Pulling from the Archives

In the past 5 months or so, I have been busy working full-time, one job in an office plus two others on the ground, and now that I am back in graduate school, my time to concretize my thoughts onto this blog, have been limited. I have a lot I want to write, especially about the recent political discourse regarding democratic vs. republican in the 2008 presidential election. I have witnessed how Obama supporters have reacted to the pick of Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's VP; and some of the reactions I have observed have been rather hypocritical especially in the way they react to her "conservative" positions (I put it in quotes, because I think this dualistic semantics such as conservative vs. liberal, amongst others, is dangerous and convoluted). As I mentioned to my supervisor yesterday, I question Obama as a presidential candidate just like I question (or ideally should question) anyone running for office - but it's the Obamaniacs who really make me worry - So once I get all that together, I will probably do a blog posting. In the meantime, I'm reaching into my archives and pulling out a post from March, still on the subject of politics, and hope you find it edutaining. Look out for 2 articles upcoming in the October issue of Carnegie Mellon Today as well.
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Obama and Schwarzenegger - The artful dodgers

Contributed by: Nazbanoo Pahlavi on 3/14/2008

Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep conducted an excellent interview of Senator Obama that airs on NPR today in which he presses on the issue of Michigan and Florida. After Michigan's vote, I remember Obama's comments that Michigan's vote should not be counted, and yet on the program today, he says that he has "constantly" wanted those delegates seated. Really? Because that is not what he said 5 weeks ago. In fact, his tone was pretty unwavering when it came to this. Steve Inskeep asked three, yup, three times whether he would support a re-do. He asked three times because the Senator kept dodging the question. Oh, politicians are such artful dodgers aren't they?

Listen, what the Democratic Party decided on Michigan and Florida is a moot point- why? Because sometimes it is OK, even noble, to break the rules to bring about real change. I don't agree with those who say rules are rules (rules that, according to Obama, even his six year old could have followed) when those bureaucratic decisions superimpose the voting rights of ordinary people. Are you kidding me? And now, Obama complains that those states don't want to pay for it and that's a reason a do-over should not happen.

Shame on politicians for citing money as a factor in allowing the disenfranchisement of Michigan and Florida voters. This is not a Clinton or Obama thing. This is about those voters and Obama should be fighting to get those voters' voices heard. Now, that would be impressive. That would signify that sometimes achieving change means not following rules - especially when those statues are meant to get states like Iowa and New Hampshire extra exposure.

Hopefully, this political squabbling will soon find it's own detente.

In the meantime, I hope that the media will spare some extra coverage on California's atrocious budget crisis. Teachers have already been laid off . One of my classmates in my weekly Shakespeare class who has been teaching for 20 years, got her slip yesterday. She says that 40 are expected to be laid off in the Beverly Hills Unified District alone which includes only one high school and 5 elementary/junior high schools. I am furious that Governor Schwarzenegger cut the education budget - but then again he is a politican (who better than an actor!) who knows how to spin his words - like when he masterfully dodged accusations of his fuel pollution commuting via private jet almost nightly from his home in Brentwood to the office in Sacramento, because he wants to spend more time with his family (what, the state capital isn't good enough for them?). And I am frustrated that California voters opted against the telephone utilities tax to provide a source of funds for public bodies like firefighters and police officers. When it comes to education - we need to get on the money. When it comes to police and firefighters, we need to get on the money - when it comes to individual voters' rights, we need to get on the money. It's a no-brainer.

Man of the Year

by Nazbanoo Pahlavi
Carnegie Mellon Today, July 2008


A few hundred Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descend under the buzz of a helicopter. Nearby streets are blocked off. The target is a New Bedford textile factory that has federal contracts to produce camouflage uniforms for soldiers in Iraq. The agents expect to find about 400 undocumented immigrants, who will be questioned and detained. An hour after the raid begins, the local police chief tips off Marc Fallon (HS'92), a clergyman and advocate for the Mayan community.

Although Fallon considers his Spanish second rate despite the years he committed to his Hispanic ministry, he knows those seamstresses, and he knows their hearts. And he knows that many of the parishioners struggled through civil war in Guatemala and won't answer to any man in uniform who questions them about the whereabouts of their children.

The law-enforcement officials won't divulge names of those taken away, so Fallon and another pastor, Richard Wilson, figure out who didn’t come home. They determine that 121 children are left behind.

The pastors share their list with advocacy agencies, and a community-wide effort takes root. A temporary shelter is created in the basement of Wilson's church. Community college students volunteer to help. So do the YMCA and area lawyers. And an investment banker in Boston, Mass., even matches bail bonds for about 40 of the detained migrants. "People simply decided to trust one another," says Fallon.

Most of the detained caregivers were reunited with their children within two weeks. For their humanitarian work on behalf of the Mayan community and the 361 undocumented workers detained after the March 6, 2007, raid, Fallon and Wilson were co-selected as Man of the Year by The New Bedford Standard-Times.
—Nazbanoo Pahlavi (HNZ'03)

School raises “green”-minded students

BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

In this week's Sun Community Newspapers www.suncommunitynewspapers.com


Amongst the apartment buildings and Mexican restaurants that line Victory Boulevard just east of Woodman Avenue in Valley Glen, Laurence School stands out as an ecological haven.

Established in 1953 as a kindergarten through 6th grade co-educational school, the campus is filled with green spaces and flowers, miniature ecosystems and exotic plants.

Laurence has been involved in green education for 25 years, according to Lauren Wolke, Associate Head and Director of Admissions, but they have placed an even heavier emphasis on the subject since the school’s expansion in 2004. Now Laurence practices a “Go Global Go Green” motto in campus design, work ethic, and classroom curriculum.

