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Agenda updated as of May 1, 2012
Letters from the Chair are posted here and newsletters are here.

AGENDA
Meeting of Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Avenue S.W.,
West Seattle, Washington

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS
"All The Democracy You Can Handle"

Social Time - 6:30 PM
Bring a Potluck Dish to share - meet and greet

Program and Business Meeting
7:00 PM

•   Adopt April meeting minutes
•   2012 Caucuses and State Convention- Caucus Planning web page here
•   Chair/Vice Chair - On the spot recognition

Program:
•  Endorsements! Our May meeting will be all about debating and deciding our endorsements for the primary. We will be deciding who to support in important races like Secretary of State, State Auditor, and Supreme Court. These decisions will then mobilize the organizing force of the 34th District Democrats. Rules governing our endorsements are here. Only members who paid membership dues by the April 11 meeting are eligible to vote unless you were a member in 2011, in which case you may vote if you renew your membership at the meeting. Our voter guide will be printed in June, our volunteers will be at community events recruiting Democrats, and our PCOs will be knocking on doors and gaining votes, one conversation at a time.
•   Resolutions. Supporting Update of the 1872 General Mining Law and Instructing Congress to Oppose the Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement - see text of each below.
•   Other program items to be determined. Contact Tim Nuse, 206.226.4849 with suggestions or ideas.

New Business

•   Appointment of PCOs (if any)
•   Other new business (if any)

Good of the Order

Upcoming meeting agendas will include:
•   June Meeting -

Resolutions

Resolution in Support of Updating the General Mining Law of 1872:
The following resolution will be presented to the membership for approval by Ann Martin at our May 9 meeting:

Whereas the General Mining Law of 1872 continues to govern hard-rock mining of metals like copper, uranium, silver and gold, with a resultant massive giveaway to giant mining companies, including international companies, totaling tens of billions of dollars; and

Whereas Congress’s failure to update our 140-year-old mining law is one of the most egregious, expensive, and destructive failures in federal land management; and

Whereas under the General Mining Law of 1872:mining leases can be purchased at 1872 prices of $2.50–$5.00 an acre, companies can mine publicly owned mineral resources without paying any royalties, and federal land managers must prioritize mining over all other land uses, and there are NO environmental protections - which has led to the pollution of more than 40% of Western U.S. watersheds and left American taxpayers holding the bill for an estimated $30+ billion in mine cleanup and reclamation; and

Whereas Congress has twice tried and failed to reform the law; and Whereas the Obama administration included provisions in its FY 2012 budget that would require the mining industry to pay a reclamation fee on the production of hard-rock minerals based on the volume of material mined and would establish a leasing system for hard-rock mineral mining similar to such leasing fees required for oil and gas production operating on federal lands; and

Whereas the National Forest Service has said it has no choice but to approve the proposed copper and silver mine on Chicago Peak (a holy place for the Salish and Kootenai native tribes, located in Western Montana's Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area) that will provide $20 billion dollars worth of publicly owned minerals to Canadian company Revett Minerals for free; and

Whereas Revett has stated that it plans to commence its Chicago Peak mining operations as early as 2013, and neither amendment of the mining law nor enactment of budgetary provisions is likely to occur before such mining begins;

Therefore be it resolved that the 34th Legislative District Democrats call on the National Forest Service to immediately rescind approval of the Revett Minerals lease for copper and silver mining on Chicago Peak, and we call on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the President of the United States to facilitate such action; and

Therefore be it further resolved that we call on our Congressional delegation to lead the effort to enact an updated mining law that allows land managers to protect Wilderness Areas and other unique public lands from mining, implements strong environmental standards for mines, collects funds for mining reclamation, and puts a fair royalty on the extraction of these publicly owned resources.

Resolution Instructing Congress to Oppose the Trans-Pacific (TIP) Free Trade Agreement
The following resolution will be presented by Jimmy Haun at our May 9 meeting:

Whereas NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and WTO (World Trade Organization) and CAFTA (Central America Free Trade Agreement) and more recent NAFTA-style "free trade" schemes enacted by Congress have contributed to unemployment and de-industrialization in the U.S., and

Whereas those trade schemes lack prohibitions against exploitation of workers or the environment, and lack guarantees against human right abuses, and

Whereas the AFL-CIO, on behalf of 60 unions representing approximately 13 million Americans claims that millions of U.S. jobs have been lost due to corporate-friendly free trade schemes like the proposed TTP, and

Whereas a solid majority of Americans oppose so-called "free trade" schemes,

Now therefore be it resolved that we call on Congress to represent we the people, and to oppose the TTP and other corporate-friendly free trade schemes, and

Be it further resolved that if Members of Congress believe free trade schemes like the TTP are good for the people of our nation, let them bring their beliefs to the communities in which we live, and to the court of public opinion, and

Be it further resolved that because of the importance of this topic we call on Members of Congress who support the TTP and similar free trade schemes to facilitate pro and con debates in their Districts or States that are accessible to the public and where public advocates such as Global Trade Watch shall be guaranteed equal time to present arguments


LAST MONTH'S AGENDA

AGENDA
Meeting of Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Avenue S.W.,
West Seattle, Washington

34TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS
"All The Democracy You Can Handle"

PCO Training - 6:00 PM
To help PCOs and others prepare for the upcoming caucuses.

Social Time - 6:30 PM
Bring a Potluck Dish to share - meet and greet

Program and Business Meeting
7:00 PM

•   Adopt March meeting minutes
•   2012 Caucuses - Caucus Planning web page here
•   Chair/Vice Chair - On the spot recognition

Program:
•   Candidates' Forum - . There will be a candidates' forum for several state-wide competitive races including a Supreme Court race, Secretary of State, and State Auditor.
•   Nominating Convention and Endorsements - We will also vote to officially nominate Representatives Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon and consider several early endorsements in races that are clear cut. Our endorsement rules are here.
•   Resolution - Proposed Constitutional Amendment. See text of the resolution below.
•   Other program items to be determined. Contact Tim Nuse, 206.226.4849 with suggestions or ideas.

