Democratic Party of Sacramento County

Democratic Volunteers Register New Citizens

2010-03-18T04:08:39Z

One Wednesday every month, if you drive down J Street, you will see hundreds of people lined up outside of Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. New Americans born all around the world are waiting to celebrate one of the proudest days of their lives. Once inside, these patriots will take their oaths and be sworn in as new citizens of our great country.

If you look closely, you will also see a number of folks going through the line, carrying clipboards. These hardworking volunteers are helping the new citizens register to vote, so that they can fulfill one of their core civic responsibilities. Engaged citizens taking part in the process, helping to elect our leaders and making decisions on important issues that face our city, county, state and nation is the beating heart of every vibrant democracy.

The Women Democrats of Sacramento County bring out a dozen or more volunteers each month to help register these new citizens. The crew led by Ralph Sifers and Women Democrats President Kate Lenox registered 130 voters yesterday with a smile and heartfelt congratulations.

This month the team was joined by City Council candidate Ryan Chin, who spent his lunch break with the team. As the son of immigrant parents, he has seen first-hand how important it is to ensure that there is a fair path to citizenship for hard working, law abiding residents of our country.

The next New Citizens Swearing In and Voter Registration Drive will be on Wednesday, April 21. New volunteers are always welcome.

Michael Nava: A Sacramento Native Son

2010-01-16T20:30:41Z

“Aardvark, also called antbear, stocky African mammal found south of the Sahara Desert in savanna and semiarid areas. The name aardvark—Afrikaans for ‘earth pig’—refers to its piglike face and burrowing habits.”

Michael Nava was fascinated by the set of encyclopedias set on a high shelf of his grandparents’ home. The Mexican immigrants did not have many books in their house, but they had purchased the set from a traveling salesman, perhaps hoping that one of their grand children would be inspired to pick up a volume or two.

Michael took it one step farther. Early in elementary school, he climbed the back of his grandfather’s armchair, careful not to knock his grandmother’s plant from the shelf, and pulled down the first volume. That day Michael, eager for knowledge, vowed to read every entry in every volume, cover to cover, “A” to “Z”.

Over the next ten years, he read through the set volume by volume. He read them in the living room, as his family watched TV. He read them in the fields behind his family’s house in the Sacramento summer heat. He read them tucked away in his bed, on many a wet winter’s day.

By the time he left for college, Michael had fulfilled that promise he made to himself. The time he spent was rewarded immeasurably, returning knowledge and inspiration. Abraham Lincoln proved particularly inspirational, first moving him to memorize the Gettysburg Address. Years later, at Norte Del Rio High School, it drove him to take up debate, winning numerous regional competitions and competing at State three years running.

After high school, he was able to win a scholarship to attend Colorado College, where he excelled as a student and a writer. He used that success as a springboard, launching a successful legal career, after earning his J.D. from Stanford Law.

An Accomplished Author
Beyond his great success in the law, Michael is an accomplished novelist and poet. His legal mysteries follow the career of Henry Rios, the “hardboiled detective who stands outside society and, as a consequence, sees more clearly than most its dark side.”

“A man who is obsessed with his work, Rios is a relentless defender of outsiders who are otherwise defenseless, most of them young gay men who are victims of a homophobic or exploitative society. In the process of defending them, he proves himself a tenacious and insightful detective.” (http://www.glbtq.com/literature/nava_m.html)

Five of the seven novels in the series have won the Lambda Award, as the best gay male mystery of the year.

A Career in Public Service
After graduating from Stanford and passing the bar, Michael began his career as a prosecutor in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office. There, he earned the respect of his employer as well as his opponents, for his intelligence and tenacity as well as the compassion and fairness, which guided his work.

After a brief stint with Horvitz & Levy, Michael took a position as a staff attorney for Arleigh Maddox Woods, the first African-American woman appointed to the California Court of Appeal. He worked on hundreds of appeals in every field of the law, criminal, civil, family, juvenile and probate. His proudest moment in this office was working a case called Jasperson v. Jessica’s Nail Clinic (1989), a landmark decision to uphold an antidiscrimination ordinance to protect people with HIV/AIDS.

