TThhee NNeeww DDeemmooccrraatt A Publication of the Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) July 2019 In Memoriam Mark Your September 3, 1953 - June 30, 2019 Calendar! Dear friends, As we celebrate Independence Day Sunday, August 18, 2019 today, I write to you with great sorrow in my 4:00-7:00 pm heart. I am very sad to report that our dear friend and champion Eitan Fenson passed PDC Annual away Sunday, June 30th from complications of thyroid cancer. Details Family Potluck regarding his memorial on August 3, 2019, will Picnic & be forthcoming. Eitan was a founding member of Funwildl ber heald ait as er the DVC in 2012 and took on the role of , CEO in 2016 where he Cuesta Park provided great located directly beside the El Camino leadership and YMCA and El Camino Hospital, outreach. In 2018, Eitan brought together in Mountain View. resistance groups, Democratic clubs, and activists throughout the Special Guest South Bay to open the DVC early and offer a Speaker: space where we could all work together to achieve our Ricardo Lara progressive objectives. Insurance We will always remember his enthusiasm and tireless work on behalf of Commissioner of democracy and our common goals. California Please feel free to share your thoughts about Eitan and we will post them on the website. Send messages to: [email protected] As Karen Rivers said, "We must make Eitan proud in See page 7 and 8 for 2020, let's win this!" Remembering Eitan, information & map. Pam Salvatierra Chair, DVC Board of Directors The New Democrat 2 July 2019
nation devoted to representing detained immigrants before the immigration court — challenging conditions of confinement and contesting their confinement in federal court. ” This language is also taken from the UC Davis website. Cooper is one of the few advocates who is allowed to enter President’s the detention centers and talk with the people and children who are held there. She’s visiting the centers and interviewing Column children, some of them toddlers, to find out about their conditions. Here is her latest AP article, where she talks about the Leora Tanjuatco current conditions: https://www.apnews.com/46da2dbe04f54adbb875cfbc06bbc615 “In my 22 years of doing visits with children in detention, I have never heard of this level of inhumanity,” Cooper said. You’ve probably already read all the horrifying details, so I The woman fighting for won’t recount them here. But they’re unacceptable. Author Brene Brown recently said, “If your response is, ‘The parents should not have brought their children here illegally,’ sanitary conditions for know this: I pray that you never have to flee violence or poverty or persecution with your children. And, if the day comes that you must and your babies are forcibly removed from your arms, I will detained children fight for you too.” If you’d like to donate to Holly Cooper and her team, you can donate to Together Rising here: https://togetherrising.org/give/ Remember this fire. We’ll need it to fight next November.
Photo credit: https://www.apnews.com/46da2dbe04f54adbb875cfbc06bbc615 Hand I don’t have much to say this month, because I, like you, am painted so distraught by what I’ve read about the children who are being kept in various Border Patrol facilities around the country. silk Most of us are going to survive this Trump administration, but not everyone will. Some of the victims have been, and will be, scarf! children. Meet Holly Cooper, one of the lawyers on the front lines of this humanitarian crisis. According to the UC Davis website, she 8”x54” Habotai silk* “has extensive litigation experience defending the rights of immigrants and is a nationally recognized expert on immigration There are plenty detention issues and on the immigration consequences of of favorite Democrats Only criminal convictions.” to choose She heads UC Davis’ Immigration Law Clinic, which “stands from this season! alone in its statewide role providing critical advice to public Margaret in Connecticut defenders about the potential immigration consequences facing wearing an Obama immigrant defendants. The Clinic is one of the only clinics in the scarf! Made to order at [email protected] The New Democrat 3 July 2019
graduates have compassion and respect for everyone striving to Martin’s attain a better life. These goals can only be met with vibrant, strong and well- functioning public schools. That requires money as well as good EDITORIAL governance. Money cannot guarantee a good education, but the by PDC Member Martin Gorfinkel lack of proper funding does guarantee poor education. Charter schools are a menace to public education in California and in many other states. The original concept behind charter Some people are fond of saying that private enterprise can schools was to allow innovative educational programs without the handle tasks better and more efficiently than government. These burden of public-school bureaucracy. people want to privatize almost everything from Social Security to However lofty the original goal might have been, the current the postal service to the prison system to the schools. Their reality is that charter schools now offer selected students an premise is false! The result of privatization is at least added education at public expense, but without significant public expense for the consumer and at worst disaster for the country. oversight or benefit. Charters offer staffing by less experienced and Supporters of privatization of government argue that less credentialed personnel who are paid less than their government brings