Based on a Post 4/11/2008 6:02 PM PDT on MyDesert.com in BluePalmSpringsBoyz blog

My first exposure to Statistics was in undergraduate school. One of our textbooks was Huff’s “How to Lie With Statistics.”  (Before you question my Statistical knowledge, I also had two semesters, six credits, of Statistics in my Master’s program, and another two semesters, six credits, of same in my doctoral program.)  Oh, the perils of using statistics in either a naive manner or purposefully misrepresenting these little guys.  Seems that bethcaskie, aka soyinkafan, the former a new blogger to mydesert.com has intimate knowledge of this text and put it to good use in her first posting re the Binder Poll recently released. Shame on bethcaskie for her misleading blog title and for the loose interpretation of the Binder Poll.

Bethcaskie entitled her piece, dramatically claiming that Manuel Perez, Vice-President of the failed Coachella Valley Unified School District board and Democratic candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, leads in the Binder polling. Then she articulated that Perez and Greg Pettis, Cathedral City Councilman, were actually tied in the poll! How then is Perez ahead? This is a shameful misrepresentation of the facts.

More below the flip…

According to Pettis campaign officials, the actual Binder Poll shows Pettis ahead of his nearest Democratic challenger by 7 percentage points amongst likely primary and general election voters.  Is this the same poll that bethcaskie referenced?  Seems a little askew.  In the Pettis campaign press release, Petts has 22 percent of the total vote and his nearest Democratic challenger has only 15 percent.  Supposing that it is Perez with the 15 percent, and this is a hasty assumption since I do not have access to the polling date, this is hardly either a statistical tie or a manifestation of Perez leading in the poll, even should he be the second-place finisher.

Then, bethcaskie claimed that with ‘education’ the voters dutifully voted for Perez’ candidacy to the detriment of Pettis’.  Just what ‘education’ meant, bethcaskie failed to enunciate.  Given the failures of Perez as Vice-President of the Coachella Valley Unified School District as board Vice-President, the threatened State sanctions due to CVUSD’s failure to meet the requirements of ‘No Child Left Behind,’ and the State placing CVUSD under trusteeship under Perez’ leadership, the Perez campaign is hardly the Great Decider in determining what ‘education’ might be.

Not a very clear argument for Perez being ahead in the polls since Pettis is clearly ahead in the poll amongst likely primary and general election voters, ahead of each of his Democratic rivals, and ahead of the presumptive Republican nominee, Gary Jeandron, another failed leader of another school district threatened with sanctions.  (Pettis leads Jeandron 41% – 39% amongst these likely voters in the Binder poll, according to the Pettis campaign staffer.)

How to Lie with Statistics? Ask the Perez campaign.

Received this press release today from the Greg Pettis for CA 80th Assembly District campaign.  Pettis presently has the overwhelming support of labor and LGBT groups in his race to replace the termed-out, thank the deity, State Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia (R-CA).  Pettis, much to the chagrin of his opponents, is also picking up key endorsements from the ethnic minority and multicultural communities.

Pettis has also significantly outraised and outspent his Democratic opponents each reporting period.  According to The Desert Sun, in the last reporting period, Pettis raised and spent more monies than all of these Democratic opponents combined.  Of interest, Pettis also outraised his presumptive Republican opponent, Gary Jeandron, by a significant margin!

Add to this the fact that the current voter registration favors the Democrats.  Thanks to the local Democratic clubs, activists have shifted the 80th AD voter registration from a majority Republican in 2000, to a more than 15,000 voter advantage at present.  And, this does not include the Decline to State voters which have been since 2004 trending Democratic.  Bodes well for a Pettis candidacy in November 2008.

Here is the text of the press release:

For Immediate Release

April 8, 2008

For More Information, contact Richard Oberhaus 760-413-7938

Cathedral City Councilmember Greg Pettis picked up four critical endorsements in the last week from labor and a Latino group, both keys to winning the 80th Assembly District.

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Earlier today, the California AFL-CIO Committee on Public Education endorsed Pettis for the 80th Assembly District. They join the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) who represent 179,000 workers in California and the California State Council of Laborers, who had previously endorsed one of Pettis’s primary election opponents.

Pettis also won the endorsement of HONOR PAC, a statewide Latino group representing Latino and Latina LGBT communities.

The four endorsements cemented Pettis’s position as frontrunner in the Democratic primary in the race to replace Bonnie Garcia, who is prohibited by term limits from serving another term in the 80th Assembly District.

Pettis has previously won endorsements from all the Central Labor Councils representing the 80th Assembly District as well as the California League of Conservation Voters, Cathedral City Professional Firefighters, Progressive Majority, Democracy for America and the Victory Fund.

