Dear SENATOR: Thank you very much for your letter and for the copy of the National Initiative Amendment.
I agree with you that this is a very important piece of legislation. It has been my experience that one of the major problems for citizens who are concerned with the issues facing our country has been their feeling that they really can’t have much of an effect. This bill would give people an open channel into the legislative process, and give them the opportunity to be heard.
This is something that I heartily support and I wish you the best of luck in your efforts.
California’s People’s Lobby’s cut its wisdom teeth on the initiative process trying to qualify two Clean Environment Initiatives. The second was successfully qualified in 1972, when signature gatherers themselves had to also cross verify the signatures collected with voter registration books.
In those campaigns, People’s Lobby added lawsuits to its arsenal of political reform making, thanks to the volunteer efforts of attorney Roger Jon Diamond. Among his more prominent People’s Lobby cases are two Diamond v. Bland cases (links and case analysis to be added), which established shopping centers as the functional equivalent of town centers for signature gatherers.
The Clean Environment Initiative (CEI) of 1972 was one of the early precursors of the nuclear moratorium movement. The CEI lost at the polls to a well-financed opposition campaign. Nonetheless, all of the clean environment changes it called for have come to pass — although in many cases it took years for them to be implemented.
The loss to big money caused People’s Lobby’s to focus its next initiative campaign to lessen the impact of big money in campaigns. In 1974 People’s Lobby successfully led a triumvirate of themselves, gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown and Common Cause to pass the Political Reform Act of 1974 by 70 %. Called one of the toughest campaign reform laws in the country at that time, it established California’s Fair Political Practices Commission. (www.fppca.ca.gov)
Over the years Common Cause and others have worked to update and improve campaign laws. Lawsuits have weakened and strengthened the initial 1974 Proposition 9 Political Reform Act. Money and the power, influence and perceptions it buys was the crux of the political reform problem decades ago and remains the core problem today. Some of the lawsuits that deal with campaign reform issues will be listed here.
Joyce Koupal, Los Angeles County Energy Commissioner and Co-Director of the Western Bloc Safe Energy Initiative Campaign1 today resigned from the Los Angeles County Energy Commission. In a letter to Commission Chairman John Foster, Ms. Koupal. charged today that, “today’s Commission hearings on Proposition 15, the Nuclear Safeguards Initiative, are a sham and a disservice to the people of California.”
In a statement before the Commission this morning Ms. Koupal moved that the Commission extend its hearings until May 1st, in order to assemble a hearing panel of experts to “ consider the atomic energy issue before making a recommendation to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. I say this because I, as a citizen, have a conflict of interest on this issue, I say this because both my husband and myself have worked for safe nuclear power. And I say this because we know, in a very personal way, the issue which we are addressing.”
Ms. Koupal went on to say that, “My husband and I have worked to qualify safe energy initiatives in 16 states, and my husband has spent his life in pursuit of true se1f-government and a humane society and is now dying of cancer0 My husband will die of the very disease that we consider when we discuss atomic energy and its consequences.”
In addition, Ms. Koupal stated that, “I know that in spite of the conflicts of interest, and the billions of taxpayers’ dollars that have been poured into the nuclear industry, we must seriously consider the question of whether atomic power is safe, reliable
and economical. And I know that this commission, by its hastily conceived hearings, is only paying lip service to the issue.”
Concluded Ms. Koupal, “Our kangaroo court system of government is once again in motion, and I will not be a party to it.”
May you and yours have good health well beyond this Holiday Season.
Although she still mails Christmas cards, my sister now has a computer thanks to Lighthouse for the Blind. She also has volunteer Spencer, the solar guy, who brings some levity and sunshine into her life as he reads her internet stuff, emails, and wonders about her weird friends…
She recently beat back a cancer scare, as she continues being the trooper pushing her walker and tipping the army of taxicab drivers (sorry Uber) that shuttle her to University of San Francisco lectures, medical checkups, and meetings with her friends in town.
For me, there may not be a Habitat build on this year’s list thanks to bone on bone right shoulder and a rotator cuff tear, which I always thought belonged to those Moby-ized pitchers who flung hard from the starboard..
