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About - Courage California

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Courage California

7119 West Sunset Boulevard, No. 215

Los Angeles, California 90046

T: (323) 205-5154

info@couragecalifornia.org

Courage California envisions a progressive, equitable, and representative California, powered by our people. We believe that California must be a beacon of progress. As the 5th largest economy in the world — and the United States’ largest and most diverse state — California is uniquely positioned to serve as a model for the country.

Our mission is to unite and equip Californians to hold leaders accountable and take courageous action for change. By providing the information, resources and infrastructure Californians need to hold their elected officials accountable, Courage California is fighting for a California that works for all of us. To achieve this, State and local representatives must be accountable to and reflective of the Californians they seek to serve, and work for the public’s benefit — as opposed to prioritizing the will of corporate lobbyists and campaign contributors.

Driven by our members and partnerships throughout the state, Courage California actively calls out institutional corruption and oppression, improves coordination and collaboration between progressive organizations, and demands that state and local representatives be accountable to and reflective of the Californians they seek to serve.

Environmental Justice Q & A with Courage California’s Angela Chavez

By Angela Chavez

October 30, 2023

Daily Kos | Alan Kandel | Oct. 25, 2023 Alan Kandel: Angela, Courage California is the organization you represent. What is Courage California’s purpose and what is your role? Angela … Continued

California’s top 3 Senate candidates seek edge in race for Feinstein’s old seat

By Angela Chavez

October 14, 2023

Cynthia Dizikes | Oct. 8, 2023 | San Francisco Chronicle The top three California Democrats running for U.S. Senate vied Sunday for the endorsement of a major health care union during … Continued

Op-ed: Recess is over, Californians demand climate action from state legislators

By Guest

August 17, 2023

Op-Ed by: Irene Kao and Mike Young | Capitol Weekly | 08.14.2023 In the final week of what became the hottest month in history, it was reported that California is … Continued

California Progressive Caucus hosts Health Care for All forum to discuss single-payer bills

By Angela Chavez

August 10, 2023

Hannah Saunders | Aug 10, 2023 | State of Reform California’s Progressive Caucus recently hosted the Healthcare is a Human Right forum to discuss Assembly Bill 1690 and Senate Bill 770, which if passed, … Continued

New political group launches to take on Big Oil over a ban on drilling near schools, hospitals

By Angela Chavez

July 27, 2023

Joe Garofoli | San Francisco Chronicle | July 26, 2023 A committee backed by environmentalists and community groups — launched with $500,000 in seed funding by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt — will … Continued

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Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign[5]) is a California-based 501(c)(4) progressive grassroots advocacy organization founded in 2005.[6] The organization claims an online grassroots activism network of over 1 million members. The group works on a variety of progressive causes including LGBT equality, gun control and healthcare reform, including support of single-payer health care.[7][8][9] The group has taken a role in various California statewide ballot measures, including supporting Proposition 30 and opposing Proposition 32 in 2012.[10]

Courage California's EqualityOnTrial.com was founded to cover the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial when the courtroom forbade live television coverage. Courage California is an affiliate of the ProgressNow advocacy network.[11]

Activities[edit]

In 2011, Courage California organized a flash mob protest against Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Over fifty people danced to Madonna’s hit "Like a Prayer" outside of the 2011 California Republican Party convention. The protest called attention to Bachmann's connections to conversion therapy.[12]

When the California Supreme Court decided it would take six months to rule on the next phase of the Proposition 8 trial, Courage California asked its members for testimony to back the legal challenge of Proposition 8 and other gay-rights litigation. More than 3,000 stories came in.[13]

The group also protested at a fundraiser featuring then-House Speaker John Boehner.[14][15]

In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, Courage California worked to pressure large retailers, including Walmart, to stop selling assault rifles, joining with SumOfUs, MoveOn.org and MomsRising to deliver hundreds of thousands of signatures to their store in Newtown, Connecticut.[16] Courage California also lobbied Apple to increase the recommended age from 4 to 12 for an NRA shooting app.[17]

In March 2013, the group partnered with the Daily Kos and MoveOn.org to deliver over 100,000 signatures to the Los Angeles Times opposing a sale of the newspaper, owned by the Tribune Company, to Charles and David Koch.[18] Courage California and Daily Kos members also funded a newspaper ad to appear in the pages of the Los Angeles Times. After the advertising department rejected the ad, Courage Campaign staff revised the ad to add six footnote citations of the Los Angeles Times own reporting regarding the Kochs. Following the petition delivery, the advertising department relented and the advertisement ran on April 3, 2013.[19]

Playing on the “It Gets Better” campaign, Courage California worked with the American Bridge 21st Century to critique Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential elections. This was the first project to track Romney's record on LGBT issues from 1994 to 2012.[20]

Leadership[edit]

Courage Campaign, as it was first called, was founded by Rick Jacobs. In 2013, Jacobs took a leave of absence from the group and was replaced by Paul Song.[21] In November 2014, Eddie Kurtz became the executive director.[22]

Related organizations[edit]

Courage California Institute is a separately incorporated 501(c)(3) charitable organization that educates, defends, and extends human rights and civil rights.[2]

Courage California Super PAC is a separately incorporated super PAC that supports and opposes candidates for federal office.[2]

https://www.ecowatch.com/nestle-water-san-bernardino-2575958681.html

Settlement Ends Nestlé’s Expired 'Zombie' Permit to Siphon Water From San Bernardino National Forest

Federal officials and conservation groups reached an agreement Wednesday that will finally end Nestlé Corp.'s ability to rely on a permit that expired 30 years ago to siphon water from the San Bernardino National Forest for its massive bottled-water operation. The company's diversion has severely reduced water in spring-fed Strawberry Creek, which forest wildlife and plants need to survive.

