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URGENT ACTION BY MEMBERS NEEDED BY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

The El Cerrito Democratic Club endorsed the City of El Cerrito’s Measure R, a one-cent sales tax for 12 years to maintain current levels of public safety, including police services, neighborhood patrols, crime prevention programs, and rapid 9-1-1 response times, as well as after-school programs for children and teens and city parks, playfields, paths and open spaces. 

A bill on the Governor’s desk, AB 1342, would allow Measure R (if passed by the voters in November) to be implemented. Current State law limits the amount of taxes that can be levied. This bill makes an exception for the City of El Cerrito.

We need to support this bill!

If it doesn’t get signed, Measure R cannot be implemented-meaning our City will not have the revenue it needs to support the services we expect, want and deserve.

Here is a link to the legislation:

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1324

You can call or email the Governor

Here is the website for submitting your comments:

https://govnews.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php

Be sure to pick AB 1324 from the topics list.

Here is his phone number if you want to leave a voicemail, instead:
916-445-2841

Here are some talking points:

Local economies are still struggling from the Great Recession and in El Cerrito, local property values have declined. Meanwhile, El Cerrito residents have also faced a rise in property crimes

AB 1324 is a practical, responsible bill that will allow Contra Costa cities like El Cerrito to maintain critical local services, such as current levels of public safety and police services, including neighborhood patrols, crime prevention programs, and rapid 9-1-1 response times.

El Cerrito needs local control over local funds, for local needs. AB 1324 simply allows local residents to determine what services they want, and how they want to pay them.

AB 1324 is a narrow, practical, responsible response to the Great Recession, declining property values, and increased property crimes.

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL ASAP.

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2014 Annual Dinner tickets available now

Join us on October 4 with Fiona Ma, ECDC-Endorsed candidate for Board of Equalization and former California Assembly-member.

Purchase tickets via PayPal on the ECDC website. Or mail us a check at El Cerrito Democratic Club, PO Box 192, El Cerrito, CA 94530. $40 per person.

About Fiona Ma

Fiona Ma was elected to represent the people of California’s 12th Assembly District from November 2006 to November 2012 (after serving the maximum of three terms.) She was the #112th woman to ever be elected to the California Legislature and the first Asian woman to serve as Speaker pro Tempore since 1850.

Assemblywoman Ma first became interested in politics as a small business owner and a Certified Public Accountant advocating on behalf of other small businesses. She was an elected delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business under President Bill Clinton, which produced a report to Congress on the 60 top policy recommendations to help small businesses grow and prosper in the 21st century.

She formally entered the field of politics in 1995, serving as a part-time district representative for the former President pro Tempore of the California Senate, John Burton. It was a position that would last for seven years, after which she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where she served for four years until 2006. During her tenure on the Board of Supervisors, she authored the landmark Local Business Enterprise ordinance on behalf of women and minority business owners and passed legislation to tackle human trafficking.

While serving in the Assembly, in addition to NCSL, Fiona served as Western States Chair of Women in Government; was an Executive Board Member of the California Democratic Party; and is Member of the Aspen Institute’s 2009 Class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows.

She is currently on the Board of CA Women Lead; Board of Directors for Curry Without Worry;  Board of Directors of Asian Inc; President of the Asian American Donor Program Honorary Chair and Spokesperson of the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign; and Honorary California Chair of the New Leaders Council. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the James L. Brady Riding Program for Children with Disabilities, Family Connections, Alliance for Girls and the SF Ethnic Dance Festival.  She is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

 

 

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Membership deadlines for Endorsement forums

The membership deadline passed in late July for the August endorsement forums. The deadline for membership to vote in the September 23 forum, for Kensington races, is August 24.

ECDC endorsements are made in each election cycle according to our by-laws (pdf). Only members in good standing for 30 days prior to the endorsement forum may vote, and the ECDC may only endorse Democrats in any race whether partisan or non-. A candidate must be selected on ballots of 60% of the members present to gain the club’s endorsement.