Most of you who are reading this have been exposed to Christian traditions, especially during this Holiday Season. You know that Jesus was raised by an adopted father, Joseph, a ”Teckton,” or builder. Joseph was a stonemason, carpenter, or likely combination of the two. He built stuff, likely housing, perhaps so future families would not have to be born in mangers.
Christ in the House of His Parents (‘The Carpenter’s Shop’) 1849-50 Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896 Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund and various subscribers 1921 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03584Christ in the House of His Parents (‘The Carpenter’s Shop’) 1849-50 Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896 Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund and various subscribers 1921 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03584
When Jesus Christ was born about 2,000 years ago, about 300 million roamed the earth. According to the Bible, the Lord ARMED a sandal wearing gang of 12 with not only the words of brotherhood but supposedly the power to perform miracles. They were sent out to spread peace and build things that would make life more comfortable for innocent babies and children, in the hopes that they would grow up with innocence and goodwill.
Jesus did not build an army of soldiers and drones. He didn’t encourage the Roman Empire to expand its war making abilities. He pushed people to do unto others as they would have done unto themselves.
Today there are about seven billion people, who, in many ways are ravaging the earth. Shouldn’t America, the Roman Empire of its time, field an army of one million sandaled Americans to spread peace and build healthy things for the innocents?
It cost us over $1 million per active military volunteer per year to be engaged in battles, without calculating PTSD related costs.
Instead of building a new, big bureaucracy, the AWSC Congressionnal Proposal would send A LOT more paid volunteers to Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, effective local non-profits, in-need schools, hospital therapy centers, homes for the aged, etc. Fielding a million Americans a year under this AWSC umbrella would cost about $40,000 per year.
It’s a gift to the world that keeps giving all year long. It cultivates compassion, raises our public policy IQ, responds to devastations, helps refugees, wins hearts and minds, and thereby stunts terrorist recruitment.
Imagine how much different today’s world would be had we been doing such a robust NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS for 30, 40, 50 years…
One of the few times Jesus expressed anger was at the money changers in the Temple.
Under the AWSC Proposal The Forbes 400 could fund the fielding of 21,000,000 doing good, paid American volunteers for 27 years by donating 1.1% of their wealth to the cause of protecting innocents. What would Jesus say?
Want to help make the AWSC Proposal become law, spreading gifts and little miracles all year long?
Pester Congress. Spread the word via media. Use any of People’s Lobby’s Opeds that express something akin to your feelings and put them out in social media, forward them to Congress and candidates. Ask candidates where they stand.
Prayers accepted, but we are pretty sure God, as busy as he is, is pushing us humans to do more than kneeling to deliver some good amidst the myriad of problems clanging around down here.
Neither Santa nor Jesus delivers what the world needs without a lot more of us being involved.
Pope Francis
“We are close to Christmas,” he said. “There will be lights, there will be parties, bright trees, even Nativity scenes – all decked out – while the world continues to wage war.”
“What shall remain in the wake of this war, in the midst of which we are living now?” the pontiff asked. “Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims, and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers.”
Christmas festivities are “all a charade. The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war.”
“War can be justified, so to speak, with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war, piecemeal though that war may be — a little here, a little there — there is no justification.”
“God weeps,” the pope concluded, “Jesus weeps,” for those whose sole purpose on this planet is to wage war, but who cynically deny that that’s their intent.
May you and yours have peace and good health.
Gifts received:
Fr. Nelson’s boys. NorCal video “Breaking bread.” Dec. 2015
People’s Lobby is asking all presidential candidates whether they support the AWSC Proposal, (http://new.dwaynehunn.biz/awsc-congressional-proposal/ ), which places a million Americans a year into peaceful National Service for at least a generation, not by building a new bureaucracy, but through serving in already existing organizations such as: Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, effective local non-profits, in-need schools, homes for the elderly, therapy wards in hospitals, etc.
Please note that we’re asking for more than a minimalist response that says you support today’s minimalized Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, etc., or that “National service is a good idea…”
Thoughtful responses will include answers to the following questions. Do you believe that?
Such peaceful service will increase opportunities domestically & reduce tensions internationally?
More than .4% of Americans (active military) should serve?
