SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE

 6:45 pm, County Building cafeteria, 70 W. Hedding St. San JosŽ

 

MINUTES FOR Thursday, January 8, 2004

 *************** Refreshments provided by the 22nd AD *****************

 

 

1.  CALL TO ORDER : 7:15

 

2.  ROLL CALL

 

3.  IDENTIFICATION OF VISITORS

                visitor roster passed around

 

San Jose City College Class from Marylee SheltonÕs class

Nancy Pyle: candidate for City Council, Fred Fowler, Peg Pinard: candidate for Senate District 15, Tom Fulks: campaign manager for Peg Pinard, Sukhdev Singh Bainiwal: American-Sikh Democratic Club, Carolyn Curtis: Silicon Valley for Dean, Rick Deffenderfor: SJCC, Elizabeth Lee: Office of Congressman Honda. Jay Jackman: Silicon Valley 4 Dean, Lee Sturtevant: DAWN, Jon Persson, Laurie Campos: WomenÕs Health Alliance, Ana Maria Rosato, Ron and Janice Naymark: Speakers Bureau Co-Chair, Jim Cogan: City Council Member Linda LeZotteÕs office, Michelle Samaniego: SJCC, Priscilla Javkegui: SJCC, Nacfine Candelaria: SJCC, Edmund Zhn: SJCC, Ali Ahmed: SJCC, Rosa Tapia: SJCC, Aaron and Sharren Cayetano: SJCC, Edmund Zhn: SJCC, Ali Ahmed: SJCC, Rosa Tapia: SJCC, Aaron Cayetano: SJCC, Quol Nauvten: SJCC, Benjamin Mendoza: SJCC, Danny Vu: SJCC, Lucy Nunez: SJCC, Anigh Singh: SJCC, Nikole Maria DeJesus: SJCC, Dorinda Kpodjie: SJCC, Rosalia Vargas: SJCC, Monica Flores: SJCC, Elva DeHaro: SJCC, Raymond Cota: SJCC, Monika Gill: SJCC, Lounis Zenad: SJCC, Francisco Gallegos: SJCC, Sofia Ipatieva: SJCC, Sharren Cayetano: SJCC, Daniel Bellot: SJCC, Sepi Nikbaleht: SJCC, Dina Lauderdle: SJCC, Tracey Thordsen: SJCC, Justin N: SJCC, Evelyn Rojas: SJCC, Debbie Akers: SJCC, Eli Delossantos: SJCC, Anish Singh: SJCC, Alena David: SJCC, Benjamin Mendoza: SJCC, Danny Vu: SJCC, Linh Bann: SJCC, Michelle Samaniego: SJCC, Priscilla Javregui: SJCC, Christine Smith: SJCC 

 

 

4.  ADOPTION OF AGENDA

 

Motion to approve, second, carried

 

5.  APPROVAL OF MINUTES    (Minutes are posted on  www.scc-democrats.org)

Motion to approve, second, carried

 

6.  REPORTS FROM OFFICERS AND OTHERS

 

A.  Executive Board: Hope Cahan

¤         Voted to recommend filling the vacancy for Candidate Recruitment and Endorsement with Jon Kessler

¤         Website update discussion

¤         ÒHow ToÓ manual creation discussion 

¤         Convention planning and update

 

B.  Chair: Steve Preminger

Working on Convention planning with the State Party (including Madge Overhouse doing the pledge)

 

C.  Vice Chair: Drina Collins

No Report

 

D.  Treasurer: Gap Kim

$237.85 in our account

 

E.  Secretary:  Hope Cahan

Please sign the visitor pink sheet

 

F.  Community Services & Voter Registration: Jim Brady

Need someone to volunteer to head the Naturalization Ceremony on January 23rd. Also need 4 volunteers to assist the coordinator.

 

The clubs are continuing with our mall shifts over the weekend of January 24th and 25th

 

G.  Finance: Jim Thurber

Sari Wisch: Reminder of our annual Democratic Party Dinner on Friday, April 30th ÒTake back the White HouseÓ

 

H. Candidate Recruitment and Endorsement: Jon Kessler

Interviewed San Jose City Council Candidates Nancy Pyle, Ken Yeager, Forrest Williams, Chuck Reed

 

Recommend that we endorse all four candidates

 

Motion to endorse slate, second, carried

 

I.  Campaign Services: Phaedra Ellis Lamkins

No Report

 

J.  Issues: Emy Thurber

No Report

 

K. Political Outreach: Tom Cochran

 

L. Regional Directors: Steve Preminger for Madge Overhouse

Those who would like to go to the Boston Convention in July: Must have form A (from website) in by February 4th. On February 8th Caucus meetings will take place based on your Congressional District and your candidate. At the meeting, you are voted to be a delegate. Roughly 5 delegates will be selected per campaign, based on raw number of Democrats registered to vote in your District.

