A former Manoa resident sent President Barack Obama an old photo of the two of them taken while they were third-grade classmates at Noelani Elementary School, requesting an autograph more than six months ago. He recently received the autographed picture back, as well as a personally signed thank-you note.

“He was a lot taller than me; he towered above most of us. I don’t know why I remember that photo, but maybe it’s because he had one of those personalities. Possibly because he was the only African-American” in a school predominantly attended by Japanese, Inoue said.

Scott Inoue, now a chiropractor in Stockton, Calif., said the small, black-and-white photo had been stashed away for almost 40 years at his childhood home in Manoa. For some reason, Inoue said, as he was growing up he always remembered that photo and wondered what became of “Barry.”

The picture — with the words “Scott & Barry 3rd grade 1969″ scribbled at the bottom by Inoue’s mother — shows Obama almost a head taller than Inoue, with their arms around each other. Against a background of Christmas tree drawings, Obama is smiling more broadly than the shyer-looking Inoue.

A touching story.

– Gautam Dutta

Gautam Dutta, Obama Administration | No Comments »

The Texas Progressive Alliance announced its annual awards for “Texan of the Year” and “Gold Star Texans” yesterday. Houston Mayor-Elect Annise Parker, who will be sworn in Saturday with an inauguration on Monday, was named “Texan of the Year.” Ramey Ko was named “Gold Star Texan” along with Calvin Tillman, the Mayor of DISH, TX, State Rep. Elliott Naishtat and his staff, Texas Watchdog, and Hank Gilbert.

From the press release:

“Annise Parker’s win is a testament to the power of grassroots campaigning,” said Texas Progressive Alliance Chair Vince Leibowitz. “Key Houston progressive bloggers endorsed Parker and contributed to her win, with hard hitting stories contrasting her strengths with her opponent’s weaknesses,” he continued.

Annise Parker is the Alliance’s fifth recipient of its “Texan of the Year Award.” Parker joins former State Representative Carter Casteel of New Braunfels, who won the award in 2005; Carolyn Boyle of Texas Parent PAC in 2006; State Representatives Garnet Coleman, Jim Dunnam, and Pete Gallego who shared the honor in 2007; and the Harris County Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign in 2008.

The Texan of the Year Award is voted on annually by the members of the Texas Progressive Alliance, the largest state-level organization of bloggers, blogs, and netroots activists in the United States.

Read the Texas Progressive Alliance’s full statement on its selection of Annise Parker as 2009 Texan of the Year:

With the election of Annise Parker as mayor of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States signaled that they pay more attention to qualifications than to sexual orientation.  This news reverberated around the globe, and brought positive attention to Texas. National Democratic groups took note of a more progressive Houston than they assumed, and the talk and speculation turned to the possibilities of Texas turning blue sooner rather than later. 
 
The Parker win was no accident. She put together a talented campaign team that ran on the strength of the grassroots, rather than City Hall insiders. Key Houston area progressive bloggers aligned themselves with Parker, and were embraced by the campaign. Blogs became an effective messaging strategy, emphasizing Parker’s qualifications, and her opponent’s weaknesses. 

In the runoff, several third parties, including one longtime right wing operative who endorsed Parker’s opponent, launched a series of homophobic attacks against her, but they failed to do her any serious damage because voters recognized her distinguished service as a member of Council and City Controller, and valued her experience and financial acumen. Voters knew who she was and what she was about because she had always been open and honest about it, and that was more important than anything some agitator could say.

For her historic victory, for making the rest of the world re-evaluate its opinion of Texas, and for running a truly modern grassroots campaign, the Texas Progressive Alliance is proud to name Houston’s Mayor-Elect Annise Parker its Texan of the Year for 2009.

