The New Democrat
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TThhee NNeeww DDeemmooccrraatt A Publication of the Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) August 2012 Mark Your Calendar Annual PDC Picnic Saturday, August 18, 2012 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Shoup Park, 400 University Avenue, Los Altos Enjoy an afternoon in the park along with fun for kids! Meet De moc ratic Party elected officials. A silent auction for restaurant gift cards, event tickets, lunches with elected officials, & more, plus a raffle and live auction. FREE FOOD! SEE PAGE 3 FOR MORE INFORMATION There is no more CANCELLED: September important job for luncheon at Michael’s Professor Larry Diamond, an expert on post-conflict Democrats this year than democracy building and democratic development, was going to be the featured speaker at the PDC’s registering voters and September 8th luncheon but due to a conflict, Professor Diamond will be unable to join us for lunch. getting them to the polls! Please watch this publication or go online to See story on page 2!! www.peninsulademocrats.com for future events. The New Democrat 2 August 2012 Register Voters – Save Our President’s Democracy and Re-Elect Column President Obama and Marc Berman Democrats THERE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT JOB FOR DEMOCRATS THIS YEAR THAN REGISTERING I woke up this past Friday morning to the horrified outcries VOTERS AND GETTING THEM TO THE POLLS!! of a friend of mine, who I was sharing a hotel room with while The attempt of Republicans to disenfranchise 5,000,000 we attended the wedding of one of our best childhood friends. voters across 17 “battleground states” by requiring expensive My friend, who had graduated from the University of Colorado and difficult to obtain photo identification shows the right at Boulder ten years ago and still has many friends in and wing’s utter contempt for our American democracy and the around Denver, had just seen the news about the awful fact that they will do anything to win. How do we fight this? shooting that occurred at the midnight showing of the Batman One way is to Register Voters! We need your help to do movie in Aurora, Colorado. She immediately got on the phone this. Please step forward to support our democracy while to reach out to her friends there to make sure they were okay having fun by doing good and having the joy of supporting and, thankfully, they all were. Unfortunately, at least 70 our Headquarters by collecting donations for buttons, people were not as lucky. Twelve people were killed at the bumper stickers, etc. theater and another 58 were injured. If you can help at Farmers’ Markets, please contact Carol James Holmes, the suspected shooter, went to the movie Kuiper, who is in charge of Farmers’ Markets at theater with at least four guns: a 12-gauge shotgun, two .40 [email protected] or phone her at (650) 941-8190. We caliber handguns and an AR-15 rifle. He used magazines for need volunteers to open up the Menlo Park Farmers’ Market the handguns and rifle that carried far more rounds than the on Sunday, 9-1 PM. between Santa Cruz and Menlo Avenue regular model - 40 round magazines for the handguns and a by Trader Joe’s in Menlo Park. Also, we need volunteers for 100 round magazine for the rifle. Holmes had purchased over the Los Altos Farmers’ Market that meets every Thursday 4- 6,000 rounds of ammunition through online transactions. All 8 PM in Los Altos on State Street between Second and of the weapons, the ammunition, the tear gas canisters and the Fourth Streets. Volunteer today and buy your week’s supply body armor (including a bullet proof vest, groin and throat of fresh fruits and vegetables! guards and a gas mask) were purchased legally under federal If you want to volunteer at Fairs and Festivals, please and state law in the months leading up to the massacre. contact Diane Rolfe at [email protected] or (650) As absolutely horrendous as the massacre was, it appears 326-6328. We are now taking volunteers for our next two that things could have been much, much worse. Police have major Fairs and Festivals: the Palo Alto Art and Wine (our determined that the rifle, which could fire 50-60 bullets in a biggest festival in terms of voter registrations and donations) minute, jammed. This might explain why Holmes, who was on August 25 and 26th. Shifts go all day from 9 AM to dressed from head to toe in military grade protective armor and 6:15 PM. Our next biggest Festival of the season is the seemed prepared for a shootout with police, was arrested Mountain View Art and Wine Festival, Sept. 9 and 10. without incident next to his car in the parking lot. One