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Executive Board Meeting Report – March 5, 2018

Meeting Started at 7pm

Pre Meeting Discussion (Hari, Greg not present)

  1. Vacant Publications Position
    1. President Janet Abelson appointed Hari Lamba to Vice President of Publications
    2. Hari Lamba can begin working on the newsletter and other duties
    3. Scott Lyons will assist Hari in the transition
    4. Background on Hari: Democratic Engineer that works on environmental issues on free time and has extensive experience with working for various non-profit organizations.
  2. Web Consultant Question

Quorum reached at 7:25 pm

  1. Call to order & Roll Call
    1. Members Present: Quorum present consisting of President Janet Abelson President, Executive Vice President Mister Phillips, Membership Vice President Champagne Brown, Treasurer Greg Lyman, and Records Vice President Rosa Esquivel, and Acting Vice President Hari Lamba.
    2. Members Not Present: Programs Vice President Paul Fadelli.
    3. Visitors: Past Presidents Scott Lyons and Peter Chau (joins at 7:36 pm via phone and later in person)
  2. El Cerrito City Council Conflict Discussion
    1. Greg will refrain from participating in program discussion in order to avoid conflict of interest.
    2. Potential council conflict areas can include: Prop 13 and/or Charter City.
    3. Programs will be moved to end of meeting so that Greg can leave and not be present during discussion.
    4. Loving Day discussion will only be on logistics so there is no conflict.
  3. Minutes of last executive board meeting were approved
    1. Mister Phillips and Scott abstained
  4. Treasurer’s Report
    1. Fourth of July booth applied
    2. Paid bill for Harding Elementary School event on 2/27/18
    3. Four new memberships
    4. Around $11,000 balance in account
    5. There have been no payments from the ECDC club to Jeff in the past
    6. Rent is paid on a monthly basis for regular club meeting location
  5. Web Consultant
    1. Jeff Koertzen, is excited to help us and Greg will reach out to Jeff as the Web Manager, Jeff will post items to website
    2. We prefer to hire Jeff as a consultant, it will depend on his status
    3. Greg will negotiate contract with Jeff
    4. Greg will share contract scope with board
    5. Working on negotiating a $2,000 contract with Jeff
    6. If there is no LLC, then we issue a 1099 as an employee
    7. Action: Greg will negotiate contract and determine IRS status
  6. Election of open positions
    1. Champagne pointed out that bylaws say that majority of voting club members can elect any member at any of the next meetings
    2. Another section of Presidential duties includes assigning and appointing members to any vacant positions
  7. Membership Report
    1. Champagne wants a database
    2. Champagne recommends Wild Apricot for tracking membership, website events and other activities, customer size 1000+, $70 month, free trial; However, Champagne is willing to see if Jeff can do something better
    3. Only issue with only online membership is that membership still likes personal membership and some still like to write checks
    4. We are still using Mail Chimp,
    5. Jeff needs current membership list, and expired membership list.
    6. We just need to be able to generate active membership list for each meeting so that we can check membership
    7. $40 per month for Wild Apricot software exceeds budget
    8. We have around 100 paid members right now and expecting 200 by August because of the endorsements
    9. Club membership fluctuates between 100-300 depending on elections
    10. Motion to ask club to approve bigger budget for membership software – on hold till next meeting – Cost is based on percentage of membership
    11. Champagne will continue to do research and work with Mail Chimp, Wild Apricot seems to be too expensive for the club
  8. Newsletter
    1. Scott might still be the website administrator
    2. Board voted on Newsletter items
    3. Next Deadline is March 12 (to Hari – Hari requested items by March 10th)
      1. Greg will alert Paul to get program items to Hari by March 10th
    4. Hari needs to print and mail items by March 17th to meet next deadline
    5. Paul has provided Program information for the next newsletter.
    6. Hari has received Paul’s content from candidate profiles?
    7. 15 members still want newsletter mailed to their house.
    8. Item 1: Preview upcoming Meeting: Janet and Paul will provide content information to Hari
    9. Item 2: E-board report: report back to club on board item discussions (from Rosa)
    10. Item 3: review of previous club meeting (see Rosa’s Notes)
    11. Item 4: club member submissions (i.e. Hari’s article, Resolution on the same, Peter Chau’s submission).
    12. Hari will send newsletter to Scott, who will figure out how to get it into the club website
  9. Website
    1. We should maintain historical link of previous club resolutions
  10. ECDC Platform
    1. ECDC platform activity is an off year activity
    2. Mister Phillips is part of platform activities; he advises working on these in 2019 to prepare for the next election
  11. The ECDC IRS status discussion
    1. We are a 501(C)4 organization as per IRS rules. We are a political organization. As a club should we have an EIN?
    2. We have to exceed $25,000 a year in funding before we have to register
    3. We do not have employees, and the answer was no to all IRS questions, as to whether we need an EIN
    4. We are a nonprofit, and we might need to get an EIN?
    5. 990EZ annual filing for IRS
    6. Action Item: Greg to find out if we need EIN and what an Employee is.
  12. Awards Storage
    1. Rosa is keeper of all club historical items
    2. She keeps for a year and donates to historical society
    3. She has to keep awards in a safe place for the club
    4. Dinner plates and club items
  13. Events
    1. El Cerrito High Cafeteria, we have not yet booked it, but Mister Phillips should request it for Saturday August 25th from 9am to 4pm for the endorsement forum –
      1. Confirm that our meeting has been calendared in the central database
    2. Paul is working on speaker forums for County offices for June timeframe.
    3. Next meeting in March, we will hear from county superintendents
    4. Loving Day – do we want a booth at the event?
      1. We need volunteers to be at the booth
      2. Event is around a Saturday around June 12th
  • Volunteer article to get volunteers
  1. County offices forum will be the 6th or 8th of March (we are invited to come to the West County Dems club)
  2. September Meeting
    1. Mister Phillips has to contact Superintendent
  3. We might need a walk campaign for June
  4. Greg to do volunteer article for all activities (walk, Loving Day, Fourth of July), respond to Janet Abelson
  1. Web Consultant
    1. Mister will work with Greg on Jeff’s contract
  2. Next General Meeting is 3/27 any other items?
    1. Hari’s Position
    2. Volunteers
  3. Next Board meeting is 4/2

