Obama Redirects $50 Million To Fight AIDS
Posted by Michelle Moquin on December 2nd, 2011
Good morning!
Soo much to talk about today. My mind is twirling - sound like someone we all know? Speaking of Cain – Is he “done”? In my opinion, I think he’s done, don’t you?
Anyway, enough about Cain. Let’s talk about a man who is the president: Obama. Another huge thing to praise Obama on is his first-ever national HIV/AIDS strategy:
“Since I took office, we’ve had a robust national dialogue on HIV/AIDS. Members of my administration have fanned out across the country to meet people living with HIV; to meet researchers, faith leaders, medical providers and private sector partners. We’ve spoken to over 4,000 people. And out of all those conversations, we drafted a new plan to combat this disease. Last year, we released that plan — a first-ever national HIV/AIDS strategy.”
~President Obama
Obama talked about it yesterday morning at the World AIDS Day event - Did you all catch it? Unfortunately I tuned it too late to see Obama give his talk. In case you missed it too, here it is:
Update:
Obama redirects $50 million to fight AIDS
Reporting from Washington and Johannesburg– President Obama declared a new day in the fight against AIDS in the U.S. and around the world as he unveiled a plan to make life-saving drug treatments available to millions more people.
The Obama administration will redirect $50 million to prevention and treatment programs across the country and will aim to help provide anti-retroviral drugs to more than 6 million people around the world, an increase of 2 million from the previous goal.
“We can beat this disease,” Obama told a crowd gathered in Washington to mark World AIDS Day on Thursday. “We just have to keep at it, steady, persistent … every day until we get to zero.”
The remarks came at an event that included former President George W. Bush addressing the audience by satellite from Tanzania. Obama gave credit to his predecessor, praising Bush’s “bold leadership” in fighting AIDS in the U.S. and Africa.
Obama’s announcement drew praise from AIDS activists at a time when he hopes to renew the devotion of the liberal base that helped elect him in 2008. Activists periodically have criticized him, complaining that he could do more to improve access to treatment drugs, despite the budget-cutting mood in Congress.
In his address at George Washington University, Obama called on other countries to contribute more to the cause. “China and other major economies are in a position now to transition in a way that can help more people,” he said.
Around the world, activists used the day to warn that severe shortfalls in global AIDS funding would cost many lives, especially in hard-hit regions of southern Africa.
The World Health Organization said the sustained global investment in treating AIDS over the last decade had saved millions of lives, cutting AIDS-related deaths by 22% in the last five years. Studies have shown that suppressing the virus through treatment reduces its spread to patients’ partners by as much as 96%.
Obama is reallocating money that Congress already has approved for public health purposes, directing $35 million to state AIDS drug assistance programs and $15 million to the Ryan White program, which supports care provided by HIV clinics.
As part of the overseas initiative, the U.S. will provide anti-retroviral drugs over the next two years to 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women so that they won’t pass on the virus to their children.
In an effort to reduce transmission of the virus in eastern and southern Africa, Washington will distribute more than 1 billion condoms and support more than 4.7 million voluntary medical male circumcisions, a procedure that dramatically reduces the risk of female-to-male transmission.
“These are significant resources the president is devoting,” said John Peller, policy director of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. “There are always things that can be improved. Given the congressional environment that the president is in, and the gridlock he faces, the shortcomings that are out there are not entirely his fault.”
In the U.S., roughly 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, but only 28% have the virus under control, U.S. officials said this week. More than 30 million people have died of AIDS-related causes around the world and 34 million are living with HIV.
Bono, who is the lead singer of the Irish rock band U2 and an AIDS activist, and blues singer Alicia Keys met privately Thursday with members of House and Senate appropriations committees. Bono said he was impressed with support from Democrats and Republicans for international AIDS prevention programs — telling a divided Congress to take a moment to feel good.
“This is probably the one thing that America seems in agreement about,” Bono told reporters after the meeting. “You’re very good at beating yourself up in this country, but just for today you should realize that you have personally — every taxpayer in this country has paid for 5 million people to stay alive.”
The Global Fund had targeted $17 billion in donations to scale up existing programs, or $20 billion to expand successful programs, hoping to save 10 million lives between now and 2016. Simply maintaining existing programs would require donations of $12 billion to $13 billion, but the fund will instead disburse $10 billion.
