Pupils to the Polls Heads to Senate Education Committee on July 11th

On June 23rd and 24th PFAW CA was honored to host “Prison Town, USA” at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

“Prison Town, USA,” provides a balanced and realistic view of the growing prison industry and its effect on the small northern California town of Susanville. Filmmakers Katie Galloway and Po Kutchins allow the personal and private moments in the lives of prison guards, townspeople and a parolee to speak for the impact High Desert State Prison has had on this former mill town.

The film does not provide a definitive right and wrong answer to the problem of our prison system. With so many people trying to get by in this small town, it’s tough to cast blame on any side.

“Prison Town, USA” will air on your local PBS station on July 24th at 10PM. Please check your local listings.

Also, don’t forget to join People For the American Way’s California office this Saturday for a FREE screening of Brett Morgen’s new film Chicago 10, which opened the 2007 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. California Office Executive Director Rev. Ron Stief and filmmaker Brett Morgen will be speaking at the screening, which takes place in the beautiful outdoor setting of Downtown’s California Plaza. There is absolutely no need to RSVP; plenty of seating will be available.

PFAW put on a panel at the Take Back America conference in D.C., June 20th, to discuss Next Generation Evangelicals moving away from the politics of the religious right on issues like the environment, global justice and poverty.

Take Back America is an annual conference that draws nearly 2,000 progressives from across the country to discuss politics, media, issues and strategies in the context of electoral and grassroots politics.

The panel consisted of under-35 leaders who all work with young Evangelical, Protestant and Catholic voters. They outlined where these voters are politically and what is being done to organize them around progressive values, with our own Rev. Stief as moderator. They also covered how the Right plans to keep them in the fold.

PFAW was instrumental in moving HR 811, Holt’s bill mandating paper records for all votes and rigorous audits, and HR 1281, Conyers’ bill outlawing dirty election tricks, through committee and on to the House floor, where votes are expected next week. We recently defeated a restrictive voter ID bill in Texas; not one state ID bill has passed of the 120 introduced. We continue our litigation in the Florida courts on the 18,000 “disappeared votes” and are working with the House Task Force to investigate the lost votes. In California, our Pupils to the Polls legislation just passed out of Assembly Appropriations and we have contacted the Secretary of State’s office on their voting systems review due to be completed the end of July.

Click on photos to view captions

People For the American Way Bay Area donors filled the beautiful mountaintop home of PFAW Board member Deborah Rappaport and her husband Andy on the evening of April 23rd to meet two of PFAW's exciting new leaders, Rev. Ron Stief and David Becker, and to rub shoulders with PFAW Board members Kathleen Turner, Ambassador James Hormel, and Maria Echaveste.

After enjoying Dungeness crab cakes with citrus aioli and scallion beef rolls with oyster sauce, the California office's newly appointed Executive Director, Rev. Ron Stief, welcomed guests and provided an update on the California office activities. David Becker, Director of PFAW's new Democracy Campaign, had the crowd's full attention as he laid out PFAW's strategy for aggressive electoral reform and voter protection in the upcoming elections. PFAW Board Members Ambassador James Hormel and Maria Echaveste chimed in with personal anecdotes that demonstrated their commitment to PFAW. And finally, Kathleen Turner closed the program by sharing with the crowd her personal motivation for supporting PFAW: so that her daughter will never have to live in a world where a woman loses her right to choose.

We thank Deborah and Andy for so warmly and graciously opening up their stunning home for this inspiring evening. It was energizing to see and talk with loyal PFAW friends and new supporters alike, and to build support for PFAW’s efforts to ensure a fair and successful ’08 election!

	Maria Echaveste is a longtime community leader and well-respected activist in the Hispanic community. She served as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for President Clinton from May 1998 through January 2001 and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic National Committee.
	Deborah Rappaport is actively involved in many aspects of progressive politics and social justice with a particular focus on broadening civic participation and access to channels of communication. She is a partner in Skyline Public Works, LLC, and president of the Rappaport Family Foundation.
	James C. Hormel, the first openly gay United States Ambassador, was appointed Ambassador to Luxembourg in 1999 during the Clinton Administration after a bruising seven-year political battle with several anti-gay Senators and special interest groups that sought to permanently block his nomination.
	Kathleen Turner is one of America’s foremost stage and screen actresses, most recently nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which recently played in Los Angeles and San Francisco to rave reviews. In addition to serving on the board of PFAW Foundation since 1988, she is a longtime leader for Planned Parenthood.

