District 4 Report May 2 to May 9

Posted on by

From DPCCC’s District 4 Director Colleen Awad:

Upcoming Meetings

  • Concord City Council – May 4, 2021 at 6:30pm 
    • The Council is being requested to approve a resolution to replace the Rainbow (Pride) Flag at the Civic Center with a more expansive version, the “Progress Pride Flag,” to be flown throughout June. The resolution will declare June 2021 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Plus (LGBTQI+) month in the City of Concord and direct staff to fly the Progress Pride Flag at the Civic Center throughout June.
  • Walnut Creek City Council – May 4, 2021, at 6 pm
    • The Walnut Creek City Council will be examining the priority of Capital Improvement Projects for the next 10 years. They will also review the CDBG Action plan and the future support to provide to down businesses slated to reopen on June 15th. 
  • Clayton City Council will be meeting on May 4 at 7 pm
    • The City Council will be examining their outdoor cannabis cultivation ordinance.

2021 DPCCC FUNraiser Auction (May 14-23)

Posted on by

Posted on behalf of Auction Chair Marilynn Schuyler:

Dear DPCCC Friends:

Last year’s auction was a great success, thanks to all of you.  It was so much fun, that we are doing it again!

The 2021 DPCCC FUNraiser Auction will run May 14-23, but before we begin, we need donations (see below) and volunteers to help deliver items at the close of the auction.

We will be accepting auction items through April 30.  

We welcome any donation that will fit in an envelope – gift certificates, posters, etc.  We will also accept books, bottles of wine & spirits, and other items that would be of interest to our community.  Other ideas include:

  • Vacation home rental
  • Homemade meal or dessert delivery
  • Boat ride on the Delta
  • Meal or Coffee with Elected Officials
  • A basket of items donated by a group (i.e. Marsh Creek Dems)
  • Airline or hotel points
  • Political Memorabilia 
  • Certificate for computer assistance, home repair, item assembly, or any other skill you have to offer
  • Anything else that you can be provided in certificate form (i.e. donated restaurant or activity certificate)

Please keep in mind that the opening bid on donated items will be set at half of the value of the item, and bidding often stops below the value of the item.

To donate an item(s), please contact Marilynn Schuyler at 703-675-8782 or Schuyler@SchuylerAAP.com to make arrangements for collection.  Please don’t hesitate to contact Marilynn with any questions regarding potential auction item(s).

Finally if you don’t wish to participate in the auction but would like to make a contribution to the DPCCC 2022 Campaign Unity Fund, the ActBlue link is: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/2022campaignunityfund. 
The funds raised will be used to expand our efforts to ensure DEMOCRAT VICTORIES in our 2022 local and county elections!! Consider this as an investment in your Community, State and this Country!!

Marilynn at 703-675-8782 or Schuyler@SchuylerAAP.com
The link to the auction site is:
https://www.32auctions.com/DPCCC2021
(To see last year’s auction, please visit:  https://www.32auctions.com/DPCCC.)

As always, Stay Safe and Wear a Mask in Public!!
Marilynn Schuyler, Auction Chair

Resolution in support of Assembly Bill 20, The Corporate-Free Elections Act

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the April 15, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, Current California law allows corporations and business entities to make direct campaign contributions to state and local candidates, a practice prohibited for federal candidates and in 22 other states, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions by them in each election cycle throughout the state; and

WHEREAS, In order to curb actual corruption and the appearance of corruption of our government by corporate contributions, it is incumbent upon the Legislature to prohibit direct contributions by corporations and business entities to state and local political candidates; and

WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 20 would further the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 by amending it to bar all corporate special interests from contributing directly to candidates running for state or local elective office; 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports the passage of Assembly Bill 20, the Corporate-Free Elections Act, as amended on March 1, 2020, and urges the Democratic supermajority in the California State Legislature to pass the legislation and the Democratic Governor to sign the bill into law;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County shall communicate this resolution to members of the State Senate and State Assembly representing any part of Contra Costa County and the Governor of the State of California. 

Submitted by: Craig Cheslog, Associate Member, District 2

Resolution in support of Assembly Bill No. 1199 (Asm. Mike Gipson AD-64) to increase transparency by requiring all corporate landlords to report on the identities of their true owners held through LLCs and LPs, and to impose an excise tax on large real-estate corporations that rent out 10 or more properties in California to disincentivize corporate consolidation in the rental market and generate revenue for first-time home-buyer education and affordable-housing preservation

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the April 15, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, Corporate landlords have profited immensely before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, including nearly $50 billion from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, federal tax code benefits worth nearly $250 billion through 2027, LLC and REIT status benefits to reduce taxation, and millions of dollars from the federal Paycheck Protection Program; and

WHEREAS, Of the state’s 10 million residential properties, over half a million are owned by corporations, and the most conservative estimate puts nearly 200,000 properties in corporate ownership of LLCs that own more than 10 residential properties, all while corporate landlords are amassing funds to buy distressed assets resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Large corporations own too many single-family homes and rental buildings that rob homebuyers and small investors of the opportunities to build wealth, including 35% of all rental housing in the country being owned by large corporations while homeownership is at its lowest level since the 1960s; now, therefore, be it

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports Assembly Bill No. 1199, which would increase transparency by requiring all corporate landlords to report on the identities of the true owners of properties held through LLCs and LPs; and would tax corporate landlords that own and rent out 10 or more properties in California, with the tax increasing as owner holdings and verified code violations increase; and, be it

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County urges that the California Democratic State Central Committee consider endorsement of this bill.