 

Howard DeanÕs caucus will be at 3pm:

14th CD (Eshoo) will be at Spangenberg Auditorium, Gunn High School campus, 780 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto 9430

15th CD (Honda) will be at Milpitas High School, 1285 Escuela Parkway, Milpitas 95035

16th CD (Lofgren) will be at San Jose High Academy Gymnasium, 275 N. 24th St. San Jose 95116

 

March 2nd, 2004 Central Committee race vacancies will be filled by the County Committees first organizational meeting on January of 2005

 

M. Democratic National Committee: Chris Stampolis

Clarification on how number of delegates are chosen.

 

Reminder that Electoral College is the only number that will count to get rid of Bush. If we keep all of the States that we got last year plus 1 then we will win. Please walk you precinct now so that you have free time in October to help with phone banking and even traveling to the swing states.

 

N.  Pro-Choice Coalition:  Claudia Shope

The anniversary ad will be on the web on 1.22.04. There will also be an event that night (at 7:00) at the Heritage Center. Still have forms ad forms for completion.

 

January 15th meeting to discuss the desperate, unhealthy conception methods of the past such as lemons and cow dung.

The meeting will be at 1746 The Alameda.

 

O.  DTV Report:  Steve Chessin

Democratic Television Producer Steve Chessin reported that our December taping was with the Hon. Cindy Chavez, San Jose City Council member from District 3.
 
Our guest in January will be the Hon. Dennis Kennedy, Mayor of Morgan Hill.
 
We will be on San Jose AT&T Channel 15A January 15th with Emerge, January 29th and February 26th with the Hon. Cindy Chavez, and February 12th and March 11th with the Hon. Dennis Kennedy.
 
We are now broadcast on Morgan Hill Cable 19.  The show we taped with the Hon. Cindy Chavez will be aired January 13th at 8:30pm.
 
We could still use more good Democrats on the crew.  No prior video experience is necessary.
 
San Jose Channel 15A, 8:00pm every other Thursday (serves part of Cupertino) (408-918-3200):
2004:
Jan 15         DTV 106     Emerge
Jan 29         DTV 107     Hon. Cindy Chavez
Feb 12         DTV 108     Hon. Dennis Kennedy
Feb 26         DTV 107     Hon. Cindy Chavez
Mar 11        DTV 108     Hon. Dennis Kennedy
 

See http://www.scc-democrats.org/dtv.htm for the full schedule.

 

P.  CDC Report:  David Wilkes

 

Q. Welfare Reform:  Sal Alvarez     

 

Political outreach clubs and ADs

20th AD committee:

21st AD Committee:

22nd AD Committee:

23rd AD Committee:

24th AD Committee:

27th AD Committee:

28th AD Committee:

African-American Democratic Coalition:

American Sikh Democratic Club: Sukhdev Singh Bainiwal

The club added 30 new members this month!

 

Asian-Pacific American Democratic Club:

Clinton*Gore Action Network:

Democratic Action for Women Now (DAWN):

Evergreen Democratic Club at the Villages: Beverly Wharton

Our club was the largest contingent at CDCÕs pre-endorsement meeting in Santa Clara on Sunday, December 7th with 13 voting delegates. Eight members attended Region 5Õs gathering on Sunday, December 14th and one made it all the way down to Monterey to Region 9Õs meeting to vote for the AD 28 and State SD15 candidates. Two members are delegates to the State Convention and several members have signed up as volunteers. Members have also signed up for voter registration tabling at Eastridge and Oakridge Malls on Saturday and Sunday, January 24th and 25th.

 

The club collected over $600 to provide a very happy holiday for a single mother and her four children.

 

On January 13th, members will hear campaign representatives for 3 presidential candidates: Governor Howard Dean, General Wesley Clark, and Congressman Dennis Kucinich. 

 

Mission City Democratic Club:

Peninsula Democratic Coalition:

Peninsula Young Democrats:

Santa Clara County Democratic Club:

Silicon Valley Latino Democratic Forum:

South County Democratic Club: Mark Moore

The Club is having two meetings in January.   In Morgan Hill on Saturday, January 10, Assemblyman John Laird and Senate Candidate Peg Pinard will be speaking.   In Gilroy on Saturday, January 31, Assemblyman Simon Salinas and Senate Candidates Manny Diaz and Elaine Alquist will be making presentations.   At both meetings Club members will have the additional opportunity to meet with the campaigns for the various Presidential Candidates.

