Pat Brown Institute Announces “The Golden State and the Future of Green Growth and Green Labor” Discussion at Sony Pictures Entertainment

ADVISORY

Featuring Daniel Flaming from the Los Angeles Economic Roundtable

LOS ANGELES, CA — For nearly three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles (PBI) has focused on state and community issues and been a standard bearer for the legacy of its namesake. On April 23rd, Daniel Fleming will focus on how California’s labor force is moving toward green-collar jobs and how it might position the Golden State as a leader of the green economy.

WHO – Expert panelists; journalists; chamber of commerce members; political scientists; public policy analysts; elected officials and their staff; students; community leaders and other stakeholders

Featuring Daniel Flaming, President of the Los Angeles Economic Roundtable

WHAT – PBI California Agenda discussion on “The Golden State and the Future of Green Growth and Green Labor”

WHEN – Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE – Sony Pictures Entertainment in the Rita Hayworth Dining Room @ 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

WHY – Questions remain as to whether “going green” is a trend and/or if growing green a smart investment? Various economic sectors have implemented environmentally safe practices to strategically grow green. But is this the moment for California to grow green and create a more sustainable society? .

FYI – There is no cost to attend but you must R.S.V.P. and bring with you a valid photo ID in order to enter the lot. Please contact Edward Headington at Edward@HeadingtonMedia.com or 818.720.7181 for all media requests.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

The California Agenda is a component of the PBI’s Public Policy Education Program and is hosted this year by Southern California Edison and Wells Fargo. It was created to educate and engage leaders and individuals across the sectors on significant state, regional and local public policy issues.

Pat Brown Institute “A New Deal in Store for California’s Infrastructure?” Panel Discussion Tomorrow Morning!

MEDIA ALERT

Los Angeles Daily News Editorial Page Writer and Columnist, Mariel Garza, will be the moderator

LOS ANGELES, CA — For nearly three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles (PBI) has focused on state and community issues and been a standard bearer for the legacy of its namesake. Tomorrow morning, as part of its California Agenda series, the PBI hosts an exciting panel discussion with some of the best and bright minds in the region.

WHO – Moderator – Mariel Garza, Editorial Page Writer and Columnist for the L.A. Daily News; Panelists: Valerie Shaw – City of Los Angeles Public Works Commission; Harvey Smith – National New Deal Preservation; and John Tanner – SEIU Local 721

The diverse 100+ audience will be comprised of many community stakeholders: other experts; journalists; chamber of commerce members; political scientists; public policy analysts; elected officials and their staff; students; community leaders and others.

WHAT – PBI California Agenda discussion on “New Deal in Store for California’s Infrastructure?

WHEN – Thursday, March 19, 2009; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE – California State University, Los Angeles in the University Student Union @ 5154 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032

WHY – With President Obama in Southern California tomorrow, you could not ask for a timelier panel as his administration has promised to renew its contract with America through re-envisioned “New Deal” programs.

Please contact Edward Headington at Edward@HeadingtonMedia.com or 818.720.7181 for all media requests.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

The California Agenda is a component of the PBI’s Public Policy Education Program and is hosted this year by Southern California Edison and Wells Fargo. It was created to educate and engage leaders and individuals across the sectors on significant state, regional and local public policy issues.

Video - PBI CA Agenda with Assm. Hector De La Torre

Plus 7 More Videos on YouTube

Slideshow - PBI CA Agenda with Assm. Hector De La Torre

February 19, 2009 at Cal State LA

"Foreclosing on the American Dream"

PBI Announces Panelists/Moderator for “A New Deal for CA?“ Panel

ADVISORY

Monday, March 9 2009
For Immediate Release
PBI Contact – Jacqueline Ruiz, 323.343.3770
Media Contact – Edward Headington, 818.720.7181
Website – http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/

Los Angeles Daily News Editorial Page Writer and Columnist, Mariel Garza, will be moderating

LOS ANGELES, CA — For nearly three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles (PBI) has focused on state and community issues and been a standard bearer for the legacy of its namesake. The incoming Obama administration has promised to renew its contract with America through re-envisioned “New Deal” programs. Borrowing from the pages of American and Californian histories, the federal government will embark upon large-scale infrastructure projects to repair and build our physical infrastructure while boosting the economy and strengthening our social foundations. Notably, former Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown followed such a policy with successful results.

