Officer positions for 2012-2013 term

The City Democratic Club is pleased to announce its officer slate effective April 2012 and lasting through the next elections in early 2013.

• President: Michael Ho
• First Vice President: Heidi Machen
• Second Vice President: Erik Cummins
• Treasurer: Steve LaPlante
• Recording Secretary: Sarah Singer
• Corresponding Secretary: Yoyo Chan
• At large: Clay Harrell
• At large: Michael Breyer

To contact the club, email to citydemclub (at) gmail or leave a voicemail on the club mailbox, 335-9143. Also take a moment to Like us on Facebook.

CLUB ENDORSEMENTS FOR NOVEMBER 2011 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

On September 8, current members of the City Democratic Club met and ratified the following endorsements for the November 2011 municipal election. Endorsements are based on the agreement of 60 percent of the members voting. Thanks to all the participating members, and congratulations to all the endorsed candidates.

Offices

Mayor: Ed Lee

Sheriff: Chris Cunnie

District Attorney: No recommendation

Measures

Yes on Prop A - School Bonds

No on Prop B - Road Repaving and Street Safety Bonds

Yes on Prop C - Retirement and Health Care Benefits (City)

No on Prop D - Retirement Benefits (Petition)

Yes on Prop E - Amending Initiative Ordinances and Policy Declarations

Yes on Prop F - Campaign Consultant Disclosures

No on Prop G - Sales Tax

Yes on Prop H - School District Student Assignment System

DA Debate at June meeting, and announcing new officers

Dear City Democratic Club Members,

I am pleased to announce the newly elected officer team leading the Club for 2011;

President - Jim Reilly

First Vice President - Yoyo Chan

Second Vice President - Mike Ho

Corresponding Secretary - Sarah Singer

Recording Secretary - Erik Cummins

Treasurer - Steve Laplante

Officers at Large - Heidi Machen & Clay Harrell

The Club thanks Susan Chan and George Dias for their excellent service as officers to the City Democratic Club during the past year.

Upcoming Meetings and Events:

On Wednesday, June 15, the City Democratic Club will be sponsoring a debate with the candidates currently running for District Attorney of San Francisco . It will be held at the LGBT Center at 1800 Market Street from 7 to 8:30 PM.The San Francisco Young Democrats and San Francisco's premier newspaper to the legal community, The Recorder, will co-sponsors the debate.

On Thursday, August 18 the Club will be meeting for our endorsement voting session at a location to be determined. This will include endorsement votes for Mayor, District Attorney, Sheriff and ballot measures. This year we will be instituting ranked choice voting for the Mayor's race only, as there are so many credible candidates. That is, our ballot will allow you select three candidates and rank them 1, 2, & 3 just as you can on Election Day. This is being done to increase our chance of reaching the necessary 60% threshold so that we can endorse a mayoral candidate.

In order to vote at the endorsements meeting on 8/18, you need to have been a paid member for at least 30 days. If you have not paid your $35 annual dues yet, please do so. You can pay in person at the 6/15 debate, or mail a check for City Democratic Club at 621 LaSalle Ave., San Francisco, 94124. If you have been a paid member in the past two years, you can also renew your membership and pay your 2011 dues at the endorsement meeting.

Please join us on Facebook where you can follow club news and RSVP to club events!

I look forward to seeing you at the next Club meeting The debate for SF District Attorney will be an exciting and potentially game changing event.

Best regards,

Jim Reilly

President of the City Democratic Club

November Election Club Endorsements

November 2, 2010 Consolidated General Election

Final Club Recommendations

Statewide Office

Governor - Jerry Brown

Lieutenant Governor - Gavin Newsom

Attorney General - Kamala Harris

Secretary of State - Debra Bowen

Controller - John Chiang

Treasurer - Bill Lockyer

Insurance Commissioner - Dave Jones

Board of Equalization D1 - Betty Yee

U.S. Congress

Senate - Barbara Boxer

House D8 - Nancy Pelosi

House D12 - Jackie Speier

State Legislature

Senate D8 - Leland Yee

Assembly D12 - Fiona Ma

Assembly D13 - Tom Ammiano

Citywide Office

Assessor/Recorder - Phil Ting

Public Defender - Jeff Adachi

Superior Court Seat 15 - No recommendation

Board of Supervisors

D2 Janet Reilly

D4 Carmen Chu

D6 No recommendation

D8 No recommendation

D10 No recommendation

Board of Education

Margaret Brodkin

Emily Murase

Natasha Hoehn

Community College Board

Lawrence Wong

Anita Grier

State Measures

19 - Legalizes Marijuana Under California but Not Federal Law: SUPPORT

20 - Redistricting Congressional Districts: OPPOSE

21 - Vehicle Fee for Fund Parks & Wildlife: OPPOSE

22 - Prohibit State Taking Local Funds: NO POSITION

23 - Suspending Air Pollution Control Law (AB 32): OPPOSE

24 - Repeals Business Tax Cut Statute: NO POSITION

25 - Elim 2/3 Rule for Budget/ Not for Tax: SUPPORT

26 - Requiring Certain Business Fees Be Approved by 2/3 Votes: OPPOSE

27 - Eliminates Commission on Redistricting: OPPOSE

Local Measures

AA - Vehicle Registration Fee: SUPPORT

A - Earthquake Safety Retrofit Deferred Loans and Grants: SUPPORT

B - City Retirement and Health Plans: NO POSITION

C - Mayoral Appearance at Board Meetings: OPPOSE

D - Non-citizen Voting in School Board Elections: OPPOSE

E - Election Day Voter Registration: NO POSITION

F - Health Service Board Elections: SUPPORT

G - Transit Operator Wages: SUPPORT

H - Elected Officials on Party Committees: SUPPORT

I - Saturday Voting: SUPPORT

J - Hotel Tax Clarification / Temp. Increase: OPPOSE

K - Hotel Tax Clarification and Definitions: SUPPORT

L- Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks: SUPPORT

M - Community Policing and Foot Patrols: OPPOSE

N - Real Property Transfer Tax: SUPPORT

CityDem Bylaw Change

City Democratic Club bylaws have been updated to allow future communications to be done via electronic notice ONLY.

Members without e-mail access can be accommodated with extra notice.

Please keep us updated about your e-mail address!

DISTRICT 2 DEBATE & SEPTEMBER ENDORSEMENTS MEETING, 9/30/10

District 2 Debate at Golden Gate Yacht Club at 6:30pm on September 30th

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What else can we say?

The headline says it all!

Our long-delayed District 2 debate WILL happen!

Courts have affirmed that incumbent Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier may not stand for re-election, so there will definitely be a new supervisor for Sea Cliff and Pacific Heights starting in January 2011.

Please join us at 6:30pm at the Golden Gate Yacht Club to get a first hand look at the candidates.

