by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Another quick reminder of a No on 98 rally and press conference at SF City Hall today at Noon. Bring your carboard box!

by Timothy Horrigan [courtesy of Blog for America]

Many of you will be envious when you hear that I was able to be at the 6:15 am "Welcome Rally" for John Edwards in Manchester, NH. About a dozen of us gathered in deep-frozen Dover, NH and headed over to an old mill building Manchester to give John and Elizabeth (as well as Kate) a warm welcome back to the Granite State. The event shows a lot of what is good about the state of politics in America and some of what is wrong.

It is great that a candidate like John Edwards can still speak the truth to power and still fight for regular working people while still being taken seriously. And even though several hundred citizens did risk hypothermia to journey to Manchester in the dark, the event still shows how marginalized the political process has become....

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Ted Gullicksen
San Francisco Tenants Union

For more than 30 years, the San Francisco Tenants Union has defended renters in San Francisco against attacks by landlords who want to eliminate affordable housing in our city. There is a dangerous measure currently circulating for signatures to qualify for the June 2008 ballot that would undo all of our hard work.

That’s why our organization helped to organize a rally Wednesday outside the San Francisco City Hall to protest this dangerous measure. More than 100 renters, tenants’ advocates, affordable housing advocates, seniors, environmentalists, labor advocates and others were joined by Assemblyman Mark Leno and Senator Carole Migden and San Francisco PUC Commissioner Susan Leal. All voiced opposition to the Hidden Agendas measure and highlighted the landlords’ very real and very devious intentions.

by Mark Leno Campaign [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Last month, Brian wrote about the return of Proposition 90. This "Son of 90" initiative is once again rearing it's ugly head in California -- today marks the kickoff of the opposition campaign.

At noon, across the street from San Francisco's City Hall, Assemblyman Mark Leno will rally against this deceptive ballot measure with Susan Leal, General Manager, SF Public Utilities Commission; Ted Gullickson, SF Tenants Union; Barbara Blong, Senior Action Network; John Rizzo, Sierra Club; Tim Paulson, SF Labor Council and the League of California Cities.

The San Francisco Sentinel reports:

Opponents argue the Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property measure could displace 180,000 residents living in rent-controlled residences.

“If this measure were to pass, thousands of San Franciscans would be forced out of the city,” said Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union.

“Seniors especially would be hard hit if they lost their rent control protections.”

Paul Hogarth has a long piece for Beyond Chron:

by Lucas O'Connor [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

From noon to 1pm tomorrow, immigrant rights activists will be rallying in Oakland (1500 Broadway) in protest of ICE performing employee harassment and intimidation on behalf of a well-connected hotel CEO who doesn't feel like adhering to a living wage law.  If you're in the area, go out and tell ICE to stop attacking workers rights.  And if you can't be there in person, you can call Special Agent Charles DeMore at (510) 267-3800 and tell him that ICE shouldn't be involving itself in the enforcement (or lack thereof) of local labor laws.

A month ago, Brian wrote on Calitics about Rep. Brian Bilbray's meddling in Bay Area living wage issues.  He chronicled how workers at the Woodfin hotels in Emoryville were fighting to receive the living wage assured them by Measure C, a local living wage law.  The city is insisting that Woodfin pay the living wage, but unfortunately for the workers, the CEO of Woodfin hotels lives in Brian Bilbray's district and has contributed enough money to get his phone calls answered.

Some more background on the flip

Cross posted at San Diego Politico

by Matt Ortega [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

(Disclosure: I am an online organizer for It's OUR Healthcare!)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's healthcare 'proposal' -- to require everyone to buy insurance, whether or not they can afford it and regardless of whether it actually protects them -- will be heard before the Assembly Health Committee in Sacramento today.

While the Governor's proposal gets further scrutiny from California lawmakers, none of whom from either party is willing to carry, Californians have already made up their mind. $5,000 deductibles is not "affordable healthcare."

It's OUR Healthcare! is currently holding a rally on the steps of the State Capitol. Can't make it to Sacramento? Text IOH to 30644. We are displaying your text messages sent in by thousands of Californians here at the Capitol and streaming them on the web.

Snag the code for the really cool text message display seen on the live fieed below:

by E J Zipprich [courtesy of Blog for America]

Chairman Jim Dean of Democracy for America is coming from CT to Red Bank to help Ed Zipprich and his running mates campaign.

Come spend a few hours to strengthen our party.

Please make sure you turn out November 3rd for the Rally and campaign event that will certainly turn the GOPers in Monmouth County and the 12th Legislative District on its ear!! Can you see the look on the Red Bank Republicans faces? Don't think Jen Beck or her protege, Grace Cangemi, will be smiling those trade-mark smiles when they find this out!

Rally to start with the Bus for Change at 10:30 a.m. in the train station parking lot at the Red Bank Train Station. Cruise around town with Andy on the bus...hand out literature...help the candidates meet and greet citizens all around Red Bank. Encourage folks to get out and vote on Nov. 6th.

Greet Chairman Jim Dean at 3 o'clock at Democratic Campaign Headquarters, 125 Broad Street, Red Bank, NJ

Help elect Democrats: Ed Zipprich, Kathy Horgan, Jack Hill, Amod Choudhary, Judge John D'Amico, Steve Schueler, Amy Mallet and re-elect Sharon Lee , Mike Panter and Ellen Karcher. Sign up at http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=23879