October 26, 2021
President’s Message
Dear Club Members and Friends,
Having received our Covid booster shots, Liz and I felt comfortable in flying to Philadelphia this past week to attend a family wedding. The wedding was beautiful and the joy of all the attending guests was therapeutic, restoring some degree of confidence in the future of our species. Life goes on. We experienced none of the anger and violence so often portrayed on the evening news of passengers refusing to wear masks. Everyone was agreeable and complied, without having to be asked.
This Message provides a timely reminder about our upcoming regular Club Meeting this Thursday, October 28th, on Zoom, beginning at 6pm. To register for this meeting, go to https://torreypinesdems.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b3dec709fcd132047bf6adb33&id=2c8a434447&e=c760876df2. You will then receive a link to join the meeting. And there’s still a lot going on that we should be aware of.
First, here’s a preview of our speakers for the October meeting.
1. October 28th Club Program
In recognition of the Hispanic Cultural Heritage month just concluded, we’ve invited Cipriano Vargas, long term Democrat and currently chair of the Vista Unified School District, also a candidate for the office of Mayor for the City of Vista, to be our main speaker. I’ve asked Cipriano to provide his views and experience regarding the Latino community’s political priorities and concerns. The recent U.S. census has revealed that people who identify as Latino-Americans are now the largest ethnic/racial grouping in California. Latinos now represent 39% of our State population, Non-Latino Whites represent 36%, and those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander represent 15%. For a more complete analysis of our state demographics, see the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California’s webpage, Just the Facts, here:
https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-population/. Overall, people who identify as Latino-Americans are quite diverse, including those of different races, nationalities, cultural and ethnic identities, and even different language backgrounds (Spanish, Portuguese and French). As Americans, and particularly as Democrats, we take great pride in the overall diversity and complexity of our nation.
Our second program speaker will address the upcoming action to adopt the 2021 Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (RTIP) that will come before the SANDAG Board of Directors for its approval later this year. The RTIP is a multi-billion-dollar, multi-year program of proposed major transportation projects in the San Diego Region. Transportation projects funded with federal, state and TransNet, the San Diego transportation sales tax program, must be included in an approved RTIP. The programming of locally funded projects may also be programmed at the discretion of the agency. Dwight Worden, Deputy Mayor of Del Mar and member of our Club will give a presentation of the scope of the new RTIP and outline the major priorities being proposed for the coming five-year period.
2. The San Dieguito Union High School District Special Election for Trustee Area 5
Mail-in ballots are already in the hands of voters in the Trustee Area 5 special election on November 2nd to fill the current vacant seat. Trustee Area 5 generally covers the area east of I-5, Carmel Valley to Pacific Highlands, along the SR 56 corridor. Only one Democratic candidate is in the race – Julie Bronstein. Both the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee, and our Club have endorsed Julie. This is a good time to remind those voters in Area 5 to vote for Julie and to return the ballot by mail, or at a nearby Drop Box, any time before on November 2nd; or at our Community Voting Center, Del Mar Hills Academy at 14085 Mango Dr, Del Mar, beginning on Saturday, October 30th through Election Day, November 2nd. If you would like to contribute to Julie’s campaign, or better yet, volunteer for contacting voters, go to: www.juliebronstein.com
3. President Biden’s “Build Back Better” Program Is Showing Life Afterall
As Mark Twain reportedly said, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” And so it is with President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, despite frequent reports in to the contrary in the social and mainstream media. The Biden “BBB” agenda is an ambitious plan to create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families – all paid for by making the tax code fairer and making the wealthiest and large corporations pay their fair share.
The agenda consists of two major pieces of legislation now pending in Congress. This past summer, the President reached agreement with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, that would provide about $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s roads and bridges, water infrastructure, resilience, internet, and more. For details, go to: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/02/updated-fact-sheet-bipartisan-infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act/. A bipartisan agreement does not guarantee bill can pass both houses of Congress with the necessary vote margins. But members of Congress will be hard pressed to take a partisan stand on the bill, given the agreement in committees, and risk the wrath of constituents eager for the jobs and other benefits deriving from the bill.
