June Meeting:  Wednesday, June 8, 2011.
Time: Networking 6:15pm/Program: 6:45pm.
Venue: Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 East Janss Road
Program: MEET OUR YOUNG DEMOCRATS

A panel of speakers will discuss issues involving our youth from-

• Young Democrats of California, Ventura County
• California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
• California State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI)
• local colleges

Panelists include:

Dante Atkins : Vice President, California Young Democrats
Heather Hughes: Vice President, Ventura County Young Democrats
Nareg Babaians:  Vice President, CSUN Young Democrats
Caitlin Cordova:  Co-founder, CSUCI Young Democrats
Moderator is David Maron, Ventura County Civic Alliance

The public is invited and we will welcome our new members.
Please join us.

For more information contact:
Richard Gunther
rickgunther@verizon.net
818-889-1039

Camarillo, Calif., Feb. 3, 2011 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) will commemorate the 2008 killing of 15-year-old gay Oxnard student Lawrence King with a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, February 15, on the CI campus.

The evening’s program will feature a showing of The Laramie Project at 6 p.m. at CI’s John Spoor Broome Library, room 2325. The program is presented by Spectrum, the School of Education, the English program, the Centers for Multicultural Engagement and Community Engagement, Associated Students, Inc., Housing & Residential Education, and Multicultural Programs.

For the second year the student gay/straight alliance, Spectrum, in partnership with Julia Balén, Associate Professor of English, and her English/Gender Studies Class, offers a program to remember Lawrence King. This year they also commemorate the wrongful murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student from the University of Wyoming. The Laramie Project, a film of the play by Moises Kaufman, will be shown followed by a discussion. Balén stated that, “The University needs to be a forum for dialogue, a place where challenging issues can be intelligently discussed.”

The discussion, an exploration of how we might end violence and harassment directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools and communities, will be followed by a candlelight vigil.

CI emphasizes the issue of civil discourse and what it means in campus life, particularly in light of the current national conversation about civility and democracy. This program considers what respecting differences means.
The program is free and open to the public. For additional information please contact Julia Balen at julia.balen@csuci.edu.

Persons with special needs or conditions who would like to request an accommodation should contact 805-437-3331 or e-mail accommodations@csuci.edu.

Limited parking is available on campus. A daily permit is $6. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the VISTA Bus to the campus; the fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org .

Information is available online at
http://www.csuci.edu/news/releases/2011_programurgesrespectfordifferences.htm .

As one of his first actions, Governor-elect Jerry Brown has appointed the Honorable John Laird as California Secretary for Natural Resources. This is a superb decision.

A longtime environmental champion, John Laird served with distinction for six years as an Assemblyman representing the central coast counties of Santa Cruz and Monterey. During this period, John received a 100% score from both the California League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club California for his votes on environmental issues.

Comments Due by November 22

The Democratic Club of the Conejo Valley resolved earlier this year to support the full and complete cleanup of the Santa Susan Field Lab.  Countywide help is  needed now on this critical environmental and public health issue.

The most contaminated place in Ventura County is the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, where reactors and rockets were tested.  One atomic reactor suffered a partial meltdown there in 1959; at least three other reactors had other accidents; there were thousands of rocket tests.  Radioactive and chemical contamination resulted.

For decades, the fight to get the site cleaned up has raged.  Finally, we have a breakthrough:  the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA, which operated key parts of the site, have agreed to a cleanup to background levels of contaminants.  In short, if they detect contamination from their activities, they will clean it up.  This is what the community has sought for so long.

An initial comment period resulted in over 1700 comments in favor of the agreement-in-principle—absolutely remarkable.  If you commented then, thanks!  But DOE has now asked for a second, final round of comments, on the final, legally binding Agreement.  It is frustrating to have to comment a second time, but we are near the finish line. [You can find the Agreement and related documents at http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/SiteCleanup/Santa_Susana_Field_Lab/SSFL-Cleanup.cfm and get more information about the SSFL issue  http://www.rocketdynecleanupcoalition.org.]

ACTION NEEDED:  Whether you commented before or not, PLEASE send in a comment NOW urging that the final Agreements be immediately signed.  (Comments are due no later than November 22.)

Click here to send an email comment: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5393/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4690

THIS SATURDAY – JUNE 19th

Join John Laird and friends in Santa Maria on the final weekend before the June 22nd special election to fill Senate District 15! 

