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Marty Chavez for NM-1 Congress Raises $237K This Quarter, 84% In-State Contributions

October 18, 2011 by Democracy for N...

In a filing with the FEC this weekend, Democrat Marty Chavez reported contributions of $237,292.58 to his campaign. His campaign noted that this was his first report as a Congressional candidate and his total outpaced all other candidates, of either party, for the seat. Local New Mexicans came out strong for the former Albuquerque Mayor, with in-state contributions making up 84% of all receipts, according to the campaign.

“During tough times for New Mexican families, I’m honored to receive the support of each and every person who was able to contribute what they could afford –- even as little as $3. It might be cliché, but every dollar does count and I’m proud to receive it,” said Chavez. “This is just the beginning. I’m truly appreciative of everyone who has invested in my campaign and look forward to adding even more people to our growing grassroots coalition.”

California on the Edge

October 18, 2011 by Calitics

by Sara Flocks, California Labor Federation

“Proposition 13 set up an unfair and dysfunctional two- tiered system of property taxes. It choked off a source of revenue, and the lack of that revenue has brought California to the edge.” –Kevin Starr, historian and California State Librarian Emeritus

Many Californians would agree with Kevin Starr that our state is teetering on the edge of disaster. Unemployment remains the second highest in the nation, 32 percent of all mortgaged homeowners are underwater, public schools have been cut to the bone and public universities are unaffordable for the middle class.

Big business and their Republican allies have repeated the laundry list of why California’s economy is struggling so many times that it is practically written in stone—Taxes, Regulations, Public Employees. These are the unholy trinity that supposedly crashed California’s economy and threatens to smother any business growth in the future.

CMA Calls for Legal Pot

October 18, 2011 by Calitics

by Brian Leubitz

The California Medical Association, the 30,000 strong organization of California doctors, has just issued a statement calling for the reclassification of marijuana away from its current Schedule I status.

The California Medical Association (CMA) has adopted official policy that recommends legalization and regulation of cannabis. The decision was based on a white paper concluding physicians should have access to better research, which is not possible under the current policy. The paper, available here, is a thoughtful study and response to an important issue, continuing CMA's tradition of providing guidance on public health.

CMA is the largest physician group in California and the first statewide medical association to take this official position.

"CMA may be the first organization of its kind to take this position, but we won't be the last. This was a carefully considered, deliberative decision made exclusively on medical and scientific grounds," said James T. Hay, M.D., CMA President-Elect.