Financial Crisis Leading to Exploitation
The Global Financial Crisis has covered the headlines of newspapers across the world, and in Cambodia this is no exception. This year the garment district, among many business sectors, has closed 56 factories. This converts to an estimated 63,000 factory workers, primarily women, who have directly lost their jobs as of this June. The combination of job loss, declining work wages, and family adds fuel in the trade and exploitation of human beings.
Unfortunately as the factories have decreased their staff, women working in beer gardens, brothels, karaoke bars, and massage parlors are on the rise. These institutions are known for exploitation, but as demand for these entertainment services increases, so does the job market.
The Rapid Response Project is a collaborative effort launched this month to educate, train, and empower women who have lost their factory job and to prevent or offer new options to women working in these exploitative situations. In conjunction with other NGO’s, UN agencies, and the garment factory association in Cambodia 100,000 magazines aimed at women working in the garment factory will be distributed in the upcoming month.
Lodi Prayer Controversy
Attorneys for Pacific Justice Institute sent a legal memorandum Thursday, August 6, to the Lodi City Council offering a solution to a controversy that has erupted in the city over invocations before City Council meetings.
In May, a Wisconsin-based organization, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, urged the City Council not to allow invocations at City Council meetings to end “in Jesus’ name.” This past week, opposing sides of the issue rallied in front of the bi-monthly City Council meeting to express their views, and the City Council is expected to hear public sentiment on the issue again in late September.
In the memo from Pacific Justice Institute, which is based in Sacramento, Chief Counsel Kevin Snider discussed leading cases involving public invocations and encouraged the Council to adopt a neutral policy allowing ministers and other members of the public to open the meetings with prayer or other comments, free of any censorship by the Council. Under such an approach, prayers in Jesus’ name could not be singled out for exclusion.
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, “It is simply un-American for the government to censor speech, including the mention of God or Jesus, by private citizens in a public setting. We are offering the City of Lodi a practical, constitutional solution to this needless controversy so the out-of-state special interests can fold their tents and go home.”
Legislators Move Forward on Budget
The budget proposal would resolve California’s $26 billion deficit. Among other provisions, it reduces state spending on education, health care, welfare, and other concerns by $15 billion. Unless the state economy recovers, the likely result will be yet another budget deficit in 2010.
With weaker economic activity leading to lower tax revenues and Republican opposition to higher taxes, the governor and legislative leaders said this plan was the best they could do.
The remaining $11 billion deficit will be addressed by taking $4 billion for local governments, reallocating funds, and employing a range of accounting tricks, the AP reported.
Personal income and corporate taxes from 2010 will also be collected earlier than anticipated, to resolve the state’s budget woes, according to the AP. Taxpayers would be able to claim the money on tax returns, but they would get no interest for their “loan” to the state government.
Last Friday, the state had issued 157,711 IOUs, The Wall Street Journal reported. These warrants were worth $682 million.
State Controller John Chiang said his office would need to evaluate the budget proposal before determining when it could stop issuing IOUs.
Another Legal Victory for Traditional Marriage
There are currently three federal lawsuits filed by gay activists to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that, if won, would require the United States Government to recognize gay marriages. Two of the three court cases directly challenge proposition 8. One of these cases, Smelt vs. United States, got tossed out by a federal judge today on the basis that the defendants, a legally married gay couple from California, have no legal standing or “injury” as they were married before the enactment of Proposition 8, which the California State Supreme Court recently held that such marriages would remain intact.
Christian Leaders Push Immigration Reform as Faith Issue
By William Wan
The teleconference by the group, Christians for Comprehensive immigration Reform, featured heavyweights in the arena of faith and politics, including three members on the President’s new faith-based advisory council. Since Obama’s June 17 meeting on immigration so far looks like it’s invitation only for member of Congress, the group’s goal was to weigh in on the debate ahead of time.
One of the speakers, Rev. Jim Wallis, president of progressive and social justice group Sojourners, made this argument, “This is a faith issue. Not just a political issue.” Wallis referred to biblical passages where Jesus tells his followers that when they treat strangers with kindness, they are treating Jesus himself with kindness. “The stranger in case of undocumented immigrants is not being treated that well right now,” Wallis said.
Rev. Sam Rodriguez, president of the national Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said that after bailing out industries like banks and automakers, Obama and his administration should show similar grace to immigrants who are trying to support their families. Rodriguez said Obama needs to deliver on promises he made to the Latino community during his campaign.
The coalition issued a statement signed by 28 Christian organizations and 40 some leaders advocating things like reduced waiting times for separated families to be reunited, a legal process for immigrants already in the country to earn citizenship, dealing with the root causes in countries where immigrants come from.
By William Wan | June 10, 2009; 3:05 PM ET
Budget Update
Failure to resolve California’s estimated $24.3 billion deficit prior to the start of the new fiscal year, which began on July 1, resulted in State Controller John Chiang issuing IOUs to cover state expenses. Further, the failure of our elected leaders to come to a resolution before the deadline has caused a greater schism between them. As a result, budget negotiations have deteriorated. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s demand for additional budget cuts, suspension of Proposition 98 (the voter-approved funding mechanism that mandates state spending on education) and budgetary reforms has outraged Democrat legislators and special interest groups.
During Sunday’s discussions, after Governor Schwarzenegger reiterated his demand for budget reforms to be part of any budget fix, the Speaker of the Assembly, Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) walked out of the negotiations and began boycotting future negotiations. Further, the governor’s desire to suspend Proposition 98 was, in her words an “unacceptable” option.
