If you haven’t taken in a performance yet you can check out dates and times at www.roguefestival.com.

Proudly Presents:

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

Best-Selling Author/Scholar/Cultural Critic

Satellite Student Union

Sunday, March 14th at 7:00 pm

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson- an American Book Award recipient and

two-time NAACP Image Award winner- is one of the nation’s most

influential and renowned public intellectuals. He has been named one

of the 150 most powerful African Americans by Ebony Magazine.

“an excellent sociological primer on institutionalized racism in America.”

-Washington Post

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Sponsored by USU Productions and ASI

Campus Pride Announces Scholarships

for Summer Leadership Camp 2010

Full & partial scholarships available to LGBT and ally college students across U.S. specifically in NC, SC, GA and InterMountain West Region thanks to grants from the Gamma Mu Foundation, Alliance for Full Acceptance & B.W. Bastian Foundation

Campus Pride announced today that full and partial scholarships are available to attend the fourth annual Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp.  Lesbian, gay,bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally undergraduate student leaders may apply for the scholarships to attend camp from any college across the country. This year camp will be hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from July 20th through July 25th, 2010.  Apply online at www.campuspride.org/camp.asp

Numerous scholarships are available to help interested college students who are unable to pay the full camp registration fee. Full and partial scholarships are made possible by grants from the Gamma Mu Foundation (Non-Region Specific), Alliance for Full Acceptance (SC, NC & GA) and the B. W. Bastian Foundation(InterMountain West Region). Campus Pride seeks a diverse cohort of student leaders and these grants assist in this commitment across race, socio-economic, religion and geographical lines. First priority consideration is April 16, 2010 and rolling decisions thereafter.

“Building the next generation of LGBT and ally leaders is our first priority. Campus Pride is very appreciative of these grants to support camp and seek more LGBT and ally youth representation from specific regions of the country — and which reflect a greater diversity of our movement across all identities,” Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride, said.

Students interested in social justice, human rights, and civil rights advocacy will be particularly interested in this leadership opportunity. Unlike any other camp,the Campus Pride Camp blends social justice leadership training with the traditional kind of bonding opportunities and lifetime friendships that only can be found at camp. The camp mission states that “At the heart of a remarkable leader is a passion and a vision for change.”

The 2010 Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp provides a safe space for LGBT and ally leaders to develop and enhance their leadership skills and understand the importance of social change, education and activism. Campus Pride coordinates the camp with a dozen expert faculty and educators to plan the camp. These faculty and peer educators deliver the five day curriculum of skill building in leadership development, social justice and civic involvement.

For more information about the Campus Pride Summer Leadership Camp, please visit www.campuspride.org/camp.asp. Scholarship applications can be found at: www.campuspride.org/campscholarships.pdf

Also, Campus Pride provides ideas and tips for fundraising to go to camp: (www.campuspride.org/campfundraising.pdf). Online registration and more information are available at www.campuspride.org or by emailing info@campuspride.org.

The genesis of the concept of voter approved initiative originated in California. It was implemented in the early 1900’s to give voters the ability to circumvent the legislature which was dominated and influence heavily by special interests of various kinds including: railroad companies and mega-industrial powers. The original intent of the initiative was innocent to say the least. However, since its inception it has become one of the primary factors that have contributed to California’s governmental dysfuntionalism.

Over the decades the initiative process has subjected the state to numerous laws and regulations that bind legislators and the executive when it comes to drafting legislation and implementing reforms to fix state government. This is especially the case regarding the state budget. For the past twenty years the state has suffered from chronic budget deficits. Although there are various reasons as to why California goes into the red every year, one specific reason that can be accredited to the chronic budget problem is the passage of specific initiatives, such as Prop 13. Prop 13 re-directed the collection of the state’s income from property taxes to individuals personal incomes. The initial intent of Prop 13 was well intended, to assist low-income and the elderly from skyrocketing property taxes, thus allowing them to keep their property as well as their homes.

Prop 13 passed with an overwhelming majority of voter support, however, as with most voter approved initiatives, no one bothered to research the consequences of what this initiative would have on the state budget, or neglected to emphasize specific troubles that the state would encounter in the proceeding decades. In short, the state is bound by very few individuals who make up well over half of the states intake of taxes. According to the Legislative Analysts Office These individuals account for less than three percent of returns but almost 50 percent of liabilities. In contrast, tax payers with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of less than $50,000 accounted for over 70 percent of returns but less than 10 percent of liabilities. The higher the incomes of individuals, the higher their incomes are taxed making AGI’s progressive meaning: that the personal income taxes rates rise with income causing taxpayers with higher taxable incomes to pay proportionately larger share of their incomes in taxes than those with lower incomes.

This is problematic in terms of having a stable source of revenue. As the income of these individuals drop, so does state revenues. In economic hardship, the state must acclimate itself to find ways of filling budget gaps and finding new revenues sources, raise taxes, or cut programs. If the state ever wants to alleviate itself from this problem it not only must change its antiquated system of collecting taxes, as well as, overhauling voter discretion regarding the initiative process. Undoubtedly voters did not realize the full extent of the budgetary consequences while passing Prop 13 and what it would do to lawmakers ability to implement reforms.

The process itself has gotten so problematic that California’s Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, Ronald George, has advocated its reform, “no where is the practice of government by voter initiative as extreme as it is in California.” According to him California is the only state to bar legislators from changing most voter-approved initiatives, and one of the few that permit constitutional amendments by a majority of public vote, with no legislative oversight. He suggests that California limit the process that other states have implemented and require extensive oversight such as requiring more than a simple majority for constitutional amendments, require legislative review before or after initiatives reach the ballot or ban initiative backers from using paid signature-collectors. I would have to concur with Chief Justice George, however, getting the rest of the state to acknowledge such amendments to the initiative process, let alone approving them seems at most challenging in every respect.

Note: you can read the rest of Chief Justice Ronald George in the Sunday edition of the Fresno Bee, February 21, 2010 “Initiative process blasted again: Chief justice says props favor special interest.”

First up: ArtHop! ArtHop takes place the first Thursday of every month and allows anyone and everyone to take a free tour of the city’s art galleries (betcha didn’t even know Fresno had multiple art galleries, huh?). Make sure to check out the Iron Bird Cafe. it recently opened in a cool little development on the edge of downtown. They apparently have someone tied up on a wall or something…

Next: RogueHop! Okay okay so maybe the title needs some work but this is the Rogue Festival’s teaser, kick-off, whathaveyou. It’s from 5-8 PM at the Ashtree Studio, it’s that building surrounded by grass on Wishon, followed by the Pre-Party (as opposed to the pre-after party which is what Queer Fresno will be throwing on March 12th) at Full Circle Brewing Company.

So yes, that’s two – count ‘em 1, 2 – things to do during the week in Fresyes. We’re movin’ on up!

We have a guest speaker coming from EQCA to talk about volunteer opportunities.  Don’t miss out!

David Reitz
United Student Pride President
California State University Fresno
  email: onecreativeword@gmail.com
  cell: (559) 930-3888