We want to make sure our Democratic supporters remember to vote, and we need your help to get them to turn in those ballots or head to the polls. Winning this seat means getting within 1 vote of 2/3rds in the State Senate!

Come at 10am to hear John rally the troops, then we’ll train volunteers and head out to walk precincts and talk to voters. 

For those who cannot walk, we will also have phonebanking opportunities. 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Bring a friend!

There will be carpools from Santa Barbara and points south, so if you need a ride, Facebook message Hillary Blackerby or email hillary@lairdforsenate.com.

***********************
More info on the 15th District and the race:

The 15th State Senate district, located on California’s Central Coast, running from Saratoga in Santa Clara County through Santa Cruz County, Monterey County, all of San Luis Obispo County, to Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County, has a vacant seat due to the confirmation of Abel Maldonado as Lt. Governor.

Governor Schwarzenegger called the special election for June 22, hoping to confuse voters into not showing up to vote and helping a right-wing Republican win a seat that has a majority Democratic registration, a seat that went to Barack Obama in 2008 by 20 points.

We need to elect John Laird to this seat. John Laird is a Democrat who represented a large portion of the 15th District in the State Assembly, and has a record of standing up for his principles. During my time there, he fought for fair budgets, protection for our environment, investment in education and equality for all Californians.

Ferial Masry, Candidate for 37th Assembly District is saluting MANNA of Conejo Valley at her campaign kickoff on May 2, 2010.

Ferial’s perseverance has been years in the making and now she has an Open Seat! High School Civic & American Government Teacher at Distinguished San Fernando Valley School. She is a grassroots activist, small business owner, labor member, neighbor, friend, mother, wife, committed community member, and she has name recognition.

ADMITTANCE: Bring several dry goods or canned food, your dancing partner, shoes and noise makers. Free ample parking. Open to the community. Great Networking! Free hors d’ oeuvres, Desserts & Drinks! Ventura County 2010 Candidates, Propositions, Voter Registration & Special Guests. Opportunities available for campaign endorsements and fund raising.

LOCATION: Casa De La Senda Clubhouse, 3780 Cabrillo Avenue, Newbury Park, CA 91320
Date: May 2, 2010
TIME: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
RSVP: Ventura County (805) 498-7608; LA County (661) 295-9318

Sponsored by Friends to Elect Ferial Masry for (California’s 37th) Assembly District, 2010.
FPPC ID # 1321069 http://www.ferialmasryforassembly.com
POB #19244, Newbury Park, CA 91320‐0213; MasryforASSEMBLY@GMAIL.COM;
Ventura County: 805‐498‐7068 or Los Angeles County: 661‐295‐9318
Financial Contribution limited to $3,600 per person. Contributions are not tax deductible

Ventura, CA – Thursday night, 3/25/2010 The Democratic Club of Ventura and Ventura County Democratic Party presented “2010 Democratic Candidate Town Hall” at the Topping Room, E.P Foster Library, 651 Main Street, Downtown.

Forty-five people attended the town hall meeting hosted by Helen Conly, Vice President and event coordinator. The program opened with political consultant and local software business creator David Maron, who was emcee.

Sheriff hopeful, Geoff Dean assured the audience that “political persuasion or party won’t be the catalyst behind him giving out future arrests. Criminality is not parceled out by whether or not you are a republican”, said the avowed Republican candidate.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/7/WP6OwoNQC48
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/6/zUI51j9XJWc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1n_XoQmOTY

Written questions from the audience were also asked by Maron.

Next was Ferial Masry with a fifteen-minute presentation. Masry expressed the need for California, the 6th largest economy in the world, to strive to become the state where business owners create products and services that can be used globally, to educate and prepare our students to be the 21st century work force instead of going to foreign countries and to reconsider green initiatives that supplement sustainable energy resources and careers.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/4/JWXGarXgSE0
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/3/ILojAzgjTdA
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=crazycatherder#p/u/2/GG15ZBYUQDM

The 37th Assembly District includes the following cities: Acton, Agua Dulce, Camarillo, Canoga Park, Castaic, Chatsworth, Fillmore, Los Angeles, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Oak View, Ojai, Piru, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Somis, Thousand Oaks, Val Verde, West Hills, and Westlake Village.

