T01:36:23Z

Four Sacramento State University students are facing disciplinary actions from the college for their participation in the three-day sit-in sy Sacramento Hall, which ended April 16 at 3:30 a.m. with police in riot gear.

Last Thursday, the students – Nora Walker, Yeimi Lopez, Amanda Mooers and Mildred Garcia – had their first hearing inside Lassen Hall with a disciplinary officer, as many of their supporters stood in front of the building wearing tape across their mouths and carried signs with messages like “Defending education is not a crime” and “Silence is the quest before the storm.”

In recent weeks, the protesters ignited a proverbial flame on campus that spread across an estimated 1,500 supporters who participated in rallies, the sit-in and a mock funeral, which proclaimed the death of education but the rebirth of the student movement.

The students refused to go on record as to what resulted from their hearing or what the charges entailed, and their supporters suggested they keep silent to the press while their hearings are under way, but it was suggested that a “no camping on campus” ordinance was violated.

Supporters marched behind the four students from the University Union Forest Room, where beforehand they discussed the aftermath of the student protests and the university's decision to call the police to break up the sit-in early that Saturday morning.

Mooers said they weren't given a reason from the campus administration why the four of them were selected when there were 27 students who spent the night inside Sacramento Hall. There were no arrests, and demonstrators maintained peaceful the entire time. They left Sacramento Hall upon request that Saturday morning, and it wasn't until then that they were told to leave. When the police moved in to take action, students said there were four students awake out of the 27.

Protest leaders have asked people to sign letters to Sac State President Alexander Gonzalez, showing their support for the students organizing and calling the administration's actions “unnecessarily aggressive.”

The students felt that the situation escalated when it didn't need to. For police to come in like that was a miscalculated use of force and a gross insult to those who were sleeping, they said in the forum.

Lopez, the designated police liaison for the protesters, said that when she approached police with questions on that Friday night/Saturday morning, she was told that they could no longer release information, that they were following the orders given to them.

Student Pat Pavlovich said he was studying in the Arc but was asked to leave by police even though he wasn't part of the protest. Asked why, the police said — according to Pavlovich — well, what if the protesters came in and destroyed the computers?

“They were shutting down other areas of study,” Pavlovich said. “That's when I decided to join the protesters. Doors were locked. I thought that was pathetic that (administrators) were going to starve students.”

The university has stated in media reports that it spent $14,000 in police overtime during the occupation and gave health and safety reasons as to why they locked Sacramento Hall with protesters inside, stating that all the people inside were affecting the air quality.

Forum panelist Lindsay Curtis said she found it ironic that administration had a concern with air quality, but they didn't leave the doors open. And Kevin Wehr, president of the capitol chapter of the California Faculty Association, said while there was insinuation that students were costing the university the police overtime, there were other pathways campus officials could have taken to avoid the
costs.

There seemed to be a basic message throughout the forum – that administration didn't do enough to prevent the sit-in and protests from escalating. Protesters said they had no idea that the protest was going to continue as long as it did. They just wanted the administration to take a stand, one way or another, on their demands – which has included stopping management during the fiscal crisis and for a promise from campus President Alexander Gonzalez to support Assembly Bill 1326, which calls for a fee on oil and gas extraction to support higher education.

While Gonzalez did post his response, Mooers said protesters asked him to be their leader and take their demands to the California State University Board of Trustees.

Curtis said California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed has been against those demands, so it would have taken a lot for Gonzalez to publicly support the protesters.

“Many have suggested we take our demands to the capitol, but if the system is broken, going to the capitol won’t help much,” Curtis said.

A week after the sit-in, some of the Sac State protesters joined other similar protests at Fullerton and Northridge State Universities.

The Fullerton administration made peace with the students, but Esteban Hernandez said the demands of students there were unlike those of the Sac State protesters. Fullerton protesters, he said, came up with a “watered-down resolution” that said something like “every person is entitled to equitable education ... but the administration took it as an opportunity to do good for the school.”

Wehr said response from the state legislature has been positive for the student protesters. Leland Yee called in his support on speaker phone and Assemblyman Richard Pan came down to the protest showing his support. His press secretary said Pan would find it very troubling if disciplinary action was taken against any of the students.

While other media reported the protests were organized by CFA, Wehr said that was not the case.

“The campus administration has made some insinuations both to the press and in their own communications to the campus that the students were put up to this by the faculty union,” Wehr said in a letter to all union members. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

In fact, he said the union was as surprised as anyone when the students decided to stay in Sacramento Hall. But once this course of action was taken, Wehr said CFA provided some support to the students by sending e-mails to the campus community and providing some food, water and art supplies.

Wehr said the union found it “offensive to suggest that students are not capable of undertaking their own political analysis and moving to take direct action based on what they see going on around the world and in their own backyard,” he wrote.

Grim Reaper protests SMUD

2011-04-12T00:53:41Z

In a display of symbolic death to the local workforce, a man dressed in a grim reaper costume stood with scythe in hand in front of the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District building on 65th Street Monday morning along with a half dozen other workers from the Carpenters Union Local 180.

