NextArts.org Planning San Francisco Simulcast Of Inauguration, But Upsetting Obama Volunteers

UPDATE: click here. 


NextArts is a San Francisco-based community organization that dates back to 1998, and has as it's charge..

..to return San Francisco to its renown as a cultural center by fostering artists who displayed exceptional musical and songwriting talents. Rather than hemming artistic expression in with labels, we sought to expand possibilities. 

In lock-step with that objective, NextArts is planning what is sure to be a giant simulcast of the Obama Presidential Inauguration using San Francisco's City Hall.  Sounds great and one would think NextArts would have no problem gaining support.  But in the process  of doing just that, NextArts has managed to piss off a large group of San Francisco-based Obama supporters at a listserv called "SFforObama".  Here's some of the exchange:

NextArts:  

We want to share more w/ you on what's going on with our plans.

First, we are hiring some people to help us.  Maybe some of you saw our listing on Craigslist?  We would prefer to hire within, so to speak.  If anyone wants a job working on the Simulcast send your resume in right away because we will be interviewing this weekend and those we hire will start on Monday.

Second, our event is not a party.  Our event will be very reverent and it will be an opportunity for this movement to in essence step up and begin to help others.  We will be collecting socks and underwear for the homeless.  And, we just want to say from the bottom of our hearts that we really "hope" this is what this movement has been all about, beginning the process of becoming our brother's and sister's keeper.

Today, Sen. Dianne Feinstein became our honorary chair.  More politicians will follow.  But, we want to be clear about what this really is for us:  It is a new day, a new way.

I hope you guys don't mind if we give you updates as we move along in this process.  While NextArts has done big events before, this is by far the largest undertaking we have ever endeavored.  Or it could be, with your help and your blessings.

SFforObama:

FYI - I forwarded nextart's email to a friend who I thought would be interested in doing work for the simulcast and this was her feedback;

These people are rude ASSHOLES!  I called early am and then noticed that they open at 11am so I decided I'd call then.  Well, I just got a call from a guy called Tony saying my number showed up and he was calling me back.  I told him about the email and that it wasn't clear what they were hiring f or and he says "Didn't you read that you are supposed to email us your resume?" And so I answered "Yes but how am I supposed to know if this even is for me unless I know what you are hiring for?" and he says "THAT'S what you called me for???" and he HANGS UP ON ME!

NextArts:

(unnamed by me)...

What your friend says is untrue.  I really think some of you should take a look at things too.  We apologize for bringing our plans up, because it seems there is no room for us.  From our perspective it hasn't been criticism, but attacks.  Mean spirited attacks.  It starts w/ emails to the group and ends w/ phone calls at 7AM to our 24 hour emergency number for clients, and ends with this.

It hurts, really.  And takes away form everything we had "hoped" to achieve when we joined this group.

Some of you have sent us emails of apology, and we are very thankful for that.  But, it is just too nasty.

  SFforObama:

I don't think anyone from this group would want to work for you to be completely honest. You seem very hyper-sensitive to even the vaguest criticism and you've completely over-reacted to a couple of comments made by members of this group. Your immediate reaction was to criticize everyone in the group and to, I am assuming, be rude to my friend who has absolutely nothing to do with this group but has been a huge Obama supporter, nonetheless. You are really positioning yourself to build a nasty reputation for nextarts not just amongst the sf4obama group but way, way, way outside of it as well.

 NextArts:

You have no interest in participating in a function where Feinstein is an honorary chair????  Hmmmmm...  Then I think you need to sit the inauguration out, because Sen. Dianne Feinstein IS the chair of that.

 Okay gang, you win..   We will not make any more announcements to this list.

 We are very regretful we reached out..

I think NextArts should just keep trying.  That particular listserv is known for  some who are constantly ill-tempered and for reasons that aren't clear.  An "honorary chair" means the person's name can be used, but they do not have to attend the event.  Thus, it's easy for Senator Feinstein to be the "honorary chair" of a number of events, and still be in Washington D.C. for the inauguration.   

Senator Barbara Boxer Turns 68 - Help Us Raise $68,000 As A Gift

I got this email from Doug Boxer, California Senator Barbara Boxer's son and a friend:

Dear Zennie,

We've got less than $5,000 to go to reach our $68,000 goal in honor of my mom's 68th birthday. Join nearly 1,000 Boxer supporters and help put us over the top. Click here to contribute today!