He has also raised more money than any Democrat running for the 80th Assembly District and has more individual donors than any other candidate.

“We are building a broad-based grassroots coalition that will continue to build momentum through November. Residents of the 80th are coming together behind the need to bring experience to Sacramento to change the way Sacramento works and create a healthier California for all of us,” Pettis said.

Other unions endorsing Pettis include the Building Trades Union of California, Cathedral City Professional Firefighters, San Bernardino/Riverside Counties Central Labor Council, San Diego/Imperial Counties Central Labor Council, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 440.

LGBT community electeds, organizations and activists endorsing Pettis thus far include U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, State Senator Carol Migden, State Assemblyman Mark Leno, Palm Springs City Councilwoman Ginny Foat, Palm Springs City Councilman Rick Hutcheson, Cathedral City City Councilman Paul Marchand, Desert Hot Springs City Councilman Karl Baker, the Desert Stonewall Democratic Club, the Inland Stonewall Democratic Club, the Victory Fund, and Bill and Brad Adams, Bill Cain-Gonzalez, Cynthia Davis, Desert Stonewall Democrats Public Relations Chair Donald W. Grimm, Ph.D., Bond Shands, Desert Stonewall Democrats Treasurer Robert Silverman, and Lynn Worley.

Latino and Latina community activists endorsing Pettis include Palm Springs Democratic Club co-founder Lisa Arbelaez, Christopher Arellano, Larry Baza, Bill Cain-Gonzalez, Tony & Sylvia Escobedo, Mayon Gonzalez, Rodolfo Martinez, Leticia Quezada, Nicole Ramirez, 41st Congressional District Candidate Rita Ramirez-Dean, Ph.D., Dan Ruiz, Ed Torres, and Joe Velasquez.

XPosted 4/7/2008 11:46 PM PDT on MyDesert.com by BluePalmSpringsBoyz

Overheard Saturday night at the Democrats of the Desert Awards Banquet at the Las Rancho Palmas Resort, the decision to seek to close the Cathedral City medical marijuana clinic was made by Mayor Kathy DeRosa (R), Mayor Pro Tem Charles England (R), and Councilmember Chuck Vasquez (R-Closet Case) who voted to close the clinic.

Councilmember Greg Pettis (D), Candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, and Councilmember Paul Marchand (D), Candidate for Mayor of Cathedral City, voted to support the clinic but were overruled by the Republican majority on council.  In fact, Pettis was slated to appear at an event to support medical marijuana patients at Copy Kats last night, but the event was postponed.

More below the flip…

According to a Cathedral City source for background, Cathedral City council, under the auspices of DeRosa, has a policy to apparently vote on issues in private and to not announce the individual votes of the councilmembers.  This is really “Small Town in Mass Society” (Vidich) mentality.  Anyway, the Desert Sun never printed who voted what way as the specific vote was never announced as per usual.

Seems that DeRosa, England, and Vasquez are out of step with Californians overall and Cathedral City residents who favor keeping the clinic open to service patients diagnosed with cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, etc.  Isn’t this the same party that opposes stem cell research?  What kind of family values does the Republican party really have?

In a brilliant parliamentary maneuver, the Victor Manuel Perez for CA 80th Assembly District campaign to replace the termed out, thank God, Bonnie Garcia (R-CA), the Perez forces by one vote were able to keep Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-Tem of Cathedral City, from retaining the California Democratic Party endorsement for Assembly.  (Perez is Vice-President of the failed school board in the Coachella Valley Unified School District.)  However, the short-term battle victory may possibly cost the Democrats not only the 80th in the November general election, but also cost them the majority that they need to ignore the demands of the recalictrant minority Republicans in the Assembly.

A major factor developing in the campaign and one of which I have been consistently blogging on mydesert.com, the online edition of The Desert Sun, is the fact that Gary Jeandron, presumptive Republican candidate for the 80th AD is a boardmember of the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD).  Recently, the State of California Board of Education threatened actions and/or sanctions against 97 school boards across the state that failed to meet state academic goals and the requirements of the Federally unfunded ‘No Child Left Behind.’  As a result, California threatened sanctions against the PSUSD and the board for the academic failures in the District.  Jeandron, as boardmember, and running for the 80th cites his education background and experience as instrumental to his qualifications for the office.  However, the threatened sanctions are a major demerit and campaign issue.

This is relevant to Perez as he is Vice-President of the failed CVUSD board which according to the State, had more problems than any other school district in California this year.

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The state actions against the CVUSD and its board are much more severe as their failures were more significant.  The CVUSD District was threatened with state takeover but the state action only involved installation of a trustee to oversee and possibly veto any District and/or board action (State assigns trustee to CVUSD to improve test scores):

“Coachella Valley Unified School District will get a trustee and a state-approved team of independent experts to help improve student test scores, state board members decided this afternoon.

