The recent vote to rewrite textbooks by the conservative dominated Texas State Board of Education has received a great deal of attention over the last few days. The lesson that we as progressives need to take away from it is one that conservatives internalized long ago: people that are elected to “downballot” races can have a lot of power in shaping the direction of our communities, states, and the country as a whole.

The textbook industry is dominated by a few large states. One of the most important is Texas. Since the mission of textbook companies is to sell books, they cater their content to the whims of those states that have large enough markets to make demands. What this means is that the Texas State Board of Education is really setting textbook standards for a large portion of the country.

In the past we have mostly focused on the big prizes: the White House, U.S. House and Senate, and governorships. Downballot races don’t get anywhere near the attention, especially outside their respective jurisdictions. As we now see, there are many students outside of the state of Texas that will be directly affected by what at its surface appeared to be a local election.

If you realize that the Texas State Board of Education ruling is not just a local issue and you want to help, here are some things you can do:

• Support the Texas Freedom Network, an organization that specifically fights the religious right’s attempts to hijack education.
• Follow Democratic candidates for the Texas State Board of Education like Rebecca Bell-Metereau (@voterebecca) and Judy Jennings (@VoteJudyJ). You can donate to these Democratic candidates via ActBlue.

Stand with Texas progressives to shift the control of the State Board of Education, and remember that these local races are local in name only and affect us all.

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Some young Kentuckians sent this to me and asked me to post it.

An Open Letter to the Young Citizens of the United States

Fellow Young Americans,

Here in Kentucky we pride ourselves in civility, hospitality, gentility and all the components of a polite society. As such, we are customarily compelled to extend to you our sincerest apologies for the actions of Kentucky Senators Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell.

To you we say…Our Bad!

Senators Bunning and McConnell were elected to represent the values we hold dear here in the Bluegrass – honesty, fairness, opportunity and hard work. Nevertheless, they have abandoned our cause for the values of their financial and ideological backers – values that are destroying America – greed, privilege and radicalism.

We are sure many of you can relate. This seems to be a growing trend among the elected leaders of the GOP. You, too, are probably fed up with the Republican members of Congress who oppose any move towards rebuilding America, while making zero proposals of their own.

Last week was unfortunate for our Commonwealth. Senator Bunning again embarrassed us deeply with his one-man crusade to stop the extension of unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of Americans. Yet another disgraceful act among a distinguished career of disgraceful acts. His show of misguided demagoguery points to two concerns: the hypocrisy of his radical political philosophy (he has had no problem extending corporate tax breaks or paying for two wars on the national credit card) and a bad case of the crankies due to his general decrepitude.

As Senator Bunning grandstanded in the Senate Chamber, 200,000 of his constituents stood on the brink of further financial uncertainty. Mothers worried about how they would continue to provide food for their children. Families feared foreclosure. Individuals prepared to choose between sustenance and medication. Senator Bunning kicked those who were already down. Talk about constituent services!

In all honesty, Senator Bunning has never cared about the Kentuckians he represents. We should have been apologizing for this years ago. But is Senator Bunning really to blame? When children misbehave, whom do we hold responsible? The parents! Often this approach must be applied to our Senators as well.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has stood idly by while the members of his caucus work day in and day out against the interests of working families. Where was the Minority Leader during Senator Bunning’s procedural temper tantrum? Was he assuring his fellow Kentuckians that the Republican caucus would pressure Bunning to retreat? No. Did he display any sense of outrage or any concern for those who would suffer? No.

This is what happens when you raise a group of Senators to oppose EVERYTHING! Saying no becomes second nature. Members of the Republican Caucus are incapable of developing their own solutions to our national problem. God-forbid they ever utter the word “yes!”

Senator McConnell is no leader; he is a defender of the status quo. During the catastrophic George W. Bush Administration, Republicans catered to every whim of the nation’s elite. As a result, the tax burden was shifted to the middle class, jobs were exported overseas, and financial institutions were deregulated and allowed to prey upon venerable citizens. Mission Accomplished! No more work for them to do but defend their disastrous policies – regular people be damned! His greatest legislative accomplishment is his tenacious opposition of every reform designed to raise the quality of life in Kentucky, let alone the nation.

