March 2006 |
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Table of Contents
President's Column
Following the second Candidates Forum on February 8, 2006, members of the San Francisco Young Democrats cast their votes of endorsement. In order to recieve the endorsement of the San Francisco Young Democrats, a single canidate must receive 60% of the vote.
Reese's World: Perspectives from the Editor
For a short month, February sure turned out to be quite a sad and, rather, violent one.
On the Mark in Sacramento
One hundred years ago this spring, San Francisco was changed
forever by a force of nature beyond anyone's imagination. As we
recognize the centennial of that April 18th morning and all that
followed, we have much to remember and from which to learn. Are You Prepared?
This April 18th San Francisco will mark the centennial of the great 1906 earthquake that changed our fair City forever. During this time, we must remember that San Francisco is always exposed to a wide variety of hazards, both natural and human-made. Earthquakes, fires, severe storms, power outages, and acts of terrorism are just some of the potential emergencies we may encounter. As an Emergency Planner in the Disaster Planning Division with the San Francisco Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security (OES/HS), it is my job to perform responsible disaster and emergency planning work in the areas of homeland security and emergency services citywide. In this regard, I plan, coordinate, and develop the promotion of emergency service operations, plans and programs, and the organization and training of emergency services and public safety personnel, as well as implementation and evaluation of comprehensive emergency master plans for natural disasters, terrorism events and catastrophic events. Additionally, I assist with the coordination, integration, and implementation of emergency response plans and procedures for various City Departments and agencies, private industry, utility companies and others. As an Emergency Planner I have experience in Emergency Management operations and planning and community programs and the understanding of local, State and Federal response systems. During Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation, I serve as the Care and Shelter Branch Chief. The last part of my job is to serve as the primary OES emergency management liaison with partner agencies involved in Community Planning, Housing Authority and Public Education. One of the projects that I have created and that I am very excited about is the San Francisco Personal Preparedness Project (SFPPP) -A Partnership of the Office of Emergency Services and Homeland Security and the San Francisco Housing Authority. The San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) consists of 6600 units that house over 12,000 low-income families, seniors and persons with disabilities across the City and County of San Francisco. Within this housing system are 22 high-rise units, which are home to seniors and persons with disabilities. There are an additional 30 low-income family locations through out the City. We are working together to provide disaster preparedness training and education to every resident of the housing authority. This will include direct delivery of classes, distribution of educational materials, access to web site information and promotion of other community based activities and trainings, such as the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) program. The goal is to ensure that in the event of a disaster, the residents of the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) will be able to care for his or her own needs for at least the initial 72 hours after the event. WHAT YOU CAN DO
First and foremost, it is important to understand that in a major disaster, it might be several days before vital services are restored. That is why you must Make a Plan, Build a Kit, and Get Involved. As SFYD members, you are very good at making plans to help others, you are good at building coalitions to help better our city and the lives of people living in it, and you are great at getting involved. But what have you done for yourself lately? Are you Prepared? Go to our website, www.72hours.org, to get prepared. MAKE A PLAN Make a Plan for PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS Here are the priorities: Safety, Water, Food, Heat and Sanitation. No matter how well your community has planned their response to a disaster, in the event of a large-scale incident, first response resources may quickly become overwhelmed. To ensure the safety and well-being of you, your friends and your family, you should prepare now to take care of your own basic needs for at least the first 72 hours following a major disaster. Training is key: * Make sure that each person knows and practices ways of protecting her/himself from falling objects, smoke, fire, caustic fumes, etc. * Make sure that each person knows and practices how to shut off utilities. * Make sure that each person knows and practices evacuation procedures for leaving the home during an emergency. * Make sure that each person knows how to use a home fire extinguisher. (You can also get information on how Pet Owners can help their pets during an emergency at www.72hours.org) BUILD A KIT Basic Supplies: Determine what you absolutely need every day to live and plan how you will get what you need. Store 5 gallons of water, if you can. If you buy it at the store, what would you do if either the store wasn't open, if its shelves were empty, or if you couldn't get to the store? Important: If you don't have a manual can opener, buy one. Avoid foods that need a lot of water or more than a few minutes of cooking. FOOD: You can eat canned tuna; eat canned vegetables as a salad, with salad dressing or vinegar and oil. Ham or chicken with a vegetable salad or mixed with mayonnaise packets. WATER: Store 1 gallon of water per person for each day you are preparing for. You can buy collapsible water containers wherever camping supplies are sold. Another option is to wash out soda bottles and fill them with water. The water in these containers should be replaced every six months. If you store your own water, treat it by adding 4 drops of unscented chlorine bleach to each gallon of water. Don't use milk bottles. Build Personal Go Bags: Assembling emergency kits is one of the basic preparedness measures you should take. Go Bags are kits designed for the event of an evacuation. Be