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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (24913)	8/9/2003 2:41:10 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Citizen Gore: Bush is dishonest SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD Friday, August 8, 2003 Former Vice President Al Gore said yesterday the Bush administration routinely shows "disrespect" for the "honest and open debate" that results in the truth. Citizen Gore was not speaking as a candidate, but as an American "who loves my country." Gore's words ring true both on the war front and the domestic front. We share his concern about the direction of our nation and the risk to our basic values. Whether it's the pitch for war or tax cuts, we see an administration stretching the truth. Two examples from Gore's speech: "The U.S. pulled significant intelligence resources out of Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to get ready for the rushed invasion of Iraq and that disrupted the search for Osama at a critical time. And the indifference we showed to the rest of the world's opinion in the process undermined the global cooperation we need to win the war against terrorism." "Perhaps the biggest false impression of all lies is the hidden social objectives of this administration that are advertised with the phrase 'compassionate conservatism.' ... What the administration offers with one hand is the rhetoric of compassion; what it takes away with the other hand are the financial resources necessary to make compassion something more than an empty and fading impression." This newspaper, of course, endorsed Gore in the last election. This is not a second endorsement, but the growing evidence suggests we had it right the first time. seattlepi.nwsource.com

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (24913)	8/9/2003 3:07:55 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

Lizzie: This year, the local community college has had to increase tuition by 33% per college credit. Courses have been dropped, and those who received assistance are losing it. Fees have increased. If students complete their programs, there are no jobs waiting. The market hasn't recovered, interests rates are going up, which will topple real estate, the war is going badly, local services are disappearing, our shores remain unprotected against terrorist attack and Ashcroft continues to undermine the Constitution. Ken Lay is still scott free and Cheney's beloved Halliburton is reaping the windfall of our tax dollars rebuilding Iraq using American servicemen to protect its interests. If this doesn't piss people off enough, undoubtedly Bush and company are in Crawford cooking up something that will. IMO

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (24913)	8/9/2003 6:12:31 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Something Ventured, Plenty Gained ______________________________ Friday August 8, 8:20 am ET By Michael J. Mandel BusinessWeek Online As the economy and the tech sector try again for a sustained recovery, remember that the 1990s boom was as much about finance as about technology. The Internet was the star -- but it was the ability of new companies to raise hundreds of billions of dollars in venture capital that supercharged growth and innovation. Indeed, access to capital played a key role in powering the 1990s surge in tech hiring and spending. Much of the money taken in by young companies went to pay for programmers, new computers, and software. The numbers were huge -- the $90 billion increase in venture finance alone from 1997 to 2000 helped fund the $120 billion rise in tech spending for all businesses. NASDAQ'S CATALYST. A strong venture capital rebound could be more critical for growth in the coming years than it was in the 1990s. For one, VC funding is starting from a higher base. Venture investments hit a $17 billion annual rate in the second quarter of 2003, up a bit from the first quarter. That's way down from the 2000 peak, but far more than the $4 billion invested annually in 1992-94. With the NASDAQ stock index up some 25% since March, history suggests that venture capital will soon follow. An additional $10 billion in venture capital -- not unreasonable, with venture firms sitting on about $70 billion in uncommitted funds -- would translate into as many as 85,000 new jobs for programmers, biotech scientists, and the like [assuming salaries and benefits average $120,000 per job and most hiring occurs in the U.S.]. Or, if spent on new equipment or software, that $10 billion would add 2.5 percentage points to the growth rate of business tech spending. Why should venture capitalists, still hurting from recent losses, jump back in? VC investments usually follow the movements of the NASDAQ, the home of most tech IPOs, with a lag of a year or less. That pattern held in the early 1990s, and over the past few years, when venture capital and the market marched in tandem during boom and bust. The reason? Taking startups public is easier when stock prices are rising. Now, as tech stocks recover, the process is starting again. VCs "have been waiting for a sign that their investments will be worth the time and risk," says Kirby Wadsworth, vice-president for marketing and business development at Revivio Inc., a Lexington [Mass.] startup that just received $21 million in new venture funding. Globespan Capital Partners, an investor in Revivio, expects its overall investments for 2003 to be 50% to 100% higher than in 2002. GOOD OMENS. Revivio, which is developing a product that will make it easier to back up and restore data, will spend the vast majority of the money on salaries for software engineers and other product development jobs. Other companies are using venture funds to beef up their tech infrastructure. Inphonic Inc., a rapidly growing distributor of private-label wireless services, based in Washington, D.C., just raised $56 million in new venture financing. Part of the money, says CEO David Steinberg, will go to automating customer service, upgrading computers in call centers, and improving financial reporting software. Between now and the end of 2003, capital spending will total $10 million, up more than 100% over a year earlier. Adding to the impact, higher spending on tech by venture-financed companies could improve sales and profits at tech companies, boosting stock prices and making it easier to raise money. That's what happened in the late 1990s. Only in the U.S. do the stock market, venture capital, and tech spending reinforce one another like this. And this may be a very good reason to believe in a bright future for tech. biz.yahoo.com

