Santa Cruz for Bernie 2021 ADEM 29 Delegate to the California Democratic Party State Central Committee Candidate Questionnaire - CA Congressional District 20 1. Full Name: René Bloch 2. City and County residence: Aptos Santa Cruz 3. Length of residence in AD 29: 10 years 4. Occupation: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Administrator 5. Significant current memberships affiliations Lead for Swingleft Santa Cruz and groups such as Field Team 6 Indivisible and Santa Cruz for Bernie. Democratic Central Committee. 6. My recent work has been to organize the Blue Wave in 2017 and 2018. I organized many carpools to the Central Valley which included up to 100 Santa Cruzans. We ultimately flipped Districts 10 and 21 which gave House Democrats a check on the administration. In 2019 and 2020 I organized the local effort to flip the White House and Senate. Made 4 trips to Arizona including one with 35 Santa Cruzans to register voters and canvass door to door. Facilitated support for Arizona Native American organizing. In the end Biden/Harris won by .3% 10,000 votes and Mark Kelly by 2.4%. Also organized big letter writing actions to all the swing states making a drop of 60,000 personalized letters at the Santa Cruz Post Office in October. Organized lots of phone banks including a big effort to support Jaime Harrison for Senate in South Carolina. Letter writing and phonebank actions organized for the pivotal Georgia elections. 7. Bernie Sanders proposals passionate: Our country is in crises. We need a Full New Deal. Repeal the tax deductions that benefit corporations and hedge funds. Raise taxes on capital gains and the wealthiest 1%. Raise the Federal Estate Tax. All his platforms are important including climate change, racial justice, immigration reform, healthcare, college and vocational training support. 8. Support National Medicare for All and state CalCare plan: Yes! 9. Bold and transformative Green New Deal legislation: Yes! 10. Proposals towards income/wealth inequality: The tax measures I spoke about will fund our many needs. Raising the minimum wage. Wealth tax should be considered. Green New Deal includes income inequality support. Guaranteed income and moratorium on evictions. 11. Black Lives Matter proposals: Use of force standards, strengthening police accountability standards, community led public safety measures. Place strict limits on police use of deadly and non deadly force. Mandate use of force reporting to Federal government. National database of police misconduct. Improve prison conditions and support. Redirection of resources towards social service professionals. 12. Support Bernie Sanders 2016: Yes! Worked on his campaign in Nevada and locally. Supported Bernie Sanders 2020: Yes! 13. Hope to accomplish at convention: Digging into the workings of the Democratic Party. Too much money goes to television ads instead of organizing. I want to start shifting the Democratic Party towards long term organizing rather than raising money for television commercials. We need a real Democratic Party. The results of the election were poor considering our circumstances and there needs to be a serious look at how we can do things differently for 2022 and 2024. We need bold new progressive strategies. 14. I organized the Jobs with Peace initiative in San Jose which was successfully placed on the ballot and passed with 62%. The measure demonstrated citizens desire to cut the military budget and direct resources towards peoples needs. For many years I served as Chief Steward with my union confronting management. 15. I am part of the Progressive Labor Slate! 16. I plan to work every single day and actually make a difference. I will communicate after the State and Executive Board meetings with Santa Cruz for Bernie and listen to your ideas as how we can better influence the Democratic Party. My tenaciousness and reliability can be counted on. Thank You! .