El Cerrito Democratic Club

by Carla Hansen

The Executive Board said goodbye to two officers this month, VP Media Scott Kagawa and VP Publications Heather Greven. Both had other time commitments and needed to step down from the Executive Board. Scott will be pursuing his MBA at UC Berkeley. We wish them the best. If you’re interested in volunteering on the Board, please contact ecdc.pres@gmail.com

Also, after the Club passed a resolution supporting a Minimum Wage in El Cerrito the Minimum Wage Committee (Carla Hansen, Arlin Robins, Al Miller and Nick Arzio) has been very active in building support among community groups, elected officials and local businesses with many signed on as supporters.  Stay updated on the Minimum Wage Campaign on ecdclub.org and the Club’s Facebook page.

The May meeting was quite eventful. After a presentation from Miranda Dietz, researcher at UC Berkley Labor Center on minimum wages and the local economy, the Club passed a resolution urging the El Cerrito City Council to enact a minimum wage ordinance with amounts and annual adjustments no lower than those set for in the City of Richmond’ minimum wage ordinance by January 1, 2016 (see below). The Club also heard a presentation form Ben Greif, Evolve, on their latest campaign on modifying Prop 13. The Club also passed a resolution supporting the National Day of Action for Medicare’s 50^th Birthday.

Minimum Wage Ordinance Resolution

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 1^st, 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.

The Executive Board passed a resolution drafted by Club member and CADEM AD 15 delegate Rochelle Pardue Okimoto in support of Loving Day (which was June 12) commemorating Loving v. the Commonwealth of Virginia Supreme Court decision allowing interracial marriage. The ECDC joined a number of  organizations that signed on to support the resolution. Rochelle worked to get the resolution passed by the California Democratic Party Resolutions Committee, CDP Region 5 Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, the El Cerrito City Council and the El Cerrito Human Relations Commission. Way to go Rochelle!