September 2006
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SFYD Important Dates
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October Action Meeting
Location: 155 Sansome Street, Suite 500, San Francisco (near Montgomery BART Station)
This location is wheelchair accessible.
When: Wednesday, October 11, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
We'll be putting actions behind our endorsements and making thousands of phone calls for Phil Angelides and all our State candidates!
Contact SFYD President Luke Klipp at sfydprez@gmail.com for more information.
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New Leader’s Council Institute Application Deadline - EXTENDED
For those of you who are still interested in applying, the New Leaders Council (NLC) has extended the deadline to apply for the NLC Institute to Friday, October 13, 2006! This is a great opportunity to build your leadership skills and meet all kinds of great people.
For more information, email Adam Borelli at aborelli@newleaderscouncil.org
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Phone Banking for Jaynry!
Date: Thursdays, between now and November 2
Join SFYD as we put one of our own over the top in her race for Supervisor in District 4! For more information, email Luke Klipp at sfydprez@gmail.com.
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President's Column
by SFYD President Luke Klipp
On Fascism
A few months ago I saw “V for Vendetta” in the theater. For those of you who have not yet seen this movie, I cannot speak highly enough of it, if for nothing other than its informative value—yes, for its eerie relation to reality.
Roughly, the plotline follows a vigilante who uses his knowledge of infrastructure and technological systems to undermine a fascist government. The great drama lies in seeing how one man conquers an entire system designed to subjugate the masses. The informative value comes from understanding how a trigger event or events can cause a panicked citizenry to subordinate their individuality and, ultimately, their lives in absolute compliance with a government that rules by fear.
Lately I’ve been wondering just how far off our government is from crossing the line into fascism. Merriam-Webster defines fascism as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” When you and I look at our government and compare it to fascist Italy during World War II, we think we’re nothing like that. But the definition of fascism isn’t far off from where we are today.
Think about it. Think about what we do in the name of fighting terrorism, and how far we’ve traveled down that path to a place where we no longer recognize the vision and dream of America held by so many of our past generations. We’re no longer allowed to protest our President in plain view, relegated instead to “Free Speech Zones,” while anyone who opposes this President is labeled as being “with the terrorists” or “aiding the terrorists.” When Bush says he wants something, like the right to torture at will anyone he deems to be a terrorist (justification for his assuption now no longer necessary), he gets it—in a week’s time, no less. Economic disparity in the United States is at an all time high; the only income group seeing their income rise is the top 20 percent, with every other income level losing ground to inflation and rising costs of living. Autocratic government… economic regimentation… suppression of opposition…
I think I’d really like to know what this “freedom” is that we are fighting for in Iraq when I no longer recognize it at home. If “freedom” means anyone can be snatched up and rendered to some random country to be tortured for reasons they’re never given, then I do not want that “freedom.” If “freedom” means you’re either a right-wing conservative or else you’re with the terrorists, then it’s not freedom. And “freedom” comes at too high a price if it means tax cuts for the rich, criminalization of gay people and women who seek an abortion, destruction of governmental support for the needy, sky-rocketing profits for a few CEOs (while workers are outsourced to countries devoid of labor laws), and ineptitude at all levels of our government in dealing with disasters (natural or otherwise).
We as a country have lost our moral compass. The first step to finding it again it is to elect the opposition party into some level of power again so that they can actually provide the oversight that is sorely lacking at the moment. The next step is to hold our elected officials accountable through the democratic process, through our field and fund support. And the next step after that is to cultivate new and powerful leadership from within our ranks to ensure that the course of this country is changed, moved back toward the vision laid out so clearly by our forefathers 230 years ago.
I am not saying that the United States is currently a fascist state. I’ll leave that to you to decide. What I will say is that we have moved in a direction that is entirely antithetical to the vision on which it was founded, and we would be wise to recapture that vision and make it a reality in whatever capacity each of us can do so. If we fail, there may not be much of a question left to whether or not we are in a fascist state, only to what degree we have devolved into such a place. And we may not be allowed to ask it.
We can do this. As CYD reminds us… we are the margin of victory.
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David's Telescope
by SFYD Newsletter Editor David Weinreich
David Weinreich
Thanks to the now-uncovered Foley Folly, it appears the Democrats could actually take the House this November. A tide of anger among conservative Republicans has swept across the country, and even gerrymandered California is not immune: Rep. Pombo is now only two points ahead of McCNerney in the latest poll. It’s possible to win, and it’s time to mobilize.