ponderous bureaucracy to any task. They say equivalents in the public system, and they drain funds from the Government does not provide for competition between suppliers public schools. and competition is supposed to drive prices down and quality up. Charter schools draw students by asserting that they provide The flaws in this logic are too numerous to deal with in one better results, on average, than the public schools when measured column. For the moment, suffice it to say that almost anyone with by standardized tests. At least three things are wrong with this experience working in a large company will attest that the claim: bureaucracy, inefficiency and sometimes the stupidity, of a 1. The differences are marginal and subject to debate. corporation is on a par with what exists in government and 2. Charter schools, in one way or another, select their students sometimes surpasses it. eliminating many of those most likely to do poorly on the tests. Privatization has extra costs for the public–and extra benefits 3. Standardized tests should not be used as the sole measure for those in the business. There are advertising and public of the quality of a school. Standardized tests could be one relations campaigns to sell the now-privatized goods and services; indicator of one portion of the goal of the schools, but they have there are executive salaries; there are stock-holder benefits, and little or no bearing on the function of the schools to produce good there are political contributions. It is big business. The rich get citizens. richer, and the political campaigns reap the money—at public The Charter School movement is well-financed privately, and expense. this private money makes large contributions to political Economic theory does show that capitalism generates optimal candidates in order to curry favor in the legislature. results for low costs, high production and customer satisfaction. Gaining oversight over the charter schools and/or limiting their But capitalism as defined for that result bears no relationship to influence and their growth will not be easy. Find out where your the real world, and capitalism as practiced in the United States representatives in Sacramento stand on charter schools, how does not come close to meeting the criteria of generating optimal much they have reaped in contributions from the charter schools, results in terms of public good and public satisfaction. That said, and what their stand is on current legislation to provide more the economic arguments will be set aside—possibly for a future public oversight and accountability while limiting charter school column. growth. Some work is too crucial to society to be entrusted to private The life of public education may depend on it. hands; the economics are irrelevant. Public Education is in this category. The primary goal of public education in a free society should be to guarantee a thinking, caring and rational electorate. Our public schools do provide job skills. We hope that graduates will come out of high school with the knowledge and skills to enable them to continue their education or to find productive work. But that is not the important reason for public education. Public education should prepare students to be good citizens in a democracy. Mathematics, science, history and grammar can all be learned from a book or from an on-line class. Learning to get along with people–particularly those with whom you do not share background or political views and learning to be responsible citizens and knowledgeable voters–are not easily learned without person-to-person contact with others, especially from diverse socio-economic, racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. We hope that students come out of high school with common goals for the common good – even if, or especially if, they have See page 6 for information on differing ideas as to how to reach those goals. We hope that Voter Registration & Issue Outreach The New Democrat 4 July 2019
Eric Swalwell, did a fine job, I thought, but I later heard him described as seeming to be running to be quarterback on his high CA Democratic Convention school football team. People are not always kind! The other big issue at the convention was election of a new super in SF! chair. There was a lively battle that went on for several months. In by Emy Thurber the end, labor leader from Los Angeles, Rusty Hicks, won the election with 57 percent of the vote. It was a convincing win. The California Democratic Convention was held in San He has reached out already to his opponent, lawyer Francisco May 31-June 2 and was a terrific event. Kimberly Ellis from Richmond and made her a co-chair of a First of all, conventions have generally been held every other newly formed committee to rework certain ways the state party year in Sacramento. They were fine but a little boring. This year operates. The anticipated hostility between the two major the Sacto Center is being renovated, and we ended up in San candidates seems to be dissipating. Francisco. It was expensive but extremely exciting to be part of Over 3,000 delegates attended – a record. People were our beautiful and lively neighboring city. excited, enthusiastic about defeating President Trump in 2020 The biggest attraction was that 14 of the 23 Democratic and genuinely hoping to “take our country back”! candidates for president came to speak. Each had about seven In the meantime, anticipate another statewide convention in minutes to present, and they all had something vital and November in Long Beach for