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Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, December 17, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) First Vice Chair, JeanMarie Christenson Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey Notable Guest: Nathe Lawver, Chair, Pierce County Democratic Party Guest Speaker: Jerry Abbot, PCO Coordinator for Pierce County Democrats (253.267.9000, email -jerryabbott03@gmail.com) Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:06 pm, and led the flag salute. Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the November 19, 2007 meeting. No corrections were suggested and the minutes were approved as written. Treasurer’s Report: No report due to Treasurer’s absence. Business: • Affirmative Action Committee: Pat Roberts-Dempsey presented the current draft of the district affirmative action plan required for 2008 and explained the purpose of the plan. There was a period of discussion, which included the issue of Pierce and Thurston county jurisdiction in the plan approval process. Approval of the plan was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote. • Guest Speaker: Jerry Abbott presented his training on the caucus process. He introduced himself with a brief biography of his campaign and caucus involvement dating back to his Iowa experience in 1984. He shares the desire of the state and county party chairs, and others, to make each precinct caucus a very positive experience for the attendees, with the objective of persuading more people to become party activists, supporting the 2008 and future campaigns. The plan is, that after providing positive caucus experiences, PCOs will take action to invite attendees to meet shortly after the caucuses and try to form precinct committees. Jerry is conducting many caucus training sessions throughout the county, for both PCOs and Area Coordinators. He will also be hosting a mock caucus to help leaders develop confidence in the process. • Thurston County Democrats (TCD) Report: Vice Chair JeanMarie reported on the Thurston County Democrats meeting that she attended. o The Thurston County organization is holding caucuses at several locations and they appear to be well planned and organized. Second LD precincts located in Thurston County are being included in the Thurston County Democrats caucus operations. o January 17th, 7:00 pm. TCD will host a Resolution Forum at Gordon’s Grange, Yelm Ave E. at 3rd Street, Yelm. All are welcome. o PCOs Tim Lancaster and Louise Oliverio are holding educational meetings about the political process, once a month, at the Yelm Library (time and dates announced in the Nisqually Valley News every month.) All are welcome. Open to the public, the meetings are filled with great political information. o JeanMarie confirmed that she has formally announced her candidacy for state representative, 2 LD, position 1. o TCD are beginning an initiative to put Death With Dignity on the ballot in 2008. They are in the early stages and will need 100,000 signatures to be successful. • Pierce County Democrats (PCD)Report from PCD Chair, Nathe Lawver: o The PCD Central Committee met on 12/13 with a great turnout (113 voting PCOs and 130-150 total attendees). The by-laws were updated and a lengthy and spirited discussion took place regarding how many candidates will be allowed to carry the party designation for positions under Rank Choice Voting (RCV). One position favored limiting it to one candidate, under the theory that we would be stronger by concentrating our efforts (the Republican choice). The opposing view wanted up to three, which would comply with the spirit of the voters intent in mandating RCV. Every person (regardless of PCO status) who desired to speak was allowed 3 minutes and over 60 persons did so. The end result was a vote to allow up to three Democrats on the ticket. Nathe has scheduled a meeting with our two candidates for county executive (Calvin Goings and Pat Murphy) to determine how we can employ teamwork to make sure the process works to successfully elect a democrat. o Health of the party: Since January 2007 the number of PCOs has grown from 130 to 185, the number of paying members has grown from 57 to 257 and our bank balance has grown by $9,000, after paying for a county coordinator for 3 months. • Candidate identification: Chairman Bob reported contact from a Fire District 21 firefighter, Michael Ray, who is looking for a candidate to run for Fire Commissioner. We all need to be looking for good democrats that might be willing to run for office. • We need to select district members of the following state convention committees: Credentials, Platform, and Rules. They must be elected at our next LD meeting in January in order to meet the deadline. • PCD Christmas Dinner. Chairman Bob thanked the individuals who contributed items to the LD basket that sold for $70.00 Good of the Order: • Cindy Poysnick thanked the group for our endorsement and support in her successful bid to be elected to the Puyallup School District. She was sworn in on 12/10/07. • Nathe Lawver reported that the next county reorganization meeting is scheduled. It will be December 13, 2008. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 pm Next Meeting: 7 p.m. Monday, January 21, at Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham. Bob Akervick, Secretary  Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, November 19, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) Second Vice Chair, Jeff Stephan Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey Guests: Darcy Burner, Candidate for 8th Congressional District Lynn Allen, Outreach Coordinator for the Darcy Burner Campaign First Time Attendees: Emelde Luesser, 02-039 C.J. Dylina, 02-031 Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm, and introduced the evening’s speaker, Darcy Burner. Darcy’s Remarks: The 8th CD race is considered to be one of the five most contested races in the country. Since last year Darcy has visited every community in the district and has heard voters (democrats, independents, and moderate republicans) express a strong desire for change and want a representative they feel will fight for them. Polls show that 80% want out of Iraq, compared to 33% a year ago. Darcy identified five themes or principles that underlie her campaign and how she would conduct herself as a congressional representative: • She must articulate what she intends to accomplish • The government should be fair • The government should stay out of private lives • Promises should be kept • Hard work should be rewarded Darcy emphasized the importance of the upcoming caucuses. If we can stimulate turnout, the caucuses present an opportunity to identify more