Minutes of the 34th District Democrats
Meeting of 14 March 2007
Chairman Ivan Weiss called the meeting to order at 7:00PM. The flag salute was
led by Ron Forrest. The agenda, minutes of the last meeting, and the Treasurer's
Report were moved, seconded, and approved.
Chairman's Report
Adoption of the 2007 budget will be rescheduled to the April meeting after further study by the Board.
Cheryl Banks (PCO34-1497) and Les Treall (PCO 34-1498) have scheduled a second meeting for PCOs on Sunday, April 29th at 2PM. The location is the Puget Ridge Co-housing Commons Room at 7020 18th Ave. S.W.
Representative Jim McDermott's 18th Annual Celebrating Our Roots Potato Festival will be at Town Hall on Sunday, March 18th. The event begins at 5:30PM.
Ivan gave a brief synopsis of the WSDCC's training sessions in Ellensburg. The focus was on strategies for the 2008 election including plans and preparations to improve the caucus process. One stated goal for the 34th District is 5,000 more votes for Governor Gregoire. More to come on this.
First Vice Chair's Report
Tanya Aguilar reported that 15th District chair, Tomas Villanueva, is planning a PCO training in Goldendale. To improve organization, the district is dividing focus into the four counties that comprise it. The chair of Klickitat County has stated a need for support. If you are interested contact Tanya.
Program
Darcy Burner was welcomed back and thanked the 34th District for our help in her campaign. Her message to PCOs is (1) talk to your neighbors, (2) recruit candidates for every office, and (3) be the conscience of the party - speak out on issues. She announced that she has filed papers to repeat her run against Dave Reichert in 2008.
Charlie Cunniff, director of the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, spoke of bringing government, business, neighbors, and conservationists together in efforts to maintain healthy communities. There will be Earth Day work parties on April 21st. For more information see the website, peopleforpugetsound.org.
Alec Fisken, Port of Seattle Commissioner, spoke of current Port issues and efforts. He is running for re-election and seeking support.
Burien city councilman Jack Block, Jr. is also running for a Port Commissioner seat. He described his platform as emphasizing "accountability, vision, leadership". He requested support for his candidacy.
Two Precinct Committee Officers were appointed: Marco Milanese - 34-1516 and LaVerne Lamoureux - 34-1540.
There was no Old Business.
Good of the Order
Barbara Schaad-Lamphere reminded everyone that there are four Seattle School Board positions open.
Lisa Stuebing, immediate past chair of the 43rd District Democrats, announced her candidacy for Seattle School Board.
Bruce Harrell announced his candidacy for the Seattle City Council seat vacated by Councilman Steinbrueck.
Catherine Tlapak announced an event, "Health Justice In Action - Physicians For A National Health Program", on Friday, March 16th at 7PM. The location is Kane Hall on the UW campus and Representative Jim McDermott will speak.
Bill Schrier declared 677 days are left in the Bush administration.
Beth Grieser urged contributions to The White Center Food Bank. From now through April the Feinstein Challenge will be matching funds.
Tim Nuse spoke about the $550,000 which Starbuck's has contributed to a park renewal in White Center. Volunteers will be needed. More information is forthcoming.
Marcee Stone from Washington Public Campaigns invited all to a fundraiser on Saturday, March 24th at 9AM. The showing of the film, "Who Killed The Electric Car?" and a raffle will be at the Bay Majestic Theater in Ballard.
Kathryn Sprigg reminded members of an anti-war rally on the anniversary of the war on Sunday at noon at Westlake Mall.
Introduction
• 6:30 PM - Social - drinks provided, please bring potluck food to share
• 7:00 PM - Call to order, by Chair Ivan Weiss, Flag Salute
• Minutes of Feburary meeting
• Committee reports - see also KCDCC report
• Chair's remarks
• First Vice Chair's remarks
Program
• Darcy Burner, thanking us for our support, plus questions and answers
• Charlie Cunniff, Executive Director of the Ecological Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) will present an overview of ECOSS and its activities, plus Q&A
• Alec Fisken, Port Commissioner, will discuss and answer questions about Port activities, and will talk about his 2007 re-election campaign - download his KCDCC candidate questionairre and his resume.
