[fvplayer src=”https://vimeo.com/heroprogram/review/208406733/028df47198″ embed=”true”]This is a very interesting video of a speech given by Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris at the San Diego Community Choice Energy Forum. Mayor Parris, a Republican, talks about how green energy has turned his city around. It’s drastically reduced unemployment, crime AND even saved the city money! Plus, they are doing their part to stop climate change.
Topic of the Talk: Democratic Party by Jess Durfee
Jess Durfee is a Democratic National Committee Member, Chair-Emeritus of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Lead-Chair of the Voter Services Committee of the California Democratic Party; California State Fair Board Member; Qualcomm Stadium Advisory Board Member for the City of San Diego. He has been engaged in Democratic Party politics and LGBT activism for over 29 years, the past 20 of those in San Diego. He is the only elected member of the DNC in Southern California who does not live in Los Angeles County.
He is one of California’s 20 elected Democratic National Committee members and he discussed how State party is structured and how it ties into the local Democratic clubs. The Democratic National Committee runs the party in between conventions. During the 4 days of convention the delegates run the party. There will another election for 20 Democratic National Committee members (10 female/10 male) in June at the Executive Board meeting. California has the most Democratic National Committee members and New York has only 13.
The California Democratic Party conducts endorsements, adopts a platform, promotes the party, and appoints leaders to the assembly. It consists of DNC members, an executive board, constitutional officers, standing committees, county central committee reps and assembly district reps.
The San Diego County Democratic Party is divided into 4 areas, north, central, east and south. They give reciprocity regarding candidate endorsements. Area recommendations are almost always followed.
Topic of the Talk: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) by Carl Crider
About ACLU:
ACLU, nonpartisan organization was founded in 1920 to protect our civil rights. Helen Keller was one of the founders.
No government support, a half million members, staffed offices in all 50 states, work in courts.
Supports our right to protest, reproduction right, immigrants’ rights, voting rights, women’s rights and more.
George H. W. Bush has been the biggest recruiter for ACLU. (*During 1988 presidential campaign he made ACLU an issue as a far left organization. The attack recruited new ACLU members.)
Financed by grants, contributions including the membership, donated legal service and bequests. (Refer to page 14 at ACLU Annual Report 2015)
Some Notable Cases:
The ACLU was the only major organization to protest Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese Americans in 1942.
In 1967 the ACLU represented an interracial couple in a landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia case and won.
The Patriot Act was passed shortly after 9/11. It’s to intercept terrorists. (It made easy for FBI to collect our private data. Less than 1% of cases were terror-related, drug-related were 76%.) ACLU knew their phones were tapped and challenged National Security Agency’s phone surveillance for violating our right of privacy. Edward Snowden proved ACLU had been indeed phone tapped.
In 2013 ACLU challenged the fact one medical company with a gene patent has the exclusive right on human genes. The Supreme Court ruled for ACLU and no businesses are allowed a gene patent.
President Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Action in 2014 was to provide millions of immigrants with temporary relief from deportation. (Some states challenged the action and the Supreme Court will hear the case in April 2016 and a decision is to be announced in June 2016.)
ACLU San Diego & Imperial Counties (website: aclusandiego.org) :
11 out of 40 staffers are attorneys. Constitution Day has been celebrated in 500 classes in the counties and also has 200 speeches about the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
In 2009 an eleven year old female student in Ramona produced a video program featuring Harvey Milk for a class assignment. The principal forbade her to show her program at the school. Her furious mother contacted ACLU local office for help. Then the school district required all the parents to sign for a private presentation during a lunch break. She ended up presenting her program in the classroom, but on the last day of school.
In 2009 three high school students on their way to school were detained at a trolley station. They didn’t have a proper residency document with them and were deported to Mexico. ACLU requested Homeland Security to readmit the youths to the states.