In addition to the beautiful “greenscaping,” the expansion plans made an effort to incorporate green materials in building construction. The floor of the sports court, an outdoor basketball area, is made of recycled tires. Eco-friendly carpeting and non-toxic VOC paint were also used in the classrooms.

For Principal Gary Stern, it is important that students not only learn about conservation and environmental protection didactically in the classroom, but also through hands-on approaches as well.

“I think it’s probably the most timely and compelling issue,” Stern said. “The overarching goal of the program is for the children to develop an appreciation and an understanding of the importance of the beauty of preserving our natural resources and treasures, so that the planet they inherit can be one that can be self-sustaining.”

The administration encourages students to bring “zero-waste” lunches that include reusable utensils and napkins. Small incentives are also used to limit waste, such as a green flag on top of refuse cans when the garbage level is noticeably low.

Students are taught to compost non-dairy and non-meat items such as fruit peels from their lunches. They then use it to fertilize a student-run edible garden. The goal of the garden is to grow herbs, plants and flowers based on chosen themes, which are then sold at a farmer’s market in the spring.

“It shows them the full cycle of life and where foods come from and plants and products and they can see how the cycle goes back into the garden,” said Wolke.

Many students – some as young as six years old – also assume a specific responsibility according to their grade.

Josh, a 5th grade student in teacher Rochelle Robinson’s class, recalled his fourth grade duty. “When you came in to carpool they would collect extra bottles and cans you had,” he said. The fourth graders exchange their recyclables for cash to buy thesauruses and books for a disadvantaged school in the area.

Wolke and Stern shared their techniques at the Green Schools Summit that was held in Pasadena in December. They also strive to integrate their green initiative on the business end by reducing paper use and utilizing flash drives to share information.

“It’s a conscious effort,” Wolke stressed.

The school’s farmers market, which was held May 18, was managed by the 5th grade as their community service project and attended by Laurence School family and friends.

Robinson said she was pleasantly surprised that her students took to the selling aspect of the market, using math skills and even negotiation techniques when interacting with customers. “I think they’re enjoying it,” she said.

The funds raised from the sale were donated to TreePeople, a local environmental non-profit organization that helps plant trees in Los Angeles.

Stern said he was especially proud of a group of third graders who initiated their own “Eco-Team” to do more for the environment beyond the scope of the school’s program. The students held a bake sale and raised money to purchase a kumquat tree they then planted in the garden.

“They themselves are taking a leadership role outside of school in terms of protecting and preserving our environment,” he said.

Grassroots campaigners sprout in the Valley

BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

It’s the day before the Texas primary election, and a group of largely female volunteers are making last-minute phone calls at a Lake Balboa office used by Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

Hitomi Heap-Baldwin, a volunteer from Tujunga, sounds like a seasoned campaigner on the phone. “Did you also know there is a caucus going on in the same day?” she asks a Texas voter. “Can I spend one minute telling you about it?”

This is Heap-Baldwin’s third day as a volunteer here. She is only 16 and a junior at Flintridge Preparatory School in La Canada.

Heap-Baldwin is one of many young activists involved this election season. For her, volunteering means making phone calls – even if that means skipping track practice. “I can’t just let someone else win if I’m interested in it. I have to do something about it,” she says.

Young adult professionals such as Burbank native Valerie Rothenberg, 26, are also active volunteers. Sen. Barack Obama inspired her involvement in his presidential campaign. “I think Obama especially inspires people to organize,” Rothenberg says. “He said, ‘this is your campaign, you can make a difference.’”

Her grassroots efforts started with 15 people in a friend’s Porter Ranch living room last spring, and grew from there. She was a precinct captain in her neighborhood, traveled to Nevada to campaign for Obama, and organized phone banking sessions at a North Hollywood park. Despite her dedication, Rothenberg, who is a freelance costume designer, has no intention of entering politics professionally.

Grassroots-level volunteers like Heap-Baldwin and Rothenberg are often the most effective agents for a candidate. Their active role is helpful with engaging voters who may be detached from the political process.

Bob Blumenfield, a democratic candidate for the 42nd Assembly District, believes that voters are more receptive to volunteer campaigners. “There’s a passion that’s there – not that paid staffers don’t have that passion; they do – but it’s undeniable as a volunteer,” he says.

Blumenfield has recruited high school volunteers from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys and Oakwood School in North Hollywood. He is planning another recruiting session at Van Nuys High School. He counts on the energy and enthusiasm that young people bring to his campaign.

Republican Tony Strickland also recognizes the importance of young volunteers. “It is extremely encouraging to see young people get involved in the political process at the grassroots level,” says the former Assembly member and current state senatorial candidate for Tom McClintock’s termed-out seat.

Some young activists simply have politics in their blood. Rothenberg’s father, Peter, is a coordinator for the Valley For Obama group and convened the Obama delegate caucus for Brad Sherman’s district in mid-April. Heap-Baldwin’s father, an Obama supporter, would clip news-related articles and hide them in her backpack.

Ashley Ingram, 22, was also raised in a politically active family in Burbank in the 1980s, when her parents volunteered for Ronald Reagan’s campaign. Ingram is a passionate young republican – one of a group that is not as easy to find in a largely democratic electorate like Los Angeles.

“It’s hard to come out of the republican closet, as I’d like to say, especially in the Valley,” says Ingram, who said she often felt singled-out in high school because of her conservative views.

Ingram is sharp and poised with an impressive grasp of California politics. She has already been a paid staffer on two campaigns, including her current position as Deputy Campaign Manager for Tony Strickland. She previously worked for the Rudy Giuliani campaign. She cites the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks and Giuliani’s role in the tragedy’s aftermath as factors fueling her desire to enter public service.



Many political activists refer to both September 11 and the Iraq War as the major events triggering political activism in teens and young adults. Damian Carroll, an experienced grassroots campaigner and current staffer for Assembly member Mike Feuer, says young people are more mobilized today than they were eight years ago, mainly because of those two events in addition to Hurricane Katrina.

