SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE

6:45 pm, County Building Cafeteria, 70 W. Hedding St.; San Jose

AGENDA FOR Thursday, June 4, 2009

• CALL TO ORDER:  7:25 pm

• ROLL CALL
• Absent:  Bill Ferguson, Ron Lind, Eric Larson, James Rowen, Javier Gonzalez, Claudia Shope, Sousan Manteghi-Safakish, Rebecca Scheel, Tony Alexander, Albert Torrico, Joe Coto, Jim Beall, Bill Monning, Ellen Corbett, Joe Simitian, Elaine Alquist, Swanee Edwards.
• Alternates:  Alex Kobayashi for Ira Ruskin, Jon Kessler for Paul Fong, Clark Williams for Ken Yeager, Justin Carvalho for Jim Brady, Drina Collins for Hope Cahan.
• Excused:  Jim and Emy Thurber

• IDENTIFICATION OF VISITORS

• Mark Rerman, Galen Swain (ODCSV), Hellen Sims (ODCSV), Bob Petit (ODCSV), Aejaie Sellers (S.C. Co. Commission on the Status of Women), Tamela Craft, Sheli Molavahima, Renee Reid, Gurinder Nunwa, Jim Griffith. 
• ADOPTION OF AGENDA
• Motion Approved; Seconded; Motion Carried

• APPROVAL OF MINUTES (Minutes are posted at sccdp.org)

• May 7, 2009
• Motion Approved

• NEW BUSINESS
• Chris Riley – Currently holding position as a Political Coordinator with the South Bay Labor Council.  She is now the Senior Regional Bay Area Field Manager for Quality California.  Their Offices are located in the East Bay and South Bay.  Quality California is currently hiring 2 field staff members for each office.  If interested in the positions, contact Chris Riley at:  (248) 819-1449 or criley65@gmail.com.  Chris also informed attendees that the Equality Marriage measure will be on either the 2010 or 2012 ballot.

• Review and Approval of By-Laws
• Steve Preminger thanked Clark Williams for heading a most interesting process of reviewing and updating the By-Laws.
• Clark Williams acknowledged members of the By-Law Review Committee.
• The Review Committee reviewed the By-Laws at their leisure, met 2 times as a group, and reviewed all ideas and looked at specific ideas based upon the totality of the document.
• By-laws from other county committees within the State of California were used a resources.  The Committee also reviewed the California Democratic Party By-Laws to ensure the revisions were in compliance.
• Motion to approve changes; Motion seconded; Motion Approved.
• Suggestion from the floor was made to remove item #2 – County Chair to grant “excused absences” be pulled from consent.
• Motion to accept other 3 changes; Motion to Approve; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.
• Excused Absences:  This item has been discussed for several years.  
• David Cohen – At times, people can’t make meetings.  This is a mechanism where an individual can have up to 2 alternates to the committee.  Obligation:  Paying dues, attending meetings, and voting.  
• Bill James – This ability should be used very rarely.  However, there may be circumstances where Steve may ask you to represent the party.  Should restrict it based upon the circumstances where it may be used.  By-laws require us to have an alternate.  Suggest change from “shall” to “may” (2A6).  Motion to approve; Seconded; Motion Approved.
• Various attendees voiced concerns regarding the number of meetings that a committee member can be excused.
• Steve Preminger stated that a member would be excused and used when it seemed appropriate.  He recommended everyone obtain alternates regardless of the vote.
• Motion to approve recommendation; Motion seconded; Motion passes 27 to 13.
• Executive Board Duties:  Motion to approve; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.
• Endorsement Committee:  Motion to Approve; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.
• United Democratic Campaign Enablement Act:  Motion; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.
• Political Outreach Enablement:  Motion; Motion Seconded.
• Does the Central Committee have the ability to force this on to each Club.  We do have an enforcement accreditation processes.
• Motion Approved.

xiiii Fair Campaign Pledge:  Motion to approve; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.