Tuesday night, the Boxer family gathered to celebrate my mom's birthday -- and she was thrilled when I told her that, as a special gift, nearly 1,000 members of our BarbaraBoxer.com community had come together to support her re-election campaign!

Now, we've got less than $5,000 to go to reach our $68,000 goal in honor of my mom's 68th birthday.  Will you join nearly 1,000 Boxer supporters and help put us over the top?

Please contribute today -- and help us reach our $68,000 grassroots fundraising goal, in honor of my mom's 68th birthday. Even $5 will make a huge difference!

We know that Barbara Boxer will be one of the right-wing's top targets in 2010.  In fact, two opponents officially launched their campaigns yesterday!  I know we just finished one election, but my mom needs your help now as she prepares for a tough campaign two short years from now.

Thanks to the wave of Democratic victories across the country last Tuesday, including President-elect Barack Obama's historic election, I know my mom will always remember her 68th birthday.

Now let's make her birthday celebration even more memorable.  Please contribute to my mom's re-election campaign today -- and help us reach our $68,000 grassroots goal!

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,

Doug Boxer

P.S. It's not too late!  Your contribution, today, will put a big, red bow on our grassroots fundraising drive to celebrate my mom's 68th birthday.  Please join nearly 1,000 BarbaraBoxer.com supporters and contribute now.  Thanks!

Again, give the Senator a hand, just $5 will help, but whatever you can do.  Then pass on this blog post.  Senator Boxer has been a liberal friend to all of us, and especially in California.

Donald Lacy's Views On The Election, Obama

Donald Lacy is a name that came into Oakland and the nation's view after the 1997 murder of Lacy's daughter who was an innocent bystander just leaving McClymond's High School in Oakland. As part of his on-going effort to combat the problems that caused that event, Lacy started The Lovelife Foundation, which is "promoting life and saving lives through community revitalization, leadership and development." (http://lovelifefoundation.org) . I saw Lacy at the San Francisco Democratic Party event on Election Night and got his views on the Election and President-Elect Obama's victory.

Sean Sullivan's Views On The Election, Obama and Prop 8

Sean Sullivan's a new name and face in Oakland politics.

Observers may remember Sean's run for Oakland's District Three Council Seat, where he lost to the incumbent Nancy Nadel. But Sean pressed on. He's worked at Covenant House and serves on the board of several non-profits in Oakland and the Bay Area. You can learn more at his website:

http://www.seansullivan.org

At the Westin on Election Night, Sean stopped to talk about the election and now President-Elect Obama and the then-progress of the No On Prop 8 campaign.

The Prop 8 Issue - Being Black and Gay Are Not The Same

This video will be misunderstood by some just for its title. I ask you to listen to what I say. I'm am against California Proposition 8. I've made videos to show the World how stupid and hateful the people who back the initiative can be. But what does bother me is the discovery that of all groups, African Americans voted more for it than against it. Why? I think one reason is that the message those who were against Prop 8 put out was off-putting to many who are Black. While I agree that gay marriage is a civil rights issue, one can't then make the cognitive leap and say that Blacks and Gays share the same path and past. The reason is simple: if I walk down the street you already have made up your mind how you're going to adress me because of my skin color. That's not true if the person's Gay -- you can't tell by looking. The bottom line is civil rights for all -- but the message that's sent by "No on 8" seems to say that if a person's straight White and male, they're normal. No one Black wants to hear that.

Bowoto v. Chevron - Chevron Did Not Violate Human Rights According To Article

This article below gives a balanced view of what happened in Nigeria between Larry Bowoto and Chevron and why the case is important.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27 -- Chevron Corp. is at the center of a legal case before federal court in San Francisco that will ask jurors to decide whether the firm sanctioned human rights abuses that resulted in the deaths and injuries of protesters at its Nigerian facilities, or whether the company was simply protecting its employees from belligerent kidnappers.

The lawsuit—identified as Bowoto vs. Chevron, No. C99-2506SI (N.D. Calif.)—alleges that Chevron, in conjunction with the Nigerian military, engaged in torture, assaults, and the killing of two protesters over Chevron's environmental record and its failure to hire locals in the delta region near its oil drilling operations.