Read the Texas Progressive Alliance statements on its selections of 2009 Gold Star Texans:

Ramey Ko is an attorney and activist in Austin. He should be best known for his work in Asian Americans for Obama, but Republican stupidity assured us he will be best known as “the guy who held his cool while on the receiving end of a massive dose of both ignorance and racism from State Rep. Betty Brown.” With extreme professionalism, he tried to help Brown understand why it would behoove her and all Texans that voting rights for Asian Texans and all Texans not fall prey to bureaucratic errors creating name mismatches. Brown’s ignorance/racism and Ko’s cool reasonableness drew worldwide media attention. Watch the video of their exchange.

Calvin Tillman is mayor of a tiny town at the epicenter of the Barnett Shale. Several industry giants seized DISH land and installed a several huge compressor stations and processing plants right next to neighborhoods. They built a crisscross of pipelines all through the town and on private property. He has taken a hard line with industry, crafting a strategy to get the most bang for his press releases. 

Calvin and the DISH City Council spent @ 10% of their yearly budget for a private ambient air study. This is the first such study where the results were made public so that all citizens in the Barnett Shale area might benefit. The levels of toxins were amazingly high and many DISH residents are seriously ill but they are poor and do not have health insurance. Calvin worked with TDSHS and finally got them to agree to test DISH residents. This is the first time a state agency has tested residents for drilling toxins. Calvin travels to other areas and speaks about these issues. He has offered to speak and assist others and refuses any compensation for travel or time. 

Calvin is largely responsible for TCEQ’s changed policy, announced today, in responses to Barnett Shale air emissions. Also, he is a blogger.

State Rep. Elliott Naishtat and his Capitol Staff worked diligently to pass more legislation thatn any other meber of the House during the 81st session, even with Voter ID putting a choke-hold on progress. The Representative from Queens, who just completed his 10th session, has consistently proven himself to be an advocate for the sick and elderly, passing legislation that will create the Legislative Committee on Aging and ensuring Texas receives $15.2 million in Violence Against Women Act grants.  We would be remiss in acknowledging Elliott Naishtat — as the Representative is always quick to remind people — without also recognizing his longtime staffers (Dorothy Browne, Nancy Walker and Judy Dale) who work tirelessly behind the scenes to help make Texas a better, safer place to live.

Texas Watchdog had a role in breaking stories in the just completed Houston city elections. Though their work can, at times, be controversial, we welcome another online news organization to the Texas media landscape with our nomination of the group.

Hank Gilbert‘s continuing work to defeat infrastructure privatization schemes and working with Democrats and more than a few Republicans has helped put a stop to CDA’s this past session and handed Governor Perry and Commissioner Todd Staples a rare defeat.

My hearty congratulations goes out to Annise, Ramey, Hank, and the other awards recipients.

- Justin Gillenwater

2009 Campaign, Environment, Grassroots Activism, Immigration, Justin Gillenwater, LGBT, Religion, Republicans, Social Justice, Texas, Voting Rights | No Comments »

Ed. Note: We welcome our newest blogger: Anadi Naik, a prominent community leader based in Maryland.

Recently, five young men named Ramy Zamzam, 22, Ahmad Minn, 20, Umar Chaudhry, 24, Wakar Khan, 22, and Amman Hassan Yemer, 18, have been captured in Pakistan for their alleged links to al Qaida. Pakistan is the breeding ground for all kind of Islamic radicalism. However, the story of these young men is different. They are all from Northern Virginia. They grew up in a Washington suburb, went to schools in the United States and were the children of the immigrants who came here to find a better life. As their age indicates, they were the hope for a future. But the future did not appeal to them.

Somehow, down the road while growing up as normal young men they became interested in a different design. They wanted to harm America by joining al Qaeda. They also wanted to die at the altar of Jihad. While in Pakistan to fulfill their goal, all five of them got caught. In a vast and varied population of the United States a handful of miscreants can always find a place. Therefore, the presence of the above young men is not such a big deal. However, it creates nausea to think as to what would have happened if these young men would have been successful in their endeavors. Another 9/11 within the US?