But why do they remain? Young Americans from across the nation are asking this question about their representatives. The answer is simple. We allow the obstructionists and radicals to define the terms and divide the ground each step of the way.

Senators McConnell and Bunning have no vision for their party, their home state or their nation. They have shown zero leadership. They do not represent the hardworking, honest people of Kentucky. Rather, they broker power and wealth for the elites on the backs (and dreams) of those too blinded by fear to see the truth.

Please accept our apology, on behalf of the good people of this Commonwealth. We vow to you today that we are learning our lesson on civic responsibility – votes have consequences! We understand that the 200,000 Kentuckians in danger of loosing unemployment benefits were lucky this time. We cannot afford for there to be a next time! We need your help!

Apologies aside, there is good news! Fortunately, Senator Bunning is retiring at the close of this Congress! (Feel free to take a moment to sigh with relief before continuing.) This fall we have a chance to reclaim Bunning’s seat! Now, consider the possibilities! For the future of this state and the nation, we must stop the Republican candidates vying to be nominated to defend his seat. Both of these men not only refused to confront Bunning during this most recent fiasco, but actually cheered him on like a delusional tea-bagging hero. It was shameful.

The Democratic candidates have a vision for Kentucky! They see a Kentucky where hard work is rewarded and every member of our community is valued. Kentucky Democrats recognize that we are each a few unlucky circumstances away from unemployment, disability or any other needed assistance. Kentucky Democrats know that the safety net, forged by progressives over the last half-century, protects us all! We, and our candidates, are committed to honest discussion about the issues facing each Kentuckian and every American. McConnell’s brand of fear mongering must end in 2010. Sending a Kentucky Democrat to the U.S. Senate would provide a clear message to Senator Do-Nothing and his lolly-gang of pessimists.

We are going to need your help! Please, come to Kentucky. Help us do what the Republicans will not – meet with our wonderful people. We will talk about the problems Kentuckians face and work on fair and equitable solutions. We must dispel misconceptions about health care reform and the economic stimulus. The people of Kentucky will listen. They will talk. And, when presented with honest discussion, they will choose optimism over fear, community over division and Democrats over Republicans!

Yours,
The Young People of Kentucky

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Last weekend Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sent a letter to VA public colleges and universities encouraging them to drop discrimination bans against gays and lesbians.

In the wake of Cuccinelli’s homophobic actions, Virginia students have been using Facebook to take a stand against this attempt at discrimination and the Virginia Young Democrats are mobilizing against the repeal.

Here is VAYD President Sean Holihan addressing the situation:

The Virginia Young Democrats are taking part in a Facebook Day of Action using Facebook statuses to show opposition to the discrimination repeal and encouraging members to contact Governor McDonnell about the issue.

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This weekend Craig countered a Wall Street Journal article that falsely claimed the minimum wage increase is the main factor leading to increased youth unemployment. Unfortunately, Republicans in Arizona are running with this false argument in an attempt to drastically reduce the minimum wage for young adults.

This attempt is AZ House Bill 2639:

Legislation approved by the House Commerce Committee would set the minimum wage for anyone younger than 22 at 75 percent of what those 22 and older are required to be paid. With the state minimum wage at $7.25 an hour, that translates to $5.44.

Rep. Laurin Hendrix, the author of the bill, makes the following argument about how this is good for young people:

But that’s not all. Hendrix said once they have jobs — even jobs that don’t pay the full minimum wage — it will “get them in the habit of going to work and developing a work ethic that will be useful to them later in their lives.”

Translation: we are going to get these kids in the lifelong habit of working their asses off for scraps.

This measure is the handiwork of Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, and Barry Aarons, one of Norquist’s lobbyists, was the only one to testify in favor of the bill.

In 2006 Arizona voters approved the creation of a state minimum wage tied to inflation despite the attempts of Norquist’s organization.

