DCCM Minutes July 6, 2006
Corte Madera Town Center Meeting Room

Present: Paul Cohen, Phil Kranenburg, Larry Paul, Rose Mary Romano, Regina Carey, Richard Foldenauer, Carole Mills, Lynn Bornstein, Greg Brockbank, Eva Long, Bob Casey, Dotty LeMieux, Elberta Eriksson, Dolly Verrue, Evelyn Woo, Gatian Cunningham, Ina Tabibian, Jesse Alvarez, Tom Pierce, Paul Apffel, Yvonne Bush, Ann Thomas, Barbara Matas, Suzanne Brown Crow, Tom Faulk, Marisa Alvarez, Dotty LeMieux, Chris Fadeff, Carol Nelson, and guests: Kevin Gladstone, Andrew Rushing, Eric Overholt, Jim Wilson, Tom Gangale, Adam Steinhorn and Susan Windman.
Vice President Barbara Matas called the meeting to order. Judge Verna Adams administered the oath of office to the new members of the DCCM for the 2006-2008 term.
Agenda: was moved, seconded (Lynn/Paul C.) and approved.
Minutes of June 1: were moved, seconded (Dolly/Phil) and approved.
The following officers were nominated and then elected by acclamation:
Chair: Greg Brockbank
Vice Chair: Barbara Matas
Recording Secretary: Carol Nelson
Treasurer: Gatian Cunningham
Corresponding Secretary: Dotty LeMieux
Officers’ Reports:
Chairman Greg said that he has great goals, hopes and dreams for the DCCM. He said that we should have a budget and a 5-year plan. The by-laws call for four committees: By-laws, Resolutions, Budget and Finance, and Candidate Development and Campaign Services. Beyond that, we can have Ad Hoc committees for various tasks and issues.
Greg said that his natural tendency is to be inclusive. He would like people to speak up about issues of concern, but he wants to prevent dialogues that take us away from the business at hand. To avoid lengthy discussions that would interrupt the meetings, these issues will be referred to the appropriate committee.
Annual events can be governed by Standard Operating Procedures. For example, we should have SOPs for the annual fundraiser and for the Fair Booth, so that people who work on these events will have guidelines.
Greg also proposes that members of each Supervisorial District develop a list of 20-40 activists in each district.
Vice chairperson: Barbara Matas announced that volunteers are being sought to work on the annual fundraiser, and she passed around a sign- up sheet
Treasurer: Gatian Cunningham announced that dues are now due: Members: $24/year, Alternates: $12/year and Associate members: $6/year. This last year, we had an income of $18,967 and expenses of $14,117, leaving a total net income of $4,850 for the year. We are starting out the new fiscal year with $12,800. A down payment of $2,245 for the caterer and space rental for the fundraiser has already been made.
Vacancies: We have two DCCM vacancies in District 2 and one vacancy in District 3. Corresponding secretary, Dotty, will post and publicize the vacancies for 30 days. Members from Districts 2 and 3 will meet, form caucuses and interview the candidates for their district.
Meeting time, date and location: We will continue to meet the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m., at the Corte Madera Center meeting room whenever it is available, and at Greg’s office’s meeting room, when the Corte Madera Center meeting room is not available. Paul C. also offered the Carpenters’ Union Hall in San Rafael as a backup.

Committees: Greg will appoint committees, but he prefers that people get on the committee of their choice. Members and alternates were asked to sign up for committees of their choice.
The Endorsements Committee is an Ad Hoc committee to handle the paperwork for the Candidate Development Committee. The Endorsements Committee sets up candidate interviews, and the next endorsement meeting takes place in September.
Major races coming up in November will be for 3 open seats on the water board (MMWD), and 3 open seats on the Health Care Board. Also, there are the Sausalito City Council race, the Sausalito/Marin City School Board race, the Bolinas Fire Protection race, and a few other

Fair booth: Greg reported that the Fair Booth did not take in much money this year, and he asked for suggestions for raising more money in the future. The following suggestions were made:
- Regina: Sell T-Shirts which say things like, “Send Bush to Mars,”
- Elberta: Sell or give flags to children --- it draws their parents in,
- Yvonne: Sell coffee --- there were no coffee vendors at the Fair this year, and give away candy to attract children and their parents,
- Larry P.: Fair Booth volunteers should be more extraverted and ask for donations,
- Dolly: red, white and blue armbands for children,
- Evelyn: Isn’t the booth educational rather than to raise funds?,
- Bob Casey: State what we want to use the money for --- a list of our goals and ideals,
- Richard F.: We need to have something for the Fair Booth visitors to do. (Jared Huffman had suggested a dunking tub for public officials.)

Resolution: Gatian presented a resolution to secure training for DCCM treasurers and Democratic Club treasurers, which was passed by Lake County, and Gatian recommended that we pass it as well. McCain-Feingold really hurts central committees in rural communities who can’t and won’t spend the time trying to comply with its complications. It was voted by acclamation to bypass the Resolutions Committee, and it was moved and seconded (Paul C. and Phil K.) and approved that we pass the resolution as follows:

WHEREAS conscientious Treasurers of Democratic Central Committees and Democratic Clubs have grave difficulty attempting to understand and
comply with the complexities of financial reporting and fund
allocation required by the McCain-Feingold Act which regulations apply
equally to small and large dollar Democratic organization accounts
engaged in political support for candidates, and

WHEREAS the aforementioned complexity makes recruitment and retention of volunteer Treasurers very difficult  and hinders the ability of
Central Committees and Clubs to raise funds, spend funds on behalf of
Democrat candidates and correctly report expenditures without fear of
fines and reprimands from the FEC, thus reducing the effectiveness of
local grass roots participation in electing Democrats, and

WHEREAS legislative relief in the form of congressional amendments to
McCain-Feingold to ease this burden on small dollar accounts such as
typical rural Central Committees and Clubs maintain is not likely to
occur, now

THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Democratic Central Committee of Marin, on behalf of the Rural Caucus and all affected Democratic Party organizations, requests that the California Democratic Party, through Party Services or other appropriate entity conduct Treasurer Education Workshops in at least one location in each Party Region scheduled during the months between the Primary Election and General Election 2006 and annually thereafter and further that the California Democratic Party produce and make available to each Central Committee and Club a current printed Compliance Instructions Book for the Treasurers of these
organizations.

DCCM Headquarters: Instead of having a headquarters, we could have a phone bank at, for example, the Calif. Teachers’ Association. Regina said that we should push the State Party to have a headquarters in Marin.
Associate Members: It was decided that each member can appoint an alternate and an associate member. Associate members can serve on committees, but they can’t vote. Associate members would likely move into member or alternate slots eventually (Suzanne); they would provide additional volunteer work which we need (Lynn and Dotty); it would be a good opportunity for young people to become active in the DCCM (Elberta). Greg suggested we develop a one-page sheet on the benefits to and responsibilities of associate members.
New Business:
Gatian asked, “What will we do to recognize John Alden’s six years of service as chair of the DCCM? A dinner, a plaque, a trophy, or an engraved silver dish were considered. Regina suggested that we consider him for an award at our Holiday Party. Elberta recommended recognizing Bob Harmon, too, for his years of service.

