SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE
6:45 pm, County Building cafeteria, 70 W. Hedding St.
San Jose
MINUTES FOR Thursday, March 3, 2005
1. CALL TO ORDER: 7:15
2. ROLL CALL
Absent: Francine Davis, Bill Dias, Cathy Dias, Joe Simitian, Joe Simitian, Anna
Song, Chris Stampolis, Dan Kenney, Simon Salinas
Alternate: Jennifer Myronuk for David Cohen, Mike Honda, Sandra
Soto for Zoe Lofgren, Jon Kessler for Rebecca Cohn, Elisa Camahort for Kevin
Moore, Jim Ross for Jerry McNerney
Excused: Thelma Spaziani, Deniese Alejandro, Tom Cochran, and
Deepka Lalwani
3. IDENTIFICATION OF VISITORS
Jackie
Moore, Rudi Rodriquez- City Council District 7 candidate
4. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Motion
to end the meeting in honor of Sandy Ellenberg who passed away on Sunday
Second,
approved
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Minutes are posted at sccdp.org)
6. NEW BUSINESS
A. Based on our by-laws (Article IV.C) the Chair is presenting the Following slate of Directors for approval by the SCCDCC:Community Services and Voter Registration: Linda Spangler
Finance: Jim Thurber Candidate Recruitment and Voter Registration: Jon Kessler Campaign Services: Philip Bump Issues: Herb Engstrom Communications: David Cohen Political Outreach: Tom Cochran Motion to approve slate, second, discussion on lack of female representation, motion carried B. Resolution: Statewide Protest of Injured and Disabled Workers on
Workers' Memorial Day-4-28-2005 (see text at end of agenda)
Explanation
by Dennis Austin. Motion to approve, second, discussion to change wording.
Decided to have executive board alter wording and then pass on to the State
Party. Amended motion carried.
Presentation
of Measures A & B by Joel and ask for volunteers at the phone banks
throughout the County.
7. REPORTS FROM
OFFICERS AND OTHERS
A. Executive Board: Steve Preminger
Discussed the Human Race, the Santa Clara County
Fair, the Democratic dinner, the Convention, and the slate of directors
B. Chair:
Steve Preminger
Steve is currently working on our roll presenting
our Call to Action at the convention.
C. Vice Chair:
James Kim
Presentation of the Human Race on May 7th.
75% of money raised will go to the non-profit organization or school program of
your choice. The remaining 25% goes to putting on the race.
This is a great activity for the clubs and the
Central Committee to participate in under the umbrella of the Democratic Party.
Each participating club could pick their own non-profit for their money rose to
go to.
D. Treasurer: Drina Collins
$1385.88 in our account. Please pay your dues if
you have not yet
E. Secretary: Hope Cahan
2 spaces from the 27th AD and 1 who
would like to go from the 21st AD
F. Community Services and Voter Registration: Linda Spangler
We are opening an office and need help staffing
G. Finance: Jim Thurber
$41587.10 in the PartyÕs account with outstanding bills. Still need
money to continue our activities.
Introduced
Jennifer Wallace, the chair of the Democratic Dinner. Jennifer discussed the
dinner details: $100 per ticket, $1,000 per table and a $50 per person
reception prior to the dinner.
Linda
Spangler is in charge of registration. Need mailing lists from clubs for
invitations.
Challenge
to the clubs to buy more tables than last year.
Discussion
on sponsorship levels
There
is not a student rate at this time, but there will volunteer positions that
will be able to attend the dinner.
H. Candidate Recruitment and Endorsement: Jon
Kessler
Endorsements interviews for District 7 will be
April 5 & 6. Please sign up tonight
Cupertino, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Gilroy, Palo Alto,
Los Altos will have City Council races in November.
I. Communication: David Cohen
J. Campaign Services: Philip
Bump
Discussion on the importance of the upcoming November election. Distribution of a list of all of the potential ballot initiatives Arnold may put on the ballot. Discussion on.
K. Issues: Herb Engstrom
No report
L. Political
Outreach: Tom Cochran
Club
Reports
Silicon
Valley Latino Democratic Forum: SVLDF
will have its annual membership meeting on March 18th at noon.
Location TBA.
We
will have a good representation of our board at the convention.
We
will have candidate interviews next week for District 7.
Evergreen
Democratic Club At the Villages: Beverly
Wharton
Sixty-five
members attended the March 1st meeting featuring Craig Dunkerley
speaking in support of Assemblywoman HancockÕs bill, AB 583, the California
Clean Money Campaign, followed by a related video narrated by Bill Moyers.
