Pacific Beach Democratic Club

Newsletter April 2006

Politics, PB and Beyond

REMINDER - The next meeting of the PB Democratic Club is Thursday, April 13, @ 7 PM, in the Community Room in Mission Beach (at entrance to the gym). Lorena Gonzalez will be our speaker, sharing her insights on her recent campaign for City Council and future plans.

At our March meeting, the Club voted to endorse Congressmembers Susan Davis, Bob Filner, Francine Busby, Assemblywoman Lori Saldana and District 2 City Council candidate Kennan Kaeder. Kennan, one of two speakers at the meeting, said his campaign will benefit from higher Democratic voter turn out in June compared to the January 10 special election, and the fact that he’ll hold incumbent Kevin Faulconer accountable for his pro-development stance and agreeing to locate the detox center in District 2.

Scott Chipman of SavePB.org made a presentation on the controversial ’06 proposed block party/street fair, and invited members to join SavePB, which is free to join.

Congresswoman Susan Davis held one of her roving town hall meetings, beginning by inviting the two dozen in attendance to guess the issue on which she has received the most communications from her constituents. To the surprise and evident delight of the audience (they applauded when she announced the topic), Davis said oil drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge was the major concern, followed by Social Security privatization, the Central America Free Trade Agreement and the Endangered Species Act.

Davis said she had voted against authorizing the war in Iraq, preferring that diplomatic and other alternatives be exhausted first, but that she now votes for funding of the war.

To participate in the Sunday, April 2, 2PM walk for Francine Busby and/or the Saturday, April 22 10AM walk for Bob Filner, e-mail Bill Collins jr8098@sbcglobal.net.

A March 28 poll showed Busby with 45% of the vote, well within striking distance of avoiding a run-off and sending a nation-wide message that the voters want a new party to take charge in Washington. Save April 11 for GOTV!

The California league of Conservation Voters issued its 2005 Report Card, which will remind many of us why we’re Democrats. The average Democratic score for Democrats in the Senate was 91%, compared to Republicans, whose average score was 5%. Republican Senators Bill Morrow and Dennis Hollingsworth of San Diego both scored zero. Denise Ducheney had a 65% score.

On top were San Diego’s Christine Kehoe and Lori Saldana at 100% each. (In fact, Kehoe authored three of the bills included on the report card). Juan Vargas voted with the environment 68% of the time. And as for the San Diego County Republicans in the Assembly, (need I say?) - Jay La Suer, Mark Wyland and new GOP leader George Plescia all failed to record a single favorable vote for our environment.

Last and not least, you are cordially invited to the

Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt Dinner

Saturday, April 22^{nd, 2006}

^{At the Holiday Inn on the Bay}

^{1355 North Harbor Drive, Downtown San Diego}

^{Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Keynote Speaker; Marti Emerald, Emcee}

^{5:30-6:30 p.m.: VIP Champagne Reception with Gov. Vilsack}

^{6:00 p.m.: General Reception and Silent Auction}

^{7:00 p.m.: Dinner, Keynote Speech, and Awards Presentation}

^{Dinner Tickets: $75 each (or $85 after April 12th)}

^{VIP Reception only: $200 ~ VIP Reception and Dinner: $250}

^{RSVP and buy your tickets today: (858) 277-3367}