SANTA CLARA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE

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

MINUTES FOR Thursday, August 7, 2008

 

1.         CALL TO ORDER:

 

2.         ROLL CALL

Absent: Julie Lind, Bill Ferguson, Deepka Lalwani, Ron Lind, Marsha Grilli, Sara Lind, Peter Chiu, Bill James, Pearl Cheng, Margaret Abe-Koga, Alyson Abramowitz, Xavier Campos, Jim Brady, Jacquie Heffner, Kevin Moore, Alex Kennett, Dan Kenney, Dennis Kennedy, Greg Sellers, Veronica Andrade, Steve Preminger, Craig Mann, Deniese Alejandro, Bruce Morasca, Rebecca Scheel, Alberto Torrico, Sally Lieber, John Laird, Ellen Corbett, Joe Simitian, Elaine Alquist, Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, Chris Stampolis, Bill Roth, Rich Watters, Manny Diaz

 

Alternate: Carolyn Curtis for Jim Thurber, Claudia Shope for Joe Coto, Chris Cote for Anna Caballero, Swanee Edwards for Jerry McNerney, Mike Honda, Norm Tarowsky for Beverly Waller Wharton, Jay Jackman for Emy Thurber

 

3.         IDENTIFICATION OF VISITORS

Calvin with UNITE HERE! Local 19, Lynn Gonzalez, Scott Rafferty, Jerry Quigley, Volunteers running the Santa Clara Democratic Headquarters: Judy & Jonathan Pipkins & Tyron Wade, Anita Stroud, Santa Clara City Council Member Jaime McLeod, Ash Kalra

4.         ADOPTION OF AGENDA

Motion to approve the agenda, addition of Dean Florez, second, so moved

 

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

Motion to approve, second, add resolution wording to the minutes, so moved with amendment

 

6.         ISSUES

Senator Dean Florez: Discussed the 58 County Plan to coordinate all of the countiesπ activities for the upcoming elections. Additionally, discussed issues going on in Sacramento and the governorπs inability to pull his party to the table to help get the State budget passed.

 

Assembly Member Jim Beall: Discussed the issues with the budget and the lack of a proposal from the Republican Assembly Members. Also discussed how we are going elect additional Democrats to the State including in Assembly Districts: 30, 17, 80, 26, & 10

 

Assembly Member Ira Ruskin: Discussed the great difficulty with reaching a budget agreement and the problems that having to have a 2/3-vote requirement to pass the budget creates. Thanked everyone for all of their hard work

           

7.         NEW BUSINESS

            UNITE HERE! Local 19: Calvin

Discussed the struggles that hotel workers face every day. In San Jose & Santa Clara have workers in 6 hotels trying win livable wages, humane workload, and retirement savings.

 

The workers at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara asked for a card check agreement. Management has intimidated, interrogated, & threatened workers to keep them from signing cards for unionization. Hotels are able to get away with this because they believe that Silicon Valley finds hotel workers invisible. Support hotel workers, endorse our campaigns, and help us educate the County through your club work.

 

            Paper Ballot Resolution: Herb Engstrom

 

Motion to adopt, second, discussion, amendment to add ≥in the United States≤ to voter systems, second, amendment passes. Amended motion passes.

 

Amended resolution:

 

Be it resolved that we shall demand, actively work for, and support reliable, fraud-free elections by requiring that all voting systems in the United States shall provide a paper ballot, marked and verified by the voter, as the ballot of record.

 

Be it further resolved that the foregoing statement be submitted to the CDP Platform Committee to be incorporated into the Democratic Party Platform as soon as possible

 

 

V.A. Lawsuit: Scott Rafferty

Provided the history of the precipice of the VA Lawsuit and gave an update on the VA Lawsuit.

 

On of the main points of the continued activity on this is to set a precedent that the fed government has the same responsibility as the state government to register voters under motor voter. The United States Attorney in this district has been sitting on this for 4 years.

 

8.         OLD BUSINESS

 

 

9.         REPORTS FROM OFFICERS AND OTHERS

A.      Executive Board: James Kim

Met via email about the new San Jose Headquarters.

 

B.      Chair: James Kim for Steve Preminger

We will be opening up new headquarters soon

 

C.      Vice Chair: James Kim

D.      Treasurer: Drina Collins

$1,117.34

E.       Secretary: Hope Cahan

F.       Community Services and Voter Registration: Adrienne Grey

Got 64 registrations at the July 24^th new citizen ceremony, but did not know about the one today.

 

The next festival is the San Jose Jazz Festival this weekend from noon to 8pm.

 

Clubs that earned bounty money will receive their checks soon.

 

Diane Rolfe: The north county voter registrations have had to fight with the Palo Alto Chamber and Los Altos Farmers Market Association to get our 1^st amendment right to have voter registration tables.

 

We now have 5 sites reoccurring weekly and are working on more. The current sites bring in $400-$500 a week and a number of registrations, almost all democrats.

 

Palo Alto & Mountain View Art and Wine need volunteers.

 

G.      Finance: Jim Thurber

H.      Candidate Recruitment and Endorsement: Jon Kessler

I. Communication: David Cohen

J.        Campaign Services: Tom Cochran

UDC met a couple of times in the last 10 days and is negotiating for a San Jose headquarters location.

 

Carolyn Curtis: The North County Obama office never closed and now has room for Joe Simitian, Ira Ruskin & Anna Eshoo. They are open every day from 9am to 6pm and will most likely be open from 9-9 when things pick up

 

Swanee Edwards: We are still searching for an office space in South County and are hoping to have one by the end of next week.

