Congrats to New SFYD Board

Congratulations to all the new officers of the SFYD Board. The following were elected to positions at the July 12th Membership meeting:

President Luke Klipp
Vice President Julia Thornton
Treasurer Brian Gardner

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David's Telescope
by SFYD Newsletter Editor David Weinreich

July has been a hot time in the city-and the nation. While our state legislature is on summer recess and the campaign season has not yet begun in earnest, a sweltering heat wave has swept our nation and highlighted both the dangers of global warming and the failure of Schwarzenegger's energy policy.

Thanks to Al Gore's recent movie, the message is starting to percolate into people's minds that global warming may be for real. And we may be seeing just the beginning. More brush fires since 1980, the highest temperatures in 400 years, the worst hurricane season on record.

Perhaps Bush and the oil industry want to continue to ignore all this, but Bush can't keep walking away from science, and thankfully House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have proposed a way out of this mess, through a freeze on CO2 emissions and a cap-and-trade permit program that earns the government money every time a company pollutes-money that would go toward new technologies that could wean us off of oil.

Naturally this is too logical and business oriented to appeal to God-fearing Republican businessmen that would rather foul the world today than worry about the consequences for tomorrow. So it's no surprise they're working overtime to kill this bill, "prove" that global warming is just a theory and pass their own "energy" bill to allow more offshore drilling.

Meanwhile, Governor Arnold has been feeling the heat of global warming first hand, with rolling blackouts and energy shortages as our state hits record highs. Back in the 2004 recall, he told voters, "trust me. Everything will be under control. Your lights will stay on." Now it is apparent that Arnold has not built enough new power plants, not fully re-regulated the industry, and relied too much on out-of state power to keep our lights going. If rolling blackouts continue, it will prove to voters that Arnold has let the issue slide-with no deregulation or Enron manipulation to blame.

A disturbing trend is the Governor's imperialist attempts to move California's problems out of California. He has worked to make it easier to use filthy coal-burning power plants in Arizona that sully the Grand Canyon-even as he talks about using cleaner energy in state. Perhaps this is easier than building new wind plants. Perhaps it's that $2 million he got from the oil industry that makes fossil fuels look more attractive (as long as we don't burn them where California environmentalists can smell them).

Either way, global warming is a crucial issue that must be solved, and we need to elect forward-thinking politicians to change our policy. We can't afford to listen to apathetic nonvoters that say there is no difference between the candidates. Clearly that is not true. We especially cannot allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to win-a Governor who has vetoed almost every consumer protection bill that arrived on his desk and pretends to be against global warming while he ships in more coal power from out of state. The upcoming election is a contest between a candidate who acts the part of the environmentalist, moderate, law enforcer that most Californians want versus the one who actually is. We cannot allow this sham to continue, and this fall SFYD will be organizing to bring true environmental values back to the Governor's Mansion. Until then, enjoy your unusually balmy summer. The tab's on George.

David Weinreich
SFYD Newsletter Editor

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Reese's World: Perspectives from the Outgoing Editor
I Bid You Adieu
by Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.

While some of you may wish I perform "Thanks for the Memories" ala Connie Chung, I won't go out that gracefully. I plan on ending my reign as your Newsletter Editor with a bit of holier-than-thou vitriol. So listen to me now and hear me later:

You guys rock!

Seriously, I have been incredibly impressed by the passion and ongoing commitment each of you, and the club as a whole, have devoted to our common cause for our Democratic principles. It has been my pleasure to serve with you for the last year and I will miss this direct connection with you each and every month.

That said, I know my successor will do a terrific job and bring about some interesting and vibrant changes to your Newsletter. I may pop in now and again to assist where I can, but for the most part, this old man bids you adieu. Feel free to keep up with me and my goings-on anytime via my personal blog: www.reesesworld.com.

Yours,
Reese Aaron Isbell, MPP
Outgoing Newsletter Editor

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Young Voters Are Getting Noticed, Let's Back It Up

by SFYD Vice President Julia Thornton

Perhaps you've noticed the headlines - young voters are getting a lot of attention across the nation. Speaker Pelosi put it bluntly on July 22 to College Democrats: "Now more than ever we need your energy." Or maybe you caught the Oakland Trib article on July 24 detailing how the parties are "hustling to awaken the sleeping giant of the youth vote, nationally and here in California."

It's an exciting time to be young and politically active in San Francisco. If our nation's youth were ever asleep, then we've watched our peers slowly rise over the last few years. Just around the city we've witnessed the rapid development of progressive activism with groups like Drinking Liberally, LitPac, Music for America, League of Young Voters and, yours truly, SFYD - revived way back in 2001. San Francisco is the poster city for liberal politics and activism, and youth movements in the city have made a mark on the national radar. Seventeen to 35-year-olds and beyond are all discovering that being politically active can be (gasp!) fun.

