April Monthly Meeting Minutes
https://34dems.org/wp-content/themes/osmosis/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 34th Democrats 34th Democrats https://34dems.org/wp-content/themes/osmosis/images/empty/thumbnail.jpgApril 2017 Meeting Minutes
34th District Democrats
District Reorganization Meeting
4/12/17
The Hall at Fauntleroy
- Meeting called to order at 7:09 by Chair David Ginsberg
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Recognition of VIPs and Elected Officials:
- Lorena Gonzalez – Running for re-election, Seattle City Council Position 9
- Her priorities: Sustainable Police Reform, getting paid family leave statewide, and a
- Legal defense fund for undocumented immigrants and refugees
- Judge David Mann
- Joe McDermott – King County Council
- Update: Resilience fund voted through committee to help the 1 in 4 King County
- Residents who are foreign born
- Lorena Gonzalez – Running for re-election, Seattle City Council Position 9
- Approval of the Minutes – (M)oved, (Seconded) and (P)assed
- Adoption of the Agenda – MSP
- Chairs Report –
- Short explanation of the Showdown Format. 5 rounds, questions pulled from a hat, each
- Candidate has 2 minutes. Top 6 as voted by the Membership move on to the 2nd round
- Expressed need for a Fundraising Committee Co-Chair
- Solicited suggestions for Garden Party theme
- Announced Campaign kickoff for Dave Upthegrove on April 13
- Legislative Action Committee highlighted sheet of ideas to support a Democratic Budget
- Showdown in the 34th — Seattle City Council Position #8
- MC Chris Porter announced Jenn Huff had dropped out of the race and Rudy Pantoja could not make it.
- Speaker order chosen at random
- First – John Grant
- Make Seattle affordable, get corporations out of politics, is only accepting small donations.
- (Q)uestion: How to protect commuters and visitors downtown. (A)nswer: The Bicycle Master Plan and the Center City initiatives must be funded, impact fees should be considered
- Second – Teresa Mosqueda
- Heavily endorsed, focus on Healthcare and affordable housing, family leave and childcare.
- (Q) Her opinion of homeless camp sweeps (A) Homelessness is a public health crisis, we need to get people inside and out of the elements
- Special Appearance by Representative Pramila Jayapal – Updated on current priorities:
- College for All with Bernie Sanders
- Healthcare
- Immigration
- Medicaid cut by $800 million under Trumpcare proposal, its defeat was a victory for the American people, and she has signed on to HR 676, Medicare For All.
- Of the Puget Sound area – “We are the Moral Conscience of our country!”
- Trump’s action against Syria was unconstitutional, and Syria is not an imminent threat
- “You can’t bomb your way to peace.”
- OPEN THE REFUGEE GATES BACK UP!
- Trump’s budget adds $54 million to the military and takes $54 million from EVERYTHING else.
- Keep Resisting – “Strength emerges from times of crisis.”
- Adam Smith may sign on to the College for All bill.
- Emphasized the importance of workers and unions, and of OSHA standards and workplace safety rules.
- Is Moving to West Seattle!
- Third – James Passey – Libertarian
- Taxation should be the LAST option considered. Is in favor of “Responsible Taxation”.
- (Q) What advice for Seattle Schools to address achievement gap between white students and students of color. (A) Supports higher wages for teachers and the right for them to organize.
- Wants to “help the adults help the kids”
- Fourth – Sheley Secrest – Law clerk, VP of the local NAACP chapter, worked for the Urban League.
- Her community got her where she is, we should “lift as we climb.” (Q) Does she support the annexation of White Center (A) Example of Skyway, suspects people in White Center feel like they “are on an island.”
- Fifth – Ryan Asbert – Developing Collaborative Democracy, a new kind of representation which is transparent and accessible.
- (Q) How to spread tax reform (A) Is open to any tax proposal, sees the sales tax as regressive,
- Doors are open to anything
- Sixth – Charlene Strong – Need to be caring, and citizens should have a voice. Works as a civil rights commissioner.
- (Q) Supports a progressive income tax? (A) Yes. Sales taxes are regressive. Property taxes should be lowered as well
- Seventh – Mac McGregor – 1st transgendered candidate in the state. Seattle needs to support diversity. “We will never be a first class society if there are second class citizens.”
