HR1111 – Democratic Woman's Club

Notes from July 2015 Meeting – Making a Living Wage in the 1099 Economy

We have a new Club President!

Emily Bonner was elected by unanimous consent on July 20, 2015.

Emily taking over running the meeting — John Loughlin handing over meeting agenda to new club President, Emily Bonner. Ruth Rollins presiding. [Photo: Ramla Sahid]

I’m honored to have the chance to lead this club, whose priorities and goals so closely dovetail with my own. I was born and raised here in San Diego, and began my work in politics canvassing for the San Diego County Democratic Party in 2012. Since then I’ve worked for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO during their campaigns on behalf of Myrtle Cole and David Alvarez, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, the United Domestic Workers, and as an organizer for Sarah Boot for City Council.

Linda Perine established three guiding goals for this club at our inception:

Focus on policy not personalities

Change the conversation

Increase our knowledge

With this framework to lead us, the Democratic Woman’s Club will broadcast the progressive message across San Diego County.

Eva Posner, Communications Coordinator SDCDP [Photo: Ramla Sahid]

Eva Posner, Communications Coordinator for the San Diego County Democratic Party, gave us details about the protests planned against ALEC on July 22, 2015. [Jackson also helped with her presentation.]

Laura Fink, representing Toni Atkins office

Clubmember Laura Fink spoke on behalf of Toni Atkins office with a nice anecdote about Toni and her motivation for getting involved in politics.

Sarah Saez gave us a dynamic presentation about the 1099 Economy and taxi drivers in San Diego. If you missed it, you can watch her full presentation here:

How can workers make a living wage in a technology driven rush to the bottom?

Service industries are being reinvented by Silicon Valley companies. Customers are connected directly to service providers bypassing traditional means of regulation, examples are Uber and Lyft, two of the best known alternative transportation solutions.Wall Street investors dream of employees all becoming contractors, with limited rights and who furiously compete with each other to offer companies their lowest rates.

In such a world who advocates for proper regulation? Who educates the independent contractors to their rights? Who empowers the drivers?

Sarah Saez fielding questions from clubmembers [Photo: Ramla Sahid]

Sarah Saez presenting [Photo: Ramla Sahid]

Club president Emily Bonner in audience [Photo: Ramla Sahid]

Sarah currently serves as a board member for Mid-City Community Advocacy Network the Foundation for Change and as a delegate of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Central Labor Council where she sits on committees focusing on policy, organizing, and immigration.

Sarah is Program Director for United Taxi Workers of San Diego and was instrumental in leading a historic victory to lift the cap on taxi permits, allowing drivers to become small business owner-operators, helping to transform a group of unorganized, exploited workers into a well-recognized, well-respected force for change.

The strategies and lessons learned are applicable in the fight for a living wage for all workers threatened by the rise of the 1099 economy.

Sarah is running for election in 2016 to the San Diego City Council to represent District 9.

The club endorsed HR1111 (more details here.)

The club endorsed a proposed ‘Resolution calling for the Prohibition of Exploited and Wild Animals in Traveling Circuses and Exhibitions’ presented by clubmember Lori Kern.

At our general meeting on Monday July 20, 2015 the club members present voted to endorse HR1111. Do we want to build a better world through peaceful means or continue attempting to resolve conflict only through aggression and force?

HR1111 is an aspirational, perhaps just symbolic, bill that says we can and must do better. Maybe this will be the first step in taking violence to a national and dedicated conversation. ‪#‎WeCanDoBetter‬
– Joe LaCava, clubmember

The Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego County hereby endorses the “Legislative Request Supporting a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding.”

We support the will and intent of this request to support the U.S. Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015 and to create a culture of peace that will affect our government’s domestic and foreign polices, as well as move our country toward a peacetime economy. This legislation calls for practical and cost effective solutions to reduce and prevent violence and to promote peacebuilding in the U.S. and internationally. We understand that this comprehensive approach will proactively advocate for and utilize mediation, restorative justice, reconciliation, diplomacy, negotiation, and other peacebuilding practices to address the root causes of violence and terrorism rather than reacting to the symptoms of violence.

PDF of the verified endorsement.

This summary of the bill was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress. The complete text of the bill is available here.

Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2015
Establishes a Department of Peacebuilding in the executive branch, to be headed by a Secretary of Peacebuilding, dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic and international peace and a culture of peace.

Sets forth the mission of the Department, which includes the: (1) cultivation of peace and peacebuilding as a strategic national policy objective; and (2) development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful conflict resolution, and structured conflict mediation.

Establishes in the Department: (1) the Office of Peace Education and Training, (2) the Office of Domestic Peacebuilding Activities, (3) the Office of International Peacebuilding Activities, (4) the Office of Technology for Peace, (5) the Office of Arms Control and Disarmament, (6) the Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research, (7) the Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights, and (8) the Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace.

Establishes a Federal Interagency Committee on Peace to coordinate the actions of the Department with other federal agencies.

Directs the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State to consult with the Secretary concerning nonviolent means of conflict resolution when a conflict between the United States and any other government or entity is imminent or occurring.

Directs the Secretary to encourage citizens to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on Peace Days, which shall include discussions of the professional activities and the achievements in the lives of peacemakers.

Welcome to the Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego County

– The Mission of the Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego County is to promote the goals and ideals of the Democratic Party with particular attention to increasing women’s political participation at all levels of elected and appointed office. Therefore, the Club will actively support Democratic candidates, contribute to party leadership, responsibility and harmony, and stimulate active interest in the Democratic Party, particularly among women.

We demand equality of opportunity, a level playing field and fair and equal treatment for all.