Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

Editor’s note: From a column in this morning’s Los Angeles Times. “The party needs to look and think more like the rest of California,” it concludes:

‘”Too white, too right and too uptight,’ says a veteran political consultant. “That’s why the Republican Party can’t come back in California.’

“Strategist David Townsend is a Democrat, so that’s the sort of comment you would expect from the likes of him.

“But there were top Republicans at the party’s state convention in Sacramento over the weekend making similar observations, in softer tones and absent the negativity. They realize that to survive, the California GOP must broaden its ethnic and ideological bases and be less rigid on social issues.

“Karl Rove, former President George W. Bush’s chief strategist, told a luncheon of about 500 delegates Saturday that the GOP needs to reflect the diversity of America. ‘If we do, we’ll succeed’

“U.S. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, California’s highest-ranking Republican, told the Sacramento Press Club on Friday that the party ‘should embrace a little bit of libertarianism.’

“It’s hard to argue with the numbers.

“The Republican Party in this state is 82% white, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That compares with 56% white for both Democrats and independents. This matters because white views on key issues sometimes are rejected by the rest of the electorate in this ethnically diverse state.

“For example, the Field Poll found last week that only 41% of whites favor granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. But enough Latinos, blacks and Asian Americans favor it so that, overall, 52% of California voters support the idea.
“Among Republicans, according to the policy institute, 72% call themselves conservative. But only 17% of Democrats and 32% of independents do.

“This pushes the GOP far to the right of the rest of California in its opposition to gun control, same-sex marriage, legalizing marijuana and taking action against global warming, the Field Poll reports.

‘”We’ve got to figure out our highest priorities — such as the economy and jobs, public safety, efficient government, quality education — and focus on those,” state Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff of Diamond Bar told me. “Talking about other things turns people off.”

The rest of the article is here.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 9 Comments »

In May 2010, Grass Valley and Nevada City hosted the 2010 California Preservation Conference, featuring tours that highlighted Nevada County’s rich history, architecture and natural beauty, and special events at its most historical locations.

Last year, Grass Valley participated in the Julia Morgan 2012 Festival, a statewide event focusing on the life and work of California’s first licensed female architect and the creator of over 700 structures in California alone. The North Star Conservancy held a special Julia Morgan Day in tandem with its regular Grower’s Market, with docent-led tours.

Now Grass Valley is going to host a meeting of international scholars who meet annually to discuss the life and work of a famous American philosopher Josiah Royce (1855-1916), who was born in the historic Gold-Rush town.

“Royce, California, and the World, a meeting of scholars and communities, will be held August 16-18, 2013, in Royce’s historic birthplace and hometown, Grass Valley, California, in the beautiful Sierra Foothills,” according to the Royce Society, which meets annually. “The meeting will be held at the Holbrooke Hotel, an important California landmark.”

Like the region’s other historical or academic conferences, it will draw out-of-town visitors (including some well-known ones) and introduce them to our region. It is a reminder of region’s wealth of historical assets that extend well beyond gold mining — a point this blog makes regularly.

In Grass Valley, the well-known public library is named after Royce, but his influence extends well beyond Gold Country: UCLA’s iconic Royce Hall also is named after him. Royce Hall has come to represent a defining image of the university.

The conference will draw renowned scholars, including Kevin Starr, the American historian best known for his multi-volume series on the history of California, “America and the California Dream.”

“In recent years the work of Josiah Royce has drawn increased attention from scholars and thinkers all over the world. Since its formation in 2003, the Josiah Royce Society has promoted scholarly activities related to Royce’s ideas in a far-ranging series of national and international conferences.”

The Harry Todd Costello Prize for the best graduate student or recent Ph.D. paper on Royce also will be awarded at the conference.

The proceedings also will include a reading of a new original play about Royce’s life in California, “Beyond Our Mountains,” by local resident Robin A. Wallace.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »