Terrific news for the CA 80th Assembly District.  Voter registration figures, donations, numbers of volunteers, good issues, and an expectation to win will combine to help us say ‘Adios, Gonnie Barcia (who is termed out), and the Repugnants (who are freaked out) at last!’

Voting and voter registration figures have long been trending Democratic in the Coachella Valley.  As indicated in my earlier post, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, and Coachella all gave John Kerry/John Edwards ticket majorities in 2004.  Given the mood of the electorate, it is clearly expected that these five cities, and probably more, will give the Democratic nominee a majority vote in 2008 as well.

Details below the flip…

Regarding voter registration, as of 2007, Palm Springs, now has the following voter registration figures:

• Democrats  10,406    44%
• Repugnants  8,507  36%
• Other  853  4%
• Decline to State  3,651  16%
• Total  23,417  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  60%

In addition, Cathedral City, now has the following 2007 voter registration figures:

• Democrats  6,788  38%
• Repugnants  8,049  45%
• Other  549  3%
• Decline to State  2,467  14%
• Total  17,853  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  52%

Meanwhile, Desert Hot Springs, has the following 2007 voter registration:

• Democrats  2,266  33%
• Repugnants  3,332  49%
• Other  290  4%
• Decline to State  978   14%
• Total  6,866  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  47%

Indio, has the following 2007 voter registration figures:

• Democrats  9,773  45%
• Repugnants  8,654  40%
• Other  623  3%
• Decline to State  2,724  3%
• Total  21,779  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  48%

And, finally, Coachella, has the following 2007 voter registration:

• Democrats  4,907  64%
• Repugnants  1,864  24%
• Other  147  2%
• Decline to State  709   9%
• Total  7,619  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  73%

Regarding the less Democratic cities, Rancho Mirage, has the following 2007 voter registration:

• Democrats  3,005  31%
• Repugnants  5,018  52%
• Other  261  3%
• Decline to State  1,435   15%
• Total  9,719  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  46%

La Quinta, has the following 2007 voter registration:

• Democrats  4,522  28%
• Repugnants  8,847  55%
• Other  500  3%
• Decline to State  2,164   13%
• Total  9,719  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  41%

Palm Desert, has the following 2007 voter registration:

• Democrats  6,975  30%
• Repugnants  12,104  53%
• Other  781  3%
• Decline to State  3,172   14%
• Total  9,719  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  44%

Indian Wells, has the following 2007 voter registration:

• Democrats  549  18%
• Repugnants  2,018  67%
• Other  86  3%
• Decline to State  348   12%
• Total  9,719  100%
• Total Democrats & Decline2State  30%

I have added the Democratic and the Decline to State percentages together as most Decline2Staters are presently voting Democratic and the trend is sure to continue as long as the Repugnants continue their petulance.

Information on donations, volunteers, issues, and expectations that will contribute to victory in the CA 80th Assembly Distict in November 2008 to follow.

The following is based on a news release that I received from the Greg Pettis campaign for the 80th AD.

The San Bernardino, Riverside Building Trade Council of the State Building & Construction Trades Council endorses Greg Pettis’ bid for the 80th Assembly District.

For Immediate Release:  September 24, 2007

For More Information:  Richard Oberhaus
  760-413-7938

PETTIS ENDORSED BY BUILDING TRADES

The San Bernardino, Riverside Building Trade Council, the local
  affiliate of the State Building & Construction Trades Council, represents 32 locals and over 11,000 workers
  throughout the Inland Empire and they are joined by the 198 locals
  across California with over 350,000 workers supporting Greg Pettis.

“We are pleased to support Greg Pettis for Assembly,” said Bill
  Perez, Secretary-Treasurer of the San Bernardino, Riverside Building Trade Council. “His 13-year record in Cathedral City demonstrates his
  commitment to working families.”

The local Building Trade Council joins the Riverside/San Bernardino Labor
  Council, Riverside Mayor Ronald Loveridge, Palm Springs City
  Councilmember Ginny Foat, Desert Hot Springs Mayor Alex Bias, Cathedral City
  Councilmember Paul Marchand, El Centro City Councilmember Sedalia Sanders and
  former Coachella Mayor Juan DeLara in supporting Pettis .