Protesters passed out fliers claiming that SMUD outsourced labor for the Solano Wind project to an out-of-state general contractor who made $830 million in 2009, but SMUD calls the protest a disruption of business with "false and inaccurate claims" about the project.

SMUD states as many as 180 local construction jobs will be available in the Solano County area because of the project and that they didn't do the hiring of the contractor – the Danish manufacturing company of wind turbines, Vestas Wind Systems, did, said SMUD Assistant General Manager, Energy Supply, Jim Shetler.

Shetler explained that Vestas was hired by SMUD to do the manufacturing of the project and that Vestas chose the Michaels Construction firm from the Midwest.

“There are not a lot of local contractors that do that for a living,” Shetler said.

The project will include 55 new wind turbines and supporting infrastructure that includes a substation, roads, an energy collection system, expansion of the operations and maintenance.

Protesters refused to go on record or provide their names, and their spokesman, Paul Cohen, who was not at the protest, did not return calls Monday.

Students march for higher public ed funding/tax extensions

2011-03-15T00:31:30Z

The rain didn't stop an estimated 13,000 college students and faculty from marching on the State Capitol Monday to demand legislators work out their differences and put tax extensions on the ballot, which educators have said would make next year's cuts more bearable.

Students were bused from all over the state to the Towe Auto Museum, where the march officially began. Called the “March in March,” Monday's protest was the fourth year in a row that the same group came out to the Capitol in such large numbers.

As it stands now, Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 assesses a $1.4 billion cut to higher education, including $500 million to University of California schools and the California State University system and $400 million to community colleges.

Over the past few years, California's public post-secondary systems have experienced unpredictable fee increases, employee furloughs, layoffs and, for the first time, enrollment reductions prevented access to qualified California residents state the offices of the California State Student Association and Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

In reaction to Brown's budget proposal, California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott said the proposed cuts hurt colleges' ability to serve students and will harm California's economic recovery.

“These are difficult times for California, and there's no way to avoid the pain of budget cuts,” he said. “However, if our community colleges sustain reductions of this magnitude, we anticipate up to 350,000 students will be turned away next year.”

Scott said if just 2 percent more of California's population earned associate degrees and 1 percent more earned bachelor's degrees, the state's economy would grow by $20 billion.

“Those educated workers would generate state and local taxes of $1.2 billion a year, and 174,000 new jobs would be created in California,” he said.

“The UC, CSU and California Community Colleges can get our state headed back in the right direction,” he added, “but we cannot do it with continually shrinking budgets. Remember, higher education is not a cost to California, but an investment.”

Sacramento City Community College Student Body President Justin Turner said the number of students from his campus nearly doubled from last year, and nonetheless, many classes have been eliminated from the schedule.

“This put the students in a situation which may prolong their transfer, AA degree, or certificate program at city college,” Turner said. “As the cuts increase, the classes will, too, which will also turn students away and may push some students away from getting a education.” he said.

If the proposed budget passes, with all the cuts hitting higher education, classes may further disappear and double in size.

“It's a scary thought. To think when Gov. Brown was in office the first time, you could go to a community college nearly free ... Wow, have times changed,” Turner said.

Organizers said that the protests have helped higher education funding in the past. According to Community College Student Senate President Alex Pader ~~Lee Fuller~~ , at this time last year, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget asked for a $60 per unit hit at the two-year schools. “We rebelled against them and got them down to $26,” Fuller said.

Fuller, 48, is a returning student at Coastline College. He lost his job when the economy tanked and said he now sees more and more older students.

Cutbacks to classes and student services, including counselors, has been one of the biggest obstacles this year.

“The counselors are there to help the students, and if students are there to figure it out on their own, they take wrong classes, they take too many classes, too few classes – it just delays the process over and over,” Fuller said, adding that there are some counseling departments that have been reduced to one or two people, and they're dealing with 60,000 students.

Shortly after the noontime rally, students filled the Capitol rotunda and chanted, “Save our schools,” for a few minutes while other students sent postcards to their legislators asking for more funding.

Monica Stark can be reached at monica.stark@sacramentopress.com

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Protesters shut down L Street

2010-08-18T23:59:44Z

About 20 protesters – many of whom were in wheelchairs – were arrested Wednesday afternoon after blocking L Street in front of the Capitol to protest cuts to in-home care services in the state budget.

“Those services provide the means for people to live independently and stay out of nursing homes,” said Peni Hall, who came from Berkeley to participate in the protest but who left the street before officers started making arrests.

About 40 police and CHP officers arrived at the protest, said Sgt. Norm Leong, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department.

“We were notified of an improvised protest in the middle of L Street,” Leong said, adding that he believed the group had a permit to protest at the Capitol.

Leong said officers asked the protestors to move, and when they didn’t, they were arrested.

At press time, the 20 protesters were being processed, which Leong said would result in their being cited and released or jailed.

The fact that many were in wheelchairs hindered the process, he said.

Leong did not know exactly how long the protest went on, but he said it had been at least a couple of hours.