Then there is the story of David Headley. It turns out that this man from Chicago was the mastermind of last year’s Mumbai massacre. As an American citizen he had gone to India several times. The purposes of his visits were to look for targets of future attacks. While he remained in a safe distance in the United States, a year ago on November 26, his cohorts carried out the job with money and direction supplied by him. No one should be surprised to learn that the presence of these individuals indicates the tip of the iceberg. There may be others who are lying low at this moment but waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Existence of elements like this is a reality and we cannot wish them away.

These misguided elements have put their own lives at risk because they want to harm their own country and its people. As a fifth column, they have risen from the environment where they grew up. They are full of hatred. And destruction seems to be their only aim.

As the year 2009 comes to an end, we are faced with many difficult problems: Half the world is hungry. Many countries are under economic down swing and their populations are nervous about the future. Almost everywhere, there is fight. The change in the climate keeps the entire world worried. Added to all of this is the fear for a nuclear explosion. On the top of it all, in recent years, the phenomenon of terrorism has super imposed itself. It is a phenomenon from which no one can escape. We, as individuals and nations have to deal with it.

Democratic countries such as India and the United States cannot afford to shut everything because of the fear of terrorism. They must trust their own people. Even if some of them may carry ugly designs against them, the democratically managed countries still have to honor individual rights, legal frame work and the rule of Law – the values that make a democracy vibrant and strong. Challenging the terrorists in their own games of hatred and violence would be easy but it would not complete the task. Within a society there are many subtle nuances that cause alienation. These subtleties could come in language, behavior and policies. Therefore individual societies as a whole – whether it is India or the United States – have to be trained in a new way of thinking. If the ground is fertile for regeneration, one terrorist’s death or capture would create five more. The young men of Northern Virginia prove such hypothesis. The society has to think things in a different way – outside the box. A military action against terrorists is easy. But the action against “terrorism” is vastly complicated. It requires involvement of the entire population at all levels.

This is also the season for Christmas. For the Christian world the celebration of the birth of baby Jesus inspires compassion and fellow feeling. Could such feelings open up a new way to look at both terrorists and terrorism? Is it possible to hate terror while thinking of the terrorists as one of us?

– Anadi Naik

Civil Rts/Liberties, Guest Blogger, Religion, Virginia | No Comments »

Friend,

On this last day of 2009, I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your role in Manan’s journey this past year.

In January, Manan capped off his work for the Obama for America health care policy committee by attending the new president’s inaugural ceremonies. In August, after 5 years active duty in the US Navy — during which he treated our servicemen and Iraqi civilians alike on the frontlines of a war and fought for the care of veterans and military families closer to home — he stepped down as a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy. In early September, just weeks after learning I am pregnant with our first child, he entered the race for Congress to serve his home district, the PA 6th.

It’s been quite a year! I know that Manan enjoyed every moment because he has felt your presence and encouragement every step of the way.

Like Manan, I have also come to depend on friends for support as we navigate through these changes. I am counting on you once again to help us close out 2009 with a contribution to the campaign before midnight.

Just today Manan’s race was reported as one of the top 7 most competitive races (out of 435) for 2010. It is going to take a healthy bank account to ensure his message reaches the 650,000 residents of this district. Before we start the countdown to an exciting new year, we need you to make a contribution before this year ends — by midnight tonight.

You can use this link right now: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/trivedi

Thank you again for joining us in this campaign and for all your support.

Best,

Surekha

2010 Campaign | No Comments »

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 30, 2009

The people of the United States join Indonesians in mourning the death of former President Abdurrahman Wahid. A pivotal figure in Indonesia’s transition to democracy, President Wahid will be remembered for his commitment to democratic principles, inclusive politics, and religious tolerance. He worked for peace and prosperity for all Indonesians, and he sought to be a bridge between people of different faiths. We extend our deepest condolences to former President Wahid’s family and to the people of Indonesia.