Greg Lyman leaves meeting as planned as of 9:10pm.

  1. Program Discussion
    1. Affordable Housing
      1. David Chu’s proposal for zone change around BART stations
    2. October 20th looks good for October dinner.
    3. We still need a better venue; St. Jerome’s or St. John’s social hall are accessible, if not Kensington

Meeting Adjourned at 9:22 pm.

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Review of Members Meeting – February 27, 2018

Meeting Announcements

Hilary Crosby voted President of the California Democratic Council (CDC)!

Hilary Crosby won the vote for President.  She and her slate of 14 candidates will be revitalizing the CDC in the year to come.

A brief history on the CDC is that it is an umbrella organization to provide training and support for local clubs.  With that in mind, our own fellow member’s slate has been voted in to lead the club.

Notes on the California Democratic convention in San Diego, Feb 23-25, 2018

The CDP convention endorsed the following candidates:

  • Betty Yee – State Controller
  • Ricardo Lara – Insurance Commissioner
  • Alex Padilla – Secretary of State
  • Tony Thurmond – Superintendent of Public Instruction
  • Fiona Ma – State Treasurer

Surprisingly, the CDP did not reach a consensus on endorsements for the following open offices:

  • US Senate
  • State Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • Attorney General
  • All Board of Equalization districts

Additional endorsements were posted.

Note that candidate David Min did receive over 60% of vote for US House Representative District 45, yet an objection has been filed.

The El Cerrito Democratic Club Honored

ECDC has been honored and recognized by the CDP as a long-standing club with strong membership and activities for democratic values.  The club was awarded the Region 5 for all the good work of the club.  It is for who we are as a club and the Region wanted to recognize us

Meeting Business

Jobs and Economy Proposal by Hari Lamba

Hari Lamba’s resolution to improve the economy was unanimously approved by the club members present.  In addition, Hari was advised to submit the resolution to the national convention.

2018 Assembly Endorsements

The fifty voting members of the ECDC did not reach a majority endorsement for the California State Assembly District.  The vote count was as follows:

  1. Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto -22
  2. Judy Appel -9
  3. Buffy Wicks – 8
  4. Jovanka Beckles – 3
  5. Dan Kalb – 4
  6. Ben Bartlett – 2
  7. Cheryl Sudduth – 1
  8. Owen Poindexter -1

The club can further discuss this endorsement at the March 27th meeting.

Candidate Presentations – California State Assembly District 15

During Candidate presentations, President Abelson did not participate throughout the Candidate Forum section and she moved to the back of the room.

Below are brief key words mentioned by each of the candidates as recalled by this volunteer.  All candidates present professed to have progressive values but they were asked to identify what makes them different from the other candidates.

Judy Appel

  • https://www.judyappel.com
  • Pro cannabis reform
  • Pro labor and for job creation
  • Pro union
  • Will request Education, budget committees
  • Raised $163k, 3% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), 0 PAC, $500 from Scott Weiner, Linda Mays, Loni Hancock, 9 are maxed out

 Ben Bartlett

  • https://www.benbartlettca.com
  • Wife Yelda Bartlett represented Ben
  • Current Berkeley City Council
  • Pro Health innovation zone
  • Pro homeless housing model
  • Will request Housing and Banking committees
  • Raised $106k, 3% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), NAACP and black caucus PA

 Jovanka Beckles

  • Jovanka.org
  • The “wrap around candidate – join the revolution”
  • Current Richmond City Council member
  • Pro rent control
  • Pro sanctuary city
  • Pro health care
  • Pro changing current justice system
  • Will request Crime and Appropriations committees
  • Raised $82k, 0% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), <5 local max outs, 0 PAC.