Even if the state legislature fails to pass this discriminatory policy, it won’t yet be dead:

Hendrix does have a backup plan. He convinced committee members to also approve HCR2043, which would send the question to voters in November.

The Young Democrats of Arizona sent out an action alert to their membership encouraging members to take action against the GOP effort:

Subject: Make Less Money?

That’s exactly what will happen if the Republican legislature has its way. House Bill 2639; introduced by a Republican Representative from Gilbert may be up for a vote next week. This Bill if passed and signed by Republican Governor Jan Brewer will cut the minimum wage for workers under the age of 22 by 25%.

Yes, this is a serious proposal. Republicans in the state legislature don’t think its hard enough for young Arizonans to pay their bills already.

Take action!

There is still time. You can make a difference, and hopefully stop this law from passing. Here is what you can do:

1. Write a letter to the editor of a local paper. We need to get the message out. Too many times bad legislation gets through because people don’t realize what is happening.

2. Call your legislators and make sure they know you oppose this bill.

3. Sign up to join a small group to meet with legislators. Legislators take meetings with lobbyists all the time; now they need to hear from everyday Arizonans!

Together we can make a difference. Take action today!

This measure, if passed, would be devastating to young Arizonans attempting to work their way through college as they face huge tuition and fee increases and even worse for those students entering the workforce immediately after high school.

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If anyone wanted to know what happens when Republicans control nearly every aspect of a state, here is a sample of what is happening in the Arizona government right now.

First, we are going to go and privatize our state parks.

How about publicizing the names of everyone who needs welfare support?

Or slashing Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance?

Despite the ban on restricting eligibility, hard-hit states like California and Arizona are considering proposals by their governors that would remove hundreds of thousands from the rolls once the federal financing ends. Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona, a Republican, has called for eliminating Medicaid coverage for 310,000 childless adults and ending the Children’s Health Insurance Program to help close a two-year budget gap of about $4.5 billion.

Let’s not forget trying to cut the minimum wage for young people.

They are also magically turning nuclear power into renewable energy.

Home values are still dropping, and some AZ motorists have resorted to selling ad space on their cars.

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Job: Field Organizer / Youth Organizer
Location: Varies – all over the commonwealth.
Compensation: $300 Weekly Stipend, Free Housing, Gas Reimbursement

When: Rolling start dates September 1st through 15th, end date November 7th

Why: Help the Democrats keep the governor’s mansion and take back the House of Delegates!

Benefits: Beef up your resume with only a ten-week commitment! Get paid for your activism.

The 2009-2010 year promises to be a critical one for the Democratic Party and the Virginia Young Democrats. We are prepared to meet that challenge and have a plan that will build volunteers for this and future elections. VAYD will be hiring 30 organizers to help our chapters and the campaigns turn out excited, young volunteers for the campaigns.

Play an important role in this year’s critical election. Submit your resume to vaydjobs@gmail.com.

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Garth Corriveau, the President of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, has filed to run for Alderman in Manchester’s Sixth Ward.

It’s great to see the leaders in the Young Democrats organization running for office, and I strongly encourage you to become a fan of Garth’s Facebook page.

While you are at it, you should also follow the New Hampshire Young Democrats on Twitter and become a fan of their Facebook page.

Good luck, Garth!

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The California Young Democrats (CYD), offended by Governor Schwarzenegger’s flippant remarks regarding his lack of stress about California’s budget situation, are demanding that the Governor grant all Californians access to his Jacuzzi while California’s economy remains stalled due to his governance and the Republican legislators’ bargaining tactics.

In an interview published in Sunday’s New York Times, Governor Schwarzenegger made the following comments: “Someone else might walk out of here every day depressed, but I don’t walk out of here depressed”. Whatever happens, “I will sit down in my Jacuzzi tonight,” he said. “I’m going to lay back with a stogie.”

With California’s bond rating being downgraded, the budget deficit having risen by another 2 billion dollars to its current level of $26.3 billion, and a group of the biggest U.S. banks saying they will not accept California’s IOU’s after Friday, this is not the time for levity.