Beverly Hills – California members of People For the American Way gathered Thursday evening at the Clarity Theater for a wine reception and special screening of the unedited version of Operation Homecoming, a documentary that uses the provocative words of Iraq War soldiers, accompanied by riveting images from the war – real, recreated and illustrated - to convey the wartime experience.

Based on the idea that some of our greatest writers have emerged from wartime, the National Endowment for the Arts set out to find the next Hemingway, Whitman or Tolstoy by gathering the writing of soldiers and their families who have participated in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. OPERATION HOMECOMING transforms selections from this collection of writing into a stunning collage of perspectives from all areas of the army.

This filmed was part of PFAW California’s 1st Amendment Films series, which has been bringing intelligent, challenging films to our 180,000 Southern and Northern California members and activists since 2006.

On April 10th Kian Kaeni, PFAW’s Senior Field Organizer, met with Sam Garcia of Congressman Joe Baca’s office is discuss H.R. 811. Representative Rush Holt’s Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007 (H.R. 811) is designed to ensure that every American can cast a vote that will be counted – and if necessary, recounted by fair and independent observers.

As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressman Baca’s support is essential to the success of the Holt Bill. Currently there are over 200 Representatives who are signed co-sponsors of the Holt bill, including nearly all member of the Hispanic Caucus. We hope that Congressman Baca will join the growing list of co-sponsors including former Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Grace Napolitano.

In addition to meeting with Congressman Baca, PFAW super volunteer Alexander Brittan met with Congressman Dennis Cardoza in Modesto. We really appreciate the dedication and support of Alexander and the staff of both Congressmembers!

Californians have been fortunate that no catastrophic voting machine failures have occurred here as they have in other states. Voting machine problems in Ohio and Florida have led to compromised and flawed election results. As recently as November 2006, 18,000 votes disappeared from iVotronic voting machines in Florida’s 13th Congressional district. This bill would help to prevent the Florida disaster by requiring voting machines to provide an auditable paper trail – something California already requires.

Good News!

A terrible voter identification bill, Assembly Bill 9 (Huff), failed to pass out of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee on March 27! AB 9 would have created burdensome voter ID requirements in California that would have made it particularly hard for students, the elderly, minorities, and the poor to vote.

CA PFAW members and staff worked hard to prevent the passage of this dangerous legislation. Our members took action online to oppose the bill and CA PFAW formally opposed and testified against the bill at the elections committee hearing. Congratulations and thanks to all for your participation!

Though the stated aim of identification requirement legislation is to prevent voter fraud, for instance, to prevent one person from voting for another at a polling place, this type of fraud is simply not as prevalent as some would have us believe. For example, the bipartisan Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform acknowledged that “there is no evidence of extensive fraud in U.S. elections or of multiple voting.” According to a 2005 study by the Ohio League of Women Voters, out of more than nine million ballots cast in Ohio in 2002 and 2004, just four were found to be fraudulent.

See PFAW's letter of opposition.

California Deceptive Practices Legislation Introduced

The bill, SB 653, aims to prevent practices such as those that recently occurred in Orange County. Last election, 14,000 Spanish surnamed voters received an intimidating Spanish-letter containing false information and misleading legal advice, stating that voting by immigrants is illegal, as well as containing threatening speech and false statements.

The bill would prohibit such deceptive and threatening practices, making it explicit that any person “who knowingly, or with reckless disregard for the truth,” presents false or misleading information in a communication about an election, voter qualifications, party affiliations or endorsements, would be guilty of a felony. It also would establish the right for a citizen to go to court to stop and/or remedy the violation.

This legislation is crucial in keeping California safe for democracy! We’ll be contacting our California members shortly to solicit their support for this important bill.

Ron Stief has more than two decades of national and California political, management, fundraising and media experience...“We are very excited to have Ron Stief joining us,” said PFAW President Ralph G. Neas. “We have collaborated with Ron for years as a coalition partner, and I have the greatest respect for his knowledge, judgment, and skills, as well as his passion for our ideals. His experience in helping Americans understand the connections between widely shared values and progressive policies will be a huge asset to People For the American Way and its members and activists.” More

Press Clips:

North County Times, 12/14/2006 Escondido Saved from Itself

La Opinion (Spanish Article), 12/15/2006 Escondido Marches Against Ordinance

A dinner and wine tasting with Bay Area donors at the home of Nancy Quinn and Tom Driscoll drew a warm, enthusiastic and engaged crowd, all thrilled to have direct contact with PFAWF staff and three of its inspiring national leaders, Iara Peng (YP4), Sharon Lettman (VP, External Affairs), and Jorge Mursuli (VP, Hispanic Affairs, Democracia USA).