Pettis is considered the Democratic frontrunner in the race to replace
  Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, who will be stepping down due to term
  limits. He has raised more money and has more donors than all the other
  Democratic candidates combined based on the last filings with
  California’s Secretary of State.

He has a long list of accomplishments including making homes more
  affordable for first-time homebuyers, creating safer routes to school for
  children, negotiating the Multi-Species Habitat Program and standing up
  to Wal-Mart’s unfair labor practices.

The Coachella Valley has several local Democratic Clubs that are actively turning the Coachella Valley Blue.  More specifically, the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee lists six Coachella Valley Democratic clubs including the Democrats of the Desert, the Desert Stonewall Democrats, the Democrats in Sun City, the Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club, the Democratic Women of the Desert, and the Palm Springs Democratic Club.  In addition, the seventh club is the Desert Hot Springs Democratic Club.

Here is the contact information for each of the six Democratic Clubs in the Coachella Valley:

Democrats in Sun City
Contact: Arnie Kaminsky, President
Phone: (760) 200-5326
E-mail: [email protected]

Desert Stonewall Democrats
Contact: George Zander, Chair
Phone: (760) 320-5787
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: Desert Stonewall Democrats

National Stonewall Democrats Mission
Pride in Our Country, Pride in Our Family, Pride in Our Party

Desert Stonewall Democrats Montly Meetings:
The second SATURDAY of each month
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
@ the Desert Pride Center
611 South Palm Canyon
Palm Springs
760-327-2313

Palm Desert Greens Democratic Club
Contact: Charlie Ara, President
Phone: (760) 341-4301
E-mail: [email protected]

Democratic Women of the Desert
Contact: Marlene Levine, Membership Chair
Phone: (760) 777-7440
E-mail: [email protected]

Democrats of the Desert
Contact: Elle Kurpiewski, President
Phone: (760) 328-9425
Fax: (760) 322-4785
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: Democrats of the Desert

Democrats of the Desert Mission:
To advance Democratic values and to work to elect Democratic candidates at all levels of government.

Democrats of the Desert Monthly Meetings
the 3rd SATURDAY of each month
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
@ the Cathedral City Senior Center,
68-727 East Palm Canyon Drive,
Cathedral City

Palm Springs Democratic Club
Contacts: Bob Thomas, Lisa Arbelaez
Phone: (760) 409-5871
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: Palm Springs Democratic Club

Palm Springs Democratic Club Mission:
*To grow the number of Democratic registered voters in Palm Springs and to increase the number of Permanent Vote by Mail (PVBM) registered voters.
*To maximize turnout of Democratic registered voters in all elections and primaries: municipal, state and federal.
*To elect Democratic candidates.

Desert Hot Springs Democratic Club
Contacts: Will Pieper, Chuck McDaniel
Phones: 760-808-5986, 951-453-0250

Desert Hot Springs Democrats Meetings:
the 4th SATURDAY of each month
11:00 a.m.
@ Shilla Resort Hotel (formerly La Toscana Resort Hotel)
11032 Palm Drive
Desert Hot Springs
@ the Paradise Grill Restaurant

Please be gentle as this is my first post on Calitics.com.

Beth Caskie, a member of the Democrats of the Desert and a diarist on Calitics.com, with the assistance of George Zander, President of the Desert Stonewall Democrats organized a fascinating meeting re blogging in the Coachella Valley.  Well-attended, this meeting raised awareness of the importance of blogging in turning the Coachella Valley blue.

Recent history shows that the Coachella Valley is already well on the way to becoming Blue Coachella Valley.  Zander noted that the Coachella Valley is already blue on both ends with five cities giving John Kerry their majority vote in 2004 (Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, and Cathedral City in the West Valley and Indio and Coachella in the East).

Greg Pettis reports that in 1995, Ron Oden was elected to the Palm Springs City Council as its sole Democrat.  Simultaneously, Pettis was voted to the Cathedral City City Council as its lone Democrat.  In 2003, Oden became the first African-American and first openly-gay mayor of Palm Springs.  Simultaneously, Ginny Foat and Steve Pougnet each won City Council seats as Democrats, giving the Palm Springs City Council three Democrats on the five member council!!!  Likewise, in 2004, Cathedral City elected a majority of Democrats including Pettis and Paul Marchand to its City Council.

