ROBERT REICH page 8
PAULINE FROMMER page 49
RANDI ZUCKERBERG page 51
GLORIA DUFFY page 54
Commonwealth The
THE MAGAZINE OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
AMERICAN POLITICS
2 0 0 0 – 2 016
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The Commonwealth Club
putting you face-to-face with today’s thought leaders
The Commonwealth Club of California’s 111th Anniversary & 26th Annual Distinguished Citizen Award Dinner
Transformative Leadership Honorees to include: John Gunn, Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dodge & Cox Investment Managers; Stanford University Trustee; Vice Chair, Stanford University Hospital & Clinics Board of Directors; Chairman of the Board of Directors, San Francisco Opera - Lifetime Achievement Award
Cynthia Gunn, San Francisco Fine Arts Museums Board Member; Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health Board Member; Stanford’s Hoover Institution Board of Overseers; Family and Children Services Silicon Valley Advisory Board Member; philanthropist - Lifetime Achievement Award
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Founder and CEO, Giving 2.0;
Founder, Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2); Founder and Chair, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Stanford PACS)
Reid Hoffman, Partner, Greylock; Co-founder and Executive Chairman, LinkedIn;
Former Executive Vice President, PayPal; Board Member, Zynga, Kiva.org and DoSomething.org
Eric Schmidt, Ph.D., Executive Chairman, Google; Chairman of the Board of Directors, New America Foundation; Trustee, Princeton University Institute of Advanced Study; Member, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
Wendy Schmidt, President, the Schmidt Family Foundation; Founder, Climate Central; Co-Founder, Schmidt Ocean Institute; Board Member, NRDC, The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation institute, XPrize Foundation, Grist, V-Day, The Trust for Governors Island Master of Ceremonies: Dan Ashley, Anchor, ABC7 News For table sales & sponsorship information please call: (415) 869-5909 or email: annualdinner@commonwealthclub.org
Photo by Martin Künzel
INSIDE The Commonwealth VO LU M E 1 0 8 , N O . 0 2 | F E B RUA RY / M A RC H 2014
8 Photo by Ed Ritger
FEATURES SPECIAL SECTION 8 ROBERT REICH
10 Photo by Sonya Abrams
18 COVERED CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA’S ANSWER TO OBAMACARE
INEQUALITY FOR ALL
The former labor secretary explains what’s wrong with vast economic dissimilarities
10 PETER BAKER
49 PAULINE FROMMER
THE BUSH/CHENEY PRESIDENCY
13 Photo by Ed Ritger
DEPARTMENTS 5 EDITOR’S DESK Robert Reich: The question of inequality and our democracy
6 THE COMMONS The Commonwealth Club’s movie roles, tucking into dinner at Chaya, plus Syrian policy, hiring immigrants, and what Congress can learn from high tech
TRAVELING IN STYLE AND ON A BUDGET
The relationship between the president and his vice president was more complicated than generally known
13 MARK HALPERIN & JOHN HEILEMANN THE 2012 RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
A behind-the-scenes look at the momentous 2012 election
A defense of the Affordable Care Act from the leader of California’s health-reform program
Travel tips and ideas from one of the biggest names in the world of travel
51 RANDI ZUCKERBERG WIRED LIFE
Facebook’s former marketing director explains her thoughts on integrating technology and life, including protecting yourself and your reputation in an everconnected world Photo by Ed Ritger
51
54 INSIGHT Dr. Gloria C. Duffy, President and CEO
EVENTS 23 PROGRAM INFORMATION 24 TWO MONTHS CALENDAR Events from February 3 to March 31
34 PROGRAM LISTINGS 46 LANGUAGE CLASSES About Our Cover: This issue we look at presidencies past and presidential elections most recent. Photos by Eric Draper (Bush); Pete Souza (Obama); Karen Ballard (Cheney); David Lienemann (Biden)/wikicommons.
“It used to be you could be someone at work and then you could come home and be a mom at home. Today, you have one identity online. If someone types your name into the Internet, there’s just one identity that’s there. It’s forcing us all to really think about what is our 360 identity.” – Randi Zuckerberg J U N E/J U LY 2013
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ABOARD THE 100-GUEST CORINTHIAN AUGUST 28 – SEPTEMBER 5, 2014 Join the Honorable Harry Cahill, distinguished diplomat and expert on this region, as we explore its striking beauty, architectural and artistic history, as well as recent and current events of these countries. • From Venice board the all-suite, 100-guest Corinthian - the ideal vessel for this splendid itinerary. • Stroll through the lavender-scented lanes of Hvar, slowly becoming the Mediterranean’s newest Riviera. • Explore the ancient city of Split built within the Palace of Diocletian. • Discover multi-cultural Mostar and experience Korcula Island, caressed by gentle breezes and graced with Venetian spires. • Journey to Kotor, in Montenegro, reached through southern Europe’s only fjord, and end with the medieval splendors of Dubrovnik. • Enjoy opportunities for swimming, kayaking, and biking. • Learn from on board lectures, excellent guides, and great educational tours. Cost: From $4,890 per person, double occupancy
Harry Amory Cahill has served as an American diplomat for over 30 years, his last post being U.S. Minister Counselor to the U.N. His assignments in the former Yugoslavia and its present-day successor nations included USAID director, embassy officer in Belgrade and Sarajevo, chief of refugee operations, and politicalmilitary adviser to NATO forces in Bosnia. He continues to serve in the State Department, consults for the Defense Department, and teaches at Pepperdine University. He speaks Serbo-Croatian and will lecture on the region’s history, politics, economy, and arts and culture.
Detailed brochure available at: commonwealthclub.org/travel Contact: (415) 597-6720 • travel@commonwealthclub.org CST: 2096889-40
Photos: Zoran Knez & Dražen Radujkov/wikicommons; Corinthian; S J Pinkney/flickr; Ggia/wikicommons
EDITOR’S DESK
J O H N Z I P PE R E R V P, M E D I A & E D I TO R I A L
Photo by Tamorlan
A Toast to Success and Growth?
R
obert Reich, the UC Berkeley professor and former U.S. secretary of labor, tells us that the United States has become dangerously unbalanced economically (see page 8). With stagnating incomes and opportunities for much of the population, but skyrocketing gains by people and companies at the top, Reich warns that the great inequality not only imperils the economy but our democracy, too. It reminded me of an idea that was floated during the first dot-com boom. In 2000, when I was at Internet World magazine, one of our columnists latched onto the idea that voting in this country should be weighted by how much wealth you have; the richer you are, the more votes you get. That idea, thankfully, died along with many of the dot-com businesses, but as Reich notes, power still accrues to those with money. Inequality is a topic that is difficult for a variety of reasons for many people to deal with. For some people, it degenerates into class warfare or fears of class warfare. For others, it raises fears that attempts to address it will harm the fundamentals of our economic structure. And still others feel that they are being stigmatized because they either do or don’t have money. But the topic remains, and one need look no further than discussions at local coffee shops or around the proverbial water cooler to see that it has become a major issue. One of the biggest issues in the local news in 2013 has been worries about the rising cost of living in the Bay Area, particularly in the FOLLOW US ONLINE
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47 square miles that make up the booming city of San Francisco. Famously, or infamously, one local tech writer complained online about paying $4 for toast at a little San Francisco restaurant, and he blamed the influx of well-paid tech workers for his expensive breakfast. Fair or not, thus was born a briefly famous meme about $4 toast as a stand-in for fears that one class was losing its grip on the city. This is a place, after all, where a two-bedroom, one-bath condo can set you back well north of $750,000. The toast almost sounds like a bargain. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and other local elected officials have been pressed to address the issue. President Barack Obama has said that economic inequality will be a major focus of the rest of his time in office. And Pope Francis has made it the centerpiece of his papacy. Whether or not you agree with any of them, this will clearly continue to be big news in 2014. We have had people on the Commonwealth Club’s stage examine this issue from all angles and political persuasions, and you can be sure that will continue. A key theme running through many of these discussions has been and will continue to be the role that public policy should have. Should there even be a policy response? If so, how do we get policy that doesn’t create unintended problems? What lessons are there from history or from other booming cities around the world that might be of value here? This is, as they say in the news business, a developing story.
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BUSINESS OFFICES The Commonwealth, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105 | feedback@commonwealthclub.org VP, MEDIA & EDITORIAL John Zipperer | SENIOR EDITOR Sonya Abrams | DESIGNER Tyler R. Swofford EDITORIAL INTERNS Amelia Cass, Ellen Cohan, Zoë Byrne | CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ed Ritger, Rikki Ward ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Tara Crain, Development Manager, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships, (415) 869-5919, tcrain@commonwealthclub.org The Commonwealth (ISSN 0010-3349) is published bimonthly (6 times a year) by The Commonwealth Club of California, 595 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-2805. | PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID at San Francisco, CA. Subscription rate $34 per year included in annual membership dues. | POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Commonwealth, The Commonwealth Club of California, 595 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-2805. | Printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Copyright © 2014 The Commonwealth Club of California. Tel: (415) 597-6700 Fax: (415) 597-6729 E-mail: feedback@commonwealthclub.org | EDITORIAL TRANSCRIPT POLICY: The Commonwealth magazine covers a range of programs in each issue. Program transcripts and question and answer sessions are routinely condensed due to space limitations. Hear full-length recordings online at commonwealthclub.org/media, podcasts on Apple iTunes, or contact Club offices to buy a compact disc.
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Commons THE
Talk of the Club
Now at a Theater Near You
THE TICKER
Club’s cameo appearances
Updates and check-ins
D
I
Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing
f you are writing a history of the future, you might want to note that The Commonwealth Club plays a role in putting humans onto the Jupiter moon of Europa. At least, that’s the role we play in the critically acclaimed independent science fiction film Europa Report, detailing a fictional – albeit doomed – visit to that planet. The film, released in 2013 by Magnet Releasing, includes a scene in which famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is discussing such a visit. Tyson is shown at The Commonwealth Club,
with our trademark blue background and name behind him. If space fiction isn’t your cup of tea, you can also see us on film if you view Inequality for All. The 2013 documentary from director Jacob Kornbluth features UC Berkeley’s Robert Reich (see photo at right, with Club Vice President of Programs George Dobbins) exploring the topic of economic imbalances in America, and it includes a shot of Reich making one of his many appearances at the Club’s San Francisco headquarters. We’ll start writing our Oscars speech.
Our New Neighbors, Part VII
L
ocated down the block from The Commonwealth Club’s new home is a fusion-style restaurant that features the best of several cuisines. Chef Shigefumi Tachibe learned his craft in Italy and Japan, where he developed a Euro-Asian fusion cuisine that would be the centerpiece of his Chaya restaurants, which he began in Los Angeles in 1981. In 2000, Chaya came to San Francisco, where its current executive chef is Yuko Kajino. The San Francisco location is the only Chaya restaurant outside of LA, where its other three sites can be found. But each location mixes Chef Tachibe’s ingredients and traditions from Japan with local and sustainable ingredients from nearby farmers markets. Time Out San Francisco wrote about Chaya that “this large and bustling restaurant offers an extensive menu of Japanese-meets-French specialities and sweeping Bay views to enjoy it by. The toughest decision is deciding which country to lean towards when ordering – the sushi is excellent, but the grilled meat specialities are also always tempting.“
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Photo by Ed Ritger
Chaya Restaurant
You can learn more about Chaya at thechaya.com/ san-francisco or you can visit our future neighbor at 132 The Embarcadero, taste the food, pick out your favorite table and think about how nice it will be to enjoy a dinner or drinks after a Club program.
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Photo by John Zipperer
rop the ball: Media outlets noting that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor would drop the New Year’s Eve “countdown ball” at Times Square illustrated their stories with photos from Sotomayor’s 2013 Club program. Bitten: Leah Garchik cheekily noted in her San Francisco Chronicle column, “In news of eating and drinking, a press release has arrived with the headline ‘NPR Reporter Margot Adler on Vampires at the Commonwealth Club.’ If the problem hasn’t been solved, and you’re planning on going to the club to listen to some lecture or another, perhaps this one in February, a turtleneck might provide some protection. “ Vindicated: Debra J. Saunders, a conservative SF Chronicle columnist and panelist on our Week to Week political roundtables, found herself being feted by liberals in December after President Obama commuted the sentence for Clarence Aaron, a firsttime nonviolent drug offender whose case has been championed by Saunders for more than a decade. Pardon Power described her efforts as “persistent, unrelenting, admirable and compelling.”
Shared Ideas The Syrian Situation Keith David Watenpaugh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Modern Islam, Human Rights and Peace, and Director, Human Rights Initiative, UC Davis; Syria Town Hall, September 10, 2013: Those of us who work in Syria are very thankful that Syria has now become part of a national and international conversation. You can’t have spent time in a Syrian refugee camp like Zaatari where I was last April – as I watched the Facebook feeds of the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, the butcher bill, daily violence in Syria where Syrian families that you have known for the last 20 years break apart as young people are sent out of the country in safety to emigrate to Western Europe and North America – without agreeing with the president, that Syria is a just cause. My position on this issue is that we have a policy vacuum on Syria that this conversation we are having now about the use of chemical weapons—this is a conversation we would be having a year and half ago about the use of other kinds of weapons upon the Syrian people with mass killing. My basic argument tonight is to use this moment where the world’s attention has turned to Syria to reset our policy toward Syria around two basic principles. The first principle is civilian protection, not regime change, but civilian protection. We are keeping Syrians alive, and slowing the killing is what we stand for and what we are engaged in doing. The second – and this is critically important – is providing for the refugee relief; the most potentially destabilizing element of the Syrian civil war is the massive flow of refugees to the surrounding countries. I can tell you, as someone who has spent time in Jordan talking to Jordanians about Syrian refugees, they are deeply afraid of the impact of those people in their country. We need to understand that we have an important role to play in minimizing or mitigating the impact. And my final point is to assure Americans that they have an ability to help the Syrians short of military action. You should have confidence that there are things we can do as a people including refugee relief but also helping keep the Syrian class of college students and professionals engaged and alive and able
to go back into Syria when the conflict is over. That is what I would argue this evening.
Immigrant Work Ethic
Photo by L. Herrada-Rios
Sandra R. Hernandez, M.D., CEO, The San Francisco Foundation; June 17, 2013: I think it’s really important to understand that immigrants, when they leave their country of origin to come to a new country, are taking enormous risks. There is an innate sense of risk-taking – of boldness about what liess in front of you – that is quite profound in the immigrant experience. Those of us who did it or who saw our grandparents do it or our parents do it – really quite remarkable – not necessarily with native language capabilities; sometimes it comes with great academic backgrounds or credentials but that’s not always transferrable. But people who leave where they come from to go someplace else are inherent risk-takers; there is something quite bold and quite courageous about doing that. In fact, if you talk to people in Mexico who talk about the plight of talent leaving their country, one of the things they say is, “We have no middle class, because it all left to go get better opportunities with an extreme work ethic.” So I view the immigrant experience in terms of who people are as attributes of strength. Those are the kinds of things you want in the workplace; you want risk-takers; you want people who are bold. Every job I’ve had, there was something about the job I was entirely unqualified to do – right? But your willingness to do that comes in part from that sense of what’s possible. I think that there are inherent values and qualities in the immigration experience that we don’t fully tap in the workforce today and really should.
A Better Congress Clay Shirky, Social Media Theorist; Author, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations; Adjunct Professor, NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program; Inforum, June 27, 2013: My current working theory is that media changes society when it changes the way people argue. When we got the commercial printing press, some of the first things we got were erotic novels. It did not take people long after they had a commercial interest in selling books before they said, “Hey, you know what I bet people would pay for?” So, by the late 1490s – Gutenberg invents the thing in 1450 – by the late 1490s, Venice – giving it a reputation the Italians have enjoyed ever since – starts producing these erotic novels. It takes another 150 years for people to even think of the scientific journal. [Laughter.] So the stuff that we venerate the press for now didn’t come as a side effect of getting the printing press; it came as the result of people saying, “We can have a different kind of argument about science if we all published our results and then we all argued with each other about what we’d published.” So peer review was this social overlay that wouldn’t have been possible without the printing press, but the printing press didn’t create peer review. Look at GitHub, which is where programmers are arguing about the software they’re writing; and look at Congress. You think Congress should be arguing about the law more like programmers are arguing with each other about source code. Legal arguments are so rarely about what the law would look like or do and yet that, not the congressional debate in advance, that is what the output of Congress is. It’s treated as kind of effluvia when that’s the living document.
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Photo by Sonya Abrams
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inequality for all
Robert Reich The middle class is squeezed even as the stock markets hit record highs. What does this mean for our economy and our democracy? Excerpted from “Inequalit y for All,” November 20, 2013. ROBERT REICH Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley; Former U.S. Secretary of Labor 8
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omething very strange is happening. It has happened before, but it is happening in a way now that looks remarkably weird, odd. The stock market is doing very well. It is breaking records – the Standard & Poor’s 500, the Dow, most of your indices. But at the same time the real economy – that is, the economy in which most people live and work – is not doing all that well. This is the most anemic recovery on record. If you consider how far down we came in the Great Recession, it’s even more troubling, because usually the further the economy sinks, the faster it comes up after a decline to get back on track. I mean, after the Great Depression hit bottom in 1933, the following years were very, very good. There was
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a lot of growth in 1934, about 4.5 percent; in 1935 about 8 percent; in 1936 about 12 percent. Now, something happened in 1937. If we have time we’ll get back to that. But my point is that this economy is remarkably underwhelming. It’s under-functioning. You also have large numbers of Americans still out of work. Fewer people are employed today than before the Great Recession. The number of adults capable of working, willing to work, who are not working, is extraordinarily high. The labor participation rate – technically that is the percentage of people who are working age who are in the labor force versus not in the labor force – is really at its lowest level since 1978. And 1978, 1979, those
“W e’re building a sense of consumerism from an early age, and, in exchange, extracting a lot of personal data, often without families knowing. ”
Photos by Ed Ritger
are the years that women, many of them, went into paid work. Wives and mothers in large numbers went into paid work. Poor women, by the way, had always been in paid work. Wives and mothers had always worked, but it just wasn’t paid. Starting in the late 1970s, women went into paid work in large numbers; it was the 1980s when you really had the big influx. We have not seen a labor participation ratio this low since before women headed into work in such large numbers. So, what is going on? How can the stock market be doing so wonderfully well and the real economy be doing so poorly? I should add, if you’re not already giddy from the things I’m telling you in terms of the
real economy, median household income – as in the typical household, adjusted for inflation, is seeing its income drop. I said median. It’s important that any time somebody says median or average, you know the difference. In fact, when anybody tells you that average wages are rising, or that average people are doing well, watch your wallets. The basketball player Shaquille O’Neal and I have an average height of six foot one. Do you get my drift? People at the top bring up the average. It’s much more meaningful to look at the median; that is, the person smack in the middle. Equal number above, equal number below. Even with two wage earners, median household income is dropping adjusted for inflation.