The celebratory atmosphere was enhanced by the generous flow of wine from Tom’s custom-built wine cellar, as well as by the traditional Cuban music played on their grand piano and the exquisite dinner. Nancy and Tom’s gracious hosting made the evening even more special; PFAWF staff, Anthony Valdez, and intern, Vicente García, did their part, by welcoming each guest at the door.

Melissa Daar (CA Policy and Field Director) warmly welcomed the guests, gave a rousing victory speech and quick update on the California office activities. Iara, Sharon, and Jorge had the crowd’s full attention and the conversation that followed was lively and engaging. Markos Moulitsas from Daily Kos chimed in with his post-election opinions and strategies and the crowd was thrilled to have him there. Everyone kept talking post-election even after Chelsea Hadley (CA Development Director) “officially” closed the program.

We look forward to our next event at Tom and Nancy’s in the new year.

Turning to the state ballot measures, Proposition 1C, which approved bonds for affordable housing, and Proposition 1D, which issued bonds for the improvement of educational facilities, both passes easily. Proposition 90, which restricted the use of eminent domain, only received 47% of the vote, not enough to pass. Similarly, Proposition 85, a measure that would have required parental notification for abortions on women 18 years of age, was handily defeated.

Thanks to Harvey Weinstein of Weinstein and Co., the Los Angeles Office of People For the American Way inaugurated its FIRST AMENDMENT FILMS series with a special advanced screening of Shut Up & Sing, a documentary about freedom of speech. Directed by Oscar winning director Barbara Kopple, Shut Up & Sing follows the Dixie Chicks on their rise to stardom and its resulting perils and controversies. On November 9th, PFAW staged another successful showing of the film at the Opera Plaza in San Francisco

During the screening, hundreds of PFAW members booed and hissed at scenes of the Bush Administration declaring the threat of WMD's in Iraq and then thunderously applauded at scenes of unlikely pro-free speech hero Natalie Maines, persistently standing by her right to criticize the President, the ‘incident’ that started it all.

The next day, Shut Up & Sing went into wide release, the NBC television network reportedly refused to air ads promoting the film on the grounds that the ads are “disparaging to President Bush.” In response, People For the American Way has launched an action campaign to stop their censorship. Click HERE make your voice heard.

Orange County, McPherson, and PFAW

Last week, 14,000 Latino residents across Orange County received a letter informing them that if they are immigrants, they stand the chance of going to jail or being deported if they attempt to vote. This blatantly racist, and patently untrue, mailing was traced back to Republican Tan Nguyen, who is running to unseat incumbent Democratic incumbent Loretta Sanchez. Nguyen’s tactics have drawn condemnation from all sides, including from People For the American Way Foundation.

Soon after the letters became public, People For the American Way Foundation asked Secretary of State Bruce McPherson to reassure all naturalized citizens in California that their votes will count. “We encourage McPherson to further emphasize the message right now that immigrant citizens can vote, that their votes will count, and that they will not be discriminated against at the polls. California must take the lead in rejecting dirty tricks that attempt to fan anti-immigrant feelings for partisan gain at the ballot box,” said Melissa Daar, California Policy and Field Director of People For the American Way Foundation.

In response to criticism from groups like People For the American Way Foundation, McPherson is sending out letters to everyone who received Mr. Nguyen’s misleading letters assuring them of their right to vote. This is a major victory for People For the American Way Foundation and for all Californians who want to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard this November.

Los Angeles Spirit of Liberty Awards a great success

Click here to see the full-length story on the event!

The California Legislature ended its session passing most of the bills supported by People For the American Way California. But, last week, the Governor decided to sign only one of the three key bills. (Unfortunately, the Governor has already vetoed Sen. Kuehl’s Bias-Free Curriculum Act, supported by CA PFAW, which would have broadened existing laws prohibiting discrimination in textbooks to include sexual orientation and gender identity.)

SB 1519 – Ensure Fair Elections –Senator Debra Bowen
When Secretary of State McPherson reversed state policy and approved the use of voting machines for the state elections, he didn’t outline what the counties should do if machines malfunction and a manual recount is necessary. SB 1519 sets standards for recounts for all voting systems used in the state. Signed by Governor

SB 160 – The California Dream Act – Senator Gilbert Cedillo
The California Dream Act could have helped young adults who face barriers from pursuing their dream of higher education. It built on present California law that allows certain undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition rates if they meet certain criteria. This legislation would have allowed these students to also apply for state financial aid when they attend California colleges and universities. Vetoed by Governor

AB 606 – Safe Place to Learn Act – Assembly member Lloyd Levine
This legislation would have ensured that school districts and schools work to reduce discrimination, harassment and violence against LGBT and other students. It required the California Department of Education to develop a model anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy and requires school districts to adopt and publicize it. Vetoed by Governor

September 26, 2006

PFAW California joined hundreds in Palm Springs for "Unity Rally" against Focus on the Family's "gay conversion" event

Kian Kaeni of People For the American Way California spoke out against Focus on the Family at the Unity Rally in Palm Springs on Saturday, September 23rd. The rally was sponsored by Human Rights Campaign, the National Organization of Women, Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG), and others. Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out” event is designed to encourage parents of gay children or those who believe their children might be gay, to send their children to “gay conversion therapy” camps and programs.