A number of immigrants were deported illegally; ICE has been pressuring them to sign a “voluntary return.” In 2013 the ACLU filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of some Southern California immigrants’ rights. (The government agreed to reforms of the “voluntary return” – the detainees will be provided detailed information, access to a phone, legal service, and more.)
In Oct 2015 Oceanside Unified School District decided to close down Jefferson Middle School and approved a charter school on the site. (Jefferson is predominantly Latinos. Some current students will not be qualified for the admission to the charter school due to the academic and audition requirements; Public schools should provide equal opportunity for all students.) ACLU urged the district reconsider the decision. (Jefferson Middle School is listed at the school district as of April 2016.)
The ACLU offers a mobile app to film and download any scene we might believe someone’s civil right might have been violated. The app site: MobileJusticeCA.org
About Carl Crider:
A registered Democrat since he became old enough to vote. He was raised in Arkansas. His father, a city councilman in Arkansas City, proposed to send black students in their community instead of busing them to a black school outside of the county. The proposal wasn’t approved.
A member of the Lake San Marcos Democratic Club, has owned a small business since 1989, and has lived with the economic challenges of managing such a business.
He is committed to equal rights for all, protecting the due process of all Americans and all who visit our country, protecting affordable health care, equal pay for equal work, a woman’s right to control her own health care choices, creating a viable guest worker program, and support immigrant rights.
He has been active with the ACLU, the International Rescue Committee in San Diego, Mama’s Kitchen, and Women’s Empowerment International. Prior to starting my company, he was the Executive Director of Social Advocates for Youth in San Diego, working in areas of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. During that time he served on the board of the California Child Youth and Family Coalition, lobbying for progressive legislation in juvenile justice.
Topic of the Talk: What can we do About Gun Violence?
“If not now, when?” “If not you, who?” These are some of the questions we need to ask about preventing gun violence. There are 32,000 gun deaths per year, 89 gun deaths a day in the U.S. One half of those deaths are suicides. While the mass shootings (4 or more people) get most of the attention, gun deaths which don’t get the press coverage are much more common.
The Brady Campaign wants to keep guns out of the wrong hands and stop gun tragedies. Is gun violence prevention reaching a tipping point and passing over the threshold? President Obama rolled out executive orders to regulate guns. He gave a speech in which he acknowledged the 2nd Amendment as the law of the land. He then named the victims of gun violence. He also acknowledged that the Declaration of Independence guarantees “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” If you sell firearms you need to get a license and do a background check.
The president’s executive action was good, but he didn’t close the private gun show loophole. The problem with executive actions is that they are only as good as the president and will not last if the next president is a Republican.
There are myths which are used to justify the lack of gun regulations including: criminals won’t obey gun laws; “a good guy with a gun is the answer”; It’s a mental health issue; the 2nd Amendment is sacrosanct, though Heller never says this; “Obama wants to take our guns!!”; current gun laws need to be enforced.
Background checks save lives – we’ve reduced gun violence by half in California. We can cut gun deaths in half in the U.S. by 2025. What can we do? Mr. Bartram gave us “homework” a list of actions items including: supporting representatives and asking for their support on gun violence prevention legislation, contact Lt. Governor Newsom to support his initiative, join organizations including the Brady Campaign and Everytown for Gun Safety, participate in GVP outreach programs, get your mayor to support the fight against illegal guns, send letters to the editor, wear orange, submit and support Attorney General Loretta Lynch Letter and read supporting documents concerning GVP issues.
Steve Bartram is the Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Coordinator at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito (UUFSD) and is a member of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. He coordinates the San Diego area participation in the National Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence held annually on the Sabbath Weekend Against Gun Violence sponsored by the Newtown Foundation, Faiths United Against Gun Violence, and this year Everytown Against Gun Violence.
A Call to Candidates! For The 2016 Democratic Club of Vista’s Board of Directors.
On behalf of the Democratic Club of Vista’s 2016 Board of Directors Nominating Committee, we are asking if ANY of our Democratic Club of Vista’s Members would like to be placed on the ballot, or nominate a Member, for a position on our 2016 Board of Directors?
