YES WE DID!
We are a group of people from throughout the SF Bay Area who support Obama. This group is NOT limited to Sunnyvale residents!
We welcome people who want to volunteer on the movement for change and live by the values of the Obama campaign, regardless of which party they belong to or who they previously supported.
We are currently engaged in volunteer events to support health care reform. We also expect to support clean energy policy and education reform, as well as perform community service and get involved in upcoming elections.
A refreshing change in our future is finally at hand! Join us and be a part of a fast growing, grassroots effort.
For much more info and the group events calendar, visit SunnyvaleForObama.com
as of Wednesday, March 18 2009. Click here for a current list.
Saturday Mar 21
Sunday Mar 22
Monday Apr 6
I'm looking for good news around the Bay. If you find some, please Comment and link. - Thanks; Leo
Creative Entrepreneurship in a DownturnHarvard Business Review, February 23, 2009by Martha LagaceEntrepreneurs, take heart. True, the global economic malaise removes opportunities and precious resources—but also adds them in new and interesting ways, argues HBS senior lecturer Bhaskar Chakravorti. In this Q&A he identifies reasons for optimism, and shows how entrepreneurs can think differently about bad news. Key concepts include:
Obama's plan to stem foreclosures is key to economic recoveryContra Costa TimesPosted: 02/22/2009 12:01:00 AM PST
THE OBAMA administration has launched a promising $275 billion effort to substantially slow down the rate of housing foreclosures. It is designed to keep more families in their homes by helping them and lenders with restructured mortgages and to stem the decline in housing prices
President Barack Obama correctly emphasized that using taxpayer money to stem foreclosures is not just in the interest of those who are struggling and failing to make mortgage payments.
The massive number of foreclosures and plummeting real estate values affects everyone. It is the folding of the housing market that is at the root of the current economic crisis and what makes this recession different from previous ones.
Housing plan must help the undeservingSunday, February 22, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle
President Obama's new housing plan is as elegant a solution as we're going to see to end the foreclosure crisis. That doesn't mean it's perfect.
It will help some people who don't "deserve" to be helped, just as the bank bailouts have helped Wall Street executives - none of whom deserved to be helped. But no effective solution to the economic crisis facing this country is going to feel fair to the vast majority of Americans who played by the rules. What would be even less fair would be for Americans to refuse to support this quite good solution out of spite. Stopping the cycle of foreclosures is the only thing that will slow our country's downward economic spiral.
Some residents see opportunity as gold spikes upBy Jondi Gumz, Santa Cruz SentinelPosted: 02/21/2009 01:30:26 AM PST
Some were curious, some were downsizing and some had bills to pay.
That's why they brought gold rings, lockets and necklaces to the Capitola Mall Friday to be evaluated by Gold Buyers. The company, based in Appleton, Wis., visits malls across the country offering to turn gold into cash.
As the line formed a few minutes before 10 a.m., the spot price for gold topped $1,000 an ounce in New York trading before dropping back. Analysts said investors sought a safe haven from a wild ride in the global markets.
Funding for Sacramento region road rehabilitation authorizedBy Bill Lindelof, Sacramento BeePublished: Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 - 8:23 am
Even before the federal stimulus money is in hand, the transportation board responsible for funding projects in the Sacramento region has authorized $32 million for road rehabilitation.
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments authorized release of the money Thursday for projects in Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Transportation funds from the Economic Recovery Act first pass through the state Department of Transportation with a portion based on a formula going to SACOG.
Will Obama's mortgage plan help Silicon Valley homeowners?By Pete Carey and Sue McAllister, Mercury NewsPosted: 02/19/2009 12:25:46 AM PST
The Obama administration unveiled a three-pronged plan to stop the nationwide slide in real estate values, saying it offers potential relief for struggling homeowners and a possible shot in the arm for an ailing economy.
The package could help up to 9 million homeowners, many of whom could face foreclosure, the administration said.
But it's unclear how many in Silicon Valley will benefit since so many homeowners have big mortgages that may not qualify for one of the programs announced Wednesday.
Overall, the plan was greeted warmly by the housing industry and economists, who said it provides a way for homeowners to reduce their loan payments while helping ease the gridlock in the nation's home lending sector.
