Feature Archives

For the past two years, California has been in an ongoing struggle against cuts to education and public services. On March 4th, 2010, students, teachers, faculty, workers, and supporters statewide held coordinated Strike and Day of Action in defense of public education and public services. This year, California's new governor, democrat Jerry Brown, is planning to cut $1.4 Billion from public higher education, and students across the state demonstrated in coordinated actions on March 2nd and over the following days.

On March 3rd, the Seaside City Council voted unanimously to outlaw PG&E's wireless smart meter installation within city limits. On March 8th, Lake and San Luis Obispo Counties joined the list, calling upon the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to stop installing wireless meters until more is known about short and long term health impacts and potential privacy violations. Residents from all over California will attend the CPUC meeting on March 10th starting at 9am at 505 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.

On March 1st, Monterey City Council unanimously adopted a resolution demanding Pacific Gas and Electric immediately halt the installation of Smart Meters and related infrastructure within city limits. Monterey is the first city in Monterey County to take formal action against Smart meters, and joins 28 other cities, towns, and counties around California in taking action opposing them.

On February 24th, indigenous activist John Trudell stopped by the studios of Free Radio Santa Cruz for a chat with AC Sandino II. Trudell, a poet, musician, and actor, was a spokesperson for the "Indians of All Tribes" occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 to 1971. He then worked with the American Indian Movement (AIM), serving as Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979.

On February 17th, Professor Johan Galtung spoke at Zachary's restaurant in Santa Cruz about recent happenings in the Middle East and North Africa as being signs of the unraveling of U.S. influence in the region, and U.S. empire in general. Galtung is widely known as the pioneering founder of the academic discipline of peace studies. He has served as a professor of peace studies and peace research at the universities of Oslo, Berlin, Belgrad, Paris and Hawaii, just to name a few, and has mediated in about 50 conflicts between states and nations since 1957.

On February 26th, more than a hundred people united energetically in Santa Cruz, along with cities across the nation, to demonstrate their disgust with systemic violence against women. At noon, people converged at the Clock Tower before marching down Pacific Avenue to Laurel St. People chanted "Not the Church, Not the State; Women must decide their fate" as they continued up Laurel St. and onto Mission St./Highway 1 where there was a brief occupation of the Mission and Bay intersection.

On Presidents Day, February 21, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, co-chairs of the President's Deficit Commission, were featured speakers at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy at the Monterey Conference Center. As well-heeled attendees entered 1 Portola Plaza to hear Simpson and Bowles talk about dismantling Social Security, members of groups including Senior Action Network, California Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Gray Panthers chanted "No Privatization, No Way!" Raging Grannies carried plastic shovels and buckets labeled "BS", referring to Bowles and Simpson.