Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 39

We are the midst of a serious economic crisis. And in particular, California has taken a big hit - high unemployment, a public education system that fails our kids, and a degraded environment that is negatively impacting our quality of life. But our politicians, the people we've elected to fix these problems, are not doing their job. At all levels of government, politicians are busy serving special interests - and themselves. The privilege of public service has degraded into abuses by electeds - big salaries and benefits, gifts from lobbyists and a disconnection with the real needs of our community and families. I am running to be your next Assembly representative to fix these issues. I ask for your support and vote. If you send me to Sacramento I will fight for your interests, not the political parties, lobbyist or special interests. If you elect me I will focus like a laser beam on three issues of critical importance to our future:

1. Jobs. We must put the full weight and power of California's government towards generating more jobs, rebuilding our manufacturing base with clean energy industries and creating conditions so that small businesses can thrive again. Putting Californians back to work will be my mission - and I will not stop fighting until every person in our district who needs a job can get one.

2. Education. Our public education system has failed our kids. We must institute comprehensive reform of our schools and their management. We must fully fund public education so that our kids have the opportunity to compete with students from anywhere in the world. I know that we can have a world-class public education system again - and I will not stop until we achieve it.

3. Quality of Life. The Los Angeles region has suffered from years of environmental neglect. We now have the worst air quality in the nation, the worst traffic and among the poorest water quality of any city in the United States. Smart, sensible action must be taken to restore the wonderful quality of life that made Los Angeles a magnet for people from across the country and across the world.

These problems are challenging. But I am ready to roll up my sleeves and start working to fix them. I ask you for your support. Together we can make progress, together we can make a better future for ourselves and our kids.

Mr. Lindblad campaigns on the Green Ten Key Values of a Green New Deal in the California Legislature to build a relocalized, bioregional, steady state economy - arising from the financial meltdown and 'Great Disruption' borne of a failed-growth economy. Repudiating the failed, "business-as-usual" growth economy, whether in politics or his architecture practice, will lessen the likelihood of human extinction. Lindblad is an "effective squeaky wheel" in advocacies for health-care patient rights against Big Insurance, for decentralizing and relocalizing water resources, energy, material goods and food production for local reliance, award-winning in the successful Panorama City commercial area revitalization in saving neighborhoods by promoting a healthy environment and sustainable living, experienced in meeting budgets and payrolls as a small business and in tipping the balance against the Mayor of Los Angeles thwarted solar power grab - have all prepared Lindblad to be his District's grassroots community advocate in the State Legislature.

Social justice issues are inextricably tied to environmental justice and must be part of the environmental agenda. Once elected, Lindblad will support and advance legislation to: one: Save our Neighborhoods! by lessening the most catastrophic effects of global warming, promote a healthy environment, see a transition to a relocalized, green-collar, steady-state economy, promote sustainable living, full fund our 32 District-wide ground water cleanup projects, and watershed restoration, implement Greenways per Los Angeles 1968 Citywide Plan, Los Angeles River rewilding and cessation of neighborhood gentrification, two: Ensure Health care is a Right, not a privilege! by guaranteeing quality universal single payer healthcare for all, three: Stop Payola Politics! by banning all corporatist lobbying and campaign spending with implementation of public financing of elections, and four: Protect Rights - not Raids! by asserting Human Dignity and fair Immigration rights by immediately ending immigration raids and deportation, reverse spending on prisons over education; promote early childhood care, education, mentoring and sports to stop gang violence; using a "split roll" amendment to Prop 13, and sunset regressive tax policy by a phased elimination of state tax on lower income workers.

"Our agenda is achievable in no small part by accepting no corporate donations, and as a result having no corporate beholdence," says Lindblad. "Constituents, not corporations, require to be represented by our form of government, a constitutional democracy, not a plutocracy - which it has become."

Having demonstrated leadership in the community and having proven leadership at the polls - without any corporate donations, Lindblad's overall vote count attained an astonishing 8.06% - comprising a preeminent 1600% of the 39th Assembly District's Green registered base to rank among the top Green Party results whether for partisan or non-partisan contests.

What are Lindblad's legislative proposals to answer economic disaster establish? The regressive tax policy must be changed as part of the initiatives to transition to an thermal-solar green jobs economy and to steer away from unregulated financial environments. Reduce inflationary spiral on lower income workforce by a phased elimination of state tax on wages and salary and sales tax compensated with a graduated tax rate on gross rents, gross business receipts and resource-based taxes. Curb unsustainable speculative urban sprawl, mansionification through tax incentives by replacing tax on building improvements with tax on land. By doing so, transit-oriented, pedestrian friendly, mixed-use development, generating on-site renewable power and certified renewable energy credits is encouraged. The overall objective is to 'get off the grid' by achieving net-zero-energy performance. Change tax policy to close developer loopholes to increase public coffers. Single payer universal healthcare will save 30% over the current privatized structure. Represent people and neighborhood interests by removing the developer and corporate lobbyist influence over land-use planning decisions.