WHO – Expert panelists; journalists; chamber of commerce members; political scientists; public policy analysts; elected officials and their staff; students; community leaders and other stakeholders

Moderator – Mariel Garza, Editorial Page Writer and Columnist for the L.A. Daily News

Panelists – Valerie Shaw – City of Los Angeles Public Works Commission; Harvey Smith – National New Deal Preservation; and John Tanner – SEIU Local 721

WHAT – PBI California Agenda discussion on “New Deal in Store for California’s Infrastructure?"

WHEN – Thursday, March 19, 2009; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE – California State University, Los Angeles in the University Student Union @ 5154 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032

WHY – During the 2006 election, voters in California agreed that the Golden State needed its own “New Deal” and overwhelmingly voted to authorize the state to spend bond monies on infrastructure projects related to transportation, housing, and education. The state passed legislation distributing the monies, but little action has been taken since. Why is the state not spending funds that voters authorized? What budget issues are preventing the state from moving forward to strengthen our infrastructure? The discussion will examine the state’s financial condition and ability to invest in infrastructure; it will also focus on possible outcomes that may arise, depending on whether we invest in infrastructure, how much we invest, and how soon.

FYI – Parking available on campus at Parking Structure C or Lot 5 located on Paseo Rancho Castilla (only costs $2 for the two hours—cash only). Give yourself about 5 to 8 minutes to walk to the building. This is a free event open to the public and a light breakfast will be provided. Please R.S.V.P. to Edward Moreno at emoreno9@cslanet.calstatela.edu or register online.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

The California Agenda is a component of the PBI’s Public Policy Education Program and is hosted this year by Southern California Edison and Wells Fargo. It was created to educate and engage leaders and individuals across the sectors on significant state, regional and local public policy issues.

3/19 PBI Event – “A New Deal for California?”

ADVISORY

Tuesday, March 3, 2009
For Immediate Release
PBI Contact – Jacqueline Ruiz, 323.343.3770
Media Contact – Edward Headington, 818.720.7181
Website – http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/

The moderated panel discussion will include Harvey Smith of the National New Deal Preservation

LOS ANGELES, CA — For nearly three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles (PBI) has focused on state and community issues and been a standard bearer for the legacy of its namesake. The incoming Obama administration has promised to renew its contract with America through re-envisioned “New Deal” programs. Borrowing from the pages of American and Californian histories, the federal government will embark upon large-scale infrastructure projects to repair and build our physical infrastructure while boosting the economy and strengthening our social foundations. Notably, former Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown followed such a policy with successful results.

WHO – Expert panelists; journalists; chamber of commerce members; political scientists; public policy analysts; elected officials and their staff; students; community leaders and other stakeholders

WHAT – PBI California Agenda discussion on “New Deal in Store for California’s Infrastructure?

WHEN – Thursday, March 19, 2009; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE – California State University, Los Angeles in the University Student Union @ 5154 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032

WHY – During the 2006 election, voters in California agreed that the Golden State needed its own “New Deal” and overwhelmingly voted to authorize the state to spend bond monies on infrastructure projects related to transportation, housing, and education. The state passed legislation distributing the monies, but little action has been taken since. Why is the state not spending funds that voters authorized? What budget issues are preventing the state from moving forward to strengthen our infrastructure? The discussion will examine the state’s financial condition and ability to invest in infrastructure; it will also focus on possible outcomes that may arise, depending on whether we invest in infrastructure, how much we invest, and how soon.

FYI – Parking available on campus at Parking Structure C or Lot 5 located on Paseo Rancho Castilla (only costs $2 for the two hours—cash only). Give yourself about 5 to 8 minutes to walk to the building. This is a free event open to the public and a light breakfast will be provided. Please R.S.V.P. to Edward Moreno at emoreno9@cslanet.calstatela.edu or register online.

