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  1. Voting Guide 2008

    October 12, 2008 by elenamary

    It may seem unAmerikan but I like doing research on the candidates and issues before I vote.  I usually google all candidates, issues, and read the arguments of both sides, and review newspaper editorials.  Two of my big resources have have also been The League of Pissed off Voters and Progress Ohio.

    After I do my research, I write up my how to vote list and then email it to my  friends and family.  I like to think I get more than one vote because I have both people I persuade and people who blindly follow me.

    If you would like to look at sample ballots in Franklin county you can do so here and in the left column selecting sample ballot.

    Here is how I am encouraging people registered in my state and district to vote this year:

    President & Vice President  (Federal)
    Barack Obama  President
    Joe Biden  Vice President

    For Attorney General (State of Ohio)
    Richard Cordray

    I am a big fan of Richard Cordray.  I have seen him work hard as current Ohio  State Treasurer.  I’ve seen him reach out to Latinos and to volunteer and be a  liaison with Latino leaders.  What few times I’ve spoken to him, I’ve found him  to be genuinely interested in leaving this world better than he found it.

    For Representative to Congress (15th District)
    Mary Jo Kilroy

    I first meet Mary Jo Kilroy in 1997 when she hosted organizational meetings for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee.  She has for decades been a big supporter of labor rights.  She has fought in the trenches and is one of the strongest people I’ve meet in my life.  She has dedicated her life to representing the disenfranchised.

    For State Senator (16th District)
    Danielle R. Blue


    Sadly with both candidates running for State Senator, I seem to be unable to find any substance in terms of where they stand on issues.  However, in terms of endorsements by candidates I am much more likely to vote for Danielle R. Blue the Democratic candidate.

    For State Representative (24th District)
    Ted Celeste

    For County Commissioner (there are two seats in the running)

    Paula Brooks
    AND
    John O’Grady

    For Clerk of Court of Common Pleas
    Maryellen O’Shaughnessy

    For Franklin County Treasurer
    Edward Leonard

    For Franklin County Coroner
    Jan M. Gorniak (check out the link as it compares both candidates, then you’ll really want Dr. Gorniak to be the coroner).

    For Member of the State Board of Education (6th District)
    Kristen McKinley

    Justice of the Supreme Court
    Joseph Russo (His site always freezes up my computer which is why I am not providing the link)

    Justice of the Supreme Court
    Peter Sikora

    Judge of the Court of Appeals 10th District
    John A Connor

    Judge of the Court of Appeals 10th District
    Richard D. Brown

    Judge of the Court of Common Pleas
    Shawn Dingus

    Judge of the Court of Common Pleas Probate Division
    Eric Brown

    State Issue 1

    Proposed Constitutional Amendment To Provide for Earlier Filing Deadlines for Statewide Ballot Issues
    (Issue 1 at the League of Women Voters)
    I am reluctantly voting YES on issue 1.  Neither side has done any work on persuading voters one way or another.  In the end I based my decision on two things; first it is being brought forth by Dan Stewart.  Secondly I discussed it with one of my favorite lawyers, defenders of the constitution and the masses, El Pocho Abogado, upon looking over the amendment, he didn’t “see anything wrong with it”.  As such I am hesitantly voting YES on issue 1.

    State Issue 2

    Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Authorize the State to Issue Bonds to Continue The Clean Ohio Program for Environmental Conservation and Revitalization
    YES Clean Ohio in support of issue 2

    State Issue 3

    Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Authorize the State to Issue Bonds to protect private property rights in ground water, lakes, and other watercourses.
    YES
    (although I can’t find any information for or against this issue…geez people).

    State Issue 5

    Referendum on legislation making changes to check cashing lending, sometimes known as “Payday Lending,”fees, interest rates and practices.

    I am more firm in my yes on this issue then my stance on all the other issues combined.  Payday lending is predatory and needs to be regulated.
    YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

    State Issue 6

    Proposed Constitutional Amendment to amend the constitution by initiative petion for a casino near Wilmington in southwest Ohio and distribute to all Ohio Counties a Tax on the Casino.

    This is an issue where you feel like no matter how you vote the bad guys are going to win.
    I am encouraging  a NO vote on issue 6 …based a huge deal on the arguements listed here

    Issue #14-19

    Are Proposed Bond Issues for the City of Columbus
    YES on Bond Issues 14-19 I actually agree with the Columbus Dispatch on this one (shocking I know) and they do a good job of summing up why we should vote YES.

    Issue #75

    Proposed Bond Issue and Tax Levy Columbus City School District.
    YES…I always encourage YES when it comes to more money for our city schools.  My only problem with this, is that I think how we fund schools in this state is unjust.  Children in Upper Arlington public Schools do not receive the same education as children in Columbus Public Schools, and this has more to do with how we fund education in our state and our country.