IF so, please contact Jaqueline Ferguson, Chair of the Club’s Nominating Committee, ASAP! Either via PM (private message), through our Club’s FB Group or via email: jackieoh@cox.net
The Election will be held, at the Democratic Club of Vista’s February Monthly Meeting – February 13, 2016.
The positions are as follows: President; Vice President; Secretary; and Treasurer.
Candidates must be Democratic Club of Vista Members, in good standing* (meaning with dues paid, current – it’s a brand new membership year).
Per our Club’s Bylaws, we will be voting by means of ‘secret ballots’, at our Democratic Club of Vista’s February Meeting, on Saturday, February 13, 2016 (10am – 12 pm at Sal & Ceci’s The Pantry Restaurant (in the backroom) 945 S. Santa Fe Avenue, Vista, CA 92083. There will also be an opportunity, on the ballot, for write-in candidates.
Current Board 2015:
Thank you very much,
Jaqueline Ferguson
Democratic Club of Vista
2016 Board of Directors Nominating Committee
Chair
Cody Campbell, Vista City Council-State of the City of Vista
The budget is in the best shape it has been for years. There have been gains in finances. There is more affordable housing projects including the projects on Santa Fe. The roads have been repaired including Bobier and Melrose and are the best they’ve been in years. In a recent survey/needs assessment Vista scored high with optimism at its highest among the under 30 group at 25-1; 30-65 group is at 5 to 1 and the 65 and over group is at 2 to 1.
Our unemployment rate is very low at 4.1%. The business market is good and the vacancy rate in our business park is very low. Our ½ cent sales tax has fully funded our City so we don’t have to go into our general fund and have saved millions of dollars. Our building reserve fund is 20% of operating budget. 100% of our property tax goes to fire and law enforcement as public safety is our #1 priority. We had very little damage from El Nino because of prior planning and preparation. Our fire department pay has been upgraded to medium and the deputy fire chief was promoted to chief after the chief retired. Vista is the Sheriff’s Department largest contract with dedicated officers. Crime is at the lowest it has ever been. Property crime is down due to information oriented policing where deputies use data to police highest crime areas and move as crime moves. Though the jail is here and more drug and petty property crime criminals are now released in Vista, our crime rate is still low, while other cities who don’t use data policing have seen and uptick in crime.
We are spending money on infrastructure including $40-$50 million on the pump station in the lagoon which will prevent us from having burst pipes. Vista owns 39% of the Encina plant in Carlsbad. We have spent $8 million on 13 parks from money from developer fees. There will be 2 new skate parks on Santa Fe. Paseo Santa Fe will be completed in the next few months and there is 100% occupancy in the new apartments. Phase II will happen in 2017. New business are moving in. Our business vacancy rate is below 4%. We have a cooperative business relationship with Oceanside, San Marcos, Carlsbad and Escondido to find business spaces for moving or incoming businesses.
There are some conflicts on the City Council and the dynamic changed with the last election. However, some ordinances have been passed including a ban on retail sale of dogs and cats. Now it only takes one member to introduce legislation which is helpful. Though the council doesn’t get along that well, they have managed to get some things done.
Eve Simmons was our guest speaker on Climate Change. She is a speaker in schools for “Hug a Tree” program which started in San Diego to educate people how to survive in case of getting lost in woods.
As a photojournalist and by attending events Eve met many scientists, political leaders and environmental activists, including Dr. Ramanathan (a distinguished professor of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences at UCSD,) the 14th Dalai Lama, and Congressman Darrell Issa from the 49th district.
Over 500 scientists advised the policymakers that by the time the children reach the middle age the earth will be irretrievably damaged unless taking concrete actions immediately.
Eve’s suggestion for the club members: We as the club members are probably most knowledgeable of climate change. Talk to our political leaders; we do need a political will for solutions. Also suggested are less meat consumption and buying organic produces locally.