How do we explain this dissonance? One thing that’s going on is that corporate profits are up, partly – some would say largely – because they are cutting their payrolls and continue to do so. They started this in the Great Recession, but there has been not much of a letup. They’re cutting their payrolls, many companies, not only by hiring fewer people or by cutting back on the numbers of people, [but by] substituting technology, outsourcing or reducing wages or keeping wages level without any inflation adjustment, or reducing benefits. However it is being done, it is being done to squeeze down the costs, since labor costs tend to be about 70 percent of the total cost of the business, and Continued on page 21
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PETER BAKER THE BUSH/CHENEY
PRESIDENCY
Original photo by Jnn13/wikicommons
The partnership and then estrangement bet ween George W. Bush and Dick Cheney made for compelling politics. E xcerpt from “Comparing Obama, Bush and Cheney,” November 5, 2013. PETER BAKER Senior White House Correspondent, The New York Times; Author, Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House
T
he partnership between these two men, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, ... is unlike that of any president and vice president before them in history, and no two Americans in public office ... have collaborated to such a great effect for good or ill in modern times since Nixon and
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Kissinger. What I discovered was that the common caricature we’re all familiar with, the puppet master and the puppet, one that is memoralized by a thousand late-night comics and “Saturday Night Live,” missed the fundamental and ultimately more interesting story of what was really going on, the evolution of this collaboration that went from this close partnership at the beginning to a virtually complete break by the time they left office. Importantly, looking at their biographies [reveals] what helped shape them. I think with Bush, the struggle with alcohol, this determination that he was going to quit at age 40, fueled by newfound or rekindled faith, that helped him kick the habit, created in him this sort of feeling about discipline, about redemption and about the nature of people in recovery that influences politics. Cheney, by contrast, had had four heart attacks by the time he comes into office. It lends an urgency to his way of thinking, to his priorities. To him, time can be short and there’s no business worrying about other people’s feelings if he’s pursuing something that he cares very deeply about and that
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he thinks is important and in that vein, he comes into office as the most influential vice president in history. That’s not saying very much; it’s a pretty sorry job, as most of them would find out. It wasn’t until Walter Mondale that vice presidents even had an office in the West Wing. They spent a lot of time on Capitol Hill. But Cheney created a different understanding with Bush, and Bush authorized him to take a greater role than any of his predecessors had taken. Bush gave him access to every meeting and every decision in a way that none of his predecessors had had. In fact, Harry Truman as vice president met with Franklin Roosevelt just twice after inauguration. Cheney was asked in 2002 how many times he had met with Bush and he pulled out a schedule and said, “Let me count … three, four, five, six, seven – seven times” and then he paused, “today.” He used that access to great effect, and he wasn’t shy about prodding the president to go in the direction he thought he ought to go. One time, they were having lunch and Cheney was frustrated that Bush wasn’t moving fast enough in his view on Saddam
Hussein. And he says, “Are you going to take care of this guy or not?” And Bush was glad to have Cheney on his side. He was OK with this. The first time the American planes bombed Iraq was actually during a no-fly zone violation in February of 2001, just a month after President Bush took office. His first instinct was to say, “I’m going to call Dick.” That was the person he wanted to talk to, the person he relied on, the person he needed for advice. [Then-National Security Advisor] Condi Rice, who was with him at that time, told me how struck she was that the president was leaning on his vice president so much even at that point. All of this gives the idea of a powerful vice president, which is true, but it also gives a misimpression of Cheney’s role to some extent and it creates a static picture as if it never changes. It also underestimates Bush, who was a graduate of two Ivy League schools and Andover, and not the figure I think a lot of people imagine him to be, owing partly to his own inarticulation at times. I interviewed hundreds of people for the book, and as General Dick Myers put it to me, “the alpha male in the White House was Bush.” In all these interviews, not one of Bush’s friends, not one of his former aides, not one of his relatives I talked to, said he ever told them that Cheney made him do something or convinced him to do something he otherwise wouldn’t have wanted to do. [In] the first term, there are examples where Cheney’s influence, as high as it was, wasn’t enough to convince Bush. Cheney and Rumsfeld came to Bush in July 2002 to argue that they should go ahead and hit Iraq right away, because there was intelligence suggesting there was a chemical weapons camp in northern Iraq run by Ayman al-Zawahiri, who later of course became the head of alQaida in Iraq. Bush refused. He didn’t want to do that. Cheney, likewise, didn’t want Bush to go to the UN or authorize inspectors to go in Iraq. Bush again rejected him. But as you explore the evolution of the presidency, you find that Bush begins to move much more dramatically away from Cheney in the second term. He’s frustrated by the failure to find the weapons he was told were there, he’s frustrated by the rising crescendo of violence, which has been so unanticipated by the planners who had reported to him, unhappy to find himself isolated by allies, eager for breakthroughs that would
help shape his legacy. So Bush turns to Condi Rice and elevates her to secretary of state and effectively supplants Cheney as the first among equals in the second term. Not to say that Cheney was on the margins necessarily; he still obviously wielded an influence. But he was much more on defense than he was on offense by the second term, trying to fend off changes that he thought would weaken the country or unravel the policies he had brought to place. By the time they left office, they were on opposite sides of so many different issues. This is the thing that really surprised me; that they were disagreeing on North Korea, gun rights, Iran, same-sex marriage, tax cuts, Guantanamo, interrogation practices, surveillance
“Bush says OK, and he asks, ‘Does anybody here agree with the vice president?’ and no hands go up. [Cheney’s] all by himself on this.” policies, the auto bailout, climate change, the Lebanon war, Harriet Miers, Don Rumsfeld, Middle East peace, Syria, Russia and federal spending. And all that is before their fight over a pardon for Scooter Libby. A particular telling moment comes in 2007 when Bush is asked by Israel to bomb what they find is a nuclear facility in Syria that had been built with the help of the North Koreans. The deliberations kind of resemble some of the discussions that happened before Iraq, where President Bush brings his team in, they have a conversation. Should they do it? This time, rather than kick them out and just talk to Cheney, he asks Cheney in front of everybody else, “What’s your position?” The vice president says, “I think we oughta bomb it. I think the Israelis are right. We should do it. You’ve put out a red line on proliferation. We need to live up to that.” Bush says OK, and he asks, “Does anybody here agree with the vice president?” and no hands go up. He’s all by himself on this. And so not only has Bush left his vice president isolated, he’s forced him to confront that isolation in front of the entire team. That’s
a big change from the March 2003 and the February 2001 moments, and all this comes in the final, frantic days of the administration, when as if they didn’t have enough on their hands with the economy and the auto crisis, they were fighting about this Scooter Libby pardon. Now, Scooter Libby had been the vice president’s chief of staff and national security advisor. He was “Cheney’s Cheney,” as people put it; very valued to him. He was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in the CIA leak case; he wasn’t charged with the leak itself. He was accused and convicted of not telling the full truth about how he had learned about Valerie Plame’s identity. She was the wife of Joe Wilson, the critic who had accused the administration of misusing intelligence. The vice president comes to the president and he says, “Look, this is a travesty of justice.” He believes it’s a bogus prosecution; he thinks it’s political; he thinks that the prosecutor is actually kind of coming after him and that Scooter Libby actually took a bullet for what amounted to a disagreement in memories between him and other witnesses. The president looks at it. He says, “OK.” He assigns the lawyers at the White House to go back and relook at the case. They go through the trial transcripts and the evidence. They even meet with Scooter Libby in a seafood restaurant not far from the White House. They come back to [Bush] and say, “We think the jury had ample reason to find what it found. They made a determination and looked at all of the evidence, and we don’t think there’s enough to suggest that they were wrong.” So Bush says no to Cheney in a way that irritates and exasperates the vice president, and he tells him, “You’re leaving a good man wounded on the field of battle.” After all the differences in these last few years, this is sort of the final break for them; this is the moment of final confrontation. Cheney is essentially asking for one last validation of their partnership, and Bush is refusing to give it. Bush is so upset about this that he dwells on it his entire last weekend in office. He’s up in Camp David with his family and friends. He’s looking forward to leaving office. He’s had eight years of every possible calamity that could happen. In fact, a few weeks earlier, he hosted a White House ceremony, where he gave a, I think it was a Medal of Freedom to Morgan Freeman, the actor. He
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says, “Morgan even played a president once when a comet hits the planet and destroys civilization,” and then Bush kinda says to the audience, “It’s about the only thing that hasn’t happened in the last eight years.” So he feels very tired and, I think, worn down by the time it is over. President Bush is ready to leave, and he’s up in Camp David and he’s just dwelling on this fight he’s had with Vice President Cheney. It’s just eating away at him. Condi Rice pulls him aside and says, “Look, you need to stop this. There’s no reason for this to be a pall over your last few days.” You know, it speaks to the level of break in this relationship that he is dwelling on it so much. Because, as we know, he’s famous for not second-guessing decisions. But in this case, it is just eating away at him. The day of the inauguration, President-Elect Obama comes to the White House for the traditional coffee. They have their meeting and then the two of them get into a limousine to go to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. It’s just the two of them in the back, and President Bush gives him one last piece of advice, “Whatever you do, set a pardon policy early and stick to it.” Even in his final minutes, literally his final minutes as president, what’s going through his head, what’s bothering him the most, is this rift
with his vice president. Of course, you know what happens then. The two of them separate geographically and metaphorically, and even to some extent politically. Bush goes back to Texas. He’s happy to stay out of politics; he’s done. He told guests at a dinner party in Dallas, he said, “The minute I saw Obama’s hand go up, I thought to myself, free at last.” But if he was free at last, so was Cheney. Cheney was finally free to say what he really thought. He became a very fierce critic of President Obama, very strong in his public enunciation of what he saw as President Obama’s mistaken decisions on national security. So what’s the state of their relationship today? It’s proper, I think; it’s appropriate; the two have respect for each other, but they’re not friends. As Cheney told me in an interview, “We’re not buddies.” They never socialize together. They were never really personally close anyway. Today, I think, they have a professional but not close relationship. In April, Bush opened up his library in Texas, and Vice President Cheney was, of course, invited. He’s actually doing much better with his new heart, by the way. I saw him hang out at a bar until midnight, the night before the library opening, which he
couldn’t have done in the past. But when it came time for the ceremony, Condi Rice stayed on stage, she had a speaking role, and Vice President Cheney sat in the audience, along with the kids and the Cabinet secretaries. And when you went into the library after the ceremony – President Bush said some very nice things about Vice President Cheney from the podium, but when you went into the library after and you looked around, what you saw were the way President Bush wants his presidency to be remembered: exhibits on freedom, on the anti-AIDS program, even an exhibit on the marine reserve he established off Hawaii for the environment. You see videos narrated by Condi Rice about 9/11 and videos narrated by Josh Bolten and Andy Card, his chiefs of staff. You see a portrait of Laura Bush and pictures of Jenna and Barbara Bush. You see a statue of the dogs. What you don’t see is Dick Cheney. He doesn’t show up in the library except sort of in brief snatches of news footage, and that’s because, I think, at the end this was Bush’s presidency. The decisions he made were his, good or bad, whether you like them or not, whether we agree with him or not, he owns them and I think that’s the starting point for a good discussion. Photo by Sonya Abrams
“Even literally in
his final minutes as
president, what’s going through his head, what’s bothering him the most, is this rift with his vice president. ”
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THE
2012
RACE
FOR
THE WHITE HOUSE
Mark Halperin & John Heilemann:
Game Change 2012 A behind-the-scenes, insider look at the momentous presidential election of 2012. Excerpted from “Game Change 2012,” November 13, 2013. MARK HALPERIN Editor-at-Large and Senior Political Analyst, Time; Co-author, Double Down: Game Change 2012
JOHN HEILEMANN National Political Correspondent and Columnist, New York Magazine; Co-author, Double Down: Game Change 2012 In conversation with
MELISSA GRIFFIN CAEN Political Analyst, “Mornings with Melissa,” CBS SF; Political Writer, San Francisco Magazine; Attorney Photo by Pete Souza/wikicommons
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GRIFFIN CAEN: You guys both covered this campaign on a day-to-day basis, sitting down with these people. Doing these postmortems must have revealed some things to you that were really surprising. What are one or more of the things that you learned that you were like, “Wow, I had no idea that was going on”? HEILEMANN: The truth is that we feel like we covered these campaigns and we feel like we know a lot about what’s happening in real time, and then we start doing the book interviews and we’re often sort of astounded by how little we knew. We’re constantly surprised by things that we learn. People who read this book will see, particularly around the time we write about President Obama and the debates, a lot of people had questions around why he performed so poorly in Denver. We write a lot about that and also a lot about the trajectory through which he repaired himself, which contained an extraordinary amount of drama. In some of the scenes in that part of the book we get to see a very stripped-down Barack Obama talking about what he’s uncomfortable with, about politics, about the theatricality and the performance aspects of politics, about some of his discomfort with his own agenda, about how panicked his people were despite telling everybody that everything would be fine after Denver – how scared they were as they saw the problems he was having before the second debate, which they thought they had to win. We were also pretty stunned to find out just how humble Donald Trump is. That was the other big thing. GRIFFIN CAEN: Speaking of that, was there any story or anecdote that you had to leave on the chopping block because it just didn’t go with any of the narratives that you were weaving in this story? HALPERIN: There’s stuff like that. There was probably more of that in Game Change than there was here, in part because we’ve honed our process a little bit and we were just better this time at realizing where we needed to drill down, what was likely to end up in the book, compared to last time. HEILEMANN: We got asked that question back in 2008, when I was on “The Colbert Report.” Stephen Colbert said, “You know, I ran in the 2008 campaign; why didn’t you write about me?” I said, “We did actually write about you. We got a whole chapter,
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but the publisher said that the book had to be only 500 pages, so we had to cut the Colbert chapter.” Colbert said, “That’s too bad. It could have been a bestseller.” GRIFFIN CAEN: I’m curious if you have had to hire security, because some of the things in this book are really, really damaging to very, very powerful people. Have there been threatening text messages, late-night phone calls, weird emails? HALPERIN: A lot of weird emails, yeah. No threats. We’re on excellent terms with the people we write about, as far as I know.
“O bama
didn’t run a
defending-my-record campaign. What he did was he ran a campaign t o d i s q u a l i f y R o m n e y. ” –Heilemann You know, we’re really cautious. People like to seize on certain aspects of the book and suggest that these books are about going for salacious things. We’re really just trying to tell the story of the elections from the point of view of human beings, and human beings have messy lives, even those who run for president, in some cases – Rudy Giuliani – especially people who run for president. We try always to be empathetic about them and what they’re going through. One of the different things that guided us in thinking about the first book and guided us in writing both of them is to think about people from the human point of view. What’s the challenge they’re facing at any given time? How do they feel about the challenge? And how do they try to figure out how to meet the challenge? If you do it, if that’s your orientation, you got a lot of empathy, and while not everybody likes everything we wrote in the book, I think people will recognize it’s accurate and it’s part of the true experience that these people went through – candidates, spouses, senior people in the campaigns. GRIFFIN CAEN: You were criticized by The New York Times for not talking more about race. The book does touch on race a
F EBR UA RY/MA R C H 2014
bit, in terms of the extraordinary pushback that Barack Obama got with his first-term agenda and some other issues, but what do you say to people who say there really isn’t much of an in-depth discussion? HALPERIN: There’s stuff in there about race, with all due respect. You just mentioned one, for instance. And there’s an incident involving a Republican consultant’s attempt to bring Jeremiah Wright into this election with a multimillion dollar ad campaign that was proposed and then leaked and then shelved. But you know, there’s not a lot in the book about unicorns or skyscraper construction. We can’t write about everything. Race is a huge, important issue in America. It’s a huge important issue for the president’s political leadership, and there’s some incidents we write about; but it really wasn’t a dominant issue in the election. Plenty of people in the country won’t vote for the president because of his race, but he got elected twice and I think, as a country, we have a long way to go, but we came a long way before he got elected. HEILEMANN: What’s fascinating about [reintroducing the Wright controversy] is that when the proposal leaked to the president’s team, their attitude toward it was 180 degrees out from what it was in 2008. When Reverend Wright’s name was mentioned in 2008, their attitude was, “The last thing in the world that we ever want to talk about is Reverend Wright.” In 2012, their attitude was, “Let’s get this thing into the hands of The New York Times, because as soon as we get it out there, our African-American allies will rally, the Republicans will be shamed by even suggesting that this might be an appropriate tactic. This will be a shot across the bow against conservative Super PACS who want to go there on race.” The dynamic around race in that story alone really had changed for Barack Obama between 2008 and 2012. GRIFFIN CAEN: At the end of the book – I’m not giving anything away, we all know how it ends – Barack Obama is giving an interview with Rolling Stone magazine and he says, “I really hope that the Republicans take this moment to do some soul searching and think about what they can do to sort of become more closely aligned with regular Americans.” Do you think that that is happening?
HEILEMANN: You know, the interview with Rolling Stone codified something that Barack Obama really believed about this election, which was that his winning, if he won, would provide a chance to do what he would say over and over again with his aides and in public: [it would] “break the fever,” and once he’d won, the Republicans would basically take the attitude of “Well, he’s not going to be running for re-election again. Now we don’t have to oppose him constantly all the time,” and maybe we’ll get back to someplace where we can work with Republicans. That turned out to obviously not be true and in part, there’s a lot of blame you can lay at the feet of the Republicans, who have decided that, whether he’s going to be on the ballot again or not, they’re deadset against him trying to achieve anything. But there’s also the way that [Obama] ran in 2012, which in some ways is kind of contrary to that theory, which is to say, as the president admits in Double Down, he didn’t really defend his record. He didn’t run on health care; they realized that was too unpopular. He didn’t run on the stimulus. He ran a little bit on the auto bailout, but he didn’t really run a defending-my-record campaign. He also didn’t really run a forward-looking campaign about what his big plans were for the future. What he did was he ran a campaign to disqualify Mitt Romney. In a time when the unemployment rate was so high and his approval ratings were not that great and the “wrong-track” numbers were so high in the country, they decided that the way to win
was to say, “You might not be totally happy with us, but he would be much worse.” They ran $800 million worth of negative ads against Mitt Romney and attacked him in ways that they regard as completely fair – and, in many respects, you could make the case they were completely fair. But it was a campaign about disqualification. That is not the kind of campaign that “breaks the fever.” It’s not a campaign that gives you at the end of the day a big mandate for what you’re going to do next. It’s a campaign that gave him one piece of a mandate, which was to raise taxes on the rich, and he did that relatively easily. But there’s not a lot else there. GRIFFIN CAEN: I have to talk about Jon Huntsman, because this is fascinating. You guys paint a picture of someone who thinks he’s above the fray, but whose campaign operatives are some of the dirtiest that we see. Can you talk a little bit about what his folks were doing and how it impacted the race? HALPERIN: Jon Huntsman was not the most successful candidate in the race and not the most famous, but his story has a lot in it that is just a great yarn about American politics. Jon Huntsman was a Republican governor of Utah. He was seen as a potential presidential candidate almost immediately after the president got elected. The White House was looking for an ambassador to China. Rahm Emanuel, who was then the White House chief of staff, said, “Here’s this guy, Jon Huntsman. He speaks fluent Mandarin; he’s been an ambassador before; he’s a Republican, so we’ll get credit for picking a
Republican and putting him in a prominent post – the president wants to send that message; and also by the way, he looks like he’d be pretty tough to run against Obama. So let’s ship him halfway around the world.” He gets confirmed. They send him over there and pretty quickly, and in fact, as our reporting suggests, maybe even before he left, he thinks, “You know what, this doesn’t rule me out for 2012. I may run.” Lots of interesting things happen after that. One is the incredible rivalry with Mitt Romney. They come from two of the great Mormon families in American history and their families go back a long way with a lot of pleasant relations, but they had some falling out over who would get to run the Olympics in Salt Lake, over who Mitt Romney would endorse in 2008. There’s some bad blood between them even before this contest. Huntsman gets into the race, gets for several weeks the most favorable press coverage any Republican got in the entire campaign, and shortly thereafter, as you’ll see in the book, things start to go south. He hired a bunch of very tough and hard-nosed political operatives. A big part of his message was “politics needs to be clean, too much focus on the negative, we need to be above the fray and bipartisan and talk about positive things.” In fact, again this was mentioned, his campaign was engaged in about as dirty a set of political acts as anyone did that we know about in this cycle. They went after information about Mitch Daniels’ divorce at a time when Governor Daniels was seen as a real threat if he got in the race. They Photos by Ed Ritger
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“O bama
looks at Biden and
s ays, ‘ I ’m re a l l y s u r p r i s e d, we’ve really become friends,’ and Biden looks at Obama and says, ‘You’re ... surprised?’. ” –Heilemann
went after Herman Cain in the first allegations related to sexual harassment – that might be considered in retrospect a big fat juicy target, but at the time they did it, no one knew anything about these allegations publicly and they basically drove Herman Cain out of the race. GRIFFIN CAEN: I have a question from the audience: How are Obama and Biden getting along in the wake of your book? HALPERIN: Well, their relationship is fascinating. We write quite a bit about Joe Biden in the book. We both like him a lot personally, and also he’s a fascinating character – and I mean character in all senses of the word. The president did an interview with our colleague Chuck Todd and went out of his way to talk about how close he is to Joe
Biden, how valuable Joe Biden is within his part of the administration. There’s no doubt that that’s genuine. They’ve become friends; their wives are friends. But it’s also unmistakable that since the election, there’s been from the Obama side, the extended Obama political family, a decided tilt toward Hillary Clinton. You saw the president, after the election, doing a joint interview with Hillary Clinton on “60 Minutes;” you’ve seen many of the president’s political associates endorsing a Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign all at a time they’re professing loyalty to Joe Biden, appreciation to Joe Biden and when Joe Biden clearly would like to be president, would clearly like to run for president. The tilt has been really decided, and I think this is going to play out in an interesting way,
complicated by the fact that Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton are very close. I think there’s no doubt that from what we’ve heard, that the vice president was not in love with every syllable in our book, but he understands politics and he understands that his place in the world now is tied to the president’s and that, even if sometimes the politics around them get messed up, the personal bond between them is really strong. HEILEMANN: I’ll tell you a good Joe Biden and Barack Obama story. Ready? GRIFFIN CAEN: Yeah, ready. HEILEMANN: How close, the kind of oddness of the couple. There’s a great story in the book about the two of them, about two years in – you know they had started out not really loving each other at the very
“T he guy starts to walk away and [Chris] Christie pursues his constituent to yell at him more, brandishing an ice cream cone. Now what says presidential more than that?” –Halperin 16
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beginning and then they got closer and closer as Mark suggested and they end up having one of their weekly lunches. Obama looks at Biden and says, “You know what, I’m really surprised, we’ve really become friends,” and Biden looks at Obama and says, “You’re f--king surprised?” That’s sort of their relationship in a nutshell. GRIFFIN CAEN: Audience question here: What ticket would you most like to cover for the 2016 election, and why? HALPERIN: Palin-Trump. And I believe the knowing laughter of the audience means that I don’t have to explain why. GRIFFIN CAEN: What about Chris Christie maybe moving to the right or even not surviving a Republican primary? You guys detail Mitt Romney’s being pulled to the right at various points and doubling down on those issues. What do you think the chances are that Chris Christie, as he is, will survive and could actually get the party nomination, given the state of the party and the delegates? HALPERIN: It’s clear in Double Down and in the current state of the Republican Party that anyone who wants to succeed has to know how to navigate between the established wing of the party – the more centrist wing, including wealthy donors – as well as the Tea Party and the grassroots. Mitt Romney, in the end, did not do a very good job of having either part of the party particularly happy with him. It’s easy to overstate the extent to which the grassroots wing of the party, the Tea Party, dominates – they’ve got a lot of energy, a lot of visibility, they have favored candidates, but if you think about it, the Tea Party dominated the Republican Party in 2010 and Mitt Romney ended up the Republican nominee: ties to Wall Street, a guy who supported health care [reform] in Massachusetts with an individual mandate – I mean, he was not a great Tea Party candidate and yet he became the nominee. The Tea Party, I don’t think, is going to be as strong in 2016 as they were in 2012. So you think about Chris Christie – in 1990, if you had said that the Democratic Party was going to nominate someone two years later who supported the death penalty, right to work, free trade and welfare reform, you would’ve said no. The liberal wing of the Democratic Party would not tolerate a nominee who had those views. Chris Christie’s views currently – let’s see if he does any
slipping and sliding – are much more in line with the base of the Republican Party than Bill Clinton’s views with the Democratic Party. Some pretty hot-button issues. It requires someone politically skillful. Chris Christie’s got a lot of weaknesses, [but] he’s politically skillful. So I think people overstate the extent to which he will have trouble on issue positions, getting through the Republican nomination fight. The bigger issues are twofold. One is his record in New Jersey. He still has an extraordinarily high unemployment rate. There’s not a New Jersey miracle fully formed for him to talk about, and it’s hard to run for president as a governor if your state’s not supportive of you and if you don’t have a record to brag about. The other thing is his temperament, something that Governor Romney and his team were also concerned about. Governor Christie is a big personality and big personalities are great sometimes, but sometimes he goes a little overboard there. When Governor Romney was given the final vetting report that detailed all of these things from Governor Christie’s past, he also was given a DVD of kind of the greatest hits of Chris Christie that included one scene of him having a fight with one of his constituents on a boardwalk on the Jersey Shore. The guy starts to walk away, and Governor Christie pursues his constituent to yell at him more, brandishing an ice cream cone. Now what says presidential more than that? He’s going to have to – not just in handling these flaps, but in striding on a national stage and talking about issues and policy – not just being Chris Christie. I think the jury’s out on that. But I will say, you add up his pluses and minuses and his chances of being a winner, which is what Republicans are going to want in ’16 more than ever compared to almost everyone else discussed, and I think he’s at the top of the heap right now. GRIFFIN CAEN: This question – just remember you’re in San Francisco. Did the Romney campaign really believe he could win, and why? HEILEMANN: The Romney campaign really believed he could win and in fact, not only believed he could win, on the eve of the election, really believed he would win. Governor Romney felt that it was going to be close and in his heart, he thought he was
hearing good things from his pollsters and he saw these huge crowds. It was not like 2008 where John McCain was playing to empty rooms at the end of the election. He was going around and seeing huge crowds, as big as the crowds as the president was getting at the end of the election, and felt, “I have a lot of energy behind me.” Ohio was a crucial state; he was winning independent voters in Ohio and his pollsters said, “You know, no one’s ever won Ohio without winning independent voters. We win independent voters in Ohio, we’ll win Ohio. If we win Ohio, we’re going to win a bunch of other states and we’ll win the election.” It turned out that what they radically misinterpreted and underestimated was the president and his team’s capacity to alter the electorate in its favor, especially in the battleground states, in places like Ohio, where the president, astonishingly, somehow managed to turn out a 30 percent increase in African-American voters in Ohio. That is a work that no one would have assumed could possibly happen prior, apart from people in Team Obama who recognized that they spent four years scouring Cleveland and making sure that they had an incredible voter ID and turnout operation to get those voters. But they’d [also] found new voters for the president in the African-American community in Cleveland, which there shouldn’t have been, given that he got 98 percent of the black vote in 2008, but he did. That happened in state after state, with Hispanic voters in a lot of different areas. One of the things about being an incumbent is that with a smart bunch of people, four years and a billion dollars, you can do a lot of damage in terms of moving things around and winning, especially when you’re targeting around 17 states, as the Romney people were. The difference between the Obama campaign and the Romney campaign was that the Obama campaign was building an atomic clock and the Romney campaign was playing with tinker toys. To come back to Chris Christie, literally the day after the election, Paul Ryan, the vice-presidential nominee, calls Chris Christie and is very upset and says, “They told me that we were going to win. You know they told me that on Election Day that we were going to win.” And Chris Christie says, “Well, that tells you how sh--ty they were.”
