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Contact Info: Democratic Party of Del Norte County P.O. Box 15 Crescent City, CA. 95531 (707) 464-3120 Meetings are: 5:30 p.m. Second Tuesday of each month 260 I Street, Crescent City, CA. 95531 (by Del Norte Office Supply)
Central Committee Members
Chair Debra Broner Vice-Chair W. Arthur Reeve Treasurer Linda Sanford Secretary Kathleen Fischer Alternates Ex-Officio Members Unites States Congress Mike Thompson Jerry Cochran California Assembly Patty Berg Martha McClure Representatives District One Eileen Cooper Kathryn Murray Geneva Wiki District Two Jon Alexander Jim Gordon James Ramsey Don Johnson District Three Robert Black Debra Broner Kathleen Fischer Linda Sanford Diane Tomar District Four Joseph Gartland Kurt Gripenstraw Sarah Samples District Five Marsinah Murakami Naiya Murakami Peggy O'Neill Felice Pace W. Arthur Reeve Rick Toreson
BY-LAWS & PLATFORM
About Us
Del Norte County Democratic Party is an active organization focused on party building and educating voters about the issues important to Democrats. Del Norte County is the last county on the coast of Northern California; home of Yurok, Resighini, Elk Valley, and Tolowa Tribes, Nations, and Rancherias. We are privileged to live in a beautiful environment where the redwoods meet the ocean and blessed with rivers that we actively protect. The Democratic Party currently consists of a diverse group of individuals that represent most aspects of our community. Our membership includes a county supervisor, a former elected supervisor, a former county assessor, a county engineer (who was elected as the acting president of the new CAEA -SEIU Labor Union), a county probation officer, the chair of the Crescent City planning commission as well as attorneys, and a Smithsonian recipient of the "America's Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences”. We encourage young people to join our committee as student associates. We are proud to call ourselves Democrats and make ourselves visible at every opportunity. We lead by example and continue to work to elect Democrats with vision to create a better world. | Welcome to the Del Norte County Democratic Party Website! It is maintained by volunteers who believe that responsible empowerment comes through information. In this day and age, the Internet gives us the ability to stream information and ideas in an easily accessible fashion. Our desire is not only to present news items but provide a forum for Democrats to interact and get engaged with the Democratic Party and our community as a whole. It is also a vehicle for our elected representatives to give their constituents updates on legislation and activity in their districts. Thank you for visiting our site. Suggestions are welcomed and contributions are encouraged. The Democratic Party believes in honest transparency. To this end, you will note that the website includes the agendas and minutes of meetings of the Del Norte Democratic Central Committee and links to other sites. It is important that people seek information from as many sources as possible before they reach their own conclusions on the issues of the day. Also, each news item and blog allows for comments. As our Party grows, so will our website, so we encourage you to visit the site frequently. Wednesday 23 July 2008 Feinstein and Kerry Push for Veterans' Voting Services -Legislation would give veterans access to voter registration services at VA facilities - Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) today introduced a bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide voter registration services to veterans in the department’s care. The senators introduced the legislation after receiving a response from Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake earlier this month, again denying the senators’ request that Secretary Peake designate VA facilities as voter registration agencies. Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Barack Obama (D-Ill), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are co-sponsors. Information on the Propositions on the November Ballot The California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, has made available a draft of the November propositions as they will appear on the ballot. The draft copy of the Official Voter Information Guide for the November 4, 2008, General Election can be accessed through the PDF files listed at the link below. The law requires the Secretary of State's Office to place the Official Voter Information Guide on "Public Display" before they print and mail a copy to every household of a registered voter. The Secretary of State is making the Official Voter Information Guide available for public inspection from July 22, 2008, through August 11, 2008. CLICK HERE FOR DRAFT OF VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE The California Democratic Party has taken positions on the propositions. CLICK HERE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE NOVEMBER PROPOSITIONS Saturday 19 July 2008 Field Poll: Bush's Rating As Low As Nixon's A Field Poll survey of California voters, completed this week, shows George W. Bush's approval rating "matches the lowest job appraisal ever given a President by The Field Poll in California". Bush's approval rating is 24% while 71% disapprove of his performance. The poll continues, "When comparing Bush's current job rating to those of his six immediate predecessors, only Richard Nixon, who resigned the office in disgrace, was viewed as negatively. In August 1974, Nixon's rating was 24% approve and 70% disapprove, virtually identical to Californians’ current assessment of Bush". Rep. Thompson on President’s Move to Lift Ban on Oil Drilling Along the Outer Continental Shelf