Subject: Social Policy

• A Little Bit Pregnant

  Whoever said you can't be a little bit pregnant never reckoned with the can-do spirit of the Bush administration. As the Washington Post reports: New federal guidelines ask all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves -- and to be treated by the health care system -- as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon. Among other things, this means all women between first menstrual period and menopause should take folic acid supplements, refrain from

  May 17, 2006

• Staying the Course

  At his press conference this morning, President Bush promised yet again that when it comes to Iraq, we'll continue to push on even though we're waist deep in the Big Muddy. Elsewhere in this morning's news we find some milestones of the course on which we are staying. From the Washington Post: A team of American and Iraqi epidemiologists estimates that 655,000 more people have died in Iraq since coalition forces arrived in March 2003 than would have died if the invasion had not occurred.The est

  October 11, 2006

• Tan Nguyen's Only Friends...

  ...Yep: the anti-immigrant crowd. At today's raid/media circus at Republican congressional candidate/alleged anti-Latino letter sender Tan Nguyen's office, a contingent of fogies from the California Coalition for Immigration Reform--apparently forgiving Nguyen for faking their letterhead and sending a letter off to 14,000 voters--told anyone who would listen that Nguyen was right: immigrants shouldn't vote. Now another organization, the U.S. Immigration Reform PAC, has issued this statement. In

  October 20, 2006

• Arnold's New Era Begins

  In his inaugural address last Friday, Governor Schwarzenegger announced the beginning of a new chapter in California history, the "post-partisan" era, explaining, "The question is not what are the needs of Republicans or Democrats? The real question is what are the needs of our people?… Post-partisanship is Republicans and Democrats actively giving birth to new ideas together." So, how's that going to work in practice? One answer can be found in the Los Angeles Times today, the first fu

  January 8, 2007

• Healthcare and that Jolly Ol' Elf

  There's been a lot of talk about the governor's universal healthcare plan, but once you get past all the talk you discover… well, that plan may be too strong of a word. The governor's universal healthcare good intention may be more accurate. Anthony York explains in the Capitol Weekly. (emphasis added) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger received international attention when he unveiled his plan for universal health-care coverage. The plan made the front page of the New York Times and the Washin

  February 2, 2007

• Unfortunate Acronym of the Day

  Earlier today, representatives from the Arizona Interfaith Network, Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, Kansas City's El Centro and the United Farm Workers set up a teleconference call to argue why comprehensive immigration reform is necessary. They met under the name Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, or CCIR for short. Of course, the famous CCIR 'round these parts is the Mexican-hating California Coalition for Immigration Reform. Given that CCIR head witch Barbara Coe was recently

  May 23, 2007

• And now a word from Dana Rohrabacher on Mexicans, the Liberal Left, Lucy & Charlie Brown

  Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in the U.S. House of Representatives on 5/22/07: A tsunami of illegal aliens is sweeping into our country, crowding our classrooms, closing our hospital emergency rooms, unleashing violent crime, and driving down wages. This is not theory. It is a harsh, threatening reality borne out not by numerous academic studies, but by the life experiences of the American families from California to Georgia and from Iowa to New Jersey. Our middle class is being destro

  May 26, 2007

• Ed Royce Makes a Run for the Border

  The San Diego Union-Tribune, whose editorials typically lean solidly to the right, has come out firmly against mixing illegal immigration with the war on terror--and with "The Wrong Mix," they more specifically chide OC's own Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) for chairing an Imperial Beach congressional hearing that did just that. Rep. Royce said his special hearing panel would focus on whether America's porous border makes it more vulnerable to another terrorist attack. That should have been our firs

  July 7, 2006

• Times chief part of concentration camps for immigrants policy

  Nikki Finke, who's all over the changing of the top guard at the LA Times, has a follow-up on a profile on their new publisher David Hiller soft-peddling his past, which included him being part of a controversial Reagan Administration U.S. immigration policy calling for "concentration camps."

  October 9, 2006

• Get Sicko This Saturday - Updated

  Michael Moore's new film Sicko, a comedic documentary about the U.S. health care system, opens nationwide June 29—but this Saturday (June 23), the University Town Center theater will be hosting a special sneak preview, presumably to get ahead of all the bootlegs that have been leaking out. UPDATED:Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets are for sale at the box office, and online at Fandango. The theater is located at 4245 Campus Dr., Irvine.