###

Media, Obama Administration | No Comments »

This Christmas season, the Grinch is about to steal nearly $2 million of our tax dollars – for an election we simply don’t need.

Last month, Governor Schwarzenegger tapped then-State Senator John Benoit to succeed the deceased Roy Wilson on Riverside County’s Board of Supervisors. (As an added perk, the Governor even gets to fill all midterm vacancies in the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.)

That’s where the trouble began. Because Senate vacancies cannot be filled by appointment, a special election had to be called to replace Benoit. The cost of this election? Close to $2 million – at a time when Riverside County must decide whether to tap its reserves or slash public-safety spending.

Adding insult to injury, it will probably take half a year for Benoit’s former 37th Senate District to regain representation in the statehouse. On April 13, 2010, voters will head to the polls to choose Benoit’s successor. Already, several potential candidates have emerged: GOP Assemblymembers Russ Bogh, Bill Emmerson and Jeff Miller, as well as Palm Springs school leader Justin Blake, a Democrat.

The April 13 election alone will cost taxpayers a whopping $1.3 million. In past years, the state government has helped counties defray some election-administration costs. But with Sacramento facing a dire, $21 billion deficit, the chances for any state reimbursement are slim to none. For this “special” election, Riverside County is on its own.

However, neither voters nor taxpayers will be off the hook after April – because no candidate is expected to win a majority (50 percent plus 1). Instead, the top votegetter from each party will advance to a June 8 runoff.

That’s where things get loopy. In this GOP-leaning district, it’s very possible that the top two votegetters will both be Republican. But if that happens, only one of them will qualify for the June runoff. Meanwhile, the top Democratic votegetter will automatically qualify – even if he finishes last.

This problem is nothing new. In Orange County, voters and taxpayers have been dealt a special election of their own, after a sex scandal forced then-Assemblymember Mike Duvall to resign. And early next year, yet another special election will strike, this time in Los Angeles County. There, voters must replace former Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, who himself won a special election for the Los Angeles City Council.

Between resignations and politicians’ office-hopping (even in Hawai’i), special elections cannot be avoided. Fortunately, there’s a proven, practical way to rescue hapless voters and taxpayers: Instant Runoff Voting (IRV).

In a nutshell, IRV does away with costly runoff elections, by allowing voters to elect a majority winner in one single election. With IRV, voters rank their choices (1, 2, 3), and their rankings are then used to determine the majority winner. With IRV, we could elect Sen. Benoit’s successor in one election, not two – and save $1.3 million of our tax dollars.

Beyond saving taxpayer dollars and relieving voter fatigue, IRV will also make our leaders more accountable: by encouraging them to run cleaner, more issue-based campaigns.

Instead of discussing issues that voters care about, candidates frequently resort to vicious mailers and attack ads. Their strategy is simple: make your opponents look so bad that not even their own mother would vote for them.

But with IRV, candidates will have a strong incentive not to launch personal attacks. Why? Because to win majority support, candidates must aggressively vie for the second-choice rankings of their opponents’ voters. Indeed, IRV rewards candidates who reach out to every voter – a positive change that will help elected officials regain public trust and respect.

A growing number of cities are turning to IRV, which is used widely across the country and around the world. In recent years, Oakland, San Francisco, Memphis, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Santa Fe have all adopted IRV, and the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach are seriously considering IRV. And, starting next year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will use IRV to select the Oscars’ Best Picture.

To no surprise, IRV has already attracted broad, bipartisan support: Barack Obama, John McCain, California League of Women Voters, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, State Controller John Chiang, former Congressmember Tom Campbell, Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Assemblymember Ted Lieu, California Common Cause, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, New America Foundation, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Asian American Action Fund, and many others.

A practical solution to a pressing problem, IRV will save our money and make our democracy stronger.

It’s time to banish California’s Election Grinch. It’s time to adopt IRV for special elections.

