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Volume 2015, Issue 3 M. Davin & J. Melaugh, Co-Editors Special Election 2015 DoR SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION Vote for Susan Bonilla May 19 Q&A with DoR-Endorsed State Senate Candidate Susan Bonilla

DoR emailed the following five Bonilla: It's impossible to pick questions to the Susan Bonilla one, but I'm very proud of the campaign. Bonilla’s written work we did to expand responses follow the questions. Monument Impact to become a center for job training, protecting DoR: What is the single biggest the Delta and opposing the twin difference between you and tunnels, reforming the state’s your opponent? education funding formula to put more money into local schools Bonilla: I have a strong track while giving local districts and record of effective leadership and parents more control, and bringing people together to get results for balancing budgets 13 years in a row. Contra Costa County families and small businesses. That's why I've been endorsed by DoR: In a nutshell, why is it critical that we the California Democratic Party and leaders keep our schools public and fend off like California Attorney General Kamala attempts to privatize them? Harris, State Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion Tom Torlakson, former Congressman Bonilla: Public education is a core part of the George Miller, and former Assemblywoman American dream; and ensuring that every child Joan Buchanan. has access to a high quality public education is absolutely essential for the future of our DoR: What progressive values drive your State and the success of future generations. position on that difference? DoR: With so many ongoing crises in our Bonilla: I was raised in a family that put great state, what gives you the single greatest value in helping others and public service. I hope for optimism in the coming years? became a teacher and have raised daughters who teach as well. Bonilla: I'm optimistic because I know how great our State is and how amazing the people are. Seeing the innovation and the DoR: What single accomplishment are you energy that drives young people in our proudest of in your many years in public communities give me great optimism despite life? the challenges we face. 12

THE ROSSMOOR DEMOCRAT May 19, 2015, Special Election Edition

President Jane Walter’s Message

Susan Bonilla: system with county job What Has She Really Done? opportunities. She developed partnerships to open the Michael Susan Bonilla is a former high Chavez Center for Economic school teacher who won a seat Opportunity to provide job on the Concord City Council and training for residents along worked her way up the political Concord’s Monument Corridor. ladder to become mayor of Concord and Contra Costa Working to balance consumer County supervisor. She is protection with small business currently District 14 State needs, she authored a bill that Assemblywoman representing Contra Costa clarifies insurance coverage for transport- and Solano counties. She is now running tation network companies such as Uber against Steve Glazer for the District 7 State and Lyft. This bill ensures that drivers and Senate seat. The Democrats of Rossmoor passengers are protected while still Board of Directors, while considering whether supporting the innovative ride-sharing model. or not to endorse her, took a good look at Susan worked on legislation that establishes Susan’s record as a public official. We found the highest safety standards for California that she has a long and impressive record of industrial sites while protecting manufacturing public service during which she worked jobs. tirelessly for Progressive causes. Susan has also authored historic legis- In the Assembly, Susan is chair of the lation expanding health-care access for Assembly Business, Professions, and women and several public safety Consumer Protection Committee and sits on measures. The Message Therapy Reform both the Assembly Health Committee and the Act works to eliminate human trafficking and Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee. prostitution from the massage industry. She also chairs the Assembly Select AB2560 and A1432 address child abuse Committee on increasing the integration of cases in the public schools by ensuring that STEM education in California K-12 schools. all credentialed school employees understand She recently was appointed to the State their reporting responsibilities and training Allocation Board, which apportions the them to identify child abuse and neglect. remaining voter-approved California school construction bonds and addresses all policy Susan has a long history of advocating for issues put forward from school districts the public schools. She was active in statewide; the board is also responsible for supporting transitional kindergarten and hearing and taking action on school appeals. hopes to make preschool available to all children. She authored Assembly Bill 484, While serving in her local community, Susan signed into law by Governor Brown in 2013. built and expanded job training programs This law enables our schools to phase out and job creation efforts and successfully outdated STAR testing and prepares students helped residents get back to work during the for better assessments that reflect the real- recession. As a member of the Contra Costa world knowledge needed for today’s job County Board of Supervisors she created the market. Susan recently gained committee Foster Youth Employment Program, which approval of a bill that establishes the Common Continued on Page 3 provides young people in the foster care

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THE ROSSMOOR DEMOCRAT May 19, 2015, Special Election Edition