democrats and give them a positive experience that could lead to future participation and/or support. She requested each of us make a personal commitment to talk to at least 10 people between now and the election. Darcy’s campaign is partnering with DFA (Democracy for America) to host weekend training the after the caucuses to develop organizing skills. Darcy requested that any of us who receive a telephone call for a “virtual town meeting” with Congressman Dave Reichert note the date and time and forward that information to Darcy’s campaign. After her remarks, members of the audience expressed frustration that the democrats in congress have not been effective in ending the war. Darcy responded that she has asked retired General Eaton to set up a commission, including retired General Wesley Clark and former Ambassador Joe Wilson, to create a plan to end the war and bring our troops home. She intends to promote the resulting plan to the grassroots, once it is completed. She also talked about the fact that Washington State democratic congressmen are making the right votes, implying that we should not punish them for the fact that the entire congress has not been effective in the effort to end the war. Flag Salute: The Chair led the group in a salute to the flag, which had been deferred due to the time constraints associated with Darcy Burner’s presentation. Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the October 15th, 2007 meeting. No corrections were suggested and the minutes were approved as written. Business: • Abe Adams (2 LD member and Pierce County representative to the State Affirmative Action Committee) and Pat Roberts-Dempsey (State Committeewoman and 2 LD representative to the Pierce County Affirmative Action Committee) attended the county Affirmative Action Committee. They reported on the need to bring minorities into the process to help provide balanced delegations. Snohomish County has an affirmative action plan that appears to be a good plan that is adaptable to Pierce County and will be presented at the next county meeting. Warren Dogeagle is interested in affirmative action and will join with Pat and Abe. They will report on the draft plan at our next meeting. • Jerry Abbott is a member of the 25th LD, a disabled vet, the grassroots campaign coordinator for the Burner campaign, and the community organizer for Pierce County Democrats. He was scheduled to be a speaker, but had to be rescheduled to our next meeting due to illness. • Caucus preparation. Bob C. reported that we have reserved facilities at Graham-Kapowsin High School, but we are waiting for our letter of insurance coverage from the state party. He is trying, so far unsuccessfully, to reach the civics instructor at the high school to see if we can get student volunteers to provide child care at the caucus. • New PCOs. Shelly Holland and Marianne Lincoln are newly appointed PCOs. Coming Events: • December 1. Pierce County Democrats dinner. Location to be determined, cost is $20 per person. There will be speakers and a silent auction and raffles. We need to create and donate a basket for the auction. The members decided on a theme of “Warm & Fuzzy”. Donations to fill the basket can be delivered to either Bob Chamberlain’s or Bob Akervick’s homes. • December 2. State Democratic Party Christmas dinner in Seattle. Cost is $50 per person for the reception or $250 for dinner and reception. More information can be obtained on the state party web site. Good of the Order: • Abe Adams identified himself as sign coordinator for the Calvin Goings campaign. • Bruce Lachney thanked those who supported the successful campaign to pass Referendum 4204, “Simple Majority.” • Julie Sweet pointed out that Jean Marie Christenson has formally announced her candidacy against Jim McCune. • Everett Sweet urged everyone to support the Washington Clean Campaign. • The Chair introduced and welcomed our two newcomers. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm Next Meeting: 7 p.m. Monday, December 17, at GRAHAM FIRE AND RESCUE, 23014 70th Ave East, Graham. Bob Akervick, Secretary Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, October 15, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) Second Vice Chair, Jeff Stephan Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick Treasurer, Marianne Lincoln Guest – Jennifer Barnstien, Bethel Citizens Committee for School Support First Time Attendees: Roschell (Shelly) Holland, 02-041 Ray Strub, 02-026 Ralph Cristler, 02-035 Willy Hendrickson, 02-025 Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm, led the assembly in the flag salute, and welcomed new attendees. Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the September 17th, 2007 meeting. No corrections were suggested and the minutes were approved as written. • Treasurer’s report: we have a balance of $778.27 Business: • Bob C. gave an overview of the Washington Democratic presidential caucus system and then a more detailed Power Point presentation of how the caucus will be organized in the 2 LD. That was followed by a general discussion to determine what factors, if any, might have been overlooked. Suggestions that resulted: o Establish a daycare area to encourage voters with children at home to attend. Bob C. noted that a large multipurpose room could be used for such a purpose. Additionally it was suggested that student volunteers could be recruited to staff the day care from the general student body and/or Young Democrats clubs. We need to explore issues of liability and whatever other laws may apply. o Having a good handout showing the layout of the facility was suggested. The challenge here is the fact that we won’t know in advance how many will attend from each precinct, so we’ll have to be flexible right up to the beginning of the caucuses. o Getting the word out. In addition to local newspapers, it was suggested that we try to get notices placed in school district publications. (Mark Wenzel was identified as the point of contact for the Bethel School District) • Simple Majority. Jennifer Barnstien spoke in support of Referendum 4204 to remove the requirement in the state constitution that school operating levies require a 2/3 majority vote to pass. If the referendum passes, voters could approve a levy with a simple majority, as is the case with almost all other issues on the ballot. • Coming Events o October 22, 5:30 p.m. to ??? – Sen. Hillary Clinton is the guest speaker at the Washington State Democrats Magnuson Awards Ceremony and Auction. Info and tickets at: http://www.wa-democrats.org/ o October 24, 7 to 9 p.m..