endorsement purposes. The state important to say. I think almost all if not all of the delegates left party Executive Committee will meet in August in San Jose in the convention with optimism and pride in the candidates we case any of our readers want to attend. See the party website for heard. information. https://www.cadem.org /. I personally thought that several candidates stood out. Elizabeth Warren was the first speaker and did a very good job in sketching out her plans to remake our government. She was clear, concise and dynamic. The convention loved her. Close to that performance was Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota. Senator Klobuchar also laid out a short but thoughtful list of things she would like to accomplish as President. She was quite funny, which the conventioneers appreciated. For instance, she said that in her first campaign, she raised a big sum of campaign funds from ex-boyfriends! Everyone I met was impressed with her plans and her presentation. Mayor Pete was keenly anticipated. I found him adequate, but not nearly as dynamic as expected. Beto O’Rourke gave the first half of his speech in Spanish which some people understood, but to me seemed a bit pretentious. Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sought the middle of the road. He has apparently been successful in governing a purple state and cites his success in bringing warring factions together. He warned the assembled Democrats not to be too closely associated with socialism—which brought boos from the liberal attendees. Many interpreted this as a deliberate way to gain attention for his more middle-of-the-road policies. And on Monday he did get interviewed on the cable networks asking about the “boo’s”. John Delaney from Maryland tried the same tactic, but no one noticed. Senator Kristen Killibrand gave a rather nondescript speech on Saturday. It was my impression that she will not be a player in the final rounds. Bernie Sanders appeared on Sunday, was rousing and won an enthusiastic welcome from this generally liberal crowd. Julian Castro also appeared and gave a well-received, thoughtful speech. I think he surprised people by being so likable and eloquent. Cory Booker was at his best—passionate and dedicated to bringing the country together. Kamala Harris was ok but didn’t quite nail it. Governor Jay Inslee was descriptive of environmental (More Convention pictures on next page) problems but didn’t move me. Our local candidate, Congressman The New Democrat 5 July 2019 The Democratic Convention in San Francisco filled attendees with optimism and pride!
The DVC and PDC co-hosted a Debate Watch party The 2020 Campaign Season got a lively kickoff! The first Democratic Debate was shown on a large screen to fellow Democrats and other progressive activists!! Everyone enjoyed great food, wine and good conversations, and an After-Debate discussion with guest moderator, Mary Hughes. Save Our Democracy! Do Voter Registration & Issue Outreach! July through October 2019 Sponsored by the PDC and special friends: PYD & the Dean Club Learn what voters are thinking, enjoy spirited conversation, talk to folks about issues, collect petition signatures, build up the Democratic network, and have FUN while strengthening our democracy! We are looking for Volunteers and Leads to staff local Fairs and Festivals this summer. We need folks all summer long, so check your calendars and contact Voter Registration Coordinator Karl Kramer with the dates and times you are available. All training and supplies will be provided. • Los Altos Art and Wine - July 13 & 14 (10am-6pm) • Palo Alto Clay & Glass - July 13 & 14 (10am-5pm) • Menlo Park Summerfest - July 20 & 21 (10am-6pm) • Palo Alto Festival of the Arts - Aug 24 & 25 (10am-6pm) • Mountain View Art & Wine - Sept. 7 & 8 (11am-7pm, 10 am-6pm)
Other events may be added to the calendar so stay tuned! For more information, contact Volunteer Coordinators: Karl Kramer: [email protected] Laura Martinez: [email protected] Alexander Melendrez: [email protected]
PHOTO CREDIT: https://chambermaster.blob.core.windows.net/userfiles/UserFiles/chambers/2469/CMS/Festival_of_the_Arts/festarts-home-hdr.jpg Getting voters registered is the first step to supporting Democrats. Help eligible voters exercise their right to participate in our democracy by registering voters. The Peninsula Democratic Coalition’s website is www.peninsulademocrats.com PPeninsula DDemocratic CCoalition Annual PDC Picnic & Fundraiser Sunday, August 18, 2019 • 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Cuesta Park, located directly beside the El Camino YMCA and El Camino Hospital, in Mountain View $10 contribution at the door (children are free) Expected guests include elected officials and candidates. The picnic features good food, brief (very brief!) speeches, and drawings for a variety of goodies! Special Guest Speaker: Ricardo Lara Insurance Commissioner of California
The picnic is a potluck with enough food to make a meal. (Those who come early can generally fill up on desserts.) We request a $10 contribution at the door. Children are free. You can make your payment online by visiting: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/pdc2019picnic Wine, beer and soft drinks will be available; those attending are asked to bring a potluck dish to share (appetizer, main dish, salad, or dessert). Please bring your checkbook to make donations for exciting drawings: $5/ticket or $20/5 tickets! No reservations or RSVP required. For further information, visit www.peninsulademocrats.com.
The Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) is the oldest and largest Democratic Club in Silicon Valley. The PDC has a long history of promoting Democratic candidates and ideals and is chartered by both the Santa Clara and San Mateo County Democratic Central Committees. The PDC is affiliated with the California Democratic Council, a statewide coalition of grass roots clubs. The PDC has members throughout Silicon Valley including the towns of Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Stanford, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, San Jose, Menlo Park, Redwood City, Portola Valley, Atherton, Woodside, San Mateo, Belmont and San Carlos. The New Democrat 8 July 2019 The New Democrat 9 July 2019
Meet new CA Democratic No time limit for equality: Party Chair Rusty Hicks ERA lives by Nathan Kurz by Kavita Tankha
At our state’s 2019 It’s 2019. Women’s rights continue to be on the back burner, California Democratic Party and the United States Constitution continues to deprive women Convention in San Francisco, of equal rights under the law. What is more shocking is that most we elected labor leader Rusty people I’ve met have never even heard of the Equal Rights Hicks to be our new Chair. Amendment (ERA) while others think that it has already passed. Since he’s going to be playing However, the ERA, which would have provided a guarantee of an integral role in shaping the equal rights to all citizens regardless of gender, came short of CDP’s efforts in 2020 and ratification by the time of an earlier extended deadline in 1982. beyond, I figured we ought to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a firm believer of the need for an learn something about his ERA, has maintained that “every constitution written since the accomplishments, background end of World War II includes a provision that men and women and priorities. are equal citizens of equal stature. Ours does not.” Since 2015, Hicks has served In 1972, overwhelming majorities in both houses of Congress as the president of the Los passed the ERA with a provision that it be ratified by three- Angeles County Federation of Labor. As a labor union leader, fourths or 38 of the 50 states before being incorporated into the Hicks played a major role in advocating for raising LA’s minimum Constitution. However, at the close of 1982, the ERA came up wage to $15 and brought diversity to the Labor Federation’s three states short. Misleading propaganda by conservative women leadership, which now includes double the number of women as warned that an ERA would result in women being drafted, when he began and 60 percent persons of color. Born in Texas participating in same-sex marriages and using unisex toilets. the 39-year-old Hicks served a tour of duty in Afghanistan and Thus, the ERA, which had seemed destined to succeed, remains a Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve. He was California ultimately failed to reach the 38-state ratification requirement. political director for Obama in 2008 and also worked for Decades after its introduction, there is now a renewed sense Assemblyman Ted Lieu. of urgency, and many believe we may be on the verge of Hicks mounted an impressive campaign for leader of the something epic. California Democratic Party, touring all 58 counties in the state, On March 27, 2019, a group of 22 Senate Democrats, leading to his 57 percent win at the convention over activist encouraged by the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Kimberly Ellis. In a statement released following the election, Ellis Illinois in 2018 and Nevada in 2017, reintroduced the ERA in the said, “Certainly, there are challenges for us ahead, and I hope our Senate. new chair can bring harmony to our party during these difficult Now that we are one state short of the ratification times.” requirement, there is a growing consensus that Virginia—where Hicks comes into office after former Party Chair Eric Bauman ratification previously failed by one vote—may become the final resigned in the face of sexual harassment allegations. Hicks state to ratify the ERA if Democrats win a majority of seats in pledged to “end the disgrace of sexual harassment and Virginia’s House elections this November. misconduct in our party,” noting he created a task force to come If the ERA can clear the 38-state requirement, Congress can up with a zero tolerance policy. amend the time limit requirement for ratification. After all, as In his first 100 days, Hicks has also promised to take steps to Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, institute new grassroots training and development programs, puts it: “There can be no time limit on the pursuit of equality.” reduce