Our peers are interested and passionate. Already "Gen Y" has proven itself to be more inclined to vote than last decade's young voting bloc. The Washington Post reports, "political parties and campaigns this year are lavishing attention on a new generation of young voters. They are investing in staff, studying ways to use new technology and promoting legislation geared toward young people's interests." Young voters are finally getting the recognition we've long been craving - now we've got to do something with it.

We've got the momentum, but we won't earn our title as heavyweights without a serious performance at the ballot box. Help Young Dems across the nation harness the potential of the youth vote by getting active-if you aren't already; your involvement is crucial. Show local and state campaigns that young people aren't just powerful voters, but indispensable assets. With so many options to get involved with SFYD or like-minded groups we associate with, there's something for everyone. From introducing your friends to the Democratic Party to joining us in our local efforts registering voters to supporting local and state campaigns and progressive organizations, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in fun or "not-so-fun-but-rewarding" ways. Of course, as much as we love hoofing it up and down the hills of San Francisco or sitting at phone bank cubicles, we love following it up with something a little more fun. No matter what you choose to do, we hope you'll sit back with us after your hard work at upcoming social events.

You'll hear a lot from Luke this year about ways to get involved with SFYD, and he'll also let you know what's going on with SFYD's like-minded peer groups around the city. Try something new and get a friend to go with you.

Most importantly, during and after election season, let us hear from you. Introduce SFYD to the groups you belong to. Let us know what issues we need to tackle. Feel free to contact Luke at sfydprez@gmail.com or myself at jl_thornton@hotmail.com with your suggestions. And definitely introduce yourself at meetings or when we meet up afterwards.

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SFYD Takes Youth Vote to Warp Speed
by SFYD Treasurer Brian Gardner

On July 8th, SFYD furthered CYD's initiative to activate the youth vote at the annual Warped Tour. After 8 hours in the brutal sun, we registered 20 new voters, and gathered pledges from over 100 young people that they would vote in the next election, or if they were under 18 that they would vote as soon as they could.

Registering voters at the Warped Tour was only the start, and CYD plans on rolling out a massive peer-to-peer campaign to reach young voters leading up to the November election. Borrowing the strategy from a successful trial run conducted earlier, CYD will be organizing young voters to talk to their neighbors in a language they can clearly understand. The universal language of youth.

As part of this effort, SFYD intends to build on the Warped Tour success by tabling at local festivals in the future. Hopefully this will increase club awareness, young voter registration, and Election Day turnout!

But it wasn't all business! On our break, Jennifer and I shot some bull's-eyes, winning tickets to the NIN/Bauhaus/Peaches show later that evening. Although Jennifer was unable to attend, I enjoyed a full day of music. Making a rewarding day of voter registration that much more rewarding.

Thank you to the following people for attending:

Outreach Director (and former Media Director) Jennifer Longley
Regional Director (and past SFYD President) Scott Ogus
National Committeeman (and founder of East Bay Young Dems; and former CBAY director) Rocky Fernandez

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SFYD Needs You: Recruitment for Committee Assistance

Volunteers Needed for
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

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Political Classifieds

Editor's Note: The SFYD Newsletter runs 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.

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Public Advocates Seeks Communications Manager/Director and other Positions
Public Advocates challenges the systemic causes of poverty and discrimination by promoting civil rights through advocacy, litigation, and partnership with low-income communities, people of color, and immigrants. See http://www.publicadvocates.org/jobs.html for further information on the following positions:

*Communications Manager/Director
*Law Fellow
*Law Clerk

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East Bay Community Law Center Positions Available:
EBCLC provides hands-on clinical education to law students to make these future lawyers aware of and skilled in addressing the needs of indigent communities; and desperately-needed legal services to the low-income community in the areas of housing, welfare, HIV/AIDS, homelessness and community economic development.

Job Postings:
* Clean State Practice Fellowship (closes 8/3/06)
* Community Economic Justice Fellowship (closes 8/3/06)
* Housing Practice Fellowship (closes 8/3/06)
For more information, click here.

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Field Organizer Job Description - MoveOn Political Action Election 2006:
Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. is hiring field organizers to work on MoveOn.org Political Action’s Operation Democracy 2006 Congressional campaign. MoveOn.org Political Action’s goal is to create a “change election” in 2006 by electing a Democratic majority and changing the balance of power in Washington.

Campaign staff will work to involve MoveOn’s 3 million+ committed and motivated members in voter identification and get out the vote efforts in competitive Congressional races across the country. Field staff will recruit, train and manage MoveOn members to build strong local campaign committees.

Grassroots Campaigns is currently hiring field staff for key Congressional Districts and in cities across the country. For more information, click here or email jobs@grassrootscampaigns.com.

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