In 2009 Mark Jacobson, a Stanford professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his colleagues came up with a 20 year plan to abolish nuclear power, coal, oil and gas.
Ads at all network TV at least one every four is for the oil industry; that translates to their limited coverage on oil related accidents. On one incident CNN wasn’t covering it Eve called CNN, twitted, finally CNN responded and aired the coverage.
Unknown to many but Military divests from fossil energy.
Renewable energy industries create more jobs than in oil industry.
Electric cars and new diesel cars are better than ones run by fossil resource.
US population is 4% of the world and we produce 25% of CO2 emission.
GOP will introduce a bill that is designed to charge for oil companies for polluting and the collected the carbo tax will be given to people by IRS.
If you would like Eve’s presentation, you can make a request at The Climate Reality Project site.
Eve’s Biography:
Environmental advocate and keynote speaker Eve Simmons, has lectured on Global Warming/Climate Change for decades and has lobbied for action on these issues both locally and in Washington D.C.. Eve serves on San Diego County’s Fish and Wildlife.
Environmental advocate and keynote speaker Eve Simmons, has lectured on Global Warming/Climate Change for decades and has lobbied for action on these issues both locally and in Washington D.C.. Eve serves on San Diego County’s Fish and Wildlife Advisory Commission, and as an elected delegate to California’s State Assembly 76th District. She’s a Climate Reality Project Leader (trained by Al Gore) and on the board of Encinitas EcoFest. Eve was a board member of San Diego Energy District Foundation, a wildlife guide for the San Diego Zoo and an Associated Press Photojournalist. Eve is an active member of Citizen’s Climate Lobby, 350.org, Sierra Club and Greenpeace. Follow her on her website and blog TheGreenFlash.org and on Twitter @ Eve_Simmons.
Here’s a link to her speaking engagements and activities: http://presenters.climaterealityproject.org
Topic of the Talk: The Democratic Party, Labor and Income Inequality
Roberto provided PowerPoint printouts. Due to file size limitation we are able to display only four out of 21 slides. For the talk Roberto didn’t wear a hat as President of the Sweetwater Education Association or San Diego Labor Council Executive Board member.
He started with a statement – “We’ll lose our way of life if we don’t act together. Middle class is systematically being dismantled.”
Viewed a Different Way – Top 1% Share of Total Pre-Tax Income, 1913-2006 (page 1): Top 1% share of total pre-tax income hit the highest at 23.9% in 1928, went down to the lowest 8.9% in 1976, then crept up to 22.9% in 2006.
What Happened Between 1928 and Today? – A graph for Union Membership Percentage of Employed Workers from 1900 to 1998 slide (page 2): A rapid increase from 1936 to 1945 and hit the highest at around 33% , stayed on the plateau until 1956. A steady drop ended at 14% in 1998.
Union Participation and Income Distribution – Unions and shared prosperity graph by Economic Policy Institute slide (page 3): Share of income going to the top 10% was lowest from late 1930s to early 1950s. Around the same period of the time the union membership was the highest. Since that period share of the top 10% has drastically increased and the union membership equally declined.
Robert Reich on Inequality in America: “Inequality is the result of policy changes that give tax breaks to the wealthy, protected them from inflation by keeping unemployment artificially high, and shifting the risk of doing business away from banks and business owners to the average American.”
Free trades are our decisions. Inequality doesn’t have to exist. We can bring the manufacturing back to the US; it all about decisions. Who makes the decisions? The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which consists of members of mostly conservative politicians and lobbyists, decides on which registrations to introduce.
Some businesses are driven only by the profit. Uber is a good example. They don’t have risk on their side – no employee benefits, no capital investment on the vehicles, no maintenance costs, etc. All the expenses are absorbed by Uber drivers. Uber takes only profit. Banks are another example. They created the recent massive mortgage crisis and thousands of people lost their home. The banks had changed the way to make home loans, they funded consumers regardless of their ability for the payments. They sold the mortgages to another party right away; so they wouldn’t have lost money on defaulted mortgages.
