About 50 local political activists sang, chanted and waved picket signs in front of U.S. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's office Wednesday (Aug. 10) as part of a nationwide "Jobs Not Cuts" campaign organized by nonprofit liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org.
The rally was organized by the Mid-Peninsula American Dream Council (MPADC), a local coalition of MoveOn.org supporters founded two weeks prior by citizens from the 12th and 14th congressional districts.
Most of the rally attendees had heard of the event via MoveOn.org mailings, though some had met before at MPADC house meetings in San Mateo, San Carlos and Redwood City, they said.
Standing on the corner of Emerson Street and Forest Avenue, many protestors expressed their frustration with "money in politics," particularly related to job cuts. Several Core Council (founding) MPADC members gave speeches that articulated their concerns.
"I'm not excited to be here," said council coordinator Cilla Raughley, voicing her frustration with the Tea Party Patriots, whom she called "a small group of economic terrorists holding the country hostage."
"I'm here because I'm sick of hearing about dollars speaking louder than people," said Robin Hansen, a private voice instructor from San Mateo who described the group's shared sentiment as a "mad-as-hell, not-gonna-take-it-anymore feeling."
After the hour-long rally, six Core Council members were escorted into Eshoo's office building for a meeting with Eshoo's senior field representative Christine Padilla.
According to a statement by the office of Rep. Eshoo, "Congresswoman Eshoo thinks that President Obama should immediately call Congress back to Washington, D.C., and put forward his jobs plan. Additionally, Eshoo thinks that the President should insist that it be passed as soon as possible so we can put people back to work throughout the Peninsula and across the country."
A total of 254 rallies took place at congressional offices across the nation Wednesday, according to the MoveOn.org website.
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 11, 2011 at 9:39 am
on Aug 11, 2011 at 9:39 am
Why not talk to Obama directly about jobs? Obama likes to talk about jobs:
Web Link
Wonder how many of the "Move On" people would be ready to ship out to a CCC camp? Or if told by Obama that they had been assigned to a WPA project, and that they needed to report at 08:00 in the morning to start work, wonder how many of these "Move On" people would pass .. or just "Move On"?
Stanford
on Aug 11, 2011 at 9:47 am
on Aug 11, 2011 at 9:47 am
What does Move On have to do with this? Oh, that's right you hate having a black man in the White House.
You forget, Obama-Talks-And-Talks-And-Talks, that the Republican leadership made it their goal to work towards having Obama fail. They said it plainly and clearly. They do not care what the cost to the nation. And we are now seeing the results--our stock market in free fall etc. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Crescent Park
on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:18 am
on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:18 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Stanford
on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:30 am
on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:30 am
Web Link
"Republican Minority leader, Mitch McConnell said, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president," according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution."
"Web Link
"The Tea Party didn't exactly emerge from the debt ceiling fight smelling like a rose, according to a new CBS/New York Times poll.
The movement's unpopularity jumped to 40 percent, up from 29 percent in late April."
Web Link
"A new CNN/ORC International Poll released on Wednesday found the majority of Americans think it would be a good idea to put higher taxes on the wealthy to help the nation dig out of its massive debt problem.
Taxes on wealthy people should be kept low because they invest their money in the private sector and that helps the economy and creates jobs. 34%
Taxes on wealthy people should be kept high so the government can use their money for programs to help lower-income people. 62%
No opinion 5%"
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Menlo Park
on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:37 am
on Aug 11, 2011 at 11:37 am
Think about how John Boenher said he got 98% of what he wanted from the debt deal: a stock market crash, no movement on jobs, cut programs for the poor and middle class while leaving Bush tax cuts for billionaires, S&P lowers our credit rating because of the tea baggers stranglehold on the gop:
"* More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011.
* Since then, we have changed our view of the difficulties in bridging the gulf between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics any time soon."
John Beohner was offered a $4.7 trillion deficit reduction package. Think about how he couldn' take YES for an answer because of the tea bagger desire to never agree with the president.
Instead, he got a trillion now with a trillion later.
98% = ($4.7T < a couple trillion)
Funny math, Mr Boenher.
Which politicians pledge loyalty to an unelected crusader over their oath to our country?
