On March 29th, the California Rice Commission gave their approval for the planting and milling of two genetically engineered drug-producing rice varieties spliced with synthetic human genes. This will be the first commercial pharmaceutical food crop in the world and could be planted anywhere in the state.

The Food and Drug Administration has established a zero tolerance for pharmaceutical crop products in food and animal feed. Contamination of the food supply with this rice is inevitable!

Final approval for this Pharmaceutical Rice must still be granted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). CDFA may be making a decision at any time.

[ Californians for GE-Free Agriculture I Background on GE Rice in California I Raising Risk: Field Testing of GE Crops in the US I BioTech IMC I PDX-IMC's GMO Page ]

On March 9, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meeting was filled with a couple hundred Santa Cruz County residents to advocate for Gay Marriage. Santa Cruz County locals have been asking the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors to follow the lead of San Francisco and join the lawsuit being filed against the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment banning same-sex marriages.

The community members present were happy when the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (4 yes, 0 no, 1 absent) in support of asking Richard Bedal, the Santa Cruz County Clerk, to join the lawsuit being filed against the proposed ban on same-sex marriages. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has no authority to order the independently elected clerk to act.

Same-Sex Marriage Testimony

more photos: [ 1 - 2 - 3 ]

[ Same-Sex Marriages Break Barrier in America I Indybay's LGBTI / Queer Page I The Diversity Center I Santa Cruz Pride I GLBTI Resource Center at UCSC I Manifesto News ]

A growing concern over the inadequacies of election equipment in the United States has recently been heightened by the problems of the 2000 Presidential election. Added to the mix is the election reform mandated by recent federal legislation attempting to address the concerns. The result is that many states are scurrying to replace their older equipment with new electronic voting computers.

Unfortunately, election technology has not advanced to the point where it can provide us with electronic systems that are reliable enough to trust with our democracy. In other words, we just aren’t there yet.

Here are the facts:

• Computer experts say today’s voting machines are prone to errors and vulnerable to fraud.
• Defective hardware and bugs in software could decide who wins an election.
• Even thorough testing can’t reveal malicious programs that could subvert an election.
• Many election officials don't realize the risks inherent in using electronic voting machines.
• Courts have ruled that secret software can be used to record and count our votes.
• Manual recounts will be impossible in districts that don’t allow voters to inspect a paper record of their votes.

Audio: Rockin' the Boat: Interview with Bob Kibrick, legislative analyst with VerifiedVoting.org

[ VerifiedVoting.com I California at a glance I Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines and Santa Cruz County ]

Hundreds of people came together to express their support for the medicinal use of cannabis, and the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM), in particular. Santa Cruz residents, including physicians, politicians, and caregivers, addressed today's crowd in strong support of WAMM and the rights of California voters who passed the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.

Article and Photos I More Articles

Caltrans Policy Allowing Only American Flags To Hang On Highway Overpasses Found Unconstitutional By Federal Court

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As long as mankind has tread this earth, there are always differences of opinion, and there is no lack of them today. It usually is tied to where your interests lie, and not necessarily on what is right or wrong. Nowhere is this more apparent that in the workings of government and the politics it inspires. Weve included a few in this volume of the more important ones. Of course, that too is a matter of opinion.

Quite simply, the Capitola police had no business in the mall prior to the attempt by demonstrators to enter with signs.

Equal opportunity criminal prosecution for Howard Dean’s top appointees/cronies….

global capitalism is an economic Colt 45 for the times

Colin Powell will be speaking at De Anza College in Cupertino (just north of San Jose on Stevens Creek Blvd.) three evenings in a row.

Download the mp3