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CALIFORNIA’S ANSWER TO OBAMACARE
Covered California: Affordable, High-Quality Health Care Is on Its Way 18
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Obamacare in California: What is happening here? Excerpted from “Covered California,” November 14, 2013. PETER LEE Executive Director, Covered California
T
he Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is actually doing pretty darn well here in California. I want to talk today about some of the myths about the Affordable Care Act. But before I do that, let me provide a little bit of context. October 1, we opened our doors, and that was the opening of health-care marketplaces not only in California but across the nation. That was a historic marking point, where we said as a nation, for the first time, we’re changing the rules of health care so that people can no longer be denied health care because of their health status, that individuals can’t be denied health care because of their financial position. Every American will get a financial leg up to affordable health care, and the insurance industry and the insurance system is going to be changed forever to not be about what it is in many ways today, which has historically been about avoiding sick people, to making the insurance system about people getting the right care at the right time. Now, I want to appreciate what the Lundberg Institute is about. It’s in many ways the shared decision-making that is anchored in what patients want and need in an informed way, while considering costs in many ways is the future path we need to have for the health-care system instead of a health insurance system, which is about gaming and avoiding sick people. We’re now on a path to changing that. So I think that we have a lot to celebrate here in California, because with the opening of our doors, we’re opening the doors for the first time for millions of Californians, millions of Americans, to have access to care they’ve never had access to before. We are, for the first time, saying that we, as a nation, have health care as a right, not a privilege. That is a very, very historic thing. It is, without doubt, the biggest change in health care since the launch of Medicare 50 years ago, and in many ways, it’s bigger.
Medicare – incredibly important – said that we will no longer let our seniors go into poverty, have no access to needed care. But it was a slice [of the problem]. We’re saying with the Affordable Care Act that all Americans should have access to quality care and not be denied it because of insurance policies or because of affordability. So, it is a time to celebrate. As we seek to celebrate, though, the last three years have been fraught with disinformation and misinformation about the Affordable Care Act. And there’s a bunch of myths out there. Now, I’m not going to talk about the black helicopters or the chips that get injected into you when you sign up; I’ve heard about some of these recently. I am going to talk about and seek to dispel three of the big myths about the Affordable Care Act, myths about its past, its present and its future. First, I’m going to talk about its past. One of the myths is that the Affordable Care Act is very partisan. It’s not. You’re going to say, “What do you mean it’s not?” Well, rather, it’s a collection of policies; when you look at what the Affordable Care Act is, it reflects policies that reflect the best of both Republican and Democratic policies developed over the last 50 years, ideas that have been built over 50 years from a range of ideological and philosophical perspectives, market-based and yet community-based. The reaction to it has been partisan, but Obamacare policies are very nonpartisan and bipartisan. There are a lot of people out there who believe the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, is partisan. They believe that it’s this government-run insurance system that’s going to put us on the path to socialism. Fifty years ago, my dad was at USC and he actually signed on and endorsed Medicare. A bunch of the alumni of the USC medical school tried to get him fired because he was promoting a commie plot to take over America. That’s Medicare, OK? People do not see it, Medicare, as a socialist takeover of America; rather, they see it as an essential component in providing high-quality care to our seniors. Let’s be clear that in the reaction to the Affordable Care Act, politicians in Washington [and in] state houses across the country have absolutely made the Affordable Care Act a partisan issue. They’ve made that a partisan issue out of their focus on not wanting to give President Obama and the Democratic Congress a win. And it will be a win on
the scale of Medicare, on the scale of Social Security, and these are going to be the next generation of health care. The policies that are in the Affordable Care Act are very bipartisan. It seems awfully partisan when you have the federal government shut down. It seemed like it was a joke; late-night folks were talking about it as if it were a funny thing, the government shutdown. Instead of having national parks [remain] open, they were shut down out of a political ploy to try to get points around something. The White House estimates the shutdown cost our economy $20 billion. Now, that was a very partisan thing, but again, the Affordable Care Act – not partisan. Another thing, you’d say, “Isn’t it a parti-
“Thirty years ago, President Richard Nixon urged Congress to pass a national health plan. Nixon’s proposal was an employer mandate.” san thing, because we have 34 states, states like Texas and Florida, that haven’t just stood on the sidelines of the Affordable Care Act and embraced a historical opportunity for their citizens to expand Medicaid?” They’ve refused to set up their state exchanges like we have in California. They’ve refused to address the needs of their citizens. They’ve taken a stance of trying to politically damage the president. Those actions – absolutely partisan.” But while those actions are partisan and political, let’s look at the roots of the Affordable Care Act of the last 100 years. I’m not going to get into too much detail, but I will start in 1912 when Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican icon, ran for president on a platform including national health insurance. Another Republican leader once said, “Equal access for all to health care. We must do all we can to end any racial, economic, social or geographical barriers which may prevent any citizen from obtaining adequate health protection.” That was 30 years ago when President Richard Nixon urged Congress to pass a national health plan. Nixon knew firsthand the devastating
effect of having family members without health insurance. He watched his family struggle, including two of his brothers dying at a young age. He told the nation – this is Richard Nixon – “The time is at hand, this year, to bring comprehensive, high-quality health care within reach of every American.” Richard Nixon’s proposal was an employer mandate. He wanted to require all companies to provide health care for their employees and have the government help those who couldn’t afford to buy health insurance. That was 1974. Let’s be clear, though, it’s not only Republicans who have supported health reform and some of the policies that this is based on. If you look over the last 100 years, Democrats like Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson – who managed to get Medicare expansion in with some assistance from my uncle – had a big role in promoting health reform. More recently, the biggest expansion in health coverage we’ve had since Medicare was the Children’s Health Insurance plan. That’s covered millions of young Americans; it was a joint product of Senator Edward Kennedy and the very Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. Well, now we’re in the process of not only implementing an employer mandate, which as you know will have penalties that take effect in 2015, but also the individual responsibility requirement, often called the individual mandate. That component was counted as the core solution for coverage expansion by the Heritage Foundation 25 years ago. That solution was the same concept put forward by a group of Republican senators as the alternative to President Clinton’s health reform plan. And more recently, in 2006 we got our first look at the template for what is now the Affordable Care Act when Governor Mitt Romney, the Republican governor of Massachusetts, signed what is now known as Romneycare. Romney called that a giant leap forward and said his proposal, his goals, were to provide every citizen with affordable, comprehensive health insurance. He said that if it was successful, it would be a model for the nation. He backpedaled a little bit more recently, but he’s been right. A recent study showed that the number of uninsured in Massachusetts dropped from 8 percent down to 3 percent and that model – having a competitive marketplace, requiring health plans to accept everyone, providing
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financial support to those who need it – is now on the path to working in California and across the nation. Finally, in the spirit of bipartisanship, I want to bring it home here to California. I am the product of bipartisan work. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger looked at what was happening in Massachusetts and in typical California fashion said, “I want to do better.” Many of you may remember, it wasn’t that long ago, he introduced what many called the boldest and most comprehensive health-reform plan in the nation. He wanted to leave a legacy. Well, the recession tanked that. It didn’t happen, but what he did say is after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, California stepped up, the first state in the nation to say, “We will implement the Affordable Care Act in California for Californians.” That was done with a Republican governor and a Democratic legislature. We in California had a head start that millions of Californians are benefitting from today. Since that time, we in California, through what is now called Covered California, have laid out a road map and built on it to actually have a public- and private-sector solution that will be self-sustaining, nimble and reflecting the spirit of California. Here in California, we built partnerships with insurers, with insurance agents, with counties, with consumer groups, churches, schools, across the board, and that’s because the Affordable Care Act’s underlying foundation is woven through with concepts of market solutions as well as community solutions to make sure everyone is taken care of. It’s the best of bipartisanship. Second, about the present. There’s a lot of talk out there that the Affordable Care Act has already been deemed a failure. It was deemed a failure by some the moment it passed, then it was deemed a failure because it wasn’t going to pass the Supreme Court, then it wasn’t going to pass a second term of President Obama, etc. Well, I’m here to tell you that we are six weeks into the first six-month open-enrollment period, and it is far from a failure. I’m going to talk about some of the bumps we’ve had in California and on the national scene. We’re setting in motion a competitive marketplace here in California and nationally that’s going to serve us for the next generation. I will note that this is a train that has left the station. There are pebbles
F EBR UA RY/MA R C H 2014
on the tracks, but this is something that is gaining momentum not only in California, but in those 34 states that are actually relying on the federal exchange. So it is absolutely not a failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yesterday, I was at a press conference in Sacramento and I had the honor of telling our state and the nation about how we’re doing one month into the Affordable Care Act being launched, and I released numbers. Now, remember, we’re talking about the first month of a six-month open enrollment period, which is marking the beginning of the next generation of health care in America. So we were able to tell you some big numbers. Two and a half million people have visited CoveredCA.com. I will note, CoveredCA.com is not healthcare.gov. It is a working website that people are enrolling in readily in a very fast, timely manner. Our call centers answered over a quarter of a million phone calls. Three hundred and seventy thousand Californians started applications for coverage. A hundred and fifty thousand were determined eligible either for Medi-Cal or for a Covered California plan – many with financial help, many without financial help. Of those, 72,000 were determined eligible for Medi-Cal, and again this is where California has done the right thing. Governor Jerry Brown and our legislature said, “We’re going to expand Medi-Cal. We’re going to step up and do what the Affordable Care Act allows us to do, which means 1.4 million [of ] the lowest income Californians will have access to care.” I pity and I think it’s a travesty that other states are not expanding Medicaid, not taking advantage of 100 percent federal support to cover the people who need it the most. They’re playing politics with their citizens’ lives. California didn’t do that. And finally, I want to talk about the future. Many say the Affordable Care Act is “only about coverage, providing access to care.” I want to note that access to care is incredibly important, but we health policy wonks often talk about the holy trinity: access, quality and cost. I want to address that directly by noting that the Affordable Care Act provides us as a nation with the best tools we’ve ever had to actually get our arms around the issues of health-care costs and delivering better quality.
REICH continued from page 9 that’s understandable. I’m not blaming businesses for trying to make money, particularly in difficult times when there’s not that much purchasing power among the middle-class or the poor – another point I’ll come back to in a moment. Another thing that’s happening is that companies are using their cash. Big companies are still sitting on about $1.6 trillion of cash; that’s a lot of money to sit on. They’re using that cash to buy back their shares of stock. If that’s the way you boost your stock price, and if that’s the main way you have a boost in your stock price, it’s not as if it’s generating much innovation or many new jobs or much by way of social benefit or is even sustainable. You can’t just keep on purchasing your shares. There is a third thing going on and maybe it is the major thing. It has to do with this institution called the Federal Reserve Board. Janet Yellen, whom many of us know personally, is an absolutely wonderful person. She will make a fabulous chair of the Federal Reserve Board. What she said in her hearings on her nomination and she has said over and over again, not all that different from Ben Bernanke, and what she and Ben Bernanke both have been talking about doing is engaging in a process of buying securities and, by buying securities, keeping interest rates low. This has taken a couple of different forms. Ben Bernanke has called it quantitative easing. Other people have called it different things. Sometimes it has to do with long-term bonds. Other times it has to do with short-term bonds; right now it’s mostly short-term. Here is the point: When the Fed keeps interest rates very, very low as it has been doing, then everybody who has any savings at all tends to look at the bond market and say, “I don’t think I’m going to put my savings into bonds, because I can’t really get very much interest out of there. Where shall I go?” There are not many alternatives, but there is equity – that is, the stock market. By keeping interest rates low, what the Fed has been doing is pumping a lot of money that might otherwise go into bonds into the stock market. When you pump money into the stock market, that also tends to raise stock prices. Not incidentally, those low interest rates have made it easier for the companies to borrow, because big
companies are low credit risks, so they can borrow at very low rates, and some of that borrowed money can be used to buy back their shares of stock. You see how beautiful the system becomes. It does depend on a couple of things continuing, not only to keep payrolls down and continuing to cut real payrolls. Also, the ability to continue to buy back shares of stock, if that’s what companies are doing, but also the Fed continuing to buy about $85 billion a month of long-term and shortterm securities. That’s a hard thing to do. Eventually people start worrying. Don’t we have to worry about inflation? Don’t we have to worry about when this ends? It has to end eventually. Did you notice what happened today? There was a little flurry of worry, because the notes of the October meeting of the Federal Reserve
“ W hat
w e’r e d o i n g i s
asking the Fed single handedly to support the economic expansion. The Fed simply cannot do it alone. ” came out and the Fed governors were actually talking about ending this program [of ] buying securities, which would cause interest rates to rise. Merely on the publication of the notes of the meeting, Treasury yields started to rise and the stock market – you know, people got nervous. Can you imagine what will happen when the Fed actually announces it’s no longer going to continue to buy all those securities and it’s going to allow interest rates to rise? I’m not here to make you worry. I just want to illustrate to you something that’s going on that can’t go on forever. When you have this dissonance, this gap between the financial economy and the real economy, something has got to give. What usually gives is the financial economy because the financial economy is, to use a word advisedly, derivative of the real economy. That brings us back to a debate going on in Washington these days. The debate has been going on actually for longer than
anybody even wants to remember, between two different schools of economic thought in terms of fiscal policy. A moment ago I was talking about monetary policy and the Fed. I might, just to segue into fiscal policy, let you have my thinking about the relationship between the two: The Fed probably should, as long as unemployment is high, continue to keep interest rates low. But the problem is, if fiscal policy – that is, spending and taxing, that’s what Congress does – is not expansionary at the same time, if you have an expansionary Fed with a monetary policy that is very stimulative but you have austerity prevailing with regard to fiscal policy [and in] regard to what the spending and taxing functions of government do, then you have essentially a Fed that is handicapped dramatically. What we’re doing is asking the Fed single-handedly to support the economic expansion. The Fed simply can’t do it alone. With regard to fiscal policy, why are we locked into this austerity economics? We’re locked into austerity economics because of politics. You’ve got these two economic schools of policy. One is basically austerity. It says that debt is the worst thing that we could possibly have; we’ve got to get rid of the debt, the deficit, which is the yearly deficit that becomes the cumulative debt. Then there is the other side that says we need more spending, more stimulus now. Maybe we can worry about the debt once the economy gets going, but we want to do something in the interim to stimulate the economy. You have essentially that battle. It’s been going on for a while. It’s become a battle where there is no compromise at all. Those people who think that the biggest problem right now is debt – well, they just don’t know what they’re talking about, if I may say it politely. The yearly deficit is coming down as a proportion of the GDP, the total economy. What you really want to look at is the debt as a proportion of the total economy. An absolute number means nothing. It’s quite large now, but it’s not as large as it was after the Second World War [when] it was 120 percent of the national economy. What happened to FDR’s debt? What happened to that debt was that the ratio of the debt to the GDP changed, not because we spent that much less. The real reason that the debt-GDP ratio changed was because the
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economy grew so rapidly in the 1950s. The problem we are having now with regard to our debt is that we are growing so slowly. As I said before, it is remarkable on its own. It’s even more troubling given how far down the economy has been. That’s the problem. Growing our capacity to do all sorts of things, including sustainable environmental protection and better energy sources, more health care and better health care and better education – our capacity to do all these things is what’s really at issue. That’s what is not growing, and that’s what is disturbing. I am a proud Keynesian. Keynesianism was all in fashion in the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s. Richard Nixon said – and I’m not quoting him, because his quote was more complicated than this, but it was recorded, like everything else he said – “We’re all Keynesians now.” Keynesianism got a very bad rap in the 1970s when, as some of you remember, we had double digit inflation and Paul Volcker took over the Fed and broke the back of inflation by basically breaking the back of the economy and sending Jimmy Carter home to Georgia. From that time on, instead of worrying mostly about inadequate demand, we started worrying mostly about too much demand and inflation. Let me suggest something to you. We’re now back to a time where the central economic challenge is not inflation. The central economic challenge is inadequate demand. We are not growing, because the American middle class and the poor do not have the purchasing power to keep the economy going. Why not? And here I come to what I
think is the crux of the issue. It’s not simply Keynesianism versus economic austerity. What’s a good word for the austeriterians? Austerics. It’s not simply the debate between the Keynesians and the Austerics. It is much more profound. It is about inequality. Because we’ve seen, for the last 30 years, that increasingly the economic gains from growth have gone to a smaller and smaller number of people. We’ve seen increasingly, over the last 30 years, that the middle class has been under greater and greater stress, there has been less upward mobility, fewer poor people are joining the middle class. One of my colleagues at Berkeley, Emmanuel Saez, has shown that since the recovery began in 2009, roughly 95 percent of the economic gain has gone to the top 1 percent. The problem when you have so much income and wealth concentrated in so few hands is that, in Keynesian terms, there’s no way that the relatively few people at the top can spend all that much. The richest 10 percent of us owns 80 percent of the shares of stock in the United States. What’s the major asset that the bottom 90 percent have, if they have any assets at all? Their homes. Home values are going up a little bit but not everywhere, and certainly they have not made up for where they were before. Yet, the stock market has done wonderfully well. Do you get my drift? The kind of inequality we are now experiencing – when the 400 richest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million Americans put together – is undermining our economy overall. The rich would
do better with a smaller share of a rapidly growing economy – rapidly growing because more people can participate in it – than they’re doing now with a large share of an economy that’s basically dead in the water. We also know that democracy suffers when we have extraordinary degrees of inequality. Political power follows the money. We also know there is divisiveness. I want to suggest to you something that political scientists looking at divisiveness and political anger and polarization noticed years ago and have been tracking carefully. It correlates almost exactly with the degree of inequality in society. The more inequality, the more polarization. Why is that? There are many theories, but the easiest and most straightforward is that most people are working harder and harder and not getting ahead. They get frustrated, they get scared, they get angry, particularly when they feel that the dice are loaded, the deck is stacked against them. They are very vulnerable to demagogues, on the right or the left, who point the finger of blame at some set of scapegoats. Maybe they’re immigrants, maybe they’re the poor, maybe they’re the rich, maybe they’re corporations, maybe they’re unions, maybe they’re government. When we get into a politics of scapegoating, that leads to a degree of anger and divisiveness of a sort that we have right now. Inequality of this extent – of the sort we are now experiencing – in short, is very dangerous for our economy and it’s very dangerous for our society and our democracy. Photo by Ed Ritger
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Programs For up-to-date information on programs, and to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, go to commonwealthclub.org
OVERVIEW
TICKETS
The Commonwealth Club organizes more than 450 events every year – on politics, the arts, media, literature, business and sports. Programs are held throughout the Bay Area.
Prepayment is required. Unless otherwise indicated, all Club programs – including “Members Free” events – require tickets. Programs often sell out, so we strongly encourage you to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are available at will call. Due to heavy call volume, we urge you to purchase tickets online at commonwealthclub.org; or call (415) 597-6705. Please note: All ticket sales are final. Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to any program. If a program is sold out and your tickets are not claimed at our box office by the program start time, they will be released to our stand-by list. Select events include premium seating; premium refers to the first several rows of seating.
STANDARD PROGRAMS Typically one hour long, these speeches cover a variety of topics and are followed by a question and answer session. Most evening programs include a networking reception with wine.
PROGRAM SERIES CLIMATE ONE programs are a conversation about America’s energy, economy and environment. To understand any of them, it helps to understand them all. GOOD LIT features both established literary luminaries and upand-coming writers in conversation. Includes Food Lit. INFORUM is for and by people in their 20s to mid-30s, though events are open to people of all ages.
MEMBER–LED FORUMS (MLF) Volunteer-driven programs focus on particular fields. Most evening programs include a wine networking reception.
FORUM CHAIRS ARTS Anne W. Smith asmith@ggu.edu Lynn Curtis lynnwcurtis@comcast.net ASIA–PACIFIC AFFAIRS Cynthia Miyashita cmiyashita@hotmail.com BAY GOURMET Cathy Curtis ccurtis873@gmail SF BOOK DISCUSSION Barbara Massey b4massey@yahoo.com BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP Kevin O’Malley kevin@techtalkstudio.com ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES Ann Clark cbofcb@sbcglobal.net GROWNUPS John Milford Johnwmilford@gmail.com
HEALTH & MEDICINE William B. Grant wbgrant@infionline.net Patty James patty@pattyjames.com HUMANITIES George C. Hammond george@pythpress.com INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Norma Walden norwalden@aol.com LGBT Stephen Seewer stephenseewer@gmail.com Julian Chang julianclchang@gmail.com MIDDLE EAST Celia Menczel celiamenczel@sbcglobal.net PSYCHOLOGY Patrick O’Reilly oreillyphd@hotmail.com SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Chisako Ress chisakoress@gmail.com
Hear Club programs on about 200 public and commercial radio stations throughout the United States. For the latest schedule, visit commonwealthclub.org/broadcast. In the San Francisco Bay Area, tune in to: KQED (88.5 FM) Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 a.m. KRCB Radio (91 FM in Rohnert Park) Thursdays at 7 p.m. KALW (91.7 FM) Inforum programs on select Tuesdays at 7 p.m. KOIT (96.5 FM and 1260 AM) Sundays at 6 a.m. KLIV (1590 AM) Thursdays at 7 p.m. KSAN (107.7 FM) Sundays at 5 a.m. KNBR (680 and 1050 AM) Sundays at 5 a.m. KFOG (104.5 and 97.7 FM) Sundays at 5 a.m.
