Letter From Carlos:

I just signed this petition in support of Father Roy Bourgeois, who was dismissed from the priesthood and from his order, the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers because of his support for gender equality in the Catholic Church.

On November 19th, we received the sad news that Father Roy Bourgeois, a longtime peace activist and Roman Catholic priest, was dismissed from his religious order the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers because of his support for women’s ordination. Fr. Bourgeois first came under scrutiny from the Vatican for his support of women’s ordination in 2008 after delivering the homily at a women’s ordination ceremony in Lexington, Kentucky.

Firm in his faith and conscience, Fr. Roy has since spoken tirelessly and bravely for the equality and dignity of women, risking everything to call out sexism in the Church. A Purple Heart veteran and Noble Peace Prize Nominee (2009), Fr. Roy is also known for his work with SOA Watch, a group he founded in 1990 to protest the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, a U.S. Army training school at Fort Benning, Ga., formerly known as the School of the Americas.

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A big change in Pomona coming: John Nolte received 1,537 votes and beat out incumbent Danielle Soto (793 votes); Debra Martin won with 1,419 votes; and Measure T (that was backed by the Pomona Police Officer’s Association to wipe out district for at-large elections) was defeated with 11,869 voting No and 10,028 yes. This latter vote was a big victory. Measure T sought to turn back the will of the people in Pomona who, back in 1990, after law suits were filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Southwest Voter Registration Project, voted to scrap citywide elections in favor of single-member districts to bolster minority representation, to facilitate more direct communication between the voters and their representatives, and to reduce the costs of running for city council seats. The voters voted in this way at that time, also to stop the reality that, although Pomona had changed demographically to over 50% in ethnic minorities in the city, only two members of racial or ethnic minorities, up until 1986, had ever been elected to the council in the city’s 99-year history. With Tuesday’s vote, the Pomona voters ensured the continuance of a progressive legacy that other cities are now seeking to replicate. They voted to not allow the exclusion of candidates who may have limited resources, to not allow a handful of interest groups to control, and to not waste the taxpayer’s hard-earned funds in defending an outdated Measure that would have l undoubtedly ended up in the courts had it been passed.

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“Before, during, and after these elections — what has to be exposed is the large amount of money that is being spent by multi-millionaires to emotionally affect the votes of our hard-working communities – who often are just trying to survive. What if all those funds that they are spending to advance their power were used to increase the quality of our schools, our health care system, and our economy? It is such an injustice to our communities that the likes of Koch, Munger — and now Bloomberg — are able to invade our homes with their self-serving ads — when the working people, whose labor has helped to make these corporate owners wealthy, have to take to the streets to have their voices heard.”~ Jose Z. Calderon

Bloomberg should focus on NY not IE, Baca saysblog.pe.comGloria Negrete McLeod, left, and Joe Baca, right, are both Democrats vying for the newly drawn 35th Congressional district. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s political PAC has donated more than $3 million to NEgrete McLeod’s campaign including last minute television advertising for $2.3 million.

I am here, as part of the Pomona Coalition to Defeat Measure T. This measure seeks to turn back the will of the people in Pomona – who back in 1990 — after law suits were filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Southwest Voter Registration Project, voted to scrap citywide elections in favor of single-member districts to bolster minority representation, to facilitate more direct communication between the voters and their representatives, and to reduce the costs of running for city council seats. The voters voted in this way, also to stop the reality that – although Pomona had changed demographically to over 50% in ethnic minorities in the city – only two members of racial or ethnic minorities, up until 1986, had ever been elected to the council in the city’s 99-year history. Now, we have seen the results of the voters’ decision in 1990 – as we have seen a diversity of city council candidates and elected city council members. Most of all, we continue to see candidates running, from all nationalities, who are able to afford running from a district that they live in – and who are closer to the issues and the people that they vow to represent – because they live in those districts. We are in full agreement with Marian R. Bibian’s October 16th editorial in the Daily Bulletin that the efforts to overturn the will of the voters has been led by a “a small group of former candidates, all unsuccessful in Pomona City Elections, — that “are spending large amounts of money” – that are “frustrated due to their inability to win their personal races for mayor or council member” – and who “want revenge on the council member who dared to speak about the abuses of the infamous checkpoints, towing companies, and excessive overtime.” From investigating Pomona city clerk records, we have found that a group, calling itself, the Pomona Police Officers Association Issue Committee, with its Treasurer Wayne Ordos (whose address is listed in Sacramento), spent $43,186.47 alone (in signature-gathering and signs). Another $2,536.62 has been spent by a group the “Pomona Citizens Right to Vote Committee.” Now, these reports do not include any up-to-date figures on other mailings and flyers that may have been duplicated and distributed recently.

We urge the voters in Pomona to study who is behind Measure T – to not allow the exclusion of candidates who may have limited resources – to not allow a handful of interest groups to control – and to not waste the taxpayer’s hard-earned funds in defending an outdated Measure that will undoubtedly end up in the courts if it is passed – funds that can be better spent on keeping the library open, ensuring the city’ public services, and bolstering the city’s economy. As the Daily Bulletin, in their opposition to Measure T, has reminded us: It seems likely that litigation would be brought against the city if this measure passes, and that’s the last thing cash-strapped Pomona need

Rubén Tapia
Noticiero Latino, Los Ángeles, CA.
24 de octubre de 2012.

Una coalición de grupos comunitarios, de derechos civiles,  sindicales  y políticos locales  se manifestó ayer en contra de la “Medida T”, propuesta municipal que busca  que los concejales de la ciudad de Pomona, se elijan por voto general y no por distritos como lo establecieron hace más de 20 años.  La concejal Cristina Carrizosa participó en la protesta.

“Lo qué me preocupa de esta medida es el control que unos cuantos van a tomar de una ciudad que con muchas dificultades pudo eliminar el sistema, “At  large” haya en los años 90”

Afirmaron que la “Medida T” es patrocinada  por grupos anti inmigrantes, políticos que no han logrado ser electos en el actual sistema por distritos  y cuentan con el respaldo financiero de la Asociación de Policías, contra quienes  han estado luchando para que modifiquen la confiscación de autos a los choferes sin licencia, destacó la activista Angela Sambrano; “Como saben que estamos ganando poder, nos quieren quitar ese poder, pero no nos vamos a dejar”

Los patrocinadores de la controversial medida, niegan que sean racistas y aseguran que lo que intentan es  unificar a Pomona ciudad agrícola del condado angelino, con 160 mil habitantes, más del 70% son de origen latino.