Eva expressed appreciation to those who worked on the June DCCM Family picnic. She also requested that the Picnic idea was inclusive and a great idea and asked that at a future meeting we should evaluate the Picnic to generate ideas.

Announcements:
Lynn said, “Please come to the Take Back Red California Jamboree on Saturday, July 15, at the Marinwood Community Center, 6:00 p.m. It’s a pretty place, it will be fun, there will be entertainment and three Democratic Congressional candidates from neighboring red Congressional Districts will be there. Please call Mayme tomorrow and let her know that you’re coming. Mayme is a heroine.”

John Wilson of Novato announced that on July 29, there will be a fundraiser for Evan Bayh for President. For more information about Bayh’s candidacy, visit www.allamericapac.com

Susan Windman asked if people would be interested in going on a rafting trip with Friends of the River, along with canvassing for Charlie Brown for Congress. It would also be an opportunity to see Doolittle’s plan for an Auburn Dam, which is a bad plan, environmentally. If there is enough interest, Susan will create an event. See or contact Susan Windman.

Tom Gangale announced that his American Plan is moving along. He will be speaking about it before the Rotating Regional Primary Subcommittee in New Mexico.

Paul C. announced progress on increasing the minimum wage by $1. He has a leadership role.
Paul A. announced that Fairfax passed a resolution to impeach Bush. If you would like to join a group that meets regularly on this issue, see or call Paul A.

The next meeting of the DCCM will be held on Thursday, August 3, at the Corte Madera Town Center Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m.

It was moved, seconded (Dolly/Dotty) and passed that we adjourn the meeting in memory of Don Organ. A redwood tree was planted in Don Organ’s memory by the DCCM through the Save the Redwood League. Carol Nelson, Secretary

DCCM Minutes, June 1, 2006

Barbara Matas called the meeting to order at 7:10 PM in the meeting room at the Town Center in Corte Madera.
 
Present. DCCM members or alternates: Jesse Alvarez, Marisa Alvarez, Paul Apffel, Michele Barni, Jack Bartlett, Margot Biehle, Lynn Bornstein, Suzanne Crow Brown, Greg Brockbank, Regina Carey, Bob Casey, Gatian Cunningham, Elberta, Eriksson, Bob Harmon, Eleanor Kellogg-Smith, Phil Kranenburg, Bob Larson, Eva Long, Barbara Matas, Larry Paul, Rose Mary Romano, Ann Thomas, Dolly Verrue. Guests: Darius Gangale, Thomas Gangale, Sandra Klein, Evelyn Woo.
 
Minutes of May 4, 2006. Motion made by Gatian Cunningham (s/Larry Paul) and approved to accept the minutes with one change: Eva Long should be listed as present.
 
Agenda. Approved as prepared.
 
Treasurer’s Report. Gatian reported there is $13,076 in the federal account although the invoices for the June 10 picnic have not arrived and there has been no decision yet on an office for the fall election. Planning for the fall election is deferred until new Committee members and officers are in place at the July 6 DCCM meeting.
 
Vice President’s Report. Barbara reported on plans for the June 10 family picnic at the San Clemente School picnic area in Corte Madera. About 14 vendors and/or displays will be present. Publicity has been largely through email announcements: to the DFA list and others; Barbara will ask Ina to send out another announcement to the DCCM list. At Greg’s suggestion, all of the 6th Assembly District candidates will be invited to attend and Greg volunteered to call them all the following day.
 
July DCCM Meeting Agenda. This will include 1) swearing in of members, 2) members’ submitting statements appointing their alternates, 3) swearing in of alternates so alternates who wish to do so may run for office, 4) election of officers for 2006-2007. Lynn offered to call some of the County Supervisors to see if one of them would come to the July 6 meeting to swear in new members and alternates. Plans for fall election activity will also have to be made in timely fashion once the new board is settled.
 
Announcements/Unagendized Items. 1) Bob Casey spoke about nuclear terrorism and provided a copy of the resolution he wishes the DCCM to take up. He will email the resolution to Resolutions Committee Chair Dotty LeMieux. 2) Greg announced that the ACLU annual meeting would be June 17 at the Unitarian Church and that Supervisor Adams annual charity fundraiser, this year for the Marin Children’s Health Initiative, was June 24 at the Autodesk Atrium. 3) Paul Apffel announced that there would be a forum on impeachment June 24 at the College of Marin. He said that John and Mayme Hubert asked him to attend meetings of a new group, Impeachment Marin, being formed to promote impeachment resolutions within Marin and build support for a California impeachment investigation request originating in the California State Assembly (the so called Koretz bill, AJR39). The group has asked if the DCCM would contribute sponsorship at a level of $100-$200.
 
There was a discussion about the merits of dispensing DCCM funds for various causes other than the biennial fall elections. Lynn noted that although many causes that come to the DCCM seeking financial support are admirable, the DCCM has a priority responsibility for fall election activity and headquarters.
 
A motion was made by Suzanne Crow Brown (s/Dolly), and approved, to donate $100 toward the impeachment forum event.
 
County Fair Booth. Greg passed around a signup sheet for shifts at the fair and asked, in particular, for help on the evening on June 29 to set up and decorate the booth.
 
Tribute to Outgoing Members. Barbara noted that this was the final meeting for several DCCM members and alternates who were not continuing for another term. She thanked those people for their dedication and service to the DCCM and invited everyone to stay for a few minutes following the meeting to socialize. Refreshments were provided.
 
Meeting adjourned at 8 PM.
Minutes: Ann Thomas

DCCM Minutes, May 4, 2006

Corte Madera Town Center Meeting Room
Present:  (Please note that this list is incomplete, because it is based on the sign-in sheet, and not everyone who attended signed in). 
John Alden, Larry Paul, Rose Mary Romano, Regina Carey, Richard Foldenauer, Kris Organ, Lynn Bornstein, Greg Brockbank, Bob Casey, Jack Bartlett, Dolly Verrue, Yvonne Bush, Ann Thomas, Paul Apffel, Jesse Alvarez, Barbara Matas, Chris Fadeff, Carol Nelson and guests: Thomas Gangale, Renee Kovacs, Tom Pierce, Sandy Klein and JoAnn Hastings.  