###

The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

The California Agenda is a component of the PBI’s Public Policy Education Program and is hosted this year by Southern California Edison and Wells Fargo. It was created to educate and engage leaders and individuals across the sectors on significant state, regional and local public policy issues.

Assemblymember Hector De La Torre to Speak on “Foreclosing on the American Dream”

ADVISORY

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
For Immediate Release
PBI Contact – Jacqueline Ruiz, 323.343.3770
Media Contact – Edward Headington, 818.720.7181
Website – http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/

Assemblymember Hector De La Torre to Speak on “Foreclosing on the American Dream”

Last year’s PBI Public Servant of the Year honoree will headline the February 19th kick-off event for the 2009 California Agenda Series

LOS ANGELES, CA — For nearly three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles (PBI) has focused on state and community issues and been a standard bearer for the legacy of its namesake. Home ownership has long been promoted as the cornerstone of the American Dream and an important vehicle for building the personal assets of Californians. However, given California’s current economic environment and the growing number of home foreclosures across the state, Assemblymember Hector De La Torre will address a number of questions: Is the American dream being significantly deferred? How do we effectively deal with this issue? What role can government play?

WHO – Assemblymember Hector De La Torre (chair of California State Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review, committee member of the Committee on Housing and Community Development Budget and the Committee on Budget )

WHAT – California Agenda discussion on “Foreclosing on the American Dream”

WHEN – Thursday, February 19, 2009; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE – California State University, Los Angeles in the University Student Union (Los Angeles Room 308A); 5154 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032

WHY – The discussion will touch upon the social and political dynamics that brought us to this economic moment in American and California histories, as well as focus on what we can learn from this crisis moving forward. Assemblymember De La Torre will speak to best practices and policy solutions to navigate us out of the quagmire.

FYI – Parking available on campus at Parking Structure C (only costs $2 for the two hours). This is a free event open to the public. Please R.S.V.P. at 323.343.3770 or jruiz@cslanet.calstatela.edu.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

The California Agenda is a component of the PBI’s Public Policy Education Program and is hosted this year by Southern California Edison and Wells Fargo. It was created to educate and engage leaders and individuals across the sectors on significant state, regional and local public policy issues.

Jaime Regalado quoted in POLITICO

Asian-American up in Hispanic district

David Mark
POLITICO
January 7, 2009 05:00 AM EST

A splintered field of Latino candidates could lead to the election of an Asian-American in Southern California’s majority-­Hispanic 32nd District, leaving Hispanics with one less voice in Congress at a time when their share of the population is growing.

In the special House election to succeed Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.), who was recently tapped to become the Obama administration’s labor secretary, former Monterey Park Mayor Judy Chu stands to gain from a potentially crowded field of prominent Latino officeholders that could divide the Hispanic vote and enable her to capture the solidly Democratic, East Los Angeles-based seat.

All the candidates will run on a single ballot in the special primary election. If any one of them wins a majority of votes, that candidate takes the seat outright. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters will square off eight weeks later in a special general election — essentially a runoff.

While the racially diverse district is about two-thirds Hispanic, it also has an unusually large Asian population — roughly 20 percent. As the only prominent Asian candidate in the race — and one who has drawn support from Hispanic voters in the past — Chu could benefit from a concentrated Asian vote to make it into a special general election if the Latino vote is divided among several candidates.

So far, Chu, a former three-term assemblywoman, and state Sen. Gloria Romero, a longtime officeholder whose legislative territory covers about 95 percent of the congressional district, are the only announced candidates. But state Sen. Gil Cedillo and other lawmakers could still jump into the race.

While the district is friendlier to GOP candidates than most minority-majority Southern California seats, almost no one expects Republicans to be competitive in the special primary, likely to be held in April.

