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May 21 – Learn How to be a Better Phone Banker, Social Media Pusher and GO Teamer

The election is upon us and it’s all hands on deck to contact voters to extoll the virtues of our endorsed candidates.

Come and learn how, with just a few tricks and techniques, you can improve your success rate with phone banking and at the same time enjoy doing it! Clubmember Kelly King will provide insights into what works and what doesn’t and how to tell.

We’ll also learn from campaign pros on how re-tweeting, Sharing, Liking and engaging the community by posting comments can extend the reach of candidates’ messages.

2018 is the year that GO Team expanded the use of MiniVAN (after great success in the 49th) to provide a paperless, easy way to walk precincts and upload data straight to the back room analysts.

We hope you’ll enjoy some hands on sessions geared to winning on June 5th.


When
Monday May 21 – Social Time from 6:30pm, Club business at 7:00pm.

Social Time
Members are encouraged to get together from 6:30pm just before the meeting starts.

Order dinner or a drink to sustain you, and the restaurant!

Where

Elijah’s Restaurant, 7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92111 (map).

  • MTS routes 44, 60
Categories
Archive

15 Aug – Summertime Party!

Summertime

Summertime,
And the livin’ is easy
Trump is sinkin’
‘n Hillary’s high

–  with apologies to DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin

Our club’s second anniversary potluck is this Monday, August the 15th!

This month we’ll be gathering at Susan Peinado’s home in Sunset Cliffs to reflect on all we’ve learned and built, and look ahead to the challenges progressives will be facing in the build up to the November election.

It’s a potluck. Bring a dish to share. There will be cake and drinks!

It’s a fundraiser – suggested donation is $10, which covers drinks and the best cake in town!

Upon receipt of your RSVP, we will send you the address. See you there!

 

Categories
Archive Events

Jun 20 – Book Launch! Professor Doreen Mattingly Discusses Her New Book About Midge Costanza

A Feminist in the White House: Midge Costanza, the Carter Years, and America’s Culture Wars, written by Doreen Mattingly and published by Oxford University Press

Midge CostanzaA feminist, an outspoken activist, a woman without a college education, Midge Costanza was one of the unlikeliest of White House insiders. Yet in 1977 she became the first female Assistant to the President for Public Liaison under Jimmy Carter, emerging as a prominent focal point of the American culture wars. Tasked with bringing the views of special interest groups to the president, Costanza championed progressive causes even as Americans grew increasingly divided on the very issues for which she fought.

In A Feminist in the White House, clubmember Doreen Mattingly, Professor of History at San Diego State University, draws on Costanza’s personal papers to shed light on the life of this fascinating and controversial woman. Mattingly chronicles Costanza’s dramatic rise and fall as a public figure, from her initial popularity to her ultimate clashes with Carter and his aides. While Costanza challenged Carter to support abortion rights, gay and lesbian rights, and feminist policies, Carter faced increased pressure to appease the interests of emerging Religious Right, which directly opposed Costanza’s ideals. Ultimately, marginalized both within the White House and by her fellow feminists, Costanza was pressured to resign in 1978.

Through the lens of Constanza’s story, readers catch a unique perspective of the rise of debates which have defined the feminist movement and sexual politics to this very day. Mattingly also reveals a wider, but heretofore neglected, narrative of the complex era of gender politics in the late 1970’s Washington – a history which continues to resonate in politics today. A Feminist in the White House is a must-read for anyone with an interest in sexual politics, female politicians, and presidential history.

Join us for a discussion with Professor Mattingly on the writing of this book and about Midge Costanza in San Diego.  Books will be available for sale. Author will sign upon request. Discount available for clubmembers.


Doreen MattinglyDr. Doreen J. Mattingly
Associate Professor, Department of Women’s Studies, SDSU
Arts and Letters (AL) 315
(619) 594-8033
e-mail: MATTINGL@mail.sdsu.edu

Dr. Doreen Mattingly has a Ph.D. from Clark University in Geography, and has been teaching in the SDSU Women’s Studies Department since 1995.


Reviews

“The biography is a fascinating and thorough look at the way second-wave feminism played out in the political arena, and highly relevant at this particular political moment.”

