Posted on by Margaret Kavanaugh

March Meeting Preview

The March club meeting will be held on March 27, 2018 at the Presbyterian Church at 545 Ashbury Ave, El Cerrito 94530.

Meeting begins at 6:30 PM. Arrive at 6 PM to enjoy Pizza for $5/ slice.

At our March meeting we will vote on the following:

  • Minutes of February 27, 2018 Meeting
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Ratification of President Janet Abelson’s appointment of Hari Lamba as VP of Publications

Meeting Business

Anti-SB 1 Effort & Parks Bond Measure (Prop. 68)

Guest speakers at the March 27th Membership meeting will discuss two issues of importance that could be impacted by upcoming elections: (1) Proposition 68 – the Parks, Environment, and Water Bond on the June primary election ballot, and (2) efforts to overturn in November SB 1– the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 which was recently passed to provide critical transportation funding in the state.

  • Proposition 68: Representatives of the East Bay Regional Parks, Erick Pfuehler, Government Affairs Manager, and Lis Baldinger, Legislative Assistant, will discuss benefits of the proposition up for a vote in June which was pushed legislatively by Sen. Kevin De Leon.  A “yes” vote would authorize $4 billion in general obligation bonds for state and local parks, environmental protection projects, water infrastructure projects, and flood protection projects.
  • El Cerrito BART issues/SB 1 Repeal efforts: El Cerrito’s BART Director Rebecca Saltzman will provide a brief update on issues which impacting BART riders and the El Cerrito BART stations. She will also provide information on efforts to place a proposition on the November ballot to repeal recently passed SB 1 (Beall) which raised the gas tax and will provide funding for a variety of road, transportation and transit programs and projects in the state.

County Candidates and Measures for ECDC Endorsement:

The El Cerrito Democratic Club will seek endorsement by its members of the following candidates and measures at the meeting on March 27, 2018.

The candidates included here are (1) Democrats running for positions in Contra Costa County and (2) the State Superintendent of Public Instruction — a non-partisan post where a majority vote on the June primary election will elect that candidate without a General Election campaign.

More information on Contra Costa County elections can be obtained at: http://www.cocovote.us/wp-content/uploads/2018_CandidateGuide.pdf

ECDC will also consider endorsement of the Regional Measure (RM3) to be voted on by all the nine Bay Area Counties in June to help solve the Bay Area’s growing congestion problems.  The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) worked with the state Legislature to authorize this ballot measure that would finance a comprehensive list of highway and transit improvements through an increase of bridge tolls on the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges.  Senate Bill 595 (authored by Sen. Jim Beall of San Jose) was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Brown in fall 2017.  If approved by a majority of voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma counties, toll revenues would be used to finance a $4.45 billion slate of highway and transit improvements in the toll bridge corridors and their approach routes.

For endorsement consideration

State:

  1. State Superintendent of Public Instruction
    1. Tony Thurmond
    2. Marshall Tuck
    3. No Endorsement

Contra Costa County:

  1. Contra Costa District Attorney
    1. Diana Becton
    2. No Endorsement
  2. Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools
    1. Lynn Mackey
    2. No Endorsement
  3. Contra Costa County Assessor
    1. Gus Kramer
    2. Geoffrey William Steele
    3. No Endorsement
  4. Contra Costa County Auditor–Controller
    1. Ayore Riaunda
    2. No Endorsement

Regional:

  1. Regional Measure 3
    1. Support
    2. Oppose
    3. No Endorsement