sure your Go Bag is easy to carry (if you have to evacuate on foot) and that it has an I.D. tag. You should keep one at home, work and in your vehicle. They should include the following supplies: * 3-Day supply of any prescription medications you take regularly. * Personal hygiene supplies (including toilet paper). * Whistle (to alert rescuers to your location). * List of emergency point-of-contact phone numbers. * Emergency lighting (flashlight and batteries or light sticks). * Portable radio & batteries (or hand crank style). * Change of clothing, sturdy shoes and a hat. * If you are preparing go bags for children, include a favorite toy, cards or book and medical consent forms. GET INVOLVED Know your community resources, and become one yourself. You can find more information about tips for Building a Kit, Making a Plan, and Getting Involved by going to www.72hours.org Thank you to all SFYD members because without you so much great work would go undone. Be safe, be prepared, be well. Joe Caruso Emergency Planner City and County of San Francisco Office of Emergency Services & Homeland Security House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi:  Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor today in support of allowing the House to consider legislation on the Dubai port deal. By a vote of 216-197, the Republican House rejected the opportunity to debate a measure that would require a 45-day investigation into the Bush Administration’s backroom port deal with Dubai and require the House to vote on approval of the deal. Below are Pelosi’s remarks:
“Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the third anniversary of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Yet today, three years later, our country is not as safe as it should be. We have a port security system that is full of holes. “The ports are our first line of defense in protecting our country. Yet the backroom port deal shines a bright light on the failure of the President and this Republican Congress to secure our ports. “The biggest threat to our security is the fissile materials that are still out there, the nuclear materials of the post-Soviet Union world. They were formally weapons of the Soviet Union and now they are not secured adequately and available to terrorists. “The single biggest threat is those weapons in a container coming into our country. I really can’t understand why this Administration has refused to do what is necessary to protect our ports from that threat. And, it’s not only our ports; when these containers come from overseas to our country, they are unloaded onto a truck, onto a train, drive right through your city, your town, perhaps past your home. So the danger goes well beyond our ports. “Here at home, only 6 percent of containers entering our ports are screened. Yet at two of the busiest terminals in the world – in Hong Kong – 100 percent of containers are screened. If Hong Kong terminals can do it, why can’t America? “That is why Democrats are proposing that 100 percent of the containers that comes to our ports are screened, at the port of origin – long before they reach our shores and our waterways. “Today, as we debate and vote on another issue of security, Democrats demand that attention be given to our ports. We will call for a vote on a bipartisan bill that is identical to the one introduced by the senior Republican and Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. King and Mr. Thompson. It will require a 45-day investigation of the Dubai deal. In addition, we require both Houses of Congress to have an up or down vote on whether or not to approve this agreement. “Congress must assert itself. Congress must take responsibility. We take an oath of office to protect the American people and we take that oath seriously. “Today is the day that the Dubai deal will be finalized, and this is our best chance to require a congressional vote on whether or not that backroom deal should go through. I urge my colleagues to assert Congress’s responsibility to the American people, to assert Congress’s role in checks and balances in our Constitution. I urge our colleagues to vote against the previous question.” SFYD Needs You: Recruitment for Committee Assistance
Important Year Ahead 2006 is an important year for California and an important year for SFYD. Help us prepare for the year ahead by volunteering for SFYD's fundraising committee. Stellar events and initiatives are planned - your talents are needed. Contact Julia Thornton at jl_thornton@hotmail.com Editor's Note: The SFYD Newsletter will begin to create a regular Classified Section in the newsletter for political, campaign, or other related jobs/advertisements. If you'd like to advertise in the SFYD newsletter, email the editor, for inclusion possibilities. If you would like to contact the advertisers, do so directly as per the advertisement, not through SFYD. Planned Parenthood Golden Gate Public Affairs Manager Primary Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Director of Community Affairs, the Public Affairs Manager will manage the organization's grassroots organizing activities, field campaigns, public affairs volunteer programs, and spearhead special projects within the External Affairs Division. The Public Affairs Manager will participate in developing the agency's strategy to impact public policy to support the mission of Planned Parenthood and supervise the Community Outreach Coordinator and help direct the agency's clinic advocacy, campus organizing, and community outreach efforts. HOW TO APPLY: Please email your cover letter and resume to careers@ppgg.org or fax to (415) 441-5037 or mail to Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Attention: Human Resources Department, 815 Eddy Street, Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94109. The New Progressive Coalition: The New Progressive Coalition's (NPC) mission is to wire progressive politics by cross-connecting progressive political entrepreneurs, organizations and investors to fuel a political machine that harnesses the left's potential. NPC is currently hiring for two positions: 1) Organization Director and 2) Associate To Apply: Please send resume to Kirstin Falk at jobs@newprogressivecoalition.com or via fax at (650) 364-2727. Interviews begin immediately. NPC is an equal opportunity employer. |
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January and February were very active organizing months for the San Francisco Young Democrats!