The meeting was called to order by chairman John Alden, and the agenda and minutes were moved and approved (Greg/Dolly, Ann/Greg).  
Officers’ Reports:  
Chairman John Alden reported about the State Democratic Convention, in which Phil Angelides for Governor, Debra Bowen for Secretary of State,    and Betty Yee for State Board of Equalization were endorsed.  John attended the Progressive Caucus, which was held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, a bit early for most delegates, but nevertheless, hundreds of delegates   attended.  
Corresponding Secretary Paul Apffel also attended the convention and the panel discussion on impeachment, which was held at a huge theater and was sold out.  Probably 1000 people impeachment meeting.  Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Air America Talk Show host Mike Malloy were there.        
Vice President Barbara Matas announced that the DCCM’s Family Day picnic will be held on Saturday, June 10 at the San Clemente School Picnic Area in Corte Madera, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.  This is an effort to reach out to families.  Rose Mary is in charge of the games.  The DFA, TBRC, Arlyn Serber, Wild Care, the Sierra Club and various other vendors of interest to families will be present.  Please bring your families and invite your friends.  Bring blankets, sunscreen and an appetite!  Volunteers are needed to cook and barbecue the food, to tend bar, and to help run the games.  Cost: Adults $5.00 Children 8 and under - free.  A volunteer sign-up sheet was passed around.  You can also volunteer to help by calling Barbara at 897-1224.
Treasurer’s Report:  Gatian Cunningham reported that there is $13,077 in the Federal Account.  We’ve paid the picnic rental, $100 to the Progressive Caucus, and our insurance.  
      In regard to the State Convention, Gatian said that Debra Bowen is a computer nerd, so she understands what isn’t traceable and can be hacked.  She got endorse by 80%.
      Guest Speaker Jim Soper of the Wellstone Democratic Club, a programmer for 25 years, and election protection activist, said, “In Ohio in 2005, there were four election initiatives which the polls showed would win by 60-40%.  They lost 40-60%.  When there’s a Republican Secretary of State, they’re willing to do a lot of brazen stuff.”  
       “Near Tampa, Florida and in Texas, people voted for one candidate, and another candidate received the vote.  We don’t know what Diebold is putting into these machines.  An ‘Easter Egg’ is a special code that is activated by a pre-arranged means.  A virus can be put into a memory card that is passed up to the central tabulator.  You can have code in various parts of the computer that can rig an election.  We don’t know what’s in these machines.
     Eva asked, “So who can we trust?”  Jim answered, “No one.”  He added that even if we can read the code, if it’s open source, you need a very good audit.  We don’t have very good audits anywhere in the country.  In Chicago, they lost 400 memory cards, and in Cleveland, memory cards were lost.
     Jim said that Diebold machines are very expensive.  The service cost went up by 1000% in Maryland.  California is in chaos now.  San Francisco may buy two sets of machines.  Alameda will rent 50 Diebold machines and decide later what to do.  Registrars of voters have a very difficult job.
     At the federal level, there is HR550.  There are 20 states that don’t have a paper trail.  HR550 requires a paper trail and a 2% audit.  You can reach Jim at openvoting@aol.com.   See www.openvotingconsortium.org/
     AB2097 requires California to use only open source software and that the machines will be tested by people like Jim Soper.   
     Regina said if open source code were available to the public and potential hackers, hacking would be more likely.  Jim replied that he knows that the Diebold System is full of security bugs, and he would much rather have open source than Dieblold.
     Federal law requires voting machines for the disabled and a mechanical device to help blind people vote.  Jim would use scanners to double check hand counters.  He wants paper ballots and is not opposed to hand counting them.  
     Debra Bowen can read Fortran.  She knows it’s a system problem from beginning to end.  She is running for Secretary of State because of Florida and Ohio.  Jim said, “I cannot tell you how important it is to get Debra Bowen in as Secretary of State.  If she is elected, she will expose what is going on inside these machines.  She will turn these machines out of the state.  The people in Washington, D.C. don’t want her to get elected.  She has to win strongly in June and in November.  She has to win by a landslide.  A close vote won’t do it.  Sign up as a volunteer for Debra Bowen.  Go to www.DebraBowen.com
     Bowen needs funds.  Have your local CTA endorse her.
     All of the states have to set up a data base.  In Los Angeles County, 43% of new voter applications have been rejected because of minor discrepancies between their registration card and driver’s license.  In California, eligible voters will not be allowed to vote.  Jim recommends going to http://www.brennancenter.org
     Asked if mail-in ballots are the answer, Jim said that in Florida, 58,000 ballots were “lost” by a post office.  
     One way to confirm or challenge election results is by holding a parallel election or exit poll.  People are asked to report who they voted for as they leave their polling places.  To participate in the parallel voting effort, please e-mail openvoting@aol.us
Announcements:  
-Greg circulated a volunteer sign-up sheet for the Fair Booth at the Marin County Fair, June 30-July 4.
-John announced that Mark Crispin Miller, author of “The Bush Dyslexicon” just wrote a new book called “Fooled Again -- How the Right Stole the 2004 Election.”  Crispin will be at the Mill Valley Community Center on Saturday, May 6, 3:00-5:00 p.m. to talk about his book and the immediate need for election reform.
-The Gray Panthers have invited 6th AD candidates to attend a forum on May 20 at Whistlestop at 1:30 p.m.
     The meeting was adjourned.  Carol Nelson, Secretary

 

DCCM Minutes April 7, 2005
 
Present: John, Paul C., Phil, Larry, Rose Mary, Kris, Margot, Lynn B., Greg, Eva, Bob Casey, Mario, Elberta, Bob H., Gatian, Neil, PaulA., Michele, Yvonne, Ann, Barbara, Jesse, Tom, Dotty, Samaria and Carol. Guests: Dwayne Hunn, Dolly Verrue, Mary Renaud, Laurel Tan and Frank Egger.
Excused: Ruth, Kathleen, Bob L., Eleanor, Lynne.