A Chu win is contingent on maximizing the Asian vote and picking off support elsewhere, said Jaime A. Regalado, director of the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. She begins with a head start in her hometown of Monterey Park, which is the only majority-Asian-American city in the United States. The non-Hispanic white vote — roughly 15 percent of the population — is concentrated in the eastern part of the district and looms as the wild card.

“The Latino residency population is the predominant one, but it doesn’t mean they will turn out to vote,” Regalado said. “Judy Chu has done well courting Latino votes and Latino votes — those who give money. It’s not a slam-dunk that, because Romero’s in the race, she’ll get 95 percent of the Latino vote.”

Read more.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass Calls on Federal Government to Address California’s Budget Shortfall

RELEASE

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
For Immediate Release

Media Contact(s):

Joey Furutani
Nakatomi & Associates
310.914.5000, Joey@nakatomipr.com

Edward Headington
Headington Media Group
818.720.7181, Edward@HeadingtonMedia.com

In Keynote Address at Pat Brown Institute’s 16th Annual California Policy Issues Conference, Bass says Infusion of Cash is Needed to Avoid “Devastating Cuts to Education”

LOS ANGELES, CA—In her keynote address today at the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute’s 16th Annual California Policy Issues Conference, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass urged the federal government to address the budget crisis in California and called on President Bush to take action in the final days of his Administration.

The theme is year was “California’s Future on the Horizon: Implications of the 2008 Elections” and Bass said legislative analysts have placed California’s projected budget shortfall at $27.8 billion.

With its large population and economy, “California is really unique,” she said. “Our budget is over $100 billion and approximately one‐third of the nation’s foreclosures occurred in our state. This is not just a California problem, so it can’t just be a California solution.”

Bass called on the federal government to provide an immediate infusion of discretionary cash to California so that legislators can avoid what she termed would be “devastating cuts to education and to health and human services.”

Additionally, to avoid the budget impasse that has become an annual event in California, Bass called for a state Constitutional amendment that would reduce the number of votes required in the legislature to pass a budget from two‐thirds to a simple majority. She also called for an end to term limits in the state legislature, saying they create an environment in which some elected office holders are leery of voting to raise revenues before they run for higher office.

“We suffer from term limits as a state,” she added.

Bass represents the 47th Assembly District. She became Speaker of the Assembly in May 2008.

The Assembly Speaker’s speech was one highlight of a conference that brought together elected officials, civic leaders and experts from the political arena, academia and the business community, to discuss and debate the implications of the Nov. 4, 2008 elections and what they mean for California.

On Election Day, “voters overwhelmingly indicated their willingness to invest in California’s future—an idea our namesake, former Governor Pat Brown, understood so many years ago,” said Dr. Jaime A. Regalado, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs, citing the approval of major infrastructure funding and school bonds statewide.

Attendees heard from experts from the media, voter organizations and local and state government. In one panel on “Youth Organizing, Mobilization and Turnout,” experts discussed social networking tools and their effects on voter turnout. Another panel, on “The Role of Race, Class and Gender in the 2008 Elections,” looked at the significance of these issues and their impact on California.

“Overwhelmingly, panelists agreed that a byproduct of the 2008 elections was an electorate that is engaged and involved like never before,” said Regalado.

Bass echoed that sentiment in her keynote speech, saying she hopes to take advantage of the huge network of voters who mobilized to elect Barack Obama: “As an organizer, I wonder how do I tap all that energy to get and sustain their involvement.”

Held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, the PBI’s 16th Annual Policy Issues Conference was supported by Kaiser Permanente—with additional sponsorship from AT&T, Sempra Energy, the James Irvine Foundation, SEIU Local 721, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, Sony Pictures, the California Federation of Teachers, IBEW Local 47, Verizon, Chevron, and the California Faculty Association and Southern California Edison.

For almost three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs has focused on state and community issues—dedicated to the quest for social justice and equality of opportunity, enlightened civic engagement, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

PBI‘s 16th Annual California Policy Issues Conference is Today!

