Earlier this year, the CDP Women's Caucus and the Women's Caucus of California Young Democrats worked together to organize a project that would pair young women and women new to the CDP, with our experienced Democratic women leaders. It's so important to continue to empower young women to be a new generation of leaders. 

Women have a home in the California Democratic Party. As Democrats we are committed to fighting for equality for women in all areas of life. As Democrats we are committed to helping women move up the pipeline into leadership positions. 

This video shows snapshots of the project from across the state. The Women's Caucus and the Women's Caucus of CYD is proud to have started this pilot project.

-- Karen Weinstein, Chair, CDP Women's Caucus

Cross-posted on Calitics. 

Since members of the CDP's Budget Rescue Team started picking up their phones to ask Republican legislators where they stand on the Democrats' sensible budget proposals last week, we've started getting some interesting responses.

Volunteer sak24 contacted Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita)'s office, where a staffer said, "We don't want to hold up the budget again this year." 

Although it may not sound like much, this is an admission that Republicans are used to holding up the budget and are becoming a little self-conscious about it. 

This statement could end up going nowhere, or it could be the seed of a larger campaign to finally pressure the Republicans into cooperating on the budget. But the important thing is to get Republicans like Cameron Smyth on the record early and make sure they know people are watching them if they try to hold the state hostage again. 

Will you call a Republican legislator today and urge them to tell us where they stand on the Democratic budget proposals? You can call any Republican in any district -- see below for a grid of our progress and instructions for how to make your call. When you have their statement, report it by leaving a message in the comments to this thread or emailing cdpeditor@cadem.org. There's a lot working against us getting a fair budget deal, like the rule that lets a "superminority" of 1/3 plus one legislators veto any budget the majority approves. But there are some very concrete ways these calls help:

1. Maybe California can end up with a better budget. By getting Republicans on the record early, Democrats can be proactive in building our budget strategy and get Democrats and progressives the negotiating leverage we need. With Democratic budget proposals that add revenue to avoid cuts to poverty protections, and a Schwarzenegger cuts-only budget that would put an additional 430,000 people out of work, the more progress we can make here the better. 

2. We can definitely build a strong case against Republicans. The past few years, Republicans have held our state hostage to their extreme anti-revenue ideology by holding up the budget. But right now, many Californians just think "the legislature" is to blame for our annual budget problems: They don't realize the central role Republicans play That's not an accurate picture, and these statements will help us make the case that the budget is late again because Republicans are holding us hostage, not 'because both sides couldn't agree.' 

3. We can definitely change things this fall. If we can educate the public on the reason our budget problems get worse every year (Republicans) and the conditions that enable it (a minority can veto the majority's budget), we can take a Republican seat or two and pass Proposition 25 -- the majority vote budget initiative.

See our easy instructions, and our progress, below and get started today!

  
Get a Republican On the Record About the Budget
  1. Select any Republican who hasn't given a statement yet from one of the grids below.  
 
  2. Call the Republican's office and say something like this:

You: Hi, my name is [your name], and I'm calling to ask if [Republican's name] is planning on supporting the budget Democrats have released in [Republican's chamber -- Assembly or Senate]. Them: No. You: Can you tell me why [Republican] would rather hold out than support the Democrats' budget? Them: [Explanation]

  3. Post a comment below reporting who you called and what they said. That's it!

Republican Assembly Member	District	Phone number	Plans to vote yes or no?	Statement they gave you
Anthony Adams	59th District - Claremont	(916) 319-2059
Joel Anderson	77th District – El Cajon	(916) 319-2077
Bill Berryhill	26th District - Stockton	(916) 319-2026
Tom Berryhill	25th District - Modesto	(916) 319-2025
Sam Blakeslee	33rd District – San Luis Obispo	(916) 319-2033
Connie Conway	34th District - Visalia	(916) 319-2034	Hasn't decided yet	Needs follow-up
Paul Cook	65th District - Yucaipa	(916) 319-2065
Chuck DeVore	70th District - Irvine	(916) 319-2070
Nathan Fletcher	75th District – San Diego	(916) 319-2075	Hasn't decided yet	"Will probably suggest changes." Needs follow-up
Jean Fuller	32nd District - Bakersfield	(916) 319-2032
Ted Gaines	4th District - Roseville	(916) 319-2004
Martin Garrick	74th District - Carlsbad	(916) 319-2074
Danny D. Gilmore	30th District - Hanford	(916) 319-2030
Curt Hagman	60th District – Chino Hills	(916) 319-2060
Diane L. Harkey	73rd District - Oceanside	(916) 319-2073
Kevin Jeffries	66th District - Murrieta	(916) 319-2066
Steve Knight	36th District - Palmdale	(916) 319-2036
Dan Logue	3rd District – Chico	(916) 319-2003
Jeff Miller	71st District – Mission Viejo	(916) 319-2071
Brian Nestande	64th District - Riverside	(916) 319-2064
Roger Niello	5th District - Sacramento	(916) 319-2005	No	From a mailer: "there will not be votes amongst legislative Republicans for new taxes [on oil companies extracting oil in California]"
Jim Nielsen	2nd District - Redding	(916) 319-2002
Chris Norby	72nd District - Brea	(916) 319-2072
Jim Silva	67th District – Huntington Beach	(916) 319-2067
Cameron Smyth	38th District – Santa Clarita	(916) 319-2038	Hasn't decided yet	"We don't want to hold up the budget again this year." Needs follow-up.
Audra Strickland	37th District – Westlake Village	(916) 319-2037
Van Tran	68th District – Costa Mesa	(916) 319-2068
Michael N. Villines	29th District - Fresno	(916) 319-2029

