Barry Hermanson, Green Party candidate for Congress. File photo by Luke Thomas.
By Marc Norton
May 31, 2012
This election is different, and so is Barry Hermanson. Because of the new “Top Two” primary system, the top two candidates in the June 5 primary will be on the ballot in November, regardless of party affiliation. Are you tired of the total lack of any real debate in the general election between Nancy Pelosi and some retrograde Republican candidate? I am.
Barry Hermanson, Hotel Frank picket.
Whether or not you like the new “Top Two” primary system, that is the way it is this year. And it is a real possibility that Green Party candidate Barry Hermanson could be facing Nancy Pelosi in November, if Barry comes in second in the primary.
Nobody believes that Barry would beat Pelosi in the general election. She has the all the Democratic Party money machinery on her side. But, just for once, wouldn’t you like to see Pelosi and the Democrats forced into a real debate about:
- · The massive expropriation of our tax dollars by the Pentagon and the military?
- · Putting people back to work with a federal jobs program like Franklin Roosevelt’s WPA, rather than corporate-side “stimulus” deals?
- · Real health care reform like Medicare for All?
- · Ending the Bush tax cuts, spiking tax loopholes for the corporations, and taxing the rich?
Or would you rather get another stale debate about voting for the lesser-of-two-evils between Pelosi and some wacko Republican?
I have another reason for supporting Barry – he has been on the picket line at Hotel Frank again and again and again. He doesn’t do this because he is trolling for votes at our small hotel. He does it because he supports workers’ rights, just like he did when he co-authored San Francisco’s landmark minimum wage law, and co-chaired the San Francisco Living Wage Coalition.
I haven’t seen Pelosi anywhere near the Hotel Frank picket line. I don’t remember her getting down in the trenches and fighting for increased wages for the lowest paid workers in this city. I guess we are all just small potatoes to her.
I’m going to keep this simple. You can vote for Pelosi and business-as-usual, or you can vote for Barry because a second-place finish for him would change the conversation for all of us.
Check out Barry’s website at www.barryhermanson.org, then do your civic duty.
Marc Norton was a bellman for nearly twelve years at Hotel Frank in downtown San Francisco, until he was illegally fired in 2010 after Wells Fargo Bank foreclosed on the property. For more info on the fight at Hotel Frank see www.HotelFrankSF.info. Contact Marc at nortonsf@ix.netcom..com, or through his website at www.MarcNorton.us.
The Hunger Site
June 1, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Barry, I’ve contacted the Chaunch crew. We’re all behind you 100%. You have our vote! I will set up the boombox at the polling booth located on 6th Street @ Folsom. Send me a CD and I’ll play walk-up music for each voter. I was thinking something like Neil Young’s “Keep On Rockin’ In the Free World” and of course the National Anthem. Love, Chaunch.
May 31, 2012 at 10:31 pm
Anthony, I’m no expert but the HSR project sounds like it MIGHT have been realistic in better days, though like all such projects rife with corruption, kickbacks, and yet another boondoggle for the Brahmins. Apart from the cost and that it’s gonna take many years before the first section from Fresno to Bakersfield is even started, I recall ‘hearing’ recently that it’s not even going to be a high tech high speed rail like they have in Japan and elsewhere, but a scaled down version. Our grandkids mat be alive if it ever connects with San Francisco.
FYI. Hope this link works.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/us-economy-california-high-speed-rail-idUSTRE80305A20120104
Suggest it would be more productive to focus on:-
http://www.barryhermanson.org
http://www.Levitt2012.org
http://www.labelgmos.org
May 31, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Sorry Anthony but I disagree, IMHO “party politics” is one of the root causes of our problems.
May 31, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Vote Green!
May 31, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Agree with you for once Rob. Hopefully this is what they will do if they get the chance, god knows there’s plenty of ammunition.
May 31, 2012 at 2:28 pm
Why not challenge Pelosi on some important city and state issues, like high-speed rail and the Central Subway? Because, like Pelosi, most liberals and progressives support these dumb, wasteful projects.
May 31, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Explain how HSR is wasteful? Because you won’t use it or find a use for it? Fact: While we have some of the lowest fuel prices of any Western country, that will not last forever and we’ll be paying what the Europeans are paying soon enough. There is not enough investment being made to stop the increase in fuel cost for transportation. Fact: As fuel prices continue to rise, many of the low cost airlines like Southwest will stop making the Burbank/Oakland/San Jose flights and LAX/SFO flights and have already said so. You’re only option will be driving from here to the bay area or vice-verse. Fact: There is no example of a half-done high speed rail project. You’re either all-in or don’t do it. Fact: The entire cost will not be the responsibility of the State, Federal Governments or even Tax Payers. The majority of the cost will come from private investment in exchange for partial ownership. This is why you have France, Japan, China, Germany and Canada all interested in our High Speed Rail Project. China has already expressed interest in investing in the building of the system and so has France. I should add Japan needs all the income it can get its hands on and could use percentage of ownership to fill its coffers. Bahn DE took over the British Rail System and makes a ton off it. Central Subway? You have BART already you mean an expansion of BART??? Otherwise you know there’s plenty of places you can live in America or in the world that don’t take your tax money and spend it on badly needed public transportation.
June 1, 2012 at 6:39 pm
High speed rail will be a necessity when a gallon of gas is over $10 a gallon.
May 31, 2012 at 1:47 pm
FRANKEN FOODS.
While I’m here, we recently submitted almost 1 million signatures demanding that all GMO foods be labelled as such. As of this date we have qualified to have this measure on the ballot in November. It is one small step in the larger battle to preserve the health and sustainability of the planet and all creatures who live on it. Please visit our web site, spread the word, and help in any way you can.
Patrick Monk.RN. Noe Valley.
http://www.labelgmos.org
Frequent updates on this and other ‘issues of concern’ on my Facebook page.
May 31, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Oooops, forgot David’s link:-
http://www.Levitt2012.org
May 31, 2012 at 1:35 pm
You are correct Swami. As we all know this race is not about ‘winning’, it’s a race for the #2 spot. I would also suggest we should be supporting David Levitt. Hopefully the Republican wannabe’s will neuter each other. Then both the Queen’s of the 1% might finally have to engage in open public debate and justify why their reigns of patronage and privilege should continue. If by chance a Republican should be elected, well then – “The Queen’s are dead”, it is sometimes preferable to face an ‘enemy you can trust’ rather than ‘a friend you can’t’, besides we’re all going to hell in a handbasket pretty soon anyway.
PIGASUS FOR PRESIDENT.
Just my thruppence.
Patrick Monk.RN. Noe Valley.
GO GIANTS.
May 31, 2012 at 6:53 pm
Many people in the Democratic Party have suggested voting in the GOP Primaries in the States that allow it. Why not force a real debate between candidates maybe that way we can get rid of Corporatist Dems and Socially Conservative Republicans.
May 31, 2012 at 9:53 pm
Yes, Barry gets my vote and will encourage friends to cast ballots for him.
June 4, 2012 at 5:34 pm
From Dreams to Drones: Who is the Real Barack Obama?
As the latest US attacks kill 17 and threaten to
destabilize Pakistan, the president could be the cruelest political hoax
of our times
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/06/04-13