New Business

•   Appointment of PCOs (if any)
•   Other new business (if any)

Good of the Order

Upcoming meeting agendas will include:
•   May meeting - primary endorsements in competitive races and will be considered at our April 11 meeting.

Resolution - Constitutional Amendment

Whereas the 34th District Democratic Organization has agreed to support a constitutional amendment to correct the inequities concerning finances during elections, and
Whereas the declaration agreeing to such an amendment is vague, ambiguous and limited, and
Whereas the needs for election reform are broader that the resolution stated, and
Whereas amending the constitution is extremely difficult,
Now therefore, be it resolved that the 34th Legislative District of the State of Washington submit the following amendment with four parts to the City Council of the City of Seattle for consideration in adding their amendment language:
1) Public Financing of Political Campaigns: There shall be public funding of all campaigns for public office irrespective of party affiliation.
a. Upon receipt of a certain number of petitioners collected within the prescribed period of time, the candidate shall receive a prescribed amount of money, franking privileges and other assets for the purpose of persuading voters within the prescribed district to vote for the candidate. This money shall include a personal stipend to allow any person to run for office irrespective of personal wealth.
b. Individual contributions of a prescribed amount shall be allowed by any registered voter for each political campaign. The amount shall be allowed by any registered voter for each political campaign. The amount shall apply to each voter, and shall not be exceeded, even by the candidate. No person shall be allowed to contribute to any candidate that the voter is ineligible to vote for.
c. Should individuals select to join together to make a public statement concerning an issue before the American people, each person shall also be limited to the constraints stated above.
d. No non registered voter or entity shall be allowed to contribute to a political issue or candidate.
2) Redistricting of Political Borders and Campaign Responsibility. A federal commission for the purpose of non biased electoral districts shall be constituted under the auspices of the federal judiciary.
a. An Election Commission shall be established under the direction of the Federal Circuit which has jurisdiction over that particular state.
b. The commission shall redistrict the congressional borders of each state as a result of the census each decade.
c. The commission shall hear, and adjudicate all issues relating disputes resulting during the course of each campaign.
d. Any person convicted of fraud shall receive a penitentiary sentence of not less than ten years.
3) Popular Vote of the President That portion of Article II which directs electors to appoint the President shall be repealed. The President and Vice President shall be elected by the total of the popular vote of all the registered voters eligible to vote in the United States of American.
4) Representation of Washington D.C. There shall be one Senator elected by the residents of Washington, D.C. There shall be a minimum of one Representative elected by the residents of Washington, D.C. Both the Senator and Representative(s) shall have the same privileges and responsibilities accorded the elected Senators and Representatives of the United States.

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May 3 - First Thursday Dems
May 4 - WS Helpline Benefit
May 8 - Evergreen Dem Club
May 9 - 34Dems Monthly Meeting
May 16 - 34th E-Board Meeting
May 18 - Dow's Filing Lunch
May 19 - Jim McDermott Coffee
May 20 - 7th Cong District Caucus
May 22 - KCDems Monthly Meeting
May 23 - W.C. Food Bank
May 23 - Drink Liberally Burien
May 24 - W Seattle Dem Women
May 24 - 34th Diversity Comm
Jun   1 - State Dems Convention

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Elected Officers
Tim Nuse - 206.226.4849
Chair
Sabra Schneider - 206.313.1300
First Vice Chair
David Ginsberg- 206.979.8338
Second Vice Chair
Jeff Upthegrove - 360.362.3180
Treasurer
LeeAnne Beres - 206.932.3642
Secretary
Marcee Stone - 206.465.1963
State Committeewoman
Chris Porter- 206.856.0182
State Committeeman
Lisa Plymate - 206.937.5050
King County Committeewoman
Jimmy Haun - 206.390.2761
King County Committeeman
Betsy Shedd - 206.722.5615
KC Committeewoman Alt
Dorsol Plants - 206.355.7900
KC Committeeman Alt

Committee Chairs
Brian Earl - 206.935.3731
By-Laws Chair
Sabra Schneider - 206.313.1300
Communications Chair
Tamsen Spengler - 206.932.2772
Diversity Chair
Walter Sive - 206.933.7577
Finance Chair
Carol Frillman - 206.935.5745
Fundraising Chair
Mike Heavey - 206.755.1576
Hospitality Chair
Les Treall- 206.948.5423
Legislative Action
Laura Hicks - 206.949.7802
Membership Chair
Steve Butts - 206.935.0798
Outreach Chair
Karl de Jong
PCO Chair - 206.409.2050
Open
Program Chair
Open
Parliamentarian
Jackie Dupras - 206.935.9683
Newsletter Editor
Bill Schrier - 206.937.8045
Web Editor

E-Board Minutes
and Documents

2011 Mid-Summer Classic
2009 Candidates' Forum
2008 Garden Party, Auction
LD Caucus - April 2008
Nelson Oath-Office - Nov '07
State Rep. Candidates' - Oct '07
McDermott Sworn-In - Oct '07
Nominating. McDermott - Oct '07
Endorsements Mtg - Sep '07
Maggie Awards - Oct '06
Parade Photos - July '06
Kickoff Erik-Eileen-Joe Jul '06
State Convention - June 2006
Clean-up's - May 2006
Outreach - May 2006
Caucus - April 2006
Other galleries