  June 18, 2007

• Illegal Immigration: Follow the Bouncing Logic

  When it comes to examining the root causes of illegal immigration, some Republicans work overtime to reconcile their hatred of "illegals" (cough—Mexicans!—cough-cough!) with the Bible—something that's not always easy to pull off given that the Bible preaches goodwill to those who are less fortunate. Take the Oct. 29 opinion piece that appeared on the Republican Party of Orange County's website. Rosie Avila starts off on a promising note, stating that the issue cannot be resolved until

  November 12, 2007

• Monday's Headlines. No Surprises: Shaky ground for the mayor-who-would-be-governor

  Preparing for deportation: In the past fiscal year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement made almost twice as many arrests (30,396) in its fugitive operations program as it did the previous year, reports the Register. ICE also picked up more than 4,000 illegals in workplace raids - up 11 percent from 2006. The increase in raids have immigration rights advocates urging families to plan for a deportation. On the to-do list: "taking care of property records and finances and making clear plans for w

  November 26, 2007

• Funniest Quote of the New Millenium

  "They came legally, though." --Idiot Iowa woman whose ancestors invaded the Americas on the Mayflower, in response to the issue of illegal immigration.

  December 6, 2007

• Funniest Register Poll of the Year...

  ...has to be the one they ran last week asking readers what "is the most effective way to stop illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border?" Reporter Amy Taxin sure knows her audience--of the options available, none included "open the borders ala the European Union," "reform the current immigration system to encourage more legal migration" or "turn over the southwest United States already." About the closest opinion to such immigrant-friendly options was "there is no effective way to sto

  December 26, 2007

• La Raza: Know Your Know Nothings

  We appreciate WeCanStoptheHate.org, a website run by perennial conservative cucuy the National Council of La Raza that documents the going-ons of various anti-immigrant pendejos. We don't agree with their efforts to boot said pendejos off the airwaves, and do they really want to eliminate one of their top reasons for existence? And while we're excited they cover some of our local Know Nothings, the NCLR should at least get their facts right--especially when it comes to the Weekly. For instance,

  February 11, 2008

• May Day rally not so big this year

  Santa Ana police spokesman Jose Gonzales says a multi-police agency force of about 185 officers, some just on standby, were on duty to keep the peace as an expected 6,000 people were to march for immigrant rights downtown. But when the event actually went down, there were nearly as many cops and media as there were protesters, making the whole thing seem overblown and underwhelming. Where were the marchers? Only about 500 actually showed up. The Weekly was there getting video, which we shoul

  May 1, 2008

• Shot in the Arm

  April 1, 1999

• Barbara Coe Upset Sarah Palin Doesn't Acknowledge Her

  On Sept. 15, California Coalition for Immigration Reform head Barbara Coe sent off a questionnaire to Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. "The California Coalition for Immigration Reform (CCIR) is a nationally recognized nonpartisan grassroots organization representing thousands of patriots nationwide," Coe wrote to Palin. "Our goal is the enforcement of our immigration laws, protection of law-abiding Americans from illegal alien invaders and the preservation of the U.S. as a sov

  October 16, 2008

• Welcome to Orange County, Now Go Home

  March 15, 2001

• OC's Taliban-Loving Congressman to Address OC's Taliban This Wednesday

  Ya wanna know why the California Coalition for Immigration Reform are evil, decrepit hypocrites? Because they're hosting Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Taliban) this Wednesday at their monthly Klavern at the Garden Grove Woman's Club on the corner of Gilbert and Garden Grove Blvd (starts at 7:30 pm; admission $5 for non-CCIR members). From the keyboard of CCIR head Barbara Coe: The courageous patriot Representative who always stands strong for the rights of loyal, law-abiding Americans of ever

  October 20, 2008

• Obama Town Hall Protesters Get Vlogged

  Former Weekly managing editor Rich Kane turns vlogger as he hits the mean streets of Costa Mesa to capture protesters outside President Obama's town hall at the Orange County Fairgrounds on Wednesday.Among the pissed-off masses Rich encounters is Barbara Coe of the Huntington Beach-based California Coalition for Immigration Reform--or, as she informs Rich, "we were the Prop 187 people." Asked what she is doing there, Coe informs, "To send a message to Mr. Communist Obama, Mr. Pro-Illegal Alien

  March 19, 2009

• [¡Ask a Mexican!] Special April Fools' Day Edition

  March 26, 2009

• Tastes Like Progress

  January 15, 2009

• Letters From OC Weekly Readers

  November 6, 2008

• Bush Victory Evidence of God's Existence

  December 14, 2000

• [¡Ask a Mexican!®] Cherry-Picking César Chávez

  July 3, 2008

• Sink or Swim

  The Missing Class explores what it takes to float above poverty

  November 29, 2007

• A Portrait of the Plaintiff as a Young Victim

  November 20, 2003

• The Martin Chronicles

  August 16, 2007

• Social Justice Summit

  April 16, 2009

• Hatesville, USA

  July 20, 2006

• Gracias, OC!