Watch Club programs on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast & DirecTV the last Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. Select Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley programs air on CreaTV in San Jose (Channel 30). View hundreds of streaming videos of Club programs at fora.tv and youtube.com/commonwealthclub
Subscribe to our free podcasting service to automatically download a new program recording to your personal computer each week: commonwealthclub.org/podcast.
HARD OF HEARING? To request an assistive listening device, please e-mail Andre Heard at aheard@commonwealthclub.org seven working days before the event. F E B R UA RY/MA R C H 2013
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
MEMBER-LED FORUMS CHAIR Dr. Carol Fleming carol.fleming@speechtraining.com
RADIO, VIDEO AND PODCASTS
February
Two Months Calendar MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SAT/SUN
1/2
3 5:30 p.m. Stumbling on Happiness Book Discussion FM 6:00 p.m. Orville Schell: The Rise of China FM
4 6:30 p.m. Chip Conley: Happiness and Hospitality, a Business Model 7:00 p.m. Dr. Drew Endy
5 5:15 p.m. Seniors: Cocreating the Future of Aging
6 1:45 p.m. Chinatown Walking Tour
7
8/9
12:00 p.m. Green Latinos FM
5:30 p.m. Humanities West Book Discussion: The Alexiad FM 7:00 p.m. Aging: Is There a Cure?
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
12:00 p.m. NPR Reporter Margot Adler: Why We Love Vampires FM 6:00 p.m. Glimpsing The Past: A Virtual Tour of Pompeii FM 6:00 p.m. Tom Goldstein: New Directions from the Roberts U.S. Supreme Court FM
11 5:30 p.m. Opening Reception for the Caribbean Passage Exhibition FE
12 6:00 p.m. P.J. O’Rourke 7:00 p.m. Winning the Talent War
18 6:30 p.m. Multiplying Success: How to Scale Up Excellence
19 6:00 p.m. The Pope and Mussolini 7:00 p.m. How to SelfInsure for Long Term Care
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24
6:00 p.m. The Growing Epidemic of Elder Financial Abuse
25 6:00 p.m. Condoms and Climate
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26 6:00 p.m. Robots in Unconventional Workplaces 6:30 p.m. Ben Rattray: Tech For Good 7:00 p.m. Steve Palumbi: The Extreme Life of the Sea
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15/16
12:00 p.m. Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld: Triple Package FM 12:00 p.m. Democracy in the Muslim World FM
6:00 p.m. Rising Seas, Rising Costs
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12:00 p.m. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco 12:00 p.m. Meatonomics FM 5:30 p.m. Middle East Discussion Group FE 6:00 p.m. Ian HaneyLopez FM 6:30 p.m. Michael Mina and Michael Chiarello
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20 1:45 p.m. San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour 6:00 p.m. Conservative Internationalism: What is it and Why Do We Need It? 6:00 p.m. Where is Health Care Going in the ACA Era?
27 6:00 p.m. The Anatomy of a Byzantine Illustrated Gospel Book 6:00 p.m. Richard Chamberlain: Lessons From a Hollywood Icon
21 12:00 p.m. Week to Week Political Roundtable and Member Social
22 1:30 p.m. Anna Quindlen
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28 12:00 p.m. Robert Carlin: The Two Koreas: Bad Decisions, Bad Consequences FM
Utah’s National Parks September 12–18, 2014
Explore history, ecology and scenery in five national parks and monuments on the Colorado Plateau, ranging from time-honored favorites Zion and Bryce Canyon to somewhat lesserknown Capitol Reef, Cedar Breaks and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Visit Five National Parks
Itinerary
Cedar Breaks, which became a national monument in 1933, has the highest elevation of the parks we will visit. Much of its original facility development done by the Civilian Conservation Corps, such as the 1937 visitor center, is still in use.
September 12 Las Vegas to Cedar Breaks National Monument
Bryce Canyon became a national monument administered by the US Forest Service in 1928. Hotels in the park, like the one we stay in, originally were developed by The Union Pacific Railroad. Grand Staircase-Escalante Unlike the National Park System, this monument is administered by the US Bureau of Land Management. Little development exists within its boundaries. A Capitol Reef National Monument with an area of about 58 square miles was proclaimed in 1937. In 1969, a presidential proclamation expanded the bounds of the monument sixfold. Congress authorized the monument as Capitol Reef National Park in 1971. Zion originated as a national monument created from the public domain by a presidential proclamation. Congress legislated the creation of Zion National Park – the first in Utah – in 1919.
Arrive independently the previous night as we depart Las Vegas at 8:30 a.m. for Cedar Breaks National Monument, which encompasses a 5-mile wide natural limestone amphitheater. From its 10,000-foot-high rim, experience views across the multi-hued cliffs, spires and arches of its eroded slopes. Hike the Alpine Lake Trail, set amid spruce trees and bristlecone pines. Continue to Bryce Canyon National Park for the night. The Lodge at Bryce Canyon (L,D) September 13 Bryce Canyon National Park Visit the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center and hike the Rim Trail. Experience Bryce Point and Paria View, then go below the canyon rim to hike the Navajo/Queens Garden Trail Loop. (Options for various lengths of hikes will be given throughout the tour.) The Lodge at Bryce Canyon (B,L,D) September 14 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Visit Kodachrome Basin State Park, renowned for its colorful cliffs and unusual rock pillars. Travel along scenic Highway 12 and hike Upper Calf Creek Falls in the Grand Staircase-Escalante. Experience Long Canyon and a hike into one of the narrow, steep-walled slot canyons that characterize the Escalante country. Best Western Capitol Reef Resort (B,L,D)
Online: commonwealthclub.org/travel
Phone: 415.597.6720
September 15 Capitol Reef National Park Visit the pioneer Mormon community of Fruita and take the park’s 10-mile-long Scenic Drive, parallel to the hundredmile-long monocline known as the Waterpocket Fold, which once blocked the progress of emigrant wagon trains. Hike the Grand Wash Trail, the Capitol Gorge Trail, and the trail in Cohab Canyon. Best Western Capitol Reef Resort (B,L,D) September 16 Anasazi State Park & Zion National Park Visit Anasazi State Park, its anthropology museum, and the excavated site of a thousand-year-old Anasazi village. En route to Zion, stop for a hike at Escalante River Natural Bridge. Enter Zion through the tunnel completed in 1930 to create direct access to Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon from Zion. Desert Pearl Inn (B,L,D) September 17 Zion National Park Explore the area along the Virgin River within Zion Canyon, the heart of the park. Visit the Zion Human History Museum. Hike Emerald Pools and Grotto Trail and see the Temple of Sinawava. Take the Riverside Walk to the Narrows of Zion Canyon. Desert Pearl Inn (B,L,D) September 18 Zion National Park to Las Vegas Relax at the hotel or head back into Zion for another hike. After lunch we return to Las Vegas. Please book your flights for 6:00 p.m. or later. (B,L)
Email: travel@commonwealthclub.org
What to Expect
Average temperatures in September range from daytime highs in the 80s and overnight lows down to the 50s. We’ll also be at a variety of elevations from 4,000 to over 10,000 feet. Our transportation around the region is by mini-bus. Given the vastness of the area, there is some time to be spent on the bus driving between parks, but we’ve designed it so you alternate days with longer drives (3 to 4.5 hrs) with days with much less driving (20 min to 2 hrs). Travelers should be in active good health to participate in this trip. While walks are not too strenuous, some are over uneven terrain and may require the use of hands and feet to climb over obstructions. Our longest hike is up to 8 miles, with approximately 1,000 feet in elevation gain. Most all walks are “out and back” so participants can go as far as they like, and then wait for the group to return.
Trip Details Dates:
September 12–18, 2014
Group Size:
Minimum 15, maximum 25 (not including staff)
Cost:
$3,195 per person, double occupancy; $595 single room supplement
Included:
6 nights accommodation as specified; round-trip transfers from Las Vegas Airport to Utah’s National Parks; all park admission fees; daily hiking activities; all ground transportation; daily breakfast (6) at the hotel, 7 lunches and 6 dinners, welcome and farewell dinners with beer and wine; tours, entrances, and events as specified in the itinerary; minibus transportation for all excursions; gratuities for hotel staff, restaurant staff, drivers and for all group activities; expert guide Frank Ackerman; services of a professional Tour Manager.
Study Leader, Frank Ackerman
Study leader Frank Ackerman is a retired National Park Service Ranger. His 30-year career included posts at the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and Voyageurs National Parks. He finished his time with the Park Service at Cape Cod National Seashore where he served as the Chief of Interpretation. After his initial retirement, Frank helped create an award-winning interpretative program as part of a joint venture between Amtrak and the National Park Service to provide educational commentary on select passenger trains in the Northeast. Most recently, he has been living in Carson City, Nevada and working as Director of the Nevada State Railroad Museum. As we journey between parks, Frank will discuss the evolution of park policy over the past 100 years and, in specific, the delicate balance of the dual mandate of preservation and promotion of visitation. He is also excited to teach you about the spectacular desert flora and fauna, and the geology and human history of the region.
Not included:
Air transportation to and from Las Vegas, Nevada; hotel accomodations in Las Vegas; meals and beverages other than those specified as included; optional excursions and other activities done independently; trip cancellation/interruption and baggage insurance; personal items such as email, telephone and fax calls, souvenirs, laundry; and gratuities for non-group services.
Online: commonwealthclub.org/travel
Phone: 415.597.6720
Email: travel@commonwealthclub.org
Utah’s National Parks
Commonwealth Club Travel
Phone: 415.597.6720 Fax: 415.597.6729
RESERVATION FORM September 12–18, 2014
NAME 1 NAME 2 ADDRESS
CITY/STATE/ZIP
HOME PHONE
CELL
E-MAIL ADDRESS
SINGLE TRAVELERS ONLY: If this is a reservation for one person, please indicate: ___ I plan to share accommodations with __________________________ OR ___ I wish to have single accommodations. OR ___ I’d like to know about possible roommates. I am a smoker / nonsmoker. (circle one) PAYMENT: Here is my deposit of $______ ($500 per person) for ___ place(s). ____ Enclosed is my check (make payable to Black Sheep Adventures, Inc). OR ____ Charge my deposit to my ____ Visa ____ MasterCard ____ AMEX ____ Discover CARD#
EXPIRES
SECURITY CODE
AUTHORIZED CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE DATE
___ I/We have read the Terms and Conditions for this program and agree to them. SIGNATURE
PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM ALONG WITH YOUR DEPOSIT TO: Commonwealth Club Travel 595 Market St., 2nd floor San Francisco, CA 94105 You may also fax the form to 415.597.6729
Terms and Conditions: DEPOSIT & PAYMENTS: To make a reservation, a deposit of $500 per person is required by check or credit card. Please mail your check (payable to “Black Sheep Adventures, Inc”) or charge instructions, with your completed reservation form to the address on the reservation form. You may also fax in your reservation form or call our office or call (415) 597-6720. Final payment is due no later than July 14, 2014. If you want to pay your final payment by check there is a $50 “payment by check” discount. CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS: Your deposit and payments are refundable, less the following cancel fees: • 91+ days prior to trip start date, $100 per person • 61-90 days prior to trip start, $500 deposit • 0-60 days prior to trip start, No refund We recommend trip-cancellation insurance; applications will be sent to you.
Tour can also be cancelled due to low enrollment. Neither CWC nor Black Sheep Adventures accepts liability for cancellation penalties related to domestic or international airline tickets purchased in conjunction with the tour. MEDICAL INFORMATION: Participation in this program requires that you be in good health. It is essential that persons with any medical problems and related dietary restrictions make them known to us well before departure. RESPONSIBILITY: The Commonwealth Club of California and our ground operators and suppliers act only as agents for the travelers with respect to transportation and arrangements, and exercise every care possible in doing so. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with the service of any automobile, motorcoach, or any other conveyance used in carrying out this program or for the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in
conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the program. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, force majeure or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to make such alterations to this published itinerary as may be deemed necessary. The right is reserved to cancel any program prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. No refund will be made for an unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. The Commonwealth Club of California accepts no liability for any carrier’s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable ticket in connection with the tour.
CST: 2096889-40 Photos: (cover) B. Monginoux/landscape-photo.net, Ken Lund/flickr; Al_HikesAZ/flickr; (inside) James Marvin Phelps/flickr; Sascha Wenninger/flickr; Andrew Mace/flickr; Romain Guy/flickr; Chris Willis/fotopedia
The Commonwealth Club
putting you face-to-face with today’s thought leaders
ANNUAL REPORT
July 2012 to June 2013 Fiscal Year
Dear Club Members and Friends, The Commonwealth Club is a fast-paced, action-packed hub of activities that explore the most important and exciting issues of today. Hosting more than 400 programs each year, we often present three or four programs in a single day. Our programs take place in a range of locations throughout the Bay Area, and attract diverse audiences, engaging individuals of all age groups, backgrounds and professions. We take great pride in the fact that our programs cover a wide range of topics and address timely and important issues. This year we presented such renowned individuals as Supreme Court justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Sonia Sotomayor, former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and George Shultz, Vice President Al Gore, Grover Norquist, President Jimmy Carter, John Stossel and Senator Dianne Feinstein, just to name a few. Our members let us know that they benefit from hearing these presenters’ viewpoints in depth and directly from the sources. It’s an experience made even more meaningful by the opportunities the Club gives our audiences to engage with the presenters and participate in shaping the program discussion. We devote a full half of each program to audience questions. Then we share these unique discussions with local, national and global audiences via a thriving radio, television and Internet service.
Our 2012–13 fiscal year encapsulated several milestones for the Club. February 2013 marked our 110th anniversary, and our membership continued to grow, surpassing 20,000. Our prestigious and enduring history and robust membership make it possible for The Commonwealth Club to deliver a remarkable lineup of timely, unique and intriguing programs to our community and to those who listen to and watch our broadcasts across the nation and around the world. Thank you for your support in making the Club a flourishing civic treasure. We appreciate your contributions of time, talents and financial resources to make it all possible. Warm regards,
Dr. Gloria C. Duffy President and CEO
Anna Mok Chair, Board of Governors
ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS • The Club turned 110 in February 2013 • • Membership surpassed 20,000 members • • Purchased 110 The Embarcadero, a buliding that will be the future permanent home of The Commonwealth Club
• Launched monthly member socials, bringing together smart and • engaged individuals to discuss the news over snacks and wine
• Annual Club podcast downloads reached 1.2 million • The Club’s Inforum division, by and for younger
generations, presented 30 programs and came in 12% over projected revenue targets, breaking every average for event revenue, event size and ticket price
Photo by Martin Künzel
• •
Hosted our first Climate One programs outside of the Bay Area in Sacramento and Monterey Audiences flocked to sold-out programs over a two-month period, featuring Rob Reiner, Dick Costolo, Bruce Bochy, Christina Romer and Keith Hennessey, and Julian Castro Launched a new ongoing feature on Huffington Post called Commonwealth Club Thought Leaders, presenting a short video and text highlight from a recent noteworthy speaker Initiated design for a new iPhone app for easy access to upcoming Club events, tickets and audio of countless past programs California Governor Jerry Brown attended a Climate One event in honor of climate scientist James Hansen, winner of the 2012 Stephen Schneider Climate Science Communication Award
THOUGHT LEADERS
Noteable Quotes on Stage at The Commonwealth Club
“Even here in the Bay Area, one of the wealthiest, most blessed regions “While it’s true that the government can organize a surveillance state, in the world, 20 percent of Bay Area residents live at subsistence level or lower. Subsistence level is $22,000 a year for a family of four. Imagine trying to live on that in this area.” –Carly Fiorina Former CEO, HP; Chair, Good360 March 21, 2013
“What are the goals of a great nation? I would say they’re the same
as the goals of a great person. They’re the goals that have been established most clearly in the religions that we might adopt as our own – Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and so forth – and they’re all the same. It would be a commitment to peace, a commitment to justice, a commitment to freedom and democracy, a commitment to human rights, to protecting the environment that we’ve inherited, to sharing our wealth with others. I think those are the hallmarks of a superpower.” –Jimmy Carter Former President of the United States February 24, 2013
“What is the barrier that stops people from being able to pursue
their values, to pursue the things that they believe will lead to their happiness? It’s coercion and force. Violence is the primary [obstacle]. So what we want is a government that extracts that coercion, that extracts force from society, that protects us from the use of coercion by other people.” –Yaron Brook Executive Director, The Ayn Rand Institute October 22, 2012
the odds of any government, including the best-run ones, managing to pull that off with the kind of tools and technologies against them [used by an] informed and empowered populace with mobile phones are highly unlikely to be successful. There’s just too many ways in which citizens can get around that.” –Eric Schmidt Executive Chairman, Google June 4, 2013
“I see a positive that this society of ours has a longer tradition of self-
government and freedom and liberty and people who are educated and responsible and want to take care of themselves, and people who are willing to sacrifice if they were only told the truth.”” –David Stockman Former U.S. Congressman, Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget April 11, 2013
“You take these kids who are kind of different. You have got to get
them involved with shared-interest things. This is what worries me. Right now there is a shortage of software engineers in the tech industry. I can tell you where a lot of potential software engineers are: They’re playing video games in the basement, because nobody worked on developing their skills in programming. We need to be introducing interesting things like this to kids really young.” –Temple Grandin Professor of Animal Science, Colorado State University June 4, 2013
“The first case that I was on was Citizens United. Talk about being “Even though immigration reform has received the lion’s share of atthrown in! Needless to say, if I’d been scared before, I was terrified by then. I knew the world was waiting and watching for my first question. I threw myself in, drowned myself in my work.” –Sonia Sotomayor Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court January 28, 2013
tention, the fact is that the dropout rate in the Latino community is higher than in just about any community, that the fundamental ability of people to enjoy the fruits of America, to pursue their American dreams, is being hampered because too many of them are going to public schools that are decrepit, that aren’t high quality. Their dreams are stunted, and oftentimes they don’t have the chance that they should have.” –Julian Castro Mayor, San Antonio, Texas January 7, 2013
TOP GROSSING PROGRAMS
OTHER NOTABLE PROGRAMS
1. Rachel Maddow 2. Andy Cohen 3. Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Paul Krugman 4. Christina Romer & Keith Hennessey 5. Tom Brokaw in Silicon Valley 6. Walter Isaacson talks Steve Jobs 7. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner 8. General Colin Powell 9. Robert Reich 10. Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi
82nd Annual California
Carly Fiorina Barney Frank
Book Awards Yves Behar & Tim Brown
Dr. Temple Grandin
Mark Bittman
Grover Norquist
Bruce Bochy
Mary Roach
President Jimmy Carter
Sir Ken Robinson
Mayor Julian Castro
Dan Savage
Dick Costolo
Eric Schmidt & Jared Cohen
Lanny Davis
David Stockman
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Ambassador Kenneth Taylor
2012–2013 FISCAL YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT
REVENUE
EXPENSES $4,779,156
92% PROGRAM SERVICES 8% SUPPORT SERVICES
$8,837,351
$4,410,020 $369,136
62% 12% 10% 10% 3% 2% 1%
CONTRIBUTIONS PROGRAM REVENUE MEMBERSHIP DUES SPECIAL EVENT REVENUE (NET) MISCELLANEOUS INCOME GAIN/LOSS ON INVESTMENTS DONATED MATERIALS & SERVICES
$5,456,159 $1,082,518 $899,777 $882,499 $252,293 $190,904 $73,201
2012–2013 FISCAL YEAR CLUB LEADERSHIP COMMONWEALTH CLUB OFFICERS
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Chair Anna W. M. Mok
Dan Ashley Massey J. Bambara Ralph Baxter Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman** Hon. Shirley Temple Black* John L. Boland J. Dennis Bonney* Michael R. Bracco Helen A. Burt John Busterud* Michael Carr Maryles Casto** Hon. Ming Chin* Dennis A. Collins Mary B. Cranston**
Vice Chair John R. Farmer Secretary William F. Adams Treasurer Lee J. Dutra President & CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy
Dr. Kerry P. Curtis Dr. Jaleh Daie Alecia DeCoudreaux Evelyn S. Dilsaver Joseph I. Epstein* Jeffrey A. Farber Dr. Joseph R. Fink* Dr. Carol A. Fleming Leslie Saul Garvin William German* Dr. Charles Geschke Paul A. Ginsburg Rose Guilbault** Edie G. Heilman Hon. James C. Hormel Mary Huss Claude B. Hutchison, Jr.* Dr. Julius Krevans*
John Leckrone Dr. Mary Marcy Don J. McGrath Frank C. Meerkamp Richard Otter* Joseph Perrelli* Hon. Barbara Pivnicka Hon. Richard Pivnicka Rev. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi Toni Rembe* Victor J. Revenko* Skip Rhodes* Dr. Condoleezza Rice Brian D. Riley Fred A. Rodriguez Renée Rubin* Richard A. Rubin
Robert Saldich** George M. Scalise Lata Krishnan Shah Connie Shapiro* Charlotte Mailliard Shultz George D. Smith, Jr. James Strother Hon. Tad Taube Charles Travers Nelson Weller* Judith Wilbur* Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Dennis Wu* Russell M. Yarrow Jed York * Past President ** Past Chair
ADVISORY BOARD Karin Helene Bauer Hon. William Bradley Dennise M. Carter Rolando Esteverena Steven Falk Amy Gershoni Jacquelyn Hadley Heather M. Kitchen Amy McCombs Hon. William Perry Ray Taliaferro Nancy Thompson
DONOR HONOR ROLL
July 2012 to June 2013 INDIVIDUALS $1,000,000 & Above Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock
$500,000 to $999,999 Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Franklin P. Johnson, Jr. Wendy & Eric Schmidt in honor of Dr. Charles Geschke
$100,000 to $499,999 Hon. Judith Epstein & Joseph Epstein Lisa & Douglas Goldman Fund John & Tawna Farmer Hon. James C. Hormel & Michael P. Nguyen
$50,000 to $99,999 William K. Bowes, Jr. Maryles Casto Don J. McGrath Danielle B. & Jed York
$25,000 to $49,999 Marilyn & Allan Brown* John S. Cullison & Diana Kissil Phyllis & Bill Draper Dr. Gloria C. Duffy & Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr. Nan & Chuck Geschke John A. Gunn & Cynthia Fry Gunn* Thomas & Liz Laffont Nora I. Machado & Tom R. Burns Lorna Meyer Calas & Dennis Calas Mrs. John Robert Shuman in memory of John Robert Shuman Charles & Elizabeth Travers* Judith F. Wilbur*
$10,000 to $24,999 The Boal Family in honor of Jed York Peter L. Briger, Jr. Michael E. & Christine Carr Thomas X. Christian Mary B. Cranston Marcia & John D. Goldman Michael A. & Rocio Haas Judy & George M. Marcus* Timothy M. Muller* Alison Pincus Vic & Maggee Revenko* Skip & Frankie Rhodes* Dr. Condoleezza Rice Hon. Tad & Dianne Taube Mark & Lisa Wan in honor of Jed York Charmaine & Dan Warmenhoven John C. York, M.D. & Denise DeBartolo York
$5,000 to $9,999 Anonymous Ralph H. Baxter, Jr. Mary G. F. Bitterman Mary G. F. Bitterman in memory of Morton Bitterman M. Brown Mollie & Dennis A. Collins Susan C. & David A. Coulter Dr. Jaleh Daie & Dr. Roger Wyse Maryon Davies Lewis in honor of George Shultz Albert G. & Natalie Davis Alecia A. DeCoudreaux Evelyn S. & John Dilsaver Mary Ellen & Michael E. Fox, Sr.