- Unity Event in Support of Darcy Burner. Kent Senior Center o November 19, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. – meet Darcy Burner at the home of Bob and Betty Chamberlain • Good of the Order: o Jeff Stephan recommended listening to “Equal Time”, a liberal talk show on KLAY radio (1080 AM) on Fridays, 12 to 1 p.m. KLAY is a local station, located in Lakewood. o Cindy Poysnick’s campaign will be needing people to wave signs in support of her election o Ralph Cristler gave a report on the success of the Pierce County Democrats booth at the Puyallup Fair. It was financially profitable (approx $2K) and a re-design of the layout pulled in more people. o Marianne Lincoln reported that our Senator Marilynn Rassmussen will run for reelection in 2008 • Next Meeting: Next meeting: 7 p.m. Monday, November 19, Graham Public Library, 9202 224th Street East: Main business: Darcy Burner, candidate for 8th CD representative Bob Akervick, Secretary Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, September 17, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick Treasurer, Marianne Lincoln State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey Public Officials Present: Senator Marilyn Rassmussen, 2nd LD Calvin Goings, County Council Member, District 2 Notable Guests: Nathe Lawver, Chair, Pierce County Democrats Mark Martinez, Executive Secretary, Pierce County Building & Construction Trades Council Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm and led the assembly in the flag salute. Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the August 20, 2007 meeting. No corrections were suggested and the minutes were approved as written. • Treasurer’s report: deferred Scheduled Speakers and Old Business • Simple Majority request for phone banking help: statewide education measure – a signup sheet for phone banking was passed around • Mark Martinez spoke in support of Regional Roads and Transit System, Proposition 1, listing some of the projects contained therein, answering questions from the floor, and requesting a 2LD endorsement. Bill Harrington moved that we endorse Proposition 1, RTID, Marianne Lincoln seconded the endorsement. There was no discussion and the motion carried by a voice vote. • Calvin Goings is Chair of the Pierce County Council Community Development Committee. He presented information about a committee proposal, which is the formative stages, concerning preserving open space in the county before it disappears. According to Calvin, the county population is growing by about 10,000 per year, approaching 800,000. The loss of open space is relentless, for example, according to an article in the News Tribune, 4.3 acres of farmland is lost daily, there are proposals to convert Brookdale and Lipoma Firs golf courses to housing, and approximately 2000 building permits are being currently processed. The council would like to get ahead of the problem by establishing a program to preserve open space before it is too late. From Calvin’s handout: “The County Council is considering a proposal that would protect open space by allowing the County to purchase the development rights to two types of land over the next two decades, rural farmland and urban open space. A comprehensive preservation package could be placed before the voters as early as the spring of 2008.” This was Calvin’s first public presentation of the proposal and he requested honest feedback on its effectiveness, as there will be many public presentations and requests for public input into the process. • New Business: o Initiative 960 – A Tim Eyman proposal which “…would require either a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature or voter approval for all tax increases. New or increased fees would require prior legislative approval. An advisory vote would be required on any new or increased taxes enacted by the legislature without voter approval. The office of financial management would be required to publish cost information and information regarding legislators’ voting records on bills imposing or increasing taxes or fees (from Sec of State web site).” The Washington State Democratic Central Committee has endorsed opposition to the initiative. It was moved and seconded that the 2nd LD endorse opposition to Initiative 960. The motion was carried by a unanimous voice vote. o Referendum 67 – Ballot summary from the Secretary of State’s web site: “Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5726 would make it unlawful for insurers to unreasonably deny a claim for coverage or payment of benefits to any "first party claimant", as defined in the bill, or to violate insurance fair practices regulation. With court approval, successful claimants would be entitled to actual damages plus costs and reasonable attorney fees, and in some cases up to triple damages. The bill would not apply to health plans offered by health carriers.” The implications of the measure were discussed then a motion to endorse Referendum 67 was moved, seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote. o Pierce County measures. Some of the more significant measures on the November ballot: Proposed charter amendments to convert the Sheriff, Assessor-Treasurer, and Auditor positions form partisan to non-partisan Three charter amendments regarding implementation of Ranked Choice Voting o Preliminary report on caucus preparation: Graham-Kapowsin High School has been secured for 3 hours on February 9, 2008 to conduct our precinct caucuses, at a cost of about $150. The state party will provide training on conducting the caucuses at the state Central Committee meeting at Wenatchee on September 28-29. • Coming Events o Events and fundraising: Mailing party September 18 at Bob Chamberlain’s house to send out caucus announcements with an appeal for financial support. o Washington State Democrats Central Committee, Wenatchee Sept. 28-29: preparing for caucus training throughout the state o Phone bank October 3: At Bob Chamberlain’s house – for people with cell phones to make follow up calls to recipients to the caucus notice/donation appeal • Good of the Order: o Julie and Everett Sweet reported on their attendance at the annual AARP convention at which they had a great time and learned much. They provided a handout with the platform of AARP’s “Divided We Fail” campaign, the preamble of which reads “We believe that the opportunity to have access to health care and long-term financial security is a basic need that all Americans share. We believe it is the foundation for future generations.” People can learn more at the program’s web site: http://www.aarp.org/issues/dividedwefail o Bob Akervick reported on the current DFA Night School program for organizing at the precinct level. • Next Meeting: Next meeting: 7 p.m. Monday, October 15, Graham Public Library, 9202 224th Street East: Main business: preparation for 2008 caucuses. [Nov. mtg.: Darcy Burner] Bob Akervick Secretary Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, July 16, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) First Vice Chair, Jean Marie Christenson Second Vice Chair, Jeff Stephan Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey (Pat R-D.) Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm and led the assembly in the flag salute. Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the June 18, 2007 meeting. No corrections were offered and the minutes were approved. Treasurer’s report: deferred, as the Treasurer is in the process of moving • Candidate’s Forum and Old Business. o The Chair introduced the four participating candidates for Tacoma Port Commissioner Position 3: Bill Casper, David Lovell, David Hyres and Don Johnson. He then explained the rules of the forum. Included in the rules was the stipulation that a candidate must receive a majority vote of those assembled to be endorsed. Each candidate was allowed a 5 minute opening statement, and then questions were asked by First Vice Chair Jean Marie Christenson. Each candidate was allowed two minutes to address each question. Bill Harrington managed the questions, and State Committeewoman Pat Roberts-Dempsey was the timekeeper. At the conclusion of the question-answer session the candidates were excused and the assembled members considered the question of endorsement. The first vote resulted in no candidate receiving a majority: Lovell – 7, Johnson – 5, Hyres – 4, and Casper – 1. After additional discussion and motions, the last vote was between the two highest vote counts: Lovell and Johnson. Initially, the final vote was a tie at 8 votes each, until Chairman Chamberlain cast the tie-breaking vote for Don Johnson. o Newly appointed PCO Jennifer Slater-Braun was introduced and warmly welcomed. • New Business: o Update on the new online voterfile. Bob C. reported that training on the new system for district chairs has taken place. it looks like a good system with significant improvements over the old system. Training for PCOs is coming up. PCOs need to request accounts in the new system from Bob. o Volunteers needed to staff booths. Because Marianne is in the process of moving, Bob C. has the sign up sheets for the Spanaway and Pierce County fairs. Scheduling for the Puyallup Fair will be handled by Pierce County Democrats Spanaway Street Fair, 7/28-7/29 Pierce County Fair, 8/9-8/12 Western Washington State Fair (Puyallup Fair), 9/7-9/23 o LD Picnic, 7/29 – after closing our booth at the Spanaway Street Fair, at Ken Stevenson’s place on Spanaway Lake. • Good of the Order: o Cindy Poysnick reported that her campaign for Puyallup School District is going well and she has been endorsed by Pierce County Democrats and many others. o Julie Sweet announced the Pierce County Democrats Central Committee passed a resolution calling for impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Next Meeting: August 20, 7:00 pm, Graham Public Library, 9202 224th Street East, Graham – candidates for Port Commission Position #5 Bob Akervick Secretary Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, June 18, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) First Vice Chair, Jean Marie Christenson Second Vice Chair, Jeff Stephan Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey (Pat R-D.) Call to Order: The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:06 pm and led the assembly in the flag salute. Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the May 21, 2007 meeting. No corrections were offered and the minutes were approved. The following summary Treasurer’s report was presented and approved (the detailed report is at the end of these minutes): Beginning Balance, 2007 $844.50 Current Cash Available on Hand $780.00 • Guest Speaker and Old Business. As the arrival of Dwight Pelz was delayed by traffic, the Chair moved on to old business. o RTID letter and resolution. Bob C. had submitted a resolution (cy attached) to the June 14th Pierce County Central Committee meeting supporting the ballot measure that will include the RTID and Sound Transit Proposals in the November 2007 election, and endorsing the creation of a county strategy to promote the measure. Bob explained how the resolution was the outgrowth of the LD resolution in the May 21 meeting directing the Chair to write a letter of support to the Board of the RTID and gave some more information on the compromise within Pierce County leadership that averted a veto by the County Executive. Some discussion followed, including the cross-base highway. Pat Roberts-Dempsey pointed out that the trees that some environmentalists were making protection of an issue are not native to the area, but came with European explorers/settlers. Bruce Lachney shared that he has had discussions with Audubon Society personnel and they seem to be willing to work on compromises regarding their issues, but compromise is difficult with the current county executive. Bob also read from, and paraphrased from, a message from Marianne Lincoln (cy attached) supporting the RTID and providing analysis of the relevant political considerations in Pierce County. o 8th CD Organization. Bob reported on the formation of the 8th Congressional District Organization. Provisional bylaws have been adopted and officers have been elected. o Dwight Pelz Presentation. Dwight gave a presentation of the state party plan to use the next Presidential Caucus (Feb 9, 2008) to build participation in the party. (a copy of the written plan is attached) Goal: Produce 100,000 additional votes for Chris Gregoire in the 2008 election. Strategy: • Recruit the needed volunteers to produce the additional votes. • Conduct highly organized, competent, calm and friendly caucuses. • Immediately ask caucus participants to volunteer to perform tasks to help register voters, identify voter preferences, or both. Tactics: • Boost turnout to caucuses. • Identify and implement those actions necessary to have well-organized, competent caucuses. • Create teams of volunteers at the caucuses. • With the help of the volunteer teams, conduct voter registration and identification activities. • New Business: o Online voterfile. Bob C. reported the new system (VoteBuilder – VAN) has been implemented and released to the Chairs, and appears to be a good system. Soon it will be available to all. o There was some discussion of issues facing the organization of precinct caucuses – e.g. how many sites do we need and how will we staff them. Support for a single site was expressed. o Volunteers needed to staff booths: Spanaway Street Fair, 7/28-7/29 Pierce County Fair, 8/9-8/12 Western Washington State Fair (Puyallup Fair), 9/7-9/23 o LD Picnic, 7/29 – after closing our booth at the Spanaway Street Fair, at Ken Stevenson’s place on Spanaway Lake. Next Meeting: July 16, 7:00 pm, Graham Public Library, 9202 224th Street East, Graham – candidates for Port Commission Position #3 Bob Akervick Secretary Treasurers Report: Second LD Victory Fund 2007 Date Item Expended Deposit Balance Start of 2007 $ 844.50 1/18/2007 Dues received $ 100.00 $ 944.50 2/22/2007 Bethel Sch Dist – 2006 caucuses $ 156.24 $ 788.26 2/27/2007 Dues received $ 140.00 $ 928.26 3/21/2007 Dues received $ 80.00 $ 1,008.26 3/26/2007 Bethel Sch Dist – meeting room $ 12.00 $ 996.26 5/18/2007 Pierce County Fair $ 190.00 $ 806.26 5/18/2007 AMR – Insurance for Fair $ 100.00 $ 706.26 5/31/2007 Memberships $ - $ 60.00 $ 766.26 6/12/2007 Memberships $ 20.00 $ 786.26 6/12/2007 Loan to fund minimum balance $ 293.74 $ 1,080.00 6/12/2007 Sequester minimum balance (reserved to repay loan) $ 300.00 $ 780.00 Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, May 21, 2007 Location: Graham Public Library, 9202 224th St. East, Graham Called to Order: Approximately 7:00 pm Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) First Vice Chair, Jean Marie Christenson Second Vice Chair, Jeff Stephan Treasurer, Marianne Lincoln Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey (Pat R-D.) Reports: The Chair offered the opportunity to correct the minutes of the April 16, 2007 meeting. No corrections were offered and the minutes were approved. The following summary Treasurer’s report was presented and approved (the detailed report is at the end of these minutes): Beginning Balance, 2007 $844.50 Current Cash on Hand $706.26 Guest Speaker. The first order of business was a presentation by Pat McCarthy, Pierce County Auditor, accompanied by Keri Rawlings-Rooney, Chief Deputy Auditor. Ms. McCarthy covered a variety of topics: • Candidate filing week is June 4-8, a change from the previous July time frame. • The 2007 primary election will be August 21 for positions not falling under the new Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system. Examples of positions in the primary are school board member, Port of Tacoma commissioners, and fire district commissioners. No elections in 2007 are subject to RCV. In 2008 we’ll have elections of all Pierce County-wide positions during the general election in November. • Voters will still be restricted to voting in a single party primary for partisan positions in 2007 and 2008, and for all positions not covered by the new RCV criteria in 2008. Voters are expected to select a party on the ballot, but if they don’t, but only vote for one party’s candidates, their ballots will be processed. • The general election will be November 6, 2007: o Will include two big issues – approval of the RTID (Regional Transportation Investment District) and Sound Transit package, and whether or not to change the Sheriff’s position to non-partisan before the charter amendment changing the sheriff’s election from appointed to elected, takes effect in 2008. o The 2008 and subsequent ballot will probably contain 2 pages, one for RCV positions and another for positions not under RCV (i.e., positions on the primary ballot) • Rank Choice Voting: o Applies to all Pierce County officials except judges and the Prosecuting Attorney. o Beginning in 2008, RCV positions are included in the November general election, only – no primary o The RCV ballot is expected to contain 3 columns, each containing all the names for a position. The voter will indicate his/her first choice in the first column, second choice in the second column, etc. The following information from the auditor’s web site explains the description provided by Ms. McCarthy: “How does Ranked Choice Voting work? To start, every voter's first-choice vote is counted until only two candidates remain. Ranked Choice Voting will be conducted in rounds. The candidate who received the fewest number of first-choice votes is eliminated from the race after each round. Voters who selected the eliminated candidate as their first choice will have their vote transferred to their second choice. The candidate with the fewest votes after each round shall be eliminated until only two candidates remain. The candidate with the greatest number of votes is the winner.” o Ms. McCarthy has put together a “Blue Ribbon Review Panel” to study difficult issues and provide recommendations. Four issue areas have been, or will be, referred to the panel: Filing - timing of filing deadlines to allow a potential candidate rejected by his/her chosen party the opportunity to file with a minor party or as an independent Reporting – since there will be multiple rounds of counting and shifting votes, when will the results be reported to the public, e.g., the results of each round of counting, only after the final count, or some other arrangement? Access - what is the best way to provide access to the polls, e.g., polls, mail-in, a combination…? Voter education 8th Congressional District Democrats Organization: James Arima, 8th CD Representative to WSD Executive Board, and Bryan Kesterson, Chair, 47th LD Democrats, gave a presentation about a May 8th meeting of democratic leaders from across the 8th CD, representing most of the legislative districts (2 LD was among those absent), to explore the formation of an 8th Congressional District Democrats organization, under the authority of the Washington State Democratic Central Committee charter. The result of the meeting was the decision to form the organization. The purpose would be to foster communication among democrats and party organizations with in the 8th CD, facilitate and support efforts to organize activities in the district, and foster candidate development, i.e., provide a means for potential candidates to become known throughout the district. A bylaw committee was formed to draft a preliminary set of bylaws. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for June 12th (second Tuesday), 7:00 pm, at the Auburn IAM Hall, 201 A. St. SW, Auburn. New Business: • Cross-Base Highway. There currently is a move to remove the Cross-Base highway from the RTID/Sound Transit package to be included on the ballot in November. Several members spoke in support of the need for the highway and a motion was unanimously approved that the Chair will write a letter to the Chair of the RTID supporting both the Cross-Base highway and the widening of highway 162 between Sumner and Orting. • Endorsement Procedures. The Chair discussed the need to quickly develop procedures for endorsing candidates. He has already had candidates ask for them. The 25th LD has existing procedures and is in the process of re-writing them. Also, Karen Willard reported the 31st LD has a questionnaire available on the LD website. Their procedure requires a candidate to fill out the questionnaire and submit it to the LD in advance of the meeting at which it will be considered. Regarding our immediate need (Port Commissioner candidates speaking at our July regular meeting) Chairman Bob volunteered to create a draft questionnaire for Port Commissioner candidates, send it out to members for feedback (by email) and finalize it before the next meeting. A motion was made and carried approving this action. • Membership Recruitment and Development Committee. Chairman Bob provided Jeff Stephan with lists of potential PCO recruits for each precinct without a PCO. Jeff solicited help in making phone calls. • Events and Fundraising Committee. It was moved and carried that the 2 LD participate in the Spanaway Street Fair which takes place in the latter part of July. Good of the Order: • Abe Adams is out of the hospital, recovering from surgery and expects to rejoin us soon. Chairman Bob had sent Abe flowers from the LD and will accept contributions to help defray the cost. • 6/6 – Calvin Goings Town Hall meeting, Peninsula Library, 6:30 pm • 6/7 – Calvin Goings Town Hall meeting, Bonney Lake Library, 6:30 pm • 6/13 - The Young Democrats of Pierce County will host an open forum in Tacoma, at Tullys’ on Broadway • 6/15 - Washington Public Campaigns is hosting an awards banquet • 7/21 – Calvin Goings Barnyard Picnic, 5:30 pm • Dates of the future Democratic Presidential Candidate debates have been announced: 8/19, 9/26, 10/30, 11/15, 12/10. Chairman Bob will see if the Graham Fire Station would be available for debate parties those nights and report back. • 6/20 Karen Willard, 31st LD Chair, announced a Democratic sponsored, but bi-partisan supported, event about preserving farmland and supporting farmers in King and Pierce Counties, at Neuwaukum Home Grange, 38402 180th Ave SE, Auburn. Social hour starts at 6:00 pm and program begins by 7:30 pm. • Senator Rasmussen discussed a number of the accomplishments of the legislative session benefiting our district: o Community Center in Bethel o Bridge for evacuating school children in Orting o Historical Society in Rainier o Community park in Eatonville o Nisqually/Mashell river restoration o Cultural Center and Mountaineering Museum in Ashford • Bill Harrington announced the legislature passed a bill improving the situation of children involved in divorces • Chairman Bob recognized and welcomed a new face, Bob Yount The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:40 pm. Next Meeting: June 18, 7:00 pm, Graham Public Library, 9202 224th Street East, Graham – visit from Dwight Pelz Bob Akervick Secretary Treasurers Report: Second LD Victory Fund 2007 Date Item Expended Deposit Balance Start of 2007 844.50 01/18/07 Dues received 100.00 944.50 02/22/07 Bethel Sch Dist – 2006 caucuses 156.24 788.26 02/27/07 Dues received 140.00 928.26 03/21/07 Dues received 80.00 1008.26 03/26/07 Bethel Sch Dist – meeting room 12.00 996.26 05/18/07 Pierce County Fair 190.00 806.26 05/18/07 AMR – Insurance for Fair 100.00 706.26 Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, April 16, 2007 Location: Graham Fire and Rescue, 23014 70th Avenue East, Graham Called to Order: Approximately 7:00 pm Officers Present: Chairman, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) First Vice Chair, Jean Marie Christenson Second Vice Chair, Jeff Stephan Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick State Committeewoman, Pat Roberts-Dempsey (Pat R-D.) Officers Absent: Chairman Bob Chamberlain called the meeting to order and led the flag salute at approximately 7:05 pm. Guest Speaker. The first order of business was a presentation by Darcy Burner, candidate for the 8th Congressional District seat in the House of Representatives. Darcy’s message was about how essential active grassroots support is to a successful campaign. Although she failed to defeat Dave Reichert, she garnered 49% of the vote, the best showing ever for a democrat in this congressional district. In fact, if she had received just 5 additional votes in each of the precincts in the district she would have won. She attributed this success to active grassroots support and talked about the key elements of on-going activities by the democratic grassroots: 1. Talking to neighbors. Extremely important in influencing votes. Jerry Beckendorf, a PCO in the 25th LD is a good example. He talks to everyone about politics and Darcy won his precinct by 93 votes. 2. Recruiting and supporting candidates. It is essential that a Democrat be competing for every open position. This keeps the Democratic presence alive in the district and significantly reduces the number of Democrats not voting. Additionally, it acts to spread Republican money among more candidates. Her message is – Find a candidate, or if you can’t, be one! 3. Being the conscience of the party. It is important that the grassroots give elected officials feedback about how their performance is perceived by their constituents. Significant feedback can provide guidance for course correction, or it may provide the strength to take difficult stands. Darcy is so convinced of the importance of these principles that she offers direct support in recruiting candidates. If asked, she will call any potential candidate for a PCO position or a public office to help convince that person to run. She may be contacted at darcy@burner.org. At the conclusion of Darcy’s remarks the following public policy concerns were raised by the audience: - Safe streets – enough prison space to prevent violent criminals from being out on the streets - The lack of funding for health care for the handicapped Regular and Old Business: • Minutes of the March 19th meeting, distributed earlier via the email, were passed out and approved. • Treasurer’s Report. Chairman Bob reported that our treasurer was unable to make the meeting but had reported by email that we have a cash balance of $806.26 • Bylaw progress report, including preliminary appointments o Membership recruitment and development committee – Jeff Stephans is chair and appealed to the membership for help o Events and fundraising committee – Marianne Lincoln is chair o Affirmative action committee – Pat Roberts-Dempsey is chair and spoke about the delegate selection process (for the next National Convention in ’08) as it relates to affirmative action New Business: • WEA report on “Take the Lead,” Pam Kruse and Pat Roberts-Dempsey Pam Kruse, with support from Pat-Roberts-Dempsey, gave an extensive presentation on the WEA’s (Washington Education Association) project, called “Take the Lead,” to raise public awareness of the significant problems in our public school system, resulting from chronic under funding