The Congressional banking bailout bill that failed yesterday, also failed the thousands of California homeowners already facing foreclosure.

Kimberly Jones, Policy Advocate for the California Reinvestment Corporation, contends that the banking industry is attempting to deflect its own complicity  in the "mortgage meltdown" by blaming the borrowers who signed up for loans they could not repay.  But she says targeting the handful of industry executives who got gaudy salaries and payouts is also a distraction.

 The CRC has produced this short video about the causes of the foreclosure crisis now sweeping California.

Director Geof Callan's new documentary film is trying to do more than capture history; he wants to influence it.

Jeanne Rizzo says it was not an easy decision to become part of the lawsuit that overturned the California law that blocked same sex marriages, but it was the right choice.

The film will premiere in Santa Rosa on October 2^nd, at the Rialto. To find out more about screenings including Santa Rosa, click here .  To view the trailer, click here .

To read about the nonprofit organization that was created out of the film making, as well as the creators, click here .

Proposition 8 was created by ProtectMarriage.com , but has a large amount of opposition from same sex marriage supporters.

 One of the untold stories of the war in Iraq is the millions of refugees who have fled their country, with no idea what their future may hold.

Kathy Kelly describes a typical refugee camp home for an Iraqi family in Syria.

Speaking at at the Oddfellows Hall,  545 Pacific Avenue in Santa Rosa, on Wednesday, September 24^th at 7 pm, renowned activist Kathy Kelly (center)  reports on her recent visit with Iraqi refugees in Amman, Jordan. Highlights of her trip include learning about nonviolence groups operating in Iraq and the efforts of Americans to support these and other Iraqis as they struggle to build a productive and peaceful future. Reflecting on her participation in a peace walk from Chicago to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Kathy will also talk about "war and memory," drawing parallels with collective resistance to other wars, and reminding us of our connections across regions, national boundaries, and generations. The event is being hosted by the Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County.

David Smith-Ferri, Kathy's friend and author of Battlefield Without Borders, will open with a reading of new poems. 

The huge number of displaced people, and the shortage of resources to aid them is creating a social disaster that Kelly says will take a generation or longer to repair.

 Kelly has visited Iraq 24 times, and she continues to share her experience and vast knowledge on the economical and living situation for the people of Iraq. To see more about her previous presentations, click here.

For more information about Kathy Kelly and her work with Voices for Creative Nonviolence, click here.

Proposition Five on the November ballot would make widespread changes in the ways that drug users are treated by California's prison system.

The Yes on Prop 5 website is here.

The No on Prop 5 website is here .

There's an impartial analysis of the measure here. And you can read the actual text of Proposition 5 here. (pdf, 61 pages)

The September 24th forum on Proposition 5, to be held at 7 pm in the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors' chambers (575 Administration Drive, Suite 100A, Santa Rosa), is hosted and sponsored by the Sonoma County Advisory Board on Drug and Alcohol Problems.