Since Sunday’s breakdown, the war of words has escalated between the governor, Democrat legislators and special interest groups. Democrat legislators, conversely, repeated their frustration with the governor, citing his unreasonableness and inability to recognize the immediate needs of California and claiming he has wasted time and cost the state over $3 billion in savings.
While Governor Schwarzenegger and the legislature remain embroiled in conflict and inaction, special interest groups are taking action. Anti-tax groups continue their radio and media campaign opposing proposed tax increases. Health and education groups continue to organize protests at the State Capitol against budget cuts. Yesterday, the California Teachers Association began airing political ads opposing Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed Proposition 98 suspension.
Some observers are wondering if legislators will feel pressured to act by July 31, the deadline for California to retroactively cut $1 billion in expenses. It’s not clear, however, that Sacramento has any solid date for resolving the $23.6 billion deficit.California’s bond rating has dropped from “A-” to “BBB,” the lowest possible rating.
A common sense bill, related to California’s budget woes, is moving through the Assembly.
AB 1506 would allow people who receive IOUs from California to pay the state with those IOUs, if they owe the state money in the form of DMV fees, taxes, and other debts.It was proposed by Assemblyman Joel Anderson. State Controller John Chiang began issuing IOUs last week. IOU holders, who need immediate cash, are currently selling their IOUs for less than face value.
The Assembly Business and Professions Committee approved AB 1506 with an 11-0 vote on July 7. It now awaits a vote by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Election Results in Iran Incites Uprising
The Iranian Presidential elections held on Friday, June 12th incited an uprising within the country and fueled international debate. This 10th presidential election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution resulted in the premature announcement that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president again. Riots erupted in the street after wide scale allegations of election fraud. This riot, led by the nation’s youth (over 66% of Iranians are under the age of 30) spurred international attention. Rallies, protests, and violent squalls have spread throughout the country as Iranians citizens ask, “Where is my vote?”
Ahmadinejad’s chief opponent, Mir Hossein Mousavi, has declared himself the true winner of the election. In previous elections, tallies began to trickle in hours after the polls closed; this year millions of votes poured in almost immediately from a huge turnout of about 85 percent of Iran’s 46.2 million voters. The final outcome: 62.6 percent of the vote to Ahmadinejad and 33.75 for Mousavi, a former prime minister from the 1980s. Much of the electorate, however, is unsatisfied with the results.
Ahmadinejad accused the foreign media of producing coverage that harmed the Iranian people, saying “a large number of foreign media … organized a full-fledged fight against our people.”
Authorities also called foreign journalists with visas to cover the elections, including members of The Associated Press, and told them they should prepare to leave the country. Italian state TV RAI said one of its crews was caught in the clashes in front Mousavi’s headquarters. Their Iranian interpreter was beaten with clubs by riot police and officers confiscated the cameraman’s tapes, the station said.
CA Supreme Court Ruling on Prop 8
After months of litigation, the California Supreme Court ruled 6-1 to uphold the controversial Proposition 8. The proposition was voted upon in November to add Article 1, Section 7.5 to the state Constitution declaring that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Ronald George, was joined by Justices Joyce L. Kennard, Marvin R. Baxter, Ming W. Chin, and Carol A Corrigan. Justice Kathryn M. Werdegar, although a reluctant sympathizer with the majority opinion, chose to write a concurring opinion expressing her own views. Justice Carlos R. Moreno was the lone dissenter on the bench.
The 136-page majority opinion begins with an explanation that the Court was not called upon to decided the morality of political soundness of Prop 8, but merely to address the issue of the proposition’s validity as it pertains to an amendment to the state Constitution, rather than a revision which would have required additional approval by the legislature.
The Court concluded that a revision “referred to the kind of wholesale or fundamental alteration of the constitutional structure that appropriately could be undertaken only by a constitutional convention.” The Petitioners on the case argued that Prop 8 was indeed a revision because it altered a fundamental aspect of the state constitution; that, of equality. The court disagreed holding that the proposition does not “fundamentally alter” basic equal protection rights. It also rejected arguments made by the Attorney General, Jerry Brown, which claimed that Prop 8 should be declared unconstitutional because “inalienable” constitutional provision, such as the right to privacy, should supersede constitutional provisions.
The CA Supreme Court also addressed the validity of the gay wedding conducted after the previous opinion and declared that Prop 8 was not retroactive and that those same-sex union would be upheld.
Pro-Life Americans Outnumber Pro-Choice
For the first time in 15 years, Gallup Polls has found a majority of Americans self report as pro-life, up sharply from just one year ago. The annual Values and Beliefs survey found 51% of Americans say they support life while 42% claim they are pro-choice.
In another poll conducted by the Polling Company for Americans United for Life, 68% of respondents said they knew someone personally who had had an abortion, and believe that abortion hurts women.
Local Community College Student Council Passes Vote to Oppose LGBT Day of Silence
In a Council Chamber overflowing with students, the Sacramento community college, American River College, voted 11-5 to pass a resolution putting the 42,000-student school on record as officially opposing the Day of Silence, an annual observance by the LGBT community.
The audience was packed with students who spoke out in favor and against this resolution. Those in favor argued that the controversial obersvance was an attempt to silence Christians while those opposed stated the day was about protecting homosexuals and transsexuals from violence.
The hour long meeting ended with the majority cote siding in favor with students arguing for religious protection from censorship associated with the Day of Silence, meeting the required 2/3rds vote to pass.