Meeting will be held on April 24, 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.

Agenda for the Business Meeting

1. Minutes of March 27, 2018 Meeting
2. Treasurer’s Report
3. Consideration of Club Endorsements
4. Program

Consideration of endorsement for the Peace Pledge

Background of Peace Pledge

Ann Schwartz of the Peace Committee of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club will discuss the “Peace Pledge” (below) which her Club is hoping legislators will sign and other political clubs will endorse:

As a candidate for a U.S. public office in 2018 — or as someone currently occupying a U.S. public office, as the case may be — I pledge to support and advance these four aims:

1. Ample funding for community-based violence prevention programs and effective regulation of the manufacture, sale, transfer, and use of firearms.
2. The non-violent resolution of international conflict and the abolition of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons.
3. The sharp reduction of government military spending, and conversion from a military and fossil-fuel based economy to a sustainable economy that meets such civilian needs as health care, education, housing, mass transportation, renewable energy, and ending poverty.
4. The provision of re-training and alternative employment for soldiers and military industry workers, enabling them to apply their experience and skills to civilian production.

In keeping with the above aims, I will not knowingly accept any campaign donations from military contractors or fossil fuel corporations.

Consideration of endorsement for the 11^th Congressional District.

Background Regarding the candidates

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier is the incumbent that represents El Cerrito in California’s 11th Congressional District which includes a majority of Contra Costa County.  For more information on the congressman, go to:   https://desaulnier.house.gov/

His opponent is a Democratic candidate, Dennis Lytton, who is a union rep (AFSCME) for BART. Here is the link for Dennis’s campaign website: https://www.google.com/search?q=dennis%20lytton

PROGRAM

Recent reports of federal agents working with ICE to gather undocumented citizens in Northern California for possible deportation have raised many local concerns.  Even though the El Cerrito City Council voted last year to make El Cerrito a “Sanctuary City” questions remain as to how local residents may be treated when harsh federal policies are implemented.

The speaking guests for the April 24^th El Cerrito Democratic Club will provide a timely review of what our county and city are doing to support safety and justice for immigrant families and individuals in Contra Costa County:

• Ali Saidi, Contra Costa County Public Defender will discuss the pilot program approved by the County Board of Supervisors, Stand Together Coco, which seeks to assure that all people in the county, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, are afforded their constitutional rights and protected from any actions or policies that result in discriminatory or unlawful treatment. Stand Together CoCo is a rapid response program that seeks to provide legal, educational and training services to those impacted by anti-immigrant policies or actions in Contra Costa County.
• Paul Keith, City of El Cerrito Police Chief will discuss the police department’s approach to being a Sanctuary City and how it hopes to assure that residents are protected from any actions which unduly impact undocumented residents living among us.  Chief Keith was instrumental in supporting efforts helping to designate El Cerrito as a Sanctuary City.

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 27^th 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