Charleston Meadows
on Aug 11, 2011 at 1:19 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 1:19 pm
I'm laughing at moveon.org, dailykos, and the rest of the idiotic progressive/liberal imbeciles who thought that voting for Obama would usher in some kind of mystical new world order of peace and harmony, jobs and prosperity, and racial happiness. What a bunch of kool-aid drinkers! Obama is the one pushing the acrimony by standing in front of the Presidential seal and calling rich people "fat cats". Some harmony. The progressives ignored Hlllary Clinton when she pointed out that Obama lacked experience. Ignored? Heck, they massacred her with misogynist insults and accusations of racism. I used to BE a liberal/progressive, but never again! After witnessing the blind hatred they showed toward the Clintons in 2008. I'm no conservative and can't bring myself to vote republican, but I'll never be a democrat again either.
Stanford
on Aug 11, 2011 at 1:38 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 1:38 pm
"What a bunch of kool-aid drinkers! Obama is the one pushing the acrimony by standing in front of the Presidential seal and calling rich people "fat cats". Some harmony."
Yes, the republicans/tea baggers/conervative are all innocent altar boys:
Web Link
Web Link
Web Link
"After witnessing the blind hatred they showed toward the Clintons in 2008."
But you have no problem with the blind hatred shown Clinton when he was president???
Menlo Park
on Aug 11, 2011 at 2:15 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Hope: "I used to BE a liberal/progressive..."
I *AM* a fiscal conservative, that's why I vote Democratic.
Clinton left a surplus, created 23 million jobs and a great economy.
Republicans took over all three branches and left a complete and utter disaster:
- the worst economy since the great depression
- an economy hemorrhaging 700,000 jobs a month
- took a SURPLUS and turned it into a trillion dollar DEFICIT
- gave tax cuts to the ultra wealthy in A TIME OF WAR
- bloated Medicare by adding a huge program that he didn't pay for, also nuetered Medicare's ability to negotiate better drug prices
- two ridiculous wars, costing America trillions, and thousands of brave Americans their lives, tens of thousands their health and well being.
Support America's return to a good economy - create jobs, increase revenues, rebuild America.
Return to Clinton era tax rates and spending. Rewrite Medicare part D to require it be paid for. End the wars; bring our brave troops home and heal them.
Support America's economy by being a fiscal conservative and NEVER voting Republican again. Republicans only want to cut spending when a Democrat is in the white house.
Quit whining and name calling. Rebuild America with JOBS.
Think, Mike, think.
Stanford
on Aug 11, 2011 at 2:45 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 2:45 pm
It's kind of sad how Anna Eshoo accepts the support of MoveOn.
After she accepts the money from the corporate "leadership"
she votes their way, and betrays the left.
Why don't you ask her about the "Bio-Similars Bill"?
The bio-tech industry gave her am award for that one, but
it doesn't seem to be on her bragging list.
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Southgate
on Aug 11, 2011 at 3:39 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 3:39 pm
you were recorded on spy cams recently installed around eshoo office.
Greenmeadow
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:10 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Not disappointed in these posters. Exactly what I expected. Though Lily Tomlin said, "No matter how cynical you get, it's impossible to keep up", I believe I am approaching cynical enough to believe PT Barnum when he said "There's a sucker born every minute".
Yup...these "protestors" and their supporters online here really believe that the way to jobs is to take money from those who create it, pay a govt employee some of that money, and distribute the rest in, say..unemployment. Yup, that is the way to economic prosperity all right!
Menlo Park
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:41 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Sigh:
Yes. a fair tax system, with the government rebuilding our infrastructure through public/private partnerships IS the way.
Look how it worked in the 90's.
Then look what happened when the "job creators" got bush's ridiculous tax breaks - job losses on an unparalleled scale.
Tax cuts for the wealthy while the rest sacrifice hurts the economy. Real world proof in the last decade.
Registered user
Midtown
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Registered user
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Hey, Rebulicans destroy, Obama is 50% or more white, so can the race crap. Unless you believe the old segregation saw that "One drop of Negro blood..."
Crescent Park
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:55 pm
on Aug 11, 2011 at 5:55 pm
@Think: not taking issue with your opinion...however I believe you are incorrect about Clinton's Federal budget record. Clinton did have a budget surplus - but he did not eliminate the Federal debt of that era.
And we all know that no President can take credit for a boom economy - that only happens when ingenuity and investment from the private sector hits pay dirt.