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Solartopia Green Power & Wellness HourAuthor: Progressive Radio Network
Harvey Wasserman embraces your views with a Solartopian vision of the peoples politics, ecology, holistic health and much more. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Solartopia Green Power - 3-26-26
Episode 443
Thursday, 26 March, 2026
Quick recap This meeting focused on election protection, renewable energy, and a discussion about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The participants discussed the upcoming No Kings, No Nukes, No War marches planned for Saturday, with expectations of millions of participants, and explored concerns about election integrity in various states including Arizona, California, Georgia, and Texas. Ron Leonard explained the growing popularity of balcony solar as a way for individuals to generate their own clean energy, while John Brakey and Ray McClendon shared concerns about potential election manipulation and voter suppression tactics. The conversation then shifted to a detailed discussion about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, where Tatanka Bricca shared insights about the farm workers' movement and allegations against Chavez, suggesting that the movement itself should be celebrated rather than focusing on individual leaders. The meeting also touched on media concerns, with plans to discuss the state of CBS and other major media outlets in the second half. Next steps Ron Leonard: Provide contact information for purchasing solar panels to Sunny (and others) when they are ready to buy Christian Nunes: Post link to the Saving Our Cells Foundation webinar, flyer, and website in the chat Ray McClendon: Post contact information in the chat for people to get in touch regarding election protection in Georgia Micki Leader: Post election protection bills information in the chat for New York State Camilla Rees, John Steiner, and Sunny: Discuss reviving the US Grassroots.org election protection website John Brakey and Ken Bennett: Meet with Pima County Board of Supervisors tomorrow regarding election proof and AIB implementation John Brakey: Return next week with Ken Bennett to discuss election protection updates All interested parties: Participate in No Kings, No Nukes, No War marches this Saturday Sunny/organizers: Discuss what comes next after No Kings Day marches at next week's meeting Tatanka Bricca: Write up the story about Cesar Chavez's public confrontation All interested researchers: Utilize the archives being transferred to University of Santa Cruz for research on movement history Summary Election Protection and Renewable Initiatives The meeting focused on several topics, including election protection, media coverage, and renewable energy initiatives. Harvey Sunny Wasserman opened the call by discussing upcoming events, including the No Kings, No Nukes, No War marches and the importance of election protection in light of Trump's SAVE Act and potential Supreme Court decisions on mail-in voting. John Brakey was mentioned as a guest to discuss election protection in Arizona, and Tatanka Bricca was set to discuss news related to Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. The meeting also touched on the positive development of balcony solar, which is gaining endorsement in various states, and concluded with plans to discuss media coverage and the impact of Trump's attacks on reporters. Balcony Solar Installation Discussion Ron Leonard explained the concept of balcony solar, describing how small solar panels with inverters can be installed on balconies, garages, or even trash cans to provide electricity and reduce costs. Sunny shared his plans to implement this solution once California's Bill 868 passes, which would allow for easier installation of small solar panels. Myla provided updates on similar legislation passing in other states and discussed how distributed energy systems could make power grids less vulnerable to attacks. The discussion concluded with plans for an upcoming No Kings Day march on the 28th, which aims to draw millions of participants in a peaceful protest against nuclear power and war. Election Protection and Strike Planning The group discussed plans following upcoming "No Kings, No Nukes, No War" marches, with Ray McClendon noting the significance of Georgia's May 19th primaries where several key races are expected to be competitive. The discussion highlighted concerns about election protection, particularly in California where a Republican gubernatorial candidate has allegedly confiscated a million ballots in a jungle primary system. Myla suggested that unions are organizing a potential general strike for next May, while emphasizing the importance of protecting upcoming elections due to expected authoritarian tactics from those in power. The conversation also touched on the SAVE Act and concerns about billionaire funding in the November elections. Election Security and Protection Updates John discussed concerns about election security in Arizona, particularly following issues in Pima County and California's Riverside County, and mentioned an upcoming meeting with the Board of Supervisors to address these concerns. Christian Nunes announced the launch of her new nonprofit, Saving Our Cells Foundation, which aims to address gender-based violence and will host a virtual kickoff event on March 25th. Ray McClendon provided an update on election protection efforts in Georgia, highlighting concerns about potential vote intimidation and ongoing legislative efforts to restrict voting rights, while Charlie Lindahl shared information about election protection activities in