That shortfall drew fire in Africa.
“HIV/AIDS is a multigenerational commitment,” said Dr. Peter Fourie of the AIDS Foundation of South Africa. “There’s almost a sense of betrayal because the First World made a commitment at the end of the last century on AIDS funding, and then to just rip it away is very cynical.
“With the decrease in funding there will obviously be less people who will be able to be tested and less people who will be able to go on drugs,” he said. “More people will die and suffer.”
UNAIDS estimates $28 billion to $50 billion would be needed every year from 2010 to 2015 to provide universal access to treatment and to start to defeat AIDS. More than half of the people in low-income countries who need anti-retroviral drugs are not getting them, UNAIDS said, and in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 70% of people living with HIV are girls and young women.
*******
Readers: Kudos to our president. Whoever says or thinks that this president doesn’t do enough for this country, is obviously watching FOX news, because they are so not in the know.
I know it’s been tough getting in these past few day. Thanks for being here. It’s Friday – if you can, start flapping your lips. Blog me.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)
Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:
Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129
Thank you for your loyal support!
All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2011
" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"
December 2nd, 2011 at 10:01 am
testing…I just haven’t had much to say here, though I wonder if getting in will ever be tough for me.
Hope anyone who wants to get in – does.
Have a good weekend, luv, Zen Lill
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:41 am
Michelle:
I am infuriated by feeling the power of crooked politics in America firsthand today.
I am a member a political organization called hcan (Health Care for America Now), which sends me e-mails to sign petitions and send letters to Politicians who are making the wrong decisions for America reguarding Health Care.
Today I was asked to click on a link to Judge Clarence Thomas, asking him to recuse himself.
I tried several times and his address was turned off because he does not want to hear from Americans. He would rather remain a Supreme Court Justice for the rest of his life and reap the benefits even though he hasn’t voted on anything for years. He is an empty seat reaping the benefits of the position — that is all.
Below you can read the letter sent to me:
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has significant conflicts of interest that make it impossible for him to render a fair, impartial decision in the health care case being reviewed by the Court. Political groups determined to repeal or overturn the Affordable Care Act have been filling Thomas’s family bank account for years. His wife Virginia has been a crusader in the campaign to defeat the law. She has raised money and taken money from organized efforts to kill health reform.
It’s time for Clarence Thomas to recuse himself – join our letter to Associate Justice Thomas TODAY.
Justice Thomas personally has aligned himself with political activists and organizations dedicated to thwarting the new health care law. He spoke at a secret conclave run by the billionaire Koch Brothers to raise funds for organizations like Americans for Prosperity. Seventy-four members of the House of Representatives have even taken the highly unusual step of requesting that Justice Thomas remove himself from participation in deliberations on the Affordable Care Act.
If Justice Thomas fails to recuse himself, it will threaten the integrity of the entire Supreme Court.
It’s time to send Clarence Thomas a message: recuse yourself.
In Solidarity,
Melinda Gibson
Health Care for America Now
December 3rd, 2011 at 1:58 am
Howie, I have tried to reach this man too. It seems that as you stated he is hopeless.
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:37 am
Say Good-Bye to Old-Fashioned Lightbulbs (2)
Traditional incandescent lightbulbs are about to be switched off.
The federal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 set lightbulb efficiency standards that will soon prevent the manufacture and importation of most incandescent bulbs.
That has created an uproar among many fans of traditional bulbs who complain about the cost, harsh tones, possible dangers and other drawbacks of the new bulbs.
What you need to know…
THE NEW RULES
Most 100-watt incandescent bulbs will be eliminated starting January 1, 2012, with 75-watt incandescents following in 2013 and 60- and 40-watt bulbs in 2014.
An attempt to repeal the law failed this July.
Exceptions: Some specialty bulbs, including three-way bulbs and certain appliance bulbs, are exempt.
Also, many types of halogen bulbs, a form of incandescent bulb, are efficient enough to meet the new standards.
BEST COMPACT FLUORESCENTS
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) consume about 75% less electricity than incandescents and, for the moment, are the best replacements for many applications. Still, many consumers have concerns.
Price vs. efficiency. CFLs cost an average of $3 apiece—versus the 50 cents you might spend on an incandescent.