“We as young democrats are very disappointed in Governor Schwarzenegger’s actions and statements,” said Julie Lind, Political Director of the California Young Democrats. Lind continued, “If he’s not willing to come to the table when Democrats passed a balanced budget the least he could do is invite us to the Jacuzzi so we can have a moment of relaxation. Then he’d at least be doing something for the people.”

“Schwarzenegger’s demands include cuts that would obliterate social programs that help our neediest citizens survive,” said Alissa Ko, President of the California Young Democrats. “His comments in the New York Times make Californians feel that he neither acknowledges nor cares about the real human impact of his actions. With young people getting hit by raising costs and every state service being cut, Governor Schwarzenegger’s attitude is unbecoming of the office he was elected to.”

CYD is encouraging all of its members and anyone else who is worried about the state of California’s economy to take a few minutes to call the governor and express their disapproval of his obstinacy, in addition to requesting a moment of relief in the Governor’s hot tub.

CYD implores both political parties to work together to find a responsible solution sooner rather than later, one that assists those who need help the most, and one that does not continue to saddle our generation with further debt in the years to come.

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Last night I watched as Arizona Republicans wreaked havoc on education and services for Arizona’s least fortunate in the last minute budget session.

The Republican budget is a disgusting manifestation of their failed priorities: corporations and the wealthy win while everyone else loses.

Here is an example of what I saw:

• Republicans voted to privatize death row. Arizona now has contract killers.
• Republicans cut university funding by $40 million. The universities had expressed their inability to manage such a cut.
• Republicans denied health care to the working poor.
• Republicans cut funding to protect the lives of abused children.
• Republicans created a doughnut hole in assistance for medical treatment of newborns with congenital illness, with children whose families’s incomes fall into that hole at risk of dying.
• Republicans severely cut K-12 education and included a number of screw you provisions in revenge against teachers associations for being audacious enough to advocate for education.

Democrats were not included in the negotiations about the budget, silencing the voices of the millions of Arizona Democrats.

And when the session rolled on past the midnight mark, they just turned off the clocks (literally) and pretended it was still June. If Arizona Republicans did not wait until the last minute and worked on the budget earlier instead of spending all their time coming up with new places people can bring loaded guns this would not have been an issue.

The whole process was shameful, and I hope Arizona voters remember what the Republicans have done to our state in 2010.

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Rep. Alex Cornell du Houx, a young state legislator in Maine, Iraq War veteran, and National Committeeman of the Maine Young Democrats, has authored an excellent piece on the Employee Free Choice Act in the Times Record.

The economic challenges Mainers and Americans face are diverse and serious. I wonder how we honor the men and women who fight to protect our way of life when we allow them to slip through the cracks in an economy where there are fewer and fewer opportunities. I wonder how crippled the economic futures of young men and women will be by the reckless and irresponsible decisions that created the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression. I wonder what steps our elected leaders will take to rebuild an economy that works for everyone.

While Wall Street only recently went into crisis mode a few months ago, working families have been feeling the pain of our imbalanced economy for years. American workers have generated soaring productivity over the last 25 years, but wages have gone flat. Too many working families have been forced to turn to second jobs, credit cards and toxic loans just to stay afloat.

Meanwhile, the corporate executives have squandered workers’ increasing profitability on their own jet-setter lifestyles.

Thankfully, we have a president who is committed to standing with us in confronting the greatest economic crisis of our lives. If there’s one thing that really strikes me about President Obama, it’s his understanding of what Americans are going through. He doesn’t need economists to tell him that working families have been stretched to the limit — in many cases, past the limit — just trying to make ends meet.

Workers must have the tools to level the playing field if we are ever going to build an economy that works for everyone. We need the Employee Free Choice Act.

This common-sense piece of legislation would give workers the freedom to join a union without intimidation and bargain collectively for better wages and benefits.

The entire article is worth a read: Employee Free Choice Act: A sustainable stimulus

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