July 14, 2008 WASHINGTON – Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) released the following statement: “This may be good politics, but the policy falls short of the mark. Opening new areas to drilling will do nothing to lower the price of gas today and very little to lower it in the future. And it does nothing to help our country forge a long-term path toward energy independence. “Our district’s coast is rich in marine resources that have tremendous value to our local economy. An oil spill would be devastating to the coastal economy and its unique ecosystem. In addition, the rocky terrain would make a spill almost impossible to clean up. Despite new drilling technology, there is still a significant risk of spills, especially during transport. “Moreover, drilling along the Outer Continental Shelf would not increase the oil supply for many years. The President’s own Energy Information Administration (EIA) stated that production would take years to begin and 20 years before production was large enough to even produce small price impacts at the pump – less than a nickel a gallon. And remember, oil is traded globally and there is no guarantee Americans would see a drop of any new oil. “If the President – who’s had eight years to develop a national energy plan, but hasn’t – is serious about reducing the price at the pump, he would:
“These are short-term solutions that will help bring down the price of gas. However, we also need a long-term strategy that reduces our dependence on oil. Even though President Bush only has a few months left in office, it’s not too late for him to work with Congress to begin to create the long-term energy plan our nation desperately needs.” Patty Berg Discusses California Budget Patty Berg/For the Times-Standard Article Launched: 07/18/2008 01:31:38 AM PDT Here's some plain talk about California's budget deficit: We need more tax money. Not the sales tax. Not your property tax. Not your gas tax, or your utility tax. In fact, unless you are very well off and your taxes were reduced in recent years, you won't feel this at all. But the economy is in rough shape, people need help, housing is in the tank, and we have to balance the budget. We tried, we looked at it closely, but we can't close a $15 billion deficit just by cutting spending. That would mean locking classrooms, turning prisoners out on the street, leaving the poor elderly on their own, shutting libraries and laying off cops. And that's just for starters. In short, we would have to run this state like a developing nation. We would have to say to the world that California - despite its unparalleled magnetism and globe-striding economy - is no longer worthy of investment. And that would be crazy. But, you may ask, why now? How can we raise taxes when people are hurting at the pump; when they're having a hard time filling their grocery cart? Well, we're not raising taxes on folks hurting at the pump; nor on those struggling to pay their rent or buy their groceries. We believe it's time to restore the old tax rates for California's wealthiest residents and most successful companies. We need to go back to the rates they paid before a wave of tax-cutting took hold at the turn of the century. Not so many years ago, dot-com billionaires pumped taxes into the treasury as fast as you could count it. It made sense back then to lower their tax rates. But it doesn't make sense now that the housing bust and the energy crisis have drained our reserves and left us with an awful deficit. Government can't just go out of business. It can't wait on the sidelines and hope for the best. It is part of our everyday lives. Smaller government is not better government. Smaller government is what they have in Afghanistan -- certainly not what we want here. Look no further than the terrible brush fires raging all around us. No government would mean no tankers, no fire crews, no helicopters to drop fire retardant. Still, some people say it wouldn't matter if government dried up and blew away. They have jobs, they don't depend on subsidized childcare, they're too young or too healthy for government health assistance. So they go throughout their day unaware of the benefits they take from government. They wake up and make coffee with water that arrives in their pipes with the help of water districts. It is clean and safe because of regulations and standards set and enforced by government. They make breakfast with food products that are regulated and inspected. They go to work on a road built and maintained by tax dollars. Or they ride a bus run by a municipal authority. No matter how they travel, they do it where traffic rules are enforced and personal security is ensured by public safety officers. All day long, they use energy delivered through a grid overseen and directed by government. And in an emergency -- a crime or a house fire -- we are not on our own, we turn to police officers or firefighters whose salaries and expenses are shared by all of us, so that it is ready when any of us should need it. Amazingly, there are those who tell us that government is ripping us off. They say we're getting nothing for the taxes we pay. They say only poor people benefit from government, and that they're not our problem; the poor and weak should fend for themselves. But the truth is none of us get through a single day without some help from government, even if we overlook it because of its ubiquity. Sacrificing all those benefits would only hurt the economy. And experts tell us that restoring tax rates that existed before and during the recent booms won't hurt anything. In fact, once we can pass this budget and close this deficit, we will let everybody know that California is headed not toward a future of decline and decay, but a future