But thanks to their longer life and higher energy efficiency, the ¬overall cost to buy and use a CFL bulb for 1,000 hours is around $2, compared with more than $7 for incandescents, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
However, CFLs often fall short of their expected lifespans when they are used only in short bursts rather than the three hours at a time that the estimates assume.
Safety concerns. CFLs contain small amounts of mercury. If a CFL is broken, you may be exposed to mercury, which can cause serious health problems, including possible nerve damage.
(For emergency steps if one of these bulbs does break and for advice on how to dispose of the bulbs, go to http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html.)
Getting the right light. Not all consumers are pleased with CFL bulbs because they may seem too harsh… to not be bright enough… or to be incompatible with dimmer switches.
Good news: There now are more options among CFLs that can help overcome these drawbacks. What to consider…
Color temperature. Rather than being limited to a cool bluish light, CFLs now are available in many color temperatures, expressed in degrees Kelvin (K) on their labels, including…
• 2700K CFLs produce a warm yellowish light very similar to that of incandescent bulbs. They are particularly good for rooms featuring amber or mahogany colors.
• 3500K CFLs make rooms with bright reds or greens look their best.
• 4100K CFLs make rooms with lots of birch or bleached wood look great.
• 5000K and 6500K CFLs produce a bright light similar to daylight—particularly appropriate for rooms full of grays or slate.
There is some concern that they could interfere with sleep cycles more than bulbs lower on the color temperature scale, however, so consider not -using bulbs high on the color temperature scale near bedtime if you have trouble falling asleep.
Give yourself a few days to get used to a bulb in an unfamiliar color temperature before deciding whether you like it.
Many consumers initially dislike anything other than 2700K because it is not what they’re used to. Westinghouse has a wide selection of CFLs with less common color temperatures
(www.WestinghouseLighting.com, click on “Light Bulbs”).
Bulb strength.
CFLs use far less electricity to produce the same amount of light, so the wattage figures on their packaging won’t correspond to the familiar 40-, 60- or 100-watt bulb designations.
Their labels list the equivalent wattage of an incandescent bulb that the CFL is meant to replace.
The label also might mention lumens, a more accurate measure of brightness than power use expressed in watts.
Examples: A traditional 100-watt incandescent produces around 1,600 lumens… a 60-watt, around 840 lumens, though in practice there is considerable variation, so one 60-watt bulb might produce 800 lumens…another close to 900.
Dimming ability. Certain specialty CFL bulbs can work well with dimmer switches—but only if you replace your old dimmer switches with ones designed to work with CFL or LED bulbs.
These switches typically sell for $20 to $30 in home centers. Effective dimmable CFLs are not yet available above 26 watts, however—the rough equivalent of a 100-watt incandescent.
TCP Inc. currently makes some of the most effective and durable dimmable CFLs (www.tcpi.com).
Helpful: Dimmable CFL bulbs are more expensive than nondimmable CFLs, so you might want to replace a dimmer with a standard on/off switch.
Fluorescent flicker. Although CFLs flicker, it is so rapid that 95% of people do not notice it.
Of course, that’s little comfort to the other 5%, who find it extremely annoying.
A few bulb makers offer high power factor (HPF) CFLs that flicker twice as fast as conventional CFLs—too fast to notice—but these cost perhaps twice as much as other CFLs. They are available online awww.Alibaba.com.
Bulb shape. Most CFLs are spiral-shaped, but some consumers don’t like that look, and spiral bulbs don’t work with most clip-on shades.
Bulb makers now offer CFLs shaped similar to conventional incandescents as well. Cone-shaped CFLs also are available for recessed fixtures and floodlights.
Helpful: One complaint in years past was that CFLs took some time to reach full brightness. Spiral CFLs from leading makers no longer suffer from this delay, but CFLs contained in glass bulbs sometimes do.
LED BULBS
Bulbs based on light-emitting diodes use 90% less electricity than incandescents, making them even more efficient than CFLs.
They contain no mercury, don’t flicker, come in dimmable versions and last for many years. Unfortunately, for most household uses, their time has not yet quite arrived.
Prices remain steep, ranging from about $15 to $70…they are not yet available for all applications…and in many cases, their color temperature is bluer than many people like.
Within a few years, it’s likely that relatively affordable LED bulbs will be available in a wide range of sizes, shapes and strengths. They already make sense in certain situations…
When a 40-, 60- or 75-watt-equivalent bulb is needed in a tough-to-reach location.