“I covered Midge Costanza for Newsweek, and the controversies described in this book give Midge her due as a principled advocate while raising questions about the appropriate role of a White House staffer. Drawing on a wealth of material, the author documents her subject’s increasing feminism and her clashes with the president who made history when he named her to his staff. In the end, each felt betrayed by the other and the reader will feel torn too knowing how the story ends.” –Eleanor Clift

“For anyone interested in presidential politics this book is a must read. The meticulously documented story of the life and career of Midge Costanza lays open the inner workings of the Carter White House at a time when the role of women was changing dramatically. It also sadly portrays how badly Carter was served by his top male assistants who sought to crush and marginalize the influence of strong loyal women throughout his administration.” –Peter Bourne, Former Special Assistant to President Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981

“The lessons learned from Midge Costanza’s life have informed the political path of the modern LGBTQ movement-even for those who didn’t know it. The seeds that were her passion, including uncompromising idealism, drive and political risk-taking have grown into a fierce forest of activism and change. A Feminist in the White House skillfully surfaces political and cultural tensions that we still see playing out today in the work for women’s equality and LGBTQ freedom. This should be required reading for anyone interested in how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go.” –Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force


We’ll also have updates on 

  • Ballot measure proposal we submitted at City Hall last week
  • OB Street Fair
  • Pride Parade

and being our 2nd Anniversary – there will be cake! 🎉🎂🎊

When
Monday June 20, 6:30pm – Social Time from 6:30pm, Meeting starts at 7pm

Social Time
Members are encouraged to get together from 6:30pm before the meeting starts.
Please bring whatever light drinks/snacks that you’d like to share.

Where
We meet at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA
4089 Fairmount Ave, San Diego, CA 92105 (map)

The building is on the south-east corner of Polk and Fairmount, just north of University. Parking is also available at the adjoining Southern Sudanese and East African Community Centers on Fairmount Ave. Bus routes 7 and 13.

Questions?
Call or email (619) 900-4751  info@dwc-sd.org


AGENDA

6:30pm Social Time

Light snacks, and stories to share.

7:00pm Thank you for coming.

Welcome to guests. Please remember to sign in. Thanks to all renewing members.

7:05pm Introduction by Christa Wubbolding filling in for President Emily Bonner

7:06pm Approval of Agenda

7:10pm Introduction of elected officials and candidates

Any Democratic candidates running for election are welcome to address the club for two minutes each.

7:20pm Announcements and Updates, by Ramla Sahid

7:30pm Old Business, New Business

7:35pm Program: Book Launch! A Feminist in the White House: Midge Costanza, written by Doreen Mattingly.

Doreen Mattingly is one of our club members, a Professor of History at San Diego State University, and tonight she is launching her book A Feminist in the White House: Midge Costanza.

7:55pm Q&A

8:05pm Adjourn

8:10pm Book Signing

Books will be available for sale. Author will sign upon request. Discount available for club members.

8:30pm Thank you for coming

Hope to see you all again in July at our next meeting!

Categories
Archive Events

Apr 18 – Vote to Endorse Reform of San Diego Citizens Police Review Board

Citizens Police Review BoardAt this month’s meeting we’ll hear from clubmember Martha Sullivan and representatives from Women Occupy San Diego on efforts to reform the Citizens Police Review Board. We noticed in last month’s newsletter that we’ll vote to endorse their proposal at this meeting.

Presently the all volunteer Citizens Police Review Board has to rely on information provided by law enforcement and legal advice from the city of San Diego, hardly impartial advisors.

The proposal to improve the Board would give it subpoena power and the ability to work with independent investigators and independent counsel.

“When people hear that all the investigations are done by the police department — by internal affairs — and then reviewed by the Citizens Review Board, people would say ‘why bother.’ They don’t feel that it’s independent.” – said Kate Yavenditti, a committee member for Women Occupy San Diego.

Women Occupy formulated their proposals based on personal experience. Of 17 complaints about police treatment of its members, none made it to the Citzens Review Board.


On March 23, a community-backed proposal to make the Citizens Review Board on Police Practices more independent and transparent was presented to the City Council Committee on Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods.

The committee voted to recommend a very small portion of the proposal to the Council Charter Review Committee. This will be considered at the next Charter Review meeting on April 20. The recommendations are:

1) To amend the City Charter to change the name to “Community” rather than “Citizens” Review Board
2) To change authority from the City Manager to joint Mayor/City Council
3) To specify that CRB’s scope includes all police shootings and in-custody deaths.

These recommendations do not even begin to address the real problems, which are lack of transparency and trust in the police.

The City Attorney has ruled that CRB operations can only be changed by the Mayor or Ballot Measure. In light of this, we must demand that the Charter Review Committee include these important needed reforms on the November Ballot: independent legal counsel, independent investigators and subpoena power.

The March 2015 Department of Justice (DOJ) report on San Diego Policing found “San Diego police officers are more likely to stop Hispanic and African-American drivers and more likely to use force than officers in similar-sized cities.” In a recent case against the SDPD, the city requested that this DOJ finding not be allowed as evidence in the case. A Federal Judge rejected the city’s request. In light of this case and others, the Reader recently published an article Police dust-up with family a sizable can of worms highlighting the need for our Community Review Board Ballot Measure.