“It brought people up to this idea that public service was important; that we had a character as a nation where we could pull together and make a difference,” Carroll says.

Cameron Silverberg, 14, is an 8th grade student at Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies in Tarzana, and a volunteer for the Obama campaign. “I just think Obama has the ability to really unify a divided country,” says Silverberg. “He has the unique ability to restore what’s broken about America right about now.”


He mentions the Iraq war and its affects on the economy as one of the main issues he cares about. The other is climate change. “He (Obama) really does understand the importance of dealing with it right now as opposed to leaving it to people like myself and my generation where we’d have to deal with it.”

Chad Jones is president of Valley Grassroots for Democracy, an organization that evolved out of a coming together of Valley-based Howard Dean and John Kerry supporters in 2005. At the time, Jones says they weren’t sure whether they wanted to create another democratic club in the Valley but then they realized something.

“If you’re trying to change the democratic party,” Jones says, “which was something we wanted to do – to make it more responsive to the grassroots - the reality is that we had to become part of the system and change it from within.”

He says that teenagers and young adults don’t join as members or participate in club activities as much as he would like. Those who are active are more likely to join the Young Democrats. “We do tend to skew older – 50 plus,” says Jones, who at 37, says he is one of the youngest members of the group.

For those young people who are disinterred in the presidential campaign, the Internet has served as this season’s power tool in reaching out and mobilizing them.

The online presence of Barack Obama has been a major asset in his courting of young voters. His personal page on the social networking site Facebook, for example, has nearly 770,000 supporters listed – about five times the number of supporters listed on the Hillary Clinton page.

“It’s not a top-heavy campaign,” says Carroll, 31, who ran as an Obama delegate in Brad Sherman’s congressional district. According to Carroll, the campaign has done so well on the grassroots level because they encouraged supporters to spread Obama’s message in a personal way. In response, supporters created videos, posted them on YouTube, and emailed them to each other – a tactic more effective than receiving an email directly from the campaign.

When Carroll first got involved in politics in 2003, he used the website Meetup.com to connect with fellow progressives. He recalls his first meeting at Dupars restaurant in Studio City, a gathering that eventually resulted in his involvement with the Howard Dean campaign.

The internet has also been important in strengthening Congressman Ron Paul’s popularity. Steven Vincent, a Studio City yoga instructor, used Meetup.com to organize Ron Paul supporters in Burbank and North Hollywood. He says one of his groups now has about 300 members.


Vincent does not look like a typical republican. On a recent day, he is wearing a neon yellow T-shirt with a Ron Paul slogan emblazoned across his chest. Although Vincent is in his 40s, he has a youthful energy that befits his political activism.

“If you had told me before March [of 2007] that I was going to register republican and campaign for a republican candidate, I would have told you that you were really crazy,” Vincent says. He mentions Paul’s “unrehearsed quality” and his Gandhi-inspired writings on peaceful non-intervention in foreign policy as traits that appealed to him.

Vincent represents a group of people not necessarily young in age, but new to grassroots politics. Grassroots work, such as phone banking or precinct walking, can be a catalyst for volunteers who continue stay active beyond their first political campaign.

Vincent, who jokingly admits he had always been a “lifelong member of the no-confidence party,” says he will continue his activist work despite Paul’s defunct bid for the presidency. He plans on participating in a grassroots distribution of Paul’s forthcoming book, The Revolution Manifesto. He also wrote an article on Paul for the February issue of LA Yoga magazine and plans on doing more writing. “It’s a movement; it’s not a political campaign,” he says.



Heap-Baldwin is also active in her community. She started her own website called Teensthinkgreen.com to promote eco-friendly lifestyle alternatives for teenagers.

For the young activist interested in a career in politics, grassroots training provides an invaluable foothold. Ingram’s training gave her experience no bachelor’s degree could replace. “We all had to pay our dues and put in our free pay and interning and getting beat up for a while, but it was completely worth it to do what we do now,” says Ingram.


Seasoned grassroots campaigners often tout the importance of passing on their training to the next generation to keep their political party or organization alive.

When Carroll first got involved in politics, the then-president of the Young Democrats of the San Fernando Valley encouraged him to get involved in local groups. Carroll ultimately became president of Young Democrats and now remains on the executive board as communications director.

“I don’t feel representative so much anymore,” Carroll says. “I’m looking to find who are the young people in our club who are up and coming – who are ready to take on more of that leadership.”

Since he first joined in 2003, the club’s membership has increased from roughly 40 to 300 members. Their budget also reflects that growth.

Ingram says college republican groups often fall apart when a president or a core group graduates. She made sure that the club she founded at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita had stable leadership before she left.

For Blumenfield, there is an innate sense of duty to mentor and recruit young people.

“I got involved in politics when I was very young,” he says. “You know, it changed my life in many ways – and I want to help other people have a similar experience.”

Uploaded Clips - Mystical Turkey

Please note that I have uploaded the clips for all my recent articles, including "Exploring mystical Turkey" which looks really beautiful with all the colorful photographs in the copy. Check it out under the Recently Published Articles to your right.

Ventura redesign timeline urged at SCNC meeting

Article in this week's Sun - http://www.suncommunitynewspapers.com

Ventura redesign timeline urged at SCNC meeting
BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

The Studio City Neighborhood Council (SCNC) debated a potential redesign of the stretch of Ventura Boulevard between Colfax and Vineland Avenues at its monthly board meeting November 28 at the CBS Studio Center.

Dale Thrush, Planning Director for City Councilmember Wendy Greuel, attended the meeting to discuss a charrette, a stakeholder gathering aiming to resolve urban design issues through consultation and planning.

