WED 9/8: LA to Launch Divest from Israel CA Ballot Initiative (tags)
Californians committed to peace and justice for Palestine-Israel will launch the statewide campaign of California ballot Initiative 10-0020 with a signing ceremony in front of the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. Although California has adopted policies requiring divestment from Sudan, Iran and other nations, this is the first ballot measure in the nation aimed at changing Israeli policies through divestment by State agencies. It directs California’s large public employee and teacher pension funds to be consistent with their responsible investing policies and to divest from companies that violate the human rights of Palestinians. The description provided by the office of the Attorney General when it approved the measure for circulation last week says that the initiative “prohibits state retirement funds from investing in companies engaged in certain business activities in Israel.”
Affordable Solar Energy Demonstrated for Earth Day (tags)
Blue Link, a new solar system, is available to Californians for $3,250 (after state rebates).
Congress skips town, snubs kids and jobless (tags)
The 107th Congress adjourned on Nov. 22 after refusing to provide extended unemployment benefits to nearly a million unemployed workers, cutting the availability of Section 8 housing vouchers, denying health care to more than 900,000 children and refusing to provided federal aid to states facing the worst fiscal crisis since World War II. It did, however, find the money for a $2 billion Election Day pay off to drug companies and a promised $100 billion to insurance companies.