President’s Message, continued from Page 2 accelerated or fully accredited medical education programs to become and Next Generation Science licensed physicians. This bill was Standards Implementation Fund, co-sponsored by the Medical which together allocate $1 billion Board of California and the from the State’s General Fund for University of California. educational resources, teacher support, and integration of Susan has an exemplary technology in the classroom. record of supporting environ- mentally friendly bills in the She also introduced a bill that Assembly. Recently she establishes the California introduced legislation that will STEM AmeriCorps program, which is ensure that a specified amount of cap-and- designed to improve the academic trade revenue will be used for the performance of K-12 student in STEM areas. development of infrastructure and purification As a leader for women’s rights, Susan also technology for biogas. This will reduce the authored AB2350, which requires universities emissions of green house gases and increase to adopt policies to implement Title IX and investments in biogas development, which protects the rights of pregnant graduate will ultimately decrease our reliance on students. She recently introduced the College natural gas. Opportunity Act, which reverses the proposed cuts to the Cal Grant program, which is the The evidence is clear: Susan Bonilla has State’s largest financial aid program. an impressive record of accomplishment in working for progressive causes during Adding to her legislative accomplishments, her years of public service. If elected to Susan led efforts to secure an additional the State Senate there is no question that $26.7 million for the K-12 high-speed she will build on this record in an network to meet the Internet requirements for exemplary manner. That is the main reason implementation of Common Core standards. that I support her candidacy for this position This additional funding is in addition to last and that is the main reason that she was year’s successful procurement of $1.2 billion endorsed by the Democratic Party, former for Common Core implementation, Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, Congress- professional development of teachers and man Mark DeSaulnier, former Congressman technology upgrades for schools. George Miller, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, and all of the In the health area, Susan authored legis- Democratic clubs in the area, including the lation that expanded health care access Democrats of Rossmoor. for women and a successful bill that addresses the shortage of trained medical Best Wishes,

students in this State by allowing graduates of Jane

þ Donate, signup for opportunities to volunteer, or read Susan’s statements on important issues at www.susanbonilla.com/.

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THE ROSSMOOR DEMOCRAT May 19, 2015, Special Election Edition

Who Pays for all this Garbage? It’s Time to unPAC by Marilyn Davin

As we approach yet another election, and this one for a single State Senate seat, I seem to find more mailers in my mailbox than ever before. They are printed on expensive glossy paper stock and hurl insults at his/her opponent, depending of course on whose bull is being gored.

So who or what exactly is paying for all this garbage? In my admittedly unscientific study of the matter, I decided to follow the money for the four most recent mailers I have Working Families Opposing Glazer has spent received: two for Bonilla, two for Glazer. $120,175 to support Bonilla. Susan Bonilla for

The two for Glazer were paid for, respect- Senate 2015 is Bonilla’s campaign fund, tively, by Bill Bloomfield and by JobsPAC. which lists endorsements from many state According to the San Francisco Chronicle, elected officials, teachers, and public Bloomfield, a wealthy Southern California employee unions.

Republican-turned-Independent, has donated I have renewed respect for journalists who more than $850,000 of his own money to the cover in-depth campaign funding. It was Glazer campaign. He writes, in an open online cumbersome to ferret out just this general letter to potential donors, that the District 7 information from endless online pages of State Senate seat race is “the single most campaign- and candidate-related lists, letters, consequential” state legislative race in years. endorsements and the like, all slanted in their

On to the PAC: JobsPAC, sponsor of the presentations by the biases of the authors — second Glazer mailer. JobsPAC describes on all sides.

itself as “a bipartisan coalition of California One thing that is clear is that, in general, employers” but also funds charter school Glazer’s supporters are heavy on the interests. JobsPAC’s list of contributors reads business and charter school side, and Bonilla like a “Who’s Who” of big business. is heavy on the side of educators and public

The two mailers supporting Bonilla were paid employees. This is a divide one would for by, respectively, “Working Families typically expect from a Republican/Democrat Opposing Glazer 2015” and “Susan Bonilla contest rather than one between Democrats. for Senate 2015.” Working Families Opposing But then, unsurprisingly, the Republican who Glazer 2015 describes itself as “a committee withdrew from the primary threw her support to elect Bonilla for Senate 2015, sponsored to Glazer, who looks in many respects more by firefighters, doctors and dentists organi- like a Republican than a Democrat. Bonilla is zations.” According to Election Track, the true Democrat in this race.