In 1999 he joined the staff of the California Supreme Court and later became staff attorney for Justice Carlos Moreno, who is best known for his heartfelt and eloquent defense of equal rights in his dissent against the Proposition 8 decision.

After a long career in public service, Michael has assuredly done his part to ensure that his favorite quote, “The government by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth,” spoken by his hero, remains as true this day, as when it was spoken seven score and seven years ago.

It is in this sprit of service and dedication to fairness for all that Michael Nava is asking the people of San Francisco to elect him to be Superior Court Judge.

“I am running for judge because I want to an agent for justice. I will be the kind of judge whose standard of fairness and impartiality will increase public respect for the legal system and I want to a symbol and a mentor to young people - especially the disadvantaged - to show them what hard work and intelligence can achieve in America..”

Supporting Our Own
Proud to help a successful son of Sacramento and an active and influential member of the LGBT community, Mike Whiteside and David McPeek are inviting the community to their home in support of Michael Nava.

Rebecca Sandoval, Sacramento Stonewall Democrats, Sac Legal, Dennis Mangers & Michael Sestak, Trudy Robles, Mary Ann Massenburg, Bob Purcell, Alice Kessler and LULAC Lorenzo Patino Council join them in hosting the event.

What: Sangria and Carne Asada with Michael
Where: The Home of Mike Whiteside and David McPeek, 4361 South Land Park Drive
When: Saturday, February 6, 2010, 5 pm to 7 pm

Contribution level: $50, $100, $250, $500

To learn more about Michael please visit http//www.navaforjudge.com

For more information on the event, please contact Rebecca Sandoval at rebecavs@surewest.net

Democratic Party of Sacramento County Responds to Governor’s State of the State and Budget

2010-01-11T06:33:32Z

The six years of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration have not treated California well. We have lost our jobs, lost our houses and lost the services that were supposed to protect us and build a stronger state. While Governor Schwarzenegger has read a well-written script about post partisanship and teamwork, he has consistently failed to deliver on these promises – siding time and again with conservative interest groups that do not represent California’s values and proposing quick fix paper solutions instead of doing the hard work and showing the real leadership that is necessary to achieve real progress.

While it is laudable that after years of cutting education budgets and increasing prison populations, the Governor has come to realize this is not a sustainable, wise or just course of action, we need to see actual leadership to reverse the course the Governor has set and to overcome the numerous shortcomings of years one through six of his administration. There are hard decisions that need to be made and important values that need to be protected. To date, Schwarzenegger has not shown the ability or desire to fight for Californians.

We are particularly concerned with the Governor’s proposals for closing the budget gap. Funding he has predicted from the federal government is unlikely to materialize. Further cuts to our social safety net are unethical and irresponsible and will prove a further drag on our state’s fragile economy. His call for prison privatization shows a profound lack of understanding for the complexities of the issues affecting our state, “kicking the can down the road” to leave the problem for another Governor, while failing to address the real policy problems that are causing the crisis. The DPSC will consider a resolution to address this issue at its February meeting.

Our top priorities need to be jobs and education. The Governor claims these are his priorities, but his actions speak differently. While the Governor gives speeches about jobs, his furlough program deprives Californians of thousands of jobs, leaves hundreds of thousands more under employed and stops the government from effectively using stimulus funds and other available tools to help build the economy and create new jobs. While the Governor hosts elaborate press conferences on “Education Reform”, he has repeatedly cut education budgets, ignoring the state’s need to build a stronger workforce and shifting the burden to the poorest among us.

Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to bring change to Sacramento – to “blow up boxes” and embolden “girly men” in the name of fiscal responsibility and more accountable government. After six years, the truth is clear. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not a real leader; he merely played one on the silver screen. Instead of leading the state through this fiscal crisis, he has consistently resorted to “kicking the can down the road.” California’s best days remain ahead of us – but we will not get there without leadership and a willingness to go beyond ideological dogma to build consensus and a stronger future. After six years, there is no doubt; the state of the state will be much stronger when Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to Hollywood.