 

San Jose State Democratic Club:

West Valley Democratic Club:

 

7. OLD BUSINESS

 

Democratic Convention in January: Due to the Iowa Caucus, we are currently uncertain which candidates will be there.

 

At the convention, the delegates will adopt the 2004 platform that will be passed onto the National Convention. Our County Committee will have a Call to Action workshop in the afternoon on Saturday. At the same time as our workshop, there will be a workshop on the new campaign finance reform and there will be a big protest. The banquet on Saturday night is in honor of Barbara Boxer.

 

The resolutions committee will meet to discuss the resolutions on the ballots. April 30th will be the meeting to discuss new resolutions.

 

Madge will start the convention off with the pledge on Saturday morning

 

The Bob Mack award will be done at the ChairÕs Reception on Friday night (5:30-6:30). Please come to show support for our County award and the awardee.

 

 

Call To Action Reports: all of the committee chairs have been hard at work on the workshop plans for the convention.

 

 

8. NEW BUSINESS

Website: David Cohen- we got our first online donation of $30. We will be doing some exciting changes to the website which will be ready by the Convention. We will also have a new, easier to remember web address

 

Motion to fill the void for the Candidate Recruitment and Endorsement with Jon Kessler, second, carried

 

Resolution to investigate the allegations against Arnold Schwarzenegger- Tabled

 

Resolution expressing concern over treatment by Democratic candidates and Party members towards other Democratic candidates: Emy Thurber presented the following resolution:

 

Resolution on ÒDemocrats attacking DemocratsÓ

 

Whereas, Democrats around the country are determined to oust the Bush Administration in the fall of 2004 and are assessing the talented group of candidates seeking to represent the Democratic Party and are preparing to campaign hard for the one selected to lead us, and

 

Wheareas, spirited primary campaigns help candidates hone their style, sharpen their message, create organizations and show the voters of all parties that they are competent and ready to be the standard bearer for our Democratic Party in this election which will be so critical for the future of our country, and

 

Whereas, in order to win the 2004 election it is vital that all Democrats finally rally behind our candidate and provide unified support against what will surely be a fierce and well financed Republican onslaught,

 

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee calls upon all Democratic candidates to stop the kind if attacks on each other that will provide ammunition to the Bush campaign, to cease using vituperative and inflammatory language that could irreversibly divide us once the primary season is over, and to never insinuate or state that any Democratic candidate is less qualified than George Bush to lead our country, and

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to all Democratic candidates for President.

 

Submitted by Emy Thurber on behalf of the Executive Board

 

Discussion on, motion to approve, second, carried

 

9. ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dan Hoffman: Martin Luther King Jr. Good Neighbor Awards Breakfast on Monday, January 19, 2004 at the Wyndham Hotel at 7am $25 donation. This will be followed by the Freedom Train to San Francisco $5 for round-trip tickets.

Additionally, there will be a Gospel Concert at 7pm on Friday the 16th.

 

Steve Chessin: vacancies on the March ballot for Central Committee: 20th AD 4 vacancies, 27th 3 vacancies, 28th 3 vacancies

 

Jay Jackman: running as a Dean delegate for Congressional District 14. Please come before 3:00 (doors locked at 3) to vote for him. Additionally, each of us will have to take a precinct in order to get Democratic voters to the polls.

 

Sari Wisch: Please contact Sari if you would like to get more information about or to volunteer for John Burton.

 

Carolyn Curtis: also running to be a Dean delegate. The Dean campaign has been very successful, please come to one of our meet-ups- there is amazing energy and grassroots work happening.

 

Jim Brady: still need a volunteer to head the Naturalization Ceremony on Jan. 23rd

 

David Cohen: BADems list is easy to join and a growing list. Also, please keep the Santa Clara County Library bond measure in mind.

 

Thelma (on behalf of Barbara Nesbit): Please volunteer to work on BarbaraÕs campaign

 

Jacquie Heffner: Thank you Carolyn for all of the work that you do; the grassroots campaign is amazing, there is even a phone bank this weekend where everyone is making calls from their cell phones

 

Bill Ferguson: There are some paid positions for Ro Khanna for Congress campaign.

 

Drina Collins: Manny Diaz campaign kick off on Saturday morning from 9-12noon.

The Latino Democratic Forum is having their luncheon on Jan 23rd at noon at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.

 

 

10.  EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

    The next Executive Board Meeting is on January 21st

 

11. ADJOURNMENT

9:22