California NOW

No on Prop. 8: Lies, Damned Lies, and Polling

If Prop. 8 is successful, it will be the first time that a denial of legally established rights has been written into the California state Constitution. Current polls are still showing Prop. 8 supporters leading. A "yes" vote on Prop. 8 means taking away same-sex couples' right to marry in California, leaving California trailing behind states like Massachusetts and Connecticut.

A study of marriage licenses estimates that about 11,440 gay couples have now married in California. Hundreds more are rushing to get to the altar before November 4th, in case Prop. 8 is successful.

The Yes on 8 campaign has used the influx of money to pay for deceptive advertising that has flooded the state and changed voters from opposing Prop. 8 to supporting it.

The California Progress Report did a piece debunking the myths of the Prop. 8 campaign, and during the required legislative hearing on Prop. 8 Assemblymember Dave Jones confronted Prop. 8 supporters on their misleading campaign.

Take action against the deception and support loving families in California. No on Prop. 8!

Judge This ACORN by Its Fruits

Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, so it seems fitting to talk about an organization that is working on poverty issues here in the U.S. That organization is ACORN.

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has been in the news a lot, lately. ACORN has been accused of being a radical organization, of perpetrating voter fraud, of precipitating the housing crisis that led to Wall Street's financial collapse, of so many things that they've actually had to set up a website specifically devoted to fighting the smear campaign. Here's a great video clip that gives the real ACORN story.

I guess it is pretty radical in this country to give the working poor a chance to own a home without having to submit to the kinds of predatory lending practices that caused the financial crisis. It's radical to help working class families build over $6 billion of wealth through homeownership in a ten year period. It's radical to work to eliminate racism from the loan approval process.

Maybe some people still think it's extreme to try to ensure that every person gets a chance to vote. Maybe helping 1.3 million citizens- many of them African Americans, Latinos, low-income citizens, and youth- apply to become registered voters in 2007 and 2008 really is more dangerous to our country and our rights than working to disenfranchise people by removing them from the voting rolls if their house was foreclosed, or trying to disqualify voters who put "Ave." instead of "Street" on their registration forms.

I guess I must be an unreformed socialist for thinking that it's a positive thing for the federal government to help get lead paint out of children's homes, and offer counseling to families faced by foreclosure, and make sure that families eligible for food stamps know how to apply for them.

Who was it that said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits?" I believe he was another community organizer dedicated to working with the poor and the disenfranchised. Judging ACORN by its fruits, by the millions of individuals and families that they have helped, California NOW is proud to proud to be associated with them, and to continue working with ACORN on social justice and poverty issues in California.

Wednesday Video: No on Prop. 4

Prop. 4 Polls Mean California Teens Need Your Help!

Polling is showing Prop. 4 gaining support, and we're only one month out from the election!

We need to spread the word and let California voters know the truth about how dangerous Prop. 4 would be for California's most vulnerable teens.

The recent Public Policy Institute of California poll shows Prop 4 winning 47%-44%, and a SurveyUSA poll shows Prop 4 winning 52%-36%.

The Campaign for Teen safety needs your help now more than ever! Please volunteer to make calls, hand out information, and to help in any way you can. Make sure that you spread the word to everyone you know that Prop. 4 is a deceptive initiative that will hurt California teens and families.

You still have until October 8th to donate to the No on 4 campaign and have your gift matched, dollar for dollar, to double your impact!

Say No On 4 Twice As Loud!

Former state Senator Becky Morgan and her husband Jim Morgan know that Proposition 4 is a bad idea for our teens. They understand that parental notification doesn't work - that Prop 4 can't force teens to talk to their parents, but it might force them to do something desperate and dangerous, like delaying critical medical care or turning to self-induced or back-alley abortions.

They have made a commitment to match every donation to the No on Prop. 4 campaign made online - dollar for dollar. If you donate $25, so will they; if you pledge $100, their additional contribution means $200 will go toward protecting teen safety in California through the No on Prop 4 campaign.

This special donor match will only last until 11:59 p.m. on October 8, so donate today to double your donation's impact. Together, we will once again - and as often as necessary - protect our teens, our families, and our community.

We can't stop the fight now. We can't let our teens down. Join Becky and Jim - and thousands of other Californians - by supporting the Campaign for Teen Safety. Click here to donate today.