ADVISORY

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
For Immediate Release

Media Contact(s):

Joey Furutani
Nakatomi & Associates
310.914.5000, Joey@nakatomipr.com

Edward Headington
Headington Media Group
818.720.7181, Edward@HeadingtonMedia.com

“California’s Future on the Horizon: Implications of the 2008 Elections”

Keynote addresses by Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Patt Morrison of KPCC 89.3 FM and the Los Angeles Times

WHO: Panelists will include elected officials, civic leaders and experts from the political arena, academia and the business community, who will discuss and debate the implications of the 2008 elections and what they mean for California. For the full conference program, visit http://patbrowninstitute.org/events/235.

WHAT: PBI 16th Annual California Policy Issues Conference on “California’s Future on the Horizon: Implications of the 2008 Elections”

WHEN: Wed., November 12, 2008; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Lunch keynote at 12:30 p.m.)

WHERE: Millennium Biltmore Hotel @ 506 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. Valet parking is located at the hotel entrance on Grand Avenue. Self parking is available at the Pershing Square garage, across the street from the hotel; the lot entrance is located on Olive and 6th Street. The Pershing Square Metro Station is located across the street from the hotel.

WHY: For almost three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs (PBI) has focused on state and community issues—dedicated to the quest for social justice and equality of opportunity, enlightened civic engagement, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians. Hear from the experts on the implications of the 2008 elections and what it means for our state and the nation.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.

Jaime Regalado quoted in the Los Angeles Daily News

Black, Latino voters helped Prop. 8 pass

Tony Castro
Staff Writer - Los Angeles Daily News
November 5, 2008

Latino and black voters whose record turnout helped carry Barack Obama to the presidency proved to be a double-edged sword for liberals in California, where the two groups were credited for the narrow victory of the gay marriage ban.

"Religion trumps politics," said pollster Mark DiCamillo of the Field Research Corp., who said exit polling data show that African-Americans and Latinos abandoned their traditional liberal Democratic coalition to support Proposition 8.

Seven out of 10 African- American voters and more than half of Latinos backed Proposition 8, according to Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International, which conducted the exit polling used by the National Election Pool.

The measure, which constitutionally bans same-sex marriages, was approved by about 52 percent of California voters in Tuesday's election.

Ironically, the record turnout of African-Americans and Latinos helped push Obama to victory in such states as Florida, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. Obama opposed Proposition 8, but not very strongly.

"Traditionally the liberal Democratic coalition consists of African-Americans and Latinos, and you see it in all of the initiatives locally ... all of those it passed with two-thirds (vote) requirement," said Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University.

The outcome was feared by many opponents of Proposition 8, as polls showed the no votes'
commanding lead was quickly evaporating ahead of the vote.

"The fear of those who were against Proposition 8 that this could be the scenario turned out to come true," said Jaime Regalado, executive director of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.

Proposition 8 overturns a May California Supreme Court decision legalizing gay nuptials and rewrites the state constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

10/22 PBI Panel on "Immigrants, Race Relations and the 2008 Elections"

ADVISORY

Monday, October 20, 2008
For Immediate Release
PBI Contact – Jacqueline Ruiz, 323.343.3770
Media Contact – Edward Headington, 818.720.7181
Website – http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/

Los Angeles, CA. For almost three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs (PBI) has focused on state and community issues—dedicated to the quest for social justice and equality of opportunity, enlightened civic engagement, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians. This Wednesday night, less than two weeks before the national elections, the PBI hosts a panel discussion on "Immigrants, Race Relations and the 2008 Elections."

WHO: PBI supporters and staff; immigration experts; community leaders and others

Moderator: Jon Beaupre, California State University Los Angeles, KPCC 89.3 FM frequent guest host, and the Los Angeles Press Club

Panelists: Stewart Kwoh - Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California; Rev. Eric P. Lee - Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles; Angela Sanbrano - National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities; and Ira Mehlman - Federation for American Immigration Reform

WHAT: PBI Panel Discussion on "Immigrants, Race Relations and the 2008 Elections"

WHEN: Wednesday, October 22, 2008; 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: City Club on Bunker Hill @ 333 S Grand Avenue, Suite 5450, Los Angeles, CA 90071; (Wells Fargo Center)

WHY: The panelists will consider the following: What roles do immigration and immigrant communities play in the larger arenas of race and ethnic relations in the U.S.? How do these roles affect local, regional and national politics/political processes? How can we situate debates on immigration within the larger framework of social, economic and political justice?