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves , and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Voter Registration Special Election Voting

If you don't know if you are registered Susan Bonilla and Steve Glazier will be on the to vote, you can check your voter ballot of the May 19 Special General Election. The registration status online at Special Election is to fill the unexpired term for the www.cocovote.us/. State Senate District 7, vacated following Mark DeSaulnier's election to Congress. Important Date

May 4: last day to register to vote in Rossmoor Polling Place Is the Fireside Room • the May 19, 2015, Special General Each Rossmoor voter has a precinct number that is Election preceded by the city code: WLCRxxx. Your precinct number is on the back page of your Sample Ballot You Need to Re-register If and Voter Information Pamphlet, in the middle on

• You moved to a new permanent resi- the left side. Bring your precinct number or the dence, even within Rossmoor, pamphlet with you so that you can go directly to your precinct table at Fireside when you arrive. • You changed your name, Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in • Your signature has changed, and/or line at the polling place before 8 p.m., you will be • You wish to change your political able to vote. party choice. Vote-by-Mail Voters To Register or Re-register Important Dates • Fill out an online voter registration • April 20: vote-by-mail ballots mailed application at • May 12: last day to request vote-by-mail ballot www.registertovote.ca.gov. May 19: last day to mail back a vote-by-mail ballot, • • Or pick up an application at your which must be received by May 22

county Elections Office, any Complete and send your ballot as early as possible. Department of Motor Vehicles office, Every vote counts in the final results. But if you and many post offices, public want your vote to figure in the early returns and libraries, and government offices. election night results, mail early. In mailing your • Or have a paper application mailed ballot, be sure to: to you, by calling (925) 335-7800 or • Remove the stubs on the ballot. the Secretary of State's toll-free voter • Sign and date the back of the envelope. hotline at (800) 345-VOTE. • Put a $0.49 or Forever stamp on the envelope.

You can deliver your Vote-by-Mail ballot to the Fireside Room (or any polling place in the County) on May 19. If you do, be sure to sign and date the back of the envelope and seal it.

If you are registered to Vote-by-Mail, your name will not appear on the precinct roster at the polling place. If you go to the polling place to vote—but don’t have your Vote-by-Mail ballot to surrender—

you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.

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THE ROSSMOOR DEMOCRAT May 19, 2015, Special Election Edition

INFORMATION STATEMENT: The Rossmoor Democrat, newsletter of the Democrats of Rossmoor, is distributed six times annually to members and others expressing interest in The Rossmoor Democrat.

Paid for by the Democrats of Rossmoor, P.O. Box 2070, Walnut Creek, CA 94595 FEC ID# C00360644—FPPC ID #960136. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.democratsOFrossmoor.org

Let’s Hear from You!

Your board will be producing more communi- from you! Please send your letters, cations for you between now and the General comments, or other creations to Marilyn Davin Election in November 2016. We want to hear at [email protected].

Upcoming Events

April 23 General Meeting May 8 Q & A: Susan Bonilla Gateway Fireside Room, 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Creekside Club Room

May 4 last day to register to Vote May 11 Film: Pay to Play

Peacock Hall, 1 & 7 p.m. May 4 Book Club: The Partisan Divide Gateway MPR 2, 3 p.m. May 19 VOTE — go to the polls, or

return your vote-by-mail ballot Democrats of Rossmoor 2015 Membership Dues Membership runs January through December and costs $20 per person. Check One: [ ] New member [ ] Returning member

Name(s) ______Date ______Please print. Address ______

Phone ______Email ______Are you a registered voter? ______Are you a registered Democrat? ______(We need this information for the Democratic Party, Region Two) Can you occasionally volunteer for any of the following? _____Voter Registration _____Phoning on behalf of Democratic Party candidates _____Putting together mailings _____Event set-up Place your check (made out to Democrats of Rossmoor) and this form in an envelope and: • Leave it in the Democrats’ mailbox at Gateway during office hours, • Mail it to Patsy Sharaf, 3441 Golden Rain Rd. #4, Walnut Creek, CA 94595, • Or bring the form/check to the Membership Table at any meeting.

Thank you for joining the Democrats of Rossmoor.

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