The current ballot proposal with revisions, noted by underlining, may be found here.
See Item 3!

Twenty six civic organizations have endorsed a Charter Amendment for the November 2016 ballot – come along to learn more, and vote on endorsing this proposal.


We’ll also hear from Democratic candidates running for election on June 7, including George Castil who’s running for Mayor of Lemon Grove.


When
Monday April 18, 7pm – Social Time from 6:30pm

Social Time
Members are encouraged to get together from 6:30pm before the meeting starts.
Please bring whatever light drinks/snacks that you’d like to share.

Where
We meet at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA
4089 Fairmount Ave, San Diego, CA 92105 (map)

The building is on the south-east corner of Polk and Fairmount, just north of University. Parking is also available at the adjoining Southern Sudanese and East African Community Centers on Fairmount Ave. Bus routes 7 and 13.

Questions?
Call or email (619) 900-4751  info@dwc-sd.org

 

 

Categories
Archive Events

Mar 21- Meet Ed Harris the Next Democratic Mayor of San Diego, and Central Area Rated District 9 Candidates, Georgette Gomez and Sarah Saez

MarchDWCwebsiteFor this month’s meeting former Councilmember Ed Harris, will be joined by two candidates for City Council District 9, Georgette Gomez and Sarah Saez.

Ed Harris, a former U.S. Marine and longtime San Diego lifeguard, was appointed by Democratic and Republican council members to represent San Diego City Council District 2 when the seat became vacant in 2014.

He’s been a tireless advocate for lifeguards and has fought for presumptive health coverage against the Mayor. He’s now taking this fight to the ballot box. Come along and meet Democratic candidate for Mayor, Ed Harris.


Last May the club met to “Learn Why San Diego City Council District 9 is Important” and heard from all the potential female candidates at that time. On Tuesday March 15, the Central Area of the San Diego County Democratic Party met to consider six Democratic candidates vying for the Party’s endorsement. Only two candidates were found acceptable, our clubmembers Georgette Gomez (@Georgette75) and Sarah Saez (@SarahSaezSD).


We’ve postponed until April our meeting to vote to endorse the call for an independent Citizen’s Review Board for the San Diego Police when we’ll hear from clubmember Martha Sullivan and representatives from Women Occupy San Diego.


When
Monday March 21, 7pm – Social Time from 6:30pm

Social Time
Members are encouraged to get together from 6:30pm before the meeting starts.
Please bring whatever light drinks/snacks that you’d like to share.

Where
We meet at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA
4089 Fairmount Ave, San Diego, CA 92105 (map)

The building is on the south-east corner of Polk and Fairmount, just north of University. Parking is also available at the adjoining Southern Sudanese and East African Community Centers on Fairmount Ave. Bus routes 7 and 13.

Questions?
Call or email (619) 900-4751  info@dwc-sd.org

Categories
Archive Events News

Feb 15 – Meet Lori Saldaña the Next Mayor of San Diego

lori_banner_1170x315_FINAL-Come along and meet Lori Saldaña who is running a grassroots campaign to become the next Mayor of San Diego.

Despite the highly partisan nature of California politics, Lori has been a consensus-builder and an effective legislator. During six tough years in the state Legislature in Sacramento, Lori repeatedly built coalitions of Democrats and Republicans, and passed critical legislation signed into law by a Republican governor.

A San Diego native, Lori Saldaña grew up in Clairemont the third of four daughters. After her father retired from a 20-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Lori’s parents moved the family home to San Diego for good and settled in Clairemont in the 1960s. Lori’s experience as the daughter of a career Marine would later influence her legislative work on behalf of active-duty service members, veterans and military families.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Lori’s father Frank joined the staff of the San Diego Evening Tribune in 1966, becoming one of the paper’s best-known and respected reporters. A full 26 years later, Lori’s father retired again when the Tribune merged with the San Diego Union in 1992. Lori’s mother, Virginia, was an active school and community volunteer who encouraged Lori to become involved in public causes from an early age.

Among the many bills penned by Lori during her time in the Legislature, one of the most notable is her work co-authoring California’s landmark Global Warming legislation. She served in the Environmental Caucus and was considered one of the state’s most influential environmental voices. In six years in the Assembly, Lori proved her commitment to conserving and protecting California’s natural resources, earning a 100% Sierra Club environmental voting record.

Serving on the Veterans Committee, Lori wrote several pioneering pieces of legislation for veterans and military families.

Lori is particularly proud of AB 599, a law which ensures California’s veterans have increased access to mental health services.