The state board named Riverside County Superintendent Kenneth Young as the district’s trustee, which will give him veto powers over superintendent and board decisions.

But Young said he will work collaboratively with the district.”

The CVUSD was the ONLY district to receive trustee oversight.  Perez as V-P and long-term boardmember bears major responsibility for the failures of the District, its teachers, and its students.  That the CVUSD is suffering such consequences for the academic failures not only raises the question of Perez’ qualifications for Assembly, especially in the area of education, but also blunts the criticism of Jeandron.

If Democrats in the 80th Assembly District choose Perez as the candidate, one of the major issues in the campaign against Jeandron is either removed from the table due to mutual assured destruction on this issue or becomes even more of an issue given the CVUSD is the only District in the state that was assigned a trustee.

Having a ‘well-spoken’ or ‘charismatic’ candidate will not soften the damage to the local Democratic campaign to re-take this seat in November 2008.  Style will not win where substance can win.  Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-tem of Cathedral City, unlike Perez and Jeandron, is untainted by the failures of the CVUSD and PSUSD school boards and Districts.  In addition, Pettis has the endorsements of State Assemblyman Mike Eng (D-49), Member California State Assembly Committee on Education, El Centro School Board Trustee Diana Newton, and Palm Springs Unified School Board Trustee Meredy Schoenberger.

(re full disclosure, BlueBeaumontBoyz is a Pettis for 80th Assembly District supporter)

Just got this information alert in from the Desert Stonewall Democratic Club, George Zander, Chair, on behalf of the Pettis East Valley and Imperial County 80th Assembly District campaign.  The DSD club is devoted to advancing equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.  DSD supports the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates who support this mission.  DSD draws its strength from a nationwide network of individuals and clubs comprised of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Democrats who are working to realize the following goals:

To educate the LGBT community and its supporters about the vast differences that exist between the two major parties on the issues of concern to the LGBT community;

To lead the Democratic party to improve its record on issues of importance to the LGBT community, and to work for the nomination of Democratic candidates from the local to national level, including qualified openly LGBT candidates who will be fully supportive of the fight against bigotry and intolerance;

To encourage the LGBT community to support and vote for Democratic candidates who are committed to defeating homophobia and prejudice; and

To work with the other local LGBT Democratic clubs and individuals to encourage and foster the creation of new clubs.

More below the flip…

The following is the alert from DSD:

Mr. Pettis’ campaign has continually taken the high road and has informed everyone connected with it to not say anything against the other Democratic candidates.  However, Victor ‘Manuel’ Perez has begun to get personal, and he has done it with the gay-card. Whispering to interviewing (Democratic) clubs that he is not part of an “alternative lifestyle…”

…(Pettis’) record in Imperial County and the Eastern Coachella Valley far exceeds any of his opponents, including Perez.  Greg Pettis worked as part of Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) on improving all grade crossings in Coachella and on improving Jefferson Road in Indio and La Quinta.

He chaired the Saving Immigrant Lives project in Imperial for two years and received an award from Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and other groups for his work.

Pettis led the effort in assisting in technical writing and lobbying the California Transportation Commission (CTC) on behalf of the Brawley bypass.  He also helped get money for Hobson Way in Brawley.

Pettis served as the East Valley’s representative on SCAG for six years and appointed East Valley councilmembers to all subcommittees.  He also served as ex-officio on the Salton Sea Authority.

XPosted 4/4/2008 7:45 AM PDT on MyDesert.com on BluePalmSpringsBoyz blog (re full disclosure, BluePalmSpringsBoyz and BlueBeaumontBoyz are Greg Pettis for 80th Assembly District supporters)

Manuel Perez, Vice-President of the Coachella Valley Unified School District and Candidate for the 80th Assembly District, and his campaign, have fun afoul with campaign violations in two campaign scandals, according to my mydesert.com blogger source at Palm Springs Village Fest last night.

First, someone who has endorsed Perez for Assembly, apparently has been using her office computer to mail out campaign materials for the Perez campaign.  My source is in possession of an original piece of email from the campaign worker.

Now, as anyone who has worked in an office environment in the past 15 years knows: “Do not use your office computer for personal use, otherwise your job is in jeapardy!”  Well, not only did this employee use her office computer to produce mass emailings for the Perez campaign, but she works for the County of Riverside!  Not only is her job in jeapardy, but she violated State of California campaign law in her endeavors.

More below the flip…

My source contacted Roy Wilson, Supervisor in the County of Riverside and a newsreporter at The Desert Sun.  According to my source, Wilson has conducted an investigation and found that two, count them, two Perez campaign workers have been using County of Riverside computers to do campaign work for Perez.

