The Northern Solano Democratic Club has posted A Resolution In Support of Assembly Member Mariko Yamada (AD-08) thanking her for her vote against the Blackmail Primary.  She was one of only seven Democrats in the Assembly and the State Senate to vote against this ill-conceived measure.  

Thanks also to Assembly Members Jones (AD-09), Ma (AD-12), Ammiano (AD-13), and Portantino (AD-44) along with State Senators Yee and Hancock who voted No on SCA 4.  And, for the record, Democratic Assembly Members Chesboro (AD-01), Skinner (AD-14), Blumenfield (AD-40), Brownley (AD-41), and Perez (AD-80) were either absent or did not vote.

The text of the resolution is below.

A Resolution in Support of Assembly Member Yamada

WHEREAS on the nineteenth of February, 2009, the California State Legislature approved State Senate Constitutional Amendment Four calling for adoption of a Louisiana-style “free-for-all primary”, which was coerced from the legislature under pressure to pass the State budget, and

WHEREAS State Senate Constitutional Amendment Four is another ill-conceived ballot measure that will permit manipulative and deceitful practices such as concealing party affiliation, the running of stalking horse candidates, and the gaming of results through organized crossover voting, thereby depriving voters of their true preferences, and

WHEREAS Assembly Member Yamada, by standing with only three four other Democrats [in the Assembly] to vote against State Senate Constitutional Amendment Four, stood up for cleaner, more honest elections,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northern Solano Democratic Club applauds the courageous action of Assembly Member Yamada in her opposition to State Senate Constitutional Amendment Four,

and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northern Solano Democratic Club exhorts all Californians, especially all elected officials, to follow her example and defeat the measure at the polls.

Cross posted on Daily Kos

Democrats in Yolo County are fired up and ready to go.  They met last night at the historic Palms Playhouse in Winters for a rally sponsored by the Western Yolo County Democratic Club.

Over 100 people came out to listen and cheer as guest speaker CDP Chairman Art Torres, along with candidates Lois Wolk (SD-05), Mariko Yamada (AD-08), and Jeff Morris (CA-02), talked about “Why Rural Families are Voting Democratic – Taking Back Red California.”

Oh, and the old-time music and the free spaghetti dinner weren’t exactly deal-breakers either.

The speaking schedule was full. In addition to the politicians, there were local food and farm activists, as well as local organizers like Claire Black-Slotton, the executive director of Yolo United, and Ryan Loney, the Northern California Field Director of Students for Barack Obama and an Obama delegate to the Denver convention.

A major theme that emerged as speaker after speaker addressed the audience was the real need for California activists to get involved in local Congressional races, whether it’s for Jeff Morris in CA-02, Bill Durston in CA-03, Charlie Brown in CA-04, or Jerry McNerney in CA-11.  There was a clear sentiment among those who attended that just winning back the White House in 2008 will not be enough; we must have strong Congressional majorities to support Pres. Barack Obama as he leads our nation.

One speech in particular that really resonated in this rural setting came from Richard Rominger, a former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture in the Clinton administration who is currently advising the Obama campaign on agriculture affairs. Here’s what Rominger had to say:

Richard Rominger, Art Torres, Lois Wolk

What are rural Americans thinking about these days? Farm prices, food prices, fuel prices, health care costs, the war in Iraq, immigration, climate change.

A couple of quotes from Senator Obama: “When we strengthen our rural communities, we lift up our entire nation.” “I think that people who live in rural areas can feel confident that I’m not a newcomer to this.”

Senator Obama supported passage of the current Farm Bill, but said he wanted more reform. The Farm Bill was passed by overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate over President Bush’s veto. Senator McCain opposed the Farm Bill, saying he would have vetoed it just as Bush did. The bill included more money for conservation programs, including the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program; more money for nutrition programs, including more fruits and vegetables for school lunch programs, more help for farmers markets, and increases in food stamps; more support for agricultural research; and a boost for renewable energy. It is clearly better than the previous Farm Bill, although it is far from perfect.

Senator Obama has repeatedly voted to fund agriculture programs while Senator McCain has repeatedly voted against funding agriculture programs.

Senator Obama would limit farm subsidies to prevent very large farms from collecting the vast majority of subsidies. Senator McCain voted against capping subsidies.

