Category: Front Page

Posted on

Meeting Preview

Tuesday, July 28 6:00 p.m

Zion Presbyterian Church 545 Ashbury Ave.

The next Club meeting will be on Tuesday, July 28.

Our guest speaker will be Joshua Simon, who is going to speak on affordable housing issues and a presentation from the Writers Coach Connection. The Club will also be considering a resolution to support closing the commercial property tax loophole created by Prop 13.

About our speaker:

Joshua Simon leads the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) to build healthy, vibrant neighborhoods by working in coalition with other organizations to coordinate efforts and build community assets. He served as EBALDC’s Senior Project Manager and Director of Real Estate

Development from 1994 to 2006 and has been Executive Director since April 2013, where he developed mixed use affordable housing complexes and nonprofit community complexes.

His past work includes seven years as Director of Real Estate Consulting at the Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF), where he worked with community organizations throughout Northern California to provide strategic planning for their facility needs. One of his consulting assignments was to facilitate the formation of the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST). He has continued to work with CAST as Treasurer of the Board. His past work includes the development of co-housing, community facilities for arts and social service organizations, artists’ live/work studios and community projects that achieved historic preservation goal.

Throughout his career, he has been an active civic leader, serving for over 12 years as an elected school board member for the Emery Unified School District in Emeryville, California. His involvement has continued as a member of the Bond Oversight Committee for Emeryville’s Center for Community Life.

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Babysitters are available free to parents for ECDC meetings, if we are given notice that they are needed.

Posted on

Message from the President

Happy summer to all. The Club was well represented at the July 4th World One Celebration in El Cerrito. Thank you to all the volunteers who set up and took down as well as staffed the booth. We had many visitors and folks interested in the Club.

The Club’s annual dinner and fundraiser is scheduled for October 10. We are excited to announce former State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano as our keynote speaker! A big thank you to VP of Programs Gabe Quinto.

Tickets are available to purchase online at ecdclub.org . More details will follow as the date gets closer. If you would like to volunteer at the dinner please contact ecdc.pres@gmail.com.

The Club’s minimum wage campaign is successfully moving forward. The minimum wage committee (Nick Arzio, Nick Galloro, Carla Hansen Al Miller, Ronnie Polonsky, Arlin Robins) has gained the support of many business owners, community groups, boards and commissions within El Cerrito as well as a number of elected representatives. Check out the Club’s facebook page for updates on endorsements from Nick Arzio.

The Committee and many Club members have lobbied at City Council meetings and Board and Commission meetings. Our active engagement on this issue  has not gone unnoticed. The City Council put a work session/discussion of a local minimum wage on the agenda for Tuesday. August 18 at 7:00 p.m. The minimum wage committee asks Club members to join us at that meeting to show support for this important issue.

 

July 4th Booth 1 July 4th Booth 2 July 4th Booth 3 July 4th Booth 4 July 4th Booth 5

Posted on

ECDC Passes Minimum Wage Resolution-Message from the Club President

On Tuesday, May 26, 2015, the El Cerrito Democratic Club passed a resolution  urging the El Cerrito City Council to enact a minimum wage ordinance  with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than the than those set forth in the City of Richmond’s minimum wage ordinance by January 1, 2016.

Getting a minimum wage ordinance passed in El Cerrito is one of the Club’s strategic goals and passing a resolution was the first step.

Now it’s time to get the word out.

First stop, the El Cerrito City Council.

The President and Vice President will introducing the ordinance and kicking off the campaign at the June 2, 2015 City Council meeting.

We need Club members to show up and give their support.

Executive Board members will be at the following meetings speaking about the Club’s resolution to bring awareness to the issue to build momentum. Please join them if you can.

  • Tuesday, June 2-El Cerrito City Council Meeting-7:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 3-Human Relations Commission 7:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, June 16-El Cerrito City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 25, Economic Development Commission 7:30 p.m.
  • All meeting are at El Cerrito City Hall-10890 San Pablo Avenue

This is an important campaign workers and residents in the City of El Cerrito.  Working households can’t survive on the current minimum wage and while struggling to afford the high cost of living in the Bay Area.  A high minimum wage rate helps households become more economically stable, protects public safety/health, reduces employee turnover within businesses, improves job performance of employees and provides a boost for the local economy.

Things to consider:

  • Federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour
  • California minimum wage is $9.00 per hour ($10 per hour by 2016)
  • Seven of 10 low wage occupations (service workers, waiters, retail sales, cashiers etc) are expected to see large job growth in the next 10 years
  • 13.5 percent of El Cerrito households earn less than $25,000 per year
  • Most of the job industry within the City of El Cerrito are retail or service-oriented

Text of the Club’s min wage resolution is below:

WHEREAS, a person who works full time in the City of El Cerrito should earn enough to pay for his or her basic living expenses; and

WHEREAS, the cost of living in West Contra Costa County is significantly higher than the state average; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, Richmond became the first city in West Contra Costa County to pass a municipal minimum wage ordinance to help fill the gap between the California state minimum wage and our higher-than-average local cost of living;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the El Cerrito Democratic Club calls on the El Cerrito City Council to enact by January 1st, 2016, a municipal minimum wage with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than those set forth in the City of Richmond’s Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Let’s build momentum and help build our local economy by supporting working households and families. Raise the minimum wage!

-Carla Hansen, ECDC President