The meeting was called to order by chairman John Alden. The agenda was approved, with the addition of a discussion of the by-laws.
Minutes: Approved, with Kris Organ noted as excused on March 3.
Treasurer’s Report: Gatian reported a balance of $11,700, which is $2100 less than we had this time last year. We are on a two-year cycle-- we raise money on odd years and spend it on even, election years. Membership dues are due now.
Vice President’s report: Barbara said that we need a finance committee to solicit large donations. Our annual fundraiser will be on September 17. We need will need $50,000 for the next election.
Corresp. Secretary’s report: Paul announced that our web site has a link to the State newsletter and we’ve changed the volunteer page.
Chairman’s report: John said that there’s a new Young Democrats group which will be linked to our web site. John said that Governor Schwarzenegger will not follow up on his plan to privatize the State retirement system. The proposal to cap attorneys fees has also disappeared. John introduced his new alternate, KRIS ORGAN of the SEIU. Regarding officers running for the State Democratic Party, John feels favorably toward Alicia Wong, who is running for vice chair.
Resolutions Committee: Dotty said that the committee is not recommending Dwayne’s proposal for the World Service Corps.
Assemblyman Joe Nation spoke in favor of a Bipartisan Solution to Comprehensive health Care Reform that he is co-sponsoring with Assemblyman Keith Richman, M.D. Joe says that even Sheila Kuehl admits that Single-Payer is 5-10 years away and asked, “What do we do in the interim?” Joe proposes a mandatory health care system that people are required to buy into that covers a minimum of catastrophic coverage and indicated preventive care. This plan subsidizes those who are at 200% of poverty or below giving them full health coverage. “We will create purchasing pools allowing consumers to choose the level of health care,” says Joe. Employers are not required to participate in the system, but there is a voluntary employer partnership. Electronic medical records would be mandated by 2010 for hospitals and by 2012 for doctors, to eliminate duplicate medical testing. Now 30% of all tests are duplicates. The deadline for seismic retrofitting would be moved up to 2020. People with pre-existing conditions would be covered. Decisions about medical care would be made by doctors, not insurance companies.
After Joe spoke, Dotty introduced the following resolution:
WHEREAS SB840, a single payer universal health care bill, would make all Californians eligible for specified health care benefits under the California Health Care System; and
WHEREAS nearly 7 million Californians have no health insurance despite the fact that we spend more per person on health care than any other industrialized country, and
WHEREAS the Marin County Democratic Party deems access to health care for residents of California as critical and as part of the basic human rights all citizens are entitle to,
NOW, THEREFORE be it resolved that the Marin County Democratic Party does hereby support the passage of SB840.
Dotty said that this resolution was passed by Los Angeles County and was slightly modified to fit the criteria of the State Party and our needs.
Greg and Kris spoke in support of Sheila Kuehl’s Single Payer health care. Paul A. asked, “What’s to prevent citizens of other States from moving to California for free health care? Neil expressed concern over the “Walmartization” of health care. Bob Harmon said, “Let’s support Single Payer and force Schwarzenegger to oppose health care for 35 million people. Eva said that we have to send a message of where we want to go and that what we have is broken. Bob Casey said that Single payer is much more efficient. Canadians need to spend more to get more from their health care system. Jack Kaplan said that it’s necessary to state our progressive principles by supporting Single payer. John concurred. The DCCM voted in favor of the resolution in support of SB840.
Frank Egger of Fairfax requested DCCM endorsement of Measure F which will be on the ballot on June 7 in Fairfax and which will add an annual tax of $125 per living unit and business. Money will be used for Fairfax Fire and Police protection, Paramedics, the after-school program, and emergency road repair. The tax sunsets in 5 years. This measure was defeated in November, 2004. Fairfax may have to close the police and fire stations and contract for public safety if the tax fails. Frank said that San Rafael is considering a similar measure. The State has been stealing money from local services, and now the cities don’t have enough money to keep the services going.
The DCCM voted in support of Fairfax’s Measure F.
The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 5, in the first floor meeting room of 101 Lucas Valley Rd., Terra Linda (same location, first floor, as the meeting of April 7).
Carol Nelson, Secretary