FYI: Hosted by Southern California Edison and the James Irvine Foundation. RSVP today @ www.patbrowninstitute.org/register/227/.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to www.PatBrownInstitute.org/.

Slideshow of PBI's "Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement"

California Agenda Panel Discussion on “Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement”

September 24, 2008

Jaime Regalado quoted in the Los Angeles Times

Unions bet big money on Ridley-Thomas for a labor-friendly swing vote

Seizing a rare opening, unions pour millions into the state senator's L.A. County supervisorial race against Councilman Bernard C. Parks.

Garrett Therolf
Staff Writer - Los Angeles Times
September 14, 2008

Labor unions, whose money already has made this year's race for Los Angeles County supervisor the most expensive ever, plan to spend millions more over the next eight weeks to elect their favored candidate, Mark Ridley-Thomas.

The spending, more than $4.5 million so far, or roughly $65 for each vote Ridley-Thomas won in the first round of the race against Bernard C. Parks in June, reflects how much labor leaders believe they have at stake in the election, which is for the first open seat on the Board of Supervisors in 12 years. Unions have enjoyed strong influence on Los Angeles city government but have had less clout at the county level.

The effort to change that comes amid a scandal that has forced out the leaders of two of the union locals that have been most active in the campaign, both affiliates of the giant Service Employees International Union. In both cases, the local presidents stepped aside after reports in The Times about possible misuse of union funds.

Labor officials say that the problems in the SEIU will not change their plans for continued spending on Ridley-Thomas' behalf using an independent expenditure committee. Such committees can sidestep contribution limits as long as they do not coordinate activities with the candidate.

"Basically, nothing that you've read in the past few weeks has changed who Bernard Parks is," said Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the 800,000-member Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. "He is still the man who opposed so many things important to working people, who opposed rent control, who opposed a living wage, who allowed Wal-Mart in."

Although Parks supports Wal-Mart in his district, he was not on the council when the chain got permission to open there.

At the same time, union officials privately concede that they are attempting to recalibrate their political strategy to account for diminished confidence in their own leadership.

"I think you can expect them to try to fly under the radar as much as possible, to not make the leadership of the unions a focal point," said Jaime Regalado, who heads the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A.

Read more.

Jaime Regalado quoted in the San Jose Mercury News

Prison guards union plays recall card in high-stakes fight against governor

Edwin Garcia
San Jose Mercury News
September 12, 2008

SACRAMENTO — He stalks the Capitol hallways with the hairy, disheveled look of a homeless man. Mike Jimenez, the leader of one of the state's most powerful public employee unions, vowed to the 31,000 members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association two years ago that he wouldn't cut his hair until settling a labor contract with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But this past week, with no contract in sight, Jimenez and his union upped the ante considerably by threatening to recall California's governor for the second time in five years.

It's too early to determine if the recall drive launched this week will succeed — many experts call the effort a media spectacle that will fizzle, while others dare not rule anything out because of the organization's tremendous campaign account.

But one thing is clear: The CCPOA's move has pushed special interest politics to an unprecedented level in Sacramento, part of a continuing saga that shows the tight grip that a handful of labor unions and business groups hold on state government.

"Special interests have either ruled the roost or will continue to try that in the future," said Jaime Regalado, executive director of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. "It's just all about what politics — not only in California but politics in state capitols across the country — has been all about, and that is, money and power."

Unlike the recall drive that booted Gov. Gray Davis from office in 2003, which was started by an anti-tax crusader, the current effort appears more self-serving — coming from an influential union that despises the Schwarzenegger administration because the two sides have been unable to agree on a new labor contract for prison guards and parole agents.