Officers reopened L Street at 4:15 p.m.

Hall, who sat in her motorized wheelchair with a sign reading, “Cuts Kill,” said the services currently on the chopping block include in-home care providers.

In-home care providers are instrumental in helping disabled – many of whom are elderly – live in their homes by assisting them with getting out of bed and into their wheelchairs and doing household chores throughout the day, Hall said.

“An institution costs three to five times as much as in-home care,” she said, adding that many disabled people can’t afford that, and must live with family.

Connie Barker is an in-home care provider in San Rafael, and she said it is not just her livelihood at stake, but in many cases, “the very lives of the people I care for.”

Barker said she cares for three people, and they have become friends to her.

“The whole argument behind (the cuts) is really just a travesty,” Barker said. “They say it will save money, but it’s just not true...It’s penny-wise and pound-stupid.”

Barker said the short-term cuts will lead to long-term problems.

“A lot of these people can live on their own for a week, a month, maybe a year,” Barker said, “but after that, they’ll be worse off, and possibly very sick.”

Both Leong and Hall said the protesters intended to be arrested.

“It’s the only way to get the message out,” Hall said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

LGBT COMMUNITY CALLING FOR PROTEST TODAY AT CAPITOL

2010-08-18T18:56:38Z

Monday the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit placed their own stay in the Federal Prop 8 Case, which doesn’t allow the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Once again disappointment, and for some, anger has invaded the lives of many same-sex couples who were set to take their vows on the West Steps of the California State Capitol Building today.

In place of the planned Wedding Ceremonies, leaders of the LGBT Community are calling for a Protest Rally and March around the State Capitol. This will begin on the West Steps at 6:00pm, Wednesday August 18 (when hundreds of same-sex marriages would have taken place).

Equality Action Now as well as organizations throughout the region are hosting a protest rally and march in reaction to same-sex couples “having to once again put their wedding plans on hold and continue to suffer being treated like 2nd class citizens without the ability to protect their family and each other, as other citizens who are able to legally marry in the State of California”.

While the program is still in the planning stage, confirmed speakers include State Senator Mark Leno, Equality California’s Government Affairs Director, Mario Guerrero, a representative of Faith for Equality, Diana Luiz and Dr. Nicola Simmersbach, Sacramento couple who were set to wed today, and Hilary Hodge, spokesperson for Equality Action Now.

Organizer Enrique Manjarrez explains the reason for the protest is, “For the community to support couples who were looking forward to their wedding day. For young people looking forward to a life where they are truly equal under the law. For all of us to show the world that you may knock us down, but we’ll get up again. The fight for equality goes on here in Sacramento, and across the country”.

Sacramento LGBT Community Prepares For Federal Prop 8 Ruling

2010-06-24T17:29:24Z

Following a five-month hiatus, intriguing closing argument to the Federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8 were heard in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16, and a decision in the case is expected shortly.

The leadership of Sacramento’s Equality Action Now, a local, grassroots civil rights organization and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center are planning to respond to whatever ruling Judge Vaughn Walker decides in the case with a rally at the Sacramento G&L Center, 1927 L St.

As of this writing there are no indications when the ruling will take place. Organizers are preparing for any day or time it could be announced. There were rumours flying yesterday that the decision could be handed down as early as this Friday, June 25, 2010, but the general thinking is the decision will not be made before this weekend’s San Francisco’s Gay Pride events or even prior to July 4th, Independence Day.

There are two possible rulings that could be made. Ether the banning of same-sex marriage will be viewed by this court to be unconstitutional and once again it will be legal for same-sex adults to attain a marriage license in the state of California, or the law which had caused so much controversy and millions of dollars on both sides spent to repeal or uphold will continue to be the law of the land.

One way or another one thing is certain, the ruling will be appealed and the case will continue to the Federal Court of Appeals before possibly heading to the Unites States Supreme Court.

Planners of the “D-Day” event are encouraged by early indications that the possibility of the decision on their side is high. With hope that they are right, plans are being formed to close down 20st street between K and L streets, the block the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center is located near, for a celebration.

Speakers and entertainment are being lined up and the community is being informed through a vast social networking infrastructure that has been developed since the general election of 2008.

Of course, organizers are also planning for a defeat which could start within hours of the decision at the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center, with a short press conference and then begin a protest march to the California State Capitol where participants will be able to express their feelings of the decision and speakers will offer their support and encouragement.

In any case, Sacramento will be ready to be vocal about what is predicted to be a cornerstone to the future of same-sex marriage here in California.

For more information about plans for “D-Day” go to the web site for Equality Action Now (www.equalityactionnow.org) or the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center (www.saccenter.org).