Submitted by Rebecca Auerbach, Associate Member, District 4

Resolution against the Republican recall of Governor Gavin Newsom

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the April 15, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, the effort to recall Governor Newsom is a partisan power grab spearheaded by Donald Trump’s National Republican Party, the California Republican Party, and top Trump donors advocating to overturn fair elections, having already worked to delegitimize the American electoral process; and frivolously using California taxpayer dollars to fund this partisan ploy to derail the progress Governor Newsom has made to save lives, provide a safety net for struggling Californians as we are making significant strides returning our lives to normal; and

WHEREAS, the pro-recall ranks are filled with a coalition of anti-vaxxers, Q-Anon conspiracy theorists, and militia groups whose aim is to disrupt and distract from California’s progress on COVID-19 recovery, equitable mass vaccinations, and school reopenings while their leaders disseminate anti-vaccination and anti-immigration propaganda on social media sites, actively work against public interest and advocate for the microchipping of immigrants, and

WHEREAS, by uniting, Democrats will prevent Trump’s Republican Party from taking over the California government and will stand united against any candidate who seeks the office and helps Republicans succeed.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County opposes the recall of Governor Gavin Newsom.

Submitted by: Susan Hildreth, Publicly Elected Member, District 2

DPCCC congratulates Attorney General Rob Bonta

Posted on by

Sent to incoming California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Dear Assemblymember Bonta,

On behalf of the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, we offer our heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as the first Filipino American to serve as California’s Attorney General.

Throughout your career in public service, you have not shied away from leading the fight for social and economic justice affecting communities of color. Your efforts to reform the criminal justice system, end cash bail, ban for-profit prisons, protect renters from wrongful evictions and strengthen hate crime protections, will serve as a model for states to follow.

Again, congratulations on your appointment! We are honored to have the privilege to continue working with you as California’s Attorney General.

Sincerely,

Katie Ricklefs, Chair
Democratic Party of Contra Costa County

DPCCC congratulates Senator Alex Padilla

Posted on by

Sent to Senator Alex Padilla.

Dear Senator Padilla,

On behalf of the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, we offer our heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as United States Senator. We are proud to have you at the helm as the first Latino U.S. Senator from California in our state’s 170-year history.

As Secretary of State, your leadership made our elections more accessible and inclusive, allowing California to reach record turnout. You fought to protect the integrity of our voting systems and in so doing, you made sure every vote was counted, upholding a cornerstone of our democracy.

At a time when our nation is recovering from a global pandemic, we look forward to working with you to implement your vision for a just immigration system, combating climate change and restoring voting rights to build a more inclusive, unified and stronger democracy.

Again, congratulations on your appointment! We are honored to have the privilege to continue working with you as our United States Senator serving the people of California.

Sincerely,

Katie Ricklefs, Chair
Democratic Party of Contra Costa County

DPCCC congratulates Sec/HHS Xavier Becerra

Posted on by

Sent to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

Dear Secretary Becerra,

On behalf of the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, we offer our heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

We are proud to have another California Democratic leader at the center of the fight against COVID-19. During such a critical time, your proven leadership is exactly what we need to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, expanding equitable access to vaccinations and getting everyone back to work.

As California’s Attorney General you fought for underserved communities, access to healthcare and justice for all; this is what will heal our nation during this critical time in our history. Your success in defending the Affordable Care Act, protecting women’s health and worker’s rights will rebuild a more equitable health care system that meets the needs of all Americans.

Again, congratulations on your appointment! We are honored to have the privilege to continue working with you as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Sincerely,

Katie Ricklefs, Chair
Democratic Party of Contra Costa County

Resolution calling for Public Office Member support for endorsed candidates

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the March 18, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, endorsements are one of the most valuable tools of the California Democratic Party. They express our values and our support of candidates who support those core values and principles and who have committed to moving our communities forward;

WHEREAS, although the CDP bylaws “hope and expect” our members to support our endorsed candidates, CDP organizations are required to support the endorsed candidate or their membership is suspended for a year or more. The CDP Rules Committee has determined the bylaw language means that members may support another candidate as long as they do not advocate voting against our endorsed candidate. Our local committees expect our delegates to support our endorsed candidates;

WHEREAS, the California Democratic Party works hard to ensure the CADEM endorsement is highly coveted by Democrats across the state, including putting legal weight behind an official CADEM endorsement. Our candidates are relying on the endorsement, and they have a right to expect that our entire membership protects their endorsement, supports their election, and that the endorsement is not weakened in any way. Elected Democrats who support non-endorsed candidates and work against the party’s endorsed candidate, especially by supporting non-Democrats, devalue the endorsement of the entire party;

THEREFORE, be it resolved by the California Democratic Party, we believe it is a core principle of the California Democratic Party for the Public Office Members of this Party, as defined in Article II Section 2 of the Party bylaws, to support and not work against our endorsed candidates. We further believe that to support our core principles, we must be consistent, we must protect the endorsement, and we must strengthen and follow our rules.

AUTHORED BY Jeff Koertzen, AD14