Wonderful Women Of The World
Posted by Michelle Moquin on November 13th, 2010
Good morning!
A few weeks ago I was retrieving something out of the trunk of my car when I heard someone shouting hello to me. I peeked over our fence and on the other side was a gentleman with a big smile on his face reaching out to hand me something.
My first thought was,”Okay, what is he going to try and sell me?” I wanted to say, “No thank you”, but then I remembered what it was like to be canvassing the neighborhood and super markets trying to get people to listen to me about Prop 2 last year, Obama, etc.
Plus, I couldn’t resist the warm smile he was sending me, so I walked toward the opening of our driveway as he walked toward me and handed me a heavy flyer. He introduced himself as Floyd, and explained that his wife, Jean Quan, was running for Mayor of Oakland, and he proceeded to tell me about their grass roots efforts, her experience, and a little about their family, who was pictured on the flyer, all smiles.
I had read a little about his wife, but got such a warm feeling from him, his stories, her goals as mayor, his commitment to his wife and her success…he even told me that they invested one hundred thousand dollars of their own money into her campaign…that I made up my mind right there that I would vote for her. I was obviously moved by our discussion. Maybe Floyd was just a great sales person and hooked me, which I seriously doubt. Or maybe he was just a sincere man walking the streets of Oakland, with a strong belief that his wife could make my city a better place to live in. My gut was telling me something, and I had faith it was the latter.
Non the less, after our friendly chat, I said goodbye, thanked Floyd for his efforts, and asked if he could leave a lawn sign on my steps so that I could display my choice for Mayor of Oakland, his wife, Jean Quan. He said that he would be happy to drop off a sign on his way back, after he finished walking our block. He smiled and waved as he walked away.
Anyway, I came outside later on that afternoon, disappointed that no sign was to be seen, until I saw one stuck in my potted plants, dropped off as promised. Jean Quan had my public support and vote.
I had even told Floyd that I would try and blog about her. But unfortunately I never did get around to it, and up until election day, it sat on my mind, and I felt bad that I dropped the ball and never did.
The good news is, Jean Quan is now Mayor of Oakland! And she is the first of quite a few things to be proud of, unknown to me until now:
- Jean Quan (61), the first Asian American woman elected to the Oakland, California City Council eight years ago,
- She was elected the first woman Mayor of this California City of more than 446,000-the 41st largest city in the country.
- When she takes office on January 3, 2011, she will be the first Asian American woman Mayor of a major US City.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1st ASIAN AMERICAN & WOMAN
MAYOR of OAKLAND
Known for her hard work, encyclopedia knowledge of city policy and ability to inspire hundreds of volunteers, Quan went head-to-head against former State Senate leader Pro-Tem Don Perata and eight other candidates in the November 2 mayoral election. It was a bit of a cliffhanger — one candidate outspent the other nine candidates 10:1, exceeding the voluntary campaign spending limits of $379,000, and election results were not immediately known until 9 days after Election Eve because the City was using a new voting procedure called Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). (RCV eliminated the need for a primary by giving voters the opportunity to choose first, second and third choices for their candidates. If their first choice did not make it to the top, then their second choice would be recalculated by computer until one candidate earned 50% of the vote. This integrates the traditional primary and runoff into one election.) When all the ballots were counted and the RCV algorithm was run, Quan beat front-runner Perata.
Jean Quan 50.98% (53,778)
Don Perata 49.02%. (51720)
Link to the Registrar’s RCV Election Results
“David has beaten Goliath: we have shown that old-fashioned grassroots organizing and hard, honest campaigning can overcome big money, machine politics,” said Quan. She noted that more people had voted in this election than in previous Mayoral elections, with a 27% increase according to Fair Vote’s analysis of how Ranked Choice Voting worked in Oakland, because this election was held in the general November election when there is higher turnout compared to lower primary turnouts.
The Daughter of Immigrants
Quan’s personal history resonates with many residents in a city known as one of the most diverse in the country-its history as the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, the growth of the ship building industry during WW II and the growing trade with Pacific Rim Countries has generated a vibrant mix of ethnic culture, arts, music, foods and community.
“My family has lived Oakland for over 100 years. My parents were poor immigrants. My mother was illiterate and my dad died when I was five. My parents worked in Oakland hotels, restaurants and garment factories. I attended public schools and went to UC Berkeley on a scholarship. As a college student I was founder of Asian American studies and helped organize tutoring programs for students West Oakland and Chinatown, and helped fight redevelopment removal of local residents there, too.