LED bulbs can last 25,000 hours or more—around four times as long as CFLs and 25 times as long as incandescents.
LED bulbs capable of replacing standard bulbs often cost $35 to $50—but their efficiency and ultralong life means that they cost less than half as much as incandescents per hour of use and not much more than CFLs.
LED bulbs cannot yet replace 100-watt incandescents, but that’s expected by the end of 2012.
Example: GE’s Energy Smart LED (3000K color temperature, http://www.GELighting.com) is available as a 40-watt equivalent, with a 60-watt equivalent due out in late November and 75-watt and 100-watt equivalents due in late 2012.
Warning: When you replace a traditional incandescent bulb with an LED bulb, make sure the LED bulb selected is omnidirectional—some LED bulbs cast light only in a particular direction.
LEDs also make sense for directional lighting, such as track lighting, under-cabinet lighting, table lamps, floodlights and spotlights that illuminate art.
HALOGEN BULBS
Halogen bulbs are a type of incandescent that contain halogen gas and special filaments. They’re 10% to 20% more efficient than the standard incandescent—just enough to allow some halogens to remain on the market—and they work with dimmer switches.
Although they get hotter than plain incandescents, as long as the bulbs do not come in direct contact with flammable material such as a curtain, they can be used in place of incandescents.
With a typical color temperature of 3000K, halogens are only slightly bluer than standard 2700K incandescents. A few manufacturers are starting to make incandescents available in higher color temperatures as well.
Turning a halogen on and off frequently will not shorten its life, so these are appropriate for rooms where lights tend to be used in short bursts, such as bathrooms.
Halogens are more expensive than standard incandescents, however, costing perhaps $2 apiece. They do tend to last slightly longer.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed David Brooks, owner of Just Bulbs, a New York City–based store that stocks more than 36,000 different lightbulbs.
Just Bulbs has been in business since 1980. Mr. Brooks’s family has been selling lightbulbs since 1942. http://www.JustBulbsNYC.com
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:41 am
We look at ass. It’s just what we do! Exercising discretion is the key, because it’s never a good look to flat-out ogle some butt cheeks.
To paraphrase a line from the movie “Role Models”, you have to treat booty like the sun: You never stare directly at it.
That said, a guy will slip up from time to time and get caught off guard by a nice backside and become compelled to look. Even married guys.
ESPECIALLY married guys, because looking is all they can do in good conscience. In that split second, discretion goes out the window, and “I’d like to hit that” becomes the prevailing thought in your mind.
In most men, the mind quickly switches back to whatever the hell else was going on shortly after getting that glance out of our system. It’s only bad in three instances:
1. If you yell out “GOD DAMN GIRL!” and proceed to harass her,
2. if you are with your lady when it happens, and she sees you looking
3. If other judgmental pricks catch you in the act, as this photo almost sorta-kinda illustrates.
I was going to dedicate this paragraph on a detailed analysis of why that girl’s ass is not nice enough, but that would force me to impose my own high standard of tail appreciation on two older gentlemen whom I’ve never met before.
I do stuff like that all the time with actresses and models, so I’m going to show some respect for one of the best role models around for young ladies and refrain from typing such nastiness.
See? I’m not always a cretinous oaf.
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:43 am
Story at-a-glance
• According to a recent study, men taking 400 IU’s of vitamin E per day increase their risk of prostate cancer by 17 percent. However, what media reports fail to address is the fact that the vitamin E used is a synthetic, petrochemically-derived form of vitamin E that has known toxic effects
• Beware that many tocopherols, the generic term for more than seven types of vitamin E, are extracted from genetically modified plants such as GM soy
• Another recent study claims that dietary supplements are associated with an increased mortality in older women.
However, this observational study, based on self-reported use of supplements over a 22-year period, contains many serious flaws and has been grossly misrepresented by conventional media
• The timing of the media hype over these flawed studies conveniently coincide with the FDA’s plan to amend the definitions for new dietary ingredients (NDI’s) and Senator Durbin’s proposed legislation, S.1310: Dietary Supplement Labeling Act of 2011, which treats vitamins as if they’re drugs
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:45 am
Your advice to Maria is the absolute truth. We as whites have been teaching ethnic studies and continue to do so every day. We just refuse to admit that ethnic study is White or European ethnic studies.