Yet the whole effort could be dragged down by a weak gubernatorial race. 18% of our state’s Democrats plan to vote for Schwarzenegger.
On a recent walk through the Fillmore, a Democratic stronghold, I met many people who felt like they have the luxury to criticize their Congresswoman for not being antiwar enough (despite Nancy Pelosi’s original vote against the war in Iraq, and strong commitment to bringing our troops home). San Franciscans clearly have lost sight of the larger goals of taking the House and reversing six years of almost irreversible damage to this country and this world. We need to get out there and talk to people about the hearings Democrats are already planning to hold Bush accountable for Katrina, Iraq, wire tapping, Guantanamo, Abramoff and countless other scandals (should we win)—not just in this district, but in this district, but in more contentious districts, and to remind people what the Democrats have in mind when we campaign for more contentious races.
Here are some more reasons to bring people to the polls if the lackluster gubernatorial race is not:
1. The Lieutenant Governor’s Race: The latest LA Times poll from September 30 had this match in a DEAD HEAT with archconservative McClintock one point AHEAD of Democratic Insurance Commissioner Garamendi—and McClintock is downright scary. He is a right wing idealogue who came to fame from demagogic advocacy for reducing the vehicle license fee (which we couldn’t afford and caused our roads to crumble). In that vein, he wants to eliminate government wherever possible, knock out those restrictive environmental laws, build more freeways (not transit, of course), but, inconsistent with his libertarian bent, he opposes abortion and has consistently voted against LGBT rights of any kind.
The Democrat, John Garamendi, couldn’t be more distinct. As Insurance Commissioner, he has equalized auto insurance rates that previously discriminated against minority and poor zip codes. He lowered homeowner’s insurance rates. And as Lt. Governor, he plans to use his post to expose problems that need to be solved in education, environmental pollution and other places government could do better.
Put simply, we cannot afford to lose this position. It may be our state’s most inactive office, but it’s a road to the Governorship (Davis was Lt. Governor), and it would be disastrous to give the charismatic conservative McClintock a statewide soapbox. If you have no other reason to get people out to the polls this year, this is it.
2. Proposition 83 is a vindictive and poorly thought-out measure intended to punish sex offenders by forcing them to live more than 2,000 feet away from any parks and schools. Other aspects of the measure, such as a requirement that offenders wear a GPS device for life, have already been implemented by the legislature since the time the proposition was first proposed. The remaining section, however—the 2,000 foot requirement—would cause convicted sex offenders, who are currently being tracked and monitored, to either move en masse to isolated rural areas with few parks, schools (or social services to treat sex offenders), or, more scary, to tear off their GPS trackers, stop reporting to authorities and go off the radar. Either way, it makes us less safe. This measure is high on political octane, but in reality, will do much more harm than good.
3. Proposition 85 requires parental notification to have an abortion. Need I say more? We need to defeat yet another assault against women’s rights by conservative groups.
4. Proposition 90 is our annual conservative Trojan horse measure, ostensibly designed to “save our homes” from excessive government use of eminent domain laws (say to build luxury condos in a redevelopment project), but read the fine print and it cuts down all zoning regulations in California. The mechanism for this is a requirement that governments making regulations on property use recompensate the owner for the value lost from his/her land. Say, if I wanted to cut down a redwood grove to build a subdivision in the Berkeley Hills, or a dump in Sausalito, the city or county would have to scrounge together millions of dollars to stop me, since that’s how much I claim I would have earned. Sounds like a lot of lawsuits if it passes, but if cities and counties are adequately intimidated by enough costly ones, it could effectively be the end of zoning in our state, and it would be most detrimental to industrial areas losing their pollution controls, as well as suburban areas losing all protections against massive subdivisions plowing their way through the neighboring hillsides. Don’t we already have enough bad environmental planning in this state?