The meager process outline Thrush shared described the charrette’s goal “to create land use regulations that will facilitate the replacement of auto-related uses” and potentially include mixed-use housing, business and retail buildings similar to the village-style development of Tujunga Village.

Thrush said officials are currently in the process of assessing the physical limitations, land use regulations and economic feasibility of the project. The outline included rough estimates as to the length of the process goals, but no exact dates.

The SCNC board received Thrush’s outline with disappointment in light of the Land Use Committee’s meeting November 14 in which a detailed charrette report, including a timeline, was expected and not received.

Board member Gail Steinberg accused Thrush of putting profit margins ahead of community concerns, even though he emphasized the importance of “wide community support” before moving forward.

“What about our homeowners and protecting the equities in our homes?” Steinberg asked, adding that the current plan was “unacceptable to the community and to the council.”

Board member Richard Niederberg noted that the development, particularly the projected housing along Ventura Boulevard, would gulp up too much land, available parking, and homeowners’ views.

“One of the engines that will drive the change…is economics,” said Thrush, echoing a sentiment emphasized by other city officials including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, whose support of smart growth integrating mixed-use projects is well known.

The SCNC board ultimately decided to send a letter to Greuel to urge an expedient and community-involved process for the future of the charrette.

The other hot button item was board secretary John Walker’s report on the progress of the MTA/Universal Community Working Group, for which he is SCNC’s representative. The Working Group is comprised of the four neighborhood councils and 11 long-established residential, business and property owners most affected by the NBC Universal development plans.

Walker stated that the proposed construction includes two 28-storey live/work buildings called “Commons” on the Universal City/MTA site, in addition to another development further north on Lankershim Boulevard that would house 2,900 residential and production facilities.

“Imagine if you will,” Walker stated, “500 trucks a day of dirt for a year and a half before they even begin the process of development. That’s how long the destruction is.” According to Walker, the Working Group plans to buy space in the Los Angeles Daily News to endorse their disapproval with the current state of the project.

The board also discussed the need to financially support the North Hollywood Police Department’s efforts to add updated digital technology in its interrogation room, and elected Jeremy Lipton-Schwartz, a student at Grant High School in Valley Glen, to the board’s Youth Seat.

The SCNC board will not meet in December.

Operation Gratitude honors Army officer with National Freedom Award

Check out this week's http://www.suncommunitynewspapers.com/


Operation Gratitude honors Army officer and author with National Freedom Award
by NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Hal Moore, who was depicted by Mel Gibson in the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, received Operation Gratitude’s first annual National Freedom Award presented at the California Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys on December 1.

“I didn’t earn it, my troopers earned it for me,” said Moore, who led troops in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and whose New York Times #1 bestseller, We Were Soldiers Once, and Young, written with war journalist and friend Joseph Galloway, was the inspiration for the movie. Randall Wallace, the film’s director, as well as many Vietnam veterans who served under Moore were present at the Armory for the award ceremony.

“In the final analysis, let me tell you who the American soldier fights for – the American soldier fights for the man beside him,” said Moore, who recently turned 84. “The American soldier seldom thinks, if ever, about what some president says on television. The American soldier fights for his buddy. The American soldier grieves for his buddy.”

Moore shared stories from his years in combat, most notably during the November 1965 battle of Ia Drang at Landing Zone X Ray near the Cambodian border – an event he called a “battle for survival” and which was one of the first serious episodes against the North Vietnamese. Moore recounted a heartbreaking moment losing a sergeant who died in his arms, a young man next to whom he buried his wife at Fort Benning Cemetery in Georgia, and where he hopes to lay, “the sooner the better,” he joked.

The award was presented between two Operation Gratitude volunteer shifts, for which locals gathered to prepare care packages for shipment to deployed men and women in military service. Volunteer groups included the West San Fernando Valley CVS stores, Boy Scout troops 22 and 139, and the American Legion.

Congressman Brad Sherman of District 27 presented Moore with a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol, along with its certificate of authenticity. Moore said he would fly it proudly on holidays at his home in Auburn, Alabama.

My fifty dollar bus fare

I heard on NPR yesterday that the city plans on expanding the light rail express line by adding a connection from downtown Los angeles to Culver City. I think any new addition in the public transit is excellent, timely and integral to the infrastructure of a sucessful large city. My only question is this...why did I pay $50.00 to take the bus to work on Wednesday?

I have always been a fan of public transportation. When I'm in Paris, I take the bus or the metro. It's easy. In Pittsburgh, I took the bus for two years. The Bay Area has their lovable Bart system that glides from Oakland Airport into Berkeley and San Francisco. Berlin has a slew of options blending the slow but steady trolly left over from communist Germany with the U-Bahn, S-Bahn and all the above-ground and below-ground options Angela Merkel can afford. Public transportation isn't just a way of moving bodies. It's like a community. In Pittsburgh, I would regularly run into people going from Downtown to Squirrel Hill, and around 5pm, the bus was so packed that I often gained first-hand knowledge of all the gossip from the nurses at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Then again, there was China where I studied abroad for 4 months. Shanghai was a bustle of movement - Busses, bicycles, taxis, rikshaws, motorcycles - all of which moved faster than you could yell "xiaoxin"! (or be careful). At the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley's summit last month, someone mentioned that Beijing is building a monorail system in anticipation of the 2008 Olympic Games - Less than a year's time. In L.A., the talks of a subway to sea line has been bandied about for over 20 years. I'm sure the public officials hope that one day public transit will become so convenient that commuters won't think twice before opting out of driving. For now, that is not the case. Note my $50 bus fare.


