Final Unofficial Results of our Club Elections
September 30, 2021
Members and Friends,
I am pleased to report the Final Unofficial Results of our Club elections held this past week. These results will be presented to the Executive Board at its next meeting for “certification,” meaning the official approval of the results. The elections results are posted here.
For this election, the Board decided to utilize an online electronic voting system called OpaVote. You can read more about this voting system here: https://www.opavote.com/. OpaVote is widely used by non-profit and for-profit organizations and clubs. It is free to users and generally quite reliable. Jim Smith and Phil Currier conducted the election and tabulated the results.
In this election, a total of 63 ballot invitations were emailed to eligible Club members. Fifty emailed invitations were opened by Members. Thirty-seven ballots were cast by Members. Thirteen Members who opened their ballots did not return them. The voter turnout for this election was 58.7%.
In the Endorsement election for the open seat in Area No. 5 of the San Dieguito Union High School District, only one candidate, Julie Bronstein, was qualified for a Club endorsement. A Club endorsement requires a supermajority vote of 60% or more of the eligible Club members present and voting. We considered 37 ballots cast by Club members to be present and voting. Julie Bronstein received 33 “Yes” votes. That represents 89.2% of the votes of members present and voting. As a result, Julie Bronstein will receive the endorsement of our Club.
In the Club Officer elections, only one nomination for each of the four offices was received for this election. No other nominations were received, including nominations requested from the “floor” during our September 23rd Club Zoom meeting Each of these four nominees were put forward by our Club Nominations Officer, Marisa Hildebrand-Criqui. The four nominees were recommended for election by the Executive Board.
The results of the Officer elections are as follows:
For President, I received 35 Yes votes, or 94.6% of the total votes.
For Executive Vice President, Ken Burtt received 37 votes, or 100.0% of the total votes.
For Secretary, Phil Currier received 37 votes, or 100.0% of the total votes.
For Treasurer, Deborah Currier received 37 votes, or 100.0% of the total votes.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the election. It was a good turnout. I especially would like to thank the Members who voted in favor of the recommendations for your support.
Our next Club Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 28, 2021, beginning at 6:00pm, on Zoom. I hope to see you there.
In Solidarity,
Wayne Dernetz,
Interim President
Internet Links from our 9-23-21 Club Meeting Guests (via Zoom)
Greetings Torrey Pines Dems,
We had great club meeting last night and our guests and members shared a lot of important information. They also provided related internet links. If you would like more information, these links are copied for your convenience below.
After the Recall – What Happened? What’s Next? Presentation by Thad Kousser, PhD, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair, UCSD:
https://yankelovichcenter.ucsd.edu/_files/reports/Reforming-The-Recall-California-Voters-Perspectives-On-The-Process-FINAL.pdf
https:/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/28/cailfornia-recall-election-reform-newsom/
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-09-15/newsom-survived-recall-by-getting-back-to-his-bold-self
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-14/newsom-recall-no-and-go-question-two-recall
Announcement from Congressman Mike Levin, 49th CD: Town Hall Meeting, Saturday, September 25, 10:00 am to 11:30 am. At Del Mar Town Hall, 1050 Camino Del Mar, in Del Mar. Parking available. Admission is free; pre-registration is required.
Join Congressmember Mike Levin for a town hall at Del Mar City Hall. This in-person event is open to fully vaccinated guests. If you do not have proof of vaccine, you can watch the town hall on Facebook, Twitter or Mike Levin’s web page.
Admission is free but tickets are required. Doors will open approximately 9:45am.