of wise investment and robust opportunity. Assemblywoman Patty Berg is serving her third and final term in the Legislature. She represents Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Lake counties, and portions of Sonoma County Amazing Democratic Voter Registration Numbers in California – 1974 vs. 2008 Here are the official voter registration numbers from the California Secretary of State Voter Registration Report for 1/22/08 and 5/19/08 (6/3/08 Primary): 1/22/08 5/19/08 Change Democrat 6,749,406 (43.0) 7,053,860 (43.8) +304,454 (74.1%) Republican 5,229,425 (33.3) 5,244,394 (32.5) +14,969 (3.6%) Declines 3,043,164 (19.4) 3,128,684 (19.4) +85,520 (20.8%) Others 690,758 (4.4) 696,849 (4.3) +6,091 (1.5%) TOTAL 15,712,753 16,123,787 +411,034 Of the 411,034 new voters registered in CA (1/22 - 5/19/08), Democrats gained 304,454 new voters while the Republicans gained a measly 14,969 new voters. Democrats accounted for 74.1% of the overall registration change compared to just 3.6% for Republicans. More than five times as many people registered as Decline to State than registered as Republicans (20.8% vs. 3.6%). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ During Watergate - 1974 4/11/1974 10/6/1974 Change Democrat 5,193,759 (55.9) 5,623,831 (56.6) +430,072 (62.2%) Republican 3,453,192 (37.1) 3,574,624 (36.0) +121,432 (19.3%) Declines 540,083 (5.8) 615,651 (6.2) +75,568 (12.0%) Others 110,742 (1.2) 114,258 (1.2) +3,516 (0.6%) TOTAL 9,297,776 9,928,364 +630,588 Democrats had an increase of 430,072 new voters, which accounted for 68.2% of the overall registration change. Republicans had an increase of 121,432 new voters, which accounted for 19.3% of the overall registration change in 1974. President Nixon resigned (8/9/1974) - yet the Republicans were still 19.3% of the overall increase in voter registration. So far this year, Republicans are only 3.6% of the overall increase -- worse than Watergate. While Reagan had the Reagan Democrats, Obama has the Scott McClellan Republicans (who are registering as Democrats in California). Statement of Senator Feinstein on President Bush’s Plan to Lift the Executive Ban on Offshore Drilling - Feinstein: “The President is deluding the American public” - “President George Bush today announced that he will lift the executive ban that currently prohibits drilling in the federally protected waters of the Outer Continental Shelf – a ban that exists in tandem with the federal protections that were established by Congress in 1981. This is a false promise that simply won’t deliver. The fact is this: the President is deluding the American public into believing that new offshore drilling is a quick fix to $4 per gallon gasoline. Nothing could be further from the truth. We cannot drill our way out of this problem. Even if new offshore drilling were allowed off the coast of California and along the Outer Continental Shelf – which I wholly and resolutely oppose – it won’t produce oil in time to solve the gas price emergency American consumers are facing right now. Here’s why: · First, there’s a global shortage of drilling rigs. There’s already a five-year waiting list for existing drilling rigs, and the vast majority of the new rigs currently in production are already committed for through 2012. So, even if new waters were opened to drilling, there is no equipment readily available to drill for new oil. · Second, new oil produced from these additional leases won’t be available for at least seven years. In fact, it would take a minimum of two years for leases to be processed by the Minerals Management Service, and then at least five years before these new areas could begin to produce oil. · Third, the placement of new drilling rigs in the waters off our coasts exposes fragile marine species and coastal businesses to the threat of a catastrophic oil spill. And Californians have learned the hard way how much damage – environmental and economic – can be caused by a major oil spill. · Fourth, the overwhelming majority of oil and natural gas resources that are believed to be on the Outer Continental Shelf -- 82 percent of total natural gas and 79 percent of total oil -- are already accessible for drilling through federal leases. Additionally, energy companies have access to 68 million acres of federal lands and waters, where drilling leases have been issued but are not being used to increase production. Let me be clear: I’m committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to help find solutions to help ease the pinch of record gas prices. Unfortunately, there simply are no good or easy options to bring prices down. Instead, what we need is a long-term solution that will reduce America’s reliance on fossil fuels. We need a national energy policy that promotes energy conservation and increases investments in low carbon energy alternatives like wind, solar, biofuels and others. We also need to curb excessive speculation and crack down on manipulation in critical energy markets, particularly by large institutional investors. We’ve already closed the Enron Loophole, but we need to increase transparency and oversight for energy trading in over-the-counter markets and offshore exchanges. So, we’ve still got our work cut out for us. And there’s no time to waste.” Sunday 13 July 2008 Democrats Open Platform To The People