Westboro Baptist Church to protest the Capitol

2010-04-22T16:42:13Z

      Members of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket May 2 and 3 at the California State Capitol Building, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Shalom School, McClatchy High School and the Jewish Federation of Sacramento.
      The Westboro Baptist Church regularly pickets funerals of soldiers and homosexuals and has recently gained media attention because of the United States Supreme Court Case they are involved in regarding a demonstration that members of the church made at a marine’s funeral.
      McClatchy High School Principal Greg Purcell said that the administration is meeting next week to discuss how they can minimize the effect of the protest.
      Regarding McClatchy High School, the church website said, “You parents, teachers, and so-called leaders have raised a bunch of Bible illiterate brute beasts that cater day and night to their feeeeeeelings (sic), aka, their lusts.”
      According to the church’s website, on May 2, members of the church will picket the Jewish Heritage Festival at the Capitol Building.
      The church’s reason for the protest is posted on their website: “You must repent for the awful crime of killing your SAVIOUR!! Your tacky festivals are no substitution for obeying your God!! Your heritage means nothing to God.”
      A full schedule of picket destinations, times and reasons for those demonstrations can be found at the church’s website: http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html.

A Warm Reception at McClatchy High School for Anti-Gay Protester Fred Phelps

2010-02-06T04:38:14Z

      A small group of people started gathering in front of McClatchy High School today, at 3 o’clock, to show their support for gay rights. Among the group, were protesters who had gathered earlier at the capitol, students from neighboring schools, and the press.
      It was nearing the scheduled time for the arrival of the notorious anti-gay protester, Fred Phelps and his clan, from the Westboro Baptist Church. They were scheduled to arrive at 3;15pm, according to their website godhatesfags.com.
      The high school was ready with a dozen staff members standing guard in the front drive way. A number of students chose to dine in restaurants across the street, having a nice vantage point to enthusiastically view the scene.
      At 3:20, the school bell rang and students began to flood through the front doors. As the front of the school filled with students, more supporters joined the group. Some were wearing pro-gay t-shirts and others were wearing rainbow colored ribbons. Several students identified themselves as members of the gay-straight student alliance at high school. Other students made the point that they were straight, but believe in mutual respect for all people.
      The mass of demonstrators became larger. As cars drove by, honking their horns, the crowd would roar with delight. What was planned as a counter-protest became a gathering of people with a love for freedom and equality. The diversity of the crowd was greeted with the smiles on people’s faces.
      People didn’t seem too disappointed that the guest of dishonor hadn’t arrived. The reverend had also missed his appointment at the Capitol, scheduled for 1:10pm. Rumors were circulating that their flight had been cancelled due to snow. These reports have not been confirmed.

Images:

1) Anthony is a student at McClatchy High School.
2) Mother and son, Kathryn and McClatchy freshman, Liam.
3) Two students from St. Francis High School show their support with a rainbow flag.
4) A girl in pink tape strikes a pose.
5) Students from Rio Americano High School,of Carmichael, show their support for gay rights at the State Capitol.

CSUS Budget Rally

2009-09-03T23:45:51Z

The California State University system faces a $1.27 billion dollar cut in its 2009-10 General Fund Budget from one year ago. While total enrollment is up 4,000 students across the CSU system, budget outlays are 55 percent less than they were in 2008-09.

To balance the CSU budget, the CA Board of Trustees has enacted a three prong approach. Teachers will be furloughed twice a month in order to save jobs, classes are being cancelled to save cash, and students will see a 32 percent increase in their student fees. This is the seventh time in eight years that student fees have gone up, and students are finding it very difficult to graduate because the classes they need have either been canceled or are completely full.

Ten years ago (1999-00), the California State University system had a General Fund Budget of $650 million more than it does today. From that same fiscal year, CSU enrollment is up over 80,000 students and student fees have increased 263 percent.

Video by Adam Christy

Tea Party Protest at the Capitol

2009-08-29T03:12:59Z

About 1,500 people gathered on the west steps of the State Capitol Friday afternoon to express their anger with state environmental regulations, which they said were responsible for increased unemployment in the state.

Present at the event were talk radio hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, Congressman Tom McClintock and Mark Meckler, head of the Sacramento Tea Party Patriots and the event's organizer, as well as several business owners and a representative from the National Tea Party Patriots organization.

In addition to the protesters on the west steps, many tractors, big rigs and other trucks carrying signs and honking in support of the protest were on the streets around the Capitol.

Speakers at the event condemned state laws designed to protect threatened species of fish by reserving portions of the water supply, saying that the laws would ruin productive farmland and put farmers in the San Joaquin valley out of business. They also spoke against government regulation in general, with Meckler leading the crowd in chants of "Government is the problem," and "No more government." Speakers also cited the impact that environmental regulation has had on the timber and mining industries as evidence in favor of deregulation. Environmentalists were characterized as radicals who did not speak for the population, with one speaker saying, "Today's environmentalists were yesterday's communists."

Environmental regulation was not the only topic addressed – several speakers also inveighed against health care reform, calling it socialism, and congratulating the protesters and attendees of town hall meetings for slowing down any changes.

Members of the crowd carried signs reading "Farm water = jobs," and "If you like foreign oil, you'll love foreign food." Others carried posters calling the Obama administration communist, describing the United States as a Christian nation and advocating the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Also present at the event were representatives of the American Independent Party, the John Birch society and many other causes, including tort reform, tax relief and the legalization of marijuana.