Peaceful, healthy change in many needy areas requires generations to develop & therefore endorse the generation long robust national service “sunset clause” in the AWSC Proposal?
The good accomplished by investing $40K/year in each AWSC volunteer would in time reduce the $400K attributed to each of our active military and/or the $1 million+ cost for each of our battlefield soldiers?
Both traditional & nontraditional funding mechanisms (in the Proposal) should be used to field 21,000,000 National Service Americans over the ensuing 27 years.
Would the world’s people and its environment be better off today if since the 1961 inception of the Peace Corps (a form of voluntary national service) 20 million had served by now (2015) rather than 200,000?
Political novices Ed and Joyce Koupal incorporated People’s Lobby Inc. as a 501 (c) (4) and then used its unique grassroots initiative process to help reform the political system.
On its second attempt a loose knit band of volunteers led by Ed and Joyce qualified the Clean Environment Initiative of 1972, and then led Gubernatorial Candidate Jerry Brown and Common Cause to enacting the Political Reform Act of 1974. In the process, People’s Lobby became a training center for those interested in using the initiative for political reform. Ralph Nader sought out People’s Lobby to lead the Western Bloc, a coalition of 18 states who launched initiatives from 1975 onwards to slow the development of nuclear power plants. The nuclear industry spent millions to thwart the Western Bloc Safe Power initiative campaigns, but as the campaign educated America the growth of nuclear reactors was stunted.
On the other end of the political spectrum, some claim that Howard Jarvis, California’s tireless property tax reformer, learned from People’s Lobby how to finally pass the 1978 Jarvis Gann Proposition 13 Property Tax Reduction Initiative.
In 1977 former People’s Lobby members, John Forester and Roger Telschow convened Senate Judiciary Hearings on establishing a National Initiative Process. Alaska’s US Senator Mike Gravel (1969-1981) was a member of those hearings. His continued desire to see the National Initiative Process become part of America’s political rights ushered in a merging of People’s Lobby’s rich campaign history and present day educational goals with those of the Philadelphia II and Direct Democracy, non-profits he had founded. In 2002 Senator Gravel joined the People’s Lobby Board as its President and Ed and Joyce Koupal’s goal of a National Initiative returned as a primary mission of the organization.
For some history on People’s Lobby from a draft book and other sources, click::
In 1977 Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Senate Joint Resolution 67 (SJR 67) on the People’ Lobby initiated National Initiative Process, Voter Initiative Constitutional Amendment
In 1995 former Senator Mike Gravel placed an initiative on the Washington state ballot asking their Washington state citizens if they would vote to support a national initiative process. With Washington’s Attorney General denying their citizens the right to vote on this issues, Gravel filed a certioraripetition to the U.S. Supreme Court.
For more information on Senator Gravel, Philadelphia II and his move to further the revival of the national initiative movement started by People’s Lobby, click to www.ni4d.org.
Through the 90’s the PLI Board began slowly easing back into the political scene by undertaking educational projects such as producing videos, writing columns, reporting on initiative movements, and attending conferences.
In 2002 PLI funded the three day Ed and Joyce Koupal Memorial Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia where the National Initiative for Democracy Act was vetted by 10 established scholars. For that conference an edited version of Dwayne Hunn’s book on the Koupals and People’s Lobby was produced, Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary.
Following the conference, People’s Lobby endorsed funding the national initiative campaign with a series of additional loans. Those loans funded the Direct Democracy and Philadelphia II organizations, directed by former Senator Gravel, for use on the NI4D campaign. PLI’s ($450,000 + interest) funded such undertakings as: an NI4 D dinner in Philadelphia, three month Maine NI4D campaign, NI4D’s on-line voting and donations programs, staffing, administrative, and legal costs into 2003. In 2003 former Senator Gravel resigned from the PLI’s Board, as did his appointed Treasurer and his other board member friend who served during Gravel’s tenure as President of PLI’s Board.
During the 2002 Maine National Initiative for Democracy Campaign and afterwards some former PLI workers expressed disagreement on Gravel’s NI4D campaign strategy and management.
As of 2009 former Senator Gravel and his organizations have made no effort, despite repeated requests from PLI, to pay on their Promissory Notes.
