The Redlands Area Democratic Club works hard to increase our elected representatives in all levels of government.

Step up to the plate and volunteer more than in previous years. With our victories in the November 2008 election, we have the opportunity to reset the course of our country. The opposition is fighting hard. We need to fight harder to move our country forward with health care reform and putting our economy back on track.

Please come to our monthly meetings at Denny's on Alabama. Lunch is available but not a necessity for those who would like to just listen.  Those wishing to order, please arrive at least 30 minutes early to make it easier for the wait staff to make it through the room. It can get crowded.




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Dues are $15/person and can be sent to:
Redlands Democratic Club
1540 Barton Rd.
#227
Redlands, CA 92373

Or bring your check to our monthly meetings.


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We'll be addressing two hot topics -- job preparation and getting an education and the role the community colleges play.

Don L. Singer, PhD., and John Longville, longtime educators, will be panelists.

The meeting will be held at 1 pm March 20 at Denny's on Alabama.

Please arrive earlier especially if you want to order lunch.

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The Republicans 5 weekly winning streak is over! Democrats have won 45 of the last 52 weeks as we have gained over 7,000 edge this last year!  Redlands has remained stable for the last month with Dems gaining 7 and the Republicans losing 10.  Most VR activity has taken place over on the west side of the county..  This last year has seen a loss of over 23,000 Republicans in the county.

Patrick Kahler
2nd Vice Chair San Bernardino County Democratic Central Committee
2008 Barack Obama Elector for the State of California
Blue County Pac
www.bluecounty.net

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www.rita4supt.com

 

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Amos Isaac is running for a seat on the Redlands Unified School District board.  He is a member of the Redlands club and the Luncheon Club in San Bernardino.

He was a teacher at the K-12 and community college levels. Early in his career, he served in the Peace Corps.

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Our readers say: "Need a second point of view"
 Posted: 02/01/2010 08:22:04 PM PST

What was needed at the Plymouth Village forum with Assemblyman Bill Emmerson on Friday, Jan. 29, was time for rebuttal. As reported in the Facts, when asked about the possible reversal of Proposition 8, Emmerson said that the people have spoken and he didn't think that the courts should overrule the people.

The genius of our democracy is that it provides for the majority to be overruled when a minority is being discriminated against. If we had relied on Emmerson's "the people have spoken" rule, Jim Crow laws would most likely still be in effect in our Southern states.

When asked about how California's government was dealing with the necessity to reduce the state's prison population by 40,000 in the next two years, Emmerson said that the state is contracting to send 30,000 inmates to prisons in other states, that AB-900 is building more facilities, that others will be sent to county jails, and only an estimated 6,000 inmates will be granted early release. In rebuttal, one would point out that the other states are not yet agreeing to take California's inmates because they are worried about ever receiving payment and our state doesn't have the funds to pay up front. AB 900 has yet to be funded and the increased facilities are on hold; and the already crowded county jails are no answer because our counties would be hard-pressed to house these inmates and to pick up the added costs.

What about an increase in parole officers? What about grants to local police departments? Emmerson's responses to the questions regarding the extraction of oil were contradictory. Twenty-two states hold the land from which the majority oil extracted in the United States is taken. Among these, California ranks third; yet California is the only one of the 22 that doesn't tax the companies on the oil extracted.

When asked why, Emmerson said that California has corporation taxes and fees that make up for the revenue that would be gained from taxing the oil. On the other hand, he said that California is driving businesses out of the state because of the high taxes on corporations and that it is imperative that this be changed. Then, when asked if he favored off-shore drilling, he said he did because new technology makes it safe (a debatable assertion) and because it would increase revenues in the state significantly.
 
He simply can't have it both ways: (1) opposing both a tax on extracted oil and the taxes on corporations, and (2) increasing the state's revenues significantly by allowing off-shore drilling. If he succeeded in reducing the taxes on corporations, would he then favor placing a tax on the extracted oil?

