I founded the RFC in 1990, and by the middle of that decade we had several thousand supporters. Although a number of them made inquiries about becoming monthly recurring donors or “sustainers,” out of fear of administrative complications I resisted the impulse to establish such a program. However, once we began accepting online contributions it became much easier to process recurring gifts, and in 2009 we began to promote the program in earnest.

Last week I made a quick trip to Southern California. My busy schedule did not permit me to see Hunger: In Bed With Roy Cohn, a new play that recently premiered in L.A. Yet while I was there, I was able to meet with the playwright, the producers and some of the actors after one of the performances.

I just finished reading The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, with a forward by Cornel West (The New Press, 2012). I urge people to read this essential book.

This morning I read that an ardent member of the Occupy Los Angeles movement has been arrested and charged with lynching.  You might think the protester, Sergio Ballesteros, attacked and hanged someone.

I wish to thank the people who have commented on my last blog about the current administration’s policies and the looming environmental catastrophe. I received many thoughtful observations from a variety of sources including the RFC’s website, Facebook and the online site OpEdNews.