Foreclosure wave, stocks' slide sink Silicon Valley home pricesBy Sue McAllister, Mercury NewsPosted: 02/19/2009 10:50:21 AM PST
Bargain-minded buyers snapped up deals on foreclosed properties in Santa Clara County in January, even as some high-priced Silicon Valley cities saw a record-low number of sales during the same period.
The number of homes sold in the county rose by more than one-third last month compared with January 2008. But with home values still generally sliding and foreclosure properties accounting for about half of all sales, the median price fell precipitously from last year.
The median price of resale, single-family homes sold last month in the county was $420,000, down 39 percent from January 2008 and down 8 percent from December 2008, according to a report MDA DataQuick released Thursday. The last time the county's median price was lower was in February 2000, when the figure was $417,500. The median price of condos sold in January was $262,000, down 43 percent from a year earlier, and 13 percent from December.
Obama's mortgage relief not designed for high-cost areas February 19, by Broderick Perkins, Examiner
Struggling homeowners in California and other high-cost housing markets will benefit less from the Obama administration's "Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP)" than those in lower-cost housing markets.
The $275 Billion Plan, with a planned March 4 rollout, includes a refinancing program for "responsible" borrowers who haven't missed payments and whose loans are larger than the value of their homes, and a loan modification provision with incentives for lenders to modify certain mortgages.
Many Californians and others in high cost areas may not see much immediate relief but federal aid earmarked for those areas could follow.
Questions and answers about Obama's plan to avert foreclosuresBy the Mercury NewsPosted: 02/18/2009 09:00:00 PM PST
Who will be helped? Those who may be at risk of foreclosure as well as some homeowners who are "underwater" on their loans.
What are the broad outlines of the plan? A refinancing option for those who are making payments but are paying high interest rates and would otherwise not be able to refinance, either because they do not have enough equity or because their houses are worth less than they borrowed.
Groups back remedy for Silicon Valley downturnSan Jose Business JournalTuesday, February 17, 2009
More green energy development and better job training are being called for in a report that details the sudden drop in the Silicon Valley economy last fall.
The annual Silicon Valley Index from Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation show a region that abruptly shifted from its long recovery from the tech bust at the turn of the century.
The report compiles many previously released statistics from 2008 that show three quarters of growth and a sudden downturn that began in the fourth quarter and continues this year.
Calling All Artists, Creative Types, Fun People and Other Superheroes Meeting at Specialtys Cafe in Santa Clara was enlightening. We turned the corner in the cafe into the meeting area to see a bunch of tables covered with butcher paper, crayons and miscellaneous other stuff: big fluffy brushes, cat musician statues, pine cones, press-on lights and turkey feathers. All tools to inspire and motivate brainstorming. Our host Janet, AKA Jon, got our creative juices going.
Meet with like-minded friends and neighbors for an lively brainstorming session on what we can do to start creating the change we want. Expect to come away with specific, achievable and fun objectives; small steps and short term goals with long term results.Our first event was a lot of fun, and people came away with a better sense of where they wanted to contribute their time and energy. Since we have a mix of new people and people who were at the first meeting, we will blend the same kind of brainstorming with coming up with at least one small, easy step we can each take toward achieving our contribution goals. We will stick with things that personally intrigue and energize us, to make it easier to take those steps.We need all of us, with all our various interests, abilities and experiences to make this a great nation and a good world, whether times are good or bad.
Meet with like-minded friends and neighbors for an lively brainstorming session on what we can do to start creating the change we want. Expect to come away with specific, achievable and fun objectives; small steps and short term goals with long term results.
Our first event was a lot of fun, and people came away with a better sense of where they wanted to contribute their time and energy. Since we have a mix of new people and people who were at the first meeting, we will blend the same kind of brainstorming with coming up with at least one small, easy step we can each take toward achieving our contribution goals. We will stick with things that personally intrigue and energize us, to make it easier to take those steps.
We need all of us, with all our various interests, abilities and experiences to make this a great nation and a good world, whether times are good or bad.