I would have driven. But I've decided to trust the Big Blue Bus at least twice a week. My commute isn't a big deal - Maybe 15 minutes tops in the morning. It requires two buses to get there, which means timing is everything. I needed to catch the first bus at 8:21 to connect to the next bus 5 minutes later. So at about 8:20:30, I ran out of the house, fully aware that I may have just heard the bus just whiz by. I navigated in between parents and children and carpool drop-offs at the nearby school. I made it to the bus stop and waited. Ten minutes went by. I began to realize that what I heard earlier may have indeed been my bus, puzzled that it was so punctual. Needless to say, I was going to miss my next connection. Fourty minutes later, I was at work.

When you miss a bus, there is rarely one that comes right behind it and the sad truth is that the next is at the very least 15 minutes away. If I had to rely on the bus everyday to get around, I would be chronically late, and waiting a whole lot trying to make my connections. If I wanted to get from the westside to Woodland Hills, which I often do, I would need at least 3 bus transfers and an hour and a half - if everything went as scheduled.

Oh wait, the fifty dollars. So, in my haste to catch the bus, which I missed, to arrive at work on time, which I didn't, I failed to remember street cleaning that day. And my car was on the wrong side of the street. Something that would not have happened, had I driven to work. So I came home, again fourty minutes after work, with a $47.00 ticket. My actual bus fare that day was about $2.50. So if I had driven to work, well, I would still be $47.00 richer.

So much for the bus saving me money.

Mitt Romney outlines platform at VICA forum

Article in this week's Studio City Sun
www.studiocitysun.com

Mitt Romney outlines platform at VICA forum

BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

Former Massachusetts Governor and republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney addressed a crowd of about 150 supporters, Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) members, high school students and journalists during an hour-long “Ask Mitt Anything” talk at the Burbank Airport Marriott on November 15.

According to VICA, the appearance marked the only stop this year by a Republican presidential candidate in the Valley. Democratic candidate John Edwards visited striking writers at NBC Burbank the next day.

Romney outlined his intentions if elected president with an emphasis on strengthening the military, including a proposed increase of 100,000 troops. He also laid out his plan for a new tax rate for citizens who make $200,000 a year or less.

“My new tax rate for your savings – that means your tax on the interest and dividends, and capital gains – would be absolutely zero. Let Americans save,” Romney said.

The governor credited former president Ronald Reagan for inspiring his “Strengthen our families, strengthen our economy and strengthen our military” platform, and again mentioned the former president, to loud applause, when he quoted Reagan as saying, “‘It’s not that liberals are ignorant, it’s just that what they know is wrong.’”

Romney touted his experience in business, government, and as CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee during the 2002 Winter Olympics as measures of leadership that put him ahead of the democratic forerunners – none of whom have “ever managed a corner store,” he quipped.

Romney took an indirect stab at democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton during the 30-minute question and answer session when he jokingly asked if there were any planted questions, in reference to questions allegedly planted by Clinton aides at a recent Iowa town hall meeting.

Most of the questions asked of the governor in Burbank aligned with hot-button issues such as healthcare reform, immigration, home foreclosures and global warming.

In response to a Korean War veteran’s question about healthcare, Romney outlined his current plan to secure Massachusetts’s half-million uninsured with coverage. Romney said his model works “without a government-run system, without new taxes required. We got everybody in our state on track to have health insurance.”

His plan mandates that all residents register for government-subsidized health insurance or buy their own way with lower rates and higher deductibles. “We don’t need socialized medicine, Hillary-care, or anything like it,” Romney commented.

Turning to immigration, Romney said, “We like folks coming from other nations of the world,” but “we also want to make sure that we’re a nation of laws. And that we match our needs with the people who come here.”

He denounced attempts to offer the children of illegal immigrants lower tuition for state college, condemned cities that are known as “sanctuary cities,” and derided New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s now obsolete attempt at issuing driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.

Romney’s proposed solution includes the implementation of an employment identification card for use by legal immigrants, with hopes of pushing illegal workers out of the system.

Romney also proposed ways to combat global warming by getting “on track to become energy-independent and energy secure” through alternative sources of energy such as clean and liquefied coal, and by adopting better energy efficiency strategies in homes and businesses.

When the lights in the hotel ballroom went dark for a brief moment during the Q&A session, Romney joked, “I want to make sure that you Californians are not seeing another drought or another blackout again.”

Brewer assesses first year at LAUSD helm at VICA

Article out in this week's Sherman Oaks Sun
www.suncommunitynewspapers.com

Brewer assesses first year at LAUSD helm at VICA
BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent David Brewer III spoke about his challenges during his first year in office November 14 at the Valley Industry & Commerce Association’s (VICA) monthly Newsmaker Connection breakfast in Van Nuys.

“Everybody wants to lay it on the school district or the Superintendent – that’s the wrong answer,” Brewer said, calling for a “systematic and holistic approach” in dealing with the problems of a district with 700,000 students in grades K to 12 and 400,000 students in the adult schools.

The district has improved this year, meeting 43 out of 46 assessments in accordance with California’s “Adequate Yearly Progress Criteria.” The three unmet criteria were language arts for English language learners, language arts for special education, and graduation rates.

According to Brewer, English language acquisition is especially challenging since about 250,000 of students in grades K-12 are English language learners, even though 78 percent are native born. To determine how to best address their needs, the LAUSD will sponsor a national summit on language acquisition December 13 to 14.

In response to an editorial that day in the Los Angeles Times criticizing Brewer, the retired Navy Vice Admiral said that “they’re there for selling papers” and the problems won’t be solved with a quick fix.

“You just can’t open up a kid’s brain and pour knowledge into it,” Brewer stated. “You got to work with those children and you got to stabilize them and move forward. So in essence that’s where we are right now.”

This includes working with local organizations such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club in order to provide on-site “wrap-around services” such as mental healthcare and after-school activities. University High School in West Los Angeles already has a YMCA on campus with the eventual goal of securing satellites on East and South Los Angeles schools first.

Wrap-around services are also vital for the 24 percent transient population within the school system, a group that is increasingly moving into the Valley, Brewer said.