Constituents have an extremely low esteem of politicians and state legislatures in particular - fed by investigations of the current office-holders over questions of improper control of independent campaign committees. The economic collapse weighs heavily in people's low esteem of legislators who are not addressing everyday concerns about skyrocketing prices. Legislators cannot justify their unlimited automobile gasoline account at the public's expense. The 85 day late budget threatened business vendors to the State.

Reducing the 2/3 threshold required to pass the budget would dislodge the corporate, extortive, partisan influence over the budget process whose agenda imperils and cuts off social services.

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Issues and Green Answers critical to our 39th Assembly District - categorized according to the Green Party Ten Key Values

Solving the state budget problem first requires:

ecological wisdom:

To slow global warming and stabilize our biosphere, what is urgently required is nothing less than an all-out effort worthy of last century's World War II. The Democrats take on 'green collar' jobs is too little too late. As a human species, we must halt global greenhouse gas emissions and develop zero net energy technology; reducing is not enough.

Current officeholders have demonstrated an outright opposition to seriously address implementation of AB 1493 (Global Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act) - as evidenced by fence-sitting which defeated Assemblymember Ruskin's 'Feebates' consumer credits given toward the purchase of high mileage, small cars in addition to surcharging purchasers of SUVs.

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Then, to stimulate consumer spending, cut prison spending, while actually increasing education spending:

decentralization:

Seeding a 'green collar' economy to provide for a workforce is imperative to maintain, grow and expand zero net energy building developments, affordable housing and innovate greenhouse gas-reducing technologies. By 'getting off the grid', funding will be manageable for maintaining and improving a smaller, more efficient infrastructure.

social justice, respect for diversity, feminism:

Reduce inflationary spiral on lower income workforce by a phased elimination of state tax on wages and salary and sales tax compensated with a graduated tax rate on gross rents, gross business receipts and resource-based taxes.

I will promote legislation to immediately end immigration raids and deportations. Political initiatives need to link every environmental demand to specific legislation that improves quality of life in our working class district - programs that employ youth in a living wage 'green collar' economic community (to answer challenges which cause gang activity), that create more parkspace (given the prevalent immigrant community's pro-environment health-conscious, wide usage of out-door public spaces and green recreational spaces), that extend opportunities for people to enjoy nature and to participate in green politics, that confront the immorality of a rich state while our children are poor.

Current legislative initiatives create more criminal infractions which would expand the already runaway 8 billion dollar California Prison-Industrial complex. My green answer is removing jail time for victimless crimes, removal of 'three strikes' and using the expanded education dollar for educative, correction-oriented programs over punishment to reduce the size and uncontrolled spending of the current prison system. Fully fund educational programs, especially those for early childhood. Costs per student are far less than the cost per prisoner in a dysfunctional prison complex.

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Eliminate the deficit by stopping the War for Oil in Iraq and reduce military spending everywhere else, pushing Congress for our fair share given the Federal tax contribution - besides closing developer loopholes, seeding a green collar economy, while replacing the present dirty money, corporatist welfare legislation with Clean Money, publicly financed elections allowing single payer healthcare - saving 30% over the current privatized structure. After all, California is the sixth largest economy on the world stage and the actual savings will be immense.

community-based economics:

In an extended period of spiraling downward real estate value and economic depression, the mark of a civilized society would not to eliminate the 16 billion dollar State Budget deficit by closing parks, workforce healthcare programs, and entitlements to the poor, disabled, elderly and children. Instead, curb unsustainable speculative urban sprawl, mansionification through tax incentives by replacing tax on building improvements with tax on land. Change tax policy to close developer loopholes to provide for the common interest and to increase public coffers.

future focus/sustainability:

Redirect "Enterprise zones" (in which the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency engages in real estate speculation while allowing growing blight in the community) toward attracting and encouraging transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly, mixed use, zero net energy, smart, compact, ecological-inspired architecture to reduce urban sprawl's carbon footprint and meet the 2030 mandated reduction of 80% - 90% of global greenhouse gases to mitigate global warming.

Restore riparian areas in contaminated properties (closed landfills, and auto salvage yards) for green space (our lungs), recreation, community gardens, horse, bicycling and hiking trails.

Maintain the mission of Hansen Dam to protect urban development from flooding and promote small water retention ponds, underground aquifers and cisterns. By doing so, we begin to answer the water shortage challenging the continued existence of 18 million Southern Californians.

Expand rail and jitney transit to compensate for the required trips now taken by private, gas-consuming vehicles - which will be phased off the roadways.

personal/global responsibility:

Incumbents has amassed an unknown number of 'hidden' campaign committees with unknown amounts of dollars. One might conclude that legislative initiatives appear to be gestures toward nursing a corporatist money flow into campaign committee treasuries. My Green answer is to promote a ban on lobbyist funding of elections and to publicly financed elections to hold elected officials responsible and accountable to the people's interests, not corporate interests so that single-payer health care can save 30% off the cost of providing quality healthcare for all.

