Intestinal Fortitude

Last year, Bay Area Congresswoman Jackie Speier took on Craigslist for cashing in on trafficking women and girls for prostitution. Now she's taking on the GOP for attacking Planned Parenthood. I know courage and integrity are rare commodities in Congress, but if we had a few more like her, the country wouldn't be in such a mess.

A Little Banged Up

I think it was Jeff Bridges in the movie Seabiscuit who remarked that racehorses are like humans--just because they've been a little banged up by life doesn't mean they should be thrown away. I thought of that line when reading the story about Grimes Poznikov in this morning's San Francisco Chronicle. It's the kind of story that makes San Francisco the remarkable place it is.

Attitude Makes a Difference

Unlike much of the country, tribes in California have no treaties with the United States. In fact, in the early days of statehood, California’s government paid a bounty on murdered Indians.

So it comes as a relief to all that the new governor of California, Jerry Brown, has made cooperation with Indian tribes a priority. One month into his term, California Fish and Game has reversed the former governor’s policy of denying fishing and gathering rights to North Coast tribes.

While battles over water and salmon habitat remain to be resolved, the tone in the state capitol has changed dramatically. That attitude makes a big difference.