- (Q) Catholic hospitals should disclose their policies on care that they provide, Yes or No? (A) Yes
- Eighth – Dr. Hisam Goweli – Professor at the UW, is a medical doctor. Advocating for the homeless and POC/LGBTQ, also for quality, affordable health care, housing, affordability, and greater access to cultural services.
- (Q) Opposed to metered parking in West Seattle? (A) More reliable mass transit is needed, then people wouldn’t complain about parking
- Membership votes for who continues to 2nd round. Questions from a hat.
- Jon Grant, Teresa Mosqueda, Sheley Secrest, Charlene Strong and Hisam Goweli move on
- Hisam – (Q) How to address sex trafficking? (A) Has worked with victims in trauma and ERs, counsels them as well. This issue affects EVERYONE and there should be Zero Tolerance
- Charlene – (A) Do you oppose a new stadium in SODO (A) Yes. Impact on Port and its labor force is too great, cannot afford the effect on traffic as well
- Sheley – (Q) Her recommendations to builders to address housing issues (A) Points out she would be the only renter on the Council. There absolutely should be more affordable housing, as it is a public health issue
- Jon – (Q) What can be done to address the housing fiasco in Seattle? (A) Former head of the Tenant’s Union. (A) 25% of new buildings should be affordable. Is running a campaign of specificity, there should be a corporate tax to help build affordable housing
- Teresa and Jon to Final Round.
- Question #1 – How would they address Food Deserts?
- Jon – City should incentivize corner markets, rent control for commercial properties
- Teresa – Seattle is known for prosperity, BUT we should not have Food Deserts. Community plots should be available for locally grown/produced food. All of her policies would be viewed through a Health/Equity lens
- Jon’s response – What are Teresa’s specifics?
- Teresa’s response – Has done the work , has brought the people who are affected to the table for the discussion
- Question #2 – Opinion of All Our Best, a new mayoral program to help African American males
- Teresa – Communities of Color have less access to good jobs. School to Prison pipeline needs to be broken. Involve the people affected in the discussion
- Jon – Favors Restorative Justice for students. Expulsion should be the last option, try to keep the kids in school/ Develop and implement a program for post school life
- Teresa’s response – Points out that prosperity is not being shared, and she will speak for the forgotten
- Jon’s response – The community must be engaged as City Hall has been unresponsive. Big Business should pay impact fees to help fund schools
- Question #1 – How would they address Food Deserts?
- Closing Statements
- Jon – City Council voted against affordable housing, he will push for it
- Teresa – She will make sure that Seattle works for everyone
- Winner of the Shootout: Jon Grant
- Jon – 53 votes
- Teresa – 44 votes
- Moved and Seconded to endorse Jon, Teresa, Sheley, Hasim and Charlene
- Members vote by paper ballot, tallying of the ballots begins
- Burien Candidates introduced:
- Pedro Olguin
- Krystal Marx
- Charles Schaefer – identifies as a Libertarian
- Jimmy Matta
- Nancy Tosta for Deputy Mayor
- Endorsement for Seattle City Council Position #8
- Question from the membership: Is Jon Grant eligible for our endorsement? He is running as a Democratic Socialist
- (Meanwhile, tallying of the ballots continues)
- Much discussion. It is MSP to table this endorsement until the May meeting. Vote was by show of hands, 42 for tabling 28 against.
- Results of ballot are announced:
- Jon – 34 votes, 42%
- Teresa – 36 votes, 44%
- Charlene -1 vote, 1.2%
- Sheley – 4 votes, 4.9%
- Hasim – 6 votes, 7.4%
- Treasurer’s Report – 406 members! Budget outlined, moved and seconded to approve.
- Slate of Committee Chair nominees announced:
- Carrie Alexander for Events
- Chris Godwin for Finance
- Chris Porter for Fundraising Co-Chair
- Appointment of PCOs:
- Irene Stewart -1473
- Hugo Garcia – 0913
- Christina McHugh – 1471
- Craig Branham – 3632
- Jason Cheung – 1255
- Good of the Order
- 9:50 – Meeting Adjourned.