Texas, including efforts by the Texas Democratic Party chair Kendall Scudder and initiatives like Beto O'Rourke's "We the People" program. Election Protection and Integrity Discussion The group discussed election protection and integrity issues, with Charlie encouraging people to volunteer as election officials and highlighting the importance of paper ballots over electronic machines. Micki shared insights from New York's Election Protection committee, noting that six bills addressing election issues are stuck in the Assembly due to lack of Democratic co-signers, and raised concerns about postal delays affecting ballot delivery. The discussion also covered the FBI's seizure of ballot information from Fulton County in 2020, which included sensitive voter data, and the broader issue of election information being targeted across multiple states. Impeachment and Infrastructure Discussion The discussion focused on impeachment procedures, with Steve Caruso advocating for a simplified approach without lengthy trials. Sunny clarified the constitutional requirements, explaining that impeachment by the House requires a majority vote, followed by a Senate trial where two-thirds majority is needed for removal. The conversation then shifted to infrastructure concerns, with Sunny expressing alarm about a recent Air Canada crash at LaGuardia Airport involving a fire truck on the runway, and criticizing the decision to have ICE agents handle airport screening. The conversation ended with plans to discuss Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and media topics in upcoming segments. Election Protection and Security Systems The meeting focused on election protection and included a discussion about John Brakey's invention of the Audible Ballot Examination (Abe) system, which uses paper ballots and aims to secure the vote record database. Tatanka Bricca, a long-time associate of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, addressed concerns about recent developments involving Huerta, emphasizing the importance of non-violence and resilience in the face of current challenges to democracy. The discussion highlighted the need for unity among leaders and communities to address ongoing issues related to election security and environmental activism. Government Infiltration of Farm Workers Tatanka shared insights about potential government infiltration of the Farm Workers Union, drawing parallels to COINTELPRO operations against other movements in the 1960s and 70s. He described specific incidents from the mid-1970s, including a $25,000 assassination attempt on Cesar Chavez funded by Nixon's administration and tensions within the union leadership. Tatanka explained how he experienced conflict with Chavez at a national meeting, but ultimately reached a resolution through direct conversation, which led to his inclusion in key negotiations with the United Farm Workers leadership. Cesar Chavez Revelations Discussion Tatanka discussed the recent revelations about Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, highlighting how Dolores had kept quiet about being raped by Chavez due to concerns about the movement's survival. Tatanka emphasized the need to understand this history and mentioned that true heroes include not only Chavez but also other organizers like Larry Itlyong and Pete Velasco. Lynn Feinerman suggested the timing of these revelations might be strategically linked to current events involving Epstein and Trump, while Tatanka noted that while the revelations are just beginning, there is a movement to use them to distract from holding powerful figures accountable. Farm Workers Movement Discussion The discussion focused on the farm workers' movement, with Myla sharing her experiences as a college volunteer in Delano during the grape strike from 1965-1966. Tatanka emphasized the importance of honoring the movement as a whole rather than individual leaders, highlighting how the first two martyrs of the movement were a Jewish girl and an Arab farm worker. The conversation also touched on COINTELPRO's disruption of social movements and the law of unintended consequences, with Sunny sharing how FBI infiltration of Liberation News Service ultimately led to the creation of a farm in western Massachusetts that became a focal point for the organic food movement. Media Landscape Evolution Discussion The discussion focused on the impact of Barry Weiss on CBS and the broader changes in media landscape. Dave Saltman explained the historical significance of CBS Radio and its role in shaping American culture, contrasting it with current media dynamics. The conversation explored the transition from corporate-owned media to more diffuse internet-based platforms, including podcasts, and considered the implications for organizations like Pacifica. There was no clear decision or action item outlined, but the discussion highlighted concerns about the current state of traditional media and potential opportunities in new media formats. Media Coverage and Political Developments The discussion focused on media coverage and local news reporting, with David sharing insights about CBS News's approach to local reporting and how Bloomberg has successfully expanded with over 800 bureaus worldwide. The conversation then shifted to current political developments, with Bryan discussing how Trump's recent actions may be connected to the Katie Johnson allegations, and Tatanka explaining how the Ukraine-Russia conflict benefits Putin. The conversation ended with discussions about independent research archives and upcoming anti-war demonstrations, with participants planning to continue these discussions in next week's meeting.
