FLY THE FLAG!

APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note from the new Chair I was watching Meet the Press as one analyst after another announced how disappointed Democrats are. Apparently, we are disappointed with Obama, disappointed with our representatives, and disappointed with Democratic leadership. According to the Beltway, we Democrats have nothing but complaints. I, for one, am not disappointed. I was not disappointed when Obamacare kept us insured while my partner looked for a new job. I was not disappointed when Senate Democrats stayed up all night to draw attention to climate change. I was not disappointed when California Democrats expanded access to abortion services with AB154. Pundits want us to believe that the Democratic base is disillusioned and disengaged. But right here in conservative dreamland, my partner and I walked into a group full of passionate, liberal thinkers who want to make a difference in their community. I am delighted, humbled, and excited to be the new leader of this group. My vision for our club is to be a gathering spot in South OC for Democrats to exchange ideas, form friendships, keep current on local issues, and support the party. To accomplish this, I have a few goals: Grow our membership, in number and in diversity. Activate our current members who are sitting on the sidelines Expand our online presence Focus our impact on local issues here in South OC I cant do any of these things alone. Even our fantastic board cant do these things alone. We need the support and commitment of each member to achieve this vision. So my challenge to you is to reflect on what you can do to help our club grow. Maybe you only have an hour a week, or a few hours a month to spend helping outthats fantastic! We can use you. One of my favorite quotations is from Alice Walker: Activism is my rent for living on the planet. We each have the opportunity to pay our rent by making our community better. I hope youll join us. Shelly Blair

A woman is like a tea bag. You cant tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt
1

Mike Weinell and Shelly Blair

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW BOARD! The South Orange County Democratic Club elected new board members at the general meeting on March 12: Shelly Blair Mike Weinell Torie Smith Jennifer and Derek Kasper Sam Hooker Joyce Toth Willa Porter Valerie Rhodes Lois Rothschild and Noreen Kukkonen Mike Getto, chair emeritus, Gayle Cavner, Kenton Cooper ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A BUFFET DINNER Salads, an entree, side dishes, dessert and beverage (tax and tip included). Food supplied by The Catering Factory Dinner is served at 6 p.m., Members $17, Non-Members $20 RSVPs are required for dinner only Please respond by Wednesday, April 4, to kenton805@cox.net Meeting only at 7 p.m. Members $3, Non-Members $5. Meeting location: San Juan Capistrano Community Center 25925 Camino Del Avian, San Juan Capistrano

Chair: Vice Chair: Secretary: Co-treasurers: Telecommunications : Publicity: Membership: Facebook: Newsletters: Members at large:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The speaker for the April meeting is Jose Solorio, former California Assemblyman and current candidate for the California Senate from the 34 th District. Hes a Rancho Santiago Community
College trustee and holds a masters degree in public policy from Harvard University and has focused his efforts in education, job creation, and public safety and infrastructure improvements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2

COMING SOON! THE NEW SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CLUB WEBSITE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valerie Burchfield Rhodes was elected again as administrator of the www.facebook.com/SOCDC website and has served as our clubs representative to the California State Democratic Convention and Orange Countys Council of Clubs. Torie Smith is welcomed as the clubs secretary.

Barbara Leonard attended the March general meeting and met with Lorena Martinez from Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano, who brought us up to date on the program that works with disadvantaged students from middle school through high school. This national program finds students who are highly motivated to finish high school and earn college degrees.

Noreen Kukkonen will share responsibilities with Lois Rothschild in gathering information, graphics and photographs for the SOCDC monthly newsletter. Look for editorials when issues are in the news, and information on a variety of subjects thats important to Democrats. The newsletter may carry articles from members who have varying points of view that support basic Democratic principles. The editors encourage active participation from readers, especially those who want to share their personal experiences in American life.
*Read OC Register Reporter Martin Wisckols columns about Orange County Democratic Party news and events at http://www.ocdemocrats.org/in_the_news.

WE NEED A VOLUNTEER TO REGISTER VOTERS!