Check the schools books today and think back to the time you were in school. All you had was white ethnic studies. Every thing talked about was from the white man’s perspective.
Whether it was social studies, science, math, you name it, it was and for the most part and still is one big tale of a white man’s accomplishment to that field.
You don’t learn who contributed anything if it was not done by a white man. And to be honest many of the things that are attributed to a white man is an our right lie. Lies made deliberately to instill the superiority of the white man in the minds of the human race.
Todays and yesterday’s school curriculum is designed so that you leave school believing that everything of significance done in this world was done by a white man.
For example, you don’t learn in math about who invented algebra, the present day numbering system, students are only taught the contributions white men made to the field. Students are left thinking that the white man invented math and the only contributions made to the field were made by whites.
For example, one doesn’t learn in any science class be it biology, chemistry, physics, geometry, etc any contributions made by non white males. The origins of the field of study, or any contributions made to the field by any race but the white man is deliberately left out. Students are basically told that the Greeks invented medicine. From there only contributions made to the field by white men were taught.
For example, one isn’t taught about who wrote the first books or who invented writing, or about any books that were written by any authors other than white men. The races of many authors are deliberately concealed to continue the facade that great book were only written by white men.
For example, one doesn’t in social studies learn about the first creation of civilization and the establishment of justice systems as we know it. We are taught it was created by the Greeks or English. One leaves schools believing the white man is the one who made the law and society what it is today.
Pick a field in the 12 year curriculum of America’s schools and it is taught as one big ethic study of the white man’s accomplishments. Is it any wonder that whites in America think they are all that.
Now those same whites want to prevent the other ethnic groups in America from learning about any contributions their race may have made to the present day state of the world. The other great fear is that they will discover the lies that have been perpetrated in the scheme to instill the concept of white superiority in the minds of America’s children.
Anton
December 3rd, 2011 at 5:06 am
Prism Princess:
Your blog is too difficult for me to navigate. How does one find the latest article? Under what topic is it entered?
December 3rd, 2011 at 5:10 am
In case you missed it — Congress voted on a bill that gave them two simple choices:
A) Let President Obama’s payroll tax cut expire, raising a typical family’s taxes by more than $1,000 next year, or
B) Extend and expand the tax cut, helping 160 million people and letting that same family keep $1,500. Click here to find out what it does for you.
The payroll tax cut would be paid for by requiring millionaires and billionaires to pay a little more. But some in Congress think millionaires and billionaires should get to keep paying the already-low rate they get, thanks to the Bush tax cuts.
This one isn’t complicated. And for a party whose leaders and candidates have pledged not to support any tax hike ever, taking money out of the pockets of middle-class families should have been unacceptable.
But almost every Republican in the Senate went with option A — blocking President Obama’s proposal, and refusing to make the wealthiest among us contribute their fair share to help struggling families and strengthen the economy.
So it’s clear that when they say no tax hikes, they really mean millionaires and billionaires shouldn’t pay more, ever — even if that means your taxes go up.
We’re not letting this one go until Congress reverses course and does the right thing. And one way to spread the word is to make sure you know exactly how the Obama tax cuts affect you and your family.
We’ve created a new Obama tax cut calculator — use it to find out how much money Republicans in Congress want to take from you, then share it with everyone you know so they can find out, too.
In these last few weeks alone, we’ve seen Congress fail to act over and over again. First by refusing to keep teachers, firefighters, and cops on the job and to hire more of them, and now by refusing to protect a middle-class tax cut that makes a real difference for millions of American families.
And the Republican presidential candidates are in lock step with the GOP leaders in Congress on this. Just last week, Mitt Romney said he’s “not looking to put money in people’s pockets” and backed his Congressional counterparts.
Try the calculator to see what’s at stake for your paycheck, and please share it with anyone you think needs to see it:
http://my.barackobama.com/Tax-Calculator
Thanks,
James
James Kvaal
Policy Director
Obama for America
December 3rd, 2011 at 5:27 am
Hafa adai
Robert the skinny is that a UFO was observed observing the marine training exercises over Farallon Island.
What’s your 411?
