SLO Co. Social Justice eNews
Month 3, 2020
In This Issue: Calendar of Events // Links // Blogs, Podcasts, Videos
CALENDAR of EVENTS
Sat., 2/29–Community NAACP Freedom Rally (1-2pm) and Walk (2-3pm), Paso Robles City Park Gazebo, Downtown. More info call Rev. Ken Parish: 805-835-6707.
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Sun., 3/1, 1-3p m.–Send-Off Event for Peace Activist John Dear on his national tour for his latest book, Praise Be Peace: The Psalms of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Climate Change. John will speak and sign books at a gathering at Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay. Free–donations gladly accepted–refreshments served. Part of the Nonviolent Cities Project of Morro Bay produced by Yes We Can PeaceBuilders.
Peace Podcast from John Dear On the first day of each month, Pace e Bene is pleased to post a free, new podcast featuring Fr. John Dear reflecting on some aspects of nonviolence. John Dear has been studying, teaching and writing about nonviolence for 40 years, given thousands of lectures and published over 36 books. We are happy to share his latest insights on nonviolence each month. They are specially recorded for Pace e Bene in an informal conversational style. We encourage you to listen to the whole show, or to break it up and listen to it over the course of a week.
You can access John’s latest podcast The Nonviolent Psalms of Peace at http://www.paceebene.org and click on the link on the front page – “John Dear’s Peace Podcast.” You can also find John’s podcasts on Apple at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcasts-by-peace-activist-author-and-lecturer-fr -john-dear/id1485034295?ign-mpt=uo%3D4 and Google at https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZIZWRzLnNvdW5kY2xvdWQuY29tl3V zZXJzL3NvdW5kY2xvdWQ6dXNlcnM6Njg5NjAwNTM3L3NvdW5kcy5yc3M
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The opposition to this measure is not simply our general reservations about such pro-banking, regressive means of raising funds; we have given critical support to such measures if the funds were spent for important social needs, with no identified hidden agenda involved. However, in this case such a not-so-subtle poison pill is present. This initiative is the offspring of Prop. 51, passed in 2016. We opposed that proposition which was also for building/repairing of education facilities, even though it focused on K-12 districts of highest need as well as community colleges and career technical schools.
The key problem with 51 and now with 13 is the restriction on any fees being placed on developers for all the infrastructure which accompany these facility projects, benefiting real estate interests (and their profits), at no costs to them. It is not an accident that the measure was largely initiated and funded by real estate and construction firms.
Politically the measure is backed by Governor Newsom and much of the Democratic Party centrist establishment. The two main teacher unions, CTA and CFT, are largely sitting this out, their main efforts being focused on the Schools and Communities initiative (to reform 1978’s Prop 13), scheduled for this November’s ballot. [from Green Party of Calif.]
Peace and Freedom Party endorses a NO vote on Proposition 13, a measure appearing on the March 2020 California ballot. PFP is opposed to bond financing because it transfers wealth from working class taxpayers to the rich people and institutions that profit from buying the bonds. While we sometimes abstain on school bonds, this one does not pass the smell test.
Besides the $500 million for charter schools, which we oppose, there is enabling legislation with details not spelled out in any summary of the bill. The passage of the School and Facilities Bond Measure (formerly known as California Assembly bill 48, on the March ballot as Proposition 13) would reduce the fees that school districts can charge developers who profit from new construction of the projects that the new schools will serve. It would raise the amount of bonds that local jurisdictions can issue, thus raising the limit on one of the most regressive forms of taxation.
There is plenty of wealth in the coffers of the extremely wealthy in California. We should tax that wealth sufficiently to pay for our schools and everything else we need.
Lee Van Ham’s “Jubilee Circles” is available now also as an audiobook, at iTunes, Nook Audiobooks, Google Play, and Audiobooks.com, which offers a free sample. It includes 20 actions to take to help keep our planet livable.
https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/jubilee-circles/381421 THAT’S THE LINK to the audio version of the little book “Jubilee Circles: Help Save Life on the Planet.” Please share this audio version with all who’d like to listen while jogging, walking, etc.
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Worthwhile Colleague Organizations
Extinction Rebellion US (Central Coast CA) // Mothers for Peace // Santa Lucia Sierra Club // WomensMarchSLO.com/ // NAACP-SLO Co. Branch
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BLOGS, PODCASTS, VIDEOS
Subscribe to Jubilee OneEarth Economics email list and receive a free copy of Jubilee Circles. Click on the Download link in your Welcome Email. Paperback copies are available from Amazon for $5.99.
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Simpler OneEarth Living Podcast, co-production of Simple Living Works! and Jubilee OneEarth Economics.
Listen at site or subscribe as “Simple Living Works” at iTunes, Stitcher.com or your favorite podcast service for free.
3/19–Chuck Collins–Inequality Hurts Everybody!
10/19–Margaret Bullit-Jonas: Faith Communities Have Great Reason to Go All Out on Reversing Climate Crisis
11/19–Lee Van Ham: The Liberating Birth of Jesus–A Birth Story Able to Reverse Our Planet’s Perils
12/19–Ruth Ann Angus, Yes! We Can PeaceBuilders
01/20–David Hoferer: Birds, Insects, Big Ag and Spirituality
NEW: 02/20–John Michno: Leadership for the 2020’s Climate Challenge
SLW! Blog: Monthly Digest, Monthly Nudges, Daily Nudges
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Comments welcome.
Gerald “Jerry” Iversen, Chief Activist, host/producer
Simple Living Works! – SimpleLivingWorks.org (or SimpleLiving.StartLogic.com)
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One Planet, One Child Campaign from World Population Balance and The OverPopulation Podcast
Join Sierra Club Resist
There’s been no end to the Trump administration’s systematic attempts to dismantle our bedrock environmental laws and strong climate action, along with inciting hate and violence with xenophobic and racist rhetoric and policies. This Group is for us to come together around opportunities to take action to resist the administration’s actions. We’re also here to celebrate small victories and to draw inspiration and hope from each other among these challenging times. Also, this is all about YOU — OUR COMMUNITY with a vision for a more just, equitable, and sustainable future. So please share your own ideas and ways you’re resisting in your community.
http://www.ccc-uss.org/safety-guide.html
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