  May 18, 2006

• The Gilchristification of OC

  March 30, 2006

• !Ask a Mexican!

  December 29, 2005

• Border Story

  November 10, 2005

• THE RIGHT IS RIGHT

  Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist has it all figured outexcept for one little thing

  June 2, 2005

• Ouch!

  Why are county health officials in West Nile Denial?

  September 23, 2004

• To Protect and Slur

  April 18, 2002

• Breaking News!

  March 15, 2001

• Bankruptcy? What Bankruptcy?!

  December 9, 1999

• Unified, Schmunified

  April 1, 1999

• Orange County Clergy Goes Hollywood for Obamacare

  Yes, the people popping up everywhere to disrupt explanations of Obamacare by congress people and administration folk seldom get covered these days. A favorite was two days ago on CNN, when the anchorwoman cut to such a town hall where a U.S. senator was detailing the plan. Without hanging in long enough so viewers could figure out what the senator was explaining about the plan, CNN cut back to the doe-eyed newscaster, who said she'd check back in should "something happe

  August 11, 2009

• Health Care Agency Blocks Planned Parenthood's Final Attempt to Secure County Funding

  ​After thirty years of working closely with the county and swooping in to absorb patients the county's shoddy public health care system could no longer treat, Planned Parenthood was forced to give up the county grant it has received for the past nine years. In a scathing letter written to the county Health Care Agency, CEO Jon Dunn ripped into the agency, and the board of supervisors, for blatantly erecting a series of barriers that have made it virtually impossible for the organization to rec

  July 31, 2009

• Orange County Faith Leaders Pray for Immigration Reform

  OCCCO recently held a prayer vigil for healthcare reform. Now immigration reform is the cause.​Orange County Congregation Community Organization (OCCCO) is teaming up with local faith leaders for a prayer vigil calling for just immigration reform Friday evening in the sanctuary at  Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 1100 S. Center St., Santa Ana. A Catholic Celebration of Mass begins at 7 p.m., followed by the candlelight vigil at 7:45 p.m.   "As members of an inter-faith

  August 26, 2009

• Racist OC Register Fustercluck of the Week: Special Kennedy Appreciation Edition

  Until brain cancer ended his career, Senator Ted Kennedy was one of the hardest working legislators in American history, someone who even right-wing ideologues like Orrin Hatch admired and loved for his tireless dedication to public service. Ok sure, he had his faults. The man liked to drink. He caused the death of a young woman by crashing his car off a bridge and then walking home to call his attorney and sleep it off rather than going straight to the authorities. That was a long time ago, how

  August 28, 2009

• The Other Side of the Health-Care Debate Strikes Back

  The other side of the health-care debate (think opposite of Fox News' town hall criers) has come out swinging of late.California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee just issued a statement with the provocative title, "California's Real Death Panels: Insurers Deny 21% of Claims." The CNA/NNOC has compiled data that shows one in five requests for medical claims for insured patients, even when recommended by a patient's physician, are rejected by California's largest private in

  September 2, 2009

• [¡Ask a Mexican!] Wedding-Bell Azules

  September 3, 2009

• The OC Register Needs to Stop Respecting CCIR

  ​The Orange County Register did another immigration story over the weekend, this one interviewing Know Nothings and saints on opposite sides of the issue. I understand that reporter Cindy Carmaco has to adhere to trying to antagonize the Know Nothings as little as possible lest she receive dozens of nasty phone calls and email like every Reg reporter who ever covers SanTana and immigration, and thus must refer to any anti-immigrant loon as "anti-illegal-immigrant." But seriously, Cindy's edito

  September 8, 2009

• UC Irvine Seeks to Cut Through Healthcare Reform Bullshit

  The AFL-CIO convention in Pittrburgh voted last night to endorse single-payer, universal healthcare for all Americans, and rU.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) just trotted out to reporters his bill to provide non-single-payer, non-universal healthcare for not-quite-all Americans. Coincidence?  With healthcare premiums expected to rise 94 percent by 2020, everyone agrees something must be done. Well, everyone except town-hall criers. And Fox News. And Republicans. The main stic

  September 16, 2009

• Legends of Rock Festival

  September 17, 2009