Some businesses are driven only by the profit. Uber is a good example. They don’t have risk on their side – no employee benefits, no capital investment on the vehicles, no maintenance costs, etc. All the expenses are absorbed by Uber drivers. Uber takes only profit. Banks are another example. They created the recent massive mortgage crisis and thousands of people lost their home. The banks had changed the way to make home loans, they funded consumers regardless of their ability for the payments. They sold the mortgages to another party right away; so they wouldn’t have lost money on defaulted mortgages.
What can we do for the income equality? Roberto shared what Sweetwater Education Association has done. The superintendent and Sweetwater School District Board members had been pressuring the teachers for benefit reductions. When four district officials were indicted early in 2014, they saw an opportunity to fill the board with individuals who fight for them. Immediately they started recruiting and interviewing individuals. The union endorsed five Democratic candidates for five open seats. 40% of the union members are Republicans who wanted Republican candidates as well. They were suggested to find Republicans who are pro-union and anti-charter schools, they couldn’t find any. Four out of the five endorsed candidates won in Nov 2014 election. The point is when people work collectively we could win a victory.
Democratic Club of Vista should hook up with North County labor unions and work together for our common goal – income equality.
Roberto’s Biography:
A high school teacher since 1987. He is currently President of the Sweetwater Education Association, the union that represents the over 1,800 teachers, librarians, nurses and educators of the Sweetwater Union High School District. He has primarily been a Social Science teacher (US Governemnt and Economics) has also taught Spanish.
“Few careers are more rewarding than education. However, today public education faces major challenges. So called reformers, privatizers and profiteers from all sides of the political spectrum approach public schools as profit making opportunities and not as the education institutions that our students and communities depend on.”
“As a teacher, I must be a role model for my students and advocate for public education and educators in the community and the public arena. It’s the only way to ensure that the promise of public education for future generations is fulfilled.”
Roberto serves on the California Teachers Association State Council of Education. He is currently the Vice- Chair of CTA’s Political Involvement Committee as well as the Vice-Chair of CTA’s Association for Better Citizenship Committee, the committee that oversees CTA’s PAC funds.
In 2014 he began serving on the Executive Board of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council as well as the Central Committee of the San Diego County Democratic Party. In 2015, under Roberto’s leadership, the Sweetwater Education Association (SEA) was recognized by the San Diego Labor Council as Union of the Year and CTA presented SEA with it’s Local in Politics award.
We have received the following request from Nancy Merritt, CA Democrat and Northern CA State Coordinator. We will be voting on the resolution on our July meeting (Sat, July 11.)
_________________________________________________________________
Request for a Motion to Endorse Legislation Request in Support of The Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015 (HR1111)
To Nanci and Democratic Club of Vista,
As you know, the California Democratic Party Executive Board is meeting August 14 – 16, 2015 in Burlingame and we are approaching the deadline for legislation requests at that upcoming meeting. We are writing to ask you to place the following motion on the agenda for your next meeting:
“A motion to be added as an additional endorser to the request that the Legislation Committee consider and approve CA Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s HR 1111, ‘The U.S. Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015,’ for a vote by the CDP Executive Board at the August 2015 meeting.”
Making peacebuilding a national priority, by instituting and supporting proven violence prevention policies and programs, will save lives and money – money which can be spent on jobs, education, medical care, and rebuilding the infrastructure of this country. Please let us know when you meet next and where the meeting will be.
By voting for this motion, your group’s name will be added to a list of supporters asking the CDP to endorse HR 1111, the U.S. Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015. The CDP as a whole and the Legislation Committee unanimously endorsed the 2013 version of this legislation. Chair John Burton supported an earlier version of this legislative request.
