California Budget: Kudos to the Voters!

CALIFORNIA
California budget: A sign that the Golden State (By Daniel B. Wood, Christian Science Monitor) Whatever kudos are due probably go to Golden State voters themselves. Last year they approved a suite of reforms intended essentially to reboot the state's political structure – after a decade marked by the recall of a governor, legislative gridlock, huge budget deficits papered over with dubious fixes, state-issued IOUs in lieu of payment, and a trashed credit rating.

UTAH
Poll: Tea party fatigue among independent Utah voters (BY ROBERT GEHRKE, The Salt Lake Tribune) Monson said now, it appears, that the tea party is becoming "an even more Republican phenomenon," more rooted in the GOP than simply a group of conservative activists. Jensen, however, said that has always been the case. "The tea party has always been completely absorbed," he said. "It didn’t get absorbed. It has always been a part of the Utah Republican Party."
Utah League of Independent Voters: Independents vary widely on different ideologies, so it seems unlikely independents could ever be united. In fact, despite our many individual differences, on this wide reaching tenet we agree--"Get the parties out of the way and let the people decide!"

NEW YORK
Staking Out Slot In Race for Mayor (By MICHAEL HOWARD SAUL, Wall Street Journal) City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and former Comptroller Bill Thompson—each potential nods for the Democratic nomination—are also looking at ways they can attract voters who might have been leaning toward Mr. Weiner.

INTERNATIONAL
Report from Juarez (East Side Institute News) Our last newsletter included updates from Miguel Cortes, class of 2008, a youth development worker and psychologist at CASA in Juarez, Mexico.  Since our last report, 16 high school youth were tragically massacred at a party -- the most recent tragedy in a city that has drawn worldwide attention for its drug-cartel fueled violence.  Miguel reports that the community was overwhelmed and shocked, then later outraged by the response of military authorities who dismissed the killings as "gang-related." Miguel immediately organized a community-education class where the young people were encouraged to give their pain in letters, poems and therapeutic conversation that might transform the community's loss. He continues working with the young people and is active in the varied committees and coalitions that have formed in the wake of the violence.