– Gautam Dutta

2010 Campaign, California, Gautam Dutta, Grassroots Activism, Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), Political Reform, Republicans, Voting Rights | No Comments »

In a game of chicken, it is vital not to arrive on a platter.

– Rezso Kasztner, who saved over 100,000 Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust by bravely negotiating with the Nazis.

Civil Rts/Liberties, Gautam Dutta, Social Justice | No Comments »

Gordon Quan launched his campaign for Harris County Judge today. Watch:

In his speech, Quan highlighted the kind of sensible government solutions that made him so well-liked as a City Councilman. Kuff is delighted that Quan wants to bring that fiscal sensibility to Harris County government. His five major campaign planks are as follows:

• Reforming our criminal justice system
• Addressing homelessness and mental health issues
• Economic development
• Re-integration for those released from jail
• Making Seniors and healthcare a priority

Martha is thrilled with Quan’s campaign team.

Quan’s got a terrific campaign team which includes Mike Malaise and Mike Lykes. Mike and Mike made a smart move to hire the very talented Mili Gosar, a veteran of the Nick Lampson, Chris Bell and Lane Lewis campaigns, so she is on board Team Quan, as well.

I look forward to getting to know each member of Team Quan.

Stace raises a good point about Quan’s opponent for November, Ed Emmett. Emmett hasn’t used xenophobic racism.

I do wonder one thing: Emmett has been a non-Latino-attacking Republican; meaning, he hasn’t used immigration or Latinos as a crutch to lean on during a tough race. Will this be the year we see a change in strategy?

One does wonder if Emmett will refrain from doing so against an immigration attorney.

While Quan was launching his campaign, Mayor Bill White was presiding over his final city council meeting. Hopefully White and Quan will have an impressive Harris County campaign synergy as White pursues his race for governor.

A Quan campaign web site should be launched soon. For now, you can learn more through the press release and, if you’re looking for a transcript of the speech, you can read the draft. The policy portion is my favorite part:

Our jail is under court supervision and is overcrowded. While voters had previously defeated a bond election for a new jail, I believe they spoke out against the manner criminal justice was administered in Harris County.

I want to work to hand-in-hand with the commissioners, Sherriff Garcia, District Attorney Lykos, the local municipalities and the courts and elected officials like Senator Ellis to set criteria for fines versus confinement for minor offenses, a centralized jail system for more rapid bonding, the development of a public defender system and a regional D.N.A. lab to avoid wrongful confinement.

On top of these issues, I want to look at methods to remove from the criminal justice system people who are homeless and suffering from mental health issues. A proactive approach of investing in affordable housing with supportive services would remove “frequent flyers” from our jails and emergency rooms where they run up hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost for tax payers.

We need to provide education, training and opportunities to our citizens instead of condemning young men and women to lives of poverty with minor criminal records. Every day 200+ people are released on the streets with little hope of meaningful, legal employment.

We need to be attaching jobs to Harris County. And while supporting the efforts of the Greater Houston Partnership in recruiting large companies, I also want to make helping small and medium size businesses a priority. These provide more rapid job growth and provide the majority of new jobs in America.

For the past 30 years, I have been assisting businesses and entrepreneurs in making the Houston area home. We have an international population. There is nothing like friends and relatives encouraging other to locate in Harris County. They provide a cultural infra-structure to attract more businesses and talent. We do not need Ft. Bend advertising for business here!

I am working on Regional Investment Centers to attract foreign investment to this County – New York and Chicago have already done this. I will designate areas for “targeted employment” for brokers to use in marketing investment opportunities.

One population I will continue to champion is our Senior Citizens. As life expectancy has been extended, I want Harris County to view this population as an asset, not a liability. I would like to see us as a national leader on geriatric care.

Go Gordon Go!

- Justin Gillenwater

2010 Campaign, Civil Rts/Liberties, Democratic Party, Economy, Immigration, Justin Gillenwater, Social Justice, Texas | No Comments »

Salman Khan, the creator of the Khan Academy.