Victory For Mother Who Fought to Protect Her Children From Abuse

The story of Holly Collins has become a rallying point for the movement to expose the deeply flawed family law system and its failure to protect women and children from family violence. Collins just returned to the U.S. after 14 years in hiding with her children. She went into hiding with her children following a custody battle that put the children in the custody of an abusive father. Despite warnings from doctors, social workers and psychologists that the children were at risk in their father’s care, the family court judge ordered the children be placed in the father’s custody. After a year, and continued reports of abuse, Holly Collins-- desperate to protect her children--took the children and fled with them, ending up eventually in the Netherlands. There they were provided with asylum after an international court found it would be too dangerous for the children to return, and Holly was declared a human rights refugee. When the FBI located the Collins in 2006 to pursue federal kidnapping charges against Holly, the Netherlands refused to extradite her, and the charges were later dropped. But, the local authorities in Minnesota refused to drop the charges. Then, after constant pressure from politicians, organizations and Jennifer Collins' own efforts, Alan Rosenfeld, Collins' attorney was informed just weeks ago that if Collins came and turned herself in, the charges would be dropped.

When the Facts are Known, People Say No on Prop. 4

Every initiative on the California ballot must have a legislative hearing before election day. Last week, a joint Assembly-Senate health committee held the hearing for Prop. 4.

Watch the footage of the hearing.

Assemblymember Dave Jones wasn't afraid to challenge Prop. 4 supporters on the deceptive language of the proposition, including the fact that the woman the measure is supposedly named after ("Sarah") was a married woman to whom none of the Prop. 4 provisions would have applied. Prop. 4 opponents discussed the dangerous effect of Prop. 4 on California's teens and why voters should reject this third attempt at legislating family communications. Read more on Prop. 4.

A new PPIC poll confirms that California voters remain strongly (71%) against any government interference in a women's right to choose.That's the good news...but the same poll shows that the Proposition 4 race is very tight -- with 47% voting YES and 44% voting NO. While this is "within the margin of error" it still shows that we have a lot of work to do to let our pro-choice friends know about 4 and come on board to move the NO side up past the 50% mark!

Thanks to California Progress Report for the link to this footage!

More Reasons to Vote No on 4

A new report by Child Trends found that approximately 18 percent of women aged 18 to 24 years old report having experienced forced sexual intercourse at least once in their lives.

The fact is, young women are more likely to be assaulted. Most young adult women report being age 16 or younger at the time of first forced sexual intercourse, including 13% who were age 11 or younger, 15% who were ages 12-14, and 30% who were ages 15-16. Moreover, they are more likely to experience reproductive coercion including birth control sabotage, refusal to accept birth control use, or other attempts to force pregnancy. Read more on the reproductive health consequences of intimate partner violence from the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

A pregnant teen already in a dangerous situation doesn't need the restrictions of Prop. 4. Most teens do go to their parents when faced with an unintended pregnancy. But teens in crisis need options.

Webinars for Women in the Workplace

How many women have put away money for a child's college fund -- but have put off saving for retirement? And how many women think they could be earning more -- but aren't sure how to negotiate for that much-needed raise or promotion?

If you've fallen into one of those traps, don't worry. You're not alone.

The National Women's Law Center can help women get back on track and prepare for their financial futures through their free Lunchtime Learning webinars in the Citi Education Series on Family Economic Security

Planning for the Future: What Working Women Need to Know About Social Security and Retirement Savings.
1:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 (you can register the same day)
Register Now

When Retirement's Approaching: What Women Over 50 Need to Know About Social Security and Retirement Income.
1:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008.
Register Now

WORK$MART: Pay Negotiation for Women (Two-Part Series).
1:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008, and 1:00 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008.
Register Now

Listing of events is done as a community service, and does not indicate CA NOW support or sponsorship

Prop. 4 is Dangerous: Pass It On!

Californians have made themselves clear -- by saying “NO!” twice in the past three years to dangerous parental-notification ballot initiatives. But anti-choice forces won’t give up and have placed a similar initiative, Prop 4, on November’s ballot.

Like Props 73 and 85 before it, Prop 4 would put our most vulnerable teens at risk. It would prohibit young women from obtaining an abortion without government-mandated parental notification -- unless they go to court. And this law goes even further than Props 73 and 85 by expanding liability for doctors who provide care for teens!

Many teens won't, and some simply cannot, turn to their parents when facing an unintended pregnancy -- even if politicians tell them they must.  Put simply, this initiative delays critical counseling and medical care for our teens.

After the jump, read a letter from a school counselor on how Prop. 4 puts our most vulnerable teens in danger, and see what you can do to stop Prop. 4 and protect California teens.