“My whole life has been about organizing for social justice, as a student, union organizer, and as a School Board and City Council member. I am proud of my work to improve local schools, to save music, arts, libraries and parks, to revitalize commercial districts and support crime and violence prevention programs,” she explained.
A Reputation for Progressive Leadership
Quan jumped into Oakland politics as a parent activist to save music and arts programs in 1989 and has been working together with concerned residents to make the city’s public institutions work for them. She served on the Oakland Unified School District board for 3 terms, leading campaigns that secured $700 million to make the schools earthquake safe, reduce classroom overcrowding, and restore arts and music to the curriculum.
For the past eight years, she has served as Council member for one the most diverse council districts in the City-District 4 which covers the well-healed hills of Montclair and Crestmont as well as the working class neighborhoods of Allendale, Brookdale, Dimond, Laurel, Maxwell Park, and Melrose. She has chaired the City’s Finance Committee for six years, steering the city through one of the worse economic recessions in its history.
As Council Member, she is known for her long-hours, high visibility and accessibility, and strong community organizing skills. More than 10,000 people receive her e-newsletter every week. As a result of the regular communication and her office’s work in the field, District 4 is the most organized of all seven council districts and consistently hosts the most National Night Out, Earth Day and Creek to Bay day events in the city-between ¼ to half of all of the events. Her success in organizing neighbors to eliminate crime, beautify parks and medians, prepare for emergencies and otherwise build community formed the basis for her
Campaign Theme of Taking Back Oakland, Block by Block.
City-wide, Quan’s long list of accomplishments includes brokering the compromise community policing and violence prevention program (Measure Y), her leadership in seismic retrofitting and green policies such as the compostable food ware ordinance, and co-authoring and campaigning for the nation’s first Wildfire Prevention District and for a measure to keep Oakland’s 15 branch libraries open. She has set forth an ambitious program as Oakland’s next Mayor.
“We must rebuild trust between our police and the community to fight crime in Oakland. We need to bring good jobs to Oakland-we especially need to support Green jobs programs that help our youth prepare for work in new technologies. We need to support our schools-as a three term school board member-I have the experience and passion to become Oakland’s true Education Mayor. I plan to recruit 2000 baby boomers and other volunteers to mentor our most at risk youth and give them hope. We need to ensure that our government is transparent, ethical and efficient. I plan to be an accessible, hands-on mayor by showing up in every neighborhood-just as I have over the past eight years in my Council District.”
“This election — an election of so many firsts — opens the door of possibilities and hope to Oakland’s young people,” she concluded, adding,
“Come January when I take the oath as Oakland’s first woman mayor, I’ll take office in City Hall 8 blocks from where my great-grandfather took refuge in Oakland after the 1906 Earthquake, 6 blocks from where my mother-in-law and sister worked as garment workers, and 4 blocks from where my father was a hotel cook. I am grateful and humbled by the trust the voters have placed on me as their new Mayor.”
Readers: Awesome Yes? Jean Quan definitely wears the title of a “Wonderful Woman of The World”, don’t you think? I think so, and I am delighted for her and excited for what she will bring to Oakland. A huge congratulations to Quan. And big thanks to those who voted for her, ensuring her victory.
Have a great weekend!
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)
November 14th, 2010 at 7:58 am
This is a wonderful piece Michelle. I sent it to all my daughters.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Epidemics Are on the Rise
Georges Benjamin, MD
American Public Health Association
More than one-quarter of all deaths worldwide are caused by infectious diseases. In the US, more than 170,000 people die from these diseases each year — and the number is likely to get much higher. In just the last few years…
Reemerging diseases that were nearly eradicated in the US, such as measles, malaria and tuberculosis, now are occurring in increasing numbers.
Bird (avian) flu has killed more than half of those infected — though none of these cases has occurred in the US to date and most cases have resulted from people having direct contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces.
Should the virus mutate to permit human-to-human transmission, the death rate could rise into the millions.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) now is the sixth-leading cause of death in the US. It is a strain of bacteria that causes an infection — often called “staph” — that can be deadly even when patients are treated with state-of-the-art antibiotics.
To learn more about the risks for infectious diseases, including the likelihood of another epidemic, Bottom Line/Personal talked with Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association…
Are epidemics on the rise?
Yes. Every two or three years, there’s a new epidemic somewhere in the world. The term “epidemic” means that a particular health-related issue — an infectious disease, obesity, even car accidents — is occurring more often than expected. The frequency of epidemics seems to be increasing.
One of the reasons for the increase is that global warming has extended the population and range of mosquitoes, leading to increases in malaria, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases.