The Tea Party Patriots organization also organized national protests on April 14, calling them 'Tax Day Tea Parties.' Many of Friday's speakers were also present at Sacramento's Tax Day Tea Party protest. While Friday's demonstration was not national, the group is planning another round of nationwide protests on Sept. 12, with a march on Washington, D.C., as the day's centerpiece.

The California Republican and Democratic parties were contacted, but as of press time neither had responded with a statement on the protest.

Photos courtesy of Ed Fogle, Maverick Photography www.maverickphotography.us.

Twenty-Five Local Groups Protest Nuclear Weapons Use

2009-08-06T18:24:16Z

Press Release

Contact:

1. Marielle Tsukamoto

916-685-6747

mariellet@frontiernet.net

2. Patricia Pratt

916-482 3018

cell: 916 730 9380

quiltsrpat@aol.com

Twenty-five Sacramento groups Oppose Nuclear Weapons

Twenty-five local Sacramento organizations and hundreds of supporters will come together on Sunday August 9th for the 64th Annual Day of Remembrance and Action to Oppose Nuclear Weapons. This family-friendly event will be held at the CSUS Alumni Center. Doors open at 4pm for networking and viewing sponsor tables with the program from 4:30-6pm. The event is free and there is adjacent free parking beside the center. For directions, go to http://www.sacstatealumni.com/alumniCenter.stm#Directions.

This is the twenty-third year our local August Peace Event committee has planned this event in Sacramento. It is held in memory of the US atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

August Peace Event organizer, Patsy Byers, comments, "We gather to remember this first and only use of nuclear weapons, and to renew our dedicated opposition to any further use. This work continues to be vital, as our country and other nations commit vast amounts of their resources to weapons development, while failing to stop the spread of nuclear weapons."

Program chair, Janice Nakashima says, "We have planned an event to energize and inspire us with the opportunity to participate together toward ending the threat of nuclear weapons." Included in the program are area students reading from their winning essays from the Physicians for Social Responsibility peace essay contest.

The event occurs as major US foreign policy experts, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, are calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. For more information on nuclear weapons, see www.psr.org

12 Year Sentence Spurs Sacramento Vigil

2009-07-08T04:11:18Z

On June 8, American Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12-years of "labor reform" by North Korea. This Thursday a candlelight vigil will be held on the Capitol west steps in peaceful protest.

On April 27 a vigil was held for Laura Ling and Euna Lee to raise awareness for the two journalists' detainment in North Korea. This time it is in support of the two women who face the notoriously harsh conditions of North Korea's labor camps.

The two American journalists were on assignment for Current TV, a cable and web network co-founded by Al Gore, when they were detained on March 17 and convicted of illegal entry and engaging in "hostile acts" after a four-day trial North Korea's high court.

In a letter invitation to the vigil, Ling's sister, a CNN correspondent and Sacramento native, Lisa Ling, voices her concerns about the women's condition in North Korea.

"What Laura and Euna were trying to do was give a voice to those who have none," writes Ling. "Now their voices have also been silenced. Since their detention, their health has deteriorated quite a bit, we are extremely concerned. We are making a plea for mercy with the hope that they may be released on humanitarian grounds."

Community figures such as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California State President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Mayor Kevin Johnson, "Good Day Sacramento" host Mark S. Allen as well as many other organizations and media are expected to be in attendance. Lee and Ling's sentence has the United States in nationwide protest and vigils will be held in other cities such as Phoenix, San Francisco, Birmingham and Washington, D.C.

Support the Ling family on Thursday evening at the Capitol's West Steps.

WHO: Lisa Ling, the Ling Family, friends and community of Sacramento

WHAT: A community gathering in support of Laura Ling and Euna Lee

TIME: 6:30 to 8 p.m.

WHERE: California State Capitol west steps (10th St. between L and N streets

Balancing the budget topples hopes

2009-07-01T19:16:00Z

On Tuesday evening, hundreds of workers with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) congregated at the steps of the Capitol to voice their frustrations with how the state legislature is handling the budget.

Yvonne Walker, President of the SEIU, opened the rally with a fiery speech about how state workers “are on the tipping point,” with the continued proposals to cut state workers’ pay and adding a third furlough day.

Walker described the two-day furlough already in place for state workers as “the equivalent of one month’s pay.” She explained an additional day of unpaid leave would increase the financial burden on state workers, causing some to lose their homes.

Workers were well aware of this possibility as they walked circles around the Capitol lawn, some waving signs that read, “The future face of poverty.”

The impacts of pay-cuts have had severe effects on the lives of the workers.

“I have two children and I cannot afford a fifteen percent pay cut as a single mother,” said Kendra White, a tax technician. She added, “I already can’t pay my bills,” though the further proposed cuts have yet to be implemented.

Richard Wilcox Jr. is an employment program representative who processes employment insurance claims forms. He attended the protest in solidarity for his fellow workers.

“Some of them are at a point where they are actually filing for unemployment insurance claims forms,” seeking the exact help they provide as a part of their job, he said.

