46th Legislative District Democrats www.46dems.org October 2014 General Meeting Thursday, October 16th Sign-in: 7:00pm Meeting: 7:30pm Meet Your Board Member - Barbara Whitt As a member of the Howard Dean Wing of the Democratic Party, I enthusiastically came to politics after watching Howards first debate with John Kerry. He spoke plainly and truthfully and I was mightily impressed. Then I saw the speech! WOW O WOW! Where do I sign up! We were still meeting in the church at that time and I came to my very first meeting and turned in my slip with 10 signatures from my neighbors showing that I had support to be their PCO, stood in front of the meeting along with some other brave souls and thus started my political journey. I later ran for Sargent at Arms because I could think of no more fulfilling position within the 46th than that of keeping the coffee hot and the refreshments fresh. With my Trusty Sidekick, Burt Webb, I have been doing this for 10 years. Fortunately during that time, we have not really had a need for the Sargent at Arms to have to perform the actual duties of the office. My other duties within the 46 th have been to make sure the food and drink are plentiful and delicious at our two annual events and to edit the Demogram. General Meeting Thursday, October 16th Sign in starts at 7:00 Olympic View Elementary School 504 NE 95th St (Complete Agenda on Page 2) 1
Chair: 46th District Executive Board Members Sabrina Hill (855-5186) chair@46dems.org First Vice Chair: David Miller (517-5520) elections@46dems.org 2nd Vice Chair (Membership): Phillippa Kassover pmkassover@gmail.com 2nd Vice Chair (Finance): Naomi Wilson naomiywilson@gmail.com Secretary: Anita Merrell rollingstar@comcast.net Treasurer: Betty Means bmeans56@comcast.net State Committeeman: John Webber (365-0741) john.p.webber@comcast.net State Committeewoman: Sarajane Siegfriedt (440-5829) sarajane3h@comcast.net King County Male Representative: Larry Smith gabriel_freeman@yahoo.com King County Male Alternate: Joshua Newman joshua.r.newman@gmail.com King County Female Representative: Phillippa Kassover pmkassover@gmail.com King County Female Alternate: Halei Watkins haleiuquinna@gmail.com Sergeant at Arms (Hospitality Chair): Barbara Whitt (729-7410) barbara@whitts-end.com At Large Members: Gerry Pollet gerry-pollet@msn.com Julie Anne Kempf julie@kempf.com Nigel Herbig nigel@nigelherbig.com Phillip Duggan phillip@pinehurstseattle.org Scott Reiman scott.reiman@centurylink.net Nick Pernisco nick.pernisco@gmail.com Michael Lorden pco.guy.michael@gmail.com OPEN OPEN Demogram Editor: Barbara Whitt (729-7410) barbara@whitts-end.com Visit www.46dems.org for the latest info! Next Demogram Deadline October 26, 2014 Agenda for October 16, 2014 Membership Meeting - 7:30PM Call to order Flag Salute Approval of agenda Approval of minutes Chair s Report Program What are Common Core State Standards and Why Should I Care? Committee reports Platform & Resolutions-Resolution Opposing Common Core State Standards Elections Finance Treasurer s Report Rules, Bylaws & Tally State Committee KCDCC Old Business Cole Committee Hospitality New Business Good of the order Adjourn ~ LETS GET OUT THE VOTE! ~ It's "Election Time" again, and we can be proud of our legislators in the 46th District. So let's do a good job and get them re-elected. f you have a precinct now's the time to walk it. If you don't have a precinct to walk please give me a call today. I have one close to where you live, just for you. Thanks Very Much! PCO CORNER Michael Lorden PCO Coordinator, 46th LD pco.guy.michael@gmail.com (206) 306-1036 2
Minutes for the September 28 th Endorsement Meeting Anita Merrill Call to Order: The Special Meeting was called to order by 1st Vice Chair David Miller in accordance with the bylaws with proper notice. The meeting began with the flag salute. PCO Appointments: David Miller introduced new PCO's. 1. Faride Cuevas 2. Mark Mendez 3. Carl Backen 4. Eileen Pollet, Election Captain Announcement: A representative from Organizing for Washington invited 46th District Members to volunteer to help with campaigning in contested districts especially in the State Senate. Signups were requested. Declaration of Quorum A quorum requires a minimum of 10 PCO's for nomination, 26 members for endorsement and 22 members of the Seattle Caucus for recommendations. The report stated there are 161 members and 99 PCO's elected and appointed who are eligible to vote. Present were 24 PCO's: 17 Seattle and 7 from Northshore, 16 members for endorsement: 13 from Seattle and 3 from Northshore. Seattle Caucus for recommendations, 37 members are eligible. The quorum report was accepted. Nomination of the 46th LD Candidates -- The State Party has requested all local LD's officially nominate their State Legislative candidates as official Democrats. This requires a written and signed ballot submitted by local PCO's. The nominations are: 1. State Senator Frockt 24 of 24. 2. State Rep. Gerry 1 Pollet 23 of 24. 3. State Rep. 2 Jessyn Ferrell 24 of 24. Resolution: Seattle Housing Authority opposing high rent increases -- passed with one No. Continued on page 7... 3
