As promised, here is a brief election wrap up for 2015. In San Francisco, two stalwart progressive GreenDog candidates who unfortunately ran into turbulent waters, were defeated. Wendy Aragon, who would have been a great addition to the City College board, and Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. They both worked hard, but their better funded (and connected, in an establishment way) opponents were able to win. A loss for SF.
We were glad to see the return of Aaron Peskin to the Board of Supervisors, and only wish someone had challenged Ed Lee for Mayor. Next time we all hope.
In Marin, we had a big win with Gregory Mack for Novato School Board. He ran a great race, with lots of grassroots outreach and came in second place. Congrats Greg!
In other races, incumbents lost several seats on City Councils and special districts, signaling dissatisfaction. This malaise seems a general discontent, and distrust of elected officials, echoed throughout the land. We fear a rising conservatism (we hope it is a passing fever), and Yes, we are cheering on Bernie Sanders. And putting pins in voodoo dolls of Donald Trump and all the Republican scary clowns. Nothing to laugh at here.
Sorry to be a downer, but 2016 will be exciting and we are hoping for good things in the Bay Area and for Democrats everywhere. What do you all think? Comments accepted, rants encouraged, advice welcomed.
And recipes will be tried out. For now, I think a hot buttered rum is in order. Here's what the GreenDogs do on cold winter days.
Dotty's Hot Buttered Rum:
Boil water
Shot of rum mixed with brown sugar.
Pour in the water, mix lightly
Pat of unsalted (organic preferably) butter floated on top
Fresh grated nutmeg sprinkled overall
Drink, you'll feel better
California’s controversial assisted death bill is done for the year, according to the Assembly Health Committee.
In an e-mail to legislative offices, committee secretary Patty Rodgers wrote, “The authors will not pursue this bill this year – waiting on a statement from the authors explaining details and future plans.”
Senate Bill 128 would have allowed doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients. It passed the Senate last month, but stalled in the Assembly Health Committee two weeks ago over increasing objections from Latino Democrats.
Past attempts to legalize assisted death in California also collapsed, but SB 128’s champions believed that public sentiment had turned in their favor. They also surmounted a major political obstacle when the California Medical Association silenced its longstanding aversion to helping ailing patients die.
But the Catholic Church remained firmly opposed to the bill, arguing that it was an ethical violation. Proponents were not able to sway a majority of members on the Assembly Health Committee, some of whom pointed to personal experiences that counseled them against backing the bill.
“You’ve got to look at what I’ve done before the Legislature ... working to help save and protect peoples’ lives, giving that option – a second chance at life,” Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, D-Pomona, who worked as an emergency medical technician, said Monday. “Letting folks have that option to end their life, it’s just something I can’t come to grips with.”
Some members denied that religious objections were a decisive factor.
“There are times when I can be in clear policy opposition to the church – clearly with a pro-choice stand as a Democrat, I can say ‘no’ to the church,” Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, a practicing Catholic who once weighed entering the seminary, said on Monday. “It’s more of an internal struggle of how to look at the end of life more than any impact of religious or political” pressure.
In an e-mail to legislative offices, committee secretary Patty Rodgers wrote, “The authors will not pursue this bill this year – waiting on a statement from the authors explaining details and future plans.”
Senate Bill 128 would have allowed doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to terminally ill patients. It passed the Senate last month, but stalled in the Assembly Health Committee two weeks ago over increasing objections from Latino Democrats.
Past attempts to legalize assisted death in California also collapsed, but SB 128’s champions believed that public sentiment had turned in their favor. They also surmounted a major political obstacle when the California Medical Association silenced its longstanding aversion to helping ailing patients die.
But the Catholic Church remained firmly opposed to the bill, arguing that it was an ethical violation. Proponents were not able to sway a majority of members on the Assembly Health Committee, some of whom pointed to personal experiences that counseled them against backing the bill.
“You’ve got to look at what I’ve done before the Legislature ... working to help save and protect peoples’ lives, giving that option – a second chance at life,” Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, D-Pomona, who worked as an emergency medical technician, said Monday. “Letting folks have that option to end their life, it’s just something I can’t come to grips with.”
Some members denied that religious objections were a decisive factor.
“There are times when I can be in clear policy opposition to the church – clearly with a pro-choice stand as a Democrat, I can say ‘no’ to the church,” Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, a practicing Catholic who once weighed entering the seminary, said on Monday. “It’s more of an internal struggle of how to look at the end of life more than any impact of religious or political” pressure.
Alexei Koseff: 916-321-5236, @akoseff. Jeremy B. White of The Bee Capitol Bureau contributed to this report.