Some of the rally attendees held up signs that referenced the safety and well-being of their children. “I’m having to make choices about my kids being in daycare, and in a potentially dangerous situation” said Angela Ramirez, a DMV employee.

“I had to actually check with child services to see if it was okay to leave her home for a few hours out of the day until the lunch hour when I could come home,” Ramirez said.

She touched on current situations at her office that reflect the effects of the budget cuts on the community as a whole. “We’re backlogged, and customers are disappointed that the services are taking a lot longer.”

These services include filing paperwork dealing with DUI offenders. “Getting drunk drivers off the road is getting longer. The paperwork is taking longer,” she remarked.

“We’re doing a disservice to the community, not only the workers but the state of California,” Ramirez said.

Members of the SEIU have pin-pointed many ways to re-direct pressure off of state workers. “We’ve identified $34.7 billion in private outsourced contracts,” Walker said, hoping that the amount of money pouring into private contracts is reduced.

“One idea which I have,” said Wilcox, “is basically we start taxing oil companies for the oil that they drill out of ca public land.” The same is currently done in Alaska where they “actually make enough money where every year the Alaska state government sends its citizens checks.”

While he does not think the possibility of drilling an equivalent amount of oil in California is possible to generate that income, “it could at least offset the hurt.”

The SEIU planned to have a candle-light vigil and spend the night on the Capitol lawn, but some of the coordinators called it off because it looked like the legislature was not going to be in session that evening.

The protest at the Capitol Tuesday evening was a precursor to today’s rally. The SEIU expects over 2,000 workers to convene at the Capitol around noon to rally against the projected cuts.

Confused Demonstartors

2009-05-02T03:55:32Z

Sacramento, CA
Friday, May 1, 2009

Several Sacramento Police officers formed a blockade at the front entrance of the Five Fifty Five building on Capitol Mall today as demonstrators gathered to let their voice be heard by Bank of America officials. The downtown branch of Bank of America is located on the ground floor of the Five Fifty Five building. Bank personnel guarded the back ally entrance to be sure that those entering were there for bank business and not part of the demonstration. At this location the demonstrators were voicing their opinion of alleged misuse of bailout funds handed to the banks, and calling for the CEO of BofA to step down. When we attempted to question bank officials, we were met across the board with “no comment”.

Demonstrators dispersed peacefully and continued marching down Capitol Mall under police escort to the sidewalk in front of the Capital on the West side. We took this opportunity to talk with demonstrators. As we inquired as to the purpose of their demonstration, there seemed to be a bit of confusion; it seamed each demonstrator we talked with had a different mission for being there. We did finally discover that the main purpose of the protest was for laborers’ rights and that these protest were taking place in several locations throughout California.

We caught up with Albert Rojas (pictured in white t-shirt) at the demonstration. Rojas shared with us how he felt the misuse of bail-out funds impacted all tax payers. He stressed how it was his opinion and event organizers that immigrants should be a working, tax paying part of the American Society rather than tapping into the welfare system. Rojas is a student majoring in business. He stated that he purposed to fund his schooling rather than taking out student loans that he may not be able to repay. We asked Rojas about the inflatable characters they staged on the sidewalk; he stated that “they are symbolic to give a face to the mentality behind some of the bankers.”

While there did appear to be some confusion in the mission and purpose of their demonstration, it was clear that each person had definant opinions and missions. Each came to exercise their freedom of speech and right to be heard. Not only did they get that opportunity, their rights were literally protected as officers stood by to keep the peace.

What's happening at the Capitol: Monday, April 27

2009-04-26T06:12:30Z

Ever drive by the Capitol building and see a crowd gathering, only to pass by wondering what was that? Whether it's a large gathering, a rally, or a special event, stories in this storyline will focus on all happenings outside of California's historic State Capitol building, located at 10th and L Streets.

Future articles in this storyline will likely include interviews with organizers and participants, as well as photographs, flyers and additional information.

Monday April 27th:

California Young Democrats will be holding a press conference to help mobilize the youth vote. Taking place from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., the event will consist of approximately 60 people who will convene at the north steps of the Capitol.

Professional Beauty Federation of California will be holding a rally and giving free hair cuts to nearly 300 legislators from 3 - 7 p.m. on the south steps of the Capitol.

The California State Assembly is holding a memorial event from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on the west steps of the Capitol. 175 people are expected to show up.

*Note*: Events are compiled from the California Highway Patrol's Weekly Event Report, and are subject to change.

Students Speak Up

2009-03-17T01:54:01Z

Look out, Governor Schwarzenegger! Thousands of angry students are yelling at your front door.

Today at the Capitol, college students from all over California gathered to speak up about their frustrations in this year’s ‘March in March’.

At 10:00 am, a crowd of thousands from all over the state started marching from Raley Field towards the Capitol. The passion of the students could be felt in the air during the walk.

“What do we want? EDUCATION! When do we want it? NOW!” “You say cut that, we say fight back!”