• Steve Preminger acknowledged Clark Williams for all of his work.

• Environmental Resolution on Over Population
• James Kim informed attendees that the item has been discussed and tabled.
• Craig Dunkerley – Stated the original Resolution was passed at the March meeting.  Revised 1^st bullet of the resolution.  Language is now more specific.  Simply calls for education and greater support, i. e. women literacy program, and increased support for family planning services.  Asking committee to reaffirm their support and forward to E-Board meeting in July.  Motion to Approve; Motion Seconded; 
• Second bullet – seems to place owness on women, but understands the spirit.  Give strong consideration to literacy programs.  Literacy programs are more limited for women than for men per Craig Dunkerley.
• Agree to call the question Motion to approve, Motion Seconded, Motion Approved,
• Proposal to amend from women literacy program to literacy program. Seconded; Motion Denied.
• Proposal to amend from women literacy program to family literacy program.  Motion Seconded; Motion denied.
• Motion to approve original Resolution; Motion Approved.
• Resolutions for Submittal to CDP Executive Board
• Emergency Statement – Motion to add to agenda; Motion Seconded. Motion Approved.
• Motion to remove “More than 70 percent of voters sat out the May 19 special election because it is the Governor and Legislature’s job to fix the budget” should be removed.  Add the following proposed language, “It is also imperative that Democratic and the assembly uphold the …” 
• Call to Question – Motion to Approved; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.
• Motion to approve amendments; Motion Seconded; Motion Approved.

• OLD BUSINESS

9. REPORTS FROM OFFICERS AND OTHERS

a. Executive Board:  Margie Mitchell

The E-Board discussed the agenda via e-mail.

b. Chair: Steve Preminger

Thanked Clark Williams for heading last month’s Central Committee meeting due to his absence.  Steven also thanked Hope Cohan for her work on the JJ Dinner.  The Democratic Party is currently working with Labor on a forum to support HR676.  The forum will be held on June 24 at 6:30pm at the IBEW Hall.  A notice of the forum will be mailed out in the near future.  

Vice Chair – Clark Williams

• None
• Treasurer:  Drina Collins
• Club balance is approximately $600

• Secretary:  Margie Mitchell
• None
• Community Services and Voter Registration:  Judy Pipkin
• Due to the current economic status of the State, the Party will be doing a Voter Registration Drive.  All heads of clubs are to meet on June 30 from 7:00 to 8:30 at the Labor Temple.  All clubs are to send at least 1 representative.
• The Joint Club Picnic will be held on July 18, 2009 at Rainbow Park in San Jose.
• Finance:  Jim Thurber
• None
• Candidate Recruitment and Endorsement:  Jon Kessler
• A calendar of dates in August for candidate interviews will be available at the July meeting.
• Communications:  David Cohen
• None
• Campaign Services:  Tom Cochran
• None
• Political Outreach (Clubs):  Diane Rolfe
• Informed attendees that volunteers are needed for voter registration, tabling, and collecting signatures to support the marriage equality and 2/3 vote to 50% measures.  
• Diane thanked the Latino Forum for supplying food for tonight’s meeting.  Next month, LGBT will be bringing food.
• Informed clubs that there will be a change in the process on how clubs present their reports to attendees.  The changes are:  No talking while clubs are presenting reports.  Reports are to be concise and 1 minute in length.
• Regional Director:  Emy Thurber
• None
• Democratic National Committee: Chris Stampolis
• None
• Pro-Choice Coalition:  Claudia Shope
• Fran Linkin:  The organization is being affected by the proposed budget cuts.  Asked attendees to call Steinberg and Bass to oppose the proposed cuts to the family programs.

o. DTV Report:  Steve Chessin

a. Carol Garvey was guest speaker.  The June guest speaker has not been determined at this date.

p. CDC Report:  Jay Jackman

a. The Annual Convention will be held in San Diego on October 3 and 4.  The CDC will have training workshops throughout the state.  One of the workshops, Roberts Rules of Order, will be held in Santa Clara County.