Paul M. Ginsburg Edie G. Heilman & Richard J. Weiss Sean A. Johnston Dr. Mary B. Marcy Daniel Miller JaMel & Tom Perkins Richard A. Rubin George & Dot Scalise Lata Krishnan Shah & Ajay Shah The Honorable & Mrs. George P. Shultz* Marc D. Stuart Stanley G. Wojcicki Ph.D & Esther Wojcicki Kit & Russell M. Yarrow
$2,500 to $4,999 Anonymous (4) John L. Boland & James K. Carroll Helen A. Burt Marc Casto Kerry & Lynn Curtis Lee & Melissa Dutra Brian D. & Jennifer Riley James Strother & Denise Mollen Nancy Thompson & Andy Kerr Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Wendy & Mason Willrich*
$1,000 to $2,499 Anonymous (3) Spaulding & Dan P. Ashley Bella Babot & Richard Baer Thomas E. & Terri S. Bailard Menghis Bairu M.D. Barbara & Gerson Bakar* Cynthia & Gary Bengier J. Dennis Bonney* Margaret G. & Peter Boyer Mike R. Bracco Thomas H. & Carol A. Burkhart Linda J. Clifford Diane & J. Robert Coleman, Jr.* Dona L. Crawford Caroline Daniels John A. DeLuca Dr. Joseph J. & Mrs. Dale E. Dominguez Sharon & Stephen D. Edelman Randi & Bob Fisher in honor of Greg Dalton Dr. Carol A. Fleming Javier Garza Andrea R. Gourdine & Ann Courtright Peter M. & Alison R. Hill Gerry Hinkley Richard Hoskins Lois Johnson Purkett & Daniel Purkett Patti & Larry Kenyon Robert S. Kieve Man J. Kim Phillip A. Lamoreaux* Judy A. & Don C. Langley Sandra Lasky Shirley C. & Duncan L. Matteson* Amy S. McCombs Dr. William C. McIvor Frank C. Meerkamp & Jacqueline Anderson Lenny & Christine Mendonca George A. Miller & Janet McKinley Anna W. M. Mok & John K. H. Yau Roxie Moradian Susan & Bill Oberndorf Rodney R. & Cathleen Peck Hon. William & Lee Perry Elisabeth T. Peters &
Barbara J. Carlson Hon. Richard Pivnicka & Hon. Barbara Pivnicka Rev. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. Kevin M. Pursglove Damon Raike* Judy L. & David L. Redo Fred A. Rodriguez Kate M. Rowe Archer Harry & Carol Saal Paul Sack Trudy & Charles Salter Charles & Leslie Garvin Philip S. Schlein Lynn & Joan Seppala Deborah G. Seymour* John B. & Lucretia T. Sias Barclay & Sharon Simpson Roselyne Chroman Swig* Gretchen Tenenbaum Gail L. & Robert R. Walker Mrs. Milton Wilson Jr. Linda & King Won Weldon S. & Ruth I. Wood
$500 to $999 Michael & Delphine Anders Marc H. Andrus Anonymous (6) Terry L. Atkinson & Kathy Taylor Dr. Andrew T. & Mrs. Rebecca Barfknecht Sandy & Robert Berry Tom & Maureen Birdzell Andy J. Black Marilyn M. Brennan Mary Ray Brophy Vernon Brown Dr. Michael Browne & Ms. Ellen Wimsatt Browne Jeffrey Budzinski & Janette Canare Barbara M. & Charles R. Bureker* Anne W. & John A. Busterud* Jeanne J. & William R. Cahill Michael H. Cheung & Jasmine Burroughes Ann T. Clark, Ph.D. John M. Cox Stone D. Coxhead Dona Crowder Colleen Crum John Cunningham & Kevin Slattery Frank Cusack & Kathy Ahn William F. Dagley Ralph Davis Dr. Donald M. Davis Laureen DeBuono* Eric B. & Molly M. Del Balso Stephen Diamond Dr. Bethami A. Dobkin Chuck Edelstein Eric Eisenberg Stan & Kathleen Emerson Tricia M. Emerson Eileen Etzi Dr. Diana & Dr. Louis Everstine Dr. Cynthia Farner & Ms. Anne Reinert Dr. Charles W. Farrar Sam D. Fleischman Jennifer Forster Sakie T. & Glen S. Fukushima Thomas J. Gilligan Julie & Joseph Golden Marjorie Goodman Richard A. & Joanne M. Goodrich Linda S. Gordon Marguerite & Richard D. Greenfield Dan Hahn Susan Halliday Kathryn S. & Kirk O. Hanson
Mary Liz Harris Nancy Hellman Bechtle & Joachim Bechtle Dr. Lorre Henderson & Mrs. Joanne Jackson Patricia A. & Brian H. Herman Chris Hollinger & Elizabeth MacDonald Robert E. Hopper* Rob Howe Leslie & George Hume Jean A. Jarvis & Eric R. Havian Katharine H. Johnson* Jeffrey Jones Susan T. & Michael A. Jordan Shirley R. & Maurice Kerner Heather M. Kitchen Jean Lane John Leckrone Hon. Kwang Ho Lee & Mr. Sungwook Hong Robert C. Livsey Betty Mackey & Susan Zima Gary E. Malazian Ph.D. Billy Manning Tom A. & Bobbie S. McChristy G. Ashby McElveen Nion T. McEvoy Lore Harp McGovern Marilia Mercader Carole & Fred A. Middleton* Suzanne C. Miller Francisco A. & Dianne H. Montero Dr. Leroy M. Morishita Kevin Moss Leonid Nakhodkin Laurie Nash Professor Eva M. Nash-Isaac Ruediger Naumann-Etienne Dr. Jennifer & Ms. Meredith Orthwein Jerome & Grace Paolini Janet & George Pasha III* Berniece A. Patterson* Hon. Nancy P. D. & Paul F. Pelosi Joseph F. Perrelli & Ann Marie McBirney Perrelli* John A. Ploumitsakos Dr. Mohammad H. Qayoumi Harriet Meyer Quarre* Hon. & Mrs. William K. Reilly Courtney O. & Ted Rice R. Henry & Jean R. Richards John P. Riley & Barbara M. Talbott Muriel M. & Wayne A. Robins Jerry C. Roth & Ray Jenks Janelle Sallenave William B. Schaefer IV Jeanie S. Scott Gregory Seal Dr. Ruth Shapiro & Michael Gallagher Robert J. Sieling M.D. & Allene G. Sieling Christine W. & Lawrence B. Silver Sher G. Singh Judith B. Sklar & Stanley Voyles Margo D. & Ezekiel L. Smith Megan J. Smith & Kara Swisher Bernard J. C. & M. Josephine Smith* James Soper Richard Stone Katherine A. Strehl & Bill Dempsey in memory of Lily Boyd Kimberlee Swig Deborah Taylor Max & Phyllis Thelen John Thomas Maryett V. & Robert B. Thompson Angelica A. Tsakiridis
Jane H. & Nelson S. Weller Hon. Kathryn M. Werdegar & David Werdegar, M.D. Robert T. Weston Dr. Damian Rouson & Ms. Leilee Weyerhaeuser Stephen E. Wright & Lori Eickmann David Zebker
$100 to $499 Joe & Beth Aaron Joelyn K. & Frank Ackerman Martha E. & Michael W. Adler Catherine Amparano Anonymous (4) Barbara J. & Massey J. Bambara Howard Berman Jack R. Bertges Nancy Blachman & David desJardins Igor R. Blake Kathy M. Boardman Katarina Bonde & Bengt Akerlind Brenda R. Boswell Susan & Jeffrey Brand Gene D. & Marah L. Brehaut Michele E. Brouqua Dr. Edward Cain & Dr. Dianne Harris Marie G. Clyde Maureen Conners James G. & Phyllis S. Coulter Stephen L. Craig in memory of Anita Craig Dr. Lawrence E. Crooks Carleen Cullen David C. & Karen Duffy Frederick K. Duhring Roxanne G. & William Edelen Marguerite A. & Maurice H. Edelstein Jessica Eisler Leland H. & Susan W. Faust Dr. Patrick Ferguson Georgianna H. & Thomas J. Ferrari Gilbert H. Gates in honor of John Busterud Stanlee R. Gatti Joanne Ghigliotti Mitchell M. Gitin Margaret E. Gnam Edward C. Goodstein & Francesca M. Eastman Jane Graf Shirlee H. & Scott K. Graff Jeannie E. Graham Frederick M. & Melanie D. Gutterson Elise L. & Andy Hall William H. Harmon, Jr. Albert F. Haussener Roy O. Hendrickson Ruth Herring Sherry T. & Howard T. Hoover Alec Hughes Dr. Zhengli Yao & Mr. Gordon J. Huseby William Hutchinson Kumiy R. Iwao Cynthia S. Jamplis John D. & Jo Anne H. Jones Hubert & Chantal Keller Elizabeth W. King Kathryn E. Krause George S. & Barbara B. Krusi Karen A. Larkin Donald S. Leslie Matt A. Levine & Diane Duerr-Levine Daniel G. Libarle Feysan J. Lodde Hazel Y. Louie Gerald W. & Linda K. MacKay
Redge & Carol Martin Michael McCachren Dava & Archer McWhorter Martin P. Meier & Karen Kimen Jennifer L. & Mark E. Michel James D. Milliken Piotr D. Moncarz Richard Morrison Kelvin A. Muller Cressey H. Nakagawa Robert Neumann Hon. Leslie C. Nichols Michael C. Norelli Anne Nunan Ronald Nunn Jeaneen S. & John O’Donnell Dr. Robert M. Oliver & Ms. Donna B. Oliver Walter D. Olmstead C. Leanne Palmer Carolyn S. & Grant M. Pomerantz Virginia & Steve Porter Nii-Akanu Quao Ann & Barry Reder Diana Reyes Baughman Robert L. Reynolds Theodore Savetnick Paul L. Schmidbauer Michelle Schwartz James Sells Peter J. Siggins Rosemary Simmons Peter & Asiye Sonnen Margaret H. Steele Reginald D. & Marianne S. Steer Susanne Stevens Jill Stolarik John E. Sweeney & Lana S. Basso Lorene Van Sickle Douglas R. & Hildy A. Van Wyck Jerry M. Verdi Bruce B. & Mina Vida Lynn E. Walter & Gary Anderson Robert F. & Judith P. Ward Daniel G. & Marie D. Welch Jan A. Wells Meredith White Charles J. Williams John T. R. Wilson Joana Woo Seyed S. Zahiroleslam & Nilou Nouri Susan Zetzer Walter G. Zimmerman, Jr.
CORPORATIONS $100,000 & Above Applied Materials The Bernard Osher Foundation The Brin Wojcicki Foundation Chevron ClimateWorks Foundation The James Irvine Foundation The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Visa Inc.
Ernst & Young LLP Koret Foundation Levi Strauss & Co. Mimi and Peter Haas Fund The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation
$10,000 to $24,999 Accenture Adobe Systems Incorporated Asset Management Company The California Wellness Foundation Deloitte & Touche LLP Edelman Mineta Transportation Institute Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP Pacific Gas and Electric Company The Safeway Foundation Silicon Valley Bank Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture Walter & Elise Haas Fund
$5,000 to $9,999 Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Bayshore Global Management LLC BlackRock Blue Shield of California Devcon Construction, Inc. Discern Hellman Family Foundation KPMG LLP Santa Clara University San Jose Earthquakes UCLA Anderson School of Management Union Bank Warburg Pincus LLC
$2,500 to $4,999 Dodge & Cox Paul Hastings LLP Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Stanford University Master of Liberal Arts
$1000 to $2,499 John and Marcia Goldman Foundation Kiva
$500 to $999 Environmental Defense Fund Kaiser Permanente Spencer Stuart
In Kind The Enchanted Garden Florist J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Pat & Mike Splinter San Francisco Business Times WMS media, Inc
$50,000 to $99,999
Matching Gift
Bank of America Merrill Lynch San Francisco Business Times The San Francisco Foundation San Francisco 49ers The Travers Family Foundation Wells Fargo
Adobe Systems Incorporated Bank of America Bank of the West BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. Charles Schwab Foundation Chevron Corporation Google Matching Gifts Program GE Foundation Salesforce.com Foundation
$25,000 to $49,999 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah Insurance Exchange Bank of the West Brayton Wilbur Foundation
*Golden Gavel Members – Club members for 30 years or more.
Every effort has been made to list donors accurately. If your name or your organization’s name has been listed improperly in any way, or if you believe that a gift is missing from this list, please contact Maria Damp, vice president of development and membership, at (415) 597-6714 or mdamp@commonwealthclub.org. Tax-deductible contributions can be mailed to The Commonwealth Club of California at 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, or you can make a secure gift online at commonwealthclub.org/donate. Thank you to all of our supporters!
MONDAY
3 5:15 p.m. What You Need to Know Before You’re 65 FM
10 6:00 p.m. Where’s Rosie? The State of Personal Robotics FM
TUESDAY
4 6:00 p.m. Beyond Nature’s Housekeepers: American Women in Environmental History
11 6:00 p.m. The Packard Foundation Net Zero Energy and LEED Platinum Headquarters
6:00 p.m. Transcending Cruelty FM
17
6:00 p.m. Beyond the Green Bin: A Panel Discussion on Reducing Food Waste FM
12 5:30 p.m. Humanities West Book Discussion Count Belisarius FM
18
25
19
FM
Free program for members
East Bay/North Bay
FE
Free program for everyone
Silicon Valley
MO
Members–only program
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SAT/SUN
7
8/9
6 5:30 p.m. Explore the World from the Commonwealth Club Planning Meeting FE 6:00 p.m. Svante Pääbo: Neanderthal Man - In Search of Lost Genomes 6:00 p.m. The Goldman Prize at 25
12:00 p.m. Prospects and Challenges of the Philippine Economy in 2014 and Beyond FM
13
14
15/16
20
21
22/23
27
28
29/30
1:45 p.m. North Beach Walking Tour 6:00 p.m. Plato at the Googleplex
12:00 p.m. Simon Schama: Story of the Jews - Finding the Words FM
26 6:00 p.m. White House Story
1:45 p.m. Russian Hill Walking Tour 6:30 p.m. Unintended Consequences: Is too Much Information, too Fast, too Much of a Good Thing? FE 7:00 p.m. Arianna Huffington with Sheryl Sandberg: Redefining Success
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
12:00 p.m. Arthur M. Shapiro: Ecological Communities and the March of Time FM
5 6:00 p.m. Padmasree Warrior: The Business of Innovation
6:00 p.m. U.C. Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks: The Utopian Past and Future of the Public University
6:00 p.m. Learning From Leonardo
24
WEDNESDAY
San Francisco
March
Legend
7:00 p.m. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Joshua Fattal: Imprisoned in Iran
31 5:30 p.m. Middle East Discussion Group FE
F E B R UA RY/MA R C H 2014
THE COMMO N WE AL TH
33
February 3 – 5
FEBRUARY 3 – APRIL 18
M O N 03 | San Francisco
M O N 03 | San Francisco
Caribbean Passages: An Artist’s Visual Journey
Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert
Orville Schell: The Rise of China
What makes human beings happy and why? Brandishing a sense of humor that sends readers into fits of giggles, renowned Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert dives headfirst into the exceedingly rich world of human behavior and emotion. This book’s thesis will stay with you for years to come, and it is the rare book that does the “Happiness Conundrum” justice without becoming too “popcorn science” in the process. As a reminder, this is a book discussion group; the author will not be present.
Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on U.S.China Relations, Asia Society; Former Dean and Professor, UC Berkeley; Coauthor, Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-First Century
Orlonda Uffre, Artist; Educator; Curator, TAOLB
In her paintings, Orlonda Uffre seeks to reclaim and redeem fragments of lost histories through a visual narrative that represents the artist’s roots in the Caribbean. She presents the connections to cultural symbols and spiritual cosmologies of African traditions. This aesthetic perspective is formulated as a counterpoint to the dominant visual art histories, which critics say are determined by the bearers of institutionalized art conventions. This exhibition is part of The Art of Living Black (TAOLB), an annual exhibition of art by artists of African descent.
MLF: SF BOOK DISCUSSION Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 non-members, MEMBERS FREE Program Organizer: Barbara Massey
Location: SF Club Office Time: Regular Club business hours Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Lynn Curtis
Modern China is shaped by many figures, including political leaders, writers and activists. Orville Schell observes that the rapidly transforming country has shifted from “imperial doormat to global economic powerhouse.” Schell, drawing on his career of scholarly work, will discuss China’s future. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
T U E 04 | San Francisco
T U E 0 4 | S i l i co n Va l l e y
W E D 05 | San Francisco
Chip Conley: Happiness and Hospitality, a Business Model
Dr. Drew Endy
Seniors: Co-creating the Future of Aging
Founder, Joie de Vivre Hotels; Head of Global Hospitality, Airbnb; Author, Emotional Equations
Conley, disillusioned with corporate real estate, raised a million dollars and bought the decrepit Phoenix Hotel. He revolutionized the hotel business, developing his own unique transformative business model based on an individual’s need for meaning. More recently, Conley has joined the Airbnb team as the head of hospitality and promotes people-centered business practices. Location: SF Club Office Time: 6 p.m. check-in/premium reception, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. reception/book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students; Premium (reserved seats/premium reception with speakers): $40 non-members, $25 members.
34
THE COMMO N WE AL TH
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford School of Medicine; President, BioBricks Foundation Lisa Krieger, Science Writer, San Jose Mercury News - Moderator
Opportunities, scientists say, lie in our ability to not only read genetic code, but also to write it, then build it. Synthetic biology works because biological creatures can be seen as programmable manufacturing systems. Endy wants to take control of a cell’s genetic machinery to make cells that can follow different programs, that could automatically scan for chemical signals of cancer, produce a drug that will target the cancer directly. and combat disease. Location: Schultz Cultural Hall, The Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program Cost: $15 non-members, $10 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
F EBR UA RY/MA R C H 2014
Dr. Richard G. Caro, D. Phil., Co-founder, Tech-enhanced Life, PBC
A gradual decline in ability to function at our peak confronts us all. But what if technology could be developed that would put off the day when decline starts to impact our daily life? Dr. Caro discusses how this prospect is both realistic and imminent and describes an experimental “co-creation community,” designed to accelerate the emergence of these novel products by leveraging the insights, accumulated wisdom and enthusiasm of seniors themselves. MLF: GROWNUPS Location: SF Club Office Time: 4:45 p.m. networking, 5:15 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: John Milford Also know: In association with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
T H U 06 | San Francisco
F R I 07 | San Francisco
Humanities West Book Discussion: The Alexiad by Anna Komnene
Chinatown Walking Tour
Green Latinos
Written between 1143 and 1153 by the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, The Alexiad is one of the most popular and revealing primary sources in the vast canon of medieval literature. Princess Anna Komnene, eldest child of the imperial couple, reveals the inner workings of the court, profiles its many extraordinary personages, and offers a firsthand account of significant events, such as the First Crusade, including its impact on the relationship between eastern and western Christianity. A celebrated triumph of Byzantine letters, this is an unparalleled view of the glories of Constantinople. Discussion led by Lynn Harris.
Enjoy a Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure. Join Rick Evans for a memorable midday walk and discover the history and mysteries of Chinatown. Explore colorful alleys and side streets. Visit a Taoist temple, an herbal store, the site of the first public school in the state, and the famous Fortune Cookie Factory. Location: Meet at corner of Grant and Bush, in front of Starbucks, near Chinatown Gate Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–5 p.m. tour Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members Also know: Temple visit requires walking up three flights of stairs. Limited to 12 people. Participants must pre-register. Tour operates rain or shine.
MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 non-members, MEMBERS FREE Program Organizer: George Hammond Also know: In association with Humanities West
Catherine Sandoval, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission Orson Aguilar, Executive Director, The Greenlining Institute
Nearly half of Latinos in the U.S. live in the country’s most smog-polluted cities. Rising global temperatures only make smog worse, and in California, many MexicanAmericans work outside in the hot Central Valley. The climate is emerging as a central issue for the Hispanic population. How will Hispanic voices impact energy politics in the 2014 elections and beyond? Join us for a conversation about how carbon pollution affects Latinos and how they are engaging around it in an election year. Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. networking reception Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
M O N 10 | San Francisco
M O N 10 | San Francisco
NPR Reporter Margot Adler: Why We Love Vampires
Glimpsing the Past: A Virtual Tour of Pompeii
Tom Goldstein: Surprises and New Directions from the Roberts U.S. Supreme Court
Adler explores why we love vampires in movies and TV shows and how these creatures have such traction in our culture – affecting power, politics, morality and identity. Adler is a veteran NPR correspondent heard on “All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition” and “Weekend Edition.” She reports on the interface of politics and culture, education and art in all its varied forms. She has traveled the world and the backroads of America reporting on those in the margins and those in power. Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1:15 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Michael Anderson, Associate Professor, Department of Classics, San Francisco State University
Monday Night Philosophy explores the past with Anderson, who will present a virtual day in Pompeii: a walking tour of the highlights of the ancient city designed to reveal aspects of its history, development, daily life and destruction. Monuments visited will include the forum and its temples and administrative buildings, theatre district and the city’s amphitheater, and numerous ancient houses. Italian espresso not provided, but highly recommended. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20-non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
Publisher, SCOTUSblog; Instructor of Supreme Court Litigation, Harvard Law
Goldstein is publisher of the SCOTUSblog, which follows the cases and characters that come before the Supreme Court. He has argued 30 cases before the Court and teaches Supreme Court litigation at Harvard Law School. He will give a behind-the-scenes look at the current Court and insight into how Chief Justice Roberts works and interacts with each of the strong personalities on the bench. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7:15 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
M O N 10 | San Francisco
Correspondent, NPR; Author, Vampires Are Us: Understanding Our Love Affair with the Immortal Dark Side
February 5 – 10
W E D 05 | San Francisco
February 11 – 12
T U E 11 | San Francisco
T U E 11 | San Francisco
Opening Reception for the Caribbean Passage Exhibition
Rising Seas, Rising Costs
Orlonda Uffre, Artist
Artist Orlonda Uffre will be present to meet and discuss her paintings and her Caribbean heritage that inspired them. Please join us for casual conversation, refreshments and a chance to understand Uffre’s work in greater depth. This exhibition is in conjunction with The Art of Living Black (TAOLB), a Bay Area wide celebration of artists of African descent. MLF: THE ARTS Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. reception Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Lynn Curtis
Laura Tam, Sustainable Development Policy Director, SPUR Larry Goldzband, Executive Director, Bay Conservation and Development Commission (invited) Alicia Aguirre, Former Mayor, Redwood City; Member, Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Swelling sea levels used to be a concern associated with future generations and faraway lands. Then Superstorm Sandy poured the Atlantic into the New York subway. Cities and states are beginning to realize they need to start planning and paying now for tides heading their way. Join us for a conversation about the costs of protecting San Francisco’s way of life in a world increasingly defined by climate disruption. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
W E D 12 | San Francisco
W E D 1 2 | S i l i co n Va l l e y
P.J. O’Rourke
Winning the Talent War
H.L. Mencken Research Fellow, Cato Institute; Author, The Baby Boom
Tom Brown, Senior HR Director, eBay Marketplaces Jane Funk, Senior Director, HR Operations, Infoblox Andrew Carges, VP Talent, Groupon Erin Flynn, SVP Talent Development, Salesforce.com Grant Bassett, VP of Global Talent, Workday Dan Grosh, Managing Partner, Calibre One – Moderator
Renowned political satirist and writer P.J. O’Rourke, born at the peak of the baby boom, now turns his keen eye on himself and his generation in the creation of presentday America. He details how the postwar generation somehow evolved by never quite maturing and thus created a better society by turning it upside down. O’Rourke’s new book combines a social history, a group memoir of collectively impaired memory, and a hilarious attempt to celebrate and understand the mess his generation has made.
How are companies recruiting the best talent? With Generation Y projected to comprise 75 percent of the world’s workforce in the next 13 years, the ability to recruit means more than just posting job listings on a company career page. In light of new expectations, how have company cultures changed? Hear the latest recruiting strategies from the talent leaders of eBay, Infoblox, Groupon, Salesforce and Workday and learn more about how they are preparing for the future workforce. Location: Silicon Valley Bank, 3005 Tasman Dr., Santa Clara Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $10 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Also know: Part of the Good Lit series. Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation.
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F R I 14 | San Francisco
The Growing Epidemic of Elder Financial Abuse
Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld: Triple Package
Jonathan Canick, Neuropsychologist David Baer, Estate Planning Attorney
How can you protect yourself and vulnerable family members against the growing problem of elder financial abuse? Come hear a neuropsychologist describe the impact of cognitive decline, dependency and dementia on the potential for victimization, and which risk factors and red flags should alert you to the presence of financial abuse. He will be joined by an experienced trust & estate trial lawyer, who will also discuss ways to prevent unwarranted challenges to legitimate estate plans. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
Amy Chua, John M. Duff, Jr. Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Author, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother; Co-author, The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America Jed Rubenfeld, Robert R. Slaughter Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Co-author, The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America
Why do some ethnic groups rise? Drawing on groundbreaking original research, Chua and Rubenfeld uncover the secret to success. A superiority complex, insecurity, impulse control – these are the elements of what the authors call the Triple Package, the rare and potent cultural constellation that they believe drives disproportionate group success. The Triple Package is open to anyone, they say; the U.S. itself was once a Triple Package culture. But it’s been losing that edge for a long time. Even as headlines proclaim the death of upward mobility in America, the truth is that the old-fashioned American Dream is very much alive, say Chua and Rubenfeld – but some groups have a cultural edge, which enables them to take advantage of opportunity better than others. Provocative and profound, Chua and Rubenfeld will transform the way we think about success and achievement. Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
T U E 18 | San Francisco
Democracy in the Muslim World
Multiplying Success: How to Scale Up Excellence
Alp Aslandogan, Ph.D., President, Alliance for Shared Values Michael Pappas, Executive Director, SF Interfaith Council
Robert Sutton, Professor, Stanford Business School; Co-author, Scaling Up Excellence Huggy Rao, Co-author, Scaling Up Excellence In conversation with Chris Fry, SVP Engineering, Twitter
Dr. Aslandogan will focus on how the Turkish experience can be a guide to emerging democracies in the Middle East. He will also discuss how to prevent extremism and violence in the region. Aslandogan is inspired by the work of Fethullah Gülen, a controversial Muslim scholar whose followers promote interfaith cooperation and improving communities through service.
Best-selling author Robert Sutton and his Stanford colleague Huggy Rao have devoted the last seven years to studying how the best leaders and teams expand constructive beliefs, behaviors and practices, from those who have them to those who need them. After researching organizations and companies like Facebook, Google and Pixar, the authors have compiled principles for how successful companies scale their success in Scaling Up Excellence. Sutton and Rao will detail how business leaders develop and instill the right mindsets in their employees to ensure the expansion of excellence throughout their organizations. Perhaps more important, these experts will explain how to eliminate destructive beliefs and habits to clear the way for excellence to spread. Join us as Sutton and Rao share what it takes to build pockets of exemplary performance and recharge organizations with ever better work practices. Location: SF Club Office Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. reception and book signing Cost: General admission: $25 non-members, $15 members, $7 students (with valid ID). Premium (reserved seating, copy of book, pre-program reception with speakers): $50 non-members, $35 members.
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
F R I 14 | San Francisco
MLF: MIDDLE EAST Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, students free (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Celia Menczel
February 13 – 18
T H U 13 | San Francisco
February 19 – 21
W E D 19 | San Francisco
W E D 1 9 | S i l i co n Va l l e y
T H U 20 | San Francisco
The Pope and Mussolini
How to Self-Insure for Long Term Care
San Francisco Architecture Walking Tour
Denise Michaud, CLTC, Independent Insurance Broker Gene Pastula, CFP and President, Westland Financial Inc.
Explore San Francisco’s Financial District with historian Rick Evans and learn the history and stories behind some of our city’s remarkable structures, streets and public squares. Hear about the famous architects who influenced the building of San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake. Discover hard-to-find rooftop gardens, Art Deco lobbies, unique open spaces, and historic landmarks. This is a tour for locals, with hidden gems you can only find on foot!
David Kertzer, Professor of Social Science, Anthropology and Italian Studies, Brown; Author, The Pope and Mussolini
Two men rose to power in 1922, one scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. In exchange for the restoration of church privileges and the enforcement of Catholic morality, Pius XI played a crucial role in making Mussolini’s dictatorship possible. However, as his health failed, Pius XI lashed out at Il Duce and threatened to denounce his anti-Semitic racial laws. The Vatican’s inner circle, including the future Pope Pius XII, prevented the pope from destroying the treacherous partnership. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
T H U 20 | San Francisco
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
Professor, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University; Author, Conservative Internationalism
Debates about whether and how much the U.S. should stay engaged in the world center on three traditions: liberal internationalism, realism and nationalism. Nau delves into a fourth, overlooked tradition: “conservative internationalism.” This tradition offers the U.S. a way to stay engaged in the world at acceptable cost and avoid what he says is another tempting but wrongheaded withdrawal after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
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Location: Silicon Valley Bank, 3005 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program Cost: $15 non-members, $8 members
T H U 20 | San Francisco
Henry Nau: Conservative Internationalism – What Is It and Why Do We Need It?
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With two out of three people in retirement eventually requiring home and convalescent care, paying for long-term care has become one of our society’s greatest financial concerns. The cost of care in the Bay Area is among the highest in the country, and planning ahead is critical to managing out-of-pocket costs. Michaud and Pastula will discuss why many people reject traditional long-term care insurance and choose to self-insure with the help of a non-traditional LTC plan and how legislation encourages this type of planning.
Location: Lobby of Galleria Park Hotel, 191 Sutter St. Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4:30 p.m. tour Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members Also know: Tour operates rain or shine. Limited to 20 people. Participants must preregister. The tour covers less than one mile of walking in the Financial District. Note: This tour involves walking up and down stairs.
F R I 21 | San Francisco
Where Is Health Care Going in the ACA Era?
Week to Week Political Roundtable and Member Social
Harold S. Luft, Ph.D., Director, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute; Caldwell B. Esselstyn Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Health Economics, Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF
Larry Gerston, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, SJSU; Political Analyst, NBC Bay Area; Author, Not So Golden After All Debra J. Saunders, Columnist, San Francisco Chronicle; “Token Conservative” blogger, SFGate.comJohn Zipperer, VP of Media and Editorial, The Commonwealth Club – Host Additional panelists TBA
Beyond the challenges of coverage expansion, the Affordable Care Act incorporates important features intended to slow the rate of growth in health-care expenditures. Ideally, these will increase the value to patients of the care they receive – regardless of payer. These changes have begun to unfold nationwide and will have a somewhat different trajectory in California. MLF: HEALTH & MEDICINE Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizers: Bill Grant & Tom Gilligan
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Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our news quiz! And stay after to discuss the news at our member social (open to all attendees). Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 2 p.m. wine-and-snacks social Cost: $15 non-members, $5 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
M O N 24 | San Francisco
M O N 24 | San Francisco
Anna Quindlen
Ian Haney-Lopez: Race and Politics in America
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco
UC Berkeley Professor of Law; Author, Dog Whistle Politics Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell Moderator
Hear from one of the world’s most famous monarchs. Prince Albert will discuss “The State of the Oceans in the Modern World” and his commitment to the environment. In June 2006, the prince set up the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation dedicated to protecting the environment. It encourages sustainable and fair management of natural resources and places man at the center of its projects. It supports the search for solutions in climate change, water and biodiversity.
Author, A Short Guide to a Happy Life and Still Life with Bread Crumbs
Best known for her award winning New York Times and Newsweek opinion columns, Quindlen offers up a highly anticipated new novel, sharing a deeply moving and funny story about unexpected love and a woman’s journey of self-discovery. Location: Lucie Stern Community Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto Time: 1 p.m. check-in, 1:30 p.m. program, 2:30 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID). Premium (includes priority seating and copy of book) $40 nonmembers, $40 members. Also know: Part of the Good Lit series. Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation
Haney-Lopez explains that a silent “dogwhistle” language in politics sends one message to the electorate while sending a coded message to a targeted political base. For example, when campaigning, Ronald Reagan never mentioned race when he told stories of Cadillac-driving “welfare queens” and “strapping young bucks” buying Tbone steaks with food stamps. But HaneyLopez contends that Reagan’s “dog whistle” message was about racial minorities, part of a long political tradition used strategically. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book-signing Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
Location: Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, Peacock Court, 999 California St., San Francisco Time: 11 a.m. check-in, 12-12:45 p.m. program Cost: General admission: $25 non-members, $15 members, $10 students. Premium (reserved seats in front): $40 non-members, $30 members Also know: In association with The World Affairs Council of Northern California. Attendees subject to search
M O N 24 | San Francisco
Meatonomics
Middle East Discussion Group
David Robinson Simon, Author, Meatonomics: How the Rigged Economics of Meat and Dairy Make You Consume Too Much – and How to Eat Better, Live Longer, and Spend Smarter Additional panelists TBA
Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines. After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session.
Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. networking reception Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
MLF: MIDDLE EAST Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Celia Menczel
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
M O N 24 | San Francisco
Everything we eat has a climate impact. From livestock production to chemical agriculture, our choices lead to different carbon footprints. Meatonomics is the first book to add up the huge externalized costs the animal food system imposes on taxpayers, animals and the environment, estimating they total about $414 billion annually. If producers were forced to internalize hidden costs, its author says, a $4 Big Mac would cost about $11. How will changing weather patterns impact the world’s food supply? How can the economics of food affect carbon footprints? Join us for a conversation with Meatonomics author David Robinson Simon and other experts on the future of eating in an era of climate change.
February 22 – 24
S AT 2 2 | S i l i c o n V a l l e y
February 24 – 26
M O N 24 | San Francisco
W E D 2 6 | S i l i co n Va l l e y
Michael Mina and Michael Chiarello: Giants of California Cuisine
Steve Palumbi: The Extreme Life of the Sea
Michael Mina, Founder, Mina Group; Executive Chef, Restaurant Michael Mina; James Beard Award Winner Michael Chiarello, Award-winning Chef, Vintner; Host, “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello”; Chef and Owner, Bottega and Coqueta In conversation with Evan Rich, Co-owner and Chef, Rich Table; James Beard Award Nominee
Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment; Director, Stanford University Hopkins Marine Station; Co-author, The Extreme Life of the Sea
In Travel + Leisure’s 2013 America’s Favorite Cities survey, San Francisco was voted #1 for fine-dining restaurants – no surprise there. San Franciscans are some of the luckiest eaters in the world, surrounded by award-winning spots, top agriculture, and the most innovative chefs in the world. Two such masters of their craft are Michael Mina and Michael Chiarello. Both chefs share a fierce regional devotion and a passion for exploration – from pioneering culinary trends to promoting sustainable farming practices to embracing new technology and social media. Rising star Evan Rich gets these two giants to open up about their passions, the process, the American dining landscape, and their experiences shaping California food. Premium ticket purchasers will also enjoy a comparative tasting of Spanish and California wines. Those who purchase a dinner ticket will join us for a private meal with the chefs at Chiarello’s new Spanish restaurant Coqueta.
Leading marine scientist Palumbi takes us to the most extreme limits of the aquatic world – the fastest and deepest, the hottest and oldest creatures of the oceans. Diving into the icy Arctic and boiling hydrothermal vents, he exposes the eternal darkness of the deepest undersea trenches to show how marine life thrives against the odds.
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
Location: Fairmont Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 950 Mason St. Time: 6 p.m. check-in and premium reception, 6:30 p.m. program, 8 p.m. dinner at Coqueta (for dinner ticket purchasers only) Cost: General: $35 non-members, $25 members. Dinner and premium tickets are sold out.
Location: The Eagle Theatre, Los Altos High School, 201 Almond Ave., Los Altos Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing Cost: $15 non-members, $10 members, $5 students (with valid ID) Also know: In association with Wonderfest. Palumbi will also be speaking in San Francisco on April 16.
W E D 26 | San Francisco
W E D 26 | San Francisco
Robots in Unconventional Workplaces
Ben Rattray: Tech for Good
Brian Gerkey, CEO, Open Source Robotics Foundation Rich Mahoney, Director, Robotics Program, SRI International Paola Santana, Co-founder, Matternet Steve Henn, Technology Correspondent, NPR – Moderator
INFORUM’s 21st Century Visionary Award
Robots have traditionally been given jobs according to the three Ds: dirty, dangerous or dull. With those jobs filled, the field of robotics has expanded to tackle jobs in new and unconventional settings. From the oceans to the clouds, from monitoring agriculture to hair restoration, this panel will discuss the growth of robots beyond the realm of the three Ds.
South African parliament launches a national task team to end “corrective” rape; victims of poisoned military base get health coverage; Boy Scouts reinstate Eagle Scout who was kicked out for being gay – each of these actions is the result of a change.org petition. Change.org is a triple threat of social change, technology and business that has allowed this microactivism platform to meet success. Hear more about Rattray’s mission.
MLF: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizers: Chisako Ress and Tim Smith Also know: Part of the 21st Century Robotics Series. Photo courtesy of Open Source Robotics Foundation.
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Ben Rattray, Founder, Change.org
Location: SF Club Office Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program, 7:30 p.m. reception and book signing Cost: General: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students. Premium (reserved seats/ pre-program reception with speaker): $50 non-members, $35 members.
T H U 27 | San Francisco
F R I 28 | San Francisco
The Anatomy of a Byzantine Illustrated Gospel Book
Richard Chamberlain: Lessons From a Hollywood Icon
Robert Carlin: The Two Koreas – Bad Decisions, Bad Consequences
Actor; Author, Shattered Love: A Memoir With Dr. Mary Bitterman, President, The Bernard Osher Foundation
Visiting Scholar, Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation; Co-author, The Two Koreas In conversation with Philip Yun, Executive Director, Ploughshares Fund; Negotiator in Peace Talks with North Korea
Kathleen Maxwell, Associate Professor, Department of Art and Art History, Santa Clara University
Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, codex grec 54 is one of the most complex manuscripts produced during the late Byzantine Empire. Its full-page evangelist portraits, extensive narrative cycle and polychromatic Greek and Latin texts have garnered scholarly attention. Maxwell demonstrates that it was designed to eclipse its contemporaries, and that its patron sought a gift for the pope intended to reunify the Latin and Greek Orthodox churches. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students Program Organizer: George Hammond Also know: In association with Humanities West
Chamberlain starred in some of the most watched productions in the history of TV, including “Shogun” and “The Thornbirds.” He rose to fame as TV’s Dr. James Kildare. Hear his stories of encounters with legendary Hollywood stars, as well as how he has come to terms with his own imperfections. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: General: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students. Premium (book and reserved seats) $45 non-members, $40 members. Also know: Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation.
Carlin asserts that January 2001 was when U.S. policies regarding North Korea collapsed. Carlin says that progress was abandoned by the Bush administration, with negative long-term consequences. He will dissect the confusing 20-year history of Washington’s engagement with North Korea, including myths and misperceptions. Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 1 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Also know: In assn. with Ploughshares Fund
M O N 03 | San Francisco
T U E 04 | San Francisco
What You Need to Know Before You’re 65
A Fable, by William Faulkner
Beyond Nature’s Housekeepers: American Women in Environmental History
If you are approaching the Medicare qualifying age of 65 and Medicare seems like one big alphabetical maze to you, you are not alone. Learn the ABCDs of Medicare, the realities of what you can expect – and what not to expect – as well as what options might be best for you. Find out now what all Baby Boomers need to know before turning 65 happens in order to successfully navigate Medicare. MLF: GROWNUPS Location: SF Club Office Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: John Milford Also know: In association with San Francisco Village
A Fable is an allegorical story of WWI set in the trenches in France and dealing ostensibly with a mutiny in a French regiment. Faulkner tells the stories of “Corporal Zsettslani,” who is a representative of Jesus. The corporal orders 3,000 troops to disobey orders to attack in the brutally repetitive trench warfare. In return, the Germans do not attack, and the war is simply stopped when the soldiers realize that it takes two sides to fight a war. Written in 1954, it won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1955. Faulkner spent over a decade and tremendous effort on A Fable and considered it his masterpiece when it was completed. Historically, it can be seen as a precursor to Catch 22. MLF: SF BOOK DISCUSSION Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 non-members, MEMBERS FREE Program Organizer: Barbara Massey
Nancy C. Unger, Professor of History, Santa Clara University
Historian Unger examines women’s environmental concerns and attitudes, and how their responses and activism intersect with the larger culture. She’ll explore pioneers, settlers, municipal housekeepers, scouting organizations, mountaineers, suburban homemakers, nuclear protesters and environmental justice activists, and campaigns to Save the Birds, Save Hetch Hetchy Valley, Save the Bay, Save the Parks and more. MLF: BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP/ ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, students free (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Ann Clark
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
M O N 03 | San Francisco
Esther Koch, Medicare Aging Network Partner, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
February 27 – March 4
T H U 27 | San Francisco
March 5 – 7
W E D 05 | San Francisco
T H U 06 | San Francisco
T H U 06 | San Francisco
Padmasree Warrior, CTO, Cisco: The Business of Innovation
Explore the World from the Commonwealth Club Planning Meeting
Svante Pääbo: Neanderthal Man – In Search of Lost Genomes
Chief Technology & Strategy Officer, Cisco
Major technology trends are converging and shaping how we live, how we work, how we learn and how we play. In turn, there are business imperatives that result, and Warrior says that only those who can encourage and ride this wave of ongoing innovation will thrive. She will discuss the future of technology and the opportunities that result for businesses, governments and education. It’s an era of the Internet of Everything with $14.4 trillion of value at stake – how will you realize the value?
All interested Club members are welcome to attend our bimonthly, one-hour planning meetings of the International Relations Member-Led Forum. We focus on Europe, Latin America, Africa and worldwide topics. Join us to discuss current international issues and plan programs for 2014. MLF: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. planning meeting Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Norma Walden
Ph.D., Director, Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
What can we learn from the genes of our closest evolutionary relatives? Hear the story of Pääbo’s mission, beginning with the study of Egyptian mummies in the 1980s and culminating in his sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2009. Learn how their genes offer a window into the lives of our hominin relatives and may hold the key to learning why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct.
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost: General: $25 non-members, $15 members, $7 students. Premium (includes priority seating) $40 non-members, $30 members Also know: Sponsored by Accenture
MLF: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Chisako Ress
T H U 06 | San Francisco
F R I 07 | San Francisco
The Goldman Prize at 25
Prospects and Challenges of the Philippine Economy in 2014 and Beyond
Douglas Goldman, Vice President, Goldman Environmental Foundation John Goldman, President, Goldman Environmental Foundation Maria Gunnoe, Community Organizer and Media Spokesperson, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition; 2009 Goldman Prize Winner Kimberly Wasserman, Coordinator, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization; 2013 Goldman Prize Winner
The Goldman Environmental Prize has honored more than 160 heroes who are fighting on the front lines to deliver clean water, clean air and preserve ecosystems. On its 25th anniversary, we will look at the awards with two members of the founding family and two award winners. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
Jose Cuisia, Jr., Philippine Ambassador to the U.S.