Senator Obama has voted for emergency assistance for farmers in times of disasters. Senator McCain has repeatedly voted against emergency assistance for farmers.

Senator Obama supports immediate implementation of Country of Origin Labeling, starting with meat products. Senator McCain voted against Country of Origin Labeling.

Senator Obama voted for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Senator McCain repeatedly voted against it.

Barack Obama has a comprehensive energy plan to help Americans cope with the energy crisis in the short term, and make the long-term investments we need to break our addiction to oil. He will use some of the oil companies’ record-breaking profits for an Emergency Energy Rebate of $1,000 per family or $500 per individual. He will also release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to cut prices.

Within ten years we could save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined, by increasing fuel efficiency standards for our vehicles, working with the auto industry to put 1 million plug-in hybrid cars – cars that get up to 150 miles per gallon – on the road by 2015, and investing in the development of new fuels.

Senator Obama will help create five million new jobs by investing in a clean energy future: Investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to develop clean energy technologies, from jump starting the commercialization of plug-in hybrids to advancing the next generation of biofuels. These are five million jobs that can’t be outsourced.

Barack Obama would diversify our energy sources by adopting an aggressive Renewable Portfolio Standard, requiring 10% of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2012 and 25% by 2025. That will spur significant private sector investment in renewable sources such as wind and solar, creating thousands more new jobs. (You may have noticed the recent news articles about 11 shiploads of wind turbine parts being unloaded at the Port of Sacramento for a new wind farm near Rio Vista).

As president, Obama will implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. And he’ll work with our allies abroad to develop effective emissions reduction efforts.

Senator Obama has proposed a plan to extricate the U.S. from the misguided war in Iraq. Senator McCain would prolong the Bush policies.

Senator Obama supported the expansion of the successful State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Senator McCain joined President Bush in opposing the expansion of this successful program.

Senator Obama supports increasing access to health care in rural areas by investing in Health Information Technology and TeleMedicine. When Senator McCain was asked about his rural health care plan he admitted it does “not sound too serious.” In 2003, Senator McCain voted against funding for rural Medicare health care providers.

On immigration, Senator Obama supports comprehensive reform, including secure borders, an Ag Jobs Program, and a path over a period of years for those already here illegally to earn resident status. Senator McCain originally supported comprehensive legislation, but has since backed away from it.

For the estate tax, Senator Obama supports the limits that will be in effect in 2009, which is $3.5 million per person, $7 million per couple, which will exempt 99% of farms and businesses. Senator McCain supports higher limits which will allow wealthier tax payers to escape the tax.

To sum up, an Obama administration, along with Democratic majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives will provide an economy that answers the needs of farmers and all of rural America, as well as our urban and suburban neighbors, and returns the United States of America to its former position of leadership and respect in the world.

Penny

Online Organizing Director

California Democratic Party

by Randy Bayne

The Bayne of Blog

The question:

How did the brightest, most promising young political figure in Sacramento lose an election last week that he seemed certain to win?

was posed by Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Bretón.

His answer:

It’s easy. The unions got Christopher Cabaldon.

wasn’t even close.

“The unions” didn’t get Cabaldon. His own supporters got Christopher Cabaldon. His bid to be the next Assemblyman from the 8th district was doomed when EdVoice, running an independent expenditure campaign, took on a successful and popular job training program that Mariko Yamada, Cabaldon’s opponent in the primary, voted in favor of. They called the job training program a waste of money and Yamada a wasteful spender. Voters reacted by handing the election to Yamada.

Yes, Yamada did receive help from “the unions.” They worked to reach out, directly contacting voters with a boots on the ground campaign that took her message directly to them. She did what wins elections &ndash direct, targeted voter contact. Days and hours spent knocking on doors and making phone calls, talking directly to voters and asking them for their vote. And it worked.

It worked so well that EdVoice had to resort to attacking Yamada.

Cabaldon’s fate was sealed when EdVoice sent out the mailer attacking Yamada for voting for the job training program. It labeled Yamada a big, wasteful spender, but didn’t tell the whole story. The funds she and her fellow Supervisors were voting for were funds that would come only with the job training program. No existing county programs would be adversely affected, and in the long run the job training benefits the local economy. This was the reason for the backlash and voters abandonment of Cabaldon.