Sacramento Democrats Help to Build A Home

2009-11-24T05:51:09Z

On Saturday, over 30 Democrats and friends helped build a house for a Sacramento family. When the team arrived, they found an empty lot, with only a concrete foundation and piles of lumber that would soon become the walls of a home. By the end of the day, the structure of a home had replaced the empty lot. Event organizer, James Schwab said, "We helped to build a house but we also built friendships and relationships that will help us build a better Sacramento in the future."

The cold, foggy morning did not dampen the volunteers' spirits. After touring a recently completed nearby home, the team received instructions from site supervisor, Terry Hardin and set to work building a new, LEED certified home.

The first step was to remove the forms from the foundation. With hammers, crowbars and an eagerness to unleash a small amount of productive destruction, the sounds of wood cracking and forceful exertion could be heard from the job site. Once the wood was removed and piled neatly in the back, the team drilled holes in the base of the walls, so they could be bolted to the foundation.

The next step was to attach foam to the bottom of the walls and spread a paste along the foundation, adding additional insulation to the house and ensuring LEED compliance. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system promises that certified buildings will save energy and be sustainabie. The house the DPSC worked on will be LEED Gold certified.

Finally, the team was ready to raise the walls into place. Six or eight workers lined up to lift the walls and drop them onto the bolts. With such a large team of workers, the house was framed quickly and the team soon had to carefully walk new walls through fully formed hallways to their destination.

As the sun burned through the fog, the team enjoyed a well-earned lunch of pizza and Ethiopian dishes. Volunteer Naomi Amaha, a Young Democrat, said, “It was a moving experience to have been a part of providing a hardworking family with a new home and a new life. I was touched to work side by side with women who will soon see their own dreams for a home for their families fulfilled.”

A Grateful Family

The house is being built for Mrs. Belaynesh Feleke and her family. She has a young son and is expecting another child soon. She is excited that her children will grow up in a safe, comfortable home in Sacramento.

The Ethiopian immigrant was touched when she learned that the team working to build her home was volunteers. DPSC Community Outreach Chair, Silvia Landers, herself a Bolivian immigrant, reflected on the conversation they shared, “We agreed that we are truly lucky to be enjoying the blessings and opportunities that America offers. One of the very best things about America is the spirit of service, our great willingness to come together to help our friends, our neighbors, our community and people that we have not even met.”

Candidates Join In

DPSC Treasurer and candidate for the Board of Equalization, Chris Parker was among the first to arrive. He lifted and carried the lumber that would soon frame the house. Steven Buhrman, representing Dr. Ami Bera, a candidate for Congress in District 3, also joined in the efforts.

In addition , Ryan Chin, candidate for City Council in District 7, Dr. Richard Pan, a candidate for Assembly in District 5 and Cortez Quin, a Los Rios School Board Member and representative of Roger Dickinson, County Supervisor and candidate for Assembly in District 9 were there to lend moral support.

"Seeing the members of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County and Sacramento County Young Democrats at the Habitat for Humanity build demonstrates to me the importance of volunteerism to develop a community and reminds me why I am proud to a Democrat," said Chin. "Helping Habitat for Humanity is helping to fulfill the need to provide affordable housing, develop overlooked in-fill projects and create a sense of pride and community."

A Season of Hope

The Democratic Party is working to fulfill the holidy wish lists of certain organizations that have been hit hard by budget cuts and have seen an increase in need: Michael J. Castori Elementary School, My Sister's House, Safe Ground and the Sacramento and Elk Grove Food Banks. Interested individuals can donate here to help organizations that empower, educate and feed our community. Canned food, gently used clothes and school supplies can be delivered to the DPSC headquarters at 2729 P St, Sacramento, Monday through Friday 10-4 and Saturday 10-2.

Photos courtesy of:
Cliff Popejoy (c) 2009 / cap2053@sbcglobal.net
and Silvia Landers

Sacramento’s Democratic Party Supports Safe Ground for Sacramento’s Growing Homeless Population as More Working Families Face Economic Crisis

2009-09-10T19:27:41Z

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to unanimously endorse a resolution in support of Safe Ground for Sacramento’s homeless community, urging an amendment to the city's anti-camping ordinance to create city-sanctioned campgrounds to provide safe, sanitary and regulated facilities. DPSC supports this measure to avoid forcing Sacramento’s 1,200 homeless men, women and children to fend for themselves on the streets.