As his country recovers from Typhoon Haiyan, a massive natural disaster with a heavy human toll and far-reaching economic effects, Ambassador Cuisia will discuss the growth and challenges facing the Philippine economy as well as his country’s crucial relationship with the United States. Cuisia was nominated by President Benigno S. Aquino III to the position of ambassador on November 30, 2010. Previously he served as central bank governor and chairman of the Monetary Board and chairman of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Board. Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID)
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M O N 10 | San Francisco
Where’s Rosie? The State of Personal Robotics
Transcending Cruelty
Melonee Wise, Co-founder and CEO, Unbounded Robotics Joe Augenbraun, Founder, Neato Robotics Pieter Abbeel, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, UC Berkeley Evan Ackerman, Senior Writer, IEEE Spectrum – Moderator
George Hammond, Author, Rational Idealism and Conversations with Socrates
Even before Rosie made her debut on “The Jetsons” in 1962, consumers had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of their personal robot. Well, it’s now more than 50 years later, and we have vacuum cleaners and thermostats. What’s taking so long for general-use, multi-purpose robots to make it into the home? A panel of robot experts will discuss the challenges to date, the current state of personal robotics, and the social and economic implications of robots in the home. MLF: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizers: Chisako Ress and Tim Smith Also know: Part of the 21st Century Robotics Series
Monday Night Philosophy explains the sources of cruelty and how deeply embedded they are in our personal pursuit of happiness. This starkly clear understanding of how and why we have an unnecessary and counter-productive fondness for inflicting pain on others also demonstrates that it is in your own self-interest to transcend this destructive (and self-destructive) desire and to learn how to disarm and dissuade others from being cruel to you. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
W E D 12 | San Francisco
The Packard Foundation Net Zero Energy and LEED Platinum Headquarters
Humanities West Book Discussion: Count Belisarius, by Robert Graves
Craig Neyman, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Brad Jacobson, Senior Associate, EHDD Mike Humphrey, Regional Manager, DPR Construction Mike Messick, Project Manager, DPR Construction
When the Packard Foundation was designing its headquarters to be a net zero energy and LEED Platinum building, it was making a decision to live the values it supports. Now operating the largest Net Zero Energy certified building in the world, its leaders hope to serve as an inspiration to other organizations, businesses and individuals who want to move communities toward more environmentally sustainable living. Neyman provides an overview of the elements and systems that went into the construction of the foundation’s headquarters to achieve its target design goals. He will be joined by the project’s lead architect, Jacobson, and lead construction engineers Humphrey and Messick, who will dive deeper into the planning process and discuss the many features that pieced together the building. In designing the headquarters, sustainable materials and current technologies were chosen to demonstrate that it is possible to construct a building like this that can be built elsewhere in the country.
The sixth century was not a peaceful time for the Roman empire and its capital, Constantinople. Invaders threatened on all fronts, but they grew to respect and fear the name of Belisarius, Justinian’s greatest general. Robert Graves (also author of I, Claudius) again demonstrates his command of a vast historical subject, creating a startling and vivid picture of a decadent era. Discussion led by Lynn Harris. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: $5 non-members, MEMBERS FREE Program Organizer: George Hammond Also know: In association with Humanities West
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
T U E 11 | San Francisco
MLF: BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP/ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, students free (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Ann Clark
March 10 – 12
M O N 10 | San Francisco
March 12 – 18
W E D 12 | San Francisco
T H U 13 | San Francisco
T H U 13 | San Francisco
U.C. Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks: The Utopian Past and Future of the Public University
North Beach Walking Tour
Plato at the Googleplex
Chancellor Dirks says that though the recent national discussion and concern about tuition costs is understandable, the commutation of education into lifetime earnings is a major threat not only to the significance of self-cultivation and understanding but also to the benefits of an undergraduate experience of the liberal arts and sciences. He believes the future of the public sphere, of civil society, and of democracy itself is at serious risk as students retreat from subjects that cannot be directly tied to vocational aspirations. Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Also know: Part of The Commonwealth Club’s Series on Ethics and Accountability, underwritten by the Charles Travers Family
F R I 14 | San Francisco
Join another Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure! Explore vibrant North Beach with Rick Evans during a two-hour walk through this neighborhood with a colorful past, where food, culture, history and unexpected views all intersect in an Italian “urban village.” In addition to learning about Beat generation hangouts, you’ll discover authentic Italian cathedrals and coffee shops. Location: Meeting spot is Washington Square Park at Saints Peter and Paul Church (Filbert & Powell). Our guide will be on the steps of the church. The official address is 666 Filbert, between Columbus and Stockton. Meet at 1:45, depart by 2. Parking Lot option: North Beach Garage, 735 Vallejo Street (between Powell and Stockton) Time: 2-4 p.m. tour Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members Also know: Limited to 20 people. Must preregister. Tours operate rain or shine.
T U E 18 | San Francisco
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
Week to Week Political Roundtable and Member Social
Learning from Leonardo
Larry Gerston, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, SJSU; Political Analyst, NBC Bay Area; Author, Not So Golden After All Carla Marinucci, Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle Additional panelists TBA
Fritjof Capra, Founding Director, Center for Ecoliteracy; Author, Learning from Leonardo
Politics affects everyone; it’s how we conduct our public lives. But too often political discussion is heat and theatrics with no civility or substance. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our news quiz! And stay after to discuss the news at our member social (open to all attendees). Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program, 2 p.m. wine-and-snacks social Cost: $15 non-members, $5 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
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Capra, a physicist and systems theorist well-known for his highly influential The Tao of Physics, presents Leonardo Da Vinci’s scientific work. Most of his achievements remain virtually unknown, as has Leonardo’s focus on understanding the nature of life. But the understanding of life that is emerging today, in terms of metabolic processes and their patterns of organization, are precisely the phenomena that Leonardo explored throughout his life. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
F EBR UA RY/MA R C H 2014
Rebecca Goldstein, MacArthur Fellow, Professor of Philosophy; Author, Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away
Imagine that Plato came to life in the 21st century and set out on a speaking tour. How would he handle a Fox News host who challenged him on religion and morality? How would he mediate a debate on the best way to raise a child between a Freudian analyst and a “tiger mom”? With a philosopher’s depth and a novelist’s imagination, Goldstein probes the issues confronting us by allowing us to eavesdrop on Plato as he encounters the modern world. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP Publication title: The Commonwealth. ISSN: 0010-3349. Filing date: September 30, 2013. Issue Frequency: Bimonthly. Number of issues published annually: 6. Annual subscription price: $34. Location of office of publication: 595 Market St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Location of office of general business office: 595 Market St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Name and address of Publisher: The Commonwealth Club of California, 595 Market St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Editor: John Zipperer, Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Managing Editor: Sonya Abrams, Commonwealth Club, 595 Market St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Owner: The Commonwealth Club of California, 595 Market St., 2nd floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders: None.
EXTENT AND NATURE OF CIRCULATION Avg. No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: Total number of copies (net press run): 12,220. Paid/ Requested Outside County Subscriptions: 11,537. Paid In-County Subscriptions: None. Sales Through Dealers & Carriers: None. Other Classes Mailed Through USPS: None. Total Paid Distribution: 11,537. Free Distribution by Mail: None. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 633. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 633. Total Distribution: 12,170. Copies not Distributed: 50. Total: 12,220. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 94.80 percent. No. Copies Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date (October/November 2011): Total number of copies (net press run): 12,580. Paid/Requested Outside County Subscriptions: 11,880. Paid In-County Subscriptions: None. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers: None. Other Classes Mailed Through USPS: None. Total Paid Distribution: 11,880. Free Distribution by Mail: None Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 650. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 650. Total Distribution: 12,530. Copies not Distributed: 50. Total: 12,530. Percent paid and/or requested circulation: 97.62 percent. I certify that the statements above are correct and complete. John Zipperer, Vice President of Media & Editorial, September 30, 2013.
M O N 24 | San Francisco
Simon Schama: Story of the Jews – Finding the Words
Beyond the Green Bin: A Panel Discussion on Reducing Food Waste
Simon Schama, CBE, Professor of Art and History, Columbia University; Author, Power of Art, Landscape and Memory and The Story of the Jews Jonathan Curiel, Journalist – Moderator
Dana Gunders, Staff Scientist in Food and Agriculture, Natural Resources Defense Council Nick Papadopoulos, General Manager, Bloomfield Farms; CEO and Co-founder, CropMobster Dana Frasz, Founder and Director, Food Shift Staffan Terje, Chef and Owner, Perbacco Julie Cummins, Director of Education, CUESA - Moderator
The Middle East Forum presents a special event with Professor Schama, renowned scholar, noted author, and PBS and BBC writer and presenter. Professor Schama will discuss his latest book, The Story of the Jews: Finding the Words, 1000 BCE to 1492 CE, which has been described as a magnificently illustrated cultural history. The book is a tie in to the PBS/BBC series, “The Story of the Jews.” Professor Schama will be signing copies of his book following the presentation. MLF: MIDDLE EAST Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE Program Organizer: Celia Menczel
A staggering 40 percent of the food produced in this country never gets eaten. Innovators are now finding ways to utilize, intercept and redistribute food that would have otherwise gone to the compost bin. Chefs are exploring nose-to-tail, root-to-stalk cooking. Nonprofits are sourcing from abandoned orchards and school cafeterias and delivering food to soup kitchens and food pantries. Consumers are learning that misleading expiration dates cause unnecessary waste. And technology-based solutions are emerging to match unwanted food with eager eaters. Join the conversation with researchers and visionaries on how to turn food waste into food resources. MLF: BAY GOURMET Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Cathy Curtis Also know: In association with CUESA
M O N 24 | San Francisco
W E D 26 | San Francisco
Cons, Scams and Undue Influence
Arthur M. Shapiro: Ecological Communities and the March of Time
White House Story
Internet scams, Ponzi schemes, real estate rip-offs, weird cults, fortune-telling cons – it’s hard to read the news without finding another successful con artist at work. As the number of scams and victims grows, the term “undue influence” is gaining widespread use. Dr. O’Reilly will explain the vulnerabilities that these scammers look for and techniques they use to steal from us. MLF: GROWNUPS Location: SF Club Office Time: 4:45 p.m. networking, 5:15 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Patrick O’Reilly
Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Department of Evolution and Ecology, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis
Ecological communities as we know them are similar to freeze-frames from a long movie. Associations among species are very dynamic on millennial scales. Coevolution of species occurs locally in geographic mosaics, and can be extremely dynamic as well. Frederic Clements saw communities as super-organisms. He was wrong. MLF: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizers: Chisako Ress and Dee Seligman Also know: Part of the Science of Conservation and Biodiversity in the 21st Century series.
Melinda Bates, Author, White House Story: A Democratic Memoir
The ultimate White House insider, Bates met Bill Clinton when they were freshmen at Georgetown, and their friendship has survived the Clintonian vicissitudes of the decades since. Bates ran the Visitors Office for all eight years of his presidency. Now, she pulls back the White House curtains to reveal the celebrities, power brokers and political partiers who were the prime movers during Bill’s and Hillary’s 1993-2001 lease. Her insights remain relevant, especially since the Clintons’ 2017-2025 lease is currently being offered up as a possibility. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
M O N 24 | San Francisco
Patrick O’Reilly, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist; Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, UCSF; Co-author, Undue Influence: Cons, Scams and Mind Control
March 19 – 26
W E D 19 | San Francisco
March 27
T H U 27 | San Francisco
Don’t miss any important speeches
Russian Hill Walking Tour Join a more active Commonwealth Club Neighborhood Adventure! Russian Hill is a magical area with secret gardens and amazing views. Join Rick Evans for a twohour hike up hills and staircases and learn about the history of this neighborhood. See where great artists and architects lived and worked, and walk down residential streets where some of the most historically significant houses in the Bay Area are located. Location: Meet in front of Swensen’s Ice Cream Store located at 1999 Hyde Street at Union. Your best option is to take bus transportation or come by taxi. There is absolutely no parking on Russian Hill. The tour ends about six blocks from the Swensen’s Ice Cream Shop, at the corner of Vallejo and Jones. Time: 1:45 p.m. check-in, 2–4 p.m. tour Cost: $45 non-members, $35 members Program Organizer: Kristina Nemeth Also know: Steep hills and staircases, recommended for good walkers. Limited to 20. Must pre-register. Tour operates rain or shine.
Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes The Commonwealth Club: Putting you face to face with today’s thought leaders
T H U 2 7 | S i l i co n Va l l e y
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
Unintended Consequences: Is too Much Information, too Fast, too Much of a Good Thing? Nicholas Carr, Author, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains Zack Lynch, Founder and Executive Director, Neurotechnology Industry Organization; Author, The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World Marilyn Walker, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Professor of Computer Studies and Head of the Natural Language and Dialogue Systems Lab in the Baskin School of Engineering, UC Santa Cruz Barbara Marshman, Editorial Page Editor, San Jose Mercury News – Moderator
What are the intellectual and cultural consequences of getting information too fast? Are we losing our capacity for concentration and reflection as we become more adept to scanning and skimming information? Panelists will address these important issues and discuss the advantages and dangers of the digital information revolution. Location: The Tech Museum of Innovation, 201 S. Market St., San Jose Time: 6:30 p.m. program Cost: FREE Also know: In association with Silicon Valley Reads and the Tech Museum of Innovation
FOREIGN LANGUAGE GROUPS Free for members Location: SF Club Office FRENCH, Intermediate Class Thursdays, noon Pierrette Spetz, Graziella Danieli, danieli@sfsu.edu FRENCH, Advanced Conversation Tuesdays, noon Gary Lawrence, (925) 932-2458 GERMAN, Int./Adv. Conversation Wednesdays, noon Sara Shahin, (415) 314-6482 ITALIAN, Intermediate Class Mondays, noon Ebe Fiori Sapone, (415) 564-6789 SPANISH, Advanced Conversation (fluent only) Fridays, noon Luis Salvago-Toledo, lsalvago@comcast.net
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F R I 2 8 | S i l i co n Va l l e y
Arianna Huffington with Sheryl Sandberg: Redefining Success
Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Joshua Fattal: Imprisoned in Iran
Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post Media Group; Author, The Third Metric In conversation with Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer, Facebook; Author, Lean in: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
What if success was not defined by money and power alone? As president and editor-in-chief of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Huffington Post and one of Forbes’ Most Influential Women In Media, Arianna Huffington is no stranger to success, and she now seeks to redefine it. Huffington is leading a groundbreaking movement to make success equally inclusive of personal health, well-being and giving back. Tackling what she has coined “The Third Metric,” this business tycoon reminds us all to pursue a life with purpose and meaning. In an interview with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, these two powerhouses challenge us to re-envision “conquest” as we know it. Location: Davies Symphony Hall 201 Van Ness Ave. Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing Cost: Preferred (seating on ground floor, rows K-X) $55 non-members, $40 members. General admission tier 2 (seating on tier 2 level) $35 non-members, $25 MEMBERS. Also know: Please note: For a detailed seat map of the auditorium see the online listing for this program. The map is not interactive and will not assign you individual seats but will inform you as to the location of the seating areas available.
T U E 01 | San Francisco
Middle East Discussion Group
From Critical Mess to Critical Mass: How Can We Get There from Here?
Make your voice heard in an enriching, provocative and fun discussion with fellow Club members as you weigh in on events shaping the face of the Middle East. Each month, the Middle East Member-Led Forum hosts an informal roundtable discussion on a topic frequently suggested by recent headlines. After a brief introduction, the floor will be open for discussion. All interested members are encouraged to attend. There will also be a brief planning session. MLF: MIDDLE EAST Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. program Cost: FREE Program Organizer: Celia Menczel
In the summer of 2009, Bauer, Fattal and Shourd made international headlines when they were hiking and unknowingly crossed into Iran. The three Americans were captured by border patrol, accused of espionage, and ultimately imprisoned for two years in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison. Together they share their harrowing story of hope and survival. Location: Eagle Theatre, Los Altos High School, 201 Almond Ave., Los Altos Time: 6:30 p.m. check-in, 7 p.m. program, 8 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $8 students (with valid ID) Also know: Good Lit event. Underwritten by The Bernard Osher Foundation
Betsy Rosenberg, Host and Producer, “On the Green Front” Radio Show Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, the Post-Carbon Institute Additional panelists TBA
Extreme natural disasters, acidified oceans, shrinking coral reefs, unstoppable arboreal infections, a vanishing bee population – environmentalists say the writing is on the wall. Despite the warning signs, many in this country refuse to see or address the enormous environmental damages that are happening now, all around us – damages that many warn will escalate unless humans change behavior. A panel of experts will share ideas on how to get the critical message to the masses in time to protect the environments in which we live and breathe. MLF: ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES/BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Ann Clark
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www.commonwealthclub.org/events
M O N 31 | San Francisco
Co-authors, A Sliver of Light
March 27 – April 1
T H U 27 | San Francisco
April 2 – 7
W E D 02 | San Francisco
F R I 04 | San Francisco
The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers Who Reinvented American Literature
Be in the Know: Plans for The Commonwealth Club’s New Headquarters Building
Ben Tarnoff, Author, The Bohemians
Tarnoff’s latest book focuses on Mark Twain’s early years as a struggling writer in Civil War-era San Francisco and on the countercultural community he discovered there. It was a haven for weirdos, gamblers, crooks and draft dodgers, but later became a literary laboratory for new kinds of writing, eventually influencing several of the directions American literature went during the decades that followed. MLF: HUMANITIES Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. book signing Cost: $20 non-members, $8 members, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: George Hammond
Key designers from Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects; Tipping Mar Structural Engineering; ARUP Mechanical Engineering and Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc. Acoustics and Audio/Visual Design Piper Kujac, Club Representative and Construction Project Manager - Moderator
Come hear a special presentation about the exciting architecture and sustainable design plans for The Commonwealth Club’s new club offices on the San Francisco Embarcadero. Learn about the visions and plans to continue the 110 years of The Commonwealth Club into the 21st century and the heritage of bringing insightful, enlightened, unique and informed dialogue to the Bay Area and beyond as we prepare to look ahead to what the next 110 years hold in store. MLF: BUSINESS & LEADERSHIP/ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES Location: SF Club Office Time: 11:30 a.m. check-in, noon program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS & STUDENTS FREE (with valid ID) Program Organizer: Ann Clark
www.commonwealthclub.org/events
M O N 07 | San Francisco
J U S T A D D E D ! | Februar y 25
Money for Life
Condoms and Climate
Steve Vernon, F.S.A., Author; President, Rest-of-Life Communications
Alan Weisman, Author, Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth? Malcolm Potts, Fred H. Bixby Endowed Chair in Population and Family Planning, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley
How can retirement savings generate a reliable, lifetime income? Steve Vernon has spent his professional life tackling this very question and he has a plan. Join us in a discussion that is relevant to working people, retirees, policymakers and service providers alike. MLF: GROWNUPS Location: SF Club Office Time: 4:45 p.m. networking reception, 5:15 p.m. program Cost: $20 non-members, MEMBERS FREE, $7 students (with valid ID) Program Organizer: John Milford Also know: In association with Western Pension and Benefits Council
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L AT E - B R E A K I N G E V E N T S ! TUE FEBRUARY 04
From Russia Without Love: The 2014 Winter Olympics and Human Rights in Russia Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program
WED FEBRUARY 05
Many people are reluctant to talk about population growth. Yet the world may reach at least 9 billion people by mid-century, and many scientists say we’re pushing the ecosystem into a state where it can no longer support civilization. Can population control be part of the climate conversation, or would it create a toxic brew of two radioactive political issues? Join us for a conversation about creating a climate of change around global overpopulation.