In addition, human and animal populations worldwide are living in closer proximity than in the past. More than half of all infectious diseases can infect species other than their original hosts.
Many of the most dangerous pathogens, including the virus that causes AIDS, originated in animals and only later developed the ability to infect humans.
A century ago, a disease in a remote area might sicken or kill a few dozen people and then “burn out.” Now more than two billion people fly on airplanes every year.
A deadly pathogen, such as Ebola virus, easily could spread into more populated areas and infect thousands — or worse.
How dangerous is the next epidemic likely to be?
It depends on the organism. In the best-case scenario, something such as a cold virus could mutate and gain the ability to infect more people than it had in the past. But because this virus isn’t lethal, it would be more of a nuisance than anything else.
The most serious epidemics involve organisms that are both highly transmissible and lethal. The Spanish flu of 1918–1919 had both of these traits.
It was readily passed from person to person, and it was uncommonly virulent. Worldwide, it killed between 20 million and 40 million people within about two years and has been called the most devastating epidemic in recorded history.
A disease that can be transmitted via indirect contact — for example, from inhaling airborne organisms from sneezes — is more likely to emerge as an epidemic than a disease that can be transmitted only under specific circumstances, such as hepatitis C from infected blood.
If you had to guess, what epidemic is likely to be next?
There’s no way to know. Any infectious organism could be involved. Many bacterial infections (such as tuberculosis) have reached epidemic proportions, but we often can control these illnesses with antibiotics.
Viral infections are more worrisome. We have only a few antiviral drugs. Viruses replicate far more rapidly than bacteria, which means that they can develop drug resistance more quickly than bacteria. The same mechanism also allows them to mutate rapidly into more lethal forms.
Is it likely that an epidemic will be caused by bioterrorism?
It’s a serious risk. People used to need specialized training and sophisticated equipment to produce or disseminate lethal agents.
This is no longer the case. Knowledge in general is more widely available than it used to be, thanks to the Internet, and technology is more available and affordable.
It doesn’t take much sophistication to launch a crude attack. In 1984, a religious cult in Oregon spiked area salad bars with a Salmonella culture.
No one died, but more than 750 people were sickened. It was the largest bioterrorist attack in the US.
What emergency supplies should we have on hand?
We recommend stockpiling at least a three-day supply of nonperishable foods, such as canned meats, fish, beans, fruits and vegetables.
Check the expiration dates every six months. Also, have on hand one gallon of water per person per day. Be aware that your water supply also needs to be rotated because microbes may build up in it. Also, try to keep prescriptions filled and pain relievers/fever reducers on hand.
Should we stockpile antibiotics?
You don’t want to stockpile an antibiotic, because you don’t know which one you are going to need.
What will the authorities do?
State health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have surveillance systems that look for unusual symptoms or disease clusters that could indicate an emerging epidemic.
In the early years of the AIDS crisis, it was noted that there was an increase in requests for a drug used to treat a rare fungal infection. This, along with an increase in unusual diseases later known to be associated with AIDS, indicated that a new organism was spreading fast.
Once a new (or reemerging) infectious disease has been identified, the goal is to both treat it and limit its spread.
In addition to educating the public, public health officials might resort to isolation (keeping sick patients away from the general population to avoid infecting others) or quarantine (isolating people who have been exposed to an organism but who may or may not actually have the disease).
There also will be a push to develop vaccines and other medications to treat the disease, protect healthy people and limit the spread of the disease.
It almost sounds as if the government will have everything under control. What are your thoughts on that?
There is a need for people to be as self-reliant as they can. Local officials will help as soon as they can, but the government cannot do everything.
The greater the number of people who are self-reliant, the more help that will be available for those who are unable to help themselves.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed internist Georges Benjamin, MD, professorial lecturer at George Washington University School of Public Health and executive director of the American Public Health Association (www.apha.org), both in Washington, DC.
He is former secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and a leading expert in emergency preparedness.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:15 am
Michelle
How about an article or two about great men and what we do to keep bitches happy.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:42 am
Hey that was a great boxing card last night featuring Pacquiao and Margarito. For those of you who are interested in the outcome here is a round by round call by FanHouse.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Judges: Jurgen Langos, Oren Shellenberger, and, Glen Crocker, had it, 120-108, 119-109, and, 118-110, all for Manny Pacquiao.
FanHouse had it for Manny Pacquiao, 119-107.
Referee: Laurence Cole
Margarito enters the ring first to cheers, led by his Mexican flag; Pacquiao, second, led, initially, by AC/DC’S “Thunderstruck.” Both fighters were cheered loudly as they entered.
Margarito’s introduction is greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos, but mostly, cheers. Pacquiao’s introduction receives a similar reception, so the crowd appears to be a mix of fans for both fighters.
Round 1: Pacquiao has a bit of a bulge to his belly and his trunks are pulled high. They touch gloves, Pacquiao right jabs and Margarito meets him in the middle of the ring and is coming forward. Pacquiao jabs and goes to the belly with a left. Margarito is so much bigger at 165 to Pacquiao’s 148. Pacquiao lands a few jabs and right hands that follow and the crowd gets into it. A counter right hand lands for Pacquiao and another that jars Margarito’s head. Pacquiao lands a right to the body and two more jabs to the head. Margarito is backing up. A three-punch combination by Pacquiao, who is so much faster. Another three-punch Pacquiao combination. Margarito misses with a wild right hand. Another three-punch combination for Pacquiao as the bell rings. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9.
Round 2: Pacquiao has established the tempo behind his right jab and follow up lefts. Margarito’s guard is high but he is not punching. Pacquiao counters with a hard right but then takes a left from Margarito. Pacquiao stays on the outside and circles. Margarito takes a four-punch combination, right-left, right-left, and another right uppercut. Margarito lands three blows to the head and chest along the ropes. Margarito fires twice to the body. If Pacquiao can do this all night he will have no problems. Pacquiao lands a double-right hook and two left hands, but takes a nice uppercut from Margarito. Margarito lands two solid left jabs. Pacquiao fires and lands two left hands before the bell. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 20-18.
Round 3: Margarito did better in the second round by closing the distance and landing some punches in close. But Pacquiao resumed his strategy of landing from the outside, a one-two up the middle early. Pacquiao whips home a nice left hand and then another. Margarito clubs with a jab and a right hand. The pressure is decent from Margarito, his hands held high. Margarito lands a nice right but takes a hard left hand from Pacquiao that draws crowd reaction. Pacquiao takes a wide right but Pacquiao’s defense is tight. Pacquiao reaches and lands a round-ending four-punch combination. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 30-27.
Round 4: Pacquiao continues to circle to his left, and then lands a double-right hook over the top. Pacquiao escapes a jam along the ropes with a hard right and a left and then fires another three-punch combination. Pacquiao shakes Margarito with a hard right and then lands seven unanswered punches. Margarito is undeterred and comes forward. A hard body shot backs up Margarito and then a right wobbles him. Pacquiao is on him, pounding away. Pacwuiao is peppering with his right jab and pounding him so that there is swelling and a large, bloody cut. Pacquiao’s round, 10-8; Pacquiao, 40-35.
Round 5: Margarito appeared to be ready to go at the end of the last round, but catches Pacquiao early along the ropes with a series of body shots. However, the smaller man resumes control with yet another series of unanswered punches, starting with a right-left combination. A hard left hook targets Margarito’s eye again. Margarito gets Pacquiao on the ropes for a three-punch combination to the body, but Pacquiao escapes and fires that left hand that swivels Margarito’s head. Pacquiao drives Margarito’s head back, yet again, with another right-left, right combination before the bell. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 50-44.
Round 6: Pacquiao continues to circle and jab with his right, and Margarito, to plod, unable to close in. Margarito continues to run into the right hand and then a left hook follows from Pacquiao. A right to the chin by Pacquiao. A right-left from Pacquiao jars Margarito. A four-punch series — all uppercuts — find the mark for Pacquiao, whose angles and movement prevent Margarito from getting a bead on him. Pacquiao appears to nearly go down from a left hand to the body along the ropes, but escapes, moves away, and then fires about six unanswered punches to win the momentum back. Margarito’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 59-54.
Round 7: Pacquiao goes back to jabbing and moving to start the seventh, apparently wary of Margarito’s body shots. Pacquiao does the Ali-Shuffle to the delight of the crowd, and then fires two, successive combinations. Pacquiao lands a nice left but can’t follow up. Pacquiao answers with a three-punch volley and then dances away. Pacqauiao takes a right to the body and two uppercuts. Margarito takes three of the same. Pacquiao fires a seven-punch combination starting with his left hand. Margarito seems close to trapping Pacquiao in a neutral corner, lands two body shots, and then absorbs a right, left right combination as the bell sounds. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 69-63.