by the legislature, with the hope that public pressure will force positive funding changes in the future. Key points: o Washington ranks 46th in class size among the 50 states o Washington ranks 42nd in spending per student among the 50 states o Last among the five West Coast States in staff compensation Audience member Bruce Lachney, a member of the Eatonville school board, added additional insight into the financial management problems caused by structural restrictions enacted by the legislature and state Office of Public Instruction. Several other members of the audience offered their own experiences and opinions providing a short, but interesting and spirited discussion of education issues. • Statements from declared and potential candidates: none offered Good of the Order: o Bill Harrington recommended that we review and endorse the Transportation Plan for Puget Sound o Bill also strongly urged our endorsement of Calvin Goings. Others offered that other legislative districts had not endorsed him yet, and it is still early in the process. Chairman Bob explained that there are several unresolved complications in the IRV process that make it impossible, at this point, to determine what an endorsement means. He is a member of the Pierce County Democrats elections committee and they are meeting to try to resolve these issues. Several members pointed out that at the last meeting we had appointed our own district elections committee to meet and make recommendations regarding an endorsement policy. Because of scheduling issues the committee was unable to meet during the last month. As a result of the discussion and obvious interest, they scheduled a meeting for April 29th, 2:00 pm, at the Mongolian Grill in Graham. Those with a particular interest or expertise are welcome to attend. o Bill asked about the scheduling of the presidential precinct caucuses. The draft state delegate selection plan sets the date as February 9, 2008, but the time of day is not specified. Bill discussed the problem that having them on a Saturday excludes rigorously observant members of certain religious groups. o Jean Marie Christenson gave a report about the Thurston County Democrats, their fundraising events, commitment to helping Democrats get elected...and in particular, the JJ Dinner and Auction May 5th, 2007. Jean Marie brought a basket for the LD2 to fill as our organization's contribution to the auction. o Chairman Bob drew our attention to Calvin Goings schedule of Town Hall Meetings and emphasized, on behalf of Calvin, that these are not fund raising events. Donations will not be accepted. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:20 pm. Next Meeting: May 21, 7:00 pm, Graham Public Library, 9202 224th Street East, Graham Bob Akervick Secretary Minutes of Second Legislative District Meeting, January 15, 2007 Location: Graham Fire & Rescue, 23014 70th Avenue East, Graham Called to Order: Approximately 7:12 pm Officers Present: Chair, Bob Chamberlain (Bob C.) Vice Chair for Pierce County, Jeff Stephan Vice Chair for Thurston County, Jean Marie Christenson Secretary and State Committeeman, Bob Akervick Treasurer, Marianne Lincoln Chairman Bob Chamberlain called the meeting to order and led the flag salute. Introductions ensued. Jean Marie introduced Jim Pruitt, owner of “Jim’s U-Fish at Old McDebbie’s Farm”, on Highway 7. Jim is a prior Republican (albeit, independent-minded) who has become disillusioned with his Republican representation and decided to attend our meeting. Bob asked everyone present to introduce themselves so Jim, and anyone else not familiar with all present, could get a sense of who we are. Although he said he doesn’t plan to do this every meeting, Bob expressed the desire that we warmly welcome all visitors to our meetings. Officer’s Reports: Secretary – minutes of the reorganization meeting had been previously emailed to officers and hard-copy versions were handed out to others. Treasurer – Current funds balance: 680.46 Reserved for Pierce County Fair booth and insurance: (156.24) Available: 390.46 At this point we considered revising the dues structure. After considerable discussion, we passed the following: The dues year is the calendar year Individual membership dues is $20.00 per year Dues for seniors, defined as 65years and older, is $10.00 per year Vice Chair for Thurston County – Thurston County is working on a Jefferson-Jackson dinner and other fund raising efforts. Vice Chair for Pierce County – the results of the Pierce County Reorganization meeting (1/13/07) were described. Vice Chair Jeff Stephan expressed appreciation for the extensive efforts of Bill Harrington as LD Chair for the last several years, including his extensive knowledge of political processes that he accumulated over many years of political participation. All present agreed and were cheered by the opinion that he intends to stay politically active. The following upcoming events were discussed: January 26-27, Washington State Democratic Central Committee reorganization meeting February 19, State Democrats PCO training and Crab Feed (wide participation recommended by Bob C., both for PCOs and others) Old Business: - Select representatives to Pierce County Democrats Executive Board. We have three positions, which will be filled by our Chair and two Vice Chairs. - Select a representative to the state Agricultural/Rural caucus. Jim Pruitt was elected. - District Bylaws. Bob C. pointed out that we do not have established bylaws and he intends to remedy that lapse. He has reviewed and studied many sources of information (e.g. state party governing documents and bylaws of other legislative districts and both Pierce and Thurston counties). He discovered that bylaws must be adopted at an annual reorganization meeting. He recommends we develop and adopt provisional bylaws that would govern our activities until they can be formally approved at the reorganization meeting after the 2008 election. There was no disagreement. As a sidelight, he also reported that a quorum may, when an organization has regular small attendance, be defined as all members present at a regular meeting, a fact that will facilitate adoption of the bylaws. - Recruiting members. -- Marianne Lincoln described her proposal to establish a recurring opportunity for liberals/progressives/Democrats to get together and discuss issues at the Exchange Tavern in Spanaway. Marianne is calling the event “Connect 2” and is hoping to attract grass roots interest. If the effort is successful, we will consider expanding to other areas in the district. The first meeting is scheduled for Friday, January 26, at 7:30 pm. -- Chairman Chamberlain mentioned a desire to create telephone trees to be able to contact Democrats