Jesse Jackson Post Picked Up By FoxNation

My piece on Jesse Jackson's visit to Claremont McKenna got picked up by FoxNation -- and receives nearly three hundred comments, including those on the original post.

It's time to keep exposing some of the Athenaeum's radical guests to the harsh light because, as Justice Brandeis put it, "sunlight is the best disinfectant."

No 7-Eleven? What's Wrong With The Town of Claremont Part II

Reason number 622 why the Town of Claremont is financially insane.

The Town of Claremont wants to increase taxes (or have a bond measure) to pay for their school system, but they don't want to attract businesses that'll pay for them? Instead, they'd rather forgo the $12,000 to $21,000 annual sales tax revenue from a 7-Eleven, thanks to the Planning Commission's 6-1 no vote on a 7-Eleven at the corner of Foothill Blvd. and Mills. (hat tip: Claremont Insider.)

The grounds for their no vote seems the height of NIMBYism.

I quote from The Daily Bulletin:

Commissioner Jeff Hammill said one of the letters he received was against the project because it would bring people who drink alcohol, eat junk food and smoke cigarettes.

Gasp! You mean, college students?! (My bet, this being Claremont, what the letter writer really meant was low-class people and we absolutely cannot have any of those dirty, dirty low-class people in this town, can we?)

Of course, do remember, you tax things that are inelastic (i.e. addictive goods) because the burden of it will fall more heavily on the consumers, than the producers, meaning a more stable tax revenue for the town of Claremont, than say, expensive dinners or Yogurtland. (Which, by the way, is more addictive than cigarettes.)

Are Parts of the ASCMC Constitution Illegal?

California's Leonard Law gives the same free speech protections to students at private colleges that it does to people on the street.

So why does ASCMC's Constitution ban campaigning on the internet? And allow such a huge advantage to incumbents who get to use the distribution lists to up their name recognition?

Here's the selection:

iv. Candidates may not generate and/or use distribution lists over any Claremont McKenna College e-mail system.

v. Candidates may not use any online social networks (for example, Facebook, or MySpace) to encourage others to vote for themselves or to vote in general.

As I've already mentioned, this first rule benefits incumbents, who curiously enough seem to have a big party that coincides right with election day nearly every year. In effect, they are spending a lot more than the $50.00 limit to elect themselves by using other people's money on parties that they run.

I wonder if I announced to run for ASCMC office, does my writing on a private blog violate this ASCMC rule? I hope not, but if it does, I'm willing to challenge it.