To register, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-congressmember-mike-levin-sept-2021town-hall-tickets-169403367031
For more information contact Ellen Montanari
Links from elected officials, candidates, and Democratic Party representatives in attendance:
Kelly Martinez, candidate for San Diego County Sheriff – https://kellymartinezforsheriff.com
Dave Meyer, candidate for San Diego County Sheriff – www.davemyersforsheriff.com
Tommy Hough, candidate for San Diego City Council District 6 – https://tommyhough.com
Julie Bronstein, candidate for SDUHSD school board – https://juliebronstein.com/ https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4faeaa2da1fac16-volunteer
Links from club member Alice McNally:
The Coalition for Nuclear Safety will have a booth at EcoFest Encinitas, Sunday 9/26 10-4. Drop on by and see what’s new.
https://lapostexaminer.com/nuclear-power-is-not-clean-energy/2021/09/22
President’s Message
September 9, 2021
Hello Club Members and Friends,
Reminder – Our regular Club meetings resume on September 23rd. See the preliminary meeting agenda distributed with this Message.
California’s Recall Election
The hottest political topic in California these days is, of course, the recall election against Governor Gavin Newsom. The election concludes on September 14th. The successful recall effort was funded by Republican donors, many from out of state, who hope to “steal” the Governor’s seat for the balance of Newsom’s term ending on January 2, 2023, in a low-turnout election. Forty-six candidates were certified for the ballot; all but two are political novices. In the event Governor Newsom is recalled by more than a 50% “yes” vote, the candidate receiving the most votes (a simple plurality) among the 46 contenders will become governor.
Before polling began in the recall campaign, most people expected Governor Newsom to have an easy victory. However, early polling suggested that wasn’t to be the case. Those polls showed the voters who were “most likely to vote” were evenly divided between those intending to vote no, and those voting yes, on the recall question. Pundits and commentators opined that the problem was Democratic-voter apathy, or anger, and Republican-voter enthusiasm. More Republican voters were expected to turn out than Democrats.
A leading contender to replace Newsom quickly emerged from the pack of 46. Larry Elder, a talk-radio show personality from Los Angeles, quickly assumed a commanding lead in the polls. Elder, a Black Republican who publicly supports Trump and publicly opposes government Covid restrictions, including vaccine and mask mandates, assumed a commanding lead. He has promised to end the mandates “before breakfast” on his first day in office. Things turned tense within both the Governor’s campaign team and the California Democratic Party
The Governor’s team, along with the State and many local Democratic parties, quickly went on the defensive by organizing phone banks, and door-to-door canvassing programs all over the state along with a heavy investment in media advertising in the metropolitan areas. The aim was to educate the voters on the recall election procedures, and the political consequences if Larry Elder were to replace Governor Newsom. As the campaign has now evolved, approaching election day, things are looking a little brighter for Newsom. Over the weekend, the Public Policy Institute of California released its late-August polling results, showing that the “no” voters are leading the “yes” voters by a 58% to 39% margin. Moreover, a larger than expected percentage of voters indicate the recall election is “very important” to them.
Most significantly, election officials up and down the state are indicating ballots are being returned at a heavier than first expected pace. It appears the education and GOTV campaigns are working, along with favorable press in the larger metropolitan papers. Momentum now appears to be in the Governor’s favor. Will it be enough to save Newsom’s term in office? We’ll soon find out.
Our September Program Speaker
Professor Thad Kausser, professor of political science and department chair at UCSD, and a nationally recognized expert on California politics, will be our program speaker on September 23rd. You won’t want to miss Professor Kausser’s analysis of what has happened in the recall election, and what it may mean for the future of California’s politics.
Important Club Elections on the September Agenda . . .
At last, elections to the four Club offices will be on the agenda this month. Recent elections have been delayed by the impacts of the Covid pandemic and the need to accommodate remote meetings. There are four elective offices: President, Executive Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. With this election cycle our Club begins a new process in which the four Club officers are elected to two-year terms with a three-term limit, instead of electing the four officers to one-year terms with a four-term limit.
The terms of the four officers will overlap, so that in future years we will elect two of the four officers in each year. To initiate the overlapping terms, in this election the President and Secretary will be elected to two-year terms, while the Executive Vice President and Treasurer will be elected to initial one-year terms. Thereafter, all officers will be elected to overlapping two-year terms. These elections will be conducted by electronic balloting which will begin as soon as the Club meeting ends. Club members will have a few days in which to complete their ballots online.
