No respect, no peace
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Sacramento News & Review
Cosmo Garvin, Seth Sandronsky and Hugh Biggar
10/21/2010
It's been a tough year for the Peace and Freedom Party in California. In the spring, voters passed Proposition 14, the "top two" primary system, which will probably spell the end of third-party election campaigns in the state. The press, particularly the big dailies, have never been very understanding, or interested. And when The Sacramento Bee did get around to mentioning Peace and Freedom candidates running for statewide office, well, the paper of record blew it.In its big "Voters Guide 2010" published a couple of Sundays back, Team Scoopy lists Stuart Alexander as the Peace and Freedom candidate for governor. P&F did have a Stewart (with an e) Alexander running in the party's primary. But the nominee was actually Carlos Alvarez, a 23-year-old grocery-store worker who has made an immediate moratorium on foreclosures and evictions a major plank in his campaign platform.The Bee did print a small correction at the bottom of page two the following Tuesday. "You know, that spot nobody looks at," noted John Reiger, a party activist in Sacramento. It's too soon to tell how badly the error will hurt the Alvarez campaign. (Cosmo Garvin)The art of war Activist artists have a plan for the battered Sacramento economy: Shift spending of our taxes on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to lean city and county budgets.Sacramento residents paid $536 million of federal taxes on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past three years, reports the National Priorities Project. Over the same three years, the city of Sacramento has cut $97 million in spending.Enter the Sacramento Valley branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, co-sponsoring the Cost of War Art Project at Sol Collective, 2574 21st Street, through October 27.Tammy Helenske, a Sacramento artist, created "Dimensions of Polarity." Her acrylic on canvas with a vibrantly painted U.S. flag sits above reversed dollar symbols signifying war spending on a wood placard.Buyers must agree to prominently display purchased artwork for six months. "Placing this art in a place with public traffic can spark dialogue concerning cuts to jobs and services, and the cost of war and the priorities of Sacramento residents," said Laurie Funaroff, project co-organizer.For more about participating in the Cost of War Art Project, e-mail wilpf@nicetechnology.com or call (916) 369-5510. (Seth Sandronsky)New hope for Old Soul Old Soul Co. coffee will have another shot at landing a spot in Sacramento's new airport terminal. On Tuesday, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will hear an appeal from Old Soul's owners.The Sacramento business was initially denied a slot in the new Terminal B, which brings with it exposure to millions of customers (see "Vendor bender," SN&R Frontlines, October 7).In response, Old Soul launched a petition drive and the board of supervisors agreed to reconsider the decision. SSP America, which won a bid for a package of restaurants at the terminal, has been asked to see if they can accommodate Old Soul as well.The meeting takes place October 26 at 2:15 p.m., 700 H Street. (Hugh Biggar)
