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If you are one of the many people who feel strongly that we need to change the direction of our politics, remember how much power social media already has over our political process. The special interests, donors, pollsters, consultants, partisan think tanks, corporate media, and lobbyists that support the existing two-party system are working hard to leverage existing social networks. They have proven to be very successful in these efforts, and often not to our benefit. Shouldn’t we be workin

Voters in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah are voting on whether to hand control over drawing electoral districts to independent redistricting commissions. With two weeks to go, here’s a rundown of what these ballot questions would do, who’s for and against, and their prospects of winning. Fair Maps Colorado - Amendments Y and Z In Colorado, there are twin constitutional amendments on the ballot backed by Fair Maps Colorado. Amendment Y sets up a multi-partisan independent redistrictin

FRESNO, CALIF. -The plan: cover one of the most destitute tracts of California’s poorest major city with a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and watch dust turn to dollars. But soon, funding for the project known as Running Horse evaporated. Debt ballooned. Across the continent, Donald Trump smelled opportunity. He wooed city officials, and talked big — really big — about how he’d save Running Horse, schedule a PGA Tour event and transform Southwest Fresno right along with it. "I have a feel

LANSING, MICH. - Michigan’s congressional districts rank among the most gerrymandered in the country. In fact, a new project providing historical data on gerrymandering identifies Michigan’s congressional districts as “more skewed than 95 percent of the enacted plans ... analyzed nationwide.” The state is divided nearly evenly between voters who prefer Democrats and those who prefer Republicans, yet eight of its 14 districts are solidly Republican - and only two are outside FairVote’s highest c

San Diego, CALIF.- Adjacent to the San Diego River in Mission Valley, several environmental groups and City Council President Pro Tem Barbara Bry praised SDSU West Measure G for its efforts to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, better known as CEQA. The same group criticized SoccerCity Measure E for their lack of environmental review. San Diego River Endangered Habitats League San Diego For Michael Beck, the Director of the Endangered Habitats League San Diego, the fact t

ROCKVILLE, MD. - Another independent candidate is gaining ground in a top-ticket statewide race in the 2018 midterms. Independent candidate Neal Simon touted the results of a new poll from Gonzales Research & Media Services Thursday that show him up 10 points in Maryland's US Senate race. The poll results shows Simon at 18% among likely Maryland voters -- while the incumbent US Sen. Ben Cardin has dropped below 50%. In an election environment where several members of the press say independent

San Diego, CALIF.- Why are voters leaving political parties and becoming independents? A major concern has been the political, and now very personal rancor elevated from both the right and left, fueled and at times encouraged by the two major political parties. Using the recent confirmation hearings of now Justice Brett Kavanaugh as the backdrop, the following op-ed by Chris Reed, deputy editor of the editorial and opinion section of the San Diego Union-Tribune, provides a bit of insight and an

Universal health care for America?  Yes, now, here’s why and how. Along with the growing demand for free, basic health care for all Americans, and the absurdity that we are the only well-developed nation in the world without universal health care, we can add the urgency of health risks related to climate change including new disease patterns and surfacing of old viruses and bacteria from melting tundra. For me, universal health care is now a national security mandate. Here’s my roadmap to impr

CALAIS, MAINE - Independent gubernatorial candidate Terry Hayes is currently contending with negative campaigning against her, orchestrated by the Maine Republican Party. But not all Republicans are on board with the party's actions. State Senator Joyce Maker from Washington County came out Wednesday in defense of Hayes and condemned her own party for resorting to negative campaign tactics. “I just want to say that Terry Hayes is real and has kept her message positive and has not used negativi

Last Friday, my sister and I and our partners flew into an overcast Chicago for a family reunion of two dozen cousins and their spouses, children, even an “ex”-uncle. It had been 10 years since the last Cousins Club meeting, which I missed. The oldest was 91 (my dad), the youngest 15 (my cousin’s son). My anxieties about a weekend with this multi-generational mix were interrupted during the cab ride from O’Hare Airport to our hotel in Skokie. The driver explained that the jury in the Jason Van