In 2005, Foat was by far the biggest vote getter in the Palm Springs council race for a complete term and John Williams just barely lost to the Republican incumbent after a last-minute yellow journalistic assault by the local so-called newspaper (aka the Desert Scum).

For your information, in 2007, Pougnet is running to succeed Oden as mayor of Palm Springs when Oden elected to not run for re-election.  Pougnet is highly favored to become the second consecutive openly gay Democrat mayor in Palm Springs.

In addition, Rick Hutcheson, Planning Commission member, has received the endorsement of all three Palm Springs Democratic clubs including Democrats of the Desert, Desert Stonewall Democrats, and Palm Springs Democrats.  In turn, Williams has received endorsements from Desert Stonewall Democrats and Palm Springs Democrats.  On the downside, rather than endorse Williams, the Democrats of the Desert endorsed Bob Mahlowitz.  According to some this action resulted in the recent decision of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee to withhold formal endorsements for any Democrats in the Palm Springs City Council race.  However, with 40% of the Palm Springs electorate identified as members of the GLBT community, with the increasing Latino voter registration, and with Democrats far outdistancing Republicans in voter registrations in the past few years, Palm Springs is poised to have four Democrats on City Council!

Cathedral City with its two Democratic City Councilmen, Pettis and Marchand, means that Cat City will shortly follow Palm Springs into the Blue Coachella Valley.  Also, prior to his unexpected death, Gary Bosworth was the biggest vote-getter in the Desert Hot Springs city council race in 2005.  Desert Hot Springs Democrats hope to regain this seat during the current election cycle.  Residents of both Indio and Coachella in ‘Down Valley’ regularly elect progressive Democrats for mayor and city council.

So, the idea of a Blue Coachella Valley is no longer a fanciful dream, but should with the ongoing presence of strong local Democratic clubs and demonstrated Democratic unity become reality!

Thanks to soyinkafan for helping me to learn how to incorporate hypertext links into my text.  You obviously have great kharma!

My friend Carole, a terrific Democrat who knows how to work a room, had the ear of a Major Insider at the Magic Johnson party for Hillary this past week (I’m still listening to everyone and leaning Obama).  She was pushing for DC attention to the CA-45th, as she often does, because we have two Democratic candidates (so far) to challenge Mary Bono, and our Dem candidate will need some real support.  Mr. Major Insider thought our GOP/Dem breakdown was 80/20ish, a common misconception, and one which drives Carole right up the wall.  Our actual numbers are: 

Dem (35.85%) * Rep (45.53%) * Other (18.62%)

Not only that, the CA-45th has a high growth rate with newcomers trending Democratic, a weak Bushbot incumbent, a bargain media market (for California), and last year’s race was the first potentially competitive one in thirty years.  But the DCCC gave Roth no tangible support.  So why no love from Washington?  Follow me past the flip for the many reasons why the Democratic Party needs to start playing to win in the CA-45th.

The CA-45th is an ideal prototype for the Democratic Party to show how we can turn more red districts blue.  It’s time to take advantage of the national mood, our local demographic shift, and a laughably weak incumbent.  Once the playground of Presidents flips to the Democrats, just imagine the impact nationally.  It’s closer than you think.

The CA-45th got serious attention last election cycle, just not from the DCCC.  21st Century Democrats endorsed David Roth and sent a fantastic staffer to work the district.  Barbara Boxer’s PAC for a Change and the Blue America PAC endorsed Roth.  The Calitics team frontpaged several Roth diaries.  George Miller, Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, and Loretta Sanchez stumped for Roth.

Roth raised over 700K, which was a universe apart from previous efforts.  He forced Mary Bono to raise twice as much.  Despite a virtual blackout from the GOP-owned local papers, he drew unprecedented crowds for a Democrat in the area, and heard from countless Republicans who craved a change.  But Mary Bono had the money she needed for a media blitz during the last two weeks of the campaign.  Roth got nothing from the DCCC but a late designation as an Emerging Race, and Cheesecake Factory cake on election night.  He had no media presence to speak of, despite the most dynamic campaign by a Democrat in this district in thirty years.  This simply can’t happen again, because the district is ripe to flip.  NB:  Barbara Boxer, recent addition to Rancho Mirage, received 49% in the CA-45th  in 2004. 

