Friends ~ a couple of things, one local and one national. Please read up, and please take action. *1. I was extremely disappointed to read in the New York Times today that President Obama is planning to follow the Bush administration course of giving money to Wall Street with NO strings attached. * Please read the article, pass it around, and most of all, please write to Obama at Whitehouse.gov and let him know that you object to this course of action. Not only would this be terrible for the country, as it will rob taxpayers, and diminish the financial resources available to mitigate the financial crisis, but should this go forward, it will tarnish Obama's reputation and make it more difficult for him to pursue a progressive course on other issues. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/business/economy/11bailout.html?hp "In the end, Mr. Geithner largely prevailed in opposing tougher conditions on financial institutions that were sought by presidential aides, including David Axelrod, a senior adviser to the president, according to administration and Congressional officials... And for all of its boldness, the plan largely repeats the Bush administration's approach of deferring to many of the same companies and executives who had peddled risky loans and investments at the heart of the crisis and failed to foresee many of the problems plaguing the markets." * 2. Crackdown on Bay to Breakers* This one has really got a bee in my bonnet. The City, in particular, the Mayor, along with the complicity of the Board of Supervisors have decided to ban drinking, floats, and nudity from Bay to Breakers. This, because a few dozen neighbors have lodged complaints, even as tens of thousands show their support by attendance at the event. The problem is that cranky neighbors are loud, while fun loving partiers don't often express their opinions. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/11/MN5J15SA27.DTL So, please express your opinion by writing the mayor, the event sponsors, and the board of supervisors. It really will make a difference. info@ingbaytobreakers.com gavin.newsom@sfgov.org ross.mirkarimi@sfgov.org david.chiu@sfgov.org bevan.dufty@sfgov.org chris.daly@sfgov.org david.campos@sfgov.org eric.mar@sfgov.org Peace, Rob