 Jan/Feb 2008 | |||
|
Table of Contents
President's Column
2008 has acquired the moniker of “The Year of Change.” But just what exactly does that mean? When a label can be so readily applied to Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama, John McCain, and John Edwards, has it lost all meaning? Or have we just lost our minds? I have been thinking about what this Presidential election means for our generation – whether we are setting ourselves up for disappointment with so many expectations for what a Democratic President will mean starting in 2009. I look at what the Demcratically-controlled Congress has (not) been able to do, and how much that has disappointed people. And it’s not clear to me that expectations were ever that high for our ability to stop Bush’s warmongering agenda 2 years ago when the Democrats rose to power, even after we’d gotten the power to subpoena and to set the legislative agenda. Barack Obama has attracted throngs to his call, and yet for all his talk of hope and change, I just hope that he won’t leave our generation out in the cold as President, when the lobby interests come calling and get their seat at the proverbial table with their big dollars and louder voices. Hillary Clinton describes herself as an “agent of change,” and certainly her husband’s election in 1992 after 12 years of Republican Presidents is a change that many people will not forget, but the change she offers feels somehow passe or inauthentic given her tacking rightward in the Senate and the general advancement of American culture and ideals in the past 16 years since Bill was first elected President. John Edwards has seized upon “change” as a motto after seeing how well it has worked for Obama, and he may have the most authentic voice in that three-way heuristic fight, but he doesn’t seem to be able to match his rhetoric with his campaign and fundraising, which leaves substantial doubt that he could ever truly be viable. On the other side, perhaps Mike Huckabee most offers change, if for no other reason than he’s actually articulate and likeable and viable. This is what concerns me most about Huckabee: he explains neo-con strategies and theories in ways that make sense to most people even as they prop up tried-and-failed strategies that are tearing our country apart. And his evangelical bent is more than a tad frightening, as he appears to believe that God has chosen him to be the next President and as he ascribes to all the social conservative screeds that have propped up poor social policies for years. And as for John “The Maverick” McCain, it’s hard to understand how a man who has served several decades in the U.S. Senate and stood by George Bush on nearly every one of his bass-ackward policies is somehow an agent of change. So what does it mean? And who best represents change? And is the media hyping up this moniker in a way that flushes it of all meaning? After all, it has been an exhausting and trying 8 years under the repressive Bush regime, and this election is not only about change but about reinvigoration, rejuvenation, and empowerment the likes of which we have not seen yet in our lifetimes. (For further evidence, just check out the turnout so far in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada – and also note the turnout among young people). Is the change happening in our candidates, or is the change happening in us? I have hope, yes, but not because Barack Obama tells me that it is audacious, and I seek change, yes, but not because Hillary Clinton says she gives me agency or John Edwards says he’ll fight for me. I have hope for change because that change is already happening, like it or not, on the ground, across the country, regardless of candidate or platform. A whole new paradigm is emerging, and that is so much more than a Year of Change. That is nearly a revolution. Michael's Minute Wow! What a year ahead of us, huh? Major races. Big Money. Power. This is what political junkies dream of when they are trying to fall asleep by counting the number of grammatical errors the President made in his latest speech or having nightmares about what Karl Rove is up to in Florida. But I am not necessarily talking about Presidential politics. I am talking about local politics, which I have a true affinity for. A significant portion of the Board of Supervisors, a board which currently has a definable progressive streak, is up for grabs. State races are heating up for those coveted spots in Sacramento. And last, but certainly not least, are major local initiatives which could provide a major source of funding for ongoing and upcoming projects around town. That huge progressive sweep into power in 2000 is being shown the door due to those pesky term limits (you got to love them and hate them, depending on the politician!). So that means that Supervisors Ammiano, Peskin, Sandoval, and McGoldrick are finishing up some great careers on the Board. Throw in the now up-for-grabs seat in District 4 with the now retired Ed Jew, and that is five open seats (an almost majority) with the progressive edge hanging in the balance. A number of candidates from all of the Democratic fabric’s have been stepping up and throwing their hats into the race. It should be a very interesting 10 months to see who gets what endorsement, what is said, what is denied, and who makes those unexpected surges late in the game. As for the local ballot initiatives, there are some major pieces of legislation coming down on us voters. A Park Bond is on in February, a likely retirement piece for City employees in June, and an affordable housing proposal in November along with a San Francisco General Hospital Bond. There will be a lot of money on both sides of these issues and the lines in the sand are already being drawn. The state race that has everyone biting the finger nails is State Senator Carol Midgen going toe-to-toe with Assemblmember Mark Leno. No matter where you stand and who you are going to be voting for, both have had great careers and are true champions of many progressive causes and I venture to say that both will be around in one capacity or another for the long haul. Supervisor Ammiano is running for the Assembly seat that Leno is vacating and is currently running unopposed. So, while you watch debates or talking head analysis of press releases and media sound bites, go ahead and get worked into a frizzy. I am driving all my friends crazy with questions and proddings on their ideas – It has been along time since there was this much interest and excitement over a Presidential Election as evidenced by the huge numbers going to the polls. But remember that local politics are vitally important and can touch you much more, in some cases, than the national races. This is our City, our home. Lets keep on top of where the elected’s are trying to take it.Guest Editorial: City College Nursing Schoold Should Prioritize SF Residents
Guest Editorial: City College Nursing School Should Prioritize SF Residents by Chris Jackson | |||
| Â |