In DC, “everyone knows” that the CA-45th is a bastion of conservatism, with a presumed 80/20 advantage for the GOP.  The actual registration as of October 23, 2006 is:

Dem – 115,874 (35.85%)
Rep – 147,158 (45.53%)
Other – 60,214 (18.62%)

2.5% of the Other are registered American Independent/Green, so subtract that, you still have 16.12% unaffiliated voters.  The total of Democrats plus unaffiliated-  (51.97%).

That was last year, but what of the future?  The Press Enterprise says that Republicans are losing their grip on the Inland Empire.  According to the study last July by UC-Riverside researcher Karthick Ramakrishnan, Department of Political Science:

“The results from our survey reveal a roughly equal proportion of eligible voters who identify with the Democrat(ic) and Republican party..  ……

….Naturalized citizens, who have the least experience with the U.S. political system, are least likely to identify with either of the major political parties.  By contrast, second-generation immigrants (those born in the U.S. to immigrant parents) are more likely than the rest of the population to identify as Democrats. 

Finally, there are clear differences in party identification between newcomers and long-term residents in the Inland Empire. Newer residents are less likely than long-term residents to identify as Republicans (27% vs. 37%), and more likely to identify as Democrat or Independent.  Even taking into account those independents who lean towards either party, there is a noticeable difference between recent residents who favor Democrats and more established residents who split nearly evenly between the two parties.”

It would be sheer negligence to allow this district to remain Republican.  Current conventional wisdom on the CA-45th also overlooks the politically active gay population in Palm Springs, and the increasingly powerful generation of progressive leaders taking over in the East Coachella Valley.  Eduardo Garcia’s successful mayoral race in Coachella registered 15,000 new voters, and he is widely regarded as a rising star in local politics, as is Manuel Pérez, candidate for the California 80th Assembly District.  The political energy here is blue. 

Mary Bono has a solid Bushbot record, no capacity to face a serious challenger in a debate, and her sympathetic image as the widow of Sonny Bono is now one divorce and one engagement past its shelf date.  With a serious voter education effort (and there’s a lot of bang for the buck in this media market), Bono’s support among Republican environmentalists and moderates is vulnerable, and the potential support from middle and working class residents for a Democratic challenger is huge. 

The Democratic votes are here if we are willing to go get them.  And let’s not forget that even though the California Republican Party is in disarray, the 2008 presidential race is in jeopardy if the GOP dirty tricks/electoral votes grab initiative gets on the California ballot.  The Democratic Party needs to play to win in the CA-45th.  There is simply no excuse not to.

P.S.  As soon as I know more about our Democratic challengers, I’ll post it.  One is not ready to surface, and the other is still processing his FEC paperwork.  But hallelujah, they exist at last!

xposted to Daily Kos & OpenLeft

Some of Coachella Valley’s finest, from left to right: Steve Hernandez-City Councilman of Coachella, Manuel Perez-Candidate for State Assembly, Eduardo Garcia-Mayor of Coachella, and Mike Duran-President, Desert Sands Teachers’ Association. 

Last night, Eddie Garcia hosted a casual party to raise funds for the People’s Candidate for the 80th Assembly District in California.  Eddie talked about the inspiring example Manuel Pérez provided the future Mayor of Coachella:  Manuel went to UC Riverside, then came back and taught, then went on to Harvard for his MA in Education, then came back again to foster social justice.  We have a whole generation of bright, socially conscious leaders coming up in the Coachella Valley – all committed to our community and each other. 

Here’s where you come in:  my ActBlue page.  More after the flip.

Manuel Pérez is exactly the kind of candidate the netroots are talking about.  Here’s David Dayen’s (dday) take on Pérez.  Here is my latest account of the campaign so far.  Read and enjoy.  The national news still disappoints, but things are looking up here in the California desert.

Here’s Pérez and his campaign manager, the brave and beautiful social activist Amalia Deaztlan:

Here’s Pérez at work:

And at home:

{At the Mayor’s party for Manuel Pérez last night, I had the chance to show everyone the best thing that’s happened all week: the new Coachella Valley section of Calitics.  I can’t say it often enough, Brian Leubitz of Calitics is a national treasure.  Thank you, Brian!}

Crossposted to Daily Kos

Subscribe to Calitics – Coachella Valley by Email

Photo from flickr user Roadup. Original here.

