Community Currency - 10/14/10

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California 9/11 Truth Commission Initiative with former Senator Mike Gravel (U.S.Senator from Alaska 1969-1981), best known for his courageous effort to read the Pentagon Papers into the public record.) and Jose Rodriguez. Senator Mike Gravel's passion has been Direct Democracy, which allows people to make laws, rather than allowing "elected representatives" the exclusive ability to make the laws. He has also taken brave stances and spoken out against secrecy in government. He supported and worked on the NYCCAN 2009 ballot initiative in New York City that would have established a local commission to conduct an impartial, evidence-driven investigation into the events of September 11, 2001. 80,000 New Yorkers signed the petition, far exceeding the requirement for the proposed City Charter amendment to be presented to the voters on the November ballot. However, the City of New York refused to place it on the ballot citing legal insufficiencies in the petition, and the State Supreme Court ruled in the City’s favor.

Senator Gravel also moderated the DC Press Conference and mock debate that Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth organized on September 9, 2010 and spoke on a panel and outlined his vision for the California 9/11 Truth Initiative in NYC at the How The World Changed After 9/11 on September 11, 2010. Senator Gravel arrived in California on October 7, 2010 to meet with local 9/11 Truth activists, take signatures to Sacramento, and spearhead the effort to navigate through the State Ballot Initiative process. He is in California for a couple of weeks to check on the level of support for the idea, and to begin to overcome the legal hurdles. At his first meeting with the Northern California 9/11 Truth Alliance on October 7, 2010 attendance was doubled, and a lot of interest and support for the effort was expressed.

Senator Gravel is relocating to California and has embarked on another project- the I LIKE MIKE TV Show, which is part comedy and part ‘Reality’ TV, in which a virally elected President- Mike Gravel is cleaning up Washington and putting military, financial execs and lobbyists in their place. A dozen or so short pilot episodes are posted online.He founded Direct Democracy, The Democracy Foundation, Philadelphia II, all non-profit organizations to forward his effort to pass the Democracy Act. (His preamble to the published Pentagon Papers is remarkably apt for the current political situation.)

Traveling with Senator Gravel is activist Jose Rodriguez who will also was on the show. Jose joined the airforce early in life, but getting drafted for the Vietnam War changed his pro-military views and he became an anti-nuclear activist. He was part of the Great Peace March of 1986, organized rallies, marches, produced art, buttons, clothing for activists, and hosted the popular "Politically Correct Cooking show" on cable access television. He is featured, dressed as "Death." in a couple of videos on youtube drawing attention to the cost of war and the occupation of Palestine, 

Here is part of a message sent out to activists in California about the California 9/11 Truth Commission Initiative Senator Gravel and Jose responded to some of the questions raised about the problems with the NYCCAN ballot initiative and the hurdles that initiatives face, as well as the potential opportunity that the initiative process offers to citizens.

As concerned citizens, we are joining together to raise funds to file an initiative in California to enact a "9/11 Truth Commission law." Once passed, this new commission untainted by politics and with subpoena powers to investigate 9/11 and its aftermath, the Afghan and Iraqi wars and the global War on Terror generally. Once the initiative process is under way in California, identical initiative measures will be filed in other initiative-enabled states such as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and others. These numerous filings will make the need for a new investigation of 9/11 a political issue in the presidential and congressional elections of November 2012...

In summary, a 9/11 Initiative campaign will: Focus attention of the Global 9/11 Truth Movement on an actionable goal Necessitate the raising of substantial funds to finance the initiative campaign Have a website to facilitate citizen participation, fundraising, and financial transparency Seek out and vet distinguished, qualified persons, to serve on the commission File identical initiative measures in several states to make the 9/11 Initiative a national issue Circumvent the government and the media by going directly to the people Result in a commission with subpoena powers and the necessary public funding Create an official body untainted by political interests able to pursue the facts surrounding 9/11 regardless of where they lead We need your help.