The California Legislature actually has control of only 20 percent of the state's budget since 80 percent is automatically determined by prior initiatives passed by California voters. But decisions regarding that 20 percent are controlled by a one-third plus one minority in the state Senate and Assembly since the budget and any bill related to raising taxes must pass by a two-thirds vote in both houses.

When questioned about this "governance by a minority," Emmerson declared it to be essential in order to keep his "tax and spend" opponents under control. But with the state teetering on the edge of economic disaster and programs such as the one providing mammograms for women who otherwise couldn't afford them in danger of being cut out entirely and home-care support being drastically reduced and the state's infrastructure crumbling, it is appalling to see candidates like Pat Gilbreath sign a pledge not to raise taxes to launch her local campaign for the Assembly and promising to join this obstructionist minority in Sacramento in gutting California's discretionary programs.

When the woman, who raised a question about the federal health care reform bill under consideration stated that she understood that this bill would do away with Medicare, Emmerson didn't correct her or reassure her that this was not true. He simply agreed that the bill shouldn't be enacted. Someone needed to rebut the false information voiced by the questioner: Neither proposed federal health care reform bill would do away with Medicare.

Though no question regarding Emmerson's residential status was raised, it probably should have been. Apparently, Emmerson has recently moved from Redlands to Hemet to run for the state Senate. Yet he continues to represent us (the 63rd District) in the state Assembly, which is legal under the California state Constitution. However, is it ethical? If it is ethically OK, why has he moved? Why didn't he stay in Redlands and run for the state Senate in the district in Riverside County? Was this simply a matter of political expediency? And, if he is elected to the state Senate, will he then move back into the residence he has kept here in Redlands? Political forums such as the one at Plymouth Village always need at least two points of view represented.

Al Robertson Redlands

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Don Singer is running for re-election to the Board of Trustees of the San Bernardino Community College District. Don was first elected in 2001 and again in 2005. Don served as president of the two colleges in the District --Crafton Hills and San Bernardino Valley.   Don has been an active Democrat for many years working for candidates from George Brown to Barack Obama.

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The club revised its bylaws in the fall of 2009.

Anyone wishing a copy can email the club's treasurer, Bob Wood, at

redlandsdems@gmail.com

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http://californiabudgetbites.org/about

This is a great resource.

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21.7% of those under 65 and 18.4% of those under 18 are uninsured.

Texas has the highest rate, followed by Florida.

In California, Congressional District 41 (Jerry Lewis - R) is among the districts with the highest rates.

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ActBlue has set up a fundraising page to reward those Progressive lawmakers who have stood up to defend the American people against the Republican obstructionists, teabaggers, and corporate lobbyists who are trying to destroy healthcare reform. In only a day, they've raised nearly $100,000.

Let's keep that mojo going. On the list are 13 deserving CA Legislators who could use your dollars and/or words of encouragement. Please click on the links to make a donation. Nothing is too small.

For those who can't chip in, DFA has a thank you action item to thank our healthcare heroes. http://www.democracyforamerica.com/activities/181.   With an approach that uses more carrots and less sticks, hopefully we can encourage others in California and across the country to join these brave progressive leaders."
 
Donate to: Judy Chu (CA-32) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/21630
 
Donate to: Sam Farr (CA-17) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12677 

Donate to: Bob Filner (CA-51) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12696
 
Donate to: Mike Honda (CA-15) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12675
 
Donate to: Barbara Lee (CA-09) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12669
 
Donate to: Grace Napolitano (CA-38) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12692
 
Donate to: Laura Richardson (CA-37) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18059
 
Donate to: Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12688
 
Donate to: Linda Sanchez (CA-39) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12693
 
Donate to: Jackie Speier (CA-12) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18726
 
Donate to: Maxine Waters (CA-35) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12689 

Donate to: Diane Watson (CA-33) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12687
 
Donate to: Lynn Woolsey (CA-06) http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12666

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