DCCM Minutes March 3, 2005
 
Present: John, Rose Mary, Regina, Margot, Lynn B., Greg, Ruth, Eleanor, Eva, Bob Casey, Elberta, Bob H., Robert L., Meryl, Jack, Gatian, Yvonne, Neil, Ann, Lynne W., Jesse, Tom, Marisa, Dotty, Carol, and guests: Diane Bolman, Mary Renaud, Dolly Verrue, Esther Wanning and Dwayne Hunn.
Excused: Phil Kranenburg.
Minutes: Moved and approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Gatian reminds us that dues are due ---$24 for voting members, $12 for alternates. The only income for the next 3 months is dues. We must pay $3000 up front for the fundraiser. We have $11,000 and are $2000 behind where we were a year ago.
Vice President’s Report: Our annual fundraiser, Dancing With Democrats, now scheduled for Saturday, September 17 will be held at the San Rafael Recreation Center on B St. There were 650 people at the Sonoma County annual Crab Feed. We need more guests and more volunteers. (Elberta noted that our original date conflicted with the breast cancer fundraiser, “Stepping Out,” so Barbara moved ours to September 17.)
President’s report: John said that Gov. Schwarzenegger has started collecting signatures to put initiatives on the ballot for November. We need to fill our campaign committee which will focus on the initiatives. We’ll need to think creatively about getting resources and using them. The committee will need to work closely with the State chair and reach out to other groups. Anyone considering running for an office on the DCCM should volunteer for this committee. Jesse, Dolly, Jack, Ruth, Margot, Marisa, Tom, Mary Renaud and Carol volunteered to work on the Campaign Services and Recruitment Committee.
The Governor can call for a 2005 election, which will cost $50-$100 million. Only one initiative has to qualify by June 13, after which other initiatives can be added. No one knows exactly what the propositions will be. One possibility is to eliminate the State Employees’ Pension Plan and to turn individual pensions into 401K retirement plans.
Dwayne Hunn asked our support for the World Service Corps. Dwayne was a Peace Corps volunteer who returned home to teach high school and college in Southern California. There he became active with Ed and Joyce Koupal of the People’s Lobby, which enacted progressive environmental legislation through the initiative process. This same process is now being used by the Governor to try to retire the public retirement system.
Dwayne says that he and Ed Koupal wrote the law establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission. After that, they ran initiative campaigns throughout the country. “If you want to change the country, change the laws.” The People’s Lobby ran campaigns against nuclear power power in 18 states and lost every one, but no more nuclear power plants have been built since that time in this country.
Dwayne pushed for a U.S.-Soviet Peace Corps, but when the Soviet Union dissolved, the issue was forgotten.
Dwayne is now proposing that we have a World Service Corps. “If you send 1 million volunteers from the U.S. to foreign countries each year, the volunteers return with a different mentality than is currently prevalent in the Red States.”
Dwayne’s plan requires that all 18 year-olds be placed into a national service pool. Participants would serve through agencies such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross. Volunteers in the World Service Corps would be exempt from the military draft, and those engaged in military service would be exempt from WSC. In exchange for 3 years of world service, volunteers would receive a free Junior College education. If this plan were to be implemented, it would make America smarter and change the attitude of people who live in areas hostile to the U.S.
Susan expressed concern that the WSC idea would get co-opted by the Bush administration to require two years of military service.
Mario said that people abroad hate America’s policies but not its people. Dwayne replied that the WSC would raise the political IQ of Americans and we wouldn’t elect a George Bush.
Paul A. suggested a link to our web site and that anyone wanting a resolution in support of Dwayne’s proposal contact Dotty.
Next, Esther Wanning spoke in favor of Single Payer Health Care. John serves on Esther’s steering committee to work on this issue. Esther said that the movement toward Single Payer Health Care began in 1996. Since its defeat in 1996, insurance policies are giving people less care.
Single Payer means that all people would have the same health care and the same insurance. You save all the overhead for the many different insurance companies.
State Senator Sheila Kuehl introduced SB 921 four years ago. The California State Senate passed it as a bill of intent. It died in the Assembly Health Committee.
We can save billions of dollars with a single payer system, enough money to insure the uninsured. Hospitals would not need to have a wing for billing. We already spend twice as much money as people in other countries but we get much less health care.
SB840 is the new version of SB921. Imagine a system where you never have to worry about where your health care is coming from. Blue Cross cherry-picks the healthiest patients. Anyone who wants to continue being a Kaiser member could continue to do so. Kaiser would still provide health care, but not insurance. Some doctors are opposed to Single Payer because they foresee a reduction of their income.
Bob Casey said, “There are advantages that are not emphasized enough. Workers’ Comp is about having to blame someone. Single Payer would eliminate this and many other problems.”
Anna Thorn, an Internist, said that many doctors favor Single Payer “because we spend 50% of our time arguing over which services are to be covered.” Also, public health will improve when when food preparers and handlers receive better health care.
Jack said that when he was working in support of Single Payer, it provided everybody with a minimum level of health care, but didn’t preclude people from buying additional private health care.
Single Payer can provide care at an overhead of 5% and the ability to negotiate drug prices and the cost of wheelchairs, etc. We’ve got the resources, we just don’t have a system that works.
Sonoma County Democrats are working on a resolution. Esther will fax the resolution supporting Sheila Kuehl’s Health Care Plan coverage.
Esther said that she is very eager to make health care a civil right and will send speakers to groups.
Announcements: Lynne W. said that the Novato Democratic Club meets this Saturday. They will walk precincts to registered Democrats only to get out the vote to help fund Novato schools. There is an active effort against the parcel tax. We know the connection between good schools and a vibrant community. The parcel tax is so small: $13/month. Volunteers will meet at noon on Sunday at Lynne’s house.
Dolly Verrue announced a Democracy for America meeting on April 23, “Making Sense of the Ballot Initiatives --- What Activists Need to Know.” This meeting will be held jointly with SF DFA. Dolly asked the DCCM to co-sponsor this event. Admission will be $5. For a $25. donation, you can go meet with the speakers who include CA Democratic Party Chairman, Art Torres, Assemblyman Joe Nation, State Senator Carole Migden and State Attorney General Bill Lockyer. The location will be in Southern Marin.
It was moved and approved to donate $100 to this event.
Dolly added that right now, there are 18 different progressive groups in Marin and she asked if the DCCM would bring representatives from each of these groups together to hold quarterly meetings and create synergy.
John spoke in favor of the DCCM supporting and coordinating the liaison group. Dotty cautioned that if the DCCM sponsored a progressive coalition, it might turn off people who see themselves as more progressive than the Democratic mainstream. Lynn B. argued in favor of maintaining our autonomy as an elected group. Eva favored sending a liaison but she wondered if we should organize the quarterly meetings.
John said that there were remarkably few DCCM members involved in MUDC. We in the DCCM have a greater responsibility to reach out and share ideas. Eva then said, “We ought to communicate and support a coalition without taking responsibility for coordinating it.
Lynn moved that we ask Dolly to write up a proposal for us to vote on at the next meeting. Ann seconded the motion.
Fair Booth: Greg is looking for someone to take over decorating the Fair Booth. It costs $525. to reserve the booth.
Marisa announced that Senator Boxer is focusing on the Social Security issue. See www.boxer.senate.gov to sign her petition to preserve Social Security and see how your own social security would be affected.
John reported that Senator Migden is dealing with negative publicity by being a high quality public servant and reaching out to various groups.
Eva announced that NWPC is sponsoring a Candidate development meeting on March 7.
Lynne: Mark your calendar for the USSN Awards night, May 4.
Jack recommends a book called God’s Politics regarding the accusation that Democrats lack values and are secular.
DCCM Meeting place: Greg reserved the Corte Madera Town Center room, but it is not available for the next two months. The next meeting, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. will be at Greg’s office meeting room, 101 Lucas Valley Rd., Terra Linda. Take the Lucas Valley turnoff and go west 1/3 mile. It is on the left side of Lucas Valley Rd. as you head west.

The meeting was adjourned. Carol Nelson, Secretary

Minutes of the DCCM Meeting, February 3, 2005
Present: John, Paul C., Phil K., Larry, Rose Mary, Margot, Lynn B., Greg, Eleanor, Eva, Mario, Bob H., Bob L., Jack B., Paul A., Michele, Ann, Barbara, Lynne W., Tom, Marisa, Samaria, Dotty, Carol and guests: Mary Nicolaisen, Linda Donahue, Marcy McQuillan, Kathleen Vote, Pete Newcome, Michael Sturtevant, Barbara Squires, Alice Straus, Dolly Verrue,
Ina Tabibian, Mary Tenaud and Anna Thorn.
Excused: Meryl, Neil, Ruth, Kathy, Mayme
The meeting was called to order by chairman John Alden.
Agenda: Moved and approved.
Minutes: Bob Harmon repeated his earlier request that we adjourn the meeting on January 6 in memory of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and Congressman Robert Matsui, who passed away over the holidays in 2004. The minutes have been amended and otherwise were approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Gatian (treasurer) is out of town. John reported that the Democratic Retreat was held at Bacich Community Center on 1/29/05 and was a great success. The keynote speaker was PUC member Susan Kennedy, and there were discussion groups. There is great interest in having more retreats. Thank you to Dolly Verrue, Margot Biehle and Kathleen Russell who organized the event.
Secretary’s Report: Carol commended the Board of Supervisor’s recent appointment of Ed Berberian to complete Paula Kamena’s term as District Attorney, saying that Marin County is fortunate to have a D.A. of Ed’s character, integrity, experience and vision. John added that Ed will probably run for D.A. in 2006.
Measure A Parcel Tax, Novato: Lynne Wasley said that the last parcel tax for the schools did not pass in Novato because there was active opposition from right wing fundamentalists who don’t support Novato’s public schools or diversity. They want the public schools to fail, because they want vouchers for private, religion-based schools. The Novato Democratic Club will walk precincts every weekend until the election on March 8, 2005. Lynne said, “We need volunteers to walk precincts and we will only go to Democratic homes.” Lynne asked for endorsement of Measure A by the DCCM. She said that, “The parcel tax lost last time by only 180 votes. Novato gets the lowest money per child of any school district in the county. Novato schools need this money to maintain a reasonable class size, a music program and to keep their libraries open.” For more info and to volunteer, please call Lynne at 898-2557.
It was moved and approved by voice vote that the DCCM endorse Measure A.
Campaign Lists: Ina Tabibian explained that M.U.D.C. has built a long e-mail list, and she asked how this list should be updated and used. It is important that the Newsletter have a good, up to date list. It was proposed that Richard Foldenauer might keep the list updated. John said that the DCCM has a claim on the list. Eva suggested that we sell the list to Democratic candidates or groups to raise funds for DCCM. Tom said that, “Once we sell the list, we can’t police it.” Greg added that, “In the late ‘80’s and 90’s, the DCCM agreed to allow groups to use our list. We should be careful not to sell the names, but people on the list have an expectation that they would be invited to Democratic functions.” Larry said that we should give people an opportunity to opt out. John said that there is currently an opt-out feature on the newsletter. It was decided not to release the list to other groups, and John will ask Richard if he would be willing to maintain it.
Money for Convention Delegates: Larry said that as long as we have money in our account, we should offer to reimburse the State Convention registration fee if someone wants it. If all 12 delegates requested reimbursement of the $65. registration fee, the cost would be $780. Lynn B. suggested that since our money really needs to be spent for Headquarters, we only reimburse delegates if we have a set minimum in our account. Phil suggested the need for a budget so that we can see plan how we want to spend our money.
Paul A. suggested that the delegates meet to represent the DCCM at the State Convention with a sense of purpose. John said that Mayme had said that there might be a public meeting or training for delegates.
Bob Harmon asked how the registration expense would be reported and said that other convention expenses including food and hotel can be large compared to the registration fee. Therefore, reimbursing the registration fee doesn’t really enable a person to attend. Paul C. said that people donate money to the Democratic campaign to help candidates get elected and advance the cause of the Democratic Party (rather than to help pay delegate fees).
Greg said that he would hate to see one deserving person miss the convention because of lack of funds. He said, “We are the party of diversity. We might be talking about less than $780 because many people might not seek reimbursement.” Dotty added there is a possibility of a hardship waiver from the State Party. John said that there may be a way to get a waiver of the registration fee from the State Party. Larry said that people can decide if they want reimbursement, and promised to bring this issue up every year, if we have the money. Jack said that, “Everybody is offered reimbursement, but those who don’t need it need not apply for it.”
Larry’s motion: That the DCCM offer to reimburse registration fee this year to any delegate who requests it. This motion was approved by voice vote. John suggested that we have a budget committee as an agenda item next month.
Resolutions Committee Report: Dotty presented three resolutions:
1) In support of a Progressive Caucus at the State Convention. This resolution was passed by a voice vote. At least ten percent of the County Central Committees must pass a resolution in favor of forming a caucus in order to establish a new Party caucus. There already exist caucuses for the environment, women, veterans, labor, Latinos, etc. Anyone who identifies himself as a progressive may join this caucus. It will be action-oriented to support progressive legislation. Wording of the resolution:

WHEREAS Democratic progressives stand for the progressive visions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and other great Democratic leaders whose dreams for the Democratic Party and America should not be forgotten, and

WHEREAS Democratic progressives who wish to have a voice within the Party on issues of concern to progressives and a place where they can air these concerns without compromise, often feel left behind by members of the Democratic leadership who (often with good reason) work to get Republican support by supporting Republican agendas as opposed to Democratic agendas, and

WHEREAS Democratic progressives want to continue to work within the Democratic Party, to continue supporting the Democratic Party and to continue encouraging others to join the Democratic Party,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the MARIN DEMOCRTIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE calls for the creation of a progressive caucus within the California Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee and for that caucus to have a voice in official California Democratic Party and national Democratic Party policy

2) Resolution to commend Senator Boxer for her courage in supporting Stephanie Tubbs-Jones by voting not to ratify the Ohio vote and for opposing Condoleezza Rice for Secretary of State, and to urge the State Party to pass a resolution in support of Senator Boxer. In order to vote on this resolution, it was moved and approved to waive the by-laws. This resolution was also approved. Wording of the resolution:

WHEREAS Senator Barbara Boxer has shown great courage and integrity and a commitment to voter’s rights and the fight for electoral justice as the sole Senator standing with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones of Ohio objecting to and calling for an investigation into voting irregularities in the Ohio election of November 2, 2005; and

WHEREAS Senator Boxer led the way in the United States Senate as one of two Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee and one of 13 Senators in the whole Senate to stand up to and vote against the Administration’s nomination of Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State because of her role in well documented instances of misleading the American people over the war on terrorism and the build up to and the prosecution of the Iraq War; and

WHEREAS Barbara Boxer as a Marin County Democrat and resident provides an important role model for her fellow Marin County citizens in all walks of life in terms of integrity, courage, perseverance, and tenacity and standing up for principle,

THEREFORE, the Democratic Central Committee of Marin expresses its pride in and commendation of Senator Barbara Boxer as a true Democratic hero and American patriot and urges the State Party to commend her likewise.

3) Resolution to endorse Howard Dean as chair of the DNC. It was again moved and approved to waive the by-laws, and this resolution was passed by a voice vote. Wording of the Resolution:

WHEREAS it has been the function of the Democratic Party to support the
rights of ordinary citizens against those of corporate interests and to protect and maintain governmental institutions which provide for the common good; and

WHEREAS the Democratic National Committee provides leadership for the party and a new Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee will be elected by the members in February 2005; and

WHEREAS Howard Dean as Governor of Vermont, as candidate for president, and as spokesman for Democracy for America has been a leader in calling for a return of the Democratic Party to progressive policies and citizen grassroots activism which are hallmarks
of good government;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Central Committee of Marin endorses Howard Dean for the office of Chair of the Democratic National Committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Central Committee of Marin actively encourages the endorsement of Howard Dean by Democratic Central Committees and Democratic Clubs throughout California joining with the Progressive Democrats of America in a desire for party leadership which holds the good of the people paramount.