This settlement of the 2015 lawsuit requires the U.S. Forest Service to decide in 30 days whether or not to issue a new permit for the pipeline and Nestlé's associated activities in the San Bernardino National Forest.The Center for Biological Diversity, Courage Campaign Institute and the Story of Stuff Project agreed to dismiss an appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the old "zombie" permit after a new decision is issued. The groups reserved the right to challenge any new Forest Service decision.

Under the expired permit, Nestlé siphoned off as much as 162 million gallons of water a year from Strawberry Creek. Nestlé, the world's largest water-bottling company, earned $8.3 billion in profits from its water business in 2016. U.S. Geological Survey reports from July 2017 show that, despite heavy winter precipitation across California, Strawberry Creek's streamflow levels were the lowest since the agency began keeping track 96 years ago.

"This agreement stops Nestlé and the Forest Service from relying on a 30-year-old permit, but Strawberry Creek still desperately needs protection," said Ileene Anderson, a senior biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity. "The real tragedy is that Nestlé is sucking the creek dry to bottle water for profit, dooming plants and wildlife that have relied on it for tens of thousands of years. We'll keep fighting to protect Strawberry Creek and our forests from commercial exploitation."

The groups are urging the Forest Service to deny a new permit to Nestlé to safeguard the public land, water, plants and animals of the San Bernardino National Forest. If a new permit is issued, the agency should ensure there is enough water left in Strawberry Creek to support fish, wildlife and native plants year round.

The State Water Resources Control Board is also evaluating Nestlé's water rights on Strawberry Creek, which a board investigation determined is far less than the corporation claims.

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Google -- one of California’s most influential companies that people like me and you use everyday -- still plans to sponsor a Trump-led Republican National Convention and help provide a platform for his brand of hate and violence.

Under pressure from activists, Coca-Cola recently took the bold step to cease its support of a Trump Convention.(1) And Courage Campaign has joined our allies at ColorOfChange, Ultraviolet, CREDO, Bend the Arc, and more to turn up the heat on Google and other corporate sponsors, urging them to follow Coke’s lead

Nestlé has been illegally pumping up to 28 million gallons of water a year from the San Bernardino National Forest, virtually free of charge.

Last October, we sued to stop them -- but now we're being denied access to the documents we need to prove our case.

Based on the facts, this should be an open and shut case. But the lawyers on the other side are fighting us tooth and nail to drag it out -- and in the meantime, Nestlé is STILL pumping water every day, devastating vulnerable plants and animals in the area.

We will NOT let Nestlé get away with taking our water, but the longer this goes on, the more our legal bills pile up. Will you donate to help make sure we have the resources to take on this fight and win?

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https://ballotpedia.org/Courage_Campaign

The Courage Campaign is a nonprofit, California-based organization that advocates for liberal/progressive policy outcomes. On its website, the group describes itself as "an online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots activists to push for progressive change and equality in California."

According to a spokesperson, it "is a multi-issue, progressive political training organization."[1]

The Courage Campaign is an affiliate member of Progress Now.

Rick Jacobs is the founder and chair of the organization. Jacobs was the California chair of Howard Dean's presidential campaign in California. He also served as a senior adviser to Democracy for America.

Steve Hildebrand, the former deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, is an adviser to the Courage Campaign.[2]

2012 tax initiatives

The Courage Campaign is supporting the California "Millionaire's Tax Initiative" for the November 6, 2012 ballot.[3][4][5]

Repeal of Prop 8

Main article: California Repeal of Proposition 8 (2010)

Since November 2008, there has been a dispute in the marriage equality movement about whether to try to repeal Proposition 8 in 2010 or 2012. In this dispute, the Courage Campaign initially came down strongly in favor of the 2010 option. Rick Jacobs said in August 2009, "I don't know why we would say no to the movement we've got now."[2]

However, after the Courage Campaign spent $200,000 on public opinion research and focus groups to provide guidance on possible ballot language, the group announced November 30, 2009 that it is calling for "for more research and time to change hearts and minds before returning to the ballot." Jacobs, leader of the group, said they do not "see a path to victory" for 2010.[6][7]

Legal structure

There are several different but affiliated groups under the Courage Campaign banner:

Organizing teams

The organization says that since March 2009, it has had 44 teams doing grassroots organizing in 23 of California's 58 counties.[8]

Partners

As of 2015, the Courage Campaign was partnered with the following organizations:[9]

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Courage Campaign. This list of articles is automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles; they are included to provide readers with the most recent news articles on the subject. Click here to learn more about this section.

Courage Campaign - Google News Feed

See also

External links

Maldonado nomination

Jacobs reacted to the nomination of Abel Maldonado to the office of Lieutenant Governor of California by saying, "The best thing we can do right now is to remove Abel Maldonado from a position of importance where he can do great damage, the California State Senate, and place him in an irrelevant post, the Lieutenant Governor’s office. For once, we agree with the Governor – Abel Maldonado should be demoted to Lieutenant Governor."[1]

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https://www.couragecampaign.org/press-releases/protests-across-california-demand-proposition-49-back-ballot

CONTACT:CJ Frogozo, cj@fitzgibbonmedia.com, 310 570 2622

ADVISORY FOR: Wednesday, August 20, 2014

CONTACT:CJ Frogozo, cj@fitzgibbonmedia.com, 310 570 2622

Let the People Vote! Protests Across California to put Proposition 49 Back on the Ballot

Californians to Organize in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento

WHAT:  Non-violent civil disobedience protest at the California Supreme Court offices in California in response to the California Supreme Court's decision that removes Proposition 49 from the November ballot, protesters will demonstrate and risk arrest.

WHO:  99Rise, MOVI, Common Cause, Courage Campaign, The Yes on 49 Committee and supporters of the California citizens' right to be heard.

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