A “slate” of candidates may be recommended by our Club Executive Board, which meets on the September 13th. If you know of any Club member who you think would be a good candidate for any of these offices, please encourage them to file for nomination by simple email statement as soon as possible, but not later than September 20th. You can read more about the election process and the responsibilities of each of the elective offices in Article 6 of the Club Bylaws, available on our website at torreypinesdems.org/bylaws/. All Applications for nomination may be emailed to the attention of our Nominations Chair at this address: torreypinesdems@gmail.com.
. . . And One Candidate Endorsement Election at the September Meeting
Many of you may already know the San Dieguito Union High School District, which operates both Torrey Pines High School and Canyon Crest Academy in our area, has a vacancy in Trustee Seat No. 5 on its five-member Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has called a special election to fill the vacancy, to be held on November 2, 2021. Three candidates are running for this election. One of them, Julie Bronstein, is a registered Democrat and therefor eligible for an endorsement by our Club. As the only eligible candidate for endorsement, the Club may vote whether to endorse or not by a show of hands, provided there is a quorum present at the time of the vote. A 60% vote of approval by voting Club members, who are present at the time, is necessary for the endorsement. If a quorum is not present to conduct the vote, it may be conducted by electronic balloting, along with the election of Club officers.
We have an outstanding and very timely program speaker for the September 23rd regular Club meeting, along with important Club business to undertake. So, be sure to register for, and attend, the meeting on Zoom. If you need the registration link, please go to our website at torreypinesdems.org/calendar/.
I look forward to seeing you at the meeting. As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have comments or questions about the Club or any of our meetings, send them along to torreypinesdems@gmail.com.
In Solidarity,
Wayne Dernetz,
Interim President
GENERAL MEETING (VIA ZOOM)
September 23, 2021
Please Note: Registration to Join the Meeting is Required.
To register, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtf-ytqz8sH9ZqLrBotSeeLHOWqv8wedY0
AGENDA
6:00pm Meeting Room opens
6:15pm Meeting Called to order by Wayne Dernetz, Interim 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 June, 24, 2021 Club Meeting – Deborah Currier, Secretary
5. PROGRAM 6:30 – 7:00 PM
A. After the Recall – What Happened? What’s Next? – Presentation by Thad Kousser, PhD, Professor of Political Science and Department Chair, UCSD; Q&A to follow Professor Kousser’s presentation.
B. Presentation on Texas Anti-Abortion Law, SB 8 – Presentation by Pratima Gupta, OB/Gyn, regarding the impacts of the new Texas law that establishes “vigilante” regime for enforcement of abortion prohibitions in conflict with Constitutional rights guaranteed under the Roe v Wade decision. 10 minutes, followed by Q&A.
6. Comments from elected officials, candidates, and Democratic Party representatives in attendance. (3 minutes each)
A. Announcement from Congressman Mike Levin, 49th CD: Town Hall Meeting, Saturday, September 25, 10:00 am to 11:30 am. At Del Mar Town Hall, 1050 Camino Del Mar, in Del Mar. Parking available. Admission is free; pre-registration is required. For more information and registration, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-person-congressmember-mike-levin-sept-2021town-hall-tickets-169403367031
7. CLUB BUSINESS
A. Announcement of New Board Member – Wayne Dernetz
B. Club Officer Nominations – Marisa Hildebrand-Criqui, Nominations Chair
C. Club Officer Elections Procedure – Phil Currier, Treasurer
D. Consider Endorsement of Candidate for San Dieguito Union High School District, Trustee Seat No. 5, Special Election, November 2, 2021 – Jim Smith, VP – Endorsements
8. OFFICERS’ REPORTS & MEMBERS’ COMMENTS
A. Treasurer’s Report: Phil 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
E. Members’ Comments for the Good of the Order
8.00pm ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Club Meeting will be on October 28, 2021, 6:00pm.
Check our website for further information – www.torreypinesdems.org