Lea
December 3rd, 2011 at 5:30 am
Hafa adai
Peter, is it true that Robert is your man in the trenches? Oh, yeah for the regulars I am not talking about the resident Robert but chamorro who supposedly works for Peter who writes from Guam.
Peter, I also heard he is so damn cute and unattached? I am available.
Lea
December 3rd, 2011 at 5:32 am
The coal-burning lobby is pulling out the stops to pressure the White House to weaken and add gaping loopholes to the landmark Mercury and Air Toxics rule.
This is the same rule you helped fight for by sending an incredible 800,000 supportive comments to the EPA this spring and summer.
The Mercury and Air Toxic rule is one of the most important clean air standards to ever come out of the EPA. It would reduce mercury, arsenic, acid gases, and other hazardous air pollution from America’s oldest and most polluting coal-fired power plants.
Power plants emit half of all toxic mercury pollution in the U.S and over 386,000 tons of other hazardous air pollution every year, endangering you and your family.
The 1990 Clean Air Act called for the EPA to address these dangerous emissions and we have been waiting for this crucial health protection ever since.
But now, led by Southern Company and a handful of other coal utility companies, an army of lobbyists is pressuring the Obama administration for delays in cleaning up and weakening clean air standards for the most toxic pollutants.
The Mercury and Air Toxics rule would prevent up to 17,000 premature deaths every year. We must make sure President Obama hears from us!
December 3rd, 2011 at 5:46 am
My grief grows worse.
——————-
Friday, December 2, 2011 (SF Chronicle)
Court decision may close state’s oldest pot club
Ronnie Cohen, Special to The Chronicle
(12-02) 14:43 PST FAIRFAX — The founder of the state’s oldest medical-marijuana dispensary plans to spend the weekend deciding whether to close her Fairfax facility after losing a motion to stop her eviction
on Friday.
Despite a plea from Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana attorneys, Marin County Superior Court Judge Roy
Chernus refused to stop the eviction.
He ruled that the dispensary’s lease requires compliance with federal law, which forbids selling cannabis. “I’ve got to figure out how to fix this,” club founder Lynnette Shaw said after the hearing. “I’m very concerned about my patients’ health.”
Shaw and a team of lawyers have been fighting to stay open since her dispensary became one of the targets of a federal crackdown this fall.
Earlier this week, a federal judge rejected Shaw’s request to stop federal officials from pursuing the enforcement action.
In addition to serving as a cannabis dispensary, Shaw also runs a medical clinic at the site.
Last month, the U.S. Attorney filed a federal drug-forfeiture complaint against Farshid Ezazi of Orinda, who owns the club’s office, located behind the West Marin Little League baseball field. The feds also
threatened to seize the building.
In response, Ezazi moved to evict the club. Club attorneys argued that a state judge had no right to enforce an eviction based upon a violation of federal law.
Chernus agreed that the club has a right to defend itself against the eviction at trial. But he refused to dismiss it Friday. Peter Goldstone, Shaw’s attorney, said the case likely would be tried in January.
A trial would highlight tension between federal law and the law in California and 15 other states that allow medicinal marijuana. E-mail the writer at
metro@sfchronicle.com. ———————————————————————-
Copyright 2011 SF Chronicle
December 3rd, 2011 at 9:51 am
Hafa adai Lea.
In response to you post on UFO sightings around the Farallon Islands is the notice from the Navy.
========================
Guam – The Navy and Marine Corps will conduct training on the island of Farallon de Medinilla on the following dates and times:
MONDAY -Dec. 5 from 8 a.m – 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
TUESDAY -Dec. 6 from 6 a.m- midnight
WEDNESDAY -Dec. 7 for the entire day, midnight – midnight
THURSDAY -Dec. 8 from 8:45 a.m- 4 p.m. and 6 p.m – 10 p.m.
FRIDAY -Dec. 9 from 1 a.m – 8 a.m.
The general public especially fisherman, commercial pilots and marine tour operators are advised to stay clear from the area during the times and dates indicated.
The general location of the training on the island of Farallon de Medinilla training area will be on a 10 nautical mile radius on all quadrants. Farallon de Medinilla plays a special and unique role in national defense because its location provides access frequency that supports established training requirements.
In addition, the air and sea space in the Farallon provides sufficient room for the many different attack profiles necessary to replicate training opportunities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
===============================
Guess they saw it too.
Peter