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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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