What beats being good at math and science?  Helping thousands across the globe discover the joy of learning (via SF Chronicle):

During the years Salman Khan spent scrutinizing financials for hedge funds, he rationalized the profit-obsessed work by telling himself he would one day quit and use his market winnings to open a free school.

Instead, he started one almost by accident.

It began with long-distance tutoring in late 2004. He agreed to help his niece Nadia, then a seventh-grader struggling with unit conversion, by providing math lessons over Yahoo’s interactive notepad, Doodle, and the phone.

Nephews and family friends soon followed. But scheduling conflicts and repeated lectures prompted him to post instructional videos on YouTube that his proliferating pupils could watch when they had the time.

They did – and before long, so did thousands of others. Today, the Mountain View resident’s 800-plus videos are viewed about 35,000 times a day, forming a virtual classroom that dwarfs any brick and mortar school he might have imagined. By using the reach of the Internet, he’s helped bring education to the information-hungry around the world who can’t afford private tutors or Kaplan prep courses.

“With so little effort on my own part, I can empower an unlimited amount of people for all time,” Khan, 33, said. “I can’t imagine a better use of my time.”

Neither can we.  Check out the Khan Academy’s amazing array of course offerings here.

Just in case you’re wondering, here are Sal Khan’s “underachieving” credentials:

Salman Khan (Sal) founded the Khan Academy with the goal of using technology to educate the world Sal received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He also holds a Masters in electrical engineering and computer science, a BS in electrical engineering and computer science, and a BS in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Khan Academy is a work of true genius.  Someone must nominate Sal Khan for the MacArthur Fellows Program.

– Gautam Dutta

California, Culture, Education, Gautam Dutta, Grassroots Activism, Media | No Comments »

This morning, the Boston Globe published an insightful piece on Leland Cheung, who recently became the first Asian American to be elected to the Cambridge City Council.

Our kudos to Globe reporter Meghan Irons for reaching out to us when researching the story, which features quotes from both this blogger and 2009 AAA-Fund endorsee Sam Yoon:

CAMBRIDGE – Leland Cheung is a fast talker, with a blistering schedule and an unforgiving iPhone.

Between sips of coffee and bites of a honey bun one recent morning, he lined up appointments for the next day while weaving a story about his recent historic foray into local politics.

Cheung, who is pursuing dual advanced degrees from MIT and Harvard, is a man on the move.

And when he takes a seat inside City Council chambers next month, he will have secured a spot as the first student and the first Asian-American elected to serve on the panel.

“I’m not totally surprised there hasn’t been an Asian-American in office,’’ said Cheung, whose father is Chinese and mother is French-Canadian. “But it gives me great hope that people did elect one.’’

Cheung, 31, jumped into the race hoping to fill an ethnic void on the council and boost the growing pool of Asian-Americans who hold public office. Historically underrepresented in government, more Asian-Americans are running for federal, state, and local offices – and winning, said Gautam Dutta, executive director of the Asian American Action Fund, a national Democratic political action committee.

“What’s amazing about this is that he beat out an incumbent,’’ said Dutta, referring to Cheung’s ousting of Larry Ward, who is African-American. “That’s not easy to do. It’s a big deal. Everybody gave him the thumbs up.’’

In Cambridge, Asian-Americans make up roughly 12 percent of the city’s population of more than 100,000. Under Cambridge’s proportional representation elections, Cheung needed a little more than 10 percent of about 16,000 ballots cast to win a two-year term on the nine-member City Council.

Cheung – who is working on a business degree at MIT and a policy degree at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government – jumped into the campaign. Using social networking websites and old-fashioned campaigning, he successfully rallied students, the Asian community, and anyone who would listen around his campaign themes of job creation and bridging the gap between students and residents.

It worked.

