ds

Dustin Lance Black on Harvey Milk Day

1 in 3 LGBT kids seriously contemplate suicide because of the way gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are treated by society as sick, wrong or on par with murders and rapists.

In his moving testimony to the California State Senate, Dustin Lance Black (the Academy Warding winner writer of the screenplay for Milk) explained how at age 13 he was told the story of Harvey Milk. being told the story of Harvey Milk changed his life for the better.

Urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign the bi-partizen legislation that would officially recognize Harvey Milk's birthday as a day of signifigance in California by calling (916) 445-2841. It's an automated system, you just need to press a few buttons to voice your support.

False Advertising

This advertisement of a family who apparently wouldn't be able to afford their camping trip were there a 3 cent junk food tax on that soda they brought.

A NY Times article suggests 3 cents is not enough to make a dent on obesity, though it would generate $51.6 billion over a decade.

One line in the commercial really gets me though. The ad declares, "taxes never made anyone healthy" which is an outright lie because according to the CDC taxes are an effective way to reduce smoking.

Research shows that tax increases on tobacco products are an effective policy intervention designed to prevent initiation of adolescents and young adults, reduce cigarette consumption, and increase the number of smokers who quit. A 10% increase in the price of cigarettes is estimated to reduce consumption by 4%.

Paying an extra couple cents for to have a soda a few times a week, even a few dollars for a family, isn't going to put anyone in debt.