California NOW

Commission Recruiting Advisory Committee Members for Sexual Assault Victim Services Program

The California Commission on the Status of Women is recruiting for two (2) appointments to the State Advisory Committee on Sexual Assault Victim Services Program, Governor's Office of Emergency Services. The term will begin immediately upon appointment, no earlier than January 2009, and extends until January 2012.

The committee is responsible for advising and developing training courses for sex crime prosecution units throughout the state. The committee is also responsible for developing criteria for funding grants to rape crisis centers, child sexual exploitation programs, and child sexual abuse counseling centers.

All applicants must have broad knowledge of, and/or experience in, working with sexual assault and child sexual abuse prevention programs, sex crime assistance, or victim counseling.

Applicants with a specific expertise in the work of rape crisis centers are encouraged to apply (e.g. former staff or former board member, etc.).

Congratulate Hillary Clinton!

You can send Hillary your own message of congratulations on her appointment as Secretary of State.  If you can afford to, make a donation to help her retire her campaign debt as well.

NOW Praises Obama Picks

I don't have any major differences of opinion with my parents or siblings on political/social issues (another story with my partner's family).  This makes a lot of things easier than many people have with their families, and certainly keeps holidays enjoyable.   But, something did come up over the weekend that pointed to a difference between my mother and me.  

My mom said she was not ready to hear any criticism of Obama. She was irritated that The Nation had jumped right in with critique.  She is still celebrating his election, and doesn't want to come down from the cloud.  But, to me, it is not time to shut up, it's time to speak out; and that's what women's organizations did as soon as Obama was elected: made sure he knew that he was elected by women's votes, and what we are expecting of him.  

We've praised his plans for America for including key issues in advancing women, but also put pressure on him to make sure his cabinet and appointments put women at the table in his administration. 

Today, NOW praised Obama for his choices so far.  In a statement, Kim Gandy said:

As a candidate, President-elect Barack Obama made clear his commitment to equal opportunity, and today's cabinet announcements begin to fulfill those values. I know from personal experience that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is admired and trusted around the world and, as she carries out the responsibilities of Secretary of State, I am confident that the well-being of the world's women will be on her mind. 

Sarah Palin: Scapegoat

I keep putting off writing about Sarah Palin again, thinking, "Those 15 minutes have to be up by now," but every time I take a read through the blogosphere, there she is again. And sadly, the sexism has not fallen by the wayside, now that the election is over.  She can't even pardon a turkey or have someone tell her thank you without people turning it into a joke.

While polling did clearly show that many Americans were influenced to vote against the Republican ticket because they did not feel that Palin had the experience and ability to be Vice President, the entire blame for the loss cannot be placed at her feet. Nonetheless, that's where a lot of people are dumping it, even when that reflects badly on the Presidential nominee and the campaign that chose her in the first place.

Then there's the story about Palin not knowing Africa was a continent, rather than a country. The story has not been retracted, despite the Eisenstadt hoax (broken first by Shakesville, thank you very much), because Eisenstadt was apparently not the original source. If true, the story confirms that Palin was unqualified for the VP position, but what is the purpose of bringing it to light now, after the election? I would argue that the point is to continue the scapegoating of Sarah Palin, so that John McCain can return to work in Washington with his reputation untarnished by his loss.   Palin is the designated scapegoat.

And never fear, the sexualization of Palin isn't over yet either. Now there's an entire website based around Palin erotica.

She is facing another ethics investigation and a possible perjury inquiry, but with Palin receiving calls from agents and a possible $7 million book deal in the works, she's unlikely to drop out of the political spotlight for a while. In fact, she's already campaigning in Georgia to help Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who is in a runoff election against Democrat Jim Martin.

There are some positives to come out of Palin's candidacy, like the normalization of the idea of a female President or VP. Unfortunately, those attitudes are slower to change than they should be. No wonder American women are still pissed off at the sexism exhibited during the Presidential campaign.  Once again it appears that our choices are limited to being the "bitch" or the "airhead" and with misogyny having come out of the closet during the campaign from both parties, it's very clear how far we still have to go to be seen as equals.

More on Obama's Appointments

Today brought the news that Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona, has been chosen to head the Department of Homeland Security. Napolitano has served as her state's Attorney General, and was reportedly also considered for U.S. Attorney General.  Her appointment now depends on the final vetting process.

Unfortunately, Penny Pritzker, who was the leading contender for Commerce Secretary, has withdrawn herself from consideration. However, the new likely nominee is another woman, Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton.

Tom Daschle has been nominated as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. RH Reality Check has covered Daschele's nomination, as has Feministe.  Here's the scoop from RH Reality Check:

"Daschle's record on reproductive and sexual health and rights is a mixed one. NARAL Pro-Choice America rated him 50% for his support for the (non-medically termed) Partial Birth Abortion Ban, and for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, a bill that makes it a crime to prosecute a perpetrator for two crimes in a violent crime against a pregnant woman. Daschle, also, however, opposes the ban on abortion procedures in military hospitals and supports expanding funding embryonic stem cell research."

While there's no question that reproductive rights won't face the uphill battle of the Bush years, we'll still have a lot of work to do to push truly progressive policies that extend to cover the full range of women's reproductive needs.

Other possible female nominees include:

One Reason I Don't Want Hillary as Secretary of State

Because then she wouldn't be able to do stuff like this:

SENATORS CLINTON AND MURRAY INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO STOP NEW HHS RULE THAT WOULD UNDERMINE WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE

WASHINGTON, DC — In light of reports that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preparing to enact a rule that would undermine critical health care services for women and families, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) today introduced legislation that would prevent the HHS rule from going into effect. The proposed HHS rule would require any health care entity that receives federal financing to certify in writing that none of its employees are required to assist in any way with medical services they find objectionable. The proposed bill would keep HHS from moving forward with this rule.

“In the final days of his administration, the President is again putting ideology first and attempting to roll back health care protections for women and families. The fact that the EEOC was never consulted in the drafting of this rule further illustrates that this is purely a political ploy. This HHS rule will threaten patients’ rights, stand in the way of health care professionals, and restrict access to critical health care services for those who need them most. Senator Murray and I are standing up once again to the administration against this rule and will continue to fight for women’s reproductive rights. President Bush is making a last-minute attempt to undermine women’s health care, but our legislation will stop this rule and ensure that women can continue to get needed health care,” said Senator Clinton.

You can take action on this issue here, or click below to continue reading the press release from Senators Clinton and Murray.

Obama's Appointments: Change or More of the Same?

There's a lot of trepidation when it comes to the issue of President-elect Obama's cabinet. The lack of women being floated for cabinet positions is not reassuring, as a start. It also isn't surprising, given that funding for the Women's Appointment Project has dried up.

 One rumor has been confirmed: Obama has offered the Secretary of State position to Hillary Clinton. While some are thrilled at the prospect of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State (she has not yet said whether she will accept the position), others see that move as either too little, or too much of politics as usual.

With the choice of Rahm Emmanuel for Chief of Staff, and some other names that have been floated from the Clinton administration, people are wondering if the incoming administration will really be a change or not.

One of the most controversial proposed appointments has been Larry Summers as Treasury Secretary.

State Budget Crisis: It Ain't Over Yet

Unrealistic budgeting, and the nationwide economic crisis mean California now faces an immediate $11.2 billion budget deficit. Governor Schwarzenegger has called the legislature into special session to deal with the issue. Schwarzenegger has proposed over $10 billion in spending cuts to education, health care and social services. He is also proposing $14 billion in tax increases, including a temporary 1 1/2-cent sales tax increase, an extension of the sales tax on services, a severance tax on oil production and a 5-cents-per-drink increase to the tax on alcohol. The Governor's latest budget proposals also weaken environmental laws and enforcement in an effort to save the state money. 

Meanwhile, the state economy loses $28 billion each year to the health effects of pollution. Researchers calculated that the highest costs were in the Inland area -- an average $1,500 to $1,600 per person.  Interestingly, this $28 billion is the exact amount of the budget shortfall projected by the Legislative Analyst's office over the next two years. 

The 28 incoming Assemblymembers, a third of the total Assembly, will inherit the budget woes and decisions of their predecessors. But bills sent to the Governor after November 15th could face a legal challenge, which would limit the state's ability to deal with the financial crisis. 

What Change Really Looks Like

Many progressives are doubtful about whether Barack Obama's presidency will really bring the positive change that has been promised and spoken of throughout his campaign.  There is a fear that once elected, things would return to business as usual.  We might have a more liberal President, but that would be all; there would be no real change to the patterns of influence and corruption in Washington, there would be no real shifts in how social needs issues are addressed

To anyone with doubts, we suggest visiting the President-elect's new website, change.gov.

This is what true progressive politics look like.

Take a look at the Agenda.  Just the listing of issues is enough, but as you read through the page on each item, it becomes clear what a transformational presidency this will be.

Under the subject of Women there is a recognition of poverty and health care as women's issues, as well as equal pay, reproductive health, an approach to violence against women that extends to violence abroad, discussion of the issues of women veterans, Title IX, and so much more.

But it is the Ethics section that is most surprising and telling in its rejection of politics as usual.  The near elimination of abuse-prone no-bid contracts, creating searchable databases of contributions and influence, exposing special-interest tax breaks and earmarks, and truly creating an atmosphere of openness and accountability.

And speaking of openness, not only will Cabinet members be required to have regular online chats with the public on issues they are dealing with, but our President-elect wants your ideas on the issues facing America, and how to address them.  Give him your ideas here.

Prop 8 Postmortem, Part 1: Dissecting History

Guest post by Meredith L. Patterson 

I'll say this for the No on 8 crowd -- we don't waste our time. Three lawsuits were filed today with the California Supreme Court, seeking orders blocking enforcement of Prop 8 and aimed at striking it down, and the count isn't even done yet! 

"But, Meredith," I hear you say, "this is a constitutional amendment -- aren't the Supreme Court's hands tied?" Actually, due to the approach the plaintiffs are taking, the CA Supreme Court does have the ability to consider this. The legal reasoning behind the lawsuits is interesting, and if you live in California, it's worth your time to understand it.