Responding to a question regarding the possible creation of a distinct San Fernando Valley school district, the Superintendent said he is disinclined to do this since economies of scale would yield a redundancy of programs on the one hand, and a shortage of services on the other. He does support the Valley’s acting smaller, however, and has already funneled $11 million from the central to local districts.

Although Brewer said his goal is to “focus like a laser” on learning and curriculum in the classroom, his inaugural challenge was cleaning up the BTS payroll mess – an ongoing problem for which he has instigated contract oversight to assess and ameliorate the crisis now and to watch over the system in the future.

Although the crisis has mostly been associated with LAUSD teachers and other employees, payment irregularities have also affected businesses and organizations that contract with the school district.

Jan Sobel, President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley, complained of a severe delay in payments expected from the after-school education enrichment grants secured under the passage of Proposition 49.

Brewer said that although he wasn’t aware of the problem, he would look into it.

Transportation Officials Discuss Traffic Fixes for L.A.

Published today in all three Sun Community Newspapers. Encino Sun comes out tomorrow.

www.suncommunitynewspapers.com Please leave specific comments regarding the article on the Sun site so the discussion reaches a greater net of interested parties.

Transportation officials discuss traffic fixes for L.A.
BY NAZBANOO PAHLAVI

The Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley held an INFO Summit November 1 to discuss the roles of public transportation, cargo movement and traffic in the economic development of the Valley and its 1.84 million residents.

Held at the Holiday Inn in Burbank, the Summit featured talks between city officials, planners and stakeholders. David Fleming, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Chair and Metro Board Member, moderated three panels.

“The public basically is opposed to change and yet they hate gridlock,” Fleming said. Proposed solutions have included one-way streets, congestion pricing, and the restriction of left-turn lanes during peak hours.

Wendy Greuel, Chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee and 2nd district representative, remarked that such solutions had a noticeable impact when implemented temporarily during the 1984 Olympic Games. Fleming added that by staggering business hours for companies during that time, “we were able to drive 65 miles per hour during rush hour.”

Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos said one area of concern for officials is duplication in public transportation services on the local and citywide level. “One thing we need to do better is to bring all those players at the table so that we’re using every dollar that is given to public transportation in the most efficient manner.”

Despite the $20 billion earmarked by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) for the state, CTC Commissioner Larry Zarian said California is still 20 to 30 years behind. For him – like Ramos – the problem is a lack of synergy.

“We are not coordinated,” Zarian said. “Who should be in this room today are the 53 members of congress that represent us.”

The success story of the day was the Orange Line, which runs from Warner Center in Woodland Hills to North Hollywood and provides West Valley residents with a more seamless connection to downtown.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who worked on the project, said that riders are “voting with their feet” – during one day last month, 25,800 passengers boarded the Orange Line.

“You got to have the local leaders who are willing to stick their neck out a little bit and spend the political capital that they accumulate,” he noted.

The MTA board has directed the next segment of the Orange Line to extend from the Warner Center to Chatsworth.

Despite its success, however, bus lines have not been as attractive to policy makers as light rail, which costs $65 million per mile, or subway, which costs $300 million per mile and takes years to complete.

The Orange Line costs $15 million per mile and takes a fraction of the time to complete.

The Summit also featured report findings from the Mulholland Institute on economic development opportunities along the I-5 Corridor – the 30-mile stretch of freeway from route 126 in the north, through Santa Clarita, Burbank, and into the northern downtown area.

Officials also discussed urban revitalization plans for the neglected Sun Valley region, with hopes of reforming it into the Silicon Valley of the south by housing biotech companies.

Check out My Article in Today's Los Angeles Daily News

L.A. hits mute button on giving money

Pick up a paper copy or follow this link:

http://www.dailynews.com/editorial/ci_7399526

My Article on Legal Expert Laurie Levenson in This Week's Encino Sun

Check out my article on Laurie Levenson, legal expert and Loyola Law School professor, who spoke on behalf of The Executives at the El Cabrillo Country Club in Tarzana last Thursday. The Executives is a wonderful charity organization that raises funds and support for the Jewish Home For the Aging in Reseda.

Please access the story by visiting www.encinosun.com . Then click on the Tab for Encino Sun. My article is listed under the heading "News".

I will also have a PDF copy of the article available by Monday. You may also read the article by picking up an Encino Sun at the Encino/Tarzana library on Ventura and Nestle.

On the Streets of Berlin: Part Two

Berlin in August more closely resembles a day in late fall, or early spring, when three layers of clothes are necessary and even a shawl or a warm knitted cap isn’t such a bad idea. Although most days were on the cooler (and sometimes rainy) side, there were a couple of sunny and breezy exceptions, most notably the Sunday I had my bike tour.

It is common knowledge in Berlin, whose literal meaning is “swamp”, that its largely flat terrain is ideal for bicyclists. And it’s true. In fact, the rights of the bicyclist seem to trump those of the pedestrian and comes a close second to those of the driver. Bicyclists in Berlin aren’t second class citizens. They have bike lanes, they are large in number, and if a pedestrian like myself stands in their way (which one evening, I was), they will gladly run me over.

So biking in Berlin provided an ideal tool to sightsee like a local - Across cobbled streets and soft pavemented thoroughfares, from the Brandenburg Gate, to the location of Hitler’s bunker and the large Nazi era airforce building, to the stark and meditative Jewish memorial – It was a great way to experience the city. This is perhaps even more true than bicycling in Paris, where the liklihood of getting hurt, I think, is probably just a tiny bit higher.

Many areas in Berlin are conveniently accessible by bike. That is, unless it is clear outside the city limits. In this case, a train comes in handy. I took the train on two occasions. The first was to visit Potsdam and the romantic home of Frederick the Great. I laughed when our New Zealand-helmed guide called him “Frederick the Fabulous”. If you know anything about him, or if I told you his Sans Souci Palace in Potsdam did not include a room for his wife, then you could probably guess where that nickname stems.