“There’s a substantial Asian-American population in Cambridge, without regard to students,’’ said former mayor Frank Duehay, who served 14 terms on the council. “He figured out how to bring his campaign to students and the Asian-Americans who live in Cambridge. He obviously was effective.’’

Dutta said that, partly because of the Obama campaign, many Asians are now seeing political office as fertile ground. And their message is resonating with non-Asian voters.

“You have to win in areas where Asian-Americans are not clearly in the majority,’’ Dutta said. “It takes time to build these relationships, and a lot of hard work and political savvy. The good news is that people like Leland Cheung are stepping up to the plate.’’

****

Now that he has run and won his council seat, Cheung is an inspiration to many Asian-Americans, Yoon said.

We wish Leland and Sam all the best for 2010.

– Gautam Dutta

2009 Campaign, AAA Fund, Demographics, Gautam Dutta, Media, Sam Yoon | 3 Comments »

A textbook case of how not to lay off your employees (via CS Monitor):

Layoffs are a fact of life in this economy, but there are humane ways to do it. Then there’s the Arrow Trucking method.

The Tulsa, Okla., trucking company stopped payment on the gas cards of its drivers, leaving some of them stranded Tuesday around the United States, miles from home. No explanation on the website. No one at the company answering phones.

The 200 or so employees at Arrow Trucking’s headquarters were told to pack up their belongings and go home Tuesday morning, according to the Tulsa World.

The only acknowledgement was a brief recorded message on the company’s main phone number, asking drivers of its Freightliner and Kenworth trucks to turn their rigs in to the nearest dealer and to call a special hotline to arrange for a bus ticket home. Drivers of the company’s Navistar trucks were told to call back for more information.

If I were part of Arrow’s top management, I would be very scared of  truck drivers…

– Gautam Dutta

Gautam Dutta | 1 Comment »

Despite yesterday’s failed air terror attack, the proverbial cup’s always half full. Maybe the media will now focus more on healthcare and homeland security, and less on Tiger Woods.

Hope springs eternal.

– Gautam Dutta

Gautam Dutta, Healthcare | 2 Comments »

Our congratulations to our friend Dolly Gee, who just became the first Chinese American woman to serve as a federal judge.

Just a few hours ago, the U.S. Senate confirmed her nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.  More details from Don Nakanishi of UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center:

Prominent Los Angeles attorney and UCLA alumnae Dolly M. Gee was confirmed today by the United States Senate as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California, the first Chinese American woman in United States history to serve as a federal district court judge. President Obama nominated Ms. Gee in August, 2009 after U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) recommended her nomination following a thorough interview and vetting process by her judicial advisory committee for the Central District.

Judge Gee, a long-time supporter and contributor to the UCLA Asian American Studies Center since her undergraduate years,  graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. from UCLA in 1981, and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1984.

In praising Judge Gee, Senator Boxer said, ”Dolly Gee has an exemplary record and she will be an outstanding addition to the federal bench. As a daughter of immigrants from rural China, she personifies the American dream. She used her position as a prominent attorney in Los Angeles to promote racial tolerance and fight for justice for those who face discrimination. I know I speak for many Californians, especially those in the Chinese and Asian American communities, in expressing my pride in Dolly Gee’s historic confirmation as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District.”

The UCLA Asian American Studies Center congratulates Judge Gee on her historic appointment, and thanks her for her active participation in the programs and issues of the Center over many years.

In 1999, President Clinton nominated Judge Gee to the federal bench, but he did not make it a priority to get her confirmed.  Ten years later, President Obama finished the job.

Justice has prevailed.

– Gautam Dutta

California, Congress, Gautam Dutta, Obama Administration, Social Justice | No Comments »

AAA-Fund wishes everyone a joyous holiday season.  (Don’t forget to be both naughty and nice.)

– Gautam Dutta

Gautam Dutta | No Comments »

Gordon Quan will run for Harris County Judge, confirming the murmurs I reported on last month.