In 2006, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed Saldaña’s California School-Age Military Dependents Act, designed to ease the difficulty military dependents face when transferring between school districts within California.

This was followed in 2009 by the Military Families Educational Opportunities Act, relieving bureaucratic roadblocks military children face when transferring into California schools from states with different academic, placement, testing and graduation requirements.

For her work on behalf of veterans, Lori was named the 2006 Legislator of the Year by the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers.

Advocacy, Community Action and Education
In 1969, the proposed alignment of Highway 52 threatened to wipe out many of the native oak and sycamore trees in San Clemente Canyon. In response, Lori and her family participated in a neighborhood movement to preserve the canyon’s native vegetation and wildlife.

This grassroots movement resulted in a CalTrans agreement to build the present-day freeway slightly north of the proposed location. The resulting open space today is Marian Bear Natural Memorial Park, located between North Clairemont and University City.

With this experience, Lori saw the power of community activism, and the power of ordinary people armed only with a cause and persistence succeed in making a difference in the future of their community.

A product of San Diego’s public schools, Lori attended Whitman Elementary and Einstein Jr. High (now Kroc Middle School), graduating in the top five percent of her class from Clairemont’s Madison High School in 1976. She also attended Clairemont High School during the summer of 1974. Many of the friendships she forged at these schools were rekindled years later when she began knocking on doors in Clairemont to run for the State Assembly.

Lori attended Mesa College for one year, going on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (1980) and a Master of Arts (1990) from San Diego State University.

When teaching jobs were scarce after her graduation, Lori spent a year supporting herself as a union carpenter’s apprentice, helping build the Pacific Beach post office. This experience taught her the value of technical-vocational training, and reinforced her commitment to workforce development and San Diego’s working families.

Workforce Development Educator
Lori began her career in education by coaching field hockey at Clairemont and Madison high schools, and basketball at Hoover High School and San Diego City College. She later moved to the classroom as a popular instructor of Business Information Technology for the San Diego Community College District.

Early on her teaching career Lori knew firsthand the critical link between education, career development and jobs. She committed much of her early professional years teaching writing, business communication, information technology and workforce development programs. These classes provided opportunities for skilled employment, self-sufficiency, educational advancement and public service for low-income and at-risk youth.

Lori developed and managed several educational and technical job skills programs, including a $1.5 million Technology Workforce Development grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for the San Diego Community College district.

In 2002, Saldaña was promoted to Associate Dean, Director of Service Learning Program, at San Diego Mesa College. This successful program provided students with experience working in local volunteer organizations while earning college credit.

Lori applied her expertise in vocational and technical education to her work in the Legislature’s California Technical Education Coalition (CTE), a bipartisan group of legislators dedicated to the advancement, promotion and expansion of Career Technical

Education
Preserving San Diego’s Natural Resources and Protecting the Environment
Lori has continued working on environmental issues throughout her career. She co-founded San Diego’s first Earth Day celebration in 1990, and was appointed by Mayor Maureen O’Connor to serve as the Chairwoman of the City of San Diego Wetlands Advisory Board from 1992 to 1994. From there, Lori went on to serve as the Chair of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter of the Sierra Club from 1994 to 1997.

In 1999, President Bill Clinton appointed Lori to the Border Environment Cooperation Commission’s Advisory Council to review, plan and fund water quality improvement projects in the 10 U.S. and Mexico border states.

From 2000 to 2003 she served as the U.S. Co-Chair of the Advisory Council, helping manage over $60 million in investments in the San Diego-Tijuana region, including water reclamation and sewage treatment projects.

Since 1994, the commission has invested billions in creating cleaner water along the U.S. and Mexico border. As a result of this work, Lori received an environmental policy research fellowship at the Center for U.S. and Mexico Studies at UCSD.

Legislative Accomplishments
In 2003, Lori decided she could do more for her community by running for the State Legislature, and walked door-to-door and talk with neighbors from Clairemont to South Park to learn more about their day-to-day concerns. Lori attributes this personal touch for winning the 2004 election over well-funded and politically-connected rivals.

Lori served three terms, including in Assembly leadership as Assistant Majority Whip, Speaker Pro Tempore and Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus.

She also served as Chair of the Assembly Committee On Housing and Community Development, where she successfully expanded access to affordable housing throughout California. She also chaired the Assembly Subcommittee on Base Closure and Redevelopment, where she helped protect state tidelands near California’s bays, harbors, beaches and waterways.

Improving the Lives of Military Families and Veterans
After experiencing the challenges of military life in her own family, Lori has dedicated much of her legislative career to improving the lives of California’s veterans and military families.