I’m starting a new series here at Calitics.  We’ve seen with the budget fight and the difficulties funding health care reform that the current balance of power in the Legislature just isn’t cutting it.  This is particularly irksome because they daylight is clearly seen at the end of the tunnel.  5 Assembly seats and just 2 Senate seats would bring 2/3 majorities in those chambers, and yet there is little or no talk within Democratic circles of explicitly going after the vulnerable seats within reach that would give us those numbers.

Well, you shouldn’t wait for others tomorrow to begin what you can do today.  So I’m going to be profiling districts and candidates that can get us to what should be the overriding goal of 2/3 majorities.

We begin today in California’s 80th Assembly District, which largely covers the desert region around Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Indian Wells, but which encompasses Imperial County all the way down to the Mexico border.  This district is currently held by Republican and hot Latina Bonnie Garcia, yet there are a plurality of Democrats there.  This is the most Democratic seat held by a term-limited Republican, though obviously that term limit can be overturned.  But regardless, this seat represents an opportunity.  And I met with the man who can not only deliver that seat, but who can give rise to a new movement of young people of color devoted to improving the lives of their constituents.

That man is Manuel Pérez.

I met with Manuel at a coffee shop in Indio, a working-class town surrounded by the posh hotels and golf courses of the Palm Springs area.  It really is a haves versus the have-nots story, with resorts fighting with growers for water resources from the Colorado River, to name just one pressure point.  When you move into Imperial County, where the population is 75% Latino and over 65% speak Spanish as their first language, that dichotomy is even more stark.  In this environment, someone with ties to the land is crucial.  And Pérez’ history goes back generations.

Manuel Pérez’ parents were immigrants who met in the fields while chasing the crops they picked for work.  His mother worked 26 years in the fields, despite raising a family.  His father became a veteraño (a veteran of the migrant fields) and worked for the city of Indio on water issues.  Growing up in Coachella and Calexico, Manuel worked in the fields himself over the summers when he wasn’t in school.  His parents understood the importance of education, teaching the values of “service and sacrifice and social justice,” and pushing him to advance as far as he could go.  At an early age, he saw a community of gangs and drugs where his best friend was killed in a drive-by shooting. 

He became the only person in his family to go on to higher education, getting his bachelor’s degree at UC-Riverside (and becoming an organizer on campus).  He had the opportunity to get a master’s degree in Social Policy at Harvard, and took it.  Instead of leaving his community behind, he returned to it, organizing field campaigns throughout the state for candidates and issues like Schools Not Jails.  This is someone who hasn’t waited around for higher office to make a difference in his community; he’s rolled up his sleeves and dived in.  As a director for the Borego Community Health Foundation, he’s created one of the first diabetes resource center in the desert region and has delivered health services to underserved regions.  As a researcher for the California Institute for Rural Studies, he put together a groundbreaking study on women’s reproductive health issues in Imperial County, where women have little opportunities and resources to manage their own health.  With Promotores, he’s part of a group of community-based leaders devoted to teaching  about health issues and making sure people in the community get the facts about programs at their disposal.  As a schoolteacher he started his school’s first ever Chicano Studies program designed to allow students to learn history from their perspective.  With the Eastern Coachella Valley Social Change Collaborative, he identified farm workers living in the area and trained them to be community leaders themselves.  Believe it or not, he’s only 34.

Eventually, Pérez and like-minded community leaders saw the ability to effect social change through policymaking.  So they founded an affiliation called “Raises,” or Roots, a group of people from the community who got their educations elsewhere and then returned to lead.  They decided to work in campaigns and put up candidates.  The first year, Pérez was voted onto the Coachella Valley School Board.  And Eddie Garcia was elected to city council in Coachella.  Then Garcia was voted mayor, and Steve Hernandez was elected to city council.  It went from 1 to 2 to 3 and this year 5 members running for office and seeking social change.  These are community leaders built from the bottom up, infused with the desire and obligation to give back.  In Garcia’s mayoral election, they signed up 15,000 new voters, and criscrossed the region 5 or 6 times, knocking on doors persistently despite being outspent by 3 to 1.  Garcia took 70% of the vote, and so did Pérez.

Manuel Pérez is not only a perfect fit for this district, providing an opportunity to retake this seat and get us closer to 2/3.  He represents a new generation of Hispanic-Americans who are dedicated to working for change from the bottom up.  He would bring to Sacramento a unique set of skills, as someone who can build coalitions and train a group of leaders far into the future.  There are primary candidates on the Democratic side for this seat who appear to be very nice.  I don’t think anyone combines the résumé and the hope for the future more than Manuel Pérez.