It kind of worked. By having people write their notes in crayon on the tables, it put most of the group on the same wave length. Silicon Valley, the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, United States of America and the bay area in general, have over 100 active BarackObama.com active groups. Most groups are within an hour drive of each other. We are concerned that ideas and work may be duplicated because each group is isolated. We could strategize more efficiently and work towards results if people interested in the same topic connected.
We broke into four groups of 4-5 and brainstormed together. My groups spent the part of the 20 minutes or so talking about how we could find out what other regional groups are working on. How to merge interests and resources? We also discussed specific ideas people want to champion such as converting from oil to solar energy.
After 20 minutes, everyone got up and switched groups. So by the end of the meeting, you talked with at least 12 people, a majority of folks who showed up. Many had participated in the Santa Clara economic recovery meeting at the library mentioned in the San Jose Mercury News article, "Weekend 'Stimulus Parties' Bring out Obama Faithful Across the Nation" by Denis C. Theriault. The group plans to meet monthly, so it'll probably get a lot done over time.
Over 20 humans and 3 dogs met the first Saturday of February to talk about the Obama Administration's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, at that time known as the economic recovery plan.
fixing the economy is like our getting our new puppy. you get an older one to help entertain the new guy. she takes off gets hit and you gotta pay the vet bills. Plus all the normal puppy work.But now you're obligated, so bear down and learn to enjoy it. No turning back. It'll get better. So come see our new dogs, and we'll watch barack.Most People are talking about shooting for noon. and hanging out for an hour or two. my original idea was an open house, but maybe that defeats the purpose of networking between y'all. Anyway i'm excited to network. My ideas on the stimulus plan line up with Obamas call to winterize homes. I'm into energy policy, This seems like this is a good way to flex this Organizing for America system and see if it works.
fixing the economy is like our getting our new puppy. you get an older one to help entertain the new guy. she takes off gets hit and you gotta pay the vet bills. Plus all the normal puppy work.But now you're obligated, so bear down and learn to enjoy it. No turning back. It'll get better. So come see our new dogs, and we'll watch barack.
Most People are talking about shooting for noon. and hanging out for an hour or two. my original idea was an open house, but maybe that defeats the purpose of networking between y'all. Anyway i'm excited to network. My ideas on the stimulus plan line up with Obamas call to winterize homes. I'm into energy policy, This seems like this is a good way to flex this Organizing for America system and see if it works.
Our host, Tod, started us out by playing Governor Tim Kaine Answers Economic Recovery Questions video. The next few hours we spent talking issues important to Silicon Valley in specific and America in general.A couple of the action items we took away was to contact (e-mail, phone, snail mail) our US Congress representatives and other influential congress people in other states.We could focus on whatever topics interested us most but the main goal was to encourage them to support the stimulus bill. Most non wealthy people can afford to wait out the bad economy without work from our government.
Below are pictures of some human participants and a couple dogs. The long haired Dachshund puppy was the host dog and the black terrier, Culo, was the visitor dog.The meeting ended with a homemade berry and oatmeal dish, salad and pulled pork. A very nice Mountain View CA meeting all around.
$700 billion is a lot of money! </br>
The population of the United States is about 300 million. If you gave every man women and child his share of $700 billion: </br>
A single man or women would get $2,300 </br>
A couple would get $4,600</br>
A family of four would get $9,200 </br>
A family of twelve would get $36,800</br>
Now this would be a real shot in the arm for the economy; much better than the paltry $1200/$600 the government already gave us. No rich financiers would benefit. The American people would benefit. The economy would recover overnight. </br>
Wayne
On August 18th, an article appeared in the New York Times titled As Oil Giants Lose Influence, Supply Drops. It described the absurd dilemma facing the major oil companies today:
“The scope of the supply problem became more clear in the latest quarter when the five biggest publicly traded oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, said their oil output had declined by a total of 614,000 barrels a day, even as they posted $44 billion in profits. It was the steepest of five consecutive quarters of declines.”
Dr. Steven Greer has long predicted the current crisis on the global energy front. It is not only a crisis of limited resources, skyrocketing demand and environmental pollution. It is now also a pressurized political problem, as countries desperately hoard their dwindling supplies of fossil fuels in the face of intense pressure to sell on the open market.