Wilson has instructed their supervisor(s) to conduct an investigation and to act accordingly.  In addition, thousands of County employees will receive or have now received emails from the County reminding them that it is against the law to use County computers, offices, etc. to conduct campaign work.

Second, the Perez campaign has produced and distributed campaign materials that omit the required by law disclaimers that are required on each piece of material.  Soyinkafan, blogger on Calitics.com and local activist with the Perez campaign was observed handing out hundreds of these particular fliers at last weeks California Democratic Party convention in San Jose.  Complaints about the illegal campaign materials were filed on Monday, March 31, 2008, with the FPPC.

Seems that the Perez campaign is in disarray without adequate leadership and direction.  An organized and well-directed campaign would not make these kinds of mistakes, first not instructing its workers to not use office computers, let alone County resources, to further the campaign, and second, not vetting the campaign materials for irregularities and illegalities.

What is going on over at the Perez campaign?

XPosted 2/16/2008 3:08 PM PST on MyDesert.com in the BluePalmSpringsBoyz blog

The California Secretary of State has released the most recent Report of Registration as of January 22, 2008 by State Assembly District.  The picture looks bleak for local Republicans as registration figures for the Yacht and Country Club Party are decreasing while that for local proud, progressive Democrats and their supporters are increasing.  This does not portend well for the presumptive Republican candidate, Gary Jeandron.

In the CA 80th Assembly District, there are now 168,497 registered voters.  This includes 52,367 voters in the Imperial County portion of the district and 116,130 in the Riverside County area.

Democrats now have 28,542 registered voters in Imperial County and 48,429 in Riverside County for a total of 76,971 registered voters.  Democrats now consist of 45.68% of the overall voter registration in the 80th Assembly District.

More below the flip…

On the other hand, Republicans have 13,567 registered voters Imperial County and 47,934 in Riverside County for a total of 61,491 registered voters.  Republican voter registration is now only 36.49% of the overall registration in the District.

Remember when Republicans dominated the voter registration figures and they held a tight grip on local political machinery in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Indio, Coachella, and Palm Desert?  Well, as the Poet sang, “The times, they are achangin’!”

Decline to State now has 8,446 voters in Imperial County and 15,955 in Riverside County for a total of 24,401 voters.  Decline to State voter registration is now at 14.48% of the voter registration in the 80th Assembly District.

The bad news for the Yacht and Country Club party begins at the fact that Democrats now outnumber Republicans in the District by 15,480 voters!

The news gets worse, as Decline to State Voters have recently been casting votes for Democratic candidates across the Coachella Valley.  John Kerry succeeded in winning a majority vote in Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indio, and Coachella in 2004 in part due to the voting pattern of the Decline to State voter.  When Decline to State registration figures in the District are added to the Democratic figures, then proud progressive Democrats and their allies outnumber Republicans in the 80th Assembly District by almost 40,000 votes!

With the California Republican Party (CRaP?) in disarray and in deep financial debt, November looks to be a devastating year for the Grand Old Party in the CA 80th Assembly District in 2008.

More bad news for the local Republican machine in a later post on the changes in the 45th Congressional District.  They and not a recent marriage may send the local absentee Congresswoman into early retirement.

(Xposted at www.mydesert.com as BluePalmSpringsBoyz)

I just received this Press Release from Equality California regarding an effort of the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) and the Advocates for Faith and Freedom (AFF) to prevent the enforcement of the Students Civil Rights Act (SB 777) that protects students from discrimination, harassment, and bullying in publicly-funded schools.

As a member of the Palm Springs Unified School District board of directors whose leadership is now in question due to the possiblity that the PSUSD and the school board may face sanctions due to their inability to meet academic standards, Gary Jeandron, must make his stand known regarding the enforcement of SB 777 and regarding discrimination, harassment and bullying of students.

Jeandron is also a declared candidate for the Republican nomination for the CA 80th Assembly District.  His website indicates that as a member of the School Board of Directors, Jeandron supervises a district with 22,000 students and an annual budget of $191 million.  Unfortunately, he did not use his position as a member of the Board to help students achieve academic standards or was unable to influence the Board in order to implement any plan that he formulated.  Now, the pressure is on Jeandron to indicate where he stands regarding SB 777 and its implementation.

AFF’s website states: “WHEN YOU PUT ON YOUR JESUS GLASSES, YOU CAN SEE THE TRUTH!”  The AFF is a non-profit law firm whose goal is ‘protecting our religious liberty in the courts.”  In other words, AFF’s intent is to help to implement a theocratic state where religion, their religion, dictates school policy.  Implicit in AFF’s policy statement is also the fact that they want their religious liberty protected and not the religious liberty of those who have differing faiths.  Great, faith-based law now.

The