In French, sans souci means “without worry”. It was immense, beautiful, and the grounds truly reminded me of a French castle, perhaps Versailles, but even more spectacular. Frederick was a great lover of philosophy, the arts, books and gardening (well, all in addition to war), and invited brilliant minds of the era to Sans Souci Palace. Voltaire, for instance, lived there for a few years.

Here are a couple of pictures from Sans Souci:




I would have loved to have spent more time in Potsdam, where many of the museums and sights seemed accessible by the bus. Many, but not all. The film studios were close by, and although I was on the lookout, I did not spot Tom Cruise or Katie Holmes. I also learned the title of his Nazi-era pic is no longer “Valkyrie”, although by the time the movie is released they may just play on the “The Good Shephard” and “The Good German” phenomenon and call it “The Good Nazi”. Or, maybe the “The Nice Nazi”?

Since I am already on the subject, it is apropos to discuss my other train-led excursion. This time, along with my Berlin host Antonia, I took the train in the other direction to Sachsen-hausen concentration camp.

Sachsen-hausen was one of the early camps built for the imprisonment and persecution of victims under the Nazi regime. It was also considered the “model” camp which housed the head office of the SS. For this reason, much of the training of the SS was done there.

The history of Sachsen-hausen does not end with its liberation by the Russian army in 1945. In fact, the Soviets used it to keep their own political prisoners after the war. The dual role of the camp was particularly fascinating to our Canadian tour guide who provided thoughtful insights into the role and image of the camp under both Nazi and Soviet command . The latter had made some changes to the camp, which is unfortunate since the integrity of camps is vital for Holocaust remembrance, education and historical preservation.

Our tour of the camp felt hurried, even though our guide loved to park us in one corner and lecture. I was most interested by the fact that Sachsen-hausen had a gas chamber and a few small crematoria, since I wasn’t aware that this particular camp included these killing facilities.

Consequently the weather was grey and drizzly that day. The experience, to say the least, was both a somber and sobering one.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of my trip to Berlin!

The American Monarchists - Say It Ain't So

Gossip columns including my favorite daily rag,"The Daily Dish" in the San Francisco Chronicle, regularly publish the shocking tales of egotistical celebrities and their outlandish requests.

What was on the menu this past week? Sting goes to a *posh* Miami eatery with his own personal chef in tow. The Dish reports that his assistant made these special arrangements beforehand (as a former personal assistant, any good celebrity does this). Earlier in the week, Prince requests old-fashioned popcorn as part of his deal to headline a concert. Before that, Babs demands hotel employees to avert their eyes when speaking to her. Did they really need to be told this?

Don't people already know that if you look deep into the eyes of a celebrity, you will be fired up, zapped away, time-warped and incinerated by their steely gaze into an alternate universe full of designer couture, E! True Hollywood Story reruns and David Beckham posters? Or maybe, they just don't want you to know they lack a soul - the kind us normal folk have. The truth, such a request is not all that preposterous. In the world of celebrity, actors are the royals and everyone else is, well, those peons who do their bidding.

It's kind of ironic that my favorite celebrity rag, and as far as I know, the only one that associates itself with a big city newspaper like the San Francisco Chronicle, is, well, a product of the city by the bay. The Chronicle is liberal....very liberal. They are environmental, intellectual, and I'm sure quite anti-monarchical.

And yet, celebrities are far less worthy than your decent run of the mill monarch. Celebrities, for example, make more money and have less good works to show for it. Unless third-world baby collecting à la Angelina counts as good works. They chose to be a celebrity - in fact, that was their goal. I wonder how many child monarchs over the course of history felt conflicted, depressed or under-prepared for their role. Ask any celebrity (or just plain any actor) and they feel they deserve all the great things they get. They aren’t conflicted. Shoot, they are the crème de la crème! Gods gift to everyone!

This also applies to lukewarm celebrities, even cold celebrities. Does anyone watch Kathy Griffin's "My Life on the D-List?" Sure she's funny and the fact that her personal assistant has a personal assistant is a hoot (actually, I could have used a personal assistant when I was a P.A.), but even she herself mentions she is a D-list celebrity – and do you see how she lives? I wish I was a D-List celebrity to live in a bangin’ Hollywood Hills home like that.

So no matter what level of celebrity-dom someone belongs to, they all feel entitled. And, in a way, that’s part of the attitude required to be successful in the entertainment business. But it’s not all. ‘Cause most of the Midwestern-transplants, college dropouts and the assortment of actors and singers in the L.A. area feel entitled but they don’t deserve a damn.

The other part of the equation is hard work and perseverance. You are not going to get by only with a pretty face and a nice rack. You have to work hard and be diligent. You have to be shrewd and conniving. You can’t just be in the right room – you have to know how to work it.

So maybe that’s why people put up with so much from famous actors and actresses. They know how to get what they want. And as far as all the peons of normal people, or celebrity wannabes, who follow their every whim and fancy and latest purchase by reading those gossip columns (nestled inside those uber-leftist newspapers) – welcome to American Royalty. Bush may be your president. But face it – Paris Hilton is your Queen.

Becoming Jane Austen

As a new member of Film Independent, the organizations that includes filmmakers and film lovers and is comprised of the voting body of the Spirit Awards, I'm invited to preview screenings throughout the year (amongst other perks). I attended my first screening (sponsored by the Sundance Channel and InStyle) this past Monday.

They screened the upcoming Miramax pic "Becoming Jane". It is a sweeping narrative that chronicles the supposed love affair between Jane Austen and a young Irish lawyer named Tom Lefroy. It’s set to come out next month. It is documented that these two knew each other and engaged in a mild flirtation, but the story here is a work of fiction to entice Jane Austen fans and admirers alike.