Among her early legislative successes was AB 599, a law which ensures California’s veterans have increased access to mental health services. This is especially crucial in California, where thousands of service members are returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and are dealing with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In 2006, Lori’s California School-Age Military Dependants Act was signed into law, which aims to ease the difficulty military dependents face when transferring between school districts within the state.

This was followed in 2009 by Lori’s Military Families Educational Opportunities Act, designed to alleviate many of the roadblocks to academic success that military children face when transferring to California schools from states with differing academic, placement, testing and graduation requirements.

Lori also successfully championed re-opening the state’s preschools to military children after many were denied enrollment when an inaccurate accounting system counted housing allowances as part of a family’s income, thereby disqualifying them from programs for low-income families. This legislation has prevented the closure of many local preschools near military housing.

For her work on behalf of veterans, Lori was named the 2006 Legislator of the Year by the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers.

Caregiving and Long-Term Healthcare for Seniors
Lori became aware of the health needs of seniors and the challenges of care-giving while providing assistance to her mother and grandmother.
Based on this experience, Lori formed the Legislative Caretakers Caucus and introduced laws to help seniors receive assisted living services in their homes, and ensure accuracy in insurance claim reporting.

The caucus also helped pass a law which requires greater transparency from long-term care insurance companies who drop policyholders.

Lori has also been an outspoken advocate of healthcare reform, and passed legislation with then-Sen. Sheila Kuehl to provide medical coverage for all Californians.

Environmental Legislation
Lori continued her lifelong work on the protecting the environment in the state Legislature, and has championed developing the state’s green tech economy and workforce, particularly as a co-author of AB 32, California’s landmark global warming legislation.

Lori made significant contributions to SB 1, the California Solar Roofs Initiative aimed at increasing the state’s capacity for solar generation and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. She also authored AB 1103 while in the Assembly, a pioneering energy benchmarking bill which has created jobs by encouraging the retrofitting of existing commercial building with energy-efficient insulation, lighting and HVAC systems.

In addition, Lori introduced bills to increase the use of green building methods and energy-efficiency features in new construction, to reduce hazardous materials in the state’s landfills, to provide tax incentives for the purchase of cars using alternative fuels, and to restrict the ability of non-compliant Coastal Act violators in acquiring permits to build in California’s coastal zone.

Community Outreach
While in the Assembly from 2004 to 2010, Lori balanced her work in Sacramento with community outreach events and town halls covering identity theft, first-time home-ownership, senior healthcare, assistance for homeowners associations, natural resource protection, hate crimes, and preventing home foreclosure.

She also partnered with constituents and community groups to remove thousands of pounds of trash and hazardous materials from San Diego neighborhoods and open spaces.

Primary Campaign for the 52nd Congressional District
Lori Saldaña is a popular political figure in San Diego with a reputation for integrity, vision and courage. In 2012, her grassroots campaign for the 52nd Congressional District was massively outspent by her wealthy opponent with more than $1 million, to Saldana’s zero dollars, in TV advertising. Nevertheless, Saldaña was edged out of victory by the razor thin margin of just a few hundred votes.

Personally Speaking
Lori was an athlete in high school and college, playing tennis, field hockey and basketball. As an adult Lori has been an active outdoorswoman, serving as a docent at the San Diego Natural History Museum, and leading outings for the Leisure Connection program at SDSU and for Adventure 16 in Mission Gorge.

Lori helped open San Diego’s first REI store in North Park, coordinating their weekly educational events and programs, administering annual service projects, and managing grants to local outings organizations.

In 2012 Lori returned to focus on her family and teaching as a Professor in the San Diego Community College District.

Today, Lori continues to be involved in activities which allow her to enjoy San Diego’s unique weather and topography. Among her interests are tennis, sailing, hiking, golfing, kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling.

Lori Saldaña is also an enthusiastic camper, enjoys fishing and whale watching, and even wrote a “how-to” book on backpacking based on her experience as an outdoor leader and teacher.


We’ll also hear from clubmember Nora Vargas about the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest #StandwithPP


When
Monday February 15, 7pm – Social Time from 6:30pm

Social Time
Members are encouraged to get together from 6:30pm before the meeting starts.
Please bring whatever light drinks/snacks that you’d like to share.

Where
AjA Project Building, 4089 Fairmount Ave, San Diego, CA 92105 (map)

The building is on the south-east corner of Polk and Fairmount, just north of University. Parking is also available at the adjoining Southern Sudanese and East African Community Centers on Fairmount Ave. Bus routes 7 and 13.

Questions?
Call or email (619) 900-4751  info@dwc-sd.org