Who (and How Many People) in Los Angeles County Would Be Affected by the Governor's Proposed Budget?' (from california budget project 2008 numbers - even more brutal cuts are proposed for 2010)

The Governor has proposed substantial reductions to virtually all state-supported services to close the state's budget gap. The Legislature will consider these proposed reductions and other options during upcoming budget hearings. Who in Los Angeles County would be affected by the Governor's proposals?

• 1,544,710 students served by Los Angeles County's public schools. Cuts to five of the largest funding allocations for public schools in the county would equal $670 per student.
• 66,140 low-income children dropped from the CalWORKs Program.
• 418,840 low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who would lose the state cost-of-living adjustment for Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment cash assistance grants.
• 163,700 low-income seniors and persons with disabilities who would receive fewer hours of services through the In-Home Supportive Services Program.
• 5,170 fewer children enrolled in child care and preschool due to funding cuts to child development programs.
• 61,590 low-income children in 2008-09 + and a total of 112,140 children by 2009-10 + who would lose Medi-Cal coverage due to increased paperwork requirements.
• 2,261,650 low-income Medi-Cal recipients who may have reduced access to health care services because of payment cuts to health care providers.
• 249,220 children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program, which provides low-cost health coverage for children in low-income working families. The Governor proposes to increase family premium contributions and copayments and reduce dental services.
• Visitors to five state parks in Los Angeles County, which the Governor proposes to close.

Chilean Economist Manfred Max-Neef: US Is Becoming an "Underdeveloping Nation"

MANFRED MAX-NEEF: The principles, you know, of an economics which should be are based in five postulates and one fundamental value principle. One, the economy is to serve the people and not the people to serve the economy. Two, development is about people and not about objects. Three, growth is not the same as development, and development does not necessarily require growth. Four, no economy is possible in the absence of ecosystem services. Five, the economy is a subsystem of a larger finite system, the biosphere, hence permanent growth is impossible. And the fundamental value to sustain a new economy should be that no economic interest, under no circumstance, can be above the reverence of life.

AMY GOODMAN: Explain that further.

MANFRED MAX-NEEF: Nothing can be more important than life. And I say life, not human beings, because, for me, the center is the miracle of life in all its manifestations. But if there is an economic interest, I mean, you forget about life, not only of other living beings, but even of human beings. If you go through that list, one after the other, what we have today is exactly the opposite. AMY GOODMAN: Go back to three: growth and development. Explain that further.

MANFRED MAX-NEEF: Growth is a quantitative accumulation. Development is the liberation of creative possibilities. Every living system in nature grows up to a certain point and stops growing. You are not growing anymore, nor he nor me. But we continue developing ourselves. Otherwise we wouldn't be dialoguing here now. So development has no limits. Growth has limits. And that is a very big thing, you know, that economists and politicians don't understand. They are obsessed with the fetish of economic growth.

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Growth is a quantitative accumulation. Development is the liberation of creative possibilities. Every living system in nature grows up to a certain point and stops growing. You are not growing anymore, nor he nor me. But we continue developing ourselves. Otherwise we wouldn't be dialoguing here now. So development has no limits. Growth has limits. And that is a very big thing, you know, that economists and politicians don't understand. They are obsessed with the fetish of economic growth.

And I am working, several decades. Many studies have been done. I'm the author of a famous hypothesis, the threshold hypothesis, which says that in every society there is a period in which economic growth, conventionally understood or no, brings about an improvement of the quality of life. But only up to a point, the threshold point, beyond which, if there is more growth, quality of life begins to decline. And that is the situation in which we are now.

I mean, your country is the most dramatic example that you can find. I have gone as far as saying--and this is a chapter of a book of mine that is published next month in England, the title of which is Economics Unmasked. There is a chapter called "The United States, an Underdeveloping Nation," which is a new category. We have developed, underdeveloped and developing. Now you have underdeveloping. And your country is an example, in which the one percent of the Americans, you know, are doing better and better and better, and the 99 percent is going down, in all sorts of manifestations. People living in their cars now and sleeping in their cars, you know, parked in front of the house that used to be their house--thousands of people. Millions of people, you know, have lost everything. But the speculators that brought about the whole mess, oh, they are fantastically well off. No problem. No problem.

AMY GOODMAN: So how would you turn that around?

MANFRED MAX-NEEF: Well, I don't know how to turn it around. I mean, it will turn around itself, you know, in catastrophic manners. I mean, I don't understand how there isn't--millions of people can all of a sudden go out in the streets in the United States and begin destroying things, I don't know. That may perfectly happen. You know, the situation is absolutely dramatic. Absolutely dramatic. And it is supposed to be the most powerful country in the world, you know, and so on. And even in those conditions, they continue with those stupid wars, you know, and spend more, more, more millions and trillions. Thirteen trillion dollars for the speculators; not one cent for the people who lost their homes! I mean, what kind of logic is that?