• Jack Block - running for Port Commission - presentation plus Q&A
• Washington Health Security Trust resolution (see text below)
• Resolution: American Program of World-Wide Relief (see text below)
• Resolution: Opposing public financing of basketball (see text below)
Business meeting
• Appointment of PCOs
• Old Business
• New Business
• Good of the order
9:00 PM - Adjourn
Resolution: Washington Health Security Trust
WHEREAS 600,000 residents of Washington State lack health insurance coverage; and WHEREAS employers currently have no incentive to not join in the "race to the bottom" by shifting their health care costs to employees and, in some cases, to the taxpayers via the Basic Healthcare Plan; and WHEREAS our current system of employer-provided health care coverage ties employees to their existing jobs for the sake of the coverage and exposes them to the risk of losing coverage when changing plans due to "pre-existing conditions"; and WHEREAS the current system of competing health insurance policies imposes high costs upon health care providers as they sort among the many requirements and forms to obtain reimbursement for providing services; and WHEREAS a unified financing system at the state level can eliminate the fragmentation of the current system and can avoid excessive costs and confusion from adding still more programs to our current overburdened, inefficient health care financing mechanisms; and WHEREAS the Washington Health Security Trust Proposal, as embodied in SB 5756 and HB 1886 demonstrates that a tightly drafted state law can cover the complex issue of universal health care coverage. State action, negotiation, and waivers can resolve complicating relationships with federal laws and regulations, such as ERISA and Taft-Hartley trusts without federal legislation; however, enabling federal legislation such as the Health Partnership Act (S2772) would be helpful. Existing health care dollars can be managed within a dedicated health security trust fund to cover medically necessary, high quality health care for all residents without additional revenues; and WHEREAS the Washington health Security Trust provides affordable, comprehensive coverage of high quality health care for all residents of the state, using a unified and cohesive financing system which would use fewer health care dollars than we spend now; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the 34th District Democrats endorse the Washington State Health Security Trust bills (SB 5756 and HB 1886) now before the legislature, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that 34th District Democrats pledge to advocate and promote passage of SB 5756 and HB 1886 in the 2007 Washington State Legislature and to support and encourage our own District legislators to enact said legislation.
Resolution: American Program of World-Wide Relief
WHEREAS, Ever since the destruction of the World Trade Center, George W. Bush has used that event as reason for pursing his "War on Terror," attacking Afghanistan and Iraq; and WHEREAS, His war has cost the lives of more Americans (over 3,600) than were killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center and 369 billion dollars; and WHEREAS, Over 3,400 Afghans and 57,000 Iraqis have been killed; and WHEREAS, Bush's war has done nothing to reduce the strength of those who destroyed the World Trade Center; and WHEREAS, Bush's war has caused more hatred of the United states and increase the daily number of people flocking to Iraq and other places to make war against us; and WHEREAS, If one tenth of that amount of money had been spent on aid to the half of the world that is hungry, homeless, poorly clothed and chronically sick, we would have a) Essentially eliminated those hardships, b) Removed most of the reason why so much of the world hates the United States and is eager to fight against us, c) Removed the support for many of the dictators around the world, and d) Consequently introduced a new era of peace and freedom for the world; THEREFORE WE RESOLVE that the Thirty-Fourth District urge Representative McDermott and Senators Murray and Cantwell to initiate a move to establish a viable American program of world-wide relief; and
Further be it Resolved that the Thirty-Fourth District pass this resolution on to the County, State and National Central Committees of the Democratic Party; and
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Thirty-Fourth District give as wide publicity to this action as possible.