But the union, which collects in excess of $29 million annually in members dues — with much of the money supporting and opposing political campaigns that can make or break candidates — downplays the contract's role in the recall effort.

Read more. (emphasis added)

PBI Announces Fall Schedule of Events on Civic Engagement, Immigration and Annual California Policy Issues Conference

ADVISORY

Friday, September 12, 2008
For Immediate Release
PBI Contact – Jacqueline Ruiz, 323.343.3770
Media Contact – Edward Headington, 818.720.7181
Website – http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/

Los Angeles, CA. For almost three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs (PBI) has focused on state and community issues—dedicated to the quest for social justice and equality of opportunity, enlightened civic engagement, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians. In this spirit, PBI announces its fall schedule of events:

* September 24th – California Agenda Panel Discussion on “Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement” (RSVP @ www.patbrowninstitute.org/events/226/)

8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. @ the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown

From touch-screen voting to online campaigning, technology is shaping the future of civic engagement. But what does this mean for e-democracy—especially for those individuals and communities without access to the latest technology? This panel will consider the promise of technology and how it may enable us to acquire and disseminate information. In debating various notions of e-democracy, the panel will look at the degree to which the digital divide may hinder any aspect of these expectations. Our experts also will address what local, state, and national policy initiatives are designed to address the anticipated problems.

* October 22nd – California Agenda Panel Discussion on “Immigration, Immigrants and the 2008 Elections” (RSVP @ www.patbrowninstitute.org/register/227/)

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. @ the City Club on Bunker Hill

Less than two weeks away from the national elections, this panel discussion will focus on the importance of immigration policy and its role in various campaigns. Do the candidates differ from each other in their immigration policy proposals? If immigration has not been fully debated, what factors may explain that? Will this issue resurface in 2009 as a topic, because of the November elections? And in an exciting departure from typical analysis of immigration policy analysis, this panel will also address the degree to which immigrants may have played a role in the 2008 elections.

* November 12th – “PBI 16th Annual California Policy Issues Conference”

8 a.m. to 3 p.m. @ the Millennium Biltmore Hotel

California’s Future on the Horizon: Implications of the 2008 Elections

Full line up of speakers and breakout sessions TBA

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs, a presidentially chartered institute at California State University, Los Angeles, is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to www.PatBrownInstitute.org/.

Jaime Regalado quoted in Sacramento Bee

Governor elected in recall now the target of one

Kevin Yamamura
Staff Writer - Sacramento Bee
Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The correctional officers union announced plans Monday to recall Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it was difficult to avoid comparisons to the historic election that swept him into office nearly five years ago.

Still, California appears a long way from ousting another governor.

Interest groups and frustrated citizens for nearly a century have threatened California governors with removal, but their efforts ended in a special election only once, in 2003. Schwarzenegger is the seventh consecutive California governor to face a recall threat, and this marks the fourth one against him.

It is, however, the first from a group as well-financed as the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which has spent more than $17 million on political campaigns since 2005.

"If you spend enough money, you could probably find enough people to sign petitions for a recall," said Sal Russo, a GOP consultant who worked on the 2003 recall of Gov. Gray Davis and dismissed the latest attempt.

"But what we've found is that to recall a governor, people need a reason beyond just disagreeing or being unhappy with his performance in office."

He said voters distrusted and disliked Davis in a way that differs from how they feel about Schwarzenegger.

The guards union has fought with Schwarzenegger over prison policies, and it has worked without a long-term contract since 2006. Lance Corcoran, a union spokesman, said Monday that his group is collecting 65 valid signatures to serve Schwarzenegger a notice-of-intent-to-recall. That would set off procedures culminating in a 160-day statewide signature-gathering drive. During that time, CCPOA would have to obtain 1,041,530 valid signatures to qualify the recall.

Political strategists said the recall effort is only as serious as the amount of money the union pumps into it. The leading 2003 signature-gathering committee, Rescue California, spent more than $3.6 million.

"We are 100 percent committed, and we've never been shy about investing in our commitments," Corcoran said.