Republican Senator	District	Phone number	Plans to vote yes or no?	Statement they gave you
Dennis Hollingsworth	36th District - Temecula, El Cajon	(916) 651-4036
Sam Aanestad	4th District - Nevada City, Chico, Redding	(916) 651-4004
Roy Ashburn	18th District - Bakersfield	(916) 651-4018
Dave Cogdill	14th District - Fresno, Ripon	(916) 651-4014
Dave Cox	1st District - Roseville, Jackson, Quincy	(916) 651-4001	Doubtful	"Dave does not support raising any taxes or fees," but his staffer could not specifically say which programs he would cut (from Budget Rescue Team member Gina M. via email)
Jeff Denham	12th District - Merced, Modesto, Salinas	(916) 651-4012	Qualified no	"Sen. Denham is opposed to the Dem budget proposals." Likes the 1/3 rule.
Robert Dutton	31st District - Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside	(916) 651-4031
Bill Emmerson	37th District - Riverside, Palm Desert	(916) 651-4037
Tom Harman	35th District - Costa Mesa	(916) 651-4035
Bob Huff	29th District - Walnut	(916) 651-4029
George Runner	17th District - Antelope Valley, Victorville, Santa Clarita	(916) 651-4017
Tony Strickland	19th District - Simi Valley, Santa Barbara	(916) 651-4019
Mimi Walters	33rd District - Laguna Hills	(916) 651-4033
Mark Wyland	38th District - San Juan Capistrano, Carlsbad	(916) 651-4038

 

Message from Chairman John Burton:

I’m sure many of you have already heard the sad news. On Tuesday of this week, CDP Region 4 Director and Disabilities Caucus Chair, August Longo passed away.



August will be remembered as a champion for the disabled and the disenfranchised. An active San Franciscan, he sat on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and chaired the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee.



He became interested in politics through his advocacy for people with disabilities and the LGBT community.



August will be remembered fondly by his peers, colleagues and especially by the staff of the California Democratic Party, for his gentle humor and dedication to helping others. His passing represents a huge loss for our Democratic Party family.



Our condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends. August Longo will truly be missed but he leaves behind a legacy of work that will not be forgotten.

Tuesday, March 30 is the first time that California will observe “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.” 

This important day is not only about thanking and honoring those who served in the Vietnam Theater, but using it as an opportunity for teachers to educate students about the sacrifices our military members make and how veterans are affected long after they return from war. 

Even today, Vietnam veterans continue to deal with long-term health problems, mental health issues, separation from family, job loss and in some cases, homelessness. 

During the many events that will occur around the state and the nation to honor these vets, organizations will be reaching out to Vietnam veterans and their families to make sure they are aware of their entitlements and to connect them locally with any assistance they may need.  

Long Island native Meg Whitman has spent millions to run hundreds of ads telling Californians to "Talk to Meg," but the real question is, why bother if she won't talk back?

Whitman's "buy it now" campaign held a disastrous event in Oakland Tuesday, where the consultant-coached candidate banned the press from a tour and refused to answer questions. Eventually her staff blocked the windows to keep cameras from capturing even a glimpse of the reclusive Republican.

"A candidate who won't talk to the press is a candidate who won't be honest with the people of California," said California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton. "Meg Whitman continues to live in a billion-dollar bubble. California deserves a governor who understands and will fight for everyday Californians."