“This is an industry in crisis,” said Amy Myers Jaffe, the associate director of Rice University’s energy program in Houston. “It’s a crisis of leadership, a crisis of strategy and a crisis of what the future looks like for the supermajors,” a term often applied to the biggest oil companies. “They are like a deer caught in headlights. They know they have to move, but they can’t decide where to go.”
The Vision of The Orion Project is clear; deliver small, sustainable, non-polluting energy generating systems to individual homes and businesses throughout the world. Such a goal has multiple benefits:
This brings us to one of the main goals of The Orion Project, necessary to develop the robust technologies needed to change the present energy paradigm. That is, as soon as we have several technologies that we can prove to be breakthrough energy developing technologies, we at TOP will put together a research facility to bring together experts in different aspects of the technology.
For example, if we win the bid for the Stan Meyer technologies, we will bring a number of researchers who have studied and partially replicated his technologies to the TOP research facility, where they will be able to interact and study not just the patents, but the real thing with fellow researchers. We have already met with several of these scientists and many of them are ready and willing to join the TOP research lab for a period of time to immerse themselves in the technology and make it work.
It will be this in-depth immersion with fellow colleagues that will allow TOP researchers to rapidly assess and build on the shoulders of others to bring out energy producing technologies to literally change the world energy paradigm.
Dr. Greer and his team have held this vision for over 18 years. He has demonstrated the courage to bring this message forward to the public. And he has the integrity and strategic leadership to deliver such a breakthrough to the world at large.
Your contribution to The Orion Project will help make this future a reality.
As the New Year dawned in January of 2008, Dr. Greer and his core team met on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, nearby Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers made their historic flights in 1903. Out of that meeting came the vision for The Orion Project and the Breakthrough Campaign; the idea that the public at large could support the research and development of such new energy systems.
To date we have raised over $200,000 in cash donations. We have pledges for another $350,000. We have supported basic research with Pulsed Motor Generator systems. We remain actively engaged in acquiring the winning bid for Stanley Meyer’s water-fuel technological legacy. And just recently have engaged with a very promising inventor in Canada with a resonant frequency generator, creating non-polluting electric power through an ingenious solid state device.
In their day, the Wright Brothers worked tirelessly to fulfill their vision of man being free to fly, often in the face of disbelief, naysayers, and outright ridicule. For years they remained steadfast and diligent, focused on their single objective. The monument to their ultimate success is wrapped with the following inscription:
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE CONQUEST OF THE AIRBY THE BROTHERS WILBUR AND ORVILLE WRIGHTCONCEIVED BY GENIUSACHIEVED BY DAUNTLESS RESOLUTIONAND UNCONQUERABLE FAITH
We have adopted “Dauntless Resolution” as the motto of our team to muster the sustained determination to achieve these results in the face of apparently overwhelming odds. With the planet in crisis however, we MUST succeed, we ARE succeeding, and we WILL succeed in bringing these promising technologies to the world – lifting all humankind into a new era of peace and abundance on this planet.
Your donations have allowed us to make the progress we have thus far. Please continue to support us in fulfilling this vision for mankind’s breakthrough to a new and brighter age. Please Make a donation today!
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I have, or had, Asperger's Syndrome. My mom knew I was not quite right around 4, and I was diagnosed as being "almost borderline" at 8. At 4 she already did behavior modification therapy, so if I had been tested at 4 I would have probably been considered Asperger's.
At 8 my mom and I talked about how I wanted to change, and I did. The first year after changing was painful. I was aware people hated me, but the next year my life turned around. Autism IS a disease, whether you like it or not, however it has some positive benefits. If someone can be treated (not cured) very well they can be an almost-normal person with a few quirks, and a few amazing talents. That is where I am. I admit my obsession with politics and demographics is related to Asperger's.
My friend was diagnosed at 12. His mom yelled at him and told him to "get cured." He is doing well, but not as well as I was at his age. He was afraid to get a job at 19 and spent his summer playing World of Warcraft.
My other friend is 22 and may not have been diagnosed until recently, although the signs were there when he and I were friends at 11. His parents didn't want to admit to the problem, and they usually left him home alone. He's never driven and never had a job.
