California Democratic Council: George Lakoff Guest Speaker @ CDC Meeting in Los Angeles

George Lakoff Guest Speaker @ CDC Meeting in Los Angeles

The CDC meeting held on Friday, April 16, at the CDP 2010 Convention was a huge success with standing room only!

Starting out, Trent Lange, Californians for Fair Elections gave us an overview of Proposition 15.

Next, Senator Loni Hancock gave an overview of the Majority Vote Budget initiative which is designed to remove the 2/3 vote requirement from for budget decisions.

Finally Professor George Lakoff, University of Berkeley, talked about the California Democracy Act which is designed to remove the 2/3 vote requirement for both budget and revenue decisions.

George Lakoff.png

One of the world's best-known linguists, Professor Lakoff is widely recognized for his research on metaphorical thought, the embodied mind, and the structure of language. However, his application of cognitive science and linguistics to politics has brought him to national attention.

His latest project is the California Democracy Act, an initiative on the November 2010 ballot designed to eliminate the 2/3 vote requirement for passing the state budget.

Join us as Mr. Lakoff explains his initiative compared to similar initiatives being proposed.

Here are a few words from George Lakoff:

Dear Friends,

The California budget crisis is a democracy crisis.

The 2/3 vote rules have destroyed democracy. A small minority of extreme conservatives - 37 percent - has been controlling the state legislature by saying no to all proposals until it gets what it wants. They want to destroy the ability of the state to serve public needs. They like the budget cuts. They don't care about the pain they have caused.

We - the majority of voters - can change all that. We can pass the California Democracy Act, an initiative on the November 2010 ballot. It is one sentence long - only 14 words. It is simple democracy.

"All legislative actions on revenue and budget must be determined by a majority vote."

It would make two minor changes in the Constitution: In two places, "two-thirds" becomes "a majority". That's all. And it can be passed with only a majority vote!

To get this initiative on the ballot and to pass it, we will need your help.

For more information, go to www.CaliforniansForDemocracy.com - now.

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