Jan 17, 2014
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.” Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to William S. Smith, dated 13th November 1787. This is as true today as it was in 1787. We need the tree of liberty to be refreshed in the 2014 campaign season. I…
Jan 17, 2014
I am pleased to inaugurate this new column entitled “Whopper of the Week.” The mission of the column is to identify statements, quotes, articles, reports, and other forms of communication that contain a “whopper,” – a presentation that is highly inaccurate, misleading, distorted or deceitful. Three categories of whoppers will be identified – based on the scale of the misinformation…
Jan 15, 2014
The Left Hook was contacted by Dr. Sophia Yen, one of the contributors to Ro Khanna who asked for a refund. Here’s her account of his response. He responded that he refunded those who had asked earlier in the campaign. I said I waited b/c i was hoping he would re-consider or drop out or people would convince him…
Jan 13, 2014
A new entry into the race for Congressional District 17 is a big problem for Ro Khanna. Like Khanna, Vanila Singh is a young, Indo-American, professional running against Mike Honda. She’s an anesthesiologist and a professor at Stanford Medical School. Unlike Khanna, she has strong ties to the community where she lives, Fremont. And she is a Republican, so she…
Jan 13, 2014
If litigation were a blood sport, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed would be looking at his entrails on the ground because the court gutted the signature accomplishment of his two terms in office, his effort to “reform” the pension system, Measure B. Reed’s defeat comes as no surprise. Even he knew the law was against him, which is why he…
Jan 9, 2014
A legal memo written by the law firm Meyers-Nave prior to putting Measure B on the San Jose ballot said the City of San Jose had “an argument” that would allow the pension measure to stand. That argument was fully rejected by Superior Court Judge Patricia Lucas. San Jose has spent millions and will spend millions more trying to overturn…
Jan 8, 2014
Today we are embarking on an endeavor that can change the political and social landscape of Silicon Valley. It’s called The Left Hook-Politics with a Punch. The Left Hook will offer a progressive perspective on issues that impact Silicon Valley. With new content daily and a wide variety of writers drawn from throughout the community, The Left Hook will be…
Jan 8, 2014
They say it is darkest before the dawn. Political opportunism and excessively stringent fiscal policies have led a city that was once a proud bastion of progressive leadership and ideals, down a dark path where the Mayor and Council majority are waging war on their own employees. An attack on workers’ vested rights and the continual degradation of the commitment…