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Governor vetoes four bills that would have restricted initiative process in California

In his veto message on AB 6, the governor said, “The People of California often exercise their important role in government oversight through the initiative, referendum and recall process. I cannot support a measure that places an undue burden on reform-minded Californians.”

SB 34 would have outlawed a common technique used by petition circulators – paying circulators by the number of signatures they gather. The bill would have made it a misdemeanor to gather signatures in that fashion, permitting only payments on an hourly or daily basis.

In rejecting SB 34, Schwarzenegger said, “As I have stated when vetoing similar legislation, prohibitions on per-signature payments will make it more difficult for grassroots organizations to gather the necessary signatures and qualify measures for the ballot. Therefore, I am unable to sign this bill.”

(CNSNews.com) – Federal Communications Commissioner Robert McDowell said Tuesday that statements about regulating freedom of speech in broadcasting made by FCC Chief Diversity Officer Mark Lloyd are “troubling.”  Everyone should be concerned when federal regulators have the power to impact freedom of speech, McDowell added.

What’s Happened Since the Meeting?

The following report was sent out by James Todd of Pewsitter.com on October 13.

Late last year Speaker Pelosi made statements about the teachings of the Church with regard to abortion and when life begins. Several bishops responded to correct Pelosi’s false statements. There was sufficient outrage among faithful Catholics to prompt Pelosi’s bishop, Archbishop Niederauer of San Francisco, to meet with her in February of this year. The result of that meeting? Pelosi’s spokesman confirmed that a meeting had taken place and that Pelosi was not about to change her position on abortion.

Here is a small sampling of activities by Pelosi since February:

On Embryonic Stem Cell Research (April of 2009)
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed critics of federal funding of life-destroying embryonic stem-cell research with this argument: “We’ve had a situation where it’s faith or science — take your pick,”

By: Former Supervisor Tony Hall

My intention in writing this column is to shed a little light on what Harding Park and its re-build was for, and what it should be all about.

As research will show,  I was the originator and driving force behind the rebuilding of Harding into one of the finest Municipal golf courses in the country. One of my campaign promises in 2000 was to rebuild and restore Harding to the splendor that it deserves. My goal at the outset was:

A)   To ensure that residents and visitors in San Francisco have an exceptional recreational experience on a unique golf course at reasonable rates.

B)     To rebuild a treasured facility that would return enough profit to the City to maintain all of the City run courses, and provide extra cash for our park needs.

C)    To give our small businesses and community at large the opportunity to reap the   estimated $50 to $80 million in economic benefits that the Tours and Tournaments would provide.

Obama is clearly attempting to fundamentaly change the United States of America and undermining the basic unit of our society, the family.  He is the single most dangerous threat to Western Civilization. 

Taking aim at supporters of a federal marriage amendment, President Barack Obama told the gay-activist Human Rights Campaign on October 10 that defenders of traditional marriage “would enshrine discrimination into our Constitution.” While the president granted that defenders of traditional marriage might be “good and decent people,” he charged that they “hold fast to outworn arguments and old attitudes,” “fail to see your families like their families,” and “would deny you the rights most Americans take for granted.”

The Arizona lawmaker told LifeNews.com about his open letter he presented Obama shortly after his inauguration where Franks was "pleading with him as he was sworn in on the Lincoln Bible to consider the plight of the unborn."

Franks said he hoped Obama would "realize, as Lincoln did with slavery, the plight of a forgotten portion of our society even if the Supreme Court has labeled them as less than human, as they did with slaves in the Dred Scott decision."

"But the fact remains yet today that President Obama has quickly established himself and his Presidency as the most radically pro-abortion Administration in American history," Franks said.

"Since his days in the Illinois State legislature, President Obama has established himself who not only passively, but actively, passionately opposed to protecting the innocent unborn," Franks continued.

The following piece by Anne Hendershott appeared in the Wall Street Journal, September 18.

Claiming that the opposition is "bearing false witness" by spreading misinformation about his health-care plan, President Barack Obama has asked religious leaders to become the latest conscripts in the battle over health-care reform. And although each version of the proposed health-care bill so far has explicitly authorized the government plan to cover the cost of abortion, many Catholic leaders and organizations have joined up, pledging their support.

For faithful Catholics, it is discouraging to see that Catholic Charities USA and the Catholic Health Association have both embraced the plan. And it is even more discouraging to learn that some parish priests and bishops are leading the fight for it. While Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for Pro-Life Activities, has urged lawmakers to block the current House legislation unless it can be amended to prohibit public financing for abortion, his is a lonely voice. In a commentary posted on the Web site of the San Bernardino Diocese in California, Bishop Gerald Barnes denigrated those who have participated in what he called the "anger-fueled conduct" at town meetings and directed followers to the Bishops' Web site to learn about Catholics' moral obligation to help others gain access to quality health care.

Salena Zito from townhall.com
Monday, September 14, 2009

Politicians will tell you they’d rather have you hate them than distrust them because hate is an emotion that can be tweaked, while trust is an investment in character – a bond that, once broken, can never fully be repaired.

The problem for President Barack Obama and Democrats is that, in poll after poll, Main Street does not trust them. Republicans are not exempt, either; while Dems keep sliding in the polls, the GOP is recording no parallel gain.

On the eve of Obama’s health-care pitch to Congress and the country last week, an Associated Press-GfK poll highlighted his fall from grace: A whopping 52 percent of the country disapproved of his handling of health-care reform.

Administration’s Suggestions for Teachers: Read Books about Obama, Post Obama Quotes on Classroom Walls
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
By Terence P. Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief