TThhee NNeeww DDeemmooccrraatt A Publication of the Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) October 2015
Mayor’s Panel Luncheon set Mark Your to discuss important local Calendar! issues The Peninsula is blessed with extraordinary prosperity. Jobs are being created at a pace unparalleled in the rest of the nation. Property values are increasing rapidly, whereas other parts of the country struggle to recover from the Great Recession. Our State schools are top-tier. Highly skilled workers, talented students, of the *and families seeking a high quality of life are drawn to the Peninsula from all over the world. Unfortunately, not everyone is benefiting from this thriving CITIES economy. Skyrocketing housing costs are pricing out low- and middle-income families, including many longtime residents. Employers are struggling to recruit and retain workers, who Mayor’s Panel cannot afford the high cost of living. As housing in job centers becomes increasingly unaffordable, workers are commuting from farther away, causing intolerable traffic congestion and many Sunday, November 15, 2015 wasted hours. Local governments are contending with these difficult 11:00 a.m. ~ 1:00 p.m. challenges and increasingly frustrated constituents. How can we mitigate the impacts of accelerating job growth? What can we do about displacement and the highest housing costs in the nation? Michael’s at Shoreline Restaurant How can we maintain a high quality of life for both longtime and new residents? 2960 N. Shoreline Blvd Please join the PDC on Sunday, November 15, Mountain View, CA 94043 as we convene a panel of local Democratic mayors to discuss these and other issues of Lunch Buffet Cost: interest to the community. Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian will moderate the $25 Members, $30 Non-members discussion. All are welcome to attend! (See payment options in the box to the left.)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: Panelists: Please RSVP and PAY by Wednesday, November 11 . Mayor Lisa Yarbrough-Gauthier, East Palo Alto Mayor Karen Holman, Palo Alto Reservations and payment can be made online Mayor John McAlister, Mountain View at www.peninsulademocrats.com/mayorspanel Mayor Jan Pepper, Los Altos
To RSVP by US Mail, checks must be received by Moderator: Wednesday, November 11 . The admission fee Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian DEM includes lunch. Make checks payable to PDC. LA O U C Note: Mayor’s Panel. S R N A
I
T T T T
Mail to PDC, P.O. Box 97, Los Altos, CA 94023 N
I I I I
C C
E E E E
P
For questions, call Carol at (650) 941-8190. P
C www.peninsulademocrats.com O N A LITI O The New Democrat 2 October 2015 Pearls of Wisdom: News from Amy Pearl President’s Column The Most Qualified Presidential Nicole Fernandez Candidate You’ve Never Heard Of – Why don’t we draft this guy? Dear Democrats, (Note: numbers in parentheses refer to citations at the end of Welcome to the October issue of the New Democrat! Out the article) with sun, sandals and hot temperatures, in with falling leaves, scarves, wind, and perhaps, El Nino to help alleviate our years He was raised in Middle America in a middle-class family. In long drought here in California. college he was President of the student government. In his Ivy It's an exciting time in my home county of San Mateo. League law school he was on the Law Review, worked at the Unlike Santa Clara County, San Mateo County has a number school’s Immigration Center, volunteered at the local Legal of really important municipal, school board, and special Services, and researched the problems of migrant workers for a district elections in November. I implore each of you, whether Senate subcommittee. After law school he worked for a non-profit from San Mateo County or Santa Clara County, to find a that championed the rights of immigrants and their children. candidate you care about and help them out. It takes a lot to His wife and he raised their family in his wife’s home state stick your neck out on the line and run for office, and those where he practiced and taught law and ran legal clinics Democrats who are seeking elected office need all the support representing poor people. An effective lawyer, brilliant and we can offer them! inspiring, he became the first person of color to be named a And speaking of those who have the guts to run for elected partner at his law firm. He served on the boards of several non- office, keep an eye out for information about our exciting profit organizations and large corporations, including as the first Mayor's Panel taking place in November – right after the person of color board member of a major US retailer. He twice election, as it were! We'll have the mayors of Mountain View, earned a spot on the National Law Journal’s list of the 100 most Los Altos, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto talking about issues influential lawyers in America. He co-founded a state non-profit important to the mid-Peninsula region, and we're thrilled that for the rights of immigrants and their children. He chaired a state this discussion will be moderated by Supervisor Joe Simitian of task force that reformed the state’s immigration policy. A Santa Clara County. committed Democrat, he campaigned for Democratic candidates Please also look forward to future issues where we'll be in his state and around the country. sharing information on the world-renowned PDC Holiday Party! He became the first person of color to be elected to the US Senate from his state, serving for 8 years, winning re-election with 67% of the vote. He sponsored over 400 bills of which 11 were MARK YOUR CALENDAR! enacted into law during a time of extreme partisan divisiveness. Saturday, October 24, 3:30-5 p.m. He was appointed to the US Cabinet, one of only 30 people of color ever to have been so appointed. He served in the Cabinet Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, CD-18, for 4 years and was an innovator both on policy issues as well as Re-Election 2016 Launch modernizing communications in the digital age. Where: Home of hosts Chris Kelly and Jennifer Carrico (Full The Reveal address upon request) When I tell you that when “he” ran for President in 2008, he With so much at stake in next year’s election, Anna is eager got the most votes of any Democrat running in the primary, you to advance our values in Congress to make progress for our won’t be surprised that this “he” is a “she,” and I’m describing district and our country: climate change, preserving middle class jobs, trade, mass migration around the world, gun control, Hillary Clinton’s male doppelganger. While like our “guy” above reproductive health, immigration, defending the ACA, she has been an advocate for immigration and criminal justice innovation. reform, her lifelong social activism and service has been human Contributions: $5400; $2700; $1000; $500. rights and improving the lives of families in America and around Online: AnnaEshoo4Congress.com the world. As an undergraduate and at Yale Law School, as a Checks: Payable to Anna Eshoo for Congress, 2350 Taylor young lawyer, as a mother, First Lady of Arkansas, First Lady of the Street, Suite 7 | San Francisco, CA 94133 US, US Senator, US Secretary of State and grandmother, she fax 650-403-0405 [email protected] , Securely actively worked on childhood education, improving the rights of contribute at AnnaEshoo4Congress.com disabled children, advocating for universal health care for all Credit Cards: Please provide credit card details-Visa, Americans, and improving the safety and quality of life of families MasterCard (Continued on page 4) The New Democrat 3 October 2015
Measuring the success of schools as they attempt to provide an informed electorate could be a problem – at least in the short Martin’s run. It would be ideal to develop an idiocy scale for politicians and political advertising. Then school students could be exposed EDITORIAL to taped speeches, printed advertisements, and television spots. A school would be graded on the percentage of students who correctly identified the idiot utterances. The test should work for Public education in the United States is seriously broken. The any grade level – in fact, we might discover that kindergarten and situation is recognized by almost everybody; however the policy primary grade students had better bull shit sensors than their makers, from Arne Duncan to the local school boards, are older school mates. focused on the wrong problem; it is not surprising that they come Over the long term success would be easy to observe. The up with wrong solutions. country could look forward to intelligent, informed leadership at The first step in an evaluation is to identify the objective. all levels of government. We could enjoy political campaigns Public education has a long list of objectives – many of them based on policy differences and substantive discussion rather controversial; however, two statements should be beyond than attack ads and obfuscation. controversy: Education should be focused on helping students to learn how 1. High scores on standardized tests is not a primary goal of to think critically, how to evaluate the truth of assertions. An public education. important part of that focus should be broadening the experience 2. Development of the informed electorate necessary for a of all students. Education must be more than job training and well-functioning democracy is a goal of public education. more than the subject matter of a limited number of fields. Logic to the contrary, all efforts at educational evaluation and Here is a definition from Wikipedia: reform are based on the results of standardized tests. From time Education is the process of facilitating learning. to time the tests are changed – but the evaluators seem locked in Knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits of a group of to some form of standardized test. When one test is found people are transferred to other people, through lacking, another takes its place. storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, or research. The tests are evil. Questions tend to be either ambiguous or Any experience that has a formative effect on the way trivial. The tests can be used to compare two populations one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational.
differentiated by race, income, or school attended, but there is Martin Gorfinkel
) n a i c i t i l o p ( _ l l i H _ y r r e J / i k i w / g r o . a i d e p i k i w . n e / / : s p t t h : m o r no standard to remove bias imbedded in the test questions. That F
. s r o s i v r e p u S f o d r a o B y t n u o C o e t a M n a S e h t d n a , r o y a is all grist for another essay; the point here is the effect of testing M
s a m r e t e n o d e v r e s e h e r e h w , l i c n u o C y t i C o e t a M n a S e h t n on public education. o
n e e b s a h e h e c i v r e s c i l b u p n i s r a e y 0 2 f o d o i r e p a r e v O . t c i r t s i
Standardized tests cover a limited number of subjects. The d
h t 3 1 e h t g n i t n e s e r p e r e t a n e S e t a t S a i n r o f i l a C e h t f o r e b m e results recently published show scores for “Mathematics” and m
c i t a r c o m e D a s i ) 7 4 9 1 , 8 1 l i r p A n r o b ( l l i H " y r r e J " . A d l a r e “English and Language Arts.” Those are important portions of an G
l l i H y r r e J r o t a n e S ? I m a o h W ) e g a p k c a b ( r e w s n education – but it would be a travesty if students learned nothing A outside of those fields. Yet the testing environment forces the schools to reduce the time spent on other subjects in order to maximize test scores. Emphasis on the tested subjects is a rational policy if “success” is measured entirely on the basis of test scores; that emphasis is a disaster for those who insist that science, history, civics, music, and art are an important part of education. The dependence on standardized tests creates a teaching environment that is hostile to the goal of producing an informed electorate capable of making wise choices at the ballot box. Without knowledge of history voters cannot identify policies which have failed in the past; without appreciation for art and music, voters have no way to judge the wisdom of government grants in those fields; without some exposure to science, voters have little hope of sorting out blatantly false assertions based on Do you have something brilliant to say about the political ideology rather than fact. landscape today? Does something really get your goat Consider the recent debates among Republican presidential candidates. In spite of their assertions: Inoculations are not the and you want to share it with everyone? The next cause of autism; climate change is real and dangerous; Planned year will be filled with lots to talk about so send us your Parenthood provides a wide range of health services for Medicare stories! that have no connection to abortions; etc. If the electorate were Submissions subject to review and acceptance by the well informed and capable of analyzing political speech the Editorial Board. candidates spouting nonsense would suffer in the polls and at the Send with subject line “PDC editorial” to ballot box; that suffering would weed out the inept candidates [email protected] . and encourage those remaining to be a bit more careful. The New Democrat 4 October 2015
voter registration for Americans when they turn 18. (6) Pearls (Continued from page 2) In recent candidate rankings, Crowdpac ranked Clinton as a 6.5L (L being liberal) on a scale ranging from 10L to 10C, making in America and around the world. As a US Senator and Secretary her the third most liberal Democratic presidential candidate. See of State she has unparalleled legislative and international (7) for a visual on where the candidates (plus Joe Biden) fall on the experience. As a Senator she was known for working across the liberal-conservative scale overall. aisle when there was common ground. And when there isn’t Right now America needs a President who is practical and common ground, there is no one tougher. idealistic; someone progressive and experienced enough to get The Hillary America Doesn’t Know things done; someone tough enough to take a stand for American Hillary came to the national public eye when Bill Clinton ran for families. That’s what Democrats need in order to win the President. It’s hard to remember what the times were like for Presidency in 2016. For more information on Hillary’s record see women in the 1990s, just 25 years ago. We take it for granted now https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/hillary_clinton/3000 in the age of Sheryl Sandberg, but not long ago a brilliant, equal, 22 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton . If you’d like strong, professional woman who retained her maiden name was a to find out more or get involved with her campaign, go to threatening concept to Middle America. Much of the early www.hillaryclinton.com or contact backlash against Hillary, and her defensive response to that public [email protected] . reaction, stems from those times. In her 2008 Presidential campaign, Hillary retained the practice of a defensive posture, (1) http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/hillary-clinton- trying to avoid criticism by playing it safe. She emphasized her 2016-presidential-election-107905 abilities and qualifications compared to her male competitors over (2) http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/hillary-clinton- her personal story. Times have changed, even since 2008. This is drops-her-guard-in-iowa-121394 ) evident in her different personal and campaign style today: during (3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton- an interview in June 2014, Clinton said, “I am truly done with, you releases-broad-campaign-finance-reform- know, being really careful about what to say because somebody plan_55ee4c7ce4b093be51bbe7ea might think this instead of that. Whether you agree with it or not, (4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZwguLJVxsM you know exactly where I come from, what I think, what I feel. It (5) https://medium.com/@HillaryClinton/why-i-oppose- feels a little bit liberating, to be honest.” (1) This is evident in her keystone-xl-8698230df2a8 campaigning differently this election (2) and from the strong policy (6) https://www.hillaryclinton.com/feed/hillary-clinton-we- positions she has taken since announcing her candidacy. Here are should-make-it-easier- just a few of her strong, progressive positions: vote/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=tw&utm_campa Hillary released her campaign finance reform plan in ign=20150604remarks_votingrights September 2015. It goes beyond a call for a constitutional (7) https://www.crowdpac.com/elections/2016-presidential- amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision. The election Huffington Post reported, “Clinton’s proposals include a handful of actions she could influence immediately if she won the White House. She promised to issue an executive order requiring all government contractors to disclose their campaign contributions, MARK YOUR CALENDAR! including to outside groups that currently do not disclose donors. Friday, October 16, Check-In & Reception: 6 p.m., She said she also would advocate for the Securities and Exchange Dinner & Program: 7 p.m. Commission to issue a rule requiring all publicly traded companies Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American to disclose their political spending, including undisclosed outside spending, to their shareholders.” (3) Democratic Club Dinner and Awards Night: She announced her climate change policy on July 26, 2015. Sustaining Our Legacy She focused on two national goals: installing more than 500 million Where: San Jose Airport Garden Hotel, 1740 N. First St., San Jose solar panels across the country by the end of her first term and 2015 Award Recipient include Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, CD-18: generating enough renewable energy to power every home in 10 Norm Mineta Lifetime Achievement Award; Margaret Okazumi, Activists years. In a video released by her campaign promoting her plan, of the Year, plus additional award announced soon! Clinton attacked Republican presidential candidates who “still refuse to accept the settled science of climate change. Who would Cost: Individual tickets-$100; Grand Sponsor-$5,000; Silver Sponsor- rather remind us they’re not scientists than listen to those who $2,500; Table Sponsor-$1,000 are.” (4) And on September 23, Hillary announced that she is Purchase tickets online: http://democracy.com/APIEPAC/event- opposed to the construction of the Keystone Pipeline (5) detail.aspx?eventId=2997 Speaking at Texas Southern University on June 4, 2015, she Please forward all requests for sponsorship and advertisements to advocated for protecting and expanding Americans’ voting rights Vedant Patel at [email protected] by Wednesday, September and criticized Republicans for “systematically and deliberately 30th . trying to stop millions of American citizens from voting”. Clinton Mail checks payable to API Empowerment PAC to SVAPADC Dinner, recommended restoring the Voting Rights Act, expanding early and 465 North Wolfe Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94085 Questions: absentee voting, creating a national early in-person voting period [email protected] . that lasts at least 20 days, and establishing universal and automatic The New Democrat 5 October 2015
substantive ones were: - Change the deadline for submitting club rosters from July 1st [24ad-delegates] Summary to July 15th. This gives each Club two weeks to put together its roster of members who were in good standing as of July 1st, of the August 14-16 2015 rather than having to submit the roster on that same day. - Eliminate the six-month delay between when a County CDP Executive Board makes changes to its non-partisan office endorsement procedures and when it can use those changed procedures in making meeting endorsements. - Give flexibility to the scheduling of the vote on statewide By Steve Chessin ballot measures and recall elections to any Convention or E- Here is a summary of the important items discussed at the Board meeting the same year as the election, as opposed to the August CDP E-Board meeting. Please ask your club leadership to one immediately before the election. share this report with their members. There are also changes to the ADEM procedures being Platform : discussed. You can find them at http://www.cadem.org/our- The 2016 Platform process is underway. The starting point is party/cadems-in-action/standing-committees/body/ADEM- the 2014 platform, available at http://www.cadem.org/our- Proposal-8-11-2015 .pdf california/platform/2014-platform The most controversial one is changing the balloting from (Please note that the CDP website has been re-organized and secret to open. oldbookmarks may not work anymore.) Testimony on the proposal can be submitted at The deadline to submit testimony is 5pm Friday November http://www.cadem.org/our-party/standing-committees/rules- 13th. Online testimony is preferred and can be submitted via testimony and is due by December 15th, 2015. (If you make the http://www.cadem.org/our-party/standing- text boxes larger you might make the Submit button at the bottom committees/platform-testimony . scroll out of view. Selecting "Show Only This Frame" will help.) Any Democrat can submit testimony, not just DSCC members. Democratic National Convention : The first draft of the platform will be sent to all DSCC Information on becoming a delegate to the National members no later than Wednesday January 6th, 2016. The Convention can be found at http://www.cadem.org/our- deadline for amendments to the first draft is 5pm Wednesday party/national-convention January 27th. Those amendments will require support from at The key dates (all in 2016) are: least 5 DSCC members (can all be from the same AD) or at least • February 29 - Forms ABC (District, At-large , PLEO) become 5 Democrats, one each from at least 5 different ADs. available. The second draft of the platform will be made available at • April 13 - Filing Deadline for District-level delegates. Convention, as soon as possible after the Friday, February 26th, • May 1 - Congressional District Caucuses (one per meeting of the Platform Committee. Any amendments not Presidential candidate). adopted by them will be resubmitted to the Saturday meeting of • June 7 - Primary. the Platform Committee if signed by at least 300 credentialed • June 10 - Filing Deadline for At-Large and PLEO Delegates. delegates or their proxies by 5pm Saturday, February 27. Any of • June 26 - Statewide Delegation Meeting (to select At-large those amendments not fully adopted by the Platform Committee and PLEO delegates). will go to the floor of the Convention on Sunday February 28th. • July 25-28 - National Convention in Philadelphia, Resolutions : Pennsylvania. A ton of resolutions were adopted, too many for me to Note that the estimated cost to attend the Convention summarize. You can find them at http://www.cadem.org/our- (including airfare, hotel for five nights, food and incidentals, and party/cadems-in-action/standing-committees/body/Final- attending the statewide delegation meeting) is between $1,750 resolutions-v4.pdf and $3,400. The only controversial one was Resolution 15-05.55, 'Calling If you have any questions after reading the materials on that on President Obama to withdraw his executive order declaring page let me know. Venezuela “an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. National Democratic Candidate debates : security and foreign policy”'. It was pulled off the consent The following debate schedule was announced by the DNC: calendar and after debate was passed 97 to 21. • October 13 – CNN – Nevada Legislation : • November 14 – CBS/KCCI/Des Moines Register – Des The Legislation Committee report can be found at Moines, IA http://www.cadem.org/our-party/cadems-in-action/standing- • December 19 – ABC/WMUR – Manchester, NH committees/body/2015-Leg-August_-REPORT-2 .pdf • January 17 – NBC/Congressional Black Caucus Institute – The only controversial item was SB 128 (Wolk) End of Life. It Charleston, SC was pulled from the consent calendar and after debate the • February or March – Univision/Washington Post – Miami, motion to support it was adopted on a voice vote. FL By-laws changes : • February or March – PBS – Wisconsin Many technical changes to the by-laws were adopted. The (Continued on page 12) The New Democrat 6 October 2015
and other progressive social causes. He supports protecting and expanding Planned Parenthood, and his push for single-payer healthcare means more women and children insured and with access to necessary and life-saving reproductive healthcare, prescriptions (including birth control), and life-saving preventative care. Sanders has advocated forcefully for paid maternity and paternity leave and paid vacation, arguing that these benefits belong to all families, not just employees of Netflix. And his proposal to move to a single-payer Medicaid program would facilitate innovative employment models like Uber’s who classify Why We #FeelTheBern workers as contractors, not employees. Sanders embraces the label “democratic socialist,” which by Margaret Okuzumi and Tessa Brown conveys his commitment to accessible education, healthcare, and benefits for American voters, so that all may enjoy a decent life With double-digit polling leads over other Democratic primary with dignity to build a stronger nation; to create a minimum level candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire, Senator Bernie Sanders of opportunity and security for all in the wealthiest country on of Vermont is a serious contender for the Democratic nomination earth. His clear language and comprehensive platform have and the U.S. presidency. And he can win. helped make progressive ideas mainstream again, and his Since summer, Sanders’ numbers have risen astronomically message is being spread by the tens of thousands who attend while Hillary Clinton’s have stagnated or decreased. A recent each of his rallies and the 184,000 people already volunteering YouGov/CBS News poll shows Sanders leading Clinton by 22 for his campaign. points in New Hampshire and 10 in Iowa. Meanwhile, Senator Berkeley professor Robert Reich and others have already Clinton’s favorability rating has slipped from 48 to 43 points begun debunking the Wall Street Journal's fallacious assertion that while Sanders’ has doubled as voters get to know him. A recent Sanders' proposals would cost $18 trillion. On the contrary, they poll found Sanders in a 3-way tie for Vermont Republicans’ top note, Bernie Sanders’ proposals are likely to save us money while pick for president. making needed investments in our nation’s future productivity. What do voters like so much? In a stagnating, post-Recession Finally, and most importantly for many Democratic voters, economy where 42% of income gains since 2009 have gone to Sanders has a consistent and reliable political record that inspires the top 1% of the population, voters appreciate that Sanders is trust. Sanders supported gay marriage in the 1970s, decades honest about these economic realities and has specific policy ahead of the Democratic Party platform and much of the country. proposals to combat them. Unlike Senator Clinton, Sanders voted against the Iraq War, In areas of affordable education, health care, racial justice, against the Patriot Act and its reauthorization in 2006, and, and climate change, Sanders has been the Democratic party’s sharing a keen understanding of money and the economy similar primary agenda-setter, his policy proposals seeming to predict to that of Elizabeth Warren, against the bailout of the Wall Street Clinton’s of weeks or months later. For example, Sanders’ banks. Unlike Clinton, Sanders has also come out strongly against proposal for tuition-free public college, released in May, the death penalty and the Keystone XL pipeline. A few months anticipated Clinton’s loan-free college affordability plan, ago, Climate Hawks Vote ranked Sanders as the number one announced in August. climate leader in the Senate, and has ranked him in the Top 3 for But Sanders has strengths beyond his strong and detailed the last two Congresses as well. California Democrats know more progressive platform. As an experienced politician with 9 years’ than anyone that we need a climate leader in the White House. experience in the Senate and 16 years in the House of Bernie Sanders is inspiring people across the political Representatives representing a conservative, rural state, Sanders is spectrum, including younger voters who have energetically joined looking like a powerfully electable Democratic candidate in the the campaign. And he has broad support here in Silicon Valley! general election. He is already garnering support among On July 29th, thousands of Bernie supporters gathered to watch Republicans, Independents, and conservative Southern his livestreamed address to volunteers at dozens of meetups Democrats. A pragmatic, cooperative legislator, he has been across the Bay Area. Margaret’s meetup in Cupertino had 240 called the “The Amendment King” for his record of passing more attendees, and Tessa attended a meetup in Sunnyvale with 100 amendments than any other member of Congress. supporters. Silicon Valley is fired up for Bernie and we hope you Sanders’ commitment to communicating progressive values will join us at one of our many weekly outreach events. across partisan divides was displayed on September 14 when he Contribute at bernie2016 .com , sign up to volunteer at accepted an invitation to speak at the ultra-conservative, siliconvalleyforbernie.com , and find Silicon Valley for Bernie on evangelical Liberty University in Virginia. In his speech Twitter ( @sv4bernie ) and Facebook. There are so many reasons (http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the- to #FeelTheBern—we hope you’ll learn more about Bernie fix/wp/2015/09/14/bernie-sanders-liberty-university-speech- Sanders and join the movement. annotated/ ), Sanders framed growing American poverty as pressing a moral concern, while maintaining a clear and uncompromising stance about his support for liberal issues like gay marriage and women’s reproductive freedom. (Continued on page 7) For his entire career Sanders has championed women’s issues The New Democrat 7 October 2015
Letters (Continued from page 6)
We Democrats can regain the U.S. Senate in 2016 Save Our Democracy! Gregory Loew and Noveed Safipour Do Voter Registration & Issue Outreach! The current Senate comprises 54 Republicans, 44 Democrats and 2 Independents. In 2016, we must win five Through October 2015 Senate seats in order to definitely secure control of the U.S Sponsored by the PDC and special friends: Senate. There are nine pickup opportunities, as well as nine PYD & the Dean Club Democratic candidates running in presently Democratic seats, as shown below. Remember these names! They will Learn what voters are thinking, enjoy spirited be our key Senatorial candidates in the 2016 cycle. conversat (Democrats are bolded in blue vs Republicans. * = ion, talk to folks about issues, collect incumbent) petition signatures, build up the Democratic Potential Democratic Pickups : network, and have FUN while strengthening our Arizona: Ann Kirpatrick vs. John McCain* democracy! Florida: Patrick Murphy or Alan Grayson vs. David Jolly, Ron DeSantis, etc. We are still looking for Volunteers and Leads to staff Illinois: Tammy Duckworth vs. Mark Kirk* Farmers’ Markets. We need folks during the fall season, Indiana: Barron Hill vs. Todd Young, Eric Holcomb or Marlin so check your calendars and contact Voter Registration Stutzman Coordinators Noveed Safipour and Zack Ross with the Missouri: Jason Kander vs. Roy Blunt* dates and times you are available. All training and New Hampshire: Maggie Hassan (pending announcement) supplies will be provided. vs. Kelly Ayotte* Ohio: Ted Strickland or P.G. Sittenfeld vs. Rob Portman* Pennsylvania: Joe Sestak, Katie McGinty, or Ed Pawlowski Farmers’ Markets: vs. Pat Tooney* • Palo Alto - Gilman Avenue Palo Alto Wisconsin: Russ Feingold vs. Ron Johnson* (Saturdays 9am-12:30pm) • Mountain View Train Station East entrance Evelyn Democratic seats up for reelection : (Sundays 9am-1pm) California: Kamala Harris or Loretta Sanche z vs. Tom Del Beccaro, Rocky Chavez, or Duf Sundheim Colorado: Michael Bennet* vs. Darryl Glenn For Farmers’ Market volunteering Connecticut: Richard Blumenthal* vs. August Wolf information, contact Hawaii: Brian Schatz , no known Republican opponent so far Noveed at [email protected] Maryland: Chris Van Hollen or Donna Edwards , no and Zack at [email protected] Republican opponent so far Nevada: Catherine Cortez Masto vs. Joe Heck DEM LA O New York: Charles Schumer* , no known Republican U C opponent so far S R N A
I
T T T T
Oregon: Ron Wyden* , no known Republican opponent so N
I I I I
C C
E E E E
P far P
Vermont: Patrick Leahy* , no known Republican opponent so C O N far A LITI O Washington: Patty Murray* vs. Chris Vance Getting voters registered is the first step to Through donations, phone banking, and outreach to supporting Democrats. friends in other states, we can help make sure Democrats Help eligible voters exercise their right to participate regain control of the U.S. Senate! Stay tuned! in our democracy by registering voters. The Peninsula Democratic Coalition’s website is www.peninsulademocrats.com The New Democrat 8 October 2015
contaminated water. Fracking operations also constitute a very high risk to the surrounding area’s water supplies. This includes impacting both the surface water and underground aquifers, PDC Climate which can affect people and animals many miles away from the fields. The oil and gas operations in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, and Colorado have caused contamination to the water supplies, as Team Report described in documentary films. In addition, it has been shown in peer-reviewed studies that fracking does pollute the surface and ground water. The greatest risk to ground water is from high- pressure waste water injection wells, a necessary aspect of all petroleum recovery operations. Despite high-volume use of chemicals in fracking, only partial information is available on what these chemicals are or how they can affect health. The Endocrine Disruption Exchange examined the toxicity of 353 chemicals used in fracking. Of those, they found that 25 percent can cause cancer and mutations; 37 percent affect the endocrine system; 40 to 50 percent affect the brain, kidneys, and nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems; and more than 75 percent affect the skin, eyes or other sensory organs, and the respiratory and/or gastrointestinal system. Consider the chemical benzene, which is extremely toxic — even in tiny amounts. are unsafe. Benzene is a known carcinogen—it can cause leukemia (blood cancer) and a serious blood disorder, aplastic anemia. Benzene is present in oil and gas that is brought to the surface and is also in the surrounding air. In the short term, benzene can also cause dizziness; eye, skin Health Effects of Oil & Gas and respiratory tract irritation; unconsciousness, and even death. With California’s present severe drought, fresh water has become a precious resource. In order to fracture a single well Extraction site, natural gas companies typically use over 4 million gallons of Katherine Forrest, MD, MPH & James Dahlgren, MD fresh water, with added chemicals. The water also becomes Oil and gas extraction poses a number of health threats to saline (salty). Use of California’s fresh water for fracking purposes people in Santa Clara county and adjacent counties. Oil and gas means that that water cannot be used for other purposes, such as extraction in Santa Clara County is concentrated in the Sargent agriculture and drinking water. Once contaminated, it cannot go Oil Field, in the southern part of the county. The technique used back to its earlier fresh state. is fracking (hydraulic fracturing), which involves forcing a mixture Injection wells are created to dispose of the huge amounts of of water and chemicals into underground rock formations, as far used fracking solution. This contaminated water then can seep as two miles away from the well itself, in order to break up the into underground aquifers. There are four injection wells in the underground rocks and release oil and gas. Sargent area, two of which are being used to dispose of used Oil and gas extraction, whether by conventional means or by fracking solution. That water cannot be retrieved or purified for fracking (hydraulic fracturing), can cause a number of adverse other uses. health effects on the nearby population. People living or working The increased possibility of earthquakes is another threat to near the extraction sites face health problems related to road human safety and well-being in Santa Clara County and building, heavy truck traffic, drilling, pipelines, etc., such as surrounding counties. In several other states, an increased respiratory (breathing) problems due to air pollution and direct frequency and severity of earthquakes has been shown to be exposure to the oil, gas, and fracking solution. related to injection wells, which are typically deeper Environmental and epidemiological studies have revealed that underground than the fracking wells. Four active earthquake living near oil and gas operations, including oilfields, is a danger faults are near the Sargent Oil Field. The San Andreas fault is to the health of those individuals. A 2011 Los Angeles County about two miles away and the Sargent fault goes right through Health Study found an excess of cancer and birth defects in the oil field. people living within 1.5 miles of an oil field. The county officials In the global picture, extraction and burning of fossil fuels for minimized the findings but they are in fact consistent with the energy purposes is disrupting the climate of our whole planet. known toxicity of oil and gas operations. Birth defects were also Heating of the atmosphere and the oceans is already causing shown to be associated with density and proximity to gas wells in multiple adverse health effects through heat waves, crop failures, Colorado. spread of diseases from the tropics to more temperate zones, However, a fracking site may also pose health problems to increased respiratory problems such as asthma, and extreme people farther away from the oil or gas extraction site. Water weather events. If we care about the future for humanity, it is contamination can cause many health problems both in local urgent that we stop extracting and burning fossil fuels—in Santa people and in those farther away who are exposed to Clara County and around the world. The New Democrat 9 October 2015
“political consultants” and ran the successful campaigns of Assemblyman Byron Sher for State Senate. We also ran for the County Central Committee where we held a variety of jobs – Jim as Finance Director and Chair for many years of the JJ Dinner. I worked with club outreach and in several other county jobs. I now have taken on the Finance Director’s job since Jim has retired. We also have been on the California Democratic Party E Board where I now serve as a Co-Chair of the Resolutions on the PDC Board Committee and Jim is on Rules. We’ve attended three national conventions as delegates – for Clinton, Gore and then Clinton. We hope to stay engaged in both Jim and Emy Thurber local, county, state and national politics as long as we can pick up a phone and say something intelligible. We love the Democratic Party and the values it represents and treasure our wonderful experiences and fine friends we have made along the way. PS. I almost forgot. We have both served as President of the PDC, Jim 2x, and have been on the board since 1990. Emy Thurber
Ever wonder why people don’t work together more to do something about the Jim and I have been a political team for a long time (just celebrated our 65th wedding anniversary). Jim grew up in climate crisis? Boston where his father faithfully attended the yearly town It’s starting to happen now in Santa Clara and San Mateo meetings in Milton, MA, and inspired Jim to love local counties. government while I was raised in a Chicago country suburb In September, Judy Plaska and Kate Forrest, both PDC where my father, whom I adored, was an admirer of Roosevelt, Board members and members of the PDC’s Climate Action perhaps the only one in town! Political discussions were a Team, participated in a couple of planning sessions for nightly occasion and my ambition was to be in Congress. creation of a Silicon Valley climate action alliance. The idea of We met at Stanford where Jim was editor of the Stanford Daily trying to form an alliance was initiated by 350-Silicon Valley, and pursued a journalism career, first with the Wall St. Journal, because they had seen this approach work in other areas. then as a writer at Stanford and finally as a Foreign Service We knew that many people were concerned about a Officer with the US Information Agency, whose job was to “tell variety of climate-related issues, such as clean energy, public America’s story to the world.” I followed a traditional woman’s transportation, the effects of extreme heat on the elderly and path of those years (50’s and 60’s) being a mother of four and those who can’t afford air conditioning, and getting specific helpmate to Jim although I was co-chair of the Women’s Division legislation passed. If all these concerned people could work of the CA Dem Party in Santa Clara County (imagine a single sex together and get more people involved, we could make a political group for Democrats!) just before we joined the U.S. bigger impact. government and moved to Tanzania in 1967. On September 17, representatives of 23 different From 1956 to 1967 we lived in Los Altos where Jim served organizations got together to share ideas about what their seven years on the Los Altos City Council, four as mayor. He also members needed the most, what kinds of activities their ran for Congress in 1962 against a longtime incumbent from groups had been engaging in, and what they would want an Gilroy, Charles Gubser. It was a great adventure but ended with alliance to do. In addition to 350-SV and the PDC, some of our staying in Los Altos. the other organizations that participated in this initial After six years in Africa (Tanzania, Malawi and Nigeria) we exploratory session were Citizens Climate Lobby, Transition, moved to Washington D.C. I got a job in Senator Alan Cranston’s Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action (PICA), the Sierra Club, office which lasted nearly five years. I loved working on the Hill Friends of Caltrain, Acterra, the Green Party, Sunnyvale Cool and admired the Senator greatly. I later worked for Alan after our Cities, and the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center. assignment to Pakistan and finally worked on his unsuccessful but If any of you reading this would like to join the PDC or very well organized and funded presidential campaign in 1984. PYD, and specifically the Climate Action Team, let Judy Plaska We returned to Los Altos after a final “overseas” tour in know at [email protected] . Ottawa, Canada, and plunged into political work. We became The New Democrat 10 October 2015
handful of students. His poise and unyielding commitment to Davina Hurt equality for all was inspiring. He never waited for permission, but pushed forward to shape the world because it was the right A Vibrant Young Democratic Leader thing to do. My parents similarly taught me that if you want it, and a Candidate for the Belmont City you must go after it and do it 110%. And, if you get tripped up along the way, you stand up and brush off your ‘britches’ and Council keep plowing forward without missing a beat.” When asked what her priorities are for the City of Belmont, By Diane Rolfe it did not surprise me that she succinctly stated: “I want to If you are a passionate improve the quality of life for all.” Her top priorities that she advocate for encouraging superb wants to achieve are: 1) strengthening all neighborhoods by young leaders in the Democratic investing and maintaining the infrastructure; 2) preserving open Party, you will soon become a spaces, 3) focus on economic development so people can shop big fan of Davina Hurt, a locally and give back to the city, and 4) creating community member of the PDC Board who spaces that “bring us together” and build a stronger sense of is now running for the Belmont community. City Council in the November, This remarkable public servant and dedicated Democrat was 2015, election. Trained as an born in Gary, Indiana, but raised in Rockwell, Texas, a small farm attorney, her resume seems more town outside of Dallas. She attended Baylor University majoring appropriate for someone 55 in History and Political Science and went on to Santa Clara years old, not 39. University School of Law. For relaxation she loves to read and She has been an activist write short stories, listen to music, and she is a lover of lawyer promoting civil rights, architecture. She lives in Belmont with her husband, Matthias international peace, Hausner, and her daughter, Anika, age 10. environmental protections, I firmly believe that the next entry on her resume’ will be her fighting tenant and housing November election to the Belmont City Council. And, I firmly discrimination, working on anti- believe that Belmont and the state of California will be hearing trust and securities fraud, and as the present Vice-Chair of the much more about Davina over the next decades. The Bay Area Planning Commission of Belmont, her first concern is strong and California needs her empathetic, decisive, and strong infrastructure maintenance that upgrades the roads, sewers and leadership. water in the community of Belmont, and secondly, the “moral compass issue of workforce/affordable housing for all members of the community.” I had the pleasure to work closely with Davina when she was the Campaign Manager (CEO) of the Democratic Volunteer CALENDAR Center (DVC) in 2014 and that is when it became apparent to me that the Democratic Party had a rising star in Davina. Her OF EVENTS work ethic, organizational skills, initiative, and political vision led the DVC to have a smooth-running operation that involved 1000 MONTHLY MEETINGS volunteers who worked tirelessly to elect and re-elect Democrats Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee across California. Think of the success of Congresswoman Eshoo, meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Governor Brown, and Rich Gordon and successful statewide 70 West Hedding, San Jose. Call 408/445-9500 for information. propositions. Davina successfully led the Board and volunteers to Anll are welcome to attend. make our CA candidates winners. One quality that makes her especially effective is impeccable The PDC Board of Directors meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second civility and graciousness. She has the ability to bring people together to solve problems and that means finding common ground WEDNESDAY of each month at the Palo Alto Unitarian Church, using her superb listening skills. When I asked Davina, what was the 505 East Charleston Road, Palo Alto, Fireside Room,; all are greatest problem facing our nation, she quickly responded: “a lack welcome. of empathy.” Davina has empathy in great measure. Her kindness is a powerful strength that motivates others. EVENTS: OCTOBER 2015 Davina has been inspired by three persons in her life that encouraged her to be a better person——Julian Bond, her father Tuesday, October 13, 6 p.m.? (Tyrone Hurt) and her mother, (Barbara Hurt). Davina’s words FIRST DEMOCRATIC DEBATE. are most eloquent, “Each of those 3 individuals has lived and Due to space limitations in the newsletter this breathed the struggle for social justice and the resilience of month, please see pages 1, 2, and 4 for some bouncing back from adversity because you must. I met Mr. Bond calendar listings and for complete calendar listings, back in Baylor University (when I was a student) in a small setting where he talked about his experiences around a table with a visit the PDC website, peninsulademocrats.com The New Democrat 11 October 2015
and not gotten caught? Funnies by Janice • In Costa Rica last weekend, authorities say a mob of tourists, many with selfie sticks, crowded a beach and prevented sea By Janice Hough, PDC Member turtles from laying their eggs along the Pacific Coast. Where is a good tsunami when you REALLY need one? • John Kasich at a lunch for a group trying to attract more • Leaving aside the illegality of it, does Jeb Bush’s response of Hispanic voters: “I look at our friends in the Latino community as “Maggie Thatcher” for a woman to be on the $10 bill mean he people that ought to be voting Republican. … They are great, can’t think of ONE worthy American woman? (and he's supposed caring, hardworking folks. And a lot of them do jobs that, that to be the smart one?) they’re willing to do. That’s why in the hotel you leave a little tip, • Jeb Bush just admitted to smoking marijuana 40 years ago, you know?” “other people might have done it but may not want to say it in Beginning to see why the Ohio governor keeps his mouth front of 25 million people. My mom’s not happy that I just did.” largely shut during the debates….. Wow. Jeb smoked pot. And somewhere Barbara is thinking of his • Here we go again: Bristol Palin wrote about the President brother and just giggling. inviting teen clock maker Ahmed Mohamed to the White House. • Over 22 million people tuned into CNN’s GOP debate. “This is the kind of stuff Obama needs to STAY out of. This Well, if all it takes is an outspoken entertainer as part of the show encourages more racial strife that is already going on with the to get people’s attention, can we include Jon Stewart or Bill “Black Lives Matter” crowd and encourages victimhood.” Maher in the Democratic debate? Right, as opposed to when GOP candidates issue invitations • A friend noted this quote from Marco Rubio during the and heap praise on, say Kim Davis. CNN GOP debate: “These problems cannot be solved by • Guess Sarah Palin couldn’t let her daughter have all the intellect.” Well, then that’s not an issue for most anyone who was headlines, so she too is ranting over Ahmed Mohamed, saying the on that stage. boy is an “obstinate-answering student” (say what?) , and that his • Ann Coulter is facing more than the usual bipartisan criticism device “obviously could be seen by conscientious teachers as a after she tweeted during the GOP debate “How many f–ing Jews dangerous wired-up bomb-looking contraption.” Adding “Right, if do these people think there are in the United States?” Maybe she that’s a clock, I’m the Queen of England.” forgot that one of those Jews is Sheldon Adelson? So in addition to everything else Sarah has delusions of royalty? • The Coolidge, AZ, City Council voted to allow prayers • Trump says “I am not morally obligated” to correct a man before council meetings, including a stipulation that they be who claimed Obama was a Muslim. Uh, Trump was correct after Christian. Where are the GOP defenders of freedom of religion the first 11 letters. on this one? • My friend Owen Byrd shares this tweet from • Joe Biden says that Donald Trump has a “sick” message, and @JaymayAllDay: “If Carly Fiorina really wants to destroy Planned is “appealing to the baser side of human nature, working on this Parenthood, she should become its CEO.” notion of xenophobia in a way that hasn’t occurred in a long • The CEO of Volkswagen has resigned. Guessing soon he'll time.” Wonder how many Trump supporters are thinking “What’s have the rare opportunity to be making license plates for his own xenophobia? Trump’s just against all these damn foreigners.” cars. • Lots of candidate talk about Ronald Reagan. Not much talk • A DC man has started a Change.org petition "Dear Pope about Reagan’s tax hikes, increased budget deficit, and signing an Francis. Our Metro system is having some troubles. All of DC immigration act in 1986 that which granted amnesty to almost 3 would be grateful if you could find the time to bless it during your million undocumented immigrants. Am sure it’s just coincidence. upcoming stay. Maybe a Papal Blessing is just what it needs." • All these candidates who want to defund Planned Hmm, any chance he could also have the Pope bless Congress? Parenthood and talk about family planning alternatives. Would • Mike Huckabee said today that President Obama is just one of them like to name one such alternative. And their plan to “pretending to be a Christian.” I’m thinking at this point that fund welfare for children born from unplanned pregnancies? Huckabee is just pretending to be a plausible human being. • All this GOP discussion of “judicial tyranny” with the • Mike Huckabee’s latest complaint – “there are people who Supreme Court on the subject of gay marriage. Where were all vote and they have no idea what our Constitution says.” With all these clowns when the Supreme Court declared George W. Bush due respect, Mr. Huckabee, there are people who run for office President? and they have no idea what our Constitution says.” • Carly Fiorina goes back to the marijuana gateway drug line. • In an Oklahoma school, a pre-K student was allegedly So she's going to replace "Demon Sheep" with "Reefer Madness?" forced to write with his right hand and sent home with a note • Donald Trump just released a policy paper saying he wants about the “evil” of being left-handed. Waiting for Mike Huckabee to end bans on certain gun types, and that he supports or someone to make this about Christianity and religious freedom. nationwide concealed carry permits. Fine. Can the Donald start by • Mike Huckabee and some other conservatives ARE upset allowing concealed carry at all his campaign events? that, among the 15,000 people Obama has invited to an event for • The EPA has accused Volkswagen of installing a “defeat Pope Francis, are a handful of LGBT Catholics and even pro- device” in 482,000 cars sold in the U.S to trick regulators and choice Catholics. You know who isn’t upset about their inclusion? evade federal emission regulations. The Pope. So, the question, is Volkswagen just the nastiest, most dishonest • Scott Walker is dropping out of the Presidential race. So bad car maker? Or have other companies just installed better software news, Wisconsin, for the next few years you’re stuck with him. DEM The Peninsula Democratic Coalition LA O U C P.O. Box 97 S R N A Los Altos, CA 94023-0097
I
T T T T
N
I I I I
C C
E E E E
P P
C O N October 2015 A LITI O
Printed on 100% recycled paper. C
Executive Board
(Continued from page 5)
Panel discussion on "Public Employees. Pension and Retiree Healthcare Benefits. Initiative Constitutional Amendment." : We has a presentation on a ballot measure being circulated that "Eliminates constitutional protections for vested pension and retiree healthcare benefits for current public employees, including those working in K-12 schools, higher education, hospitals, and police protection, for future work performed. Adds initiative/referendum powers to Constitution, for DEM determining public employee compensation and retirement LA O U C benefits. Bars government employers from enrolling new S R N A
I
T T T employees in defined benefit plans, paying more than one-half T
N
I I I I
C C
E E E
cost of new employees’ retirement benefits, or enhancing E
P P
retirement benefits, unless first approved by voters." Since it C hasn't yet qualified for the ballot, the Party doesn't have a O N A LITI O position on it, but we would definitely be opposed to it. See http://letstalkpensions.com / for more information. The New Democrat Published monthly by The Peninsula Democratic Coalition
P.O. Box 97, Los Altos, CA 94023-0097
President: Nicole Fernandez Vice President: Judy Plaska Editor: Emy Thurber Design/Layout: Kristen Lohnes Johnson Email: [email protected] Do you know who this Web site: www.peninsulademocrats.com elected offical is? Find the Opinions expressed in signed columns represent answer inside on page 3. views of the author and are not necessarily official positions of the PDC. For advertising rates, email Kristen Johnson at [email protected] The Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) is chartered by the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee, and affiliated with the California Democratic Council (CDC) www.cdc-ca.org Join the Peninsula Democratic The Peninsula Young Democrats (PYD) is a group within the PDC for members under age 36; the PYD is Coalition on Facebook! affiliated with the California Young Democrats.