An antiwar resolution written by Mal Burnstein of Oakland came to the Resolutions Committee, was passed by the DCCM last month, and is making its way through to the State Party Rules committee. Dotty chose to amend the language of her antiwar resolution to conform to the wording of this resolution, which had already received several county endorsements.
An antiwar resolution written by David Harris and adopted by the 6th A.D. was reviewed by the Resolutions Committee but is not being put forward because the Resolutions Committee had objections to it. Sherry Reson had asked Greg and Carol to sponsor this resolution, not realizing that the committee had already rejected it.
In order to submit the 6th A.D. antiwar resolution to the DCCM, it would be necessary to ask for a vote to override the Resolutions committee. Greg said that many antiwar resolutions are likely to be sent to the State Rules Committee, so it is not necessary to limit ourselves to just one. Dotty said, “I feel that the message is stronger if there is unity on the topic.” Paul C. suggested that the Resolutions Committee bring two competing resolutions to the whole membership in the future. Phil said, “We need clarity to avoid hurt feelings.” Lynn B. said that, “Resolutions always go through the Resolutions Committee. We need to maintain the integrity of the committee.” Sherry Reson added that, “It needs to be clear which formal steps are required to submit a resolution.”
John acknowledged that some form of miscommunication occurred in the last week. Margot said that a person could make a motion to waive the by-laws to vote on the 6th A.D. resolution. Bob Harmon explained that all of these resolutions will go to the State Resolutions committee hopper, and they will be combined to express every view that is submitted. Both resolutions missed the point of Abu Ghraib and of war crimes committed under the Bush administration. The 6th A.D. resolution was not brought to a vote.
Future DCCM meeting place: John said that we want a centrally located meeting place that is fully wheelchair accessible. We’ve been meeting at Carpenters’ Union Hall, but there is a concern about the bathrooms being ADA compliant. Greg and Gatian located two places: one at the Corte Madera Town Center second floor meeting room at the south end of the mall and a large conference room at 101 Lucas Valley Rd. The Town Center room rents for $25. and the Lucas Valley room is free. We will probably have half the meetings in Corte Madera and the other half in Lucas Valley, just north of San Rafael. Please consult our web site: www.marindemocrats.org to verify the meeting place for each DCCM meeting.
John thanked Paul C. for making the Carpenters’ Union Hall available to us. There is parking available in the back of the building. Eva suggested that we can also meet at College of Marin, now that there is a student Democratic Club.
Ina raised a question about supporting Secretary of State Kevin Shelley. John said that we should wait until the next JLAC meeting, and support him if he remains in office.
Jack asked if the letter to Carole Migden voted on a couple of months ago was ever sent. John said that he planned to sit down with Carole Migden to discuss the issue.
THE NEXT MEETING ON MARCH 3 WILL BE HELD AT THE TOWN CENTER IN CORTE MADERA, SECOND FLOOR. This is the shopping center on the WEST SIDE of Highway 101. ENTER AT THE SOUTH END OF THE BUILDING, NEAR THE GOOD GUYS. Look for a blue and white striped awning with the number “770” on it. Go in the main entrance and take the stairs or elevator to the second floor community room.
The meeting was adjourned. Carol Nelson, Secretary