Both sides in the current case recognize that the impending courtroom battle, described by one observer as "epic," has legal implications that reach far beyond a single incident by one corporation operating in Nigeria.

"This case could have serious ramifications for workers in developing parts of the world," said Charles A. James, Chevron vice-president and general counsel.

"If plaintiffs had their way, a company could not report hostage-taking to law enforcement authorities without facing the threat of a lawsuit in the US," James said.

Dan Stormer of Hadsell, Stormer, Keeny, Richardson & Renick in Pasadena, Calif., is representing the plaintiffs, a group of Nigerians who were injured during protests on a Chevron offshore oil platform in 1998.

Stormer said his firm is trying to hold a corporation liable for their bad actions in another country, even if it is committed by their surrogates, a wholly owned subsidiary, or by the Nigerian government.

According to Chevron, the hostage-taking incident occurred 10 years ago on oil facilities operated off the Nigerian coast by Chevron Corp. subsidiary Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL). More than 100 CNL workers and contractors were held for ransom and threatened with acts of violence.

Chevron said the incident began when plaintiff Larry Bowoto and other members of the Concerned Ilaje Citizens, an unsanctioned Nigerian community group, threatened CNL with violence and sea piracy if the company did not pay them money and give them jobs.

Weeks later, according to Chevron, they followed through on their threats by seizing the oil platform, an adjacent barge, and a tug boat on May 25, 1998, holding CNL employees and contractors hostage and demanding money and other considerations. CNL attempted to negotiate a resolution without success...MORE

High Speed Rail Initiative Defeated At SF Debate Event Tuesday

Say, at our blog Oakland Focus , I wrote a post on how I was not supporting the California state proposition 1A calling for High Speed Rail because the route did not come through Oakland as I worked to have done when I represented then-Mayor Elihu Harris?  

Well, I waa able to partcipate in a debate on the matter at The Commonwealth Club's SF Debate program Tuesday night in San Francisco, and where the prop started out with more yes votes than no votes.  But after my insistance that it was not the right plan and that there were CalTrain plans that were rejected for no good reason , the initiative lost 10 to 7 with a number of undecided observers.

The basic problem is that the plan is the plaything of politics -- whoever cries the loudest gets the route and that trumps a system that rightly serves the state in way where poor communities are represented.

But what bothered me was the claim by a supporter involved in the project that Oakland's Ron Dellums and staff had done nothing to argue for Oakland.

What the hell were they doing and why?  It bothers me to know that I was the only Oakland staffer in history to actually work to make High Speed Rail come to Oakland.  I should not be in that position.  The Mayor's office regardless of who is there should not have let this happen.  

Bowoto v. Chevron - Day One Court Update

This video presents Day One of the case of Bowoto v. Chevron at U.S. District Court, Northern California, San Francisco.

Here Larry Bowoto from Nigeria is accusing Chevron of harming him and his mates and violating their civil rights, and Chevron's counter is that Bowoto and his mates entered there oil production facility and attempted to kidnap Chevron employees.

In calling the Nigerian Military police, a skermish unfolded where Bowoto and his mates were alledgely harmed.

In this video Chevron's Don Campbell presents Chevron's side of the case; there was no spokesperson for Botwoto's side available.

SF Proposition H Rally In San Francisco - "Yes on H"

I went over to cover what turned out to be a lively rally for San Francisco's Proposition H, an initiative which if passed will set a goal of 100 percent clean energy use in San Francisco by 2040.

SF Proposition H Rally In San Francisco - "Yes on H"

 
I went over to cover what turned out to be a lively rally for San Francisco's Proposition H, an initiative which if passed will set a goal of 100 percent clean energy use in San Francisco by 2040.

SF Proposition H - SF Clean Energy Gal Asks Why PG&E Opposes Clean Energy

Why does PG&E oppose clean energy and Proposition H in San Francisco?  The SF Clean Energy Gal asks that very question.  See the many guises of Mary, the Clean Energy Gal here and support Clean Energy in San Francisco.

Aaron Peskin - SF Supervisor Says "Yes On H"; Explains Why

Prop H in SF Gets Van Jones Support - Yes on H

As part of our effort to promote clean energy for San Francisco, I am very proud to report that Van Jones, the author of "The Green Collar Economy" has endorsed Prop H for clean energy.