Election Guides and Precinct Walking By David Miller, Elections Chair and 1 st Vice Chair The General Election Guides and walk lists should be ready to pick up the weekend of October 11/12. If you are a PCO or have otherwise volunteered to walk a precinct, please watch your email for specific information about what date and locations they will be available. There is a temptation to not walk due to the fact our Legislative team really doesn t have much in the way of challengers this time. But I really encourage you to walk, especially to support the gun background check legislation. The NRA and other groups are pulling out all the stops and spending big money to defeat this measure. They ve placed a contradictory measure on the ballot to confuse things. Our endorsements and Election Guide will help reduce confusion in voters. Importantly, precincts that receive our Election Guide have higher voter turnout than those who do not. Turnout in the 46 th will be VERY important in terms of making sure gun background checks pass. This is likely to be another East/West dividing question, and we really need to make sure we get the turnout from the 46 th to help. We do have a number of open precincts needing volunteers to walk. If you re interested, contact Michael Lorden, PCO Coordinator, at pco.guy.michael@gmail.com 46 th DISTRICT DEMOCRATS Treasurer s Statement September 28, 2014 46 th District Operational Fund Balance reported last meeting (August 21) $ 4,765.53 Bank Balance as of September 28, 2014 $ 7,667.66 Outstanding Checks - $250 (45 th LD Democrats Revised Bank Balance as of September 28, 2014 $7,417.6 COLE Savings $ 535.64 COLE Certificates of Deposit (5) $54,864.49 TOTAL: COLE Funds $55,400.13 Submitted by Betty Means, Treasurer 4
Endorsed Candidates and Campaigns By David Miller, Elections Chair and 1 st Vice Chair US Representative District 1 Suzan DelBene US Representative District 7 Jim McDermott Supreme Court # 1Vacancy Mary Yu Supreme Court # 3 Mary Fairhurst Supreme Court # 4 Charles Johnson Supreme Court # 7 Debra Stephens State Senator David Frockt State Representative, Position 1 Gerry Pollet State Representative, Position 2 Jessyn Farrell KC District Court Shoreline (KMR/LFP) Marcine Anderson KD District Court West (Seattle) #1 Johanna Bender KD District Court West (Seattle) #2 Mark Chow KD District Court West (Seattle) # 5 Anne Harper Seattle Municipal Court # 1 Ed McKenna Seattle Municipal Court # 2 Jon Zimmerman Seattle Municipal Court #5 Willie Gregory Seattle Municipal Court # 6 Karen Donohue Seattle Municipal Court # 7 Damon Shadid I-594 Background Checks YES I-591 Fed Gun Law Override - NO I-1351 Lower Class Size NO PROP 7 - Seattle TBD Bus Svc YES ADV - 8 Agriculture Tax Credits for Marijuana Maintain ADV - 9 Tribal Leasehold Tax Credits Maintain Seattle Monorail - NO 5
Resolution Opposing Common Core State Standards WHEREAS the copyrighted (and therefore unchangeable) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of controversial top-down K-12 academic standards that were promulgated by wealthy private interests without research-based evidence of validity and are developmentally inappropriate in the lowest grades; and WHEREAS, as a means of avoiding the U.S. Constitution s 10th Amendment prohibition against federal meddling in state education policy, two unaccountable private trade associations--the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)--have received millions of dollars in funding from the Gates Foundation and others to create the CCSS; and WHEREAS the U.S. Department of Education improperly pressured state legislatures into adopting the Common Core State Standards and high-stakes standardized testing based on them as a condition of competing for federal Race to the Top (RTTT) stimulus funds that should have been based on need; and WHEREAS as a result of Washington State Senate Bill 6669, which passed the State legislature on March 11, 2010, the Office of the Superintendent of Instruction (OSPI) adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on