He has an ActBlue page and he is worth your support.

(I should add that if anyone knows of a great legislative candidate they’d like me to profile for the Drive for 2/3, please email me at dday-at-calitics-dot-com.)

(I think this diary could be considered a nomination diary. Thoughts? – promoted by Bob Brigham)

What a lovely family Manuel Pérez has.  Not a surprise, of course, and they throw a great party.  Great music, much dancing, and generous campaign cash raised in honor of Manuel’s birthday. 

It’s not too late to give him an ActBlue birthday gift, with love from the netroots nation.  Why you really want to, what is the latest from Sacramento re: Manuel, who’s getting festive with the Mayor of Coachella, and truly adorable pictures of tiny children watching the grown ups dance -after the flip.

Crossposted at Daily Kos

Previous CA 80th AD diaries:
Goodbye, Bonnie Garcia-Hello, Manuel Pérez
Pérez in the California 80th AD
(CA 80th) Honoring César Chávez in Coachella

Manuel Pérez is busier than usual these days.  Now that the Senate Republicans are done slashing services from the state budget, Borrego Community Health Foundation has to move fast to make up the time lost while their funding was on hold.  Otherwise, Pérez is on the phone and in the communities from Calexico to Palm Springs, listening to this district. 

Last week, Manuel Pérez was back in Sacramento with his colleagues allied with the California Endowment for the Agricultural Workers Health Conference.  Pérez was one of the authors of a past report funded by the California Endowment, In Their Own Words, Farmworker Access to Health Care in Four California Regions  (pdf): 

Authors
In Their Own Words: Farmworker Access to Health Care in Four California Regions is based
upon information gathered in the Agricultural Workers Health Study, a research project conducted by the California Institute for Rural Studies beginning in September, 2001.  When completed, the research study will have spanned six regions, the first four of which are profiled in this report. The Agricultural Workers Health Study reflects the collective effort of a professional cohort of dedicated researchers, field ethnographers, writers, and editors who have worked in teams to produce lengthy regional case studies. The compilers of this report gratefully recognize the extensive work and time devoted to the project by the following members of the East Coachella Valley, North Orange Belt/Tulare County, North San Diego County, and Oxnard/Santa Clarita Valley research teams:

Marisol Ayala
Marcus Clarke
Kenneth Kambara, Ph.D.
Natalie Karst
Heather Kun
Richard Mines, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Nancy Mullenax, Ph.D.
Kara Nygaard
Victor Manuel Pérez, M.Ed.
John Nagiecki, M.A.
Lisette Saca
Mireya Samaniego
Kurt Schroeder
Crispin Shelley
Xochitl Villasenor
Amy L. Wilson
Disha Zaidi, M.A.

The California Institute for Rural Studies is a nonprofit social science research organization that studies questions related to social justice, environmental balance, and economic sustainability in rural California.

The initial seed money for this project came from the California Program on Access to Care (CPAC), which is part of the California Policy Research Center (CPRC). CPRC serves as a research support arm of the Office of the President of the University of California. CPAC focuses on health care policy issues.

The California Endowment, a statewide philanthropic organization focused on improving the health status of all Californians, provided generous support for the Agricultural Workers Health Study.

Manuel Pérez was also the original program director for the Poder Popular program in East Coachella Valley, and caught up with his former colleagues after their presentation at the conference.  They are enthusiastic about his campaign, and Manuel had excellent meetings with Assemblymember Joe Coto, Assemblymember Richard Polanco, his friends at Verde Group, and others.  Manuel Pérez is the best candidate for the CDP to run in the CA 80th AD race against the GOPer, but he’s not the big money Democrat in the primary, and that’s still a huge factor.  Did I mention my ActBlue page for Manuel Pérez?

Yes, September is the time to make the fundraising equal to the mojo.  The next fundraiser for Manuel Pérez, the People’s Candidate for the 80thAD, is hosted by the Mayor of Coachella, Eduardo Garcia. 