---Just a word of ‘caution’ – this blog posting gets deep in “Pride and Prejudice” territory. So, read on if you know your stuff, otherwise you may be confused by the mention of several characters from the book. (by the way, why haven’t you read it?!) ----

Obviously, I was excited to see the film. And I took my aunt – the one-time owner of the 1984 BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice", which I co-opted, made my own, and saw about 20 times. It was especially enjoyable during long cleaning and packing episodes.

A film about Jane Austen is a great idea. There's definitely an interested market out there. And the star of the film is Anne Hathaway, one of the few young actresses today who isn't always in the tabloids.

The film has lots of good points. The supporting actors are excellent. James Cromwell and Julie Walters, who portray Austen’s father and mother respectively, are a joy to watch. Maggie Smith, who's character, I gather, is meant to provide the inspiration for Austen's "Lady Catherine", is top-notch. I wish all these actors had bigger roles. In fact, most of the supporting actors are good. Everyone except maybe Anne Hathaway.

Anne Hathaway's Austen isn't sympathetic. She’s more strong-willed and immature than a witty trailblazer. By this depiction, I cannot see how Jane Austen could have produced Elizabeth Bennett, one of my favorite literary heroines. If Elizabeth is witty, than the film’s Jane is precocious and obnoxious. One scene in particular with James Cromwell is particularly painful to watch - it made me wonder whether Anne is only suitable for the Disney, or chicklit-turned-maintream movie roles she is famous for. Her best performances were at the end of at least 3 scenes where she delivers a great line and promptly storms out. In fact, she is best at storming out.

As far as story goes, I initially found it hard to believe why Jane Austen would fall in love with a man like Tom LeFroy. In the movie, he has a bad reputation, is always tardy, frequents prostitutes and engages in basement boxing matches. He is depicted as careless and thoughtless. Plainly, he is the bad boy. Short, Irish, and bad. He is even blatantly rude towards Jane and tells her brother she’s too full of herself (We’re guessing this is created to mimic the similar scenario between Darcy and Lizzy) This causes Jane to fly into hysterics and question herself as a writer. Did Jane Austen really lack so muck confidence in her talent?

But like all bad boys, LeFroy has something none of the other men in Hampshire have – Charisma. It becomes clear that Jane falls in love with him for this reason – All the other men are effeminate, quiet and uninteresting. This Irish braggart is the only one who sparks any desire in her.

The film attempts to correlate their relationship with that of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in “Pride and Prejudice”. And in parts, I can see it to be true. But LeFroy is much more of a Mr. Wickham than a Mr. Darcy. Who knows, maybe he was the inspiration for both characters. Although I think that the Darcy comparison is really pushing it.

I would have been more interested in a story that closely examined Austen's evolution as a writer more so than her evolution as a lover. I just don’t feel for these two as a couple. It doesn’t ring true. Also, the director’s choice of shortchanging scenes involving Austen’s writing are really irritating. There are instances where a grand musical score overwhelms Hathaway’s readings of Austen’s work. There are also too many montages. How many dissolves can one person take?

Although the film as a whole wasn't moving for me, the end provided some satisfaction. It actually left me, well, depressed. Jane's only hope for love is Tom LeFroy. When she turns him down (not because she wanted to, but, well you'll see, she actually wanted to marry him), she closes the door to anyone else. A woman's reputation was much more fragile back in those days and her options were few. I wonder, did Jane think someone better would come along?

At the end of the film, Jane Austen is "Jane Austen", a popular and well-respected author. But she seems so lonely and depressed that I wonder if it was all worth it. It made me think - In today's world, are a woman's options really that much more abundant than women in the past? Aren’t a lot of us just waiting for someone better to come along when this may be as good as it gets?

Despite these resonating qualities, I’m not sure if I would recommend the film on the whole. It just goes to show that no fictionalized movie about Jane Austen will ever be as witty, smart, well-crafted and memorable as the stories she herself created.

Guess Who's Podcasting?

I have always wanted to do it, and in fact did do it, when I was about nine years old and made my own radio show using a bulky recorder and showcasing my favorite songs and hamming it up DJ style. Now I am entering the podcasting world with my own weekly contribution - The Avenue Podcast.

I will explore the various avenues of my life as a writer and Angeleno. It will include cultural happenings, interesting items in the news, podcast recommendations and a slew of infotainment from yours truly.

Please bear in mind this is my first foray into the digital aural connection, so future episodes will only sound better!

My podcast website is www.avenuepodcast.com

My debut episode is about 10 minutes long. It's entitled "Debut! Chewed Circus Peanuts, Valley Theater and Googling".

When you click on the listen insignia, it will take you to a Quicktime of my episode. If you don't have a current version of
Quicktime, you will be directed to download it. Otherwise, click on RSS button on the main web page, on the right hand side. This will take you to the RSS page and the available MP3 version which should be compatible.

Thanks for listening.

Theater Review in this Week's Sun

If you are in the L.A. area, grab a copy of the Encino, Sherman Oaks, or Studio City Sun for my theater review of actress Sally Randa's one-woman show "Growing Up...And Liking It" at the Whitefire Theatre. The PDF should be available soon and I will post it under "Recent Published Articles".

Featured Article in this week's Sun

My article is the featured story in this week's Encino, Sherman Oaks, and Studio City Sun. It is about Montclair Preparatory School's unique boarding school program for international students. Montclair Prep is one of the few private schools in southern California which houses international students on campus.

Read the article through the following web portals:

www.encinosun.com
www.shermanoakssun.com
www.studiocitysun.com

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent at the school speaking with students, administrators and faculty. I hope you enjoy the article.


You can also pick up a copy at many Valley businesses and community organizations including the public library.