Resolution Regarding Public Financing of Professional Basketball
WHEREAS, while we recognize the arguments put forward about the economic benefits derived from the existence of professional basketball teams in our community and while we would love to keep the Seattle Sonics in Seattle, we believe that similar investments in teachers, our schools and local non-professional sports, in our health care system and in environmental programs would be more appropriate and have greater long-lasting effects on the well-being of our community; and WHEREAS, we have made substantial investments in professional sports in the past and now face the prospect of teams leaving the area because they want more investment while we are still paying off old investments; and WHEREAS, recent statewide polls indicate 77 percent of the public oppose use of public dollars for major sports facilities and 71 percent believe pro sports owners should pay for such facilities without public subsidies; and WHEREAS, voters in Seattle overwhelmingly approved Initiation 91, which put restrictions on funding of professional sports; and WHEREAS, Governor Gregoire has indicated a willingness to consider public financing in the amount of $300 million for a new professional basketball stadium in Renton, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 34th District Democrats voice their strong opposition to public funding of this stadium and urge our legislators to oppose legislation that would use state funds to build the stadium.
Copies of this resolution will be sent to state Representatives Cody and McDermott, Senator Paulsen and Governor Gregoire.
Next Meetings:
• April 11th
Message From the Chair, March, 2007: Lessons from a neighborhood close to ours
South Park is not in the 34th District, but it's right next door in the 11th, just
east of Highway 509, down the hill from Highland Park, and it shares the Duwamish
River with parts of our District.
It's largely an industrial area, but it always has been residential.
Unfortunately for those residents, past industrial practices have left their
neighborhood toxic. Many residents are lower-income, and many are new residents or
immigrants whose first language is not English. In many cases, residents lack
information about the environmental health issues they face in South Park and in
the Duwamish Basin.
That's where the Ecological Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) comes in. ECOSS,
founded in 1994, is a nonprofit that works with local businesses, governmental agencies,
and residents to clean up toxic waste sites, research the latest best practices,
and to help apply those best practices not only to business and industry, but to the
people who live alongside those business and industries, and work there.
Charlie Cunniff, ECOSS' Executive Director, will highlight what should be a varied
and content-packed March meeting with an overview of ECOSS' activities, especially
those relating to community organizing.
ECOSS serves South Park, but also the part of the 34th District along West Marginal
Way SW, in six languages. Its community organizers visit residents' homes and provide
environmental education. What they teach and how they teach it, the problems they face
and how they surmount them, should make for a lively discussion that will serve us all
as we organize our own neighborhoods, and leave us wanting more.
ECOSS has one very significant tie to the 34th District. Its annual Giving Thanks
Dinner and Auction, held every mid-November at St. Bernadette's Parish Hall in Burien,
is one of the top events of its kind, and deserving of everyone's support.
Also on the Duwamish - and elsewhere
Port of Seattle Commissioner Alec Fisken, whom the 34th has supported before,
will update us on Port activities and his 2007 re-election campaign.
Alec is a policy guy and a budget first, and a politician second. Although he is
an active Democrat and a Precinct Committee Officer in the 46th District, he has not
maintained a high political profile.
But in his tenure on the Port Commission, he has been a forthright advocate
for transparency in Port dealings, for more open meetings and more fiscal responsibility,
and for maintaining the working waterfront for maritime uses.
Download Alec's Candidate Questionairre and his resume to learn more about him.
Alec will be joined by longtime 34th District Democrat and Burien City Councilman
Jack Block Jr., who is running for the Port Commission seat held by Bob Edwards.
All this and Darcy Burner, too
We will once again have the privilege of a visit from Darcy Burner, who came
closer than any Democrat has to capturing the House Seat in Washington's Eighth
Congressional District.
The 34th District Democrats raised about $1,800 toward Darcy's campaign, and
several of us banged doors and phone-banked for her. She wants to thank us, and
I hope we want to thank her. Could this be a prelude to another run in 2008? come on
down and ask her.
Block to run for Port Commission
Burien City Councilman and 34th District Democrat Jack Block Jr. is a second-generation longshoreman and a second-generation 34th District Democrat. In November, he hopes to be a second-generation Seattle Port Commissioner.
Block, whose father, Jack Block Sr., served on the Port Commission from his election in 1973 to 2001, is running for the seat held by incumbent Bob Edwards. Jack will be at the March meeting to tell members about his campaign.
See you Wednesday, March 14, for all the democracy you can handle.
Ivan Weiss
Chairman, 34th District Democrats
206-463-4647
"When they're working, we're working
When they're sleeping, we're working."
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