Endorsement Vote at 8pm September 30th ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Right after the D2 debate, paid members will vote our club's endorsements for the Fall election. Members who have been current within the last two years can renew at the time of vote, so bring your checkbook! The Issues & Endorsement Committee met with candidates and initiative proponents and opponents for several hours on August 22. The committee's recommendations are as follows: County Supervisors District 2 - (To be voted on 9/30/10 after the debate) District 4 - Carmen Chiu - 12 District 6 - Debra Walker- 8 / Theresa Sparks -4 District 8 - Rebecca Prozan-8/ Scott Wiener-4 District 10- Lynette Sweet-7/ Steve Moss-3/ Chris Jackson-1 Community College Board Anita Grier & Lawrence Wong -received the committee's recommendation by unanimous consent Board of Education Margaret Brodkin, Emily Murase, & Natasha Hoehn -received the committee's recommendation Local Measures Our club bylaws stipulate a 60% supermajority for a yes or no recommendation. Between 12 and 13 members were present for various votes taken throughout the day. Measures and candidates were not seen in sequential order. AA - Vehicle Registration Fee: SUPPORT (11-2) To increase the vehicle license fee by $10 for each motor vehicle registered in the city and county to fund transportation-related projects and programs that mitigate motor vehicle congestion and pollution in the county. A - Earthquake Safety Retrofit Deferred Loans and Grants: SUPPORT (12-1) $46 Million General Obligation Bond to provide deferred loans and/or grants to pay the costs of seismic retrofits to multi-story wood structures that are at significant risk of substantial damage and collapse during an earthquake. B - City Retirement and Health Plans: SUPPORT (8-Yes 4-No 1-Abstained) This measure's proponent is Public Defender Jeff Adachi. It would increase the amount city employees contribute to the pension plan. Supervisor David Chiu is the official opponent. C - Mayoral Appearance at Board Meetings: OPPOSE (11-2) This is the infamous "question-time" proposal that has been floated before to require the mayor to appear monthly before the board of supervisors for questioning akin to how the British prime minister appears before Parliament. Supervisor Chris Daly is the official proponent of this CHARTER AMENDMENT. Opponents say this measure would weaken the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. D - Non-citizen Voting in School Board Elections: OPPOSE (11-2) Would allow San Francisco residents 18 and older who are the parents, legal guardians or caregivers of children in the San Francisco Unified School District to vote in the elections for the Board of Education, regardless of whether such residents are United States citizens. Supervisor David Chiu is the official proponent of this CHARTER AMENDMENT, which, like measure C, was previously proposed at the Board of Supervisors but not enacted. E - Election Day Voter Registration: NO RECOMMENDATION (7-6) Would establish Election Day voter registration solely for municipal elections. The California Elections Code stipulates a deadline of 15 days before an election. In the 2008 election, the 5 states that allow Election Day registration had the highest turnout. F - Health Service Board Elections: SUPPORT (10-3) Amends the terms of two sitting directors on this board, on a one time basis, shortening one from 5 to 3 years and the other from 5 to 2 years, so that board terms will expire in pairs in the future. Proponents portray this as a good-government measure, but opponents say it unfairly penalizes the two sitting members with foreshortened terms for an insignificant improvement in governance by this obscure board. G - Transit Operator Wages: SUPPORT (13-0) Deletes the current provision in the CITY CHARTER that grants MUNI operators the second highest wages for transit operators and returns to collective bargaining like all other city employee unions. H - Elected Officials on Party Committees: SUPPORT (9-Yes 3-No 1-Abstained) Mayor Gavin Newsom is the official proponent arguing that it would "promote good government" to forbid elected officials from serving simultaneously on a political party central committee. This measure is a reaction to the recent trend (since 2008) of elected supervisors also running for seats on the DCCC. In this year's election some candidate ads have said they were paid for by both their supervisor and DCCC committees. In the June election, some democratic clubs (including ours) discussed whether they should or should not endorse such "dual candidates." I - Saturday Voting: SUPPORT (8-5) This initiative would create a pilot program in connection with the November 8, 2011 General Municipal Election whereby the Department of Elections would be required to open satellite locations for early voting at each of the approximately 400 polling places throughout the county, on the Saturday before the election. J - Hotel Tax Clarification / Temp. Increase: OPPOSE (2-Yes 9-No 2-Abstained) This measure would increase the hotel tax by 2 percentage points and eliminate the loophole by which major online travel agencies evade paying the hotel tax on their "commissions." Mayor Gavin Newsom and the downtown business community are opposed to this measure because they feel the increase will potentially drive tourists away. The mayor has proposed measure K (below) which contains a "poison pill" that kills measure J if K also passes. K - Hotel Tax Clarification and Definitions: SUPPORT (12-Yes 0-No 1-Abstained) This is the mayor's measure opposing measure J. It clarifies the "third-party tax" issue without raising the existing hotel tax of 14%. Both measures restate protections for SRO occupants, so they will remain exempt from the hotel tax. L- Sitting or Lying on Sidewalks: SUPPORT (10-3) This is the infamous "sit-lie" measure, officially proposed by the Mayor, but in reality the brainchild of residents and merchants in the Haight District. Proponents say it would give the police a needed tool to move miscreants along, while opponents decry it as "criminalization" of the poor. M - Community Policing and Foot Patrols: OPPOSE (11-2) Supervisor Mirkarimi is the official proponent of this measure which would formally require the police commission to establish a "Community Policing Policy" and, by the way, includes a poison pill that kills measure L. "Take that, 'Sit Lie!' " N - Real Property Transfer Tax: SUPPORT (11-2) Increases the transfer tax on properties valued between $5 Million and $10 Million to $10 for each $500 of value from $7.50, and adds a new bracket of $12.50 per $500 for properties above $10 Million. Does not affect the current rates for properties valued at less than $5 Million. This measure enjoys broad support: its proponents include supervisors Avalos, Campos, Chiu, Daly, Dufty, Mar, Maxwell and Mirkarimi. Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier is opposed. California State Propositions* 19 - Legalizes Marijuana Under California but Not Federal Law: SUPPORT (10-3) 20 - Redistricting Congressional Districts: OPPOSE (1-Yes 11- No 1-Abstained) 21 - Vehicle Fee to Fund Parks & Wildlife: OPPOSE (2-Yes 10- No 1-Abstained) 22 - Prohibit State Taking Local Funds: NO REC (6-Yes 5- No 2-Abstained) 23 - Suspending Air Pollution Control Law (AB 32): OPPOSE (13-0) 24 - Repeals Business Tax Cut Statute: NO REC (7-Yes 2- No 4-Abstained) 25 - Elim 2/3 Rule for Budget/ Not for Tax: SUPPORT (12-Yes 0- No 1-Abstained) 26 - Requiring Certain Business Fees Be Approved by 2/3 Votes: OPPOSE (13-0) 27 - Eliminates Commission on Redistricting: OPPOSE (3-Yes 8- No 2-Abstained) * Titles edited due to space constraints. Please refer to the California Secretary of State Voter Guide for exact details. Please also remember to vote for the primary-winning Democrats in Statewide and Legislative races, even uncontested Local races.

Bylaws Change - Let's Go Green, People! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At the September 30th meeting, we will also vote to amend our bylaws. Presently, the club's bylaws state: "Except for endorsements, election of officers, and amendment of these articles, written notice of a regular or special meeting may be dispensed with if telephonic and/or electronic notice is given to the general membership of said regular or special meeting at least five days before the date of said meeting." The proposed amendment will allow all future club communications to be sent electronically, while continuing to accommodate members without email.