Earlier diagnosis and treatment means a better life for Autism/aspies. If I had been screened and discovered at 3 or 4 as being on the spectrum, my life would be even better than it is now, and I think it's pretty amazing.
Even though with severe autism can be trained to fit in. Just because they do not communicate verbally does not mean they are dumb. Obama knows this as do I.
I fully support him screening for Autism Spectrum disorders, and now that I have read his plan for them I will donate even more money to his campaign.
I actually live in the 14th. Sunnyvale, bordering on 15th, so I am joining here.
I am amazed with this site. I found grassroots levels at EVERY District. Four years ago, I had to have my mom arrnage for me to join a Santa Clara Democrats club that only used email. This is our future.
And anyone in the 14th district, look into Brian Holtz. He is a libertarian but he wants to reform the LP. If the LP were sane, I think a lot of Obama supporters would like them. We need third parties that are not extremists.
http://www.marketliberal.org is Holtz's site
The philosophy is that the market should be used to fix problems with minimal intervention. Such as Cap and Trade and Carbon Taxes. (He is actually a geo-libertarian who would probably support the Flat Tax and then taxing pollution heavily, but that's far saner than most Libertarians who just want to be fascists in their home instead of the government doing it for them.)
Here's your chance to interview Sarah Palin. What ONE issue would you interview her about ?
I'll start:
What is your ticket's stand on the PNAC doctrine?
Does your ticket intend to continue the advancement of this princple that the previous administration established?
I have voted in every presidential election since 1974 and I'm very excited to support Barack Obama for president. He is intelligent, thoughtful and poised. He made the choice to study constitutional law so it is clear to me that he is deeply motivated to understand what our Founding Fathers intended for our country. Beyond his area of educational expertise of our constitution, he is very well traveled internationally. Ours is a diverse country and he understands diversity. He has a culturally diverse lineage and he is well traveled throughout the globe. Everything Obama has done from his choice of education to his experience working in the legislature has been driven by his passion for national politics.
He is diverse from his 'ivy league' education down to the 'grass roots' community work he chose to do. Isn't there something from Christian scripture that says “Inasmuch as you have done it for the least of My brothers, you have done it unto Me?” Not that I want to link church with state but I find it quite ironic that the Republican right wing is fighting to create a union of church and state yet cannot exemplify the teachings of scripture. I digress...
I want the leader of my nation to be intelligent. I want the leader of my country to be thoughtful. Reactive approaches to international and national crisis will not bode us well. There is no need to 'march off to war' at the first suspect of offense. I have watched Obama as he considers carefully each question and each response in his interviews. Maybe that doesn’t fit sound-bite America but it suits me just fine! The ‘dumbing down of America’ has gone too far. Education has not been a priority and it should be. That is high in my ranking of issues but above education I put healthcare.
I have worked in health care for over 30 years. I abandoned the conventional medical profession to become a personal trainer. Maybe that is another reason why I relate to Obama. If you take the time (and the risk) to get into the ‘trenches’ you understand better the needs of the weakest link. Making weak links stronger is essential for longevity both in individual biological health and in national health. We have to start with the issues we are weakest in and repair them.
We have to change our approach. Nothing changes that remains the same. If we do not change, we will not heal and we will not thrive. Right now our country is in survival mode with ‘cancers, autoimmune disease, bone disease, metabolic disorders.’ It may be that we are already too damaged to repair. Maybe a change in administrative policies now will be too little to late. I hope not. I hold on to the hope that we do change.
I now work in a cutting edge medical clinic which uses exercise, relaxation and nutrition as the first approach to heal the diseased body. We have a saying, "The body wants to heal." I will expand that to say, "The nation wants to heal." The Republican Party continues to follow a divisive and exclusive approach. Their approach is not a thinking approach, it is a reactive approach. This approach is effective in provoking non-thinking citizens.
The American Constitution was created by our Founding Fathers in a period of time that was much different than now. America and Americans have changed. We are more reactive, we are less thoughtful, and we live by the sound-bite. There was no way to foresee these changes. If America does not vote for change, we are destined for stagnation and weakness. Without a focus on the issues of education, health, economy, international policy, energy resources, and the intentions of our Founding Fathers we will fail from the inside-out. Enough of the reactive responses to sound-bites, lets get down to the business of healing and recovery!