 

K.      Political Outreach: Carolyn Curtis: Thank you to the Santa Clara County Club for bringing in the refreshments today.

 

Motion to approve chartering Bay Area Iranian American Club, second, so carried.

 

Wonderful Democratic club picnic 2 weeks ago thank you to Clarence for organizing such a great picnic.

 

Clarence: Thank you to Wanda Bryan, Jay James, Buu Thai, & Parris Correra for volunteering at the picnic.

Club Reports

 

DAWN: Carol Garvey

DAWN will hold its endorsement potluck brunch on Sunday, Sept. 7^th at 11am @SEIU Local 521, 2302 Zanker Rd in San Jose. It is free and all are welcome. Noelani Sallings is our VP in charge of endorsements. She will send out questionnaires as soon as filing closes tomorrow (August 8). We are looking for DAWN members to help us with our interview process this time. Our interviews will take place between Fri, 8/15 and Friday 8/22, also tentatively will be conducted at Local 521. This is a unique opportunity to see the candidates (some of them running for the first time) up close and personal and helps them understand our issues. If interested, please contact Noelani or me. Dues due today if lapsed.

 

Iπm happy to report that DAWN has partnered with Emerge California to sponsor 2 scholarships for 2 women to receive hands on training in running for elected office. Program members receive training in the campaign/election process, public speaking, fundraising, network & coalition building, ethics and the legislative process. Local woman politicians will also mentor them.

 

If anyone is interested, there will be 2 informational meetings in Santa Clara. For more information, visit www.emergeca.org or call 415-874-7433.

 

Many thanks to Assemblymember Joe Coto for his financial contribution that helps make this scholarship possible.

 

Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley: Wanda Bryan

 

At our meeting on July 14, several members volunteered to help at the Joint Democratic club Picnic.

 

We had volunteers for the Jerry McNerney's Days of Action on Aug. 9 and Sept. 13.

 

The Club will sponsor a House Party Fundraiser for Jerry on Fri., Aug 15, 7 pm. at Co-chair Alice Smith's home at 4284 Los Palos Circle, Palo Alto.

Another sponsored Fundraiser for Charlie Brown will be a Garden Party at the home of member Stephanie Grossman on Sun., Sept. 7, 2-4 pm. at 1121 Harriet, Palo Alto.

 

Tabling is happening each weekend to register voters, manned by club members and we are averaging 50 registrants at each event - San Jose Jazz Festival is the next event this weekend, plus several locations in the North County.

 

Our next meeting will be held Aug. 18 at the IHOP at 5403 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara (off 280).

 

At our regular first-Wednesday meeting on Aug. 6, we watched a video of Al Gore's challenge to produce 100% of our electricity from renewables within ten years. We had a lively discussion with participation from a staffer from Anna Eshoo's office, a solar panel industry spokesperson and a Sierra Club spokesperson. We also got a brief backgrounder on Charlie Brown's district from Mary Gill who with 3 others canvassed in Roseville a couple of weeks ago. We'll return to this topic next month, with an expanded program and may well phone bank at headquarters as well.

 

This past Monday 5 members journeyed to Sacramento to lobby for AB583, Loni Hancock's clean money bill.

 

We'll watch the convention together; a different club member will host parties for each of the 4 nights.

 

Evergreen Democratic Club: Norm Tarowsky

We will have our annual potluck and BBQ on Sunday, Sept. 14^th room 3-6 at the Foothill Center in the Villages Golf & Country Club. Please rsvp to Kathleen McNally 408.274.7173.

 

LGBT Dems: David Parker

The LGBT Dems are supporting efforts to stop Proposition 8, the State Constitutional Amendment to eliminate gay and lesbian marriage rights. Please join us in fighting this discriminatory measure. You can contact the DeFrank Center, www.defrank.org or Gloria Nieto at gloria.defrank.@gmail.com

Jamie McLeod, a longtime member of the Club, is seeking re-election to Santa Clara City Council. She has recently been attacked for being an openly gay councilwoman. Please support her in any way you can.

 

Santa Clara Democratic Club: Aldyth & Herb

1) On August 26^th, the Santa Clara County Democratic Club will host author John Dean of Watergate fame speaking on the subject of his book Broken Government: How Republicans Destroyed the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches of Government.

 

This event will be held at the Mayer Theatre: Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real,

Santa Clara. We would like to fill the 500-seat theatre with democratic club members.

 

We are inviting all clubs to be co-sponsors as well as individual donors to help us with expenses. Co-sponsors currently include Santa Clara University Law School, PDC, and Evergreen Democratic Club. Co-sponsors are vital to the success of this program. If you are interested, please see Herb or Aldyth.

 

2) Voter Registration/Naturalization was chaired by Bill Barmettler and Alicia Lanier. They registered 70 new Democrats on July 10^th in Campbell. Valley Fair registration is scheduled for October 11, 12, & 19. More volunteers are needed to help on these dates. Contact Bill or Alicia to volunteer.

 

L.     Regional Director: Emy Thurber

M.     Democratic National Committee: Chris Stampolis

N.      Pro-Choice Coalition: Claudia Shope

O.      DTV Report: Steve Chessin

P.     CDC Report: Jay Jackman 

 

10.       ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ann Mack: Century Club meeting tomorrow will be in the Willows room. Please let me know tonight if you will be attending.

 

Dan Hoffman & Herb Engstrom: Public financing for the Secretary of Stateπs Office was just passed

 

11.        EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING: Norm asked that we please add sending money to the take back red states to the next eboard agenda. Dan asked that we add donating $500 to the UDC to the next eboard agenda.

 

12.        ADJOURNMENT: In memory of Don Fuller 9:20