    Category Ohio, personal | Tags: , | 13 Comments

  2. Latina Feministas Contra La Pendeja Palintonta

    October 6, 2008 by elenamary

    During the debates I got angrier and angrier about Sarah Palin. When she was first announced as the VP Candidate I was annoyed but not surprised that a group of old white man thought this was their best plan. But as time has gone on, I am more and more insulted as an American, as a woman, as a Latina, as an independent voter, that Sarah Palin is representing anyone.

    As such we formed an independent group of Latina Feministas Contra La Pendeja Palintonta (Latina Feminists united against Dumbass Palin). Blog entries will be written about Latinas who don’t want a candidate becuase she is a woman, but want the best candidate for our country.

    If you are interested in contributing to the blog, please either leave me a comment here or one on Latina Feministas Contra La Pendeja Palintonta.

    Category Latinos, personal, Politics, womyn | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  3. Turner Syndrome

    October 2, 2008 by elenamary

    I was working at a women’s health clinic doing medical interpretation.  The doctor and I had just seen a patient, a young woman from Oaxaca, Mexico whose Spanish had an indigenous language accent, I would guess Zapoteco but I have had Mixteco speaking patients as well. When we left the room, the Anglo doctor who had lived in the Dominican Republic and spoke Spanish fluently (I would assume as a Mormon missionary) said, “When she gets referred to an ObGyn we need to make sure they test her for Turner Syndrome”.

    I hadn’t ever heard of Turner Syndrome and so I asked the doctor what it was.  He explained it as a chromosomal disorder in females.  Inquisitively I asked how he could tell she had a chromosomal disorder as he’d only been in the room a few minutes.  He described Turner Syndrome as characterized by short, stocky women, with thick necks and a non-proportionate torso to body.  To which I replied “I don’t think it is Turner Syndrome.  I think we call that Mexican, particularly those of Oaxaca, where she is from.”

    Cultural difference?

    Part of the reason I feel a need to be a doctor is because my community needs people of their own practicing medicine. And this leads to Miles Curtiss and I doing a podcast on a pressure to excel as POC because we have had privilege and opportunity and if we don’t give to our own communities then who? Podcast should be posted on Monday.

    Category Latinos, Ohio, personal, race | Tags: , , | 1 Comment

  4. the child of an immigrant

    September 29, 2008 by elenamary

    My mother immigrated to this country shortly before I was born. She has told me many times that she feels an immediate connection with immigrants. That there is a common bond.

    I think that my mother being an immigrant has greatly affected the way I interact with others and view the world.

    I love learning about languages, cultures, and foreign events. I like meeting immigrants and asking them how to correctly pronounce their names, what languages they speak, knowing about their religious practices.

    When people ask how Barack Obama will do with foreign policy, I wonder why it is even a question. I believe in his foreign policy abilities the same way I believed in Bill Richardson’s. Obama, Richardson and I have something in common. We all have one parent who was a white American and one who was not. All of us have lived outside of the United States and all of us have a non-white, non-USian parent. We learned to fit into different cultures, to grow up within them and make them ours. We come to the table with a perspective that is unique in that we know we have to listen and be open in order to understand the ethos of a foreign language, culture, and perspective.

    The world wants to connect with us, the United States. They want to admire us and it is hard to admire us if we come in with an arrogance and without a desire to understand.

    I told my friend recently who has been grappeling with the idea of himself as a foreigner or Gringo “…you’ll never fit in and yet you’ll belong to all…colonization does that to us.”

    Barack Obama grew-up as all POC in the US do, never quite fitting in and yet he belongs and makes room for himself in all groups. He is a product of colonization as many of us are and because of that he can connect with foreign policy in a way no past US president could have.

    Category personal, Politics, race | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  5. My Family

    September 26, 2008 by elenamary

    Years ago I got some criticism that I blogged very little about my family and when I did blog about them, the compliments were wonderfully sweet and made me proud of my family;

    Elena Mary’s blog is one of the very first I started reading – nearly two years ago – and never once had I remembered her blogging about her sister … until Monday when her sister showed up in the NY Times. Pretty interesting. She’s even written a chapter of a book. Talk about a proactive family. –El Oso

    I feel proud of my brother too. He is currently in Japan helping out a friend and blogging about his life there. He is a Freegan and speaks Japanese fluently so I think it makes for interesting life. His blog is here and here is an excerpt:

    When we got to the station we dumpstered some cardboard to make the bed that i sleep on thicker, because only one piece of cardboard was kinda hard.

    Category personal | Tags: , , | No Comments

  6. In the waiting

    September 26, 2008 by elenamary

    An underground blogging video of the Democratic convention from the perspective of my favorite bloggers. Bloggers who focus on issues that directly effect POC, immigrants, women, the disenfranchised. I was late to work watching it and it was worth it. (Part three of the four part video left me with watery eyes).

    I think the people who will enjoy this video the most are those in blogtitlan. Included in the video are bloggers from Culture Kitchen, MamitaMala, Vivir Latino, The Unaplogetic Mexican, Zuky, and Awareness Blog. Enjoy!




    DNC08: Beer and Loathing (The Pollatix of Grain and Periphery) from nezua on Vimeo.

    Category Uncategorized | Tags: | No Comments

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