Members were also asked to support AB 469 (Bowen), Truth in Initiatives bill.
An additional video was shown, the PBS NOW interviews with Constance Rice,
Civil Rights Attorney, and Zain Salbi, Chair of Women for Women International.
Five people signed up to participate in the March and Rally to End the
Occupation of Iraq! Bring Troops Home Now! Scheduled for Sunday, March 20 in
San Jose.
More
than a dozen members attended City Council Member Dave CorteseÕs announcement
that he will run for Mayor. A number of members also attended Mayor GonzalesÕ
State of the City Address. Member Liz Gill was honored with other Friends of
Evergreen Library by the Mayor. Members also attended the ÒStraight TalkÓ on
Social Security Reform given by Representatives Zoe Lofgren, Mike Honda, and
Sam Farr.
Membership stands at 229 (one lost to natureÕs attrition and two new members for a gain of 1 over last month)
The Dean
Democratic Club of Silicon Valley: Carolyn Curtis
- Celebrated Dean's election to chair of the DNC with other Bay Area Dean people, about 200 of us, at Brennan's in Berkeley Feb 13.
- Hosted our usual two meetups (Los Altos, about 25, and San Jose, 31 people) March 2, featuring a conference call with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez; this conference call was set up by a southern CA DFA member, with participation of 35 DFA groups statewide. Speaker Nunez urged us to monitor where Arnold's minions were gathering signatures for his ballot propositions and to be there countering them. We are going to coordinate this within our membership.
- Continue our Social Security task force, with biweekly meetings chaired by Jim Ross, the product being handouts and coordination with others, particularly unions, working to defeat Bush's plan.
- Are starting tabling: Mountain View March 6; Menlo (ongoing); other locations soon
- Are co-sponsoring George Lakoff April 22, 7:30pm, Wyndham Hotel San Jose, including hosting the website for this, www.reclaimthedebate.com.
- Already reserved
one table at the Democratic dinner April 29 & are halfway to filling
another table.
Silicon Valley Asian
Pacific Americans Democratic Club: James
Kim
The SVAPADC held a
productive strategic planning retreat on Feb. 12th. Board members spent 5 hours
together planning near-term actions and long-term goals. Three sub-committees started work on
the action plan: Membership Outreach, Public Relations, Program
Development. It was a good session
building on progress to date and planning next steps.
The Club was an early
supporter of Doris Matsui as candidate to fill the Congressional seat left
vacant after the death of her husband, an active and important member of the
democratic caucus. Election is
Tuesday, March 8th.
We offer a friendly Club
challenge to other Clubs for the upcoming 5/7 Human Race: losing three Clubs pay for a party for
the other Clubs based on (1) total dollars raised and (2) percentage of Club
participation. How about joining
in this challenge?! It's a fun
event for an important cause!
There is a special thank you to Alex Kennett and My Pizza for providing the refreshments for the Central Committee. The South County Democratic Club will next be meeting on Saturday, March 19. An endorsement vote will be made on supporting passage of Measures A and B (Library Parcel Taxes). The Club will be having a Social Event/Barbecue at the Pumpkin Patch in San Martin on Saturday, April 23, from noon to 4pm. There will be barbecued chicken, music, train rides, games and farm animals for the children. The cost is being kept down to $5 per adult and children over age 12. All Central Committee members are invited
Santa Clara
County Democratic Club: Ann Shirkey
Our last Club meeting featured Trent Lange, Vice
President of the California Clean Money Campaign. He described the pending
legislation, Loni HancockÕs AB583, which would bring Clean Money reform to
California. The legislation foregoes any privately raised money and any
independent expenditures on their behalf. He told of the success of Clean Money
elections in Maine and Arizona where more and more candidates are choosing to
run ÒCleanÓ.
Last month at the Century Club, our TV show, Straight
Talk, taped Kate Forrest of the Commonweal Institute on ÒTalking to People
Unlike OurselvesÓ. This past Saturday we taped Liz Kniss, Roz Dean, and Linda
LeZotte on threats to medical services in the County following the closure of
San Jose Medical. A second show featured Tim Quigley, Executive Director of the
Volunteer Center, on volunteerism in the County. He talked about the Human
Race. All three shows will be broadcast on cable TV and are available on DVD.
The City Council of Saratoga, which supports our TV
studio, threatened to cut off funding for the KSAR in the category of Òshould
haveÓ, which means that funding will very likely continue for the next three
years. This is good news.