These were just a couple of the many chants that could be heard throughout the crowd. Anybody with functioning ears within a ten-block radius could probably hear the screams.

As the swarm of people kept growing at the steps of the Capitol, it became very cramped and very loud. Thousands were eventually gathered, showing the true enthusiasm of the people in California’s higher education system. Many carried signs that said 'Stop Education Cuts', 'Schools not War', and 'Tax the Rich'. Some, though, were not as serious. I came across one that said 'Chuck Norris supports education' and one that had a person looking at a dog and saying 'cat' showing why we need education. The people had a serious agenda, but the mood remained light for most of the crowd.

The first speaker to the stage was SSCCC President Richael Young, who was very engaging to the crowd, especially the many from community colleges around the state.

Next up, was SSCCC Vice President Troy Carter, followed by quite a few other speakers from colleges around California. They were from different areas, but shared the same message: Keep colleges effective, open, and affordable.

One of the speakers who was full of charisma, who is also candidate for governor for the 2010 election, was Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, who criticized the state for trying to cut its most valuable asset: its students. There was an uproar of screams and applause during all of the speeches given at the Capitol.

Seeing the crowd from the steps of the Capitol stretching out to Tower Bridge gave a sense of awe. To see that there were that many people passionate about education gave me some hope. During this time where everything seems to be getting worse, hope was a very welcome feeling. You could see it on the faces of all of the people. People who traveled from all over the state just to be there for a few hours (some from as far away as San Diego) didn’t care about the long ride they had ahead of them. They knew what they were there for, and they were going to get it. The students of California colleges are the future of the state. Having affordable education for all is a basic American right and there should never be any governmental move that would stop people from getting it.

Hopefully, legislators will recognize this march and react accordingly. If they don’t, I have no doubt that even more students will come to the Capitol to show them who they’re hurting.

Hundreds of construction workers protest budget impasse

2009-02-10T20:58:35Z

Several hundred hardhats gathered at the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds this morning to protest the budget deadlock that has thrown hundreds of labor brothers out of work.

In fact, said Jarad Donabedin, a member of Laborers Local 185, “Everyone here is out of work. This is real life.”

Called by the California Alliance for Jobs, speakers from operating engineers, carpenters and laborers locals spoke in a highly-charged atmosphere to repeated cheers from those gathered.

The most common chant was “What do we want?” “A budget!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” chanted as the protesters circled around the area, holding picket signs reading “LEGISLATORS DO YOUR JOB SO WE DON’T LOSE OURS!”

Carl Goff, the vice president of the Operating Engineers Local 3, noted that “CalTrans has announced they’re shutting down 140 road projects in the state of California,” and one speaker later added that work on the Lincoln Bypass project was stopping.

Goff also noted that construction workers and engineers were suffering a double whammy in this dire economy, saying that his local had an 18 percent unemployment rate, more than double the statewide average. The drop off in jobs from the slowing of new housing construction had made things bad, but the evaporation of infrastructure jobs due to the tied-up budget made the financial hurt much worse.

Jim Earp, executive director of the California Alliance for Jobs confirmed that, saying, “Our industry is already on the rocks - the only game in town now is public works projects.”

The biggest construction projects in Sacramento’s central city the new Bank of the West office tower at 5th and N Street, and the new central plant for heating and cooling many of the state buildings downtown. The latter was still under construction as of yesterday, but workers there are unsure how long the project, due to finish in May, will continue. And Donabedin said that many at the Bank of the West project have been let go.

Donabedin also said that CalTrans work on the Sheldon Road bypass in Elk Grove had stopped for lack of funds, and that he and his friends were feeling the pain.

“My wife has a state job, and she’s been furloughed,” he said. “But at least she still has a job, and benefits. I don’t, and I have 30 friends in construction who are sitting home with no work. It’s bad.”

Donabedin also noted that he had looked on craigslist at job listings for construction, and while few were listed for Sacramento, Tennessee had lots of jobs listed, he said, “And you can buy a house there for $130,000. People are going to start leaving Sacramento if this continues.”

“Just last month, we had 800 people out of work,” he added. “People have to support their families. This is bad times.”

A member of Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's office distributed a statement saying in part, "We are on your side and we will not let another week go by without action from the legislature. I am committed to bringing a vote to the floor this week."

Meanwhile, Governor Schwarzenegger's office announced just before 1 this afternoon that he would have to lay off more than 20,000 state workers this Friday if the legislature failed to reach an agreement on the budget.

California's Budget Cap

2009-01-29T04:33:49Z

While riding through the downtown area today I spotted a group of people walking down the street heading toward the plaza. After following them around for a few minutes to investigate, I quickly realized that they were protesters.

This small group of 8 was heading for the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza in downtown Sacramento this morning, chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, budget caps have got to go.” I followed these protestors for a block or so, before they finally stopped in front of the conference room at Holiday Inn.

Apparently the legislature was having a meeting in this hotel working on ways to cap California’s budget. There I found out that the protestors were actually part of the SEIU of California. The SEIU says “Don’t lock out our future!”