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/haidt08/haidt08_index.html
and some responses from The Reality Club
http://www.edge.org/discourse/vote_morality.html#harriss
...to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.I wasn't planning on sending you something tonight. But if you saw what I saw from the Republican convention, you know that it demands a response. I saw John McCain's attack squad of negative, cynical politicians. They lied about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and they attacked you for being a part of this campaign. But worst of all — and this deserves to be noted — they insulted the very idea that ordinary people have a role to play in our political proces. [...]
The title and quotes are from an email from David Plouffe referring to the hate fest formerly known as the Republican National Convention.
I've received more than the usual amount of criticism for my recent opinion piece on Sarah Palin, most of it alleging sexism and/or an unseemly infatuation with Barack Obama. For those who care, I'd like to briefly respond:My alleged sexism: It is true that I used some hackneyed, gender-slanted language in the piece ("get sassy," "girl-next-door," etc.). This was deliberate. Clearly, I played this game at my peril. I can say that if Sarah Palin were a man of similar qualifications, I would have used equally slanted language to describe him. I might have called Mr. Palin a "frat-boy" or a "lumberjack." I would have invoked some silly macho phrasing like,"Watch Cousin Jim flip Putin the bird." My concern is not that Mrs. Palin is a woman. My concern is that she is a totally unqualified and poorly educated woman who was added to the Republican ticket as a token woman (and Creationist wacko). For what it's worth, the article was vetted by the two women closest to me (wife and mother) and by two female editors at the LA Times. If anything, the editing at the Times made the piece even more "sexist." My alleged Obamamania: Many McCain supporters have written to say that (1) Obama is also unqualified (or even less qualified than Palin) and (2) I have shown myself to be a hypocrite by not objecting to Obama's religiosity. Briefly: My criticism of Palin should not be construed as uncritical acceptance of Obama. Needless to say, I find Obama's religious pandering repulsive. The suspicion that he is pandering, out of obvious necessity, and not quite as religious as he makes out, is somewhat comforting, however. But even if Obama were precisely as religious as he appears, he is not a Creationist, Rapture-Ready blockhead. Palin, by all appearances, seems to be one. This is a difference worth noting. Whatever you may think of his politics, Obama is very intelligent and reasonably well educated. Palin thinks the universe is 6000 years old. Unfortunately, I wrote my article before some of the most disturbing signs of her religious extremism came to light. So, let me simply declare that I would be overjoyed to have a qualified woman in the White House. I would, likewise, be overjoyed to have a qualified African American in the White House. In fact, I would be overjoyed to have a qualified WASP man in the White House. I will be guardedly optimistic to have a very smart (and somewhat qualified) Barack Obama in the White House. And I would be frankly terrified to have a religious bumpkin like Sarah Palin in the White House. I think you should share this last conviction. Hence my latest opinion piece.Best,Sam
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See for yourself and have a good laugh! Please share this with everyone you know. We need to get this information out!http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card
Democrats must make a case against the Republicans. The reason change is so popular now is because of what the Republicans have done for eight years. The need for change from the current knuckleheaded administration would drive my vote no matter who was running as a Democrat. Let’s build on that!
The mistakes of the Republican administration must be stated and re-stated. Their noses must be rubbed in their poo! We must never let Republican errors leave the public eye. The election is being handed to the Democrats on a silver platter, let’s not bungle it.
McCain is riding piggyback on Bush’s coatails. We cannot tolerate four more years of mistaken policy and just plain stupidity. ( I would like to see the Democrats always show a cartoon caricature of Bush riding piggyback on McCain’s back!)
Here is a list, undoubtedly a partial list, of about eighty errors of Bush and his administration. Let’s publicize it:
What’s right about the Bush administration? As far as I can tell – nothing!
Every time Obama is critized, one of the adminstration’s failures should be surfaced: But what about Valery Plame? But what about torture? Why did the Republicans move prisoners to secret camps for interrogation? What do you have against endangered species? Why didn’t you respond to Katrina in a timely manner? What were you thinking in that schoolroom after being informed NYC was burning? What do you have against women’s rights? Why so much secrecy? Where are the missing tapes? And so on.