Del Norte Democrats will have an opportunity in July to contribute and help form the Democratic Party Platform. For the first time, voters will have the opportunity to take part in Platform Meetings in all 50 states to help shape the Democratic Platform. "From the beginning, we said we were going bring down the traditional walls of the Democratic Convention and make this event more accessible and include as many people as possible," said Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean. "This process will empower Americans in all 50 states to make their voices heard as they help write the document that embodies our Party's values and vision for the future. Barack Obama will bring real change to Washington, and as we write the Democratic Platform, there will be a clear choice between more of the same failed policies of the Bush Administration with John McCain or real change with Barack Obama who will make the American people, not the special interests, the priority again." "Barack Obama believes that every American should be able to contribute to the Democratic Platform, just as record numbers have participated in this campaign," said Steve Hildebrand of Obama for America. "It's not the lawmakers in Washington who live the day-to-day reality of our policies--it's workers, teachers, parents and first responders--everyday Americans who just want to the best for their families. What better way than to incorporate their voices into the process than to have them help shape the Democratic Platform, the statement of our ideals, values, and proposal for change. On Sunday, July 27, from 1-3 p.m., The Democratic Party will host a platform meeting for Del Norte Democrats at the office at 260 I St., in Crescent City. It is suggested that attendees familiarize themselves with the 2004 Democratic Platform. This is a great opportunity to provide rural input into the Democratic Party Platform. Friday 11 July 2008 McCain Economic Advisor Says Americans Are "Whiners" At a time when most Americans are feeling pain in their pocketbook, some seem to think it's all in our imagination. There might be some who aren't affected by rising gas prices, the home mortgage crisis or healthcare costs, but sensitivity to those who are struggling should be recognized by our leadership. Instead, John McCain's economic advisor, former Senator Phil Graham, says that Americans are "whiners". "You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," Gramm told the Washington Times. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet." "We have sort of become a nation of whiners," Gramm said. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline". UPDATE: JULY 19, GRAHAM RESIGNED AS McCAIN ADVISOR DUE TO PUBLIC OUTCRY. Thursday 10 July 2008 Assembly Majority Leader Torrico To Visit Del Norte
The Del Norte Democratic Party Central Committee will host Assemblymember Alberto Torrico at a special meeting on Thursday, July 24th, 5:00-6:30 P.M. at the Democratic office at 260 I St. in Crescent City. He will be addressing the current budget crisis in California. There is no charge and all Del Norte Democrats are invited to attend but seating is limited so please RSVP at 464-3120. Assemblymember Alberto Torrico serves as Majority Leader, the second highest post in California’s State Assembly. Mr. Torrico, called a “rising voice” by the San Jose Mercury News, represents the 20th Assembly District, which includes Fremont, Newark, Union City and Milpitas, and portions of San Jose, Hayward, Castro Valley and Pleasanton. Since his election in 2004, Majority Leader Torrico has held various leadership positions in the state Assembly. Immediately after being sworn-in, Mr. Torrico was named chair of the Assembly Committee on Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security (PERSS). Drawing on his experience as a union lawyer for nearly 10 years prior to joining the legislature, he successfully led the fight against Governor Schwarzenegger’s ill-conceived proposals to privatize public pensions and to eliminate benefits to the widows of fallen police officers and firefighters. In 2006, Mr. Torrico was appointed Chair of the Governmental Organization Committee, generally recognized as one of the Capitol’s most powerful committees. Simultaneously, Mr. Torrico was named Director of Majority Affairs. In this role, Mr. Torrico was responsible for major Democratic legislative initiatives, and for Democratic Caucus Development. He also previously served two-terms as Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus. Since his arrival in Sacramento, Majority Leader Torrico has authored 38 measures that were passed by the Legislature. Remarkably, 27 of them have been signed by our Republican governor. News Categories
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 [Blogs] Family ValuesPosted by bottsimons on 23 Jul : 14:02 I agree, Kurt. The Right Wing's putative corner on [ more ... ] [Blogs] Honoring our heroesPosted by Kurt on 03 Jul : 02:11 Thanks, Susan, for reminding us that no one, not a [ more ... ] [news] What Me Worry? Let Them Eat Cake!Posted by Kurt on 02 Jul : 15:26 The arrogance of this man is unconscionable! [Blogs] FISA vs Civil LibertiesPosted by Kurt on 29 Jun : 00:30 Pragmatism is, of course, a slice of reality. My c [ more ... ] [Blogs] FISA vs Civil LibertiesPosted by bottsimons on 28 Jun : 20:23 Thanks for contacting Senator Feinstein and sharin [ more ... ] [Blogs] Thompson on FISAPosted by bottsimons on 28 Jun : 20:09 Thanks for sharing this, Kurt! We called his D.C. [ more ... ] [Blogs] The Origin of the DonkeyPosted by bottsimons on 28 Jun : 20:03 I'd read parts of this info in the past, but never [ more ... ] [news] Republicans Gird for Big Losses in CongressPosted by bottsimons on 11 Jun : 19:39 Good catch, Kurt! I can't wait to see Alaska throw [ more ... ] [news] Kucinich Brings 35 Articles of Impeachment Against BushPosted by bottsimons on 10 Jun : 19:24 I'm glad Rep. Kucinich read them into the record, [ more ... ] [news] Kucinich Brings 35 Articles of Impeachment Against BushPosted by Kurt on 10 Jun : 18:39 Two years ago, Speaker Pelosi took impeachment "of [ more ... ]
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