The Governor and legislative leaders are continuing to deliberate on proposed solutions on our State’s $40 billion shortfall in the budget. The SEIU protestors that I spoke with this morning say that The Governators proposal is for more drastic budget cuts on top of $10 billion in reductions that have already been made to schools, health care, social services, as well as countless other vital programs this year. Adding a rigid budget cap will only force more cuts to education, health care, and other critical services year after year.

“California has been hit hardest by the economic meltdown. Unemployment is skyrocketing, food prices are up, and wages are down. More then ever, we need to protect the vital public safety net that keeps our kids our grandparents, people with disabilities and our communities safe.

”The Governor’s proposed cuts and spending cap unfairly target low and moderate income families, and set the stage for perpetual cuts to schools, health care, and public infrastructure that will damage our economy and quality of life for generations.” said Ben Mendoza

SEIU Protest

2009-01-16T02:31:43Z

Thursday, less than two hours after Governor Schwarzenegger finished his State of the State address, a few hundred members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 gathered to protest on the south steps of the State Capitol.

The SEIU, whose mission is to improve the lives of workers and their families, held seven simultaneous protests against budget cuts for state workers, including gatherings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

For many California families, problems with our national economy compounds the problems within the state's budget.

Although the crowd was roughly half the size of the previous day's protest, today's chants were louder and led by several protesters using megaphones. The protesters nearly all wore the same purple t-shirt and held the same SEIU sign which read "Value Us".

Tensions seemed to be escalated because of the Governor's presence in the Capital Building, and a handful of police officers on bicycles circled the group.

Yvonne Walker, President of the SEIU Local 1000 was the first of three speakers to address the audience.

When asked when she lost faith in Governor Schwarzenegger, she said, "I lost faith when he stopped governing California, and started governing sound bytes." She made it clear that the SEIU would do whatever they could until the governor fixes the state of the California.

"We can eliminate contracts for private employees who do the same job as state workers do for twice the price" she said in her speech. Her statement "We, are not a strain on the state budget, we are value added," drew loud cheers from nearly everyone present.

Meanwhile, another protester, Tom Stroud, said that recent budget cuts had affected "continuing training for teachers, cut funds to buy new textbooks, and eliminated other education programs entirely."

Stroud, a teacher in the state prison system, explained that he lost faith in the governor in 2005 when Schwarzenegger backed propositions 75 and 76 aimed at cutting state workers' pensions.

Proposition 75 passed, effectively prohibiting union members such as teachers, nurses, and law enforcement officers from voicing opposition to budget cuts. He promises to attend more SEIU protests whenever he could.

As the speeches neared the end, organizers led the crowd into spirited chants such as "Furlough Arnold", "We need California Safe", and "Value Us".

As the crowd dispersed, many stopped by a table where a few organizers handed out sack lunches and soda, a reimbursement to members for spending their lunchtime to protest together.

SEIU came about in the year 1921 when a group of janitors and security officers joined smaller unions in the Chicago area. In addition to being the most diverse union consisting of 56 percent women, the SEIU also represents the largest group of immigrant workers, more than any other union. They are the largest healthcare union in the U.S. and the second largest public services and property services union.

Was anyone there? Did you feel that the crowd was different from Wednesday's protest? Are you a state worker, and how is the budget affecting you? How can we solve the budget?

Pro-Gaza Protests At Robert T. Matsui Courthouse

2009-01-09T19:55:28Z

Approximately 100 Protesters chanting "Free Free Palestine" and holding large Palestinian, American, and UN flags assembled outside the Robert Matsui courthouse on the corner of 5th and I Streets yesterday, in the latest of a series of gatherings to protest the ongoing Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip.

Protesters said they were there to raise awareness of the aggressive actions of Israel, and the US policy of support for Israel in the form of arms shipments. Naseer Abboushi, of the Palestinian - American Congress, said "We want a diplomatic solution to end the fighting and get a long- term solution. We believe that this can be achieved diplomatically."

Not all protesters were Palestinian or Muslim. Kimberly Wenz, who described herself as "a true Christian American," said that the situation in Gaza was "unacceptable," that "true Israelis care about Palestine," and pointed out the large disparity between the modern military of Israel and the "starving and homeless" population of Palestine. She was accompanied by James Gregory, a Native American who said he saw many similarities between the history of Palestine and that of the American Indians.

Other protesters, when asked, said that the protest was organized by word of mouth, and many of the protesters did seem to know each other. About half of those present looked to be under the age of 18 (much like the population of the Gaza strip, incidentally), and several were wearing sweatshirts from Al Arqam College Prep, a South Sacramento Islamic private school.

One man, who declined to be named, compared the situation in Gaza to that of the Jewish ghettoes in Poland during the Second World War.

Did any readers see the protest? Was anyone involved? What do you think about these demonstrations?

Hold'em up high

2009-01-05T20:51:35Z

People always have signage at protests and rallies so we produced large signs to add to the mix. We thought it would be fun to try and drive content by giving people a reminder the conversation can continue online.

In the future we intend on bring these signs to locations as news is breaking.