the cost of participation in the party, expand its presence Further, the fact remains that the original deadline for ERA in rural California and increase the size of the party’s Executive ratification was not in the amendment itself, but only in the text Committee. Hicks said that his first priority is to “unify a very of the joint resolution to the amendment, and thus not a true diverse membership around a common goal and do the hard, component of the requirement. gritty, house-to-house, work that’s really required to win these An ERA would guarantee equal legal rights to all Americans elections.” regardless of gender. It would require states to intervene in cases In one pre-election interview, he told KQED’s Scott Shafer that of gender-based violence and discrimination against pregnant he was already looking ahead to 2022, beyond 2020, as a women and mothers. Moreover, it would federally guarantee challenging election cycle for the party. Not only will the state equal pay, an issue we continue to struggle with. have new Congressional district lines, but Governor Gavin Just as Justice Ginsburg has said, “I would like to be able to Newsom will likely be seeking a second term, and the party will take out my pocket Constitution and say that the equal have to fight off low voter turn-out typical of mid-term elections, citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental tenet of all evidence of the need for robust infrastructure to help the CDP our society, like free speech.” maintain the seats it won in 2018 and will win in 2020. The New Democrat 10 July 2019
elections. Multi-language accessibility is increasing with both ballots and voter information, postage on returned vote-by-mail California leading the nation ballots is now free and so much more. With all the expanding voter accessibility, there has still been with voter access legislation no proof supporting Trump’s claim that millions vote fraudulently in California. Instead the democratic process, while still not by Alexander Melendrez perfect, has improved and continues to be more inclusive, diverse and representative of those who live in California. A while back I wrote an article titled, “San Mateo County Expanding the vote doesn’t stop there as California lawmakers Leading the State for Future Elections.” Well, consider this the continue to expand voter access to all eligible California voters. spiritual sequel. In a short review of my last piece, I wrote how On June 19, 2019, the California Assembly Elections and San Mateo County was an earlier adopter of the SB450 or the Redistricting Committee (AELC) moved forward both Assembly “Voter’s Choice Act.” The bill created several changes to our Constitutional Amendment 4 (or ACA 4) and ACA 8. ACA 4, voting systems, mostly with the intent to increase voter turnout introduced by Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Mullin, looks to and accessibility to all eligible voters across the state. expand voting access to 17-year-olds who will be 18 years old by Implementation isn’t always perfect, and the topics of “Open- the next general election. Source” systems are still going on, but in the realm of voter ACA 8, introduced by Assemblymember Evan Low, AD-28, accessibility, California is continuing its quest do as much as it will lower the voting age to 17 years old across all races in can. It is time once again for California to lead the nation in California. The “Free-the-Vote Act” with ACA 6 (also passing voter accessibility. through the AELC) and AB 646, are a pair of bills looking to In my last piece, I wrote that, “In recent years, we’ve heard restore voting rights to parolees in California. stories of states passing suppressive voter ID laws, many of which We also have a state-first here in San Mateo County with our are tied up in federal court. There was also the President’s now Accessible Vote-by-Mail system allowing voters with disabilities to defunct “Voter Fraud Commission”, which several experts vote “privately and independently by accessing and marking a including Professor Richard L. Hasen of the University of ballot in a screen-readable format from any computer.” Once the California, Irvine, agreed was a “faux commission” designed to ballot is printed out, it can be returned to the Elections Division. argue for more voter suppression laws.” This system has been vetted through San Mateo County’s Voter Sadly, we are continuing to see ever-evolving forms and Accessibility Advisory Committee or VAAC. attempts of voter suppression from all levels of government. Eight more counties plus the original five in California will Even in the Supreme Court, we saw Ohio’s Voter-Purge Law move to implement the