As opposed to prior advertising, the program wasn’t televised although some of the content was captured by Todd Hoover a videographer from the Santa Clarita area.

Other participants were Ed Summers and Peggy O’Reilly, both running for Treasurer; Jim Dantona, running for County Clerk. For more information regarding the 2-1/2 hour town hall see: http://www.youtube.com/user/crazycatherder#p/u

The Democratic Club of Camarillo will welcome three candidates seeking political office at the Thursday, April 1 general meeting. The club expects to host Ferial Masry, candidate for state assembly; Jim Dantona, who is running for County Clerk-Recorder; and Robert Taylor and Ellen Conroy, who are running against each other for Ventura County Superior Court. In addition, Becky Shofield with the US Postal Service will be on hand with comments about the postal service and how it compares to FedEx.

Socializing will begin at 6:15 p.m. with the program starting at 7:00 p.m.  The club meets in the Orchid Building, 816 Camarillo Springs Road, which is located at the Camarillo Springs Exit from the South 101. The meeting is free and open to the public.  Call 805/987-1846 for additional information.

A new Associated Press-GfK Poll finds a widespread hunger for improvements to the health care system, which suggests President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies have a good chance for a political gain with their successful enactment of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”.  According to the poll only 4 percent of Americans say the existing health care system shouldn’t have been changed at all.  Although there had been no clear majority opinion on the best way to reform the health care system, most polls have indicated that at least 40% favored President Obama’s plan while another 13% favored an even more extensive overhaul. 

The challenge for President Obama was that although there was always great support for health care reform there was never a particular formula for reform that was easily supported by enough members of Congress in order to obtain the supermajority needed for earlier passage. 

Imagine if the President needed to order a military action for our national security and that 96% of the public and Congress were supportive of this action.  Now suppose further that there was no obvious consensus on which strategic plan: land, sea or air forces, to use.  Should the President take no action at all?  This turns out to be the trouble for the GOP , both in their opposition to the health care reform by their entire Congressional membership and their alleged desire to repeal it.  They may now be labeled as the party against all health care reform even though some form of health care reform was supported by almost all Americans.  Even worse for the GOP is that many reforms are expected to be very popular once enacted – especially prohibition of pre-existing conditions, students remaining on parents policies until 26 years of age and tax breaks for small business.

The GOP and the Tea Party gambled that health care reform could be blocked.  Now that they have failed, they continue to fight for repeal and block other initiatives that are linked to support for working Americans including extension of unemployment benefits.

The GOP and Tea Party brand is already demographically and regionally limited and now may be further limited to Americans who were against health care reform and against support for working families.  The Democrats stand to lose some Congressional seats in 2010 because President Obama is not on the ticket.  Do not be surprised if 2012 is a good year for Democrats, especially if the economy improves.

Jay Kapitz
Dem Club of Conejo Valley, Election Strategy Chair
VCDCC, Alternate for Julia Browley

Thousand Oaks, CA – Statement by Marie Panec, Democratic candidate for Congress in district 24:

“I applaud the courage and tenacity of the U.S. Congress for bringing the decades-long health care debate to a vote and passing historic health reform legislation and lifting up the common good of all Americans.

Major provisions of the bill would:
- Strengthen coverage by reining in the worst insurance company abuses.
- Help small businesses to provide coverage with new tax credits
- Reduce premiums for many who buy their own coverage by an average of nearly 60 percent –while getting better coverage than what they have today.
- Substantially reduce prescription drug prices for Medicare recipients if they fall into that gap in coverage known as the ‘donut hole.’
- Provide the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history to help folks buy coverage.
- No longer determine eligibility by health status or pre-existing conditions – insurance companies will be required to offer coverage and they cannot boost rates or drop you from your coverage when you get sick.

As parents of college age children, my husband and I can keep our children on our insurance plan until the age of 27, if necessary. Cost estimates by the Congressional Budget Office show that the bill would reduce federal budget deficits by $143 billion in the next 10 years. This represents significant savings over our current system and is especially appealing to me.

It is the right thing to do. It confirms the best hopes for our country.

How did Elton Gallegly vote on this? ‘No.’ That is totally unacceptable. He has been holding our country back for too long. It is time for the good and decent people of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties to rise up and say, ‘We demand better than this!’”