Yan Can Cook...for the Chinese New Year
Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program, 7 p.m. networking reception Cost: $20 non-members, $12 members, $7 students (with valid ID)
U.S.-Russian Relations in the 21st Century
Martin Yan, Chef, M.Y China; Host, “Yan Can Cook” Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:15 p.m. check-in, 6 p.m. program
MON APRIL 07
Week to Week Political Roundtable Location: SF Club Office Time: 5:30 p.m. social hour, 6:30 p.m. program
MON MARCH 10
F EBR UA RY/MA R C H 2014
Angela Stent, Scholar on Russia Location: 312 Sutter St., San Francisco Time: 6 p.m. check-in, 6:30 p.m. program
PA U L I N E F R O M M E R TRAVELING IN STYLE AND ON A BUDGET Excerpted from “ Paulin e Fromm er,” November 21, 2013. PAULINE FROMMER Editorial Director, Frommer Media
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et me tell you some of the good and bad news in travel and what is going to be happening. Let’s start with the airlines. Thanks to mergers, prices are rising and rising and rising. Thanks to the airlines’ ability to collect travel information about you and me, prices are going up. They have this scheme that has been approved to sell customized tickets. So if they know that you usually check a bag, soon they’re going to be saying, “We’ll give you a ticket which will be not only the price of that ticket but also the price of that bag you usually check, and we’ll also throw in priority boarding.” It’s going to make it near impossible to compare airline tickets, and that’s what’s been keeping prices low. The ability to go to Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity and say, “Oh! American is charging much more than Delta on this route” is going to be gone because they’re going to say that you can’t get these customized tickets unless you come to us directly. Prices are rising and they’re going to continue to rise, thanks to these mergers. The first merger was in 2009. Prices are already 15 percent higher. So what do you do to save money? You look at the search engines
that don’t sell travel but simply search for travel information. Names like Hipmunk, Dohop and Momondo.com. These search engines don’t take higher commissions from the airlines that pay them more. You also want to book on a Tuesday or a Wednesday if you can. The airlines post their sales on Monday, and then they all match each other on Tuesday, and then the prices start to rise on the weekends. You also never want to book more than six weeks in advance for domestic travel. If you book farther out than that, the airlines know they’ve got you. They know you have to travel, and they don’t release the lower-priced seats. Non-direct flights may be cheaper, and two one-ways may now sometimes be cheaper. You want to be flexible on airports and dates and times. You want to use local agencies. What I mean by that is, if there is a certain ethnic group in your community that is constantly going back to the home country, you will often find the best deals by dealing with their travel agents, because they know every trick in the book. I was flying to Japan and I contacted an agency called Nippon Travel in D.C. They knew that Mastercard had a certain promotion that saved $50 a ticket. That wasn’t anywhere on the Internet, but because I was dealing with a company that only dealt with Japan, they knew that trick. These specialist travel agents can save you a lot of money. Don’t pay premium unless it really is premium. A lot of these airlines are charging extra for seats at the front of the plane,
even though they don’t give you any more legroom. There is a very good website, seatguru.com, which will allow you to see whether it’s worth it. Also, there’s a new agency out there called Options Away. It’s applying what they do in finance to options with tickets. It’s saying, “You can hold your tickets for up to six weeks at this price if you pay us $6.” You bet that the price won’t go up, and if it does, they eat the difference. If you aren’t sure that you’re going to travel but you see a good price and you want to hold it, Options Away can be a very good method for you to book. Finally, the best way to save money right now is to follow your favorite airline on Twitter or Facebook. That’s because they do not want their airline seat being sold by Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, et cetera, because they have to pay them a commission. They hold these three-hour sales and they announce them on Twitter, and you have to be following them to know about them. It’s a very good thing. There’s a company called TripTwit. If you know you’re traveling somewhere and you know that probably American will likely have the best options, you can follow it through TripTwit. They will alert you. There are also ways to have more fun with your sightseeing. You can now have customized experiences through such companies as Urban Adventures and Context Travel. These companies allow locals who have a specialty to advertise it, and you can have a specialty trip to
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a city. For example, there are tours of the stairways for people who want to get exercise when they’re in San Francisco. If you’re really interested in tasting the local cuisine, eatwithalocal.com and HomeFood.it allow you to go to locals’ homes. HomeFood is the best of them. That’s in Italy. They pick the best home chef, usually a woman, in each town and say to her, “We think you’re the best home cook in this village. We would like you to support your village or city by accepting tourists into your home.” It’s this Italian grandma who is very, very proud, and you go and you have the meal of a lifetime, and I think it costs about €35 with wine. You can get her recipes. Often there might be a language barrier, but from the people I’ve talked to who have done this they said it was the highlight of their Italian vacation. If you want to take a guided tour, if you’re nervous about going to a place, look at the smaller places, the greener companies. Such companies like Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, Djoser tours; these are all companies that promise you that you’ll be traveling with no more than 14 people. They’re all international companies, so you’re not traveling with other Americans; you’re traveling with Brits and Kiwis. I took an Intrepid Travel family adventure and on my trip was a woman from Munich and her daughter, two British families and a family that lived a block away from me in New York whom I had never met before. We had a ball. They stay in locally owned guest houses. They don’t use big coaches. You use local transportation, so it’s a green way to travel. You have a lot of time off as well as time together to see the sites. It’s a much lower-to-the-ground way to travel. If you’re going to a place you’re nervous about going to alone, but you don’t want to have that experience of seeing the country through the window of a tour bus with 40 other Americans, these are good options for you. And then there are volunteer vacations, which can be a wonderful way to travel. Nowadays you don’t have to do it for the entire vacation. You can now do it for a short amount of time. I’ll give you an example: The Give Kids the World village is the village in Orlando where kids who are part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation stay. They had to create this special village for them because going to Disney World is
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the number one request that Make-A-Wish Foundation gets. Yet so many of these kids are so ill by the time they get to Orlando that they needed a place with special facilities for them. It’s run by volunteers. I volunteered during my time in Orlando. I spent an evening making banana splits in the ice cream parlor. Everything is free for the kids, so I just handed them out, and to meet these kids and to see them light up at a simple banana split – it was the most magical thing I did in Orlando. It’s a really wonderful thing to do while there. You can also work with turtles and help defend their nests during laying season in
“If you’re going to the places you’ve heard about, go in the off-season. Go to Venice in January. You might be up to your knees in water... but that can be fun.” Costa Rica with Parismina turtles. You could go to the British Trust for Conservation and help for a couple of days at a historic home that needs some work done. You could go to the Colorado Trail Foundation. If you want to do a longer vacation you could spend two weeks in Romania holding babies in an orphanage. They know that babies who aren’t touched enough are damaged so they have volunteers who go there and just interact with the babies through Global Volunteers. Not only do you do good things with these volunteer vacations but you have adventures that you couldn’t have any other way. Vaughan Systems is an interesting one. It’s an English language school in Spain where they get volunteers to teach the English because they want it to be colloquial English. So you go over, you pay for your airfare, and then for two weeks everything
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is paid for and it’s your job to talk and talk and talk to these Spanish business people mostly. You get wine at every meal, so it makes it easier to talk and talk and talk. People I know who have done it say that it was one of the best vacations they ever took because you don’t only stay in the classroom, you also tour around. They do it in Salamanca, Spain, which is an ancient university city, and they do it outside Madrid up in the mountains. It’s supposed to be just a wonderful thing to do. Question and answer session with Peter Delevett PETER DELEVETT: It seems like travelers are always trying to get off the beaten path. Yet it’s increasingly hard to do and you want to do it safely. How do travelers balance their desires to go and see all these places they’ve heard about, but not be totally overrun? PAULINE FROMMER: If you’re going to the places you’ve heard about, go in the off-season. Go to Venice in January. You might be up to your knees in water because there is flooding often during that time, but that can be fun. Or you can go to places people haven’t heard about yet have wonderful things to see; for example, Poland. I went there with a chip on my shoulder. We wanted to see my great-grandparents’ grave. My father came and joined us. What we found was a spectacular European country that was not overrun with tourists, that was very inexpensive and had all the hallmarks of the more expensive European countries and other things that you don’t see. For example, you go to Krakow and you have, outside the city, this salt mine that was the third UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s fabulous. It was in business for 1,000 years and the salt miners carved the salt into these extraordinary sculptures. They have a whole church down there with chandeliers made of salt crystals. You see these gorgeous bits of architecture, even in Warsaw, which Hitler had this special animus against. When they were retreating, he told his generals, “Reduce it to rubble.” And they did. You go to Warsaw and you see the pictures from after WWII, when only 3 percent of the buildings survived. Yet they’ve rebuilt it to look exactly like it did before WWII. There are still safe places to go that are off the beaten path. You just have to be imaginative.
A tech industr y veteran offers guidance for integrating tech into our lives without letting it take over our lives. Excerpted from “Untangling Our Wired Lives,” December 10, 2013. RANDI ZUCKERBERG Former Marketing Director, Facebook; Author, Dot Complicated – Untangling Our Wired Lives
RANDI
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Photo by Dave Fischer/wikicommons
KARA SWISHER: Let’s talk about the lightning rod of what you’re doing here. I read a lot of the reviews last night and they’re very personal. Let’s talk first about the kid book. You had [children’s singer] Raffi attack you. RANDI ZUCKERBERG: The children’s book is about a young girl named Dot who is just obsessed with her tech devices and gadgets and over the course of the book learns to put them down and go play outside. Does everyone know who Raffi the children’s singer is? Before you “woo” at that, he turned out to be a Twitter troll and an Amazon troll. I saw him on Twitter trying to mobilize people to give Dot a one-star review. SWISHER: What he was saying was that the kid had the iPad and was using it unfettered and without parents watching. The second one was that you were comparing outdoors to a lot of online activities. At the end of the book, she ends up back in love with her iPad. I think the concept was that you were promoting the idea of children using videogames and iPads and cell phones and not having a parent saying, “This is not a good thing to do.” ZUCKERBERG: The book, for those of you who wind up taking a look at it, in the beginning of the book, it’s only in one color. Dot’s alone. She’s ignoring her dog. She’s ignoring her friends and she tweets and taps and swipes. SWISHER: And she’s six. That was one of the other issues. ZUCKERBERG: I think she’s 11 or 12, but apparently Raffi is the expert, so she’s six. Then in the second half of the book she goes outside and suddenly the book is in full color. She’s with her friends swiping. She’s
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making a finger mural on the iPad. She’s tapping, she’s dancing. The original draft of the book ended on a picture of her and her friends holding hands – no technology. I was having a lot of trouble sleeping at night knowing that that was the closing image, because my message is not that children should not have technology. That’s not my message. In fact, I believe very strongly that children need digital literacy in this world. Also, that train has left the station. Try prying a phone or a game or a tablet out of a child’s hand. Even at two years old, I see my son and how much he loves his technology. It seemed to me that that was just an unrealistic ending to the book and not one that I advocate, because I think there is a lot of creative interactivity that comes out of these devices. So the new ending that we came up with is that she is with her friends, they are using tech, but they’re using it to get closer to one another. SWISHER: They’re basically SnapChatting at that point. ZUCKERBERG: Yeah, they’re doing that. But she’s using it in a social setting, so the point is not that tech keeps you further from your friends; it’s that it can actually bring you closer to them. SWISHER: Now, in this book were you trying to be the Miss Manners of the Internet? What was the point of doing this? You got [complaints like], “Who does she think she is? Why is she telling us about netiquette?” Why did you do the book? ZUCKERBERG: I just wanted to tell my own story. After I left Facebook, I had a lot of opportunities to do public speaking for a lot of businesses and conferences. The thing I noticed was that they would always ask me to come up on stage and talk about Facebook and business. Then people would queue up after I got off stage, and all the questions in the private queue were like, “What’s my child doing on Instagram?” and “Why is my husband using his iPad in bed?” I just decided, I’m going to start this blog with all of these common questions that I get asked around the world because no matter where I went they were the same. It’s just my viewpoint on these issues. I’m not calling myself an expert. It’s just my own story, my own viewpoint. SWISHER: Talk about some things you think are important in the book. Oversharing was one thing. You had a discussion about
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how a friend of yours told you offline that you had put too many of your kids’ pictures up, like a baby oversharer. Then you thought about it and then you decided, “I think I’ll share some more. So what. I don’t care. This is who I am.” ZUCKERBERG: I swore up and down that I wasn’t going to be that mom when I had my baby. I was like, “I’m so cool. I have my own life. I’m not going to be that mom that shares a million baby photos.” Then I had my baby and it was like something just kicked in my brain and all of a sudden all I could think to do was share baby photos. That was it. It just all changed. A good friend told me, “Hey not everyone who you’re connected to on Facebook wants to see a million photos of your baby.” Which made me start thinking, Gosh, we don’t have the luxury anymore of having a professional life and a private life. Used to be you could be someone at work and then you could come home and
“T ake some time to unplug every day. I don’t know how any of us expect to be creative or our best selves if we don’t give [ourselves] the time to do that.” be a mom at home, and that’s what you had. Now today, you have one identity online. If someone types your name into the Internet, there’s just one identity that’s there. It’s forcing us all to really think about what is our 360 identity. Do we want to be more authentic? Am I posting too many baby photos? Are my personal and professional identities the same? For me, I’ve chosen to just be myself, to adopt an authentic identity. SWISHER: Talk about how you created Dot Complicated. ZUCKERBERG: Dot Complicated really formed because of all of these speeches I was giving and all of the common questions that I got. I figured, gosh, if this woman in Oman and this business person in Oklahoma are asking me the same questions, surely there are a lot of people out there who are asking these questions. I have just one viewpoint,
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just one answer, but it’s my blog. SWISHER: Did you want to be a cheerleader there in a lot of ways, or do you feel like you’re too much of a cheerleader? Because there are things to worry about. It’s not dangerous. There are a lot of companies, including Facebook, including Google, that take your privacy. You give it up willingly, definitely people do; but the knowledge base is not so strong for quite a lot of people so they don’t quite understand what’s happening and that it’s all for advertising. ZUCKERBERG: We definitely try to take a very balanced approach on the blog. I bring a lot of guest writers. If someone has something negative to say about Facebook, I don’t censor them just because it’s my blog. We try to present a very balanced viewpoint. But the point of view that I’ve taken is that there’s no fearmongering that happens on Dot Complicated. This is something that’s happening in our society whether we like it or not, so we’re going to choose to find the opportunity and the meaning in it rather than just continually harp on it ruining our lives and on the good old days before we had tech. SWISHER: Will we ever see complete forgiveness for what we share on the Internet? If not, what should we never share? ZUCKERBERG: We’re sort of in this grey zone right now. I think if you go 10, 20 years in the future, every business leader, every celebrity, every politician is going to have said something awful online that they really regretted and wish they could take back. It’s just going to be a matter of society that that’s happened. Unfortunately, we live in this grey zone right now where there are still a lot of people who don’t feel like that’s OK and the millennial generation coming into the workforce who do feel like that’s OK. SWISHER: How do you see technology effectively connecting and bonding people? Do you have a vision of how this can be better or worse over the next 20 years? ZUCKERBERG: I absolutely think that tech is net positive in bringing people together. In my life, especially as a working mom, it’s essential. It’s bought me so much freedom, so much opportunity to both stay connected to my family and pursue everything that I love in my career and travel. It’s very overwhelming now that people can reach you through 18 different angles. They can reach you on text message, they can reach you through the phone, they can reach you on Facebook and
Photo by Ed Ritger
Twitter and all of these boxes. It’s almost like we don’t give ourselves any time to be creative anymore, to think out of the box because we’re constantly in a state of interruption, disruption. How can any of us be expected to come up with that next big idea or invest in ourselves or our relationships or our creativity when you’re constantly distracted by that? SWISHER [Reading audience question card]: There is quite a lot of scientific evidence that electromagnetic radiation from cell phone towers, wifi, iPads, laptops is harmful to our health, causing ADHD, all kinds of issues, and especially harm to children and the elderly. Please comment on this. ZUCKERBERG: They are treating youngsters as young as four years old in parts of the world for tech addiction. There is actually dopamine that’s released in your brain when you get an email, a text message, that makes it addictive to check. So much to the point that now, with text messaging and driving such a real issue, I can’t wait for the self-driving cars to come out so that they can save us from ourselves. There have been a lot of studies that have come out around texting and driving. Why do people do it? It’s six times as dangerous as drunk driving. Most adults know that it’s dangerous and they still do it. In fact, 30 percent of women driving with a child under age one in the car still text and drive. When you ask people why they do it, they say, “It’s a habit. I can’t help it.” There really are real issues. I can’t comment on ADHD and medical things like that, but I do know there are real kind of addiction issues like
that happening. SWISHER: Give some tips that you think are important, things people have to pay attention to – people who aren’t so tech savvy and people who are. Give me five. ZUCKERBERG: Paying attention to your reputation online is really key, especially because for the rest of your life the first thing someone’s going to do when they meet you is to type your name online, if they’re hiring you, if they’re dating you, anything like that. One thing I always counsel people is that you don’t have to have a presence on every site. Even just the notion of signing up for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr, things like that, ensures that you have control over your first page of search results. That’s a really good thing to think about. SWISHER: How do you grade yourself on that first one? ZUCKERBERG: Everyone should have a Google search out on themselves just to see what’s being said. Though that’s going to be my second tip: Make sure you’re not buying into your own hype that much, because it’s very, very easy to get distracted by what people that you don’t know are saying or how they’re responding to you online. It’s very important to not get sucked into that. SWISHER: Do you get sucked into it? ZUCKERBERG: I used to get sucked into it, and now I don’t. One of the best pieces of advice my brother ever told me was, you’re never as good as people say you are; you’re never as bad as people say you are. Just stay true to what you believe about yourself.
Next is to be authentic online. It used to be that we had the luxury of a professional identity and a personal identity. Unfortunately we don’t have that luxury anymore. We can debate all day whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just the reality. I think we need to be very thoughtful about what we’re putting out there so that it’s reflective of who we want to be both professionally and personally. SWISHER: Four? ZUCKERBERG: Oversharing, we touched on that, especially around very young children. This is one I talk about a lot because your digital identity today begins before you’re even born. From that first sonogram photo that your parents share, from the first announcement, you’re creating a digital footprint for your child. A lot of parents only think about their own online identity when they share. They don’t think about the digital footprint that they’re creating for their children when they share. Respecting your own boundaries online. So many of us – maybe we have a boss that emails us at midnight. Maybe we have a friend who text messages us and gets upset if they don’t get an immediate response. It’s really important to create your own boundaries and respect them, because if you respect your time, the people around you will start to learn to respect your time also. Finally, take some time to unplug every day. I don’t know how any of us expect to be creative or to be our best selves if we
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InSight
D R . G LO R I A C . D U F F Y P R E S I D E N T & C E O
Mask It!
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his year’s horrible flu season can cut their risk of getting sick by 60 percent to 80 percent by swept through my home using face masks consistently and correctly. The Harvard School and office like the epi- of Public Health recommends wearing masks when one has the demic it was. Every member of my flu or is in proximity to those who might have it. household got it, including those So why don’t more people in the United States emulate the Japawho had a flu shot, and many nese and wear surgical masks in public, especially during a period members of our staff. It brought like this past winter when the flu reached pandemic proportions? a low rattling cough in the chest, Of course, the answer is simple. Surgical masks look silly. They and for some people it quickly cover some of the most attractive features of our faces, at least as went to pneumonia. Antibiotics advertising and the beauty industry would have it, our noses and were taken widely, and there was mouths. It’s ego that gets in the way of our taking this simple a run on Tamiflu, the medication health precaution. And to tell the truth, the existing white or light that if taken within 48 hours of blue surgical masks are pretty dull and do little for facial beauty. Photo courtesy of Gloria Duffy symptoms occurring can prevent I say let’s make the surgical mask into a new fashion statement. the flu or make it less serious. When my doctor prescribed Tami- Can’t you just see the varieties that could be created? A screenedflu, we had to look at multiple pharmacies and wait for 24 hours on photo showing the facial characteristics underneath, or differuntil our local pharmacy replenished their depleted stock of the ent facial characteristics? Moustaches, beards, goatees. Famous medication. people’s recognizable chins, noses, mouths? The 2013-2014 flu season included Different colors and patterns, words makboth the H1N1 “swine” flu and other ing statements, speech bubbles coming out hy don’t more people in of the mouth? strains. Of course flu vaccinations are recommended, as is staying home if you are the United States wear surgical Most of the masks in Japan are of the borsick, washing your hands frequently, and ing surgical variety, but a few are inventive, other measures to keep from catching or masks in public, especially during like the one with the lower half of a tiger’s spreading the virus. face on it. Let’s face it, other countries, like But I go a step further. I wear a surgical a flu pandemic? The answer is Japan, have a history of masks, like those mask when I have a cold or the flu, and also that Noh or Kabuki dancers wear. We just when I am in crowded places where others simple. Surgical masks look silly.” don’t have this tradition in the United States, may have the flu, such as on airplanes and unless you count Batman and a few other commuter trains. I watch in horror during masked crusaders. So we are starting from my daily commute as my fellow Caltrain passengers, crammed into behind in creating a culture accepting of, or entertained by, masks. the train cars, cough and sneeze into the air or into their hands, then Commercial culture is more central to the American experience, grab the railings along the train doors with those same hands. Ugh. so let’s think of the advertising opportunities. One could be paid or I am generally the only one in crowded locations wearing a receive their masks free for wearing a corporate logo on them. Think mask, attracting some funny expressions and stares when people of a mask bearing the Ford logo or Macy’s? Or designer masks by notice my covered nose and mouth. I began doing this after a visit Donna Karan or Giorgio Armani? How about conservative slogans to Japan some years ago, when I observed that many Japanese wore or political figures or liberal slogans and figures on masks? Or for face masks to protect themselves or others against contagion of ill- us more intellectual types, what about The New York Times, NPR nesses. I have also worn a surgical mask around my elderly mother or even The Commonwealth Club printed on our masks? and husband when both have been in the hospital and had major I think we are really missing a cultural and business opportunity, surgeries over the past few years. to make the lowly face mask into a cool item. Or maybe I just There are no conclusive statistics on the effectiveness of face want company from others wearing masks during flu season, so I masks in preventing the spread of the flu virus or other illnesses. don’t stand out so much. Though drugs and other aspects of treating disease are widely studied, simple preventative measures like wearing a mask are generally overlooked in scientific studies. But one study shows that when Read previous InSight columns online: there is a sick family member in the house, other family members commonwealthclub.org/publications/insight
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Rivieras & Islands: France, Italy & Spain ABOARD M.V. TERE MOANA September 19 – 27, 2014
Cannes • Monte Carlo • Portofino • Corsica • Sardinia • Barcelona • Florence • Rome • Cinque Terre • Carcassone Come see why these splendid coastlines of the French and Italian rivieras became a favorite retreat for artists, writers and nobility. • Experience seven nights from Rome to Barcelona aboard the 45-stateroom, five-star m.v. Tere Moana. • Enjoy a unique combination of Southern Europe’s ports and five UNESCO World Heritage sites. • Discover Carcassonne’s French medieval fortifications, the Italian picture-postcard, cliffside villages of the Cinque Terre, the Renaissance treasures of Florence and the historic Tuscan monuments of Lucca & Pisa. • Admire the natural beauty of Sardinia’s dazzling Costa Smeralda and Corsica’s alluring port of Bonifacio. • Experience Nice’s mélange of influences – the Savoys, Habsburgs and Romanovs – and visit the renowned Musée Marc-Chagall. • Take in the epitome of Riviera chic at Monaco’s Casino Square. • Explore colorful Cannes, the centerpiece of the Côte d’Azur. • Expert onboard lecturers will bring to life the dynamic history and legacy of some of the world’s greatest art and architecture. • Rome pre-cruise and Barcelona post-cruise options available. Cost: From $5,240 per person, double occupancy
Detailed brochure available at: commonwealthclub.org/travel Contact: (415) 597-6720 • travel@commonwealthclub.org CST: 2096889-40
Photos: Konstantinos Vainas/flickr; Glen Scarborough/flickr; Cathrine Johansson/flickr; Nicolas Fleury/flickr; chensiyuan/wikicommons
The Commonwealth Club of California 595 Market Street, 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94105
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PROGRAMS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS P.J. O’Rourke
Prince Albert
H.L. Mencken Research Fellow, Cato Institute; Author, The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way And It Wasn’t My Fault And I’ll Never Do It Again
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco
After several decades as a renowned political satirist and writer, P.J. O’Rourke, born at the peak of the baby boom, now turns his keen eye on himself, as well as his 75 million accomplices in the creation of present-day America. He details how the postwar generation somehow evolved by never quite maturing and thus created a better society by turning it upside down. for event details, see page 36
Here is a rare chance to hear from one of the world’s most famous monarchs. Prince Albert of Monaco will discuss “The State of the Oceans in the Modern World” and his commitment to the environment. In June 2006, the prince set up the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation dedicated to protecting the environment. It encourages sustainable and fair management of natural resources and places man at the center of its projects.
for event details, see page 39
Wednesday, February 12
Monday, February 24
Arianna Huffington & Sheryl Sandberg Arianna Huffington President and Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post Media Group; Author, The Third Metric Sheryl Sandberg Chief Operating Officer, Facebook What if success was not defined by money and power alone? Huffington is leading a groundbreaking movement to make success equally inclusive of personal health, well-being and giving back. In conversation with Sheryl Sandberg, these two challenge us to re-envision “conquest.” for event details, see page 47
Thursday, March 27
Sarah Shourd, Josh Fattal, & Shane Bauer Co-authors, A Sliver of Light In summer 2009, Bauer, Fattal, and Shourd made international headlines when they were hiking and unknowingly crossed into Iran. The three Americans were captured by border patrol, accused of espionage, and ultimately imprisoned for two years in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison. Together they share their harrowing story of hope and survival.
for event details, see page 47
Friday, March 28