Worse yet for the Whitman campaign, the candidate, her staff and her supporters couldn't agree on who shut out the media. Sarah Pompei says they were running late, but Meg stayed for half an hour to talk to a friendly Republican columnist.

Whitman says they were “surprised” by the number of reporters, but they had plenty of room for journalists - as long as no one spoke to Meg. The campaign claimed Union Pacific officials banned cameras on the tour, but Union Pacific says they expected press.

"Is this the new leadership Whitman promises?" Burton asked. "She passes the buck and ducks out the back door when nobody is looking. Californians deserve better." 

The California Democratic Party today released a video commemorating Meg Whitman’s disastrous series of press “non-appearances.”

http://www.youtube.com/user/cademorg#p/a/u/0/bRWnGlnAFSE

CDP today launched a website to introduce U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina to California voters. The site, www.carlyfailorina.com, highlights the worst business failures of the candidate that Portfolio Magazine named the “19th Worst CEO of All Time” after a disastrous run at Silicon Valley-based Hewlett-Packard.

The website, first in a series of websites the CDP plans to launch this year profiling Republican candidates, is a parody of Fiorina’s own campaign website that aims to paint her as a competent CEO and business leader, despite her numerous failures.

“Carly Fiorina would be an unmitigated disaster for California,” said California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton. “But just don’t take our word for it. Talk to any of the 28,000 people she fired while she was busy sending jobs overseas and running Hewlett-Packard right into the ground.”

The site also features an introductory video of Fiorina and invites visitors to submit their own “Carly Fail” stories.

For more, visit: www.carlyfailorina.com.    

Since mid-September the CDP has operated a targeted voter registration drive with dedicated Democrats working full-swing in the overlap areas of Assembly District 5 and Congressional District 3.    

In just four short months, this band of precinct-walking, comfy shoe-wearing Dems has been going door to door registering thousands of new Democratic voters and signing up registered Democrats to vote by mail.  

On Wednesday, January 13, Kenneth Burt from Sacramento registered our 5,000th new Democratic voter, a terrific start for the 2010 election year! And what’s more, 92% of those new Democratic voter are registered to vote by mail which almost doubles their chances of voting in November!  

     
 

Photo: 
Kenneth Burt from the California Federation of Teachers registers Mark Norris as the 5,000th new Democrat in the 5th Assembly District in suburban Sacramento. Mr. Norris, who is deaf, said he was looking forward to voting in 2010.

These new voters and vote-by-mail voters can make such a huge difference in November -- we have a real opportunity to send Dan Lungren home for good and replace Roger Niello with a Democrat who represents our values and not another right-wing politician. 
Everyone at the CDP would like to acknowledge the hard work of our incredible VR team who have met and succeeded all their goals, and helped the Party mold a lean yet successful registration effort that can be duplicated in many other areas around the state for the 2010 election.

These targeted, ongoing voter registration efforts are making a real difference in the voter rolls. It’s a great example of what the Party can do when we organize, mobilize and Democraticize!

The 2010 Census begins on April 1. Census forms will be mailed or delivered beginning in March.   You can get updated information, including a preview of the 10 questions being asked at www.census.gov.

Today, December 1st, people in California and across the globe recognize World AIDS Day, which was established to raise awareness and support for those living with HIV/AIDS and to commemorate those who have lost their lives. To honor this day, California Democratic Party Chair John Burton released the following statement: 

"Today, we remember those whose lives were taken by HIV/AIDS, and we commit our support to those who are still fighting the battle.

"In the United States alone, there are more than 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and more than 33 million people around the world.  With so many people affected, we must act here in California and across the globe to improve treatment and prevention. 

"Since taking office, President Obama has done just that, making critical investments in combating HIV/AIDS.  More than half a million Americans will now receive medical treatment and support services under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act signed into law this October.   

The President and Congress also took an important step towards reducing fear and discrimination by ending the HIV entry ban, which prohibited those with HIV from entering the United States.  This was a major step forward and long overdue.

"We have made significant progress since the first World AIDS Day in 1988—increasing prevention, improving treatment and reducing discrimination.  But much work remains to be done.  Today and every day we stand with Californians as they continue the fight against HIV/AIDS."

"A new analysis by a leading MIT economist provides new ammunition for Democrats as the Senate begins formally debating the historic health-reform bill being pushed by President Barack Obama.

The report concludes that under the Senate’s health-reform bill, Americans buying individual coverage will pay less than they do for today's typical individual market coverage, and would be protected from high out-of-pocket costs."

Read the story: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29959.html