To be fair, the independent expenditure working to elect Yamada also took a negative tack. They exploited the embarrassing fact that Cabaldon had a boot put on his car for too many unpaid parking tickets. The difference was that they were truthful. Cabaldon’s car was booted, he did have unpaid tickets. Edvoice omitted important facts in their attack making is seem like Yamada did something wrong.

There is not doubt Cabaldon would have made a great Assemblyman, just as Yamada will make a great Assemblywoman. For Democrats it was a no lose situation. We had two of the best candidates possible, and in the end voters selected the one they felt would best represent the district.

What is unfortunate in Bretón’s article is that he is singling out the wrong people. It isn’t “the unions” that are the problem, but independent expenditures in general. They can be as ugly, mean, and nasty as they want to be, and the candidate gets the blame. In this case, the negativity caused enough voters to change their votes it may have pushed Yamada over the top.

Good thing we had to great candidates.

Losing this election, as in all elections, came down to one thing, and one thing only. The other candidate got more votes. It is that simple. The possible exception being presidential elections in Florida and Ohio.

Today’s Blog Roundup is on the flip; only a link dump today, as I’m pressed for time. Let me know what I missed.

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• Bush Vetoes Child Health Insurance: What This Means for California – California Progress Report
  
  http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/10/bush_vetoes_chi.html

• “Privacy Revolt,” a web page and project of the Consumer Federation of California, is our site of the day – California Progress Report
  
  http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/10/privacy_revolt.html

• Salvos Fired In California Water Wars–Assembly Hearing Tomorrow–Senate Hearing Postponed to Monday – California Progress Report
  
  http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/10/salvos_fired_in.html

• Badlands Journal » Blog Archive » Merced River property owner/stakeholder viewpoint on East Merced Resource Conservation District September board meeting
  
  http://www.badlandsjournal.com/?p=392

• Gallegly Refuses to Discuss Earmark Plans « Conejo Valley Democrat
  
  http://conejovalleydemocrat.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/gallegly-refuses-to-discuss-earmark-plans/

• San Diego Politico: Must Be An Election – Heads Continue To Roll At City Hall
  
  http://www.sandiegopolitico.com/2007/10/must-be-election-heads-continue-to-roll.html

• Blogs: Brian Dennert here / Ventura County Star
  
  http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/vcs/dennert/archives/2007/10/ufcw_bill_fulto.html

• Educational Justice: Immigrant communities respond to massive sweeps – 1,300 are arrested as Immigration Agents target immigrants in Southern California
  
  http://edjustice.blogspot.com/2007/10/immigrant-communities-respond-to.html

• The People’s Vanguard of Davis: Interview with 8th Assembly District Candidate Mariko Yamada
  
  http://davisvanguard.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-with-8th-assembly-district.html

• What Do Air Conditioners Have to Do With Identity Theft? Bills Schwarzenegger Should Sign to Protect Your Privacy – California Progress Report
  
  http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/10/what_do_air_con.html

• San Joaquin Valley Leaders Urge Governor Schwarzenegger to Sign SB 719 – California Progress Report
  
  http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/10/san_joaquin_val_1.html

• The Liberal OC » Universal Health Care, Register’s Landsbaum get’s it wrong
  
  http://www.theliberaloc.com/2007/10/04/universal-health-care-registers-landsbaum-gets-it-wrong/

• The California Majority Report // Today’s Fresh Meat
  
  http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&ptid=9&aid=2338

• The BRAD BLOG : Duncan Hunter: We’ve Seen Illegal Aliens Herded into the Polls, Voting Illegally in California
  
  http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5118

• The California Majority Report // National Term Limits Reform Movement Continues
  
  http://www.camajorityreport.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&ptid=9&aid=2339

• The Progressive Connection:: So Much Promise…
  
  http://www.theprogressiveconnection.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=146

Christopher Calbadon, the openly gay mayor of West Sacramento (and a Calitics advertiser), has announced that he will run for the Assembly in 2008 when Lois Walk is termed out.  Find his website here and the website of his Coming Out Stories episode here. Calbadon seems set to be the frontrunner with Davis Councilmember, and rumored candidate, Don Saylor endorsing Calbadon.  Calbadon has a strong record of success in West Sacto and would appear to be a really good candidate.

Hey, wouldn’t this be a great Breaking Blue item?