Those of you who have read my Posts since last February (thank you by the way) know that I stick to one topic in my posts rather than using the shotgun approach to multiple issues; today I stray from my standard format as I have a couple of brief items I want to comment on:
First, tomorrow (Wednesday February 20th) I will be a presenter at a “How To Avoid Foreclosure” workshop being put together by 5th District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske. Also presenting will be Geoff McIntosh from Main Street Realtors, LaVerne Duncan from Long Beach Housing Services and representatives from Los Angeles Neighborhood and Housing Services and Neighborworks. The workshop begins at 5:30 at the El Dorado Senior Center Bridge Room, 2800 Studebaker (between Willow and Spring). If you or someone you know is having difficulties with a mortgage and wondering what to do, what may happen and where to turn, please attend.
Second, a formal announcement has finally been made that Fidel Castro is stepping down a the dictator of Cuba and letting little brother Raul have the post for a while. Cuban Ex-Pats in Miami are throwing parties over the news, somewhat muted as there will be little change from Fidel to Raul, and hopeful that this brings Cuba just a little closer to being rid of the Communist rule under which it has suffered for nearly 50 years when Castro and Che Guevara began their overthrow of the Batista government and subsequent reign of murder and brutality. This leads to my conspiracy theory that I have been kicking around since Castro fell ill and almost dead over a year ago: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will “invade” Cuba. While the invasion will be at the invitation of Raul and Fidel (if still alive) the pretext will be to save the Cuban people and protect Venezuela from the United States and the imperialist desires of President George Bush. Chavez is being slowly weakened internally as his attempts to increase his power and control are being rejected, the Castro boys know their time is limited and they all hate the United States, what better way for a cadre of megalomaniacs to get the attention they crave?
My conspiracy theory has this “invasion” occurring after the party primaries this summer and before the November general elections so Chavez y Compania can affect our decision as to whom to elect as President of the United States. Far fetched? Maybe, maybe not. Please discuss.
Finally, the party that professes to be about the common American, the party that says on its website that it “has represented the interests of working families, fighting for equal opportunities and justice for all Americans,” the party that filed lawsuits claiming voters had been disenfranchised, is showing incredible hypocrisy. The Democrats who dragged the U.S. through the courts over hanging-chads in Florida and decried the vote counts in that state in 2000 have disenfranchised not only Florida primary voters but also those in Michigan, and quite probably those in every state in the country. First the DNC announced that the delegates from Florida and Michigan would not be seated or recognized at the national convention in Denver since both states moved their primaries up in the schedule. The millions of Democrats who voted in those two states did so for practice I guess since it will not matter for whom they voted. Second, it appears likely that the votes cast in Democratic primaries and caucuses in the other 48 states and several territories will also be irrelevant since the DNC has what they term “Super Delegates”.
These Super Delegates are beholden to no one and can cast their vote for whomever they choose at the party convention. So if, as is likely, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton hit the Denver convention with neither holding enough delegates to secure his or her nomination as the Democratic Presidential candidate the Super Delegates will decide the nominee. Does not matter if Obama has a lead in delegates from the primaries—if enough Super Delegates want Hillary then she will be the Democratic nominee; and vice versa. Who are these Super Delegates? According to an LA Times article despite composing less than 30% of the Democratic Party membership white men are over 50% of the Super Delegates. By concentrating this much power in a small group of party elitists the Democratic Party is saying they will “represent the interests of working families” as they see them—but they really do not want those working families to decide who their leader(s) will be. They may say they are for “equal opportunities and justice for all Americans” but they should amend the statement to say, “…unless you are a registered Democrat who votes in primaries.” What is the point of having the elections if the votes do not matter? Seems elitist and hypocritical to me, but my vote was not discounted…
Click here to see where Clinton and Obama stand on the pledges of Super Delegates. Did you vote in the California Democratic Primary? If so what is your feeling on your vote probably not mattering when it comes to deciding who will represent your party in November? Please discuss.
Gerrie Schipske’s website with announcement of foreclosure workshop
2008 Democratic Convention Watch site showing delegate counts
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