PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Minutes for August 14, 2016
Meeting held at Denny’s Restaurant
600 E. Carson Plaza Drive, Carson, CA 90746
I. Call to order: Julian Burger, President, at 4:19 pm.
II. A) Pledge of Allegiance: Led by Don Dear.
III. A) Approval of the Agenda: MSP to approve the agenda as presented by Hoyt Johnstone, Richard Vaughn.
B) Raffle prizes displayed & reviewed by President Burger.
Members and guests were encouraged to buy raffle tickets to support the Club and help finance activities.
Again thanked Pat Hannah, Mona Sutton, Leslie Jones and the Omelette and Waffle Shop, 1103 S. Gaffey
Street in San Pedro for donating gift cards.
IV. Reports
A. Recording Secretary – Jan Schaefer. MSP approve minutes July 10, 2016 by Hoyt Johnstone, Charlotte Brimmer.
B. Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer Joseph Piñon –– Previous balance $969.21 Deposit $ 152.00
Expenses < $ 338.72> New Balance $ 782.49
C. President’s Report. Discussed today’s program. Thanked members and officers for their contributions to the Club. Stated that it is a great time to be an American as things are changing. Democracy needs to have people involved.
D. First VP Report - Richard Vaughn. Thanked members for submitting pictures for the slide show, Progressives Democrats in Action, to [email protected]. Please submit the pictures by the Friday before the meeting. Spoke of Republican Party getting down on Trump and shifting their focus and spending on the Congressional seats.
E. Second VP Report – Jim Brandt – Everything is working well. Members can renew membership and pay dues on the website. The Club's website is: www.prodems.org. The minutes and meeting agendas are available on the website. He suggests that we invite other Democratic Clubs to join our website. Members are encouraged to go the website and create a "log-in-account" to access all the information and communicate with others through the website. Would like to get a couple of “blogs” going.
F. Third VP Report - Given by Pres. Julian Burger. We had 123 paid members in July and since have had 2 new memberships and 1 renewal. We now have 125 members so far for 2016.
G. Corresponding Secretary – Brandi Grace. Spoke of the Baltimore Police Report issued by the D.O.J. This has initiated a lot of discussion about police departments.
V. Program
A. Endorsements: L.A. County Superior Court Seats # 11 & # 42.
Candidates Efrain Matthew Aceves and Alicia Molina spoke to the Club about their qualifications and experience. They were asked questions about legal representation for minor offenses, under staffed courts, legal representation for indigent and the effects of Prop 47.
Voting: 37 ballots – 2 abstentions so 35 ballots considered.
Aceves received 37 votes
Molina received 21 votes which was 60%.
Therefore, Alicia Molina is the Club’s endorsed candidate for Superior Count, Seat 42.
MSP to endorse Debra Archuleta for Superior Court, Seat 11, by Pat Stanyo, Richard Vaughn.
MSP to endorse Don Dear for West Basin Municipal Water District, Division 5 by Richard Vaughn, Pat Stanyo.
B. DO WE HAVE TO HAVE FLEET WEEK? by Rachel Bruhnke
Rachel reported on the 1st ANNUAL L.A. HARBOR PEACE WEEK 2016.
Many events are being held as an alternative to LA Fleet Week which is a celebration of our U.S. armed
forces at the Port of Los Angeles. Their events include Vigils for Peace, a Peace Party and a Peace
Picnic.
C. Democratic Convention Reports.
Club members JosephPiñon, Linda Bassett and Pat Stanyo attended the DNC Convention as Bernie Sanders delegates. Pat said that the speakers were magnificent, the transportation was poor. Joseph reported that hundreds of Bernie delegates walked out on Monday, but it wasn’t shown on TV. Linda said that it was “wild and crazy time” and that tension was high and they weren’t treated fairly. Brian Hitchcock also attended and felt that the Bernie delegates were treated unfairly.
VI. Old Business
A. Reports:
1) Carson Alliance 4 Truth. – Jan Schaefer. Door Hangers were distributed in Carson. Will meet on Wed.
August 24, 2016.
2) PDC Facebook – Raul Murga. Reported that we now have 169 members.
3) LA South Bay Progressives (formerly PV4 Bernie) – Sura Halote – The group meets on the 2nd and 4th
Monday of each month at Sizzler on Sepulveda Blvd. in Torrance.
4) CARA – Pat Stanyo. They are sponsoring a candidate’s forum on Sept. 19th at the USW 675 Union Hall.
B. Update of Appeal in Federal Court of Appeals regarding SP.ED vs. LAUSD. The court affirmed the its ruling in favor of the parents. Granting the Motion to Intervene on behalf of parents of moderately and severely disabled students. See report that is attached to the agenda. Also attached to the agenda is a letter (draft) to send to LAUSD Board Members who voted against the appeal. MSP to send the letter by Brandii Grace, Peter Rosenthal.
C. National Congress of Black Women Lunchoe on August 27th. MSP to buy an ad in the program for $50.00 by Richard Vaughn, Pat Stanyo.
VII. New Business
A) Harbor Labor Day Parade and Rally. This will be held on Sept. 5, 2016. Members volunteered to bwork in the Voter Registration Booth and walk in the Parade.
B) AB700 has passed, but has an unfavorable amendment. In summary AB700 allows (a) For voters to make an informed choice in the political marketplace, political advertisements should not intentionally deceive voters about the identity of who or what interest is trying to persuade them how to vote, and (b) Disclosing who or what interest paid for a political advertisement will help voters be able to better evaluate the arguments to which they are being subjected during political campaigns and therefore make more informed voting decisions.
VIII. Announcements No written announcements.
IX. Raffle - $114.00 collected. Alene Harris & Joseph Piñon.
X. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 6:36 pm. The next meeting will be on Sunday Sept. 11, 2016 at 4 pm at Denny’s
Restaurant. 600 East Carson Plaza Drive, Carson, CA 90746.