DCCM Minutes January 6, 2005
Pickleweed Park Community Center
Present: John Alden, Phil Kranenburg, Larry Paul, Rose Mary Romano, Regina Carey, Mayme and Jay Hubert, Henry Kingdon, Margot Biehle, Greg Brockbank, Ruth Dell, Eleanor Kellogg-Smith, Rosemary Fong, Dotty LeMieux, Mario Lopez, Elberta Eriksson, Bob Harmon, Bob Larsen, Gatian Cunningham, Neil Kran, Paul Apffel, Michele Barni, Yvonne Bush, Ann Thomas, Barbara Matas, Lynne Wasley, Jesse Alvarez, Tom Pierce, Marisa Alvarez, Samaria Lueck, Dotty LeMieux, Carol Nelson and guests: Sally and York Westgate, Dolly Verrue, Jack Kaplan, Burky Worel, Otis Bruce, Tamra Peters, Richard Foldenauer, Ina Tabibian, David Lakes, District Attorney Ed Berberian, and Deputy D.A.’s Al Charmatz and Bob Nichols.
The meeting was called to order by Chairman John Alden. The agenda was moved and approved (Paul/Ann). This meeting was held at Pickleweed Park because we are currently looking for a new meeting space that is ADA compliant and reasonably priced. Greg, Paul and Gatian will look for a space, and Larry will check it out.
Selection of delegates to State Convention: In the past, we had a rule that only elected DCCM members could attend. There are some central committees who do send alternates, and their by-laws allow alternates to go. If there are alternates who wish to go to the State Convention, we need to reverse the ruling of the chair. John recommended that we stick with the old rule. Dotty said that alternates are subject to the same rules and regulations as members of the DCCM. Dotty can’t see anything preventing alternates from going to the Convention, which will be held April 15-17.
John proposed that we fill State Central committee slots with members first, and unfilled slots with alternates. It was moved and seconded to reinterpret the by-laws so that those alternates who wish to attend the Convention may take positions not filled by DCCM elected members. The vote was 20-0 in favor. The following six women chose to attend the convention: Elberta, Eva, Yvonne, Michele, Ruth and Barbara. The following six men were also selected: Greg, Larry, Phil, Paul A., John and Jesse.
John introduced the three candidates who have applied to fill the position of District Attorney vacated by Paula Kamena: Ed Berberian, Bob Nichols and Al Charmatz. They’ve asked to speak tonight. If we have a preference for the job, we can write our Marin County Supervisors.
Ed Berberian, acting District Attorney, said that he is applying to keep the job. “I went to the Election Office and got the names of elected DCCM members and mailed you some information about myself. I have 28 years of experience in this job. I’ve been a prosecutor in this office my entire career. I have a broad base of support among police officers and the community. The Legal Aid Director and the Marin County Sheriffs’ Association have just endorsed me. I have the support of the D.A.’s staff.” Ed applied for the job as head of the Criminal Division when Paula became D.A. Ed and Paula talked about the direction they wanted the office to move in. They had been very focused on law enforcement, and “wanted to look outward to build bridges to the community.”
Ed said, “I’m optimistic and want to reach out to the community, to put victims’ service centers in four places in the community. There are a lot of underserved victims. There are diverse communities and it’s important to put a face of government in the community. People often are fearful of coming to the Civic Center. Putting centers out in the community builds trust.
“After drunk driving, the greatest number of people we see are domestic violence. It is a revolving door --- the cycle of violence repeats. We have to break that cycle. We have drug courts and would like to address family violence in a separate court.”
Ed continued, “Elder victimization is a complex issue. We have an increasingly older and wealthier population. We will work with community resources to determine if elder abuse has occurred. I’m in this for the long haul and plan to run for the office in 2006. This is a non-partisan office. I’m a lifelong Democrat and would appreciate your endorsement.”
The next candidate, Al Charmatz, said, “I’ve worked in several D.A.’s Offices in the state and have 25 years experience. There needs to be some change of personnel--we need to get the best out of people. We can do things differently. We need to break from a political machine that has been operating for some time.
“It is an advantage to be an incumbent when running for office. I have a different vision than Mr. Herman’s, different priorities. I want to break free of this political machine that is operating.
“If you are in control of certain functions, you have access to the community. The best thing we can do in the D.A’s office is to make sure that justice is done. When D.A.’s make decisions, is it for political reasons or so that justice is done? It’s like swimming upstream, to fight for what is right. When people’s rights are at stake, we have to fight for that. I would be a much more hands-on D.A. than what we have seen. More than going to political groups, there is a job to be done at the Civic Center. I would like to beef up the consumer protection and environmental functions of our office. We should make sure that people put their energy into what is the best use of our manpower. Complex cases need to be reviewed. The most important thing is that justice is done and that we take the time and energy to do this.
“We need to come up with special courts, such as the mental health courts, to deal with nonviolent crimes. We see people’s lives change in small increments, which are big for them. A non-adversarial approach which involves people working together is one of the most rewarding things. I want to give people a chance to be part of programs so that justice is done. I’m proud to be in the Marin County D.A.’s Office.”
Bob Nichols said that, “In 1982, I was elected councilman of Albany, CA. I became president of a jobs training group that became the model for the county. I’ve been in charge of the Consumer Protection Division in the D.A’s office.
“I’m feeling that Paul chose Ed because they’ve worked closely together over the years. I’ve worked closely with Josh Thomas. I’ve always supported the Democratic Party and hope the Democratic Party will support me.”
Questions & Answers: Q. (Regina) How will you handle conservatorships?
Bob: The bigger problem we is that people are losing their assets. Often there are people who are competent and sometimes they just need a little bit of help. We prosecuted a woman who was hoarding animals so that she wouldn’t lose her house.
Al: We don’t usually do non-criminal cases Regarding Sarah Nome, we would review her situation.
Ed: Without using specific names, one thing we do is set up a multi-disciplinary team and there are case reviews of people who have conservatorship issues. This team has different authorities under which to act. This team brings in different specialties to handle the problem. This is the outward vision of solving problems through a team of workers. The multi-discipline team is in place in the county.
Q. (Lynne): I support families who have special needs children. A disturbingly large number end up in the juvenile justice system. In general, if the family has money, the child ends up in a good program. If not, the child eventually ends up in jail.
Ed: The Jeanette Prandi Center was created six years ago for interviewing young children who are suspected of being abused. Right after it opened, there was a child who could have witnessed the shooting of his mother. This county is light years ahead of other counties. I can’t remember the last time we sent a kid to CYA (California Youth Authority).
Al: There is no juvenile mental health court. The adult mental health court only started in April. Maybe this court could be expanded to serve juveniles. When families break down, we see these problems. We live in perhaps the richest county in the country. This is a societal problem. We need programs that help kids. Kids end up in juvenile justice when their parents have drug, alcohol and other problems. The D.A. can work to expand programs to help people.
Bob: The mindset needs to be focused on what the problem is instead of what the crime is.
Q. (Greg) What did you mean, Ed, when you said that you serve law enforcement, primarily?
Ed: We serve the residents of this county in co-operation with law enforcement, who are our community partners.
Al: We work a lot with law enforcement, but we have to be strong enough to disagree with law enforcement if we see the situation differently. Something should be in place for family violence so that it doesn’t always end up with arrest records. We need collaborative effort in family violence as in mental health and drug cases. When people fall, we want to pick them back up. We have to serve justice at the forefront.
Bob: The D.A. is the gatekeeper. It’s not just rubber stamping and approving what the police bring to you.
Next, we heard from Mario and Jesse, who were vying for the sixth male seat at the State Convention.
Jesse said, “I’m a lifelong Democrat. When I was a child, my mother took me to an Adlai Stevenson rally. I joined the DCCM after the 2000 fiasco. I’ve registered voters, phone banked, gone to to Reno to register voters. We are on the right side of the issues. The Democratic Party lives by the preamble to the Constitution. We have to stand by these values.”
Mario said, “I’ve been a volunteer since graduating from high school. I want to make sure that all of our liberties are protected, that people have jobs and the opportunity to dream. I need your support. Governor Schwarzenegger is threatening the State of California. I opposed privatizing the Teachers’ Pension and Social Security. I volunteered in Carole Hayashino’s campaign. I’m 19, I’m the student board member of College of Marin. I want to go to the convention because I want to fight for Democratic values: protection of the environment, health and education.”
Yvonne asked if an elected member could give up her seat so that both Mario and Jesse could attend the convention. The problem is that we need a balance of six men and six women to attend the convention.
Volunteer of the Year Award: John said that there were so many great volunteers, and so many people who were deserving of awards, but three people stood out: Ina Tabibian, David Lakes and Tamra Peters. Ina did the E-Newsletter for MUDC. She did an outstanding job. Ina and David showed up at every fundraiser. David has plumbing skills and spent all day and most of the night welding pipes underneath the Headquarters. Tamra Peters coordinated the lists and swing state phoning that resulted in 126,000 calls to swing states, hitting Wisconsin particularly hard. Democrats just barely won in Wisconsin. A very big thank you to Tamra, Ina and David!
Mayme and Kathleen are putting together a voting integrity project. This project was started because of the possibility of a runoff between Jonathan Frieman and Sharon Jackson. Kathleen, John and Mayme sent a letter to the Elections Department proposing an orientation for interested DCCM members. Many states have an automatic recount if the vote is very close. We could possibly have legislation enacted to require recounts in very close races. It’s unfair for a person who loses a race by .03% of the vote to have to bear the huge expense of a recount. It’s a great opportunity to educate ourselves. John asked for a show of hands of people who are interested in such a meeting. The following people raised their hands: Gatian, Bob Larsen, Jesse, Marisa, Mario, Michele, Ruth, Tom, Eleanor and Carol. If anyone else would like to participate, please let Mayme or John know.
To RSVP for the retreat on Jan. 29, please contact Margot or Dolly Verrue. The keynote speaker will be Art Torres, and there will be break out sessions with facilitators. Facilitators include John, Mayme, Paul A., a minister, and others. Then there will be a half hour of mingling, refreshments, a second break out group, a summary and an agenda of where to go from there. the idea is to keep Democrats invigorated and active. It will be held at Bacich Community Center and is open to all Democrats.
Next there was a closed session prior to voting on the three applicants for the position of District Attorney. John spoke forcefully in favor of Bob Nichols, and Nichols won the endorsement. Jesse was chosen as the sixth male delegate to the State Convention, and John was chosen as E-Board Representative.
Dotty put forward the following resolution:
WHEREAS the Bush Administration misled the country into an illegal, unnecessary and unwise invasion and occupation of Iraq, against a country that had neither attacked nor threatened the United States; and

WHEREAS, as a result of that action, more than 1300 American troops have been killed and more than 10,000 have been maimed or injured, and tens of thousands of Iraqis, including untold numbers of innocent civilians, have also lost their lives, been maimed, injured and rendered homeless, and

WHEREAS the invasion and occupation are becoming a severe burden on our economy and continue to cause deep concern at home and abroad about the policies and intentions of the United States toward the rest of the world, to the point where the U.S. is widely regarded with suspicion and hostility;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the DCCM declares that it supports an end to the US administered occupation of Iraq, coupled with the creation of an international body that assists the Iraqi people in freely and peacefully determining their own future; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the DCCM calls upon the California State Democratic Party to urge the US Congress, which has the ultimate power to declare and end war, to immediately set in motion the procedure described above.

This resolution was approved, and a similar resolution from the Ruth Group was put over until the next meeting.

The meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 3, 7:00 PM at CARPENTERS’ UNION HALL, 647 Lindaro St., San Rafael. Carol Nelson, Secretary