"Homelessness in Sacramento is a crisis affecting working families hit hard by the recession," said DPSC Parliamentarian Alan LoFaso, "The community needs to rally in support of our most vulnerable residents and back innovative ways to help these families recover economically."

The DPSC is committed to bringing an end to homelessness in Sacramento by ensuring that every Sacramentan has access to safe, secure shelter and the resources and support they need to lift themselves out of poverty.

Sacramento Democrats Oppose West Sacramento “Gang Injunctions” and Urged the Governor to Abide by the Contract He Negotiated with SEIU

2009-08-13T01:03:15Z

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) voted to endorse a resolution opposing West Sacramento’s “Gang Injunction” because it permits law enforcement authorities to act without evidence of wrongdoing. The “Gang Injunction” allows West Sacramento police to arrest individuals for associating with gang members – even their family members. It also allows West Sacramento police to abuse Sacramento’s sovereignty and arrest people in Sacramento who have violated no Sacramento law.

DPSC member and California Democratic Party Executive Board member, Christine Thomas said, “Wrongful prosecution, accusations, and tracking individuals in databases for the rest of their lives without providing the protections of due process is something we must all guard against. In recent years, we seem to have forgotten the importance of our civil rights and liberties and they have too often been ignored and disregarded.”

In addition, the DPSC unanimously voted to urge that the state of California abide by state law in their negotiations with the SEIU and honor the contract that Governor Schwarzenegger negotiated with SEIU earlier in the year.

The DPSC is proud to support the Stonewall Democrats efforts to assemble a team and raise money to support the Central Valley AIDS walk.

Sacramento Democrats Oppose Anti-Scavenging Measure and the Big Business Supported Bill on Accounting Peer Review

2009-07-15T22:27:40Z

Sacramento Democrats Oppose Anti-Scavenging Measure and the Big Business Supported Bill on Accounting Peer Review

In addition, the DPSC voted to urge the City Council to repeal Section 13.10.160 of City Ordinance No. 2009-012 banning scavenging from solid waste receptacles. Kipp Mueller of the Sacramento County Young Democrats gave a stirring presentation on the issue, noting that homelessness is up 14% and this ordinance does not save the city money. DPSC member Devin Lavelle said, “With the current conditions of our economy, criminalizing poverty is unconscionable. If any American with the motivation to go out and dig through garbage is forced to, the crime is not that they choose to – it is that they need to.”

The DPSC was proud to be joined by Gabriel Perez Puentes, the Executive Secretary of the Colombian General Federation of Labor, who updated the committee on deplorable state of labor relations in Columbia and the heartbreaking tale of Columbian workers who survive on less than $1/day.

The DPSC voted to oppose AB 138, unless amended, which would mandate that all accounting firms be subject to mandatory peer review. While the DPSC supports high accounting standards, this bill would overwhelmingly favor the largest accounting firms and put many small businesses at risk. DPSC Treasurer Guy Crouch noted, “This bill would put small accounting firms like mine in danger and hurt other small businesses and charitable organizations that depend on our services.”

Finally, the DPSC approved a resolution supported by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano to support majority vote for local revenue measures.

Sacramento Dems to Discuss Furloughs, the Elk Grove City Charter, AB 138 at Monthly Meeting

2009-07-14T19:12:01Z

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County (DPSC) will hold its monthly meeting today (July 14) at 6 p.m. in room 127 of the State Capitol Building. The DPSC will discuss furloughs for Sacramento County and State workers and their impact on families and the local economy.
DPSC Treasurer, Guy Crouch will present Assembly Bill 138, which would enact a mandatory peer review requirement for California accounting firms that provide any audit, review or compilation services. The DPSC will consider taking a position on the legislation.

Elk Grove City Councilmember and Congressional candidate Gary Davis will be at the meeting to discuss the Elk Grove City Charter.

Finally, California Attorney General Candidate Alberto Torrico and Congressional Candidate Joan Buchanan will be in attendance to discuss their campaigns.