The second element of the Build Back Better agenda includes a “reconciliation” bill. This bill would include anywhere from $1.5 trillion to $3.5 trillion in additional, so called, “soft infrastructure” spending for the 21st Century. Things like expanding internet coverage into rural areas; increased childcare services, so that working parents can go back to work; providing more funds for IRS enforcement of underpayment of taxes against the wealthy, and even increased taxes on the very wealthy Americans. This bill can be passed through a “budget reconciliation” process that avoids the threat of filibuster in the Senate. The problem has been disagreement among the progressive and moderate factions within the Democratic Party. For the past several weeks, these factions have been negotiating with one another in order to develop a compromise that will deliver at least 50 votes from Democratic Senators, as well as a simple majority in the House. The 100-member Senate is now divided equally between Democrats and Republicans. A tie vote can be decided by the vote of the Vice President. Getting all 50 Democrats to agree has been the challenge. To read more about the disagreements within the Democratic Party, and the interplay between the bipartisan and reconciliation bills, go to: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/reconciliation-biden-trust/2021/10/03/ca9fb670-2385-11ec-8fd4-57a5d9bf4b47_story.html.
The process of negotiation and compromise is essential to the long-term success of our democracy. Without it, the democracy will not survive. Yet the process of negotiation and compromise has often been described as like watching sausage being made – it’s not an appealing sight. Still, it is essential to our democratic survival. For a great description of what’s going on in the “sausage factory,” read Robert Hubbell’s Newsletter of 10/26/2021, Reality is a stubborn thing, here: https://roberthubbell.substack.com/?utm_campaign=pub&utm_medium=web&utm_source=. Hubbell’s newsletter also provides good commentary on the events described below.
4. The House January 6th Committee
Another major development over the past few weeks concerns the investigation by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. https://january6th.house.gov/
Steve Bannon, one of the former President’s “whisperers,” refused last week to appear before the Committee in response to a subpoena from the Committee. This week, the House members voted 229 to 202 to hold Bannon in “contempt of Congress” and approved a referral of the matter to the Justice Department for criminal indictment on the charge. Conviction could carry a one-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $100,000. Bannon has claimed presidential privilege of confidentiality as his reason for failing to appear. Yet President Biden, who holds the executive privilege, has expressly waived the privilege for purposes of the Committee’s investigation. For more information on this issue, see the link to Robert Hubbell’s Newsletter above.
Meanwhile, two reports have come out this past week that describe some of the events leading up to the assault on the Capitol. The first, a report from Rolling Stone, dated October26, 2021, describes interviews with two participants who were present during “dozens” of meetings between protest demonstrators, members of Congress, and White House staff, leading up to the January 6th event. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/exclusive-jan-6-organizers-met-congress-white-house-1245289/
The second report appeared in the Washington Post, on October 23, 2021, and identifies the Willard Hotel, located a block from the White House, as the “command center” for a group of high-level, close lieutenants of the former President, where the planning and implementation of the strategy for “overturning” the results of the 2020 election were carried out. Among the lieutenants named are Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon and John Eastman, key strategists for the efforts to overthrow the results of the presidential election. https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/willard-trump-eastman-giuliani-bannon/2021/10/23/c45bd2d4-3281-11ec-9241-aad8e48f01ff_story.html
5. No Club Meetings In November or December
Finally, a reminder that our Club will not meet during the year-end holiday months of November and December, in keeping with our tradition. Our next Club meeting will be on January 27th at 6pm. However, we have a committee at work to prepare plans for a holiday social event. Stay tuned for further details.
Our Executive Board will continue meeting during this period to tend to any Club business that may be necessary, and to work on plans for the coming year. And, I will continue my President’s Message, providing news and information of interest to our Club members.
In Solidarity,
Wayne Dernetz
Wayne Dernetz,
President
GENERAL MEETING (VIA ZOOM)
October 28, 2021
Please note: Registration to join the meeting is required.
To register, go to: https://torreypinesdems.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b3dec709fcd132047bf6adb33&id=2c8a434447&e=c760876df2
AGENDA
6:00pm Meeting Room opens
6:15pm Meeting Called to order by Wayne Dernetz, President
1. Quorum Check – Janette Shelton, VP – Memberships
2. President’s Welcome
3. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda
4. Approval of Minutes of the September 23, 24, 2021 Club Meeting – Phil Currier, Secretary
5. Comments from elected officials, candidates, and Democratic Party representatives in attendance. (3 minutes each)
6. PROGRAM
6:30 – 7:00 PM
Presentation by Cipriano Vargas — Latino Politics Today: Priorities, Parties & Possibilities.
Mr. Vargas was born and raised in Vista, California. He is the son of immigrant farmworkers. Mr. Vargas is a graduate of the Vista Unified School System and of Cal State University, San Marcos. He is a political activist and currently serves as President of the Vista Unified School District Board of Trustees. He recently announced his candidacy for the Office of Mayor in the City of Vista.
7:00 – 7:30 PM
Presentation by Dwight Worden –– Draft 2021 Regional Transportation Plan Update, currently under consideration by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
Dwight Worden, Deputy Mayor of Del Mar and member of our Club will give a presentation of the scope of the new RTIP and outline the major priorities being proposed for the coming five-year period.