can’t We are also expanding to Retail Stores in Mountain View, help but wonder how many more lives would have been lost if Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. along with Foothill and De Anza the assault rifle had not stopped working. Colleges and we need your help there also. If you know of One also can’t help but wonder how many lives might be some great places by retail stores or other community saved if our nation’s elected officials – including President locations where you would like us to set up, please contact Obama – stood up and at least offered common sense gun Diane Rolfe with your ideas. [email protected] or control legislation. I realize that people in the more rural parts (650)326-6328. of the country will go nuts. I’ve lived in the most rural parts of Our progress so far: We have done outstandingly well by South Dakota, in a town known as the Pheasant Capital of the registering 410 people (319 have been Democrats; with World, so I get this. And President Obama and his former donations of $1,948 for SWAG---buttons, bumper stickers, colleagues in the Senate are afraid that the NRA will paint a etc.) Leads have been Marcene VanDierendonck, Judy bulls-eye on their backs when it comes time for re-election. Plaska and Jim Powers, Ginger Johnson, Heidy Braverman Well I’ve got a newsflash: it doesn’t matter at all what they do, and Dave Skinner and Diane and Joe Rolfe. the NRA has already painted a bulls-eye on their backs and will do everything it can to defeat them! Why does any private citizen need to own an assault rifle? destruction. How else can it really be described? It is Not to hunt. And such a large and cumbersome weapon would engineered to shoot as many miniature missiles as possible in a not be ideal for home protection; unless you are worried your short amount of time, unleashing irreparable damage on its home will be invaded by a small army. The AR-15 assault rifle, target or targets. coupled with a 100 round magazine, is a weapon of mass (continued on page 6) The New Democrat 3 August 2012 PPeninsula DDemocratic CCoalition Annual PDC Picnic !! Saturday, August 18, 2012 FR OD 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. EE FO FOO EE Shoup Park, 400 University Avenue, Los Altos D!! FR It’s only a $10 contribution for the 2012 Dem ocratic Victory Fund! (children are free) Expected guests include elected officials and candidates. The picnic features good food, brief (very brief!) speeches, and an AUCTION of valuable and sentimental political (and non-political) goods. We request a $10 contribution at the door (children are free; wine, beer and soft drinks are FREE .) This fundraiser helps support the PDC and its programs plus the 2012 Democratic Victory Fund. The picnic is a POTLUCK with enough food to make a meal. Please bring a yummy dish to SHARE such as an appetizer, main dish, salad, or desert. (Those who come early can generally fill up on desserts!) There will be an opportunity to buy promotional items for Democrats at the picnic, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers, and buttons. In addition, as usual, you will be able to get raffle tickets and bid on auction items, so bring your credit card, checkbook, and/or cash! Directions: Get on El Monte Road; from 280 exit at El Monte toward Los Altos; from Foothill Expressway or El Camino Real take El Monte toward Foothill College. There is a signal at the intersection of University and El Monte. Go West on University (left if you were going toward Los Altos; right if you were headed toward Foothill). After a few blocks the entrance to Shoup Park will be clearly marked on your left. (If you get to the intersection of University and Main you have missed the park; go back.) There is limited parking down the driveway in a lot at the park. If possible, park on the street and walk ~ it is about one block ~ down to the park. No reservations or RSVP required. For further information, call the PDC at 650/949-1009. FA D!! BULOUS A FREE FOO WIN UCTION LUNCH W ITEMS ITH AN E LECTED O FREE WINE & BEER!! FFICIAL! The New Democrat 4 August 2012 enactment of measures to improve the health and well-being Introducing... of people almost invariably entails a process for resolving competing priorities, and legal and financial constraints. So, The PDC Board of Directors is made up of an inspiring group of while still in public health school, and with two young children, Democrats and we feel it important to introduce you to them. Each Kate joined a community-based political organization, Citizens month, we will be running a brief biography of one member of the for Participation Politics (CPP), in Watertown, MA, to find out Board.