throughout the district. New Business: - Discussion of our place in our two counties. We discussed the need to have a presence in both county organizations. Our Vice Chairs committed themselves to working as a team and backing each other up attending and reporting back on county functions. - Planning for “procedures” education. Bob C. expressed concern that he and a number of others in the organization are relatively new to party politics and are ignorant of many political processes and procedures. He would like to include training in our regular sessions. - Planning for issues education and beginning toward candidate identification. Bob C. discussed the need to focus efforts in these areas, both for ongoing activities and in preparation for the 2008 elections. He pointed out the Calvin Goings is running for Pierce County Executive and will have his Campaign Kick-off Celebration on February 8th, between 5:30 and 7:00 pm, at the W.S.U. Extension Center, 7612 Pioneer Way East, Puyallup. The final activity was the showing of a video tape made by Marianne Lincoln of the pre-election speeches by the candidates for the office of Pierce County Democrats Chair at the reorganization meeting. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:30 pm. Next Meeting: Since the state PCO training will be held on the scheduled date of our February meeting (Feb. 19), we agreed to postpone the meeting until Monday, February 26, 2007. Location to be determined. Submitted by Bob Akervick Secretary 2nd Legislative District Democratic Party Minutes [note: pre-election meeting held in lieu of regular meeting date] October 9, 2006 Call to order by Bill Harrington, Chair, 6:36 p.m. in the library, Cougar Mountain Junior High School. The Chair announced that the coordinated campaign is now making calls to recruit help for Get Out The Vote. Agenda items: Visitor Ryan Griffin spoke in favor of Charter Amendment 3, Instant Runoff Voting, followed by q & a and discussion. Short discussions were held on the nine county charter amendments, with the following as the recommendation of those present [in most cases, by non-unanimous vote]: o No. 1, election of sheriff: no. o No. 2, performance audits: yes. o No. 3, instant runoff voting: yes. o No. 4, reduced signature requirement for initiatives: yes. o No. 5, reduced signature requirements for referenda: yes. o No. 6, presentation of annual [county] budget: yes. o No. 7, executive appoinments: yes. o No. 8, balance of power: yes o No. 9, eminent domain: yes. Patrick Wicklund described plans for the next weeks in the Coordinated Campaign. Precincts are classified for targeted special attention; on election day will push to get those who have not yet voted to vote. No on 933 campaign was represented with a summary of its misleading language and aims; members were invited to join the telephone campaign. Because the 2nd LD had endorsed the “No on 933” campaign in September, no new action was taken. Jean Marie Christenson described activities in her campaign: newspaper ads; sign-making party scheduled at Roy Steakhouse Saturday, October 15; coordinated campaign to distribute lists for phone calling Jeff Stephan explained why and how he is different from Tom Campbell. Campbell is anti-Republican and anti-Democratic; Jeff is a union carpenter, standing for values of the working class—four-plank platform in 4 points: Education, Environment, Employment, Energy Jean Marie Christenson added comments about her experiences in the Washington State Reformatory at Monroe and the book she wrote pointing out the inhumane prectices and structures there. Last item of business: setting date for the reorganization meeting. Those present agreed to November 20 [secretary’s note: we later discovered that By-Laws require reorganization meeting to occur in December or January. Official date will be modified]. Meeting adjourned 8:50 p.m. Minutes prepared by Robert G. Chamberlain, secretary, Second LD Democrats 2nd Legislative District Democratic Party Minutes September 18, 2006 Before the call to order, all present were asked for their names, to help others know them. Twenty-five persons, including speakers for the evening, were present. Virginia Kimball announced the coming funeral service for Helen Crews, and noted that Laurie Thompson, most recent treasurer of Pierce County Democrats, has been moved to hospice [Post-meeting notice: Laurie Thompson’s death came September 22]. Call to order by Bill Harrington, Chair, 7 p.m. in the library, Cougar Mountain Junior High School. Guest speakers: County Executive John Ladenburg explained his positions on Progress toward building county facilities rather than leasing, especially in light of costs and benefits. Testing of a promising methamphetamine treatment program. Transportation and roads; impact fees and mitigation charges; commercial and residen-tial components of zoning; rail and road freight transportation in Frederickson. Kerry Gutknecht spoke for the Darcy Burner campaign, encouraging volunteers for phone banks at IBEW, Tacoma, beginning 5 pm each Tuesday and some Mondays. Jeff Stephan described his campaign’s money pinch, but said news is getting out. Jean Marie Christenson credited volunteers for her optimism and described her sched-ule. Endorsements and support/opposition to issues: Support for library bond. Support for I-937, alternative energy sources. Opposition to I-933, property rights vs. public need. Support for Resolution 116 to WSDCC, review of composition of Central Committee. Support for Young Democrats’ request for one representative on WSD Central Commit-tee. Other actions and announcements: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will speak at the Liberty Theater, Puyallup, October 5. Thom Hartmann is featured speaker October 28 at Pierce County Democrats’ fundraiser, 3902 N. Proctor, Tacoma. County Council hearing on impact fees and new construction October 3, 5:30 p.m., Woodland Elementary School, Puyallup. All 2nd LD Democrats urged to attend. Next meeting rescheduled for action before Nov. election: NEXT MEETING 7 P.M. OCTOBER 9, GRAHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY ON 224TH ST. E. Adjourned 9:04 p.m. Officers met immediately afterward and endorsed inclusion of a significant impact fee on new development by the County Council. | 2nd Legislative Officers | 2nd Legislative District Map | 2004 Election Results | Chairman's Report | Report from Olympia | Secretary's Report | Sound Off | 2008 Caucuses | A Report from Washington DC | | Return Home | Events Schedule | Great Links | Contact Us | Your Reps | 8th Congressional District | Making A Donation | Prospective Candidates | For the Good of the Order | |
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