Voter’s Choice Act. upheld. The law allows the state to remove voters from the The phrase “As California goes, so goes the nation” is still very registration rolls if they fail to confirm their address, don’t vote for much alive. However, it is up to us and our elected leaders to see another four years or within two federal election. that going forward, more voters have more access to voting. It is Another example includes Georgia closing, consolidating and up to these very elected leaders who are now more reducing voting sites while implementing “exact match” voter representative of California’s population to protect and expand registration where any failure to match existing state and federal the vote. documents would put your registration on hold. It is now up to California to provide the model for how to The thing is that voter fraud has never been an issue. restore our Democracy by allowing more not fewer voters access According to the Washington Post, even the National Republican and to communicate that example to a future Democratic Lawyers Association only published 332 alleged cases of fraud President. nationwide from 1997-2011. This is out of hundreds of millions of votes cast. Sources: America has a history of using voter fraud as a tool for voter (My past article): suppression, especially against people of color. The floodgates for https://www.smdailyjournal.com/opinion/guest_perspectives/san- voter suppression have recently opened up again ever since the mateo-county-leading-the-state-for-future- 2013 overturn of portions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, elections/article_30326fe2-5c82-11e8-9d68-d3f583331b4d.html requiring states and districts with a history of voter suppression https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2017/06/donald-trumps- and discrimination to clear voting law changes with the Federal voter-fraud-commission-is-itself-an-enormous-fraud.html Government. https://www.npr.org/2018/06/11/618870982/supreme-court- However, California has chosen a different path. A quick upholds-controversial-ohio-voter-purge-law google search will find that California is not absolved of its own https://www.vox.com/policy-and- racial history, even in regard to suppressive voting laws, but in the politics/2019/3/6/18253689/voter-suppression-georgia-kemp- last decade, the state has made it easier for eligible citizens to investigation-cummings register and vote, while increasing overall turnout. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/10/22/voter- Motor Voter laws now allow an automatic option to register fraud-isnt-problem-america-low-turnout- potential voters at the DMV. You can now vote by mail up to 29 is/?utm_term=.2e9dca291a28 days before the election, 16-year-olds can pre-register to vote https://gould.usc.edu/students/journals/rlsj/issues/assets/docs/is readying them to do so the day they turn 18, local and state (continued on page 9) elections are being shifted to even years to coincide with federal The New Democrat 11 July 2019 California PDC hosted an event on (Continued from page 8) Housing sue_17/09_California_Macro.pdf On June 16, the PDC hosted an event entitled “Housing and https://www.npr.org/2018/04/05/599868312/fact-check- the Democratic Party - Where do the Democratic Presidential trump-repeats-voter-fraud-claim-about-california Candidates Stand on Housing?” Held at the Mitchell Park https://aelc.assembly.ca.gov/sites/aelc.assembly.ca.gov/files/Roll Community Center, guest speakers were from Don Weden, callResults_A_88353.pdf retired Principal Planner for Santa Clara County, Adrian Fine, Palo https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_ Alto City Councilmember, Nicole Fernandez, Chair of the San id=201920200ACA6 Mateo County Democrats, and Leora Tanjuatco, President of the https://www.initiatejustice.org/parole-voting-rights-aca6/ Peninsula Democratic Coalition. They each talked about their https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voters-choice-act/about-vca/ housing visions for the area. The discussion included how Democrats can come together on issues like rent control and increased housing production and the housing stance of each Democratic presidential candidate. It was very well attended. Who Am I? Due to the fact that there are now 24 Democratic candidates running for president, this contest will now run two candidates per issue to make sure we cover them all! We’ll see what happens after the Presidential Primary Election - March 3, 2020.
Pictured above, (left to right) are the guest speakers Don Weden, Leora Tanjuatco, Adrian Do you know who this Fine, and Nicole presidential candidate Fernandez. is? Find the answer to #1 on page 12.