• ANNOUNCEMENTS 

• The July Board Meeting will be held on July 9^th rather than July 2^nd , since it is the Thursday prior to a 3 or 4 day 4^th of July weekend.
• Carol Garvey informed attendees that Lauren Chief Elk, who was one of the 3 women that rescued the DeAnza rape victim, will be on 20/20 this week.
• Steve Chessin will be on a panel discussing the topic of Instant Runoff Voting in San Jose.  The discussion will be held at the Martin Luther King Library.  The panel will be moderated by Terry Christensen and panel members will be Katie Selenski; Steve Chessin, Sam Licardo and Ash Kalra.

• EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

• ADJOURNMENT:  9:30 pm

Club Reports:

Democratic 21^st Centurty Club:  The next luncheon will be Friday, June 12.  The guest speaker will be Supervisor, Ken Yeager.

DAWN:  Sunday, June 7^th will be DAWN’s Annual Fundraiser.  The cost is $50.00 and the Keynote Speaker will be Kamala Harris, who is a candidate for Attorney General.  The event will be held at the home of  Meri Maben’s.

Democratic Caucus San Jose State:  New officers were elected.  The Club will be taking break until August.

Bay Area for Change:  The Club’s next meeting is June 28 and will be a BBQ.  The BBQ will be at 22 Finch Way; Sunnyvale.

LGBT:  Huge setback based upon appeal of Prop 8.  San Jose Pride will be held June 13 and 14.  Volunteers are to contact David Parker.  The Club’s next meeting will be June 27.

Obama DemClub:  A Leadership Meeting will be held on June 8.  The Club’s next meeting will be June 18.

Santa Clara County DemClub:  Contributed $200 to the California Clean Money Campaign.

Silicon Valley Young Dems:  Club will be doing voter registration at San Jose’s Gay Pride.  Club’s incoming Executive Board was introduced to attendees.

SVAPADC:  Club is co-hosting the annual Joint Picnic on July 18th at Rainbow Park in San Jose.

Milpitas DemClub:  The Club invited Senator Albert Torrico to speak at their August 8 meeting from 11:00 to 1:00.  Senator Torrico will be speaking about state of the State and his run for Attorney General.  The Club asked attendees if other clubs would like to co-sponsor the event.

DEAN DemClub:  The Club is co-sponsoring a health event.  The Club’s Picnic will be June 20 at the Ponderosa Park.

Shawn Bagley, CDP Region 9 Director:  The CDP Regional quarterly meeting will be June 20 from 11:30 to 2:00 at the Santa Cruz Center For A Change office.  CDP’s permanent offices are in Salinas and Monterey.

 Environmental Resolution 

on Over-Population 

WHEREAS the population of the United States has tripled in the last 100 years, the world’s population has tripled in just the last 70 years, and both continue to rise, and

WHEREAS Earth’s resources are finite and exhaustible, and

WHEREAS former Vice President Al Gore has warned that "For the first time our numbers threaten the ecological system that supports life as we know it" (a fact which he highlighted in his Academy Award winning film "An Inconvenient Truth"), and a conference of 1680 scientists, from 49 countries, including 104 Nobel Laureates issued its “Warning to Humanity” over a decade ago, urging population stabilization as a crucial part of a comprehensive plan to bring about sustainable human living,

THEREFORE be it resolved that we the members of the Santa Clara County Democratic Club strongly encourage and support efforts to achieve a sustainable population for both the United States and the world through the following actions that have been endorsed by Population Connection, a leading environmental group specializing in population issues:

• Increase public awareness of the population problem so families can make informed choices, 
• Expand availability of and funding for both domestic and international women’s literacy programs which have proven to increase opportunities for women who then tend to have smaller families,
• Teach sex education programs that are accurate, comprehensive and age-appropriate (instead of teaching abstinence only),
• Reestablish funding for the United Nations Population Fund,
• Increase access and funding for domestic and international family planning services.