Torrey Pines Democratic Club

Newsletter June 2019

Hello Torrey Pines Dems & Friends,

We had a great meeting this past May with informative speakers.

Economic & Environmental Justice – Terra Lawson-Remer
Terra Lawson-Remer is an award-winning professor, economist, and attorney and is currently a candidate for the District 3 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The topic of her presentation was economic and environmental justice, a matter that has been the cornerstone of much of her life’s work. She also served the Obama Administration as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was the founding co-chair and chief strategist for Flip the 49th! Neighbors in Action.

Terra explained that for her, environmental justice isn’t just about environmental sustainability and protecting the planet for future generations, it’s about protecting the planet in a way that’s equitable for all and she spoke about situations where economic injustices intersect with environmental justices and
how victims of environmental degradation often don’t have the power or the resources to respond. Her entry point into the fight for justice began during a trip to an area in an Ecuadorian rainforest that Chevron had left horrifically damaged. She learned that the only way to achieve reparation for the people there was to sue Chevron, and that lawsuit became a precedent setting case that resulted in holding fossil fuel companies accountable. She then spoke about other tools that are available to help bring about economic and environmental justice.

Terra would like to extend an invitation to our club members to a special fundraising reception and a chance to win lunch for two with Jane Fonda on the set of Grace and Frankie on June 19th.

The Skinny: Join Jamie Carr, Tim Blood, Becky Phillpott, Larry Cohen, and Amy Corton for a reception supporting Terra Lawson-Remer for SD County Board of Supervisors, District 3! We will host a trivia game, and the winning guest will be invited to join Jane Fonda for lunch on the set of Grace & Frankie, and bring a friend!
June 19th, 5:30-7:30PM Home of Jamie Carr, Fairbanks Ranch Address upon RSVP
Link to the secret discount here –>https://secure.actblue.com/donate/janefonda-75

Update on San Onofre Safety Issues – Torgen Johnson.
Torgen Johnson, a local architect, urban planner, and member of Congressman Mike Levin’s Task Force on San Onofre, gave a multimedia presentation about the serious nuclear waste safety issues at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. He believes that the problems have put San Diego County, if not the whole state, into the worst situation it has ever faced.

He said the most pressing matter right now is the need to immediately replace the defective thin-walled nuclear waste canisters with safer thick-walled transportable casks and he said that finding the fastest way to ship the waste out of the area should not the main focus at this time.

He reported that the waste, which is the equivalent of 124,000 Hiroshima bombs worth of Caesium-137, is stored under pressure in deteriorating canisters that cannot be monitored nor depressurized and is a catastrophic accident waiting to happen. In fact, there was a near catastrophe last year, when untrained workers almost caused a canister to drop 18 feet. He finds it very disturbing that the company that runs the facility operates on the self-reporting violation policy of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is the only government agency with jurisdiction over the matter but nevertheless allows industry control and excludes public oversight.

Torgen said that no one is policing the system, even though the risk of waste leakage from canister corrosion, accident, or terrorist attack could reasonably be considered a national security issue. Also, as it stands, there is no emergency system in place if something does go wrong; Torgen said that most of Southern California would need to be permanently evacuated if a canister were to leak radioactive
particles.

North Area Caucus – Jason Bercovitch, Vice Chair.
During the introduction, Diana explained that the Club had a seat in the North Area Caucus and that the caucus had a lot of influence in determining the direction of the San Diego County Party. Jason Bercovitch said his most important job as Vice Chair was to recruit people to run for office. He explained that approximately 85 races will be taking place in North County and that he plans to break the list down into races that are peculiar to the area that individual clubs serve and he will then ask the club presidents to recruit candidates from their membership. He also urged clubs to work together in order to help win especially important races.

Wayne Dernetz, the Club’s GO Team Liaison, conducted the annual election of officers. He said that each of the current officers, as listed on the agenda, had agreed to stand for reelection; he then placed each of the officers into nomination and it was seconded. He asked if there were any other nominations from the floor, and, hearing none, he moved that those officers be approved to serve another term by voice vote, and then the incumbents were reelected.

• President: Diana Aguirre
• Executive Vice President: Stacie Devitt
• Vice President – Membership: Janette Shelton
• Vice President – Endorsements: Kristi Becker
• Treasurer: Phil Currier
• Secretary: Deborah Currier

**Thanks to our Club Secretary Deborah Currier for the detailed meeting notes**


Our meeting for this month is scheduled for June 27th, Thursday.
6 p.m. Social Time; 6:30 -8:00 PM 6:30 -8:00 PM Cardiff Library, 2081 Newcastle Ave. Cardiff
Please note that at this meeting we are planning to endorse for the SD County Board of Supervisor race. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote. Olga Diaz & Jeff Griffith will be addressing our club and answering questions (independently).