Do you know who this presidential candidate is? Find the answer to #2 on page 12. The New Democrat 12 July 2019
the very important things that we’re doing now. But we’re Funnies by Janice looking at it very seriously because you can’t do that.” This is not a well man. By Janice Hough, PDC Member • More WTAF from Trump and homelessness – ”I had a situation when I first became president. We had certain areas of Washington, D.C., where that was starting to happen, and I • The only thing we have to fear is fear itself and rain on the ended it very quickly.” teleprompter? So what, he picked people off the street and hired them? • Admittedly didn't hear much of Trump's Fourth of July Explains a lot. speech. But it must have been inspiring to hear about George • White House statement “It is sad but not shocking that the Washington piloting a stealth bomber across the Delaware. haters choose to attack Ivanka Trump, a senior adviser to the • Guess no one told Trump that Alexander Graham Bell was president, when she is promoting U.S. efforts to empower an immigrant? women through strategic partnerships with world leaders.” • Continental Airlines is no more, but all the times I got Looks like Sarah Sanders may be gone, but she left behind her delayed at their Newark Airport hub, I clearly should have a goodly supply of burnt facts. reminded myself of the brave men of the Continental Army who • Guess no one told Trump “Take your daughter to work” was fought there. a day, not a four-year-term. • The audio-animatronic Trump at Walt Disney World would • Some conservatives using Ellis Island as an example of the have given a more inspiring and life-like speech. way immigrants SHOULD try to come to US. Ellis Island had a • Since I only caught snippets of Trump teleprompter speech I 98% percent acceptance rate – yet more proof that education am confused: When George Washington crossed the Delaware causes Democrats. what plane did he fly on? • Donald Trump “didn’t expect” this last minute meeting with • But makes sense, if as Trump said Americans seized airports Kim Jong Un to take place like a girl with her sights on a prom from the British during the Revolutionary War, maybe that date “didn’t expect” to run into a boy at school after lurking near explains why the Brits enact such retribution form us regularly at his locker for days. Heathrow. • Chris Matthews asked Kamala Harris “How do you not hate • In all seriousness, does anyone think Trump had actually white people?” read any of the US history he spoke about before he read it July It must have been so tempting to respond “I don’t hate white 4 on the teleprompter? people. I do, however, intensely dislike stupid people.” • A hearse driver in Nevada was pulled over driving solo in • Can anyone imagine if a Democratic Presidential candidate the carpool lane, and was let off with a warning when he said he joked with say, Justin Trudeau or Angela Merkel about meddling had a corpse in back. in the 2020 election? But while we’re talking carpool lanes, shouldn’t any woman • Trump’s head of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken who thinks she might be as much as a few days claim GOP says Cuccinelli blamed that immigrant father for killing himself and his they are able to use them? daughter. • Amazed that Trump is lying that his 4th of July ego fest won’t So I assume Ken thinks those who died at the Berlin Wall cost very much. Expected him to say he would personally pay the deserved it too? costs, and then ignore the bill as usual. • “America doesn’t want to watch a food fight. They want to • If you’re upset about Nike removing a flag with 13 stars know how we’ll put food on the table” Kamala Harris. because it’s become a symbol of racism, but you were fine with Although upon further reflection, considering what TV shows Nike paying and promoting both (alleged, twice) rapist Ben are popular these days, maybe America DOES want to see a Rothlisberger, and serial cheater Tiger Woods, then maybe candidate food fight. American values are not your issue. • Several Democratic Presidential candidates visited the • Ted Cruz is urging Nike boycott because they decided not to Homestead Children’s Detention Center before their debates. sell the shoe with the Betsy Ross flag. Well, not like Nike did You know who HASN’T visited the Homestead facility? Donald anything really awful like accuse Ted’s father of murder. Trump. Although it’s less than 2 hours from Mar-A-Lago. • Not that I’m advocating property damage but one way to Guess it’s too hot for him to play golf afterwards. have kept tanks out of DC on July 4th would have been for • Trump didn’t respond last night to Kobluchar’s