OK.  As promised, and cuter than a pootie pic, here’s a little angel who watched Manuel and Gladys dancing last month at the family birthday party. 
She so looked like she wanted to be dancing, too.  So her sister stepped in:

thank goodness, because if that child didn’t get to dance I didn’t think I was going to be able to bear it. 

A word from our last staff meeting, from the wise and charming Dr. David Skinner, “Everyone is someone, and no human being is illegal.”  Let’s put some fuel in the campaign of a guy who works for human rights on the local level, and actually makes the difference that Democrats are all about.  (Click it.  Hey, man, I did it for Darcy Burner.)

Manuel Pérez, quoted in the  The Desert Sun recently:

Solis’ legislation gives the Interior Department three years to study sites “significant to the life of César E. Chávez and the farm labor movement in the western United States.” Officials will examine ways to preserve the sites and interpret them to the public.

…… “This goes beyond just honoring him because it helps in so many ways,” Perez said. “He was always very family-oriented and an advocate for leadership development, youth development. The fact that we can dedicate these spaces in our communities for families and youth is such a positive thing.”  Perez, who recalls working on the farms as a child, said his parents were migrant farmworkers who settled in Coachella.  Now Perez is a school board member for the Coachella Valley Unified School District and a candidate for state assembly,  which he said reminds him to “appreciate the sacrifices of people like Chávez who did it in order to build up our communities.”

Crossposted at Daily Kos

Also quoted, our own Joe Mota:

“It’s a beginning and a good start to honoring a man that did so much for the plight of farmworkers,” said Joe Mota of Cathedral City.  Mota worked for UFW as regional director for Southern California from 2001-06.

“He was a very spiritual man,” Mota added, “and giving him parks is an honorable way to remember him because not only did he care for people but he cared so much about nature.”

This bodes well for The Desert Sun, let’s hope. 

It’s a treat to find unsolicited positive press on your candidate in the morning paper, and perhaps it’s a trend away from the usual RW worlitzer fare.  Today they ran an editorial supporting the legislation to honor Chavez,  and weeks ago The Desert Sun lauded Eddie Garcia, the new mayor of Coachella, for his rapid success in attracting businesses and providing civic services, just as he said he would. 

César Chávez so shaped many lives in this district.  It’s no coincidence that Manuel Pérez devoted his career to his community, that Joe Mota and Eddie Garcia did the same, and that they’re supporting Pérez’s run for State Assembly.  The UFW isn’t just a political ally or a social issue for Pérez, it’s family. 

Last night Democrats of the Desert presented Kian Kaeni of People for the American Way at the Peppertree Bookstore in LA Quinta. DoD members, DWD and other club members, and Manuel and Gladys and Amalia were there.  We talked about winning in the CA 80th, which was a priority for Kian, though the regional PFAW offices are now closing.  (New election cycle, new PFAW org structure.  Kian was philosophical about it.)  Kian believes that given the intransigence of the CA 45th voting patterns so far, we need to first win the 80th to win the 45th.

We talked about the gap between registration and actual voting, especially in Imperial County where Dems should dominate on election day, but so far we don’t.  This brought up questions about the southeastern end of the 80th, and Manuel Pérez had the answers.  Manuel brought our group of  western Coachella Valley Democrats up to date on the Democratic organizations in Mecca, Brawley, Calexico, also the newly formed Eastern Coachella Valley Democratic club.  Few knew how much good news there is for Democrats lately in the local Latino community. 

This candidate knows the whole district.  He lives the labor movement, the school reform issue, the healthcare crisis, and he’s completely committed to his community.  This is what the people-powered politics looks like in the 80th.
  Let’s put some energy into my Californians for Manuel Pérez Act Blue page, my fellow dfh brethren.  Manuel Pérez is exactly what we’re talking about.  For Pérez, the UFW is part of his life.  He doesn’t need to build alliances with labor, he can just call his parents to the podium.  They met working these fields.  It’s good that Representative Solis introduced HR 359 which will honor Chávez appropriately, and it’s good that so many of the generation to follow Chávez honors his work with their own.

Speaking of the Perez family, if you’re in the Coachella Valley, don’t miss the party:

Birthday Bash Fundraiser
Bring $35 for Manuel’s 35th

July 28, 2007
7-10pm
38-300 Rancho Los Coyotes, Indio
Rsvp: 760-772-3466
Come celebrate and enjoy food, drinks, & music.

Calitics Event Calendar listing (with map)