Round 8: Pacquiao is on his toes but then gets trapped on the ropes and absorbs some punishment to the body. A vicious counter attack allows Pacquiao to escape. Pacquiao lands and shakes Margarito with a big left, but the bigger man comes forward. Margarito lands a good, solid left to the chin along the ropes. Pacquiao escapes and fires a four-punch volley. Margarito fires a straight right hand up the middle, and, later, traps Pacquiao along the ropes and enjoys some success to the body. But Pacquiao closes strongly. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 79-72.
Round 9: Margarito steps up the pressure early and lands a hard right to the body along the ropes. Pacquiao dances and jabs to create distance. Pacquiao is boxing almost exclusively until he lands two, wicked left hands that knock Margarito’s head back. Pacquiao’s energy level is incredible. Hard right hand from Pacquiao, who takes one, and then lands another right that shakes Margarito. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 89-81.
Round 10: Margarito’s eyes, bruised over and under, are nearly closed. Referee Laurence Cole tests them prior to the start of the round, asking what Margarito can see when he holds up his fingers. He allow the fight to continue, and Pacquiao lands a wicked right hand. A five-punch combination from Pacquiao begins a 10-punch assault. The crowd chants “Manny!” A right uppercut lands from Pacquiao, and then, an overhand right. Pacquiao fires and lands an eight-punch combination and Margarito is rocked by a right hand and nearly goes down. Pacquiao pours it on, but, amazingly, Margarito stays on his feet. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao, 99-90.
Round 11: Pacquiao goes back to pounding Margarito, who appears ready to go. Rights and lefts to the head, uppercuts, and Pacquiao looks at Cole as if asking him to stop the fight. And then Pacquiao resumes the punishment, uppercuts, right hands. Cole stops the action and asks Margarito if he can see, and then allows the beating to continue. Margarito’s right eye is pouring blood. His mouth is agape. Pacquiao closes with a four-punch combination, Pacquiao’s round, 10-8; Pacquiao, 109-98.
Round 12: Pacquiao, told simply to ease up and win the round by trainer, Freddie Roach, has his up-jab working early. Margarito is still throwing punches, gamely. Margarito still is coming forward, and Pacquiao seems content to box. A four-punch combination lands to the head for Pacquiao. Pacquiao doubles up on the left hand. Pacquiao closes the round with a six-punch volley, even as Margarito throws and misses. Pacquiao’s round, 10-9; Pacquiao 119-107.
FanHouse had it for Manny Pacquiao, 119-107.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pacquiao maybe unbeatable for a while in the 147 weight class.
November 14th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Bravo LLoyd!
Michelle while you are touting the great deeds of women. Here’s one on Guam that is not so great.
——————————-
A woman who pleaded guilty to running one of Guam’s largest methamphetamine rings in recent memory could be sentenced to as little as 10 years in prison, or spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Gina Medina, 38, pleaded guilty in the District Court of Guam yesterday to smuggling methamphetamines, or “ice,” from the Philippines, selling those drugs on Guam and laundering profits.
In exchange for her plea agreement, Medina has promised to assist federal investigators by telling them everything she knows about the drug trade on Guam. She must also testify if asked.
During her court hearing yesterday, District Court of Guam Magistrate Judge Joaquin Manibusan said Medina’s drug smuggling and drug dealing convictions carried a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, which could be served simultaneously or consecutively.
Both convictions could potentially carry a life sentence, too, or as much as $4 million in fines, Manibusan said.
But if Medina provides “substantial assistance” to investigators, she could be allowed a lesser sentence, Manibusan said. Only government prosecutors can decide what assistance is substantial and what isn’t, he said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karon Johnson, who brokered the plea agreement, declined to comment on the importance and scope of this conviction because two of Medina’s alleged collaborators — Henry Fresnoza and Rodean Villa — are still scheduled to stand trial.
Fresnoza is Medina’s brother, and one exception in her plea agreement is that she does not have to testify against him. There is no such exception for Villa, who allegedly was caught smuggling almost 400 grams of ice in a cake in March.
Two other members of the drug ring — Andres Sotelo and Sophia Vivas San Agustin — pleaded guilty to their respective roles earlier this year.
Johnson has previously said Medina was the link between the collaborators and that she was the “main target” of the investigation.
Pacific Daily News files show that convictions for ice dealing and smuggling are regular occurrences in Guam’s court, but rarely do drug dealers admit they have been working with such large amounts.
According to her plea agreement, Medina’s drug ring has imported at least five and a half pounds of ice since 2004.
In contrast, other convicted drug smugglers on Guam in recent years have been caught with between a few grams to a few hundred grams, Pacific Daily News files show.
—————————-
Women can be as lethal as men.
Henry