July 20, 2011; and WHEREAS this adoption effectively transfers control over public school standardized testing from locally elected school boards to the unaccountable corporate interests that control the CCSS and who stand to profit substantially; and WHEREAS the Washington State Constitution also calls for public education to be controlled by the State of Washington through our elected State legislature, our elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction and our elected local school boards; and WHEREAS implementation of CCSS will cost local school districts hundreds of millions of dollars to pay for standardized computer-based tests, new technology, new curricula and teacher training at a time when Washington is already insufficiently funding K-12 Basic Education without proven benefit to students; and WHEREAS some states have already withdrawn from CCSS; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we call upon the Washington State legislature and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to withdraw from the CCSS and keep K-12 education student-centered and accountable to the people of Washington State. 6
Procedural Question re Proposition 1A and 1B 1. Proposition 1A and 1B consists of two votes: a. First part (Vote 1): Should either 1A or 1B be enacted into law? The choices for voting are Support, Reject, or Take no Position b. Second part (Vote 2): Regardless of how you voted above, if one of the above is enacted should it be 1A or 1B or Take No Position. 2. A procedural question was posed: If the Seattle Caucus votes Reject on Vote 1, should the Seattle Caucus continue on to Vote 2? The Membership voted to vote on both Vote 1 and Vote 2 as it appears on the ballot. Announcement: Dennis Kucinich is coming to Seattle October 16 for a peace rally. The date conflicts with the 46th General meeting. Plans are being made to schedule a special time for the 46th and 32 Districts to meet with him from 3 to 4 PM at Prince of Peace Church. Treasurers Report : Betty Means Bank balance as of Aug. 21 $4,765.53 Bank balance as of Sept. 28 $7,417.66 Cole Funds $55,400.13 Chairs Report 1. Ben Anderstone has resigned from the Board as he has moved into the 43rd District. Our loss is the 43's gain. 2. David Miller announced his resignation from the Board effective November 5. This is his last endorsement meeting as Election Chair. He thanked Sabrina Hill, Julie Anne Kempf for their service and efforts. Good of the Order 1. Michael Lorden, PCO Recruiter wants to hear from all PCO's as to whether they will be walking their precinct. 2. Janet Miller expressed thanks to the 46th for researching whether her 18 year old son can walk a precinct. 3. Steve Zemke spoke about the importance of the State Senate races, in our district as well as others close by and urged everyone to volunteer to help with the campaigns. 4. Phillippa Kassover reminded everyone about the Dembowski chili feed at the Northgate Community Center. 5. David Miller announced that the election ballots will be mailed out starting October 15. The Voter Guides will be available the weekend of October 11. Check your Email for more information. If you would like to walk a precinct, please contact Michael Lorden 7
P.O. Box 15435 Seattle, WA 98115-0435 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID # 3055 Seattle, WA Return Service Requested Show Your Commitment to the 46 th District Democrats. JOIN NOW! Pay dues electronically via Click and Pledge at our website where you can pledge as little as $5 a month - or mail a check payable to 46 th District Democrats to PO Box 15435, Seattle, WA 98115-0435. To check if you are already a member, email Phillippa Kassover at membership@46dems.org. NAME ADDRESS CITY ZIP HOME PHONE WORK PHONE E-MAIL YES! Please send me an email when the newsletter is ready for online reading. Control your Demogram Subscription! Please help us be more Green Email Only! Please e-mail me each month when the new issue of the Demogram is available online. Please DON T print one for me. (Reducing the amount of money the District spends on printing and postage means more resources available to elect Democrats!) Both Email and Print! I am a paid member of the 46 th District Democrats in good standing, and I would like to receive the paper version of the newsletter. Print Only, Please! I need to receive the printed copy, as I either don t have easy access to email or other reason. Name: Email Address: (Alternatively, you may e-mail a subscription request to Phillippa Kassover at membership@46dems.org) 8