SF Prop H "Cake Band" Party with Mary The "Clean Energy Gal"

This video takes us into a great "VIP Party" held for the band "Cake" (http://www.cakemusic.com) and the San Francisco Prop H Campaign for Clean Energy. It features Mary, The Clean Energy Gal.

Does PG&E Want To Screw San Francisco? Opposes Clean Energy

Does PG&E wanto to screw San Francisco? If you consider that the utility doesn't back using clean energy sources and has not met State of California guidelines for renewable energy, it sure seems so. You can change that with the passage of Proposition H - "Yes on H." It's the first initiative of its kind; tell your friends around America about it and have them call friends in San Francisco and tell them to vote "Yes On H".

"YES ON H" - San Francisco's Quest For Clean Energy November 4th

On November 4th a very important vote is coming to San Francisco. It's called "Yes on H" and if it passes, this is what it will do:

Specifically, the Act directs the City to analyze, identify and pursue strategies that:

Maximize greenhouse reductions from the electricity sector at the minimum cost including the following clean energy mandates: by 2012 ensure at least 107 megawatts; by 2017 ensure 51%; and by 2030 ensure 75%. The SFPUC shall ensure that 100% or the greatest amount technologically feasible or practicable are met through clean energy by 2040. Nuclear is prohibited from being included in the definition of clean energy.

Investigate ways to improve electric service and reduce costs to customers, including through measures such as Community Choice Aggregation.

Establish an Independent Ratepayer Advocate to represent the interests of ratepayers and ensure affordable and reliable service.

Develop a Green Jobs plan providing workforce development for clean energy, construction and operations in PUC jurisdiction. Any PG&E employees who become City employees as a result of this Act will not suffer any reduction of compensation or seniority.

Evaluate the financial and environmental benefits of locally controlled electricity services, including renewable energy and energy efficiency. This includes a cost-benefit analysis of municipalizing the electric system, as well as shorter-term measures such as Community Choice Aggregation.

Seems like a no-brainer, and it is. One problem is that SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's not behind it, and no one seems to have a good reason why, including Mayor Newsom. Not a good idea for someone running for Governor of California.

SF Land Deal for Transbay Terminal Gets Record Price

San Francisco is enjoying an embarrassment of riches:


Wall Street is decimated, Main Street is angry and K Street is in an outright panic over the magnitude of thenation’s financial problems.  But San Francisco’s Mission Street is in a parallel universe setting an all time record land price for the right to build San Francisco’s newest signature tower—the 1,000 ft Transbay Transit Tower being built in conjunction with the new Transbay Transit Center (transbaycenter.org)


The price is said to be over $4,900 per square foot.  At that price, who needs more than 49 square miles of land?


See the below Hines release on the deal or visit the TJPA Web site http://transbaycenter.org/TransBay/content.aspx?id=1104 for additional information:.

Sports Business Networking? Join Women In Sports And Events

If you're in the sports industry or in a sport management program, this video explains my experience in finding the right program to be a part of.

After some good experiences and some terrible ones, I joined Women In Sports And Events (WISE). Regardless of gender, it's an excellent grassroots style program and they treat their members as welcomed guests.

IF you're in a college, then you're already in a networking group, but you still can't go wrong with WISE. But there's one organization I recommend you not join and it's the National Sports Marketing Network.

The National Sports Marketing Network does not have -- in my experience -- a good customer service track record. My story is personal in that I recently was sent an email to come to a member's only event, but then when i RSVPed -- after some hestiation because of the NSMN's terrible reputation in the SF Bay Area and after a friend encouraged me to do so -- I got the weird rebuff email.

When I enquired and expressed my displeasure with the email, the head wrote me back an even nastier email -- all for no reason. And also essentially threatened me if I shared the matter with you all.

So I'm doing so.

I trust you don't want that -- go elsewhere. Join Women In Sports Events and other groups. Or start your own group. But I do swear by WISE.

"The Blog Report With Zennie Abraham" Coming To CoLours TV

http://zennie2005.blogspot.com - This is my presentation of our new show "The Blog Report with Zennie Abraham" coming to the CoLours TV network soon.

CoLours TV is at 9407 on the DISH Network, so if you have Comcast, dump it and get the DISH Network so you can tune in.

The show is in three basic segments: politics, pop-culture, and sports.

"Help Is On The Way" REAF Benefit San Francisco - American Idol Stars Featured