Texas On The Go provides a great introduction to Quan:

If you have lived in Houston for a while, you have probably heard of Gordon Quan, and perhaps even met him. Although a noted Houstonian, former elected official and established attorney, Gordon is most notorious for his positive demeanor and community outreach efforts. His warm heart and noble character have touched countless people, and as a direct result, earned him unconditional support from all types of communities and age groups.

One can always spot Gordon at high profile events, grand openings, and occasional hip parties around town; it seems that everyone wants Gordon to attend their events. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see Gordon juggling two or three functions on the same night, simply making an appearance at each to please the hosts.

Quan is Co-Chairman and named parter of the second-largest immigration law firm in the nation. He previously served three terms as a Houston At-Large City Councilman. He is the second Asian American to serve on Houston City Council. At the beginning of his second term, he was unanimously selected by the entire panel to be Mayor pro temper, a position he held until his term-limit-forced retirement at the end of his third term.

Quan considered running for TX-7 in 2004, TX-22 in 2006, and Houston Mayor in 2009. For various reasons from political calculations, DCCC bullying, and business needs, and the pull of family, Quan hasn’t run for anything since leaving Houston City Council at the end of his third term in very early 2006. More details from Miya:

It’s no secret that Quan has wanted to run for something for a long, long time. He toyed with the idea of running for Congress. However, his family doesn’t want him to move to Washington, D.C. He also thought about running for Mayor this time around. The timing just didn’t work, as he was merging his very successful immigration practice with that of Charles Foster. Finally, with his practice churning along, and his wife convinced, Quan is ready for a run.

Stace Medellin over at Dos Centavos sure thinks highly of Quan:

Back when Quan was mulling over a possible run for the Dem nomination for CD-22, I was ready to move to CD-22 to support him. Thankfully, this time, I won’t need to move.

Harris County, home to over 4 million people, is the third most populous county in the United States. A little more than half of its residents live within Houston’s city limits. To understand the office of County Judge, think chair of a county Board of Supervisors in California if a Board of Supervisors had four district members and one at-large chair.

Mike Malaise will manage Quan’s campaign. You may remember Malaise was Kerry’s Iowa political director in 2004, and Nick Lampson’s campaign manager in 2006. In That election, Lampson was performing so well that Tom DeLay resigned rather than lose the election.

Quan will not be unopposed in his quest for the nomination:

Businessman Ahmad Hassan, who ran in the Democratic primary election for county judge last year, has filed the paperwork appointing a campaign treasurer for another run for county judge.

And should Quan become the nominee, this will be quite a race. Even good Democrats like Charles Kuffner can’t find much to dislike about Ed Emmett:

Like most people, I think Ed Emmett has done a pretty good job as County Judge. But that is a partisan office, and partisan issues do come up, so as a Democrat, I’d rather have a Democratic County Judge. As a resident of Harris County, I want a competent person in that job. I’ll be happy to support a strong Democratic candidate like Gordon Quan if he decides to run. I won’t support a mediocre candidate against Emmett, however. Hassan, who previously ran as a Republican against Sheila Jackson Lee in 2006 and strikes me as a perennial candidate in the making, doesn’t measure up.

Whoever is the nominee will enjoy the extreme coattails Bill White will bring to Houston-area candidates in November, presuming White wins the gubernatorial nomination. White won his final reelection to Mayor of Houston with over 90% of the vote.

You can learn more about Gordon Quan from PBS’ Searching for Asian America.

Quan will officially announce his campaign at noon next Tuesday, December 29 at Post Oak Grill, located at 3017 Milam. Appetizers and soft drinks will be provided. RSVP to Mili Gosar, miligosar AT gmail.com or 832.640.7570. Be sure to mention Asian American Action Fund sent you.

- Justin Gillenwater

2010 Campaign, Immigration, Justin Gillenwater, Texas | 1 Comment »