5. A reason TO vote is the transportation bonds. Proposition 1B, the $19 billion bond to fix California’s roads an improve our public transportation, will be the biggest investment in our state’s ailing infrastructure since Pat Brown was Governor. This means more money for mass transit projects all around California that have languished unfunded for decades. Paired with Proposition 1C, an affordable housing bond, these measures will redefine the way many suburban (or Angelino…) Californians live, providing more housing in clusters near transit stations, rather than endless sprawl smothering our wild lands, as well as causing more driving and greenhouse gas emissions. Together, we have a sensible solution for affordable housing at a time when many of us Young Democrats don’t see any way we’ll ever afford to own a home in a state far more costly than when our parents bought their homes.
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The Importance of Patience by SFYD'er of the Month, Jamie Beard
They were patient. Over the past thirty years, the conservative movement built up a wealth of resources that helped them control the national agenda and media focus. At the same time, an entire generation of Republicans, their beliefs solidified during a time of relatively liberal government, have assumed places of leadership in all levels of government. And what a success it has been…
Now, the tables have turned. As a result of the unprecedented “success” of six years of conservative government, Democrats are expected do remarkably well in the upcoming midterm elections. Many expect control of the House of Representatives to swing to Democrats—a prospect far likelier after the recent resignation of Rep. Foley, holder of what had been a safe seat and chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, over lascivious emails to 16 year-old Congressional page. Control of the Senate, though less likely, is also in reach. But I think this is only the beginning.
Conservatives may have won the race to control the airwaves, through radio and television talk and news shows, over the last two decades. Yet blogs, once dismissed out of hand, are a growing force in our nation’s media, and one that promises to help shape the national consciousness to the same, or greater, extent as the biased talk shows. More importantly, though, a generation of Young Democrats has been unified by the sight of our peers dying in Iraq, by spiraling deficits and crippling debt, by a government that thinks nothing of civil rights or the “freedoms” to which it pays so much lip service.
The intense dissatisfaction of the electorate may very well carry Democrats back into control of Congress this November. As for the future… we’ll be patient.
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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 sfydviceprez@gmail.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.
Congressman Henry A. Waxman has an immediate opening for a full-time staff assistant for his Los Angeles District Office. This is an entry-level staff position for someone just beginning in politics.
Job responsibilities include answering phones, opening mail, supporting the district staff, conducting constituent research and drafting correspondence. Interested applicants should have good organizational skills, excellent writing skills and a keen interest in assisting the public.
Congressman Waxman is asking for a two-year commitment for this position.
Please send a resume and cover letter to:
Lisa Pinto
Office of Congressman Henry A. Waxman
8436 West Third Street, Suite 600
Los Angeles CA 90048
lisa.pinto@mail.house.gov
Tel: (323) 651-1040
Fax: (323) 655-0502
San Francisco Zoo Public Relations Manager
Develops, coordinates and manages public relations activities for the Zoo by performing the following duties:
Requirements: B. A., minimum five years public relations experience in the Bay Area.
Apply via www.sfzoo.org. Please include a cover letter with salary requirement AT THE START OF YOUR RESUME.
Alexander Winslow
Public Relations Manager
San Francisco Zoo
(415) 753-7174
alexanderw@sfzoo.org
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) Program Director
CPEHN's mission is to improve access to health care and eliminate health disparities by advocating for public policies and sufficient resources to address the health needs of communities of color.
CPEHN is looking for a full-time Program Director. The Program Director is responsible for overall management and implementation of program initiatives and activities to inform and support CPEHN's policy efforts. The primary role of the Program Director is to develop and manage program strategies and projects, develop and plan public forums for a wide range of audiences and venues, and mobilize CPEHN constituents or health community for specific educational campaigns.
Submit a resume, three references, and writing sample to:
CPEHN
654 13th Street
Oakland CA 94602
pflood@cpehn.org
(510) 832-1160
Open until filled. We will begin reviewing applications October 19, 2006.
AIDS Housing Alliance Program Coordinator
AIDS Housing Alliance/SF prevents homelessness for people with HIV/AIDS by protecting the housing we already have, providing resources to secure replacement housing, and promoting public policy to expand housing opportunities.
The Program Coordinator is primarily responsible for the timely and accurate reporting of our activities to our funders and for assisting in the efficient day-to-day operations of the program. The Program Coordinator works under the direct supervision of the Director.
All people are encouraged to apply. Please submit resume and cover letter to: AIDS Housing Alliance/SF, Attn: Brian Basinger, 427 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103. (415) 703-8639 FAX.
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