Rarely does the mere filing of a #ballot #initiative scramble politics in California.

But the "#Billionaires #Tax" proposal is suddenly dominating the discourse
as proponents collect signatures to place it on the November ballot
— and wealthy residents, like Google co-founders
Larry #Page and Sergey #Brin,
move their assets out of the state rather than wait to see if it will pass.

The idea of taxing billionaires’ total assets
— a more aggressive idea than the income taxes California already levies on high earners
— has long captivated the left,
galvanizing labor and shaping presidential politics.

But now that
SEIU-UHW,
a union representing more than 100,000 health care workers,
has pushed the idea closer to reality than ever before,
California is getting a vivid glimpse of just how politically explosive the proposal is
and, for supporters, how high the stakes are for getting it right

The fight has reignited a struggle over the Democratic Party’s economic agenda in the runup to the 2028 presidential contest,
-- drawing vehement denunciations from Governor #Newsom and prominent Democratic donors like Reid #Hoffman

-- while being embraced by progressives like Ro #Khanna,
who represents Silicon Valley and is also mulling a presidential run.

Sen. Bernie #Sanders called it “a model that should be emulated throughout the country.”

“This isn’t radical. This is fairly simple. We live in the wealthiest country in the world and people are struggling,”
Liz #Perlman, executive director of AFSCME 3299, said on a call this week in which unions and progressive groups from around the country trumpeted higher taxes in all 50 states.

But beyond Perlman, the unions on that call did not necessarily embrace a wealth tax. And even Democrats championing populist economic messages are treading cautiously on this particular wealth tax proposal.

California Sen. Adam #Schiff, for example, signed onto a letter this week encouraging Democrats to “demonstrate a real willingness to take on corporate power and the billionaires” in advance of the midterms.

But Schiff has not yet taken a position on the proposal roiling politics in his home state.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/16/wealth-tax-push-california-politics-00732882

STP Spanning Tree Protocol
Programming by Radia Perlman

Currently doing refreshing research on STP an incredible protocol which prevents bridge loops, which can result in network saturation and collapse. Backup links and fault tolerance are also built in STP

Radia Perlman is a brilliant programmer!

#Networking #STP #programming #DEC #Spanning #Tree #Protocol #Radia #Perlman #RetroComputing #RetroTechnology #ModernComputing #technology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanning_Tree_Protocol?wprov=sfla1

Whoa - that’s a master class in playing the violin! #SymSat #Perlman #Beethoven #ViolinConcerto 👏👏👏👏
Human Nature Odyssey: Episode 10. Against Leviathan: An Anarchist Fairytale of the Origin of Civilization

Gather around the campfire for a ghost story about the most destructive monster in history: civilization. Through the book “Against His-Story, Against Leviathan,” we’ll explore how authoritarianism first took root in the world's earliest cities—and how those ancient systems still shape modernity.

resilience

🎼 🎶 🎹 🎻

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 "Spring" - 2. Adagio molto espressivo · Itzhak Perlman · Vladimir Ashkenazy · Ludwig van Beethoven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jloDQCf9NWo #music #Beethoven #Perlman #Ashkenazy

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 "Spring" - 2. Adagio molto espressivo

YouTube

Johann Sebastian Bach - Partita Nº 2, BWV 1004

For solo violin. The violin is played by Itzhak Perlman. Recorded at Saint John's by the BBC.
Watch this small man enter the stage on crutches and transform himself into a messenger of beauty. I have no date for this recording, but hairstyles and fashion point to the 70ies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpYUaRg0aDw

#bach #violin #bwv1004 #beauty #classical #perlman

Itzhak Perlman - Bach Partita Nº 2, BWV 1004

YouTube
Beethoven: Violin Sonatas, Comparison Summary

Beethoven: Violin Sonatas — Summary for comparisons of recordings, from historic (Busch/Serkin) to HIP (Mullova/Bezuidenhout)

Rolf's Music Blog
#perlman's refusal
A Book worth a read by #ams
Itzhak Perlman, Bach Partita No.2 in D minor BWV 1004

YouTube