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (24913)	8/9/2003 9:21:57 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Latinos unite behind mystery man Bustamante ______________________ Few know who he is, but many plan to vote for him anyway Jim Herron Zamora, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, August 8, 2003 sfgate.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Oakland's heavily Latino Fruitvale district, there were two main responses to the announcement that Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante is running to replace Gov. Gray Davis in the recall election. "Cruz who?" And, "A Latino is running! I'll vote for him!" The responses in an informal poll Thursday of 35 people on the streets of East Oakland and a few more in San Francisco's Mission District support the theory that Bustamante can energize California's Latino voters -- even those who know little about the candidate. "I don't know much about him, but I'll probably vote for him," said Rafael Cortez of Oakland. "He seems like a good person, and the politics of this thing are really ugly. It would be great to have a Latino governor." Carlos Garibotto, an immigrant from Peru who owns a small business in Oakland, added: "This could be our big chance to elect a Latino governor. Something good may come of this crazy recall." Bustamante, a Democrat, announced Thursday he was seeking to become the first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco, who held the governor's office for nine months in 1875. His overall message is complicated: Bustamante asked voters to oppose the recall yet vote for him in case Davis is ousted. But one part of his strategy is clear. Bustamante has already aggressively courted the Latino community. He leaked word that he was running to Spanish- language TV stations on Wednesday night, and he conducted a bilingual news conference to officially announce he was running. "I think Cruz Bustamante makes a very attractive candidate for the Latino community," said Luis Arteaga, executive director of the Latino Issues Forum, a San Francisco think tank. "He was the Spanish-language poster boy for Gray Davis (in 1998 and 2002) in both Spanish-language print and broadcast." "He has a base of support out there already if he can these voters to the polls," Arteaga said. Latinos, about a third of the state's population, are on their way to becoming the majority in California, according to the U.S. Census. But very few Latinos vote. About 44 percent are immigrants, including many who never obtained citizenship, and millions of other Latinos are too young to vote. But in a chaotic recall with more than 500 candidates, Bustamante could win if he can draw Latinos to the polls, said Arteaga and other analysts. Discussion in Sacramento centered around how Bustamante's entrance into the race may be a death knell for Davis. In a conference call among Senate Democrats, senators discussed a recent poll that showed Latino Democrats overwhelmingly in favor of the recall -- but many political experts wondered whether enough Latinos would show up on Oct. 7. With the chance to send the first Latino to the governor's office in 128 years, Latinos may turn out in droves to recall Davis and vote for Bustamante, one senator who was in on the call speculated. "They would have a motivating factor that would get them out to vote," the senator said. Many Latinos interviewed Thursday expressed distaste for Davis -- even those who had voted for him earlier. But most confessed they knew little about Bustamante, and some found Arnold Schwarzenegger an attractive option. "I don't know who Cruz Bustamante is, but I know I'm not voting for Gray Davis. He is awful," said Louisa Padilla of Oakland. "I'm tempted to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger -- well, maybe not -- I guess I need to start looking at the candidates more closely." Humberto Sandoval said he generally doesn't like politicians. "But I would rather have Cruz Bustamante than Gray Davis," said Sandoval, an Oakland resident who immigrated from Mexico in 1949. "And that movie star has a nice smile, but I wouldn't trust him further than I could throw him." But other Latinos are not getting on the Bustamante bandwagon. Both San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente said Bustamante should have waited. "He's an opportunist," said Frank Morales, a longtime Mission District activist and former city commissioner. "I don't like it at all that he is running. He's giving voters a reason to support this Republican recall. I wish the Democrats would present a united front." Pedro Tuyub, the editor of El Tecolote, a twice-monthly Spanish language newspaper in San Francisco, also pointed out that Peter Camejo, a Green Party candidate for governor, was working hard for the Latino vote as well. "I think it was a big mistake for Cruz to run, but this election is so crazy anything can happen," said Tuyub. Chronicle staff writer Mark Martin in Sacramento contributed to this report. / E-mail Jim Zamora at jzamora@sfchronicle.com