Nancy Teel has done a great job registering voters, and has taken on new responsibilities serving on a State Commission in Sacramento, commuting from her home in south OC to Riverside. Were very proud of Nancy, but her new position has left a vacancy on our SOCDC board and we need volunteers to take her place. Registering voters is important, of course, but its also fun. Nancy and her crew have set up tables at local community colleges and other venues, meeting new people, answering questions and spreading the word that the Democratic Party in Orange County is growing and making a real impact on the future of our state and nation. Board meetings are held at7 p.m. the last Tuesday of each month and last about an hour or less. For more information, contact Chair Shelly Blair at shelly.blair@gmail.com or Nancy Teel at bnteel@cox.net or 949-770-1319. Remember, Thomas Edison said The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more thing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CORPORATE PERSONHOOD? Move to Amend is a coalition of hundreds of organizations and hundreds of thousands of individuals committed to social and economic justice, ending corporate rule, and building a vibrant democracy that is genuinely accountable to the people, not corporate interests. Visit https://movetoamend.org/ for more information. This is an effort to amend the Constitution to unequivocally state that inalienable rights belong to human beings only, and that money is not a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment and can be regulated in political campaigns. This is a grassroots movement that, if successful, will ensure democracy is legalized. The goal is convince state legislators to pledge to support the Amendment and introduce a bill in the State Legislature. Supporters are asked to endorse candidates for local, state and federal office who will get involved in this effort in 2014. For more information: www.movetoamend.org www.WILPF.org/CvDCmte www.ReClaimDemocracy.org

The Democratic Party of Orange County Chairman Henry Vandermeir has called on the Board of Supervisors to remove Janet Nguyen as chair and board representative of the beleaguered CalOptima. CalOptima is the administrator of health insurance programs for 418,000 low-income children, residents, and seniors. It is currently under investigation by federal, state and local authorities. As a result of an audit, federal officials have ordered Orange County's health plan for low-income and disabled residents to stop enrolling patients into its senior program citing a "serious threat to the health and safety of participants." Nick Anas, executive director, Democratic Party of Orange County. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Joel Hirschhorn was a senior staffer for the U.S. Congress (Office of Technology Assessment),
director of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources at the National Governors Association, a full professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and head of an environmental consulting company. In October 2013 Hirschhorn published an article which was reprinted in the magazine Nation of Change on Sunday, March 23. To read the entire piece, visit http://www.nationofchange.org/fighting-stupid-revolution-1381154168. Here is Joel Hirschhorn on intellectual ignorance.

Stupid Americans elect stupid politicians. Government hating Americans elect government hating politicians. Mean spirited citizens elect mean spirited politicians. Like-minded Tea Party Republican conservatives end up living together, feeding their mutual anger and resentment about most social progress. This reinforces and intensifies narrow-minded beliefs. House districts are gerrymandered by Republican legislatures to consist nearly entirely of such communities. This creates safe elections for the most radical, extreme and in almost all cases downright inarticulate and stupid Tea Party politicians. Shut down the federal government, harm many millions of Americans, refuse to raise the debt limit and throw the U.S. economy into the toilet. All are just fine with this class of citizens and their favored politicians. This is the Stupid Revolution that accelerates the destruction of American democracy. The only purpose is to undermine democracy, to create political power and to create a revolutionary force in Congress because politicians no longer have to worry about losing elections. Incumbency is assured through mutually reinforced hate, meanness and prejudice. This is what is seen today and it is the driving force behind the Stupid Revolution. There is only one potential solution, the Supreme Court must make highly gerrymandered and manipulated house districts by any party unconstitutional. Its the democracy, stupid. - Joel S. Hirschhorn

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN CALIFORNIA

The lowest unemployment rate among California counties in February was 4.8 percent in Marin. Three other counties had rates below 6.0 percent in February: San Mateo (5.0 percent); San Francisco (5.2 percent) and Orange (5.8 percent).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHAT HAVE GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN AND DEMOCRATS DONE FOR CALIFORNIA?
(From the California Democrats Newsletter March 2014)

Delivered a balanced budget for the first time in more than 10 years and ended the cuts to education funding. Gave more than 1 million working Californians a raise by raising the minimum wage, starting July 2014. Passed the California DREAM Act, expanding opportunity for all students across California and setting an example for the nation to follow. Governor Brown signed the Climate Change Pact together with the governors of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to reduce greenhouse gases and promote clean energy. Passed the School Success and Opportunity Act, ensuring transgender youth have the opportunity to fully participate and succeed in schools across the state. Passed the Homeowners Bill of Rights, allowing more Californians to stay in their homes by keeping banks from foreclosing on families during loan modification. Passed legislation granting drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants contributing to local communities. Expanded access to safe family planning options for women in underserved rural areas.