My Rep writes back: Senator Feinstein

When I wrote to Senator Feinstein a few weeks months ago, I used the online form on her website. It was easy. It was dumb that I forgot to save the text of my completed letter to a file. Now, I don’t remember what I wrote but the clues are in her response.

Dear Miss Havisham:

Thank you for writing to express your opposition to the “Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act.” I appreciate knowing your views on this matter.

America’s copyright industry is one of our most important economic engines, and giving artists and inventors the incentive to produce cutting edge works is vital to the country. The protection of intellectual property is particularly important to California, which is home to thriving film, music, and high-technology industries. I am strongly opposed to theft of copyrighted works, and I believe copyright owners should be able to prevent their works from being illegally duplicated.

On September 20, 2010, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the “Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act” (S. 3804), of which I am an original cosponsor. This legislation is carefully crafted to address the growing problem of online piracy and copyright infringement, and would allow the U.S. Department of Justice to shut down websites which are “dedicated to infringing activities.” These are sites that, in the bill’s language, are “primarily designed or have no demonstrable commercially significant purpose or use other than…” selling infringing or counterfeit goods.

Please know that I have been working with California high-technology businesses and Senator Leahy to improve the bill’s language and address the concerns of legitimate high-tech businesses, public interest groups, and others. This legislation is currently awaiting action in the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with me. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my staff in Washington, D.C. at (202) 224-3841.

Sincerely yours,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ENewsletterSignup.Signup. Feel free to checkout my YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/Senatorfeinstein

Senator Feinstein has always responded to my letters so thoughtfully. I do love her for that. We must have tea soon!

This issue a big priority for big studios, big record companies, big media conglomerates. It’s too bad it may squash some pretty little political parody poofters in the process or slap some silly independent artist on an Internet Blacklist.

That is why the Bill is being revised, carefully, to clear the dust and the cobby cobby webs.

Technology is a seductive and a deceptive mistress!

Cherrio, darlings

By the way, here’s a tip to remembering how to spell her last name. Just think of the Old MacDonald song: E – I – E – I – O

Pebble People by Cindy Sheehan (via Dandelion Salad)

Love, peace, and revolution:

by Cindy Sheehan Featured Writer Dandelion Salad Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox Blog Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox January 16, 2011 "Our problems stem from our acceptance of this filthy, rotten system."  — Dorothy Day I interviewed Yoko Ono on Thursday, January 4th for Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox Radio Show. The interview itself, besides being a great coup for … Read More

via Dandelion Salad

Will Pasadena take a stan (d) ?

BRING THE MONEY HOME RESOLUTION:

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE PASADENA CITY COUNCIL’S PREFERENCE THAT MISDIRECTED FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN BE REDIRECTED TO DOMESTIC PRIORITIES, INCLUDING PRESSING NEEDS IN THE CITY OF PASADENA.

WHEREAS, more than 180,000 United States military personnel, including many from the city, are bravely and honorably serving in Iraq and deserve the support of all the city citizens and Americans; and

WHEREAS, the people of this city will always honor the sacrifices of the American soldiers who have died or been wounded in combat in Iraq, including the more than 5,000 United States military personnel who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan and the more than 38,000 who have been wounded; and

WHEREAS, the proposed war budget of year 2011 is 33.6% of the total proposed security budget; and

WHEREAS, our state’s cost of war is XX, and our city’s cost of the war is XX, while community development block grants are being cut by XX in our state; and

WHEREAS, the CITY Council of the city hereby expresses its deep opposition to the current budget of increasing military and war spending in Iraq, in part due to the impact on the available federal resources required to provide for the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of the American population, including the need to provide for the health, education, and homeland security of the City and of other major urban areas within the United States; and

WHEREAS, in excess of $1.003 trillion has been appropriated by Congress to fund military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan while in contrast, the City’s total amount of HUD grants has decreased significantly since 2002, the year before the commencement of the war in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, this decrease in federal grant money severely lessens the ability of the City to rebuild its urban core, promote home ownership opportunities in the city, and provide critical housing services for the poor, the disabled, and for people with HIV-AIDS and other medical needs; and

WHEREAS, according to analysis by the Task Force on a Unified Security Budget for the United States published by the Institute for Policy Studies 55.91 billion dollars of the total military spending could be cut allowing for development of domestic nonmilitary goals and redirect funds for immediate domestic goals in this city; and

WHEREAS, polls show that greater than 60% of Americans oppose sending additional American troops to Iraq while support for sending troops to Afghanistan is split, which indicates that the majority of Americans share this Council’s concerns with increasing funding levels in Iraq and Afghanistan at this time

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PASADENA: SECTION 1. That Pasadena City Council supports the U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those that have previously served, and those that have been killed or wounded during such service, and their families.

SECTION 2. That Pasadena City Council expresses its opposition to President Obama’s increased war and military funding.

SECTION 3. That the city, its elected leaders and its citizens have a responsibility to highlight the implications of sending available federal resources, which are urgently needed by the most vulnerable portions of the American population in the city and other major urban areas within the United States.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the city shall forward copies to President Barack H. Obama, United States Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, House Representative Adam Schiff and members of the state U.S. Congressional delegation.

ADOPTED by the Common Council of the city, state this ** day of **** 2010.

-Name-,

Pasadena City Council

[Resolution **** will now be forwarded to the Mayor for signature.]
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BRING THE MONEY HOME NOW SAMPLE PETITION

Petition for the Pasadena City Council to Pass a Resolution for an End to Funding of the War in Iraq, a Timely and Safe Withdrawal of US troops to Begin Immediately, and a Redirection of Federal Budget Priorities to Decrease Military Spending and Increase Spending to Fund Urgent Domestic Needs in Our Own Communities.

We, the undersigned, request that the Pasadena City Council pass a resolution calling for all of the above.

Our reasons are:

-The justifications for the invasion were false and violated the public trust.

-Neither Iraq nor Afghanistan posed a threat to the U.S. at the time of the invasions and the war violates international law.

-The U.S. government has spent more than $1.004 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while the U.S. deficit climbs.

- The war’s funding has greatly influenced the economic downturn and oncoming recession.

-Astronomical military spending steals from city citizens through cuts in social programs as well as job loss from economic downturn.

-As of 6/08, the cost of the war to the city was **** (Check here.)

This money could have funded:

(Find out what the money could have funded here.)

-83,601 4-year scholarships at public universities,

-health insurance for 1,032,648 Chicago children,

-228,414 Head Start students for one year,

-29,886 public school teachers for one year

-15,572 housing units in city

Name ____________________________________

Address __________________________________

City/State_________________________________

Telephone (optional) ________________________

E-Mail (optional)____________________________