7.CLUB BUSINESS
[None Scheduled at the present time]
8. OFFICERS’ REPORTS & MEMBERS’ COMMENTS
A. Treasurer’s Report: Deborah Currier, Treasurer
B. Membership Report: Janette Shelton, Vice President – Memberships
C. Future Programs Report: Marisa Hildebrand-CrIqui, Vice President – Programs
D. Communications Report – Ken Burtt, Executive Vice President, and Communications Director
9. Members’ Comments for the Good of the Order
8.00pm ADJOURNMENT
October 14th, 2021
President’s Message
Dear Club Members and Friends,
There’s a lot going on these days that deserve our attention and sometimes our action. Let me first outline our upcoming regular Club meeting program for October 28, beginning at 6pm on Zoom.
1. October 28th Club Program
In recognition of the Hispanic Cultural Heritage month just concluded, we’ve invited Cipriano Vargas, long term Democrat and currently chair of the Vista Unified School District, also a candidate for the office of Mayor for the City of Vista, to be our main speaker. I’ve asked Cipriano to provide his views and experience regarding the Latino community’s political priorities and concerns. The recent U.S. census has revealed that people who identify as Latino-Americans are now the largest ethnic/racial grouping in California. Latinos now represent 39% of our State population, Non-Latino Whites represent 36%, and those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander represent 15%. For a more complete analysis of our state demographics, see the non-partisan Public Policy Institute of California’s webpage, Just the Facts, here: https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-population/. Overall, people who identify as Latino-Americans are quite diverse, including those of different races, nationalities, cultural and ethnic identities, and even different language backgrounds (Spanish, Portuguese and French). As Americans, and particularly as Democrats, we take great pride in the overall diversity and complexity of our nation.
We are also trying to find a speaker to present the latest draft of the San Diego Regional Transportation Plan Update, now being considered by SANDAG, our regional association of local agencies (https://www.sandag.org/). The Regional Transportation Plan is a blueprint for the development and improvement of all transportation facilities and modes in our County over the next four years. The total magnitude of the draft plan comprises some $165 Billion in work projects. Every resident of San Diego County has a stake in this planning effort. You can read more about the draft 2021 Regional Transportation Plan here:
https://sdforward.com/mobility-planning/2021-regional-plan-draft
2. California Citizens’ Redistricting Commission Moves Toward December 27th Deadline
California is currently in the once-every-ten-year process of redrawing electoral boundary lines that follows each decennial census, as mandated under our U.S. Constitution (See Article I, Section 2). The California Citizen’s Redistricting Commission (CRC) is an “independent” commission created under Proposition 8 in the November 2008 general election. The law requires the Commission to complete its work in redrawing State electoral district boundaries–Congressional, State Senate, and Assembly districts—by December 14th this year. Because of the delays in the completion of the 2020 Census, the CRC requested the State Supreme Court for an extension of the deadline to January 14, 2022. The Court denied the date requested but approved 13-day extension to December 27th.
Since early summer, the CRC has been conducting public input hearings seeking public comments on communities of interest used as one of several factors for redrawing electoral district boundaries.
The CRC’s goal is to apportion the population approximately equally among the districts of each kind. These public input hearings are coming to conclusion on October 23rd in Sacramento and online.
Beginning on October 27th, the CRC will begin a new series of “visualization meetings” showing hypothetical district-based boundaries to allow the Commissioners (and the public) an opportunity to review potential options. These visualization meetings will continue at least through November 9th, then the CRC will get down to the task of deciding how the new boundaries will be drawn, leading up to the deadline of December 27th for submittal of the new boundary maps to the California Secretary of State.
Both the County and the City of San Diego, along with most cities and districts, are undertaking similar reviews in their obligation to re-apportion Supervisorial and City Council districts. Many of our Club members and other activist residents are concerned about how the new boundaries will be drawn, and what impact that may have on our elected representation. You can follow the CRC’s progress online here: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/. For information about your County Supervisorial or council district, go to the agency’s website.
3. Problems in the San Dieguito Union High School District
The San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) is responsible for providing Middle School and High School education programs for the five elementary school districts stretching from Encinitas to Del Mar to Rancho Santa Fe. The District is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees, operating under the California Education Code. The Board is divided into five Trustee areas, each area electing one Trustee representative to the Board.
In recent years, the Board has been the focus of political contention based upon ideological differences among the populations served as to how best to educate our children. School districts across the nation are facing similar conflicts, made worse by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the areas of controversy between the warring factions is over the concept of “critical race theory.” or CRT.
CRT is not a subject, nor is it a program. It is a concept, first identified in higher education institutions during the 1970s that considers racism to be a systemic part of our society, thus accounting for the well-documented economic and social gaps between Black and White people. Today, many Americans, especially Democrats, consider this to be factually evident. However, CRT has now been seized upon by certain politically motivated groups as being “divisive,” and as unpatriotic. The New York Times award-winning series “1619” has been subject to criticism for the same reasons. Those groups who see it that way now want to ban the “teachings” of CRT in our schools and in other institutions. In other words, no teaching or discussion in our schools about slavery, Jim Crow laws, racial hate crimes, or racial disparities today in economic, health, education, and criminal or social justice.
I share the belief that such bans would amount to censorship and would distort both our heritage and history, leaving the next generation with an incomplete understanding of our society and culture. It would be one more step in the erosion of our democracy and the drift toward autocratic rule.
As for the School Board, Trustee Seat No. 5 is currently vacant (too long a story to recount here). The Board has called a special election to be held on November 2, 2021. The San Diego County Democratic Party has declared this election to be of “strategic importance” for Democrats and has endorsed the only Democratic candidate running in the race, Julie Bronstein. Our Club has followed suit with a unanimous endorsement for Julie in our recent Club officers’ election. We urge you to vote for Julie Bronstein Trustee Seat No. 5 on November 2nd.
But there’s more. The incumbent elected in 2020 for Trustee Seat No. 4, Michael Allman, is also the subject of controversy. He is said to be among those who are calling for the adoption of the CRT ban in all SDUHSD schools. The four current members of the Board are considering such a ban at their October 14th meeting. By the time you read this, that meeting will have concluded. The incumbent of Trustee Seat No. 4 is the subject of a citizen’s recall effort, which if successful, would remove the incumbent from the Board. The petition is still being circulated. If you are interested in signing on to the recall petition, click on this link: www.SOSsandieguito.COM.
4. Club Meeting Schedule Changes
Following tradition, we will not be holding regular Club meetings in November and December. Our next regular Club meeting will be on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at 6pm. We will continue holding our Club meetings by invitation via Zoom until further notice.
The Executive Board members will continue their regular meeting schedule through November and December and will keep our Club members and allies up to date on what’s happening in and around us.
In Solidarity,
Wayne Dernetz
Wayne Dernetz,
President
Urgent President’s Message
October 5, 2021
Dear Club Members and Friends,
As you know, Julie Bronstein is running for the open seat No. 5 on the Board of Trustees of the San Dieguito Union High School District. Seat No. 5 covers the area of Carmel Valley and Pacific Highlands Ranch. Julie is facing stiff opposition from the anti-maskers and other right-wing political operatives in the area, who favor her opponent. This has become a “battleground” election for the local GOP and right-wing interests who seek to maintain control of the SDUHSD Board of Directors.
Previously, Julie was endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee, which has declared this election to be of “strategic importance.” Also, Julie has just been endorsed by our Club in the September 24-27 election. We are now authorized under our Bylaws, and those of the San Diego County Democratic Party, to provide direct assistance to Julie in her campaign. And she needs our help now!
Julie’s request follows below. Please do anything you can to help her.
In Solidarity,
Wayne Dernetz,
Club President
Hi, Torrey Pines Democratic Club Members!
As you may be aware, there is a special election coming up for School Board in San Dieguito Union High School District in Area 5 which includes Carmel Valley and Pacific Highlands Ranch.
There are about 25,000 voters in Area 5. Kristin Gibson, who had been representing Area 5, resigned last March. That is why we are having the special election to fill her vacant seat. While Democratic registered voters have a 16 percent advantage in Area 5, we must not take it for granted that the only endorsed Democrat in the race (me) will win. It is critical that we reach out to as many voters as possible prior to November 2nd. Ballots will arrive in voters mailboxes starting today (Tuesday, Oct. 5) and the election will be by mail-in ballots, so voters will be able to start voting. To be counted, ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 2nd, and received at the Registrar’s office by Nov. 9th.
I would be most grateful if you would volunteer for my campaign. Here’s the signup for volunteering. You can choose phone banking, or door-to-door canvassing, or both. Whichever you choose, please help to get out the Democratic vote in this critical election— https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4faeaa2da1fac16-volunteer
I’m happy to speak to any of you directly and so is my campaign manager, Holly Butte.
I can be reached at julie@juliebronstein.com or 858-243-2759. Holly can be reached at 760-525-0216
Thank you.
Julie Bronstein (she/her)
School Board Candidate, San Dieguito Union High School District – Area 5 (Carmel Valley and Pacific Highlands Ranch)
Juliebronstein.com
858-243-2759