California will set a record this year for the longest budget impasse; the state is now in the 71st day of its 2008-09 fiscal year without a spending plan.

Schwarzenegger faces the lowest approval ratings of his second term. A Public Policy Institute of California poll last month showed 52 percent of likely voters disapprove of his performance, compared with 43 percent who approve.

Those numbers are not as dismal as Davis' in early 2003, when the Democrat faced a record budget deficit. A Field Poll in April of that year found that 65 percent of voters disapproved of Davis, compared with only 24 percent who approved.

Jaime Regalado, executive director of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles, questioned the union's chances of pulling off a successful recall.

"Davis was far more vulnerable," Regalado said. "It seemed like he was blamed for every bad thing: the budgetary impasses, the record deficits and the paralytic style of government in Sacramento."

...

PBI 2.0: The Pat Brown Institute to Use New Media to Promote Events and Legacy of its Namesake

RELEASE

Monday, September 8, 2008
For Immediate Release
PBI Contact – Jacqueline Ruiz, 323.343.3770
Media Contact – Edward Headington, 818.720.7181
Website – http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/

Los Angeles, CA. For almost three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs (PBI) has focused on state and community issues. The PBI is dedicated to the quest for social justice and equality of opportunity, enlightened civic engagement, and enhancing the quality of life for all Californians. It resumes the venerated California Agenda forum series later this month with a panel discussion on "Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement."

The PBI is also proud to announce that pre-event notification and post-event recaps have gone “2.0.” In addition to creating a Facebook group and fan page of the late Governor, the Pat Brown Institute now has a My Pat Brown Institute site for its events and issues as well as a group on LinkedIn, a MySpace page, and also Twitters. In just a few short weeks, Pat Brown’s Facebook friends grew into the triple digits and are expected to grow—especially with the panel discussion later this month on “Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement.”

The remaining events on the PBI calendar are as follows:

* September 24th – California Agenda Panel Discussion on “Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement” (RSVP @ http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/events/226/)

* October 22nd – Distinguished Lecture on “Immigration, Immigrants and the 2008 Elections” (RSVP @ http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/register/227/)

* November 12th – “PBI 16th Annual California Policy Issues Conference”

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to sustaining vision and legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown through convening public policy forums, engaging multi sector stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy research and community driven initiatives. For more information, go to www.PatBrownInstitute.org/.

Next Pat Brown Institute event on September 24th "Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement"

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
For Immediate Release

LOS ANGELES, CA - For almost three decades, the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs (PBI) has focused on state and community “public affairs” while sustaining the vision and legacy of its namesake and also promoting social justice, enlightened civic engagement and quality of life issues for all Californians. It continues its long tradition of great events later this month with a California Agenda panel on "Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement."

WHO - Moderator - Pete Manzo with the Advancement ProjectPanelists - Kim Alexander with the California Voter Foundation; Sunne McPeak with California Emerging Technology Fund; and Tracy Westen with the Center for Governmental Studies.

WHAT - Panel Discussion on "Technology and the Future of Civic Engagement"

WHEN - Wednesday, September 24, 2008; 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE - Los Angeles Downtown Marriott (in the Concourse Ballroom) @ 333 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071

WHY - The panel will address the following: from touch-screen voting to online campaigning, technology is shaping the future of civic engagement. But what does this mean for e-democracy—especially for those individuals and communities without access to the latest technology? It will also consider the promise of technology and how it may enable us to acquire and disseminate information. In debating various notions of e-democracy, the panel will look at the degree to which the digital divide may hinder any aspect of these expectations. Our experts also will address what local, state, and national policy initiatives are designed to address the anticipated problems.

FYI - There is no cost to attend, a light breakfast is served and it is open to the public. Space is limited so please register online as soon as possible at www.PatBrownInstitute.org/register/226/.

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The Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to the living legacy of former California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown. The Institute is committed to conducting timely public policy research, organizing and participating in policy debates, collaborating on community-driven initiatives, and facilitating educational opportunities for diverse communities. For more information, go to http://www.patbrowninstitute.org/.