 Dan Kalb

  • https://www.dankalb.net
  • Current Oakland City Council
  • Served with the Union of Concerned Scientists on Climate change and energy issues
  • Pro clean energy
  • Pro housing
  • Pro police reform
  • Fought against the coal terminal
  • Created civilian oversight committee
  • Member of Air pollution science club
  • Pro SB100
  • Pro clean up
  • Pro increasing California solar energy
  • Will request Budget, Environment, transportation, and housing committees
  • Just started accepting funds: Raised $156k, <2% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), 0 PAC., supported by Jarred Hoffman, six maxed out

 Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto

  • Rochellead15.com
  • Current El Cerrito City Council member
  • Pro single payer health care
  • Opposed west county jail expansion
  • Pro affordable housing
  • Removed ban on cannabis
  • Will champion SB 52
  • Endorsed by Black Caucus
  • Raised $100k, 20% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), working on nursing and recycling PAC funding.

Owen Poindexter

  • https://www.owenpoindexter.com
  • Pro basic income
  • Pro racial justice
  • Just started accepting funds: Raised $20k, 0 PAC, no max outs, not accepting donations of over $2,200 per individual (half the current legal max)

Cheryl Sudduth

  • https://cherylsudduth.nationbuilder.com/
  • Pro changing current justice system
  • Pro youth
  • Pro woman and children
  • Pro SB10
  • Will request Budget and Appropriations committees
  • Just started accepting funds: Raised $3.5k, 85% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), <$50 per donation, 0 PAC

Buffy Wicks

  • https://buffywicks.com
  • Past activities: Anti-war organizer, health care organizer
  • Worked on Obama ACA legislation
  • Pro Proposition 13 reform for closing business loopholes
  • Will request Budget, transportation, education committees
  • Raised $528k, 0% from West Contra Costa County (WCC), $15k from labor PAC, no independents

*  Question on funds raised was based as of the January 2018 report prior to December, 2017.

Meeting adjourned around 9pm

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Better Strategies on Jobs & Economy

Overcoming Trump’s rhetoric with a 4-point strategy that will succeed!!

Why Trump’s strategy will fail

Trump’s strategy for jobs and economy will fail for a number of reasons: (1) Tax cuts for companies or any jobs brought back from abroad because of strong arm trade tactics – the companies will pocket the money – they have learned how to handle larger profits and do it with fewer people, and (2) Lower regulations means that many big financial companies will steal large sums of money by creative financing, leading to a financial crisis bigger than that in 2008 – leading to bigger job losses than 2008.

How the Democratic Party Can Gain an Advantage

One major area where the Democratic Party is weak is in the area of Jobs & Economy, where Republicans dominate the field, and where Trump swung many traditional voters with promises of a lot of good paying jobs, mainly industrial. They claim they hold the magic wand when it comes to jobs, businesses, investments, and industry. The Democratic Party has generally shied away from major talk in this area, concentrating mainly on safety nets (social security, etc.), minimum wage, healthcare, women’s rights and a strong diversity plank – the main exception being, clean energy.

My argument is that one way to begin winning back the voters, and energize new voters (especially young ones), is to give them a powerful vision in the area of sustainability activities and a pro-employment and pro-environment economy. Here are four proposed areas.

Four Pronged Strategy Proposed for America

  1. Pro-Employment Tax Reform: Tax reform that allows depreciation of human capital (training, etc.), and favors greater employment, with incentives based on the size and sales volume of the company. Further tax reforms and financing provided would favor ownership by employees of corporations, and/or greater stock ownership accompanied by more representatives on the Board. Tax reform should be targeted rather than open ended as the Trump Tax cuts, so that they specifically accomplish what is needed.
  2. Pro-Employment Industrial Policy: Developing industries systematically that are pro-employment. This would develop industries from R&D to production development, from financing to marketing – pretty much like the US develops Defense industries today. Many other nations, from Japan, to Asian Tigers (Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia) and now China have done this successfully. Now this method needs to be used to create, help and guide pro-employment industries, ones that create more jobs for the money invested. This can mean that instead of favoring fully automated factories, semi-automated factories are encouraged that use more skilled or semi-skilled people.
  3. Local Production for Local Use: Not just Made in America, but local job creation for local consumption. This is the only way that depressed communities can be rejuvenated for the long term. This would encourage R&D and the development of industries that develop capital equipment for the processing of agricultural products – food and non-food, from a wide variety of crops, forest, fish, and other industrial products easily available locally. In the long term, this is the only method that will help communities depressed by companies leaving, or towns that were previously dependent on coal.
  4. Transforming All Activities – Making them Sustainable, Pro-Environment & Climate Friendly: By transforming activities leading to sustainable Energy (efficiency/production), Cities, Townships (Habitats – eco-cities), Industry (renewable energy and raw materials, or more locally available, together with waste recycling), Transportation (lower carbon transportation with more transportation choices that are better linked and integrated), Agriculture (more organic, with less use of fertilizers, biocides, water and energy), Forestry & Fisheries.

While much of this assumes national level actions, there are many aspects, that can be useful for California.  A summary clause based on the above was approved at San Diego in February 2018 to be included in the California Democratic Party Platform. In this way, the Democratic Party and by other parties opposed to the Republicans, can gain an advantage over them in areas of jobs and economy, and then we can claim that we can create more manufacturing jobs by these means, more pro-employment, pro-environment and pro-sustainability.