Program: Board of Supervisor 3rd District Candidates – Olga Diaz & Jeff Griffith. FBI Citizen Academy and Peace in the Middle East – Sheri Sachs.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

June 7 – SAN ONOFRE
Congresswoman Mike Levin will be with Harley Rouda and DARRELL ISSA tomorrow morning (Friday, June 7) at a Congressional field hearing of the Congressional Oversight Committee, as they hold a hearing about San Onofre.

DETAILS
DATE: Friday, June 7, 2019 – 11:30am (I have no idea how long this will last, but I’m assuming a couple of hours)
LOCATION: Chet Holifield Federal Building. 2400 Avila Road Laguna, CA 92677
WHAT: U.S. Congressional Oversight Committee Field Hearing
TOPIC: Examining America’s Nuclear Waste Management, Storage, and the Need for Solutions

Additional information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QSnizXf75HksnFq8jPgV45axXKJgEti1qUKC02hn8x0/edit

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June 8th, 8 a.m. Wear Orange 2019

On this 5th observance of Wear Orange, in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, come #HonorWithAction victims and survivors of gun violence, and learn how YOU can get involved! Our North County San Diego Moms Demand Action local group is hosting an Orangeade Stand and Meetup at Scotts Valley Park in Encinitas, on Saturday, June 8 from 10 to 11:30 AM. We will have orangeade and snacks, and the park is a great one where kids can play while we connect and talk about our movement and how you can help. Bring your kids and a friend. And don’t forget to #WearOrange!
Scott Valley Park
1602 Willowhaven Rd
Encinitas, CA 92024
When: Saturday, June 8, 10:00 AM

Sign up for event

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JUNE 13TH – SAN DIEGO BOARD OF SUPERVISOR EVENING BUDGET HEARING


When: June 13th, Thursday 5:30 p.m. RSVP here –> San Diego Board of Supervisor Evening Budget Hearing. Email Diana for carpooling.


Please join SANDAG for a series of 45-minute webinars to learn more about the 5 Big Moves and the key strategies that will enhance connectivity, increase sustainability, and improve quality of life in the San Diego region. Industry experts will share how the private and public sectors are embracing these innovations across the world to improve the movement of people and goods. Registration is required and each webinar will conclude with a question and answer session.

Webinars will be hosted every other Wednesday this summer:

Register for Webinars


July 10th
Sierra Club
North County Coastal Group Quarterly Meeting
Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center
2202 S. Coast Highway Oceanside
7:00 – 8:30 PM

Please Join Sierra Club

North County Coastal Group for a special screening of this award winning documentary – Sonic Sea

Oceans are a sonic symphony. Sound is essential to the survival and property of marine life.  But man-made ocean noise is threatening this fragile world. Learn about what you can do to protect life in our waters from the destructive effects of oceanic noise pollution. The Screening will be followed by a discussion with Lisa Levin from the from Scripps Institute of Oceanography who will discuss the deep ocean and human impacts on these ecosystems.

Everyone is Welcome and Admission is free of Charge


  • Thursday, June 27, 6:30 pm, Hillcrest – Legislative training. Learn about our priority climate bills and how to advocate, and sign up to meet with state legislators. At First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4190 Front Street, San Diego. RSVP Now
  • Saturday, July 13, 11 am, Sycuan – Visit to Sycuan Cultural Center. Guided tour to learn about the Kumeyaay community, its history, culture, and values. Boxed lunch, Q&A session with Kumeyaay members. We’ll set up carpools with folks who RSVP. RSVP Now

Green New Deal – the best video you’ll watch explaining why we need it

What would the future look like if we passed a Green New Deal? Will we help stem the most horrible effects of climate change, reduce extreme weather events, lower emissions, protect vulnerable communities, keep global temperatures in check and transform our economy?

In partnership with The Intercept, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez narrates an incredible video set a few decades in the future to let us see.

A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

In the short film, she explains the history of the climate crisis and the fossil fuel industry’s attempts to block climate science and sow skepticism and tells us that if lawmakers have the political will to tackle the most dire challenge facing us today, we still have time to slow climate change, grow our green economy, protect workers and communities, and save our planet.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

June 27th, Thursday, Meeting

Our meeting for this month is scheduled for June 27th, Thursday.

As you’re planning for your week I hope you are able to join us at this week’s meeting. The Presidential debate is scheduled at the same time (we weren’t able to coordinate our scheduling) and we must have this meeting because we need to hold our club’s endorsements for SD Board of Supervisors District 3.

Your vote on Thursday will determine our vote at the North Area Caucus (NAC) endorsement meeting scheduled for August. Due to changes to the SD County Dems club bylaws, our NAC representative must vote based on our club’s endorsement (or non endorsement). If our club does not vote, we will not have a vote at the NAC endorsement meeting. The NAC endorsement vote is then presented to Central Committee who will then approve the endorsement for the SD County Dems. One of the reasons the endorsement is important for a candidate is because the endorsed candidate will show up on the GO Team flyer.

Our June meeting was the best time for the endorsement vote because we do not meet in July and we have to vote on the endorsement before this August.

Only club members in good standing are able to vote.

You will have an opportunity for  to meet and ask questions of all 3 candidates for the Board of Supervisor D3 race. Please invite friends, neighbors, families to join us. You do not need to be a registered Democrat to attend our meetings.

Raffle: We will be holding a raffle and all attendees receive one ticket. We appreciate any and all donations. The funds raised will be used towards our project fund.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 3 Candidates – Q&A.

Olga Diaz, Jeff Griffith & Terra Lawson-Remer.

Each candidate will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and answer questions from our audience. Due to schedule constraints, we will not have a panel session but rather each candidate will have their own allocated time slot for Q&A.

Please note that at this meeting we are planning to endorse for the SD County Board of Supervisor race. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote. Check out our club bylaws for the definition of “good standing”.

Our meetings are open to the public (being a Democrat is not a requirement).

6 p.m. Social Time
6:30 -8:00 PM Program
Address: Cardiff-by-the-Sea Public Library
2081 Newcastle Ave. Cardiff
RSVP

Club Business

E-BOARD RECOMMENDED CHANGES
Our Executive Board (E-Board) met a few weeks ago and we are making a few changes to our E-Board structure. We are recommending to our membership to vote Roya Golchoobian to Vice-President of Program Development. Roya has been instrumental in coordinating our speakers for our monthly club meetings. We also recommend to add Jim Smith as Director of Endorsements.

Kristi Becker will be stepping down as Vice-President of Endorsements. Kristi helped our club with the endorsement process last year and she did a great job especially with the endorsement for Congressional District 49.

We’ll discuss further at our June meeting and we will take a vote on the recommendation for VP – Program Development.


SD COUNTY DEMS PROPOSED CLUB RULE CHANGES
The last few months the SD County Dems has been addressing potential club rule changes. One of these changes impacts our endorsement process at the area caucuses.

Currently, Diana Aguirre, our Club President, represents us at the North Area Caucus (NAC) meeting. One important function of the NAC is the endorsement of Democratic candidates specific to North County San Diego. In the past, the NAC representative decided how to cast their endorsement vote. The proposed change that will go up for a vote to the Central Committee this Tuesday will require NAC representatives to vote for the candidate that has been endorsed by their respective club (this can include a no endorsement as well). The NAC representative will only be able to vote if their club has endorsed for that race. This is a high level explanation. If you’d like additional information – please see below:

For a Club’s Additional Associate members to be active to vote in an Area
Endorsement Recommendation they must:

  • Meet the threshold of fifteen percent (15%) of the number of unique members or ten (10) members whichever is greater at their endorsement meeting.
  • Provide the proper documentation with two of their Officer’s signatures of the Club’s first round endorsement vote totals, which Associates are bound to which candidate, and submits the form to the Party seventy-two (72) hours prior to the Area Caucus meeting at which the endorsement recommendation will occur, and
  • Follow the formula for distribution as follows:
    • For Clubs with only one additional Associate member that member will be bound to the endorsed candidate or the candidate with the most votes.
    • For Clubs with more than one additional Associate member the Associates will be distributed based off of the first round of voting in the following manner: Total Additional Associate members in the Area in which the endorsement recommendation will be held (TA) multiplied by percentage of votes received by the candidate (%) equals the bound Associates (BA) received by that candidate round down to the whole number. (TA)x(%)=BA.
    • In the event of a tie and additional Associate members are unable to be split proportionately the club shall decide by a game of chance.
  • The Additional Associate members are bound to a specific candidate based off the first round vote and shall be bound until that candidate is no longer an option.

Link to folder with all the documents to review.

CLUB LOGO CONTEST

Our E-Board would like to have a club banner made since the county party offers one to each club. Before we do, we need help with a new logo. Get those creative juices flowing! Submit your idea(s) to our email at torreypinesdems@gmail.com by July 31st. We will display the proposed logos at our August BBQ/Potluck and vote on the logos.

Summer BBQ/Potluck – August 3rd, Saturday.

We’re looking forward to celebrating our 2nd year as a club with club members and guests!

Time: 3-6pm.
Location: Doug & Janette Shelton 690 Remini Drive Del Mar CA.

Congressmember Mike Levin will be our honorable guest.

Thank you to Janette and Doug Shelton for hosting our Summer BBQ/Potluck.

We will be sending out a sign up sheet for the potluck soon.

Family & friends are welcome to join us!

RSVP