Hundreds of CDP delegates, including State Senator Mark Leno and labor leader Delores Huerta, have signed petitions in support of this. Many CDP groups have supported Department of Peacebuilding legislation in the past, including: Regions (3, 5, 6, 8, 18), DCCs (Calaveras, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Lake, Madera, Marin, Nevada, Plumas, Sacramento, Solano, Sonoma), clubs (Lake County Stonewall Democratic Club, Nevada County Democratic Women’s Club, Turlock Democratic Club) and caucuses (Veterans). For the 2013 CDP endorsement, African American Caucus Chair Darren Parker testified at the Legislation committee in support of this legislation.
We are attaching :
Please let us know if you need additional information. Thank you for your consideration and for any past support. Please become a current supporter. We look forward to hearing from you soon and to adding your group’s endorsement to this important peacebuilding legislation.
Nancy Merritt
CA Democrat and Northern CA State Coordinator
The Peace Alliance/ Campaign for a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding
sunmntain@aol.com
C: 510-809-6348
On Behalf of CA Democrats and Peace Alliance Volunteers, including
Brian Gibbs
CA Democrat and
The Peace Alliance, San Diego
Maggi Koren
CA Democrat, RN and
The Peace Alliance, Northwest CA Regional Co-coordinator
Lily Marie-Mora
CA Democrat and Nevada County DCC Member
The Peace Alliance, Northeast CA Regional Coordinator
Lorrie Norby
CA Democrat and
The Peace Alliance, Marin County Lead
Josh Roebuck
CA Democrat and
The Peace Alliance, Alameda County
Jerilyn Stapleton
CA Democrat and ADEM 46
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May Guest Speaker – Francine Busby
Brief Biography:
Francine is the chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party. Busby is a former member of the school board in Cardiff, CA, and she has been a democratic candidate for Congress. She is also the executive director of Run Women Run, an organization that trains, mentors, and supports women candidates for elective office. To read more Francine Busby Bio.
Speakers at the Roosevelt Dinner, DMV Voters Registration, the Party Goals & 2016 Presidential Candidates:
Francine Busby congratulated the club for participation in the Roosevelt Dinner, and Roberto Rodriguez for winning the Union of the Year Award for Sweetwater.
Francine discussed the success of the 35th annual Roosevelt Dinner, which drew nearly 800 guests and brought in nearly $100,000. This was the largest yet, with Democrats from all over the county. There were speeches by Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Kevin de Leon was the keynote speaker. Padilla spoke about the proposed new automatic voter registration at the DMV. Those who are auto-registered should be contacted so that they can be invited to vote as Democrats (they would be auto-enrolled as independents.) Dr. Shirley Weber was the honorary chair, and she spoke about the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Busby discussed Dr. Weber’s life and accomplishments. Atkins appointed Weber to be chair of the budget committee. She mentioned the book “Soul of a Nation” by P.E. Chute, and discussed voting rights and everything that led up to the march in Selma.
Francine Busby discussed the success of endorsed candidates; 64% of them won. She talked about the Party’s priorities for the county, including voter registration and education (sometimes people don’t understand how to use a ballot.) The Democratic Party may provide sample ballots, and ask churches and other organizations to host voter education presentations. We may also provide party recommendations for ballot initiatives and candidates.
She talked about Scott Peters’ campaign. She suggested using the DMV as a voter registration site for the club, as there are fewer repeat attendees as compared to the farmer’s market. The Selma movie may have helped encourage more people to vote. San Diego was chosen as one of three cities for about $1 million to change San Diego to a Democratic voter base.
Busby discussed other goals of the Democratic Party including communications, coordination, candidate training, and social media. They are hiring a communications professional to create a plan. The Blue View is the official newsletter. She talked about the presidential race; Jim Webb, Hilary Clinton, and other candidates have been speaking. Bernie Sanders is not a mainstream candidate yet. Clinton may end up looking more moderate; there are pros and cons to that.