“We will not stand by and allow Focus on the Family, or any group, to attack our neighbors. We won’t let anyone demonize our families. We won’t be silent when someone tells us that our brothers, our sisters, our children, or our friends are lesser people because of who they love.”

- Kian Kaeni at the Unity Rally

There was a tremendous response from members of the diverse community of the Coachella Valley. Speakers included members of the clergy, long time community activists, local elected officials and People For the American Way. By the end of the rally, it was clear that Palm Springs had said NO to discriminatory practices of Focus on the Family and kept the Coachella Valley a hate free zone.

Beverly Hills/San Francisco – More than 400 California members of People For the American Way attended special advance screenings of Jesus Camp – a documentary on a summer camp where kids are taught to “take back America for Christ.”

A growing number of Evangelical Christians believe there is a revival underway in America and are training Christian youth to take up the leadership of the Religious Right. Jesus Camp, from filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, follows Levi, Rachel and Tory to Pastor Becky Fisher’s “Kids on Fire” summer camp in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. At this camp, kids as young as 6 years-old are taught to become dedicated members of “God’s Army.” See the Los Angeles Times review here.

150 CA Attorneys Urge Sen. Feinstein to Continue Opposing Specter-Cheney Domestic Spying Bill

On September 5th, more than 150 California attorneys organized by People For California signed a letter to Senator Feinstein urging her to maintain her strong opposition to the Specter-Cheney legislation scheduled for the Judiciary Committee on September 7th. Senator Feinstein is key in stopping the bill, and has maintained her strong opposition to the Specter-Cheyney legislation and has not compromised on her principled position. This legislation would gut legal protections on domestic spying that have served the national well-being for nearly 30 years and give the President a blank check to spy on Americans without oversight.

Movement on the Specter-Cheney legislation was delayed after it was referred to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Two other bills considered by the Senate: SB 2455 (Dewine, R-Ohio) would subject the NSA program to more congressional oversight, but eliminated legal protections; S. 3001 (Feinstein, D-CA) was co-sponsored by Sen. Specter, would streamline warrant procedures, but maintain existing legal protections. No legislation made it out of Congress before the campaign recess.

To see the letter, click here.

Protecting California’s elections: A victory

Earlier this year, more than one quarter of Californians who tried to register to vote were turned down by Secretary of State Bruce McPherson, 44,000 persons in Los Angeles alone. This widespread disenfranchisement was caused by new voting registration procedures put in place by the Secretary of State, procedures that ironically were cast as necessary to implement the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Initially, Secretary of State McPherson imposed a requirement that new registrations and registration renewals be matched precisely with other existing state databases. The criteria were so strict that one different letter in a name or numeral in an address or the inclusion of a middle initial, could prevent a citizen’s registration from going through. After much pressure and publicity about the issue by People For the American Way and its allies as well as a favorable legal ruling in Washington state, Secretary McPherson finally made the necessary changes to the data base matching system that should allow eligible voters to register. People For the American Way California will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether problems still persist.

People For the American Way Foundation is a premier source of vital information for policymakers, scholars and activists nationwide on the Religious Right movement and its political allies. We also engage in legal action as needed to protect or restore the rights and liberties of Americans. As a 501 (c) (3) designated organization, contributions to People for the American Way Foundation are tax-deductible.

People For the American Way is an energetic advocate for the values and institutions that sustain a diverse democratic society. Many of these are now threatened by the influence of the radical right and its allies who have risen to positions of political power. Our most fundamental rights and freedoms- and even our basic constitutional framework- are at risk. People for the American Way works in close collaboration with other leading national and state progressive organizations to mobilize Americans at this defining moment in our history. As a 501(c)(4) designated organization, contributions to People For the American Way are not tax deductible.

For more details about our activities in California or to tell us what you're working on, please contact Caroline Stuart, PFAW's California coordinator, at cstuart@pfaw.org. Take action today and join us as a member, volunteer, or an email activist.