line about someone to spray-paint John McCain’s name on all of them. not doing foreign policy at 5 a.m. in one’s bathrobe. Wonder if • This famous liberal might have had something to say about when she said it he WAS in his bathrobe? Trump's military parade: • As a former waitress I can say it wasn’t professional for a “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket restaurant employee to spit on Eric Trump. Also, as a former fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger waitress, I can say he’s lucky the employee spit on him and not and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” in his food. - Dwight D. Eisenhower. • As media basically ignores Jean Carroll story your reminder • Direct quote from Trump as reported by Fox News website that same media made it front page news when a woman said tonight on the homeless situation in America: ”It’s disgraceful. Joe Biden put his hands on her shoulders and smelled her hair. I’m going to maybe and I’m looking at it very seriously. We’re doing some other things that you probably noticed like some of The New Democrat 13 July 2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MONTHLY MEETINGS Where: First Congregational Church of Palo Alto, 1985 Louis Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee Road. Join Democratic and Resistance friends viewing the meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at second debate on a huge screen! Enjoy food, wine and good 70 West Hedding, San Jose. Call 408/445-9500 for information. All are conversation and participate in the post-debate discussion. welcome to attend. Donation: $35 (or more) to begin to fund our 2020 DVC local Campaign Headquarters. RSVP and donate securely online a San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee https://secure.actblue.com/donate/dvd-july2019 . meets for their General Meeting on the third Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm at the Transport Workers Union, Local 505 building located at 1521 Rollins Road in Burlingame. AUGUST THE ANNUAL PDC FAMILY POTLUCK PICNIC & The PDC Board of Directors meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second WEDNESDAY of each month at the Palo Alto Unitarian Church, 505 East FUNDRAISER Charleston Road, Palo Alto, Fireside Room; all are welcome. Sunday, August 18 JULY 4 – 7 p.m. Cuesta Park in Mountain View Tuesday, July 16, 7-8:30 p.m. Clean Money Peninsula Action Group Meeting with Nancy Be sure to mark your calendars!! Cuesta Neff. Park is located directly beside the El Camino Where: Palo Alto Unitarian Church, 505 E. Charleston Rd. YMCA and El Camino Hospital, in Mountain Come fight Big Money impacting our democracy with 4 View. Clean Money bills under discussion NOW by CA Legislature: SB- 47, SB-636, AB-1217, AB-1784. SEE DETAILS & RSVP for the Guest speaker: Ricardo Lara, California evening meeting, Tuesday 7/16! Insurance Commissioner. http://yesfairelections.ngpvanhost.com/ngpvanforms/19074 SEE PAGES 7 AND 8 FOR MORE INFORMATION AND THE MAP OF CUESTA PARK. Saturday and Sunday July 20 & 21 PDC/PYD ACTION: Register Voters/Save Democracy: Menlo Park Summerfest Join us registering voters at this DID YOU KNOW ? upcoming festivals. Work a 2 1/2-hour shift and feel great about helping citizens be ready to exercise their right to vote come the Thanks to Board member Chris Roat, March primaries. We will train you on the spot. Email Lead Pam you can now find the PDC Calendar on Salvatierra to say you will help: [email protected] the PDC webpage. For details about many upcoming events of interest to Democrats. Monday, July 22, 6-8 p.m. Click Here: http://www.peninsulademocrats.com/ Family Event for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CD-19) Where: Olia Cocina, 17 N. Pedro St. San Jose. One click takes you to the webpage, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s Taco Monday Fiesta. RSVP/Pay then look at the menu bar across the top online: Donation levels: $20.20/guest; $100, $250, $500 (Kids and click on Calendar. That’s all there is under 16 eat free!) to it! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/zoetacofiesta Click Here: PO Box 913, San Jose, CA 95113 or Jeff Larivee at http://www.peninsulademocrats.com/ [email protected] or 408-410-2665 You can also RSVP and pay for events Tuesday, July 30, 5:30-9 p.m. and renew your PDC/PYD membership through the website. Wednesday, July 31, 6 p.m. (PDT) on CNN Click Here: DVC/PDC/PYD DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE http://www.peninsulademocrats.com/ WATCH PARTY DEM LA O The Peninsula Democratic Coalition U C S R P.O. Box 97 N A
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