George Lakoff will be in town on April 22 for a
talk on ÒReframing the issues and taking bake the debate.Ó
M. Regional Director: Emy Thurber
The Democratic Convention
will take place April 15, 16 and 17 in Los Angeles. The packets of information for delegates were mailed
today. She apologized for problems
people may be having with hotel reservations.
N. Democratic
National Committee: Chris Stampolis
O. Pro-Choice Coalition: Claudia Shope
Bush increased abstinence only funding to 205 ½ million dollars. There is no money for responsible sex education. California does not take this abstinence only money.
Attorney General for Kansas has demanded files for late term abortion, an extreme violation of the womenÕs rights. Fortunately, the judge has granted a temporary restraining order.
The Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to
Roe v. Wade.
Gayle Tiller has left Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.
She will be missed.
The next meeting is the 3rd Thursday of
March, March 16th, at 1746 The Alameda at 6:30.
P. DTV
Report: Steve Chessin
Democratic
Television Producer Steve Chessin reported that our February taping was with 27th
AD Assemblymember John Laird, Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee.
Our
guest in March is TBD. In April we
will interview Mountain View Mayor Matt Neely, and have Congressman Mike Honda
penciled in for May.
We
will be on San Jose AT&T Channel 15A March 10th with the show we
taped with Neil Struthers, March 24th with the show we taped with
Assemblymember Laird, and April 7th and May 5th with the
show we tape in two weeks. See the
sccdp web site for the schedule in the other communities.
Palo
Alto is changing our schedule slightly.
Instead of 6:00pm every Monday and Saturday, and 9:00am every Tuesday,
effective March 7th
We
will be on Channel 27 5:30pm every Tuesday, 8:30am every Wednesday, and 5pm
every Saturday.
We
should be on Gilroy Channel 20 this month.
We
could still use more good Democrats on the crew. No prior video experience is necessary.
San
Jose Channel 15A (also serves part of Cupertino), 8:00pm every other Thursday
(408-918-3200):
2005:
Mar
10 DTV 120 Neil
Struthers
Mar
24 DTV 121 Hon.
John Laird
Apr 7 DTV
122 TBD-122
Apr
21 DTV 123 Hon.
Matt Neely
May 5 DTV
122 TBD-122
May
19 DTV 123 Hon.
Matt Neely
See
http://www.sccdp.org/dtv.php for the
full schedule.
Q. CDC Report:
Jay Jackman
8. OLD
BUSINESS
Call
to Action Update
9. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Drina:
Saturday, March 12th, Citizens Day needs volunteer attorneys to give
advice on immigration. A commitment of at least 3 hours it is from 9-2 at the
Center for Employment Training.
Ann: Please think about whom you would like to
nominate as volunteer of the year and let her know if you have a nomination.
Have applications for the State volunteer of the year award. Please see Ann if
you would like one of those. Please RSVP for the Century Club lunch
Steve Chessin: please look at SB 596.
Herb: clean money bill AB 583 will be part of the
discussion at the next Century Club lunch.
Jim Ross: there is a website for everyone to review
what the Democratic legislature is doing www.speakoutca.org.
Jay: This Wed. Stanford is doing an event to get the
creative ideas of the Stanford Dem. Body into the mainline of thinking at 892
Lathrop Drive, Stanford at 7:30
Phyllis: Forum April 23rd 11th
annual senior conference rally and BBQ $10 at 10:00. Discussion will be on Fed
issues from 10-11:30 and 11:30 on state issues
Adrienne: Lake Off event at the Wyndom on April 22nd
at 7pm Òreclaim the debateÓ www.reclaimthedebate.com
for more information. Are looking for sponsors and honorary chairs. $10 general
admission $5 for students with valid ID.
Marylee: discussed dwindling number of women representation
to elected office. Suggest the Chair create an adhoc committee to review and
discuss the lack of women in SCCDCC leadership
Beverly: March and rally on Sunday, March 20th
against the war on the second anniversary of the bombing of Iraq starts at 1:30
meeting SJ Diridon Train Station or join the interfaith service for peach at
the First Unitarian Church at 160 N 3rd St in San Jose
Bob Dhillon: will have an event soon to formally
announce his candidacy for District 7
Scott Rafferty: 9th circuit has given oral
argument about whether the Veterans hospital can limit communication of
political representatives.
11. EXECUTIVE
BOARD MEETING
The
next Executive Board meeting on March 15th, location TBA.
12. ADJOURNMENT
Scott Rafferty: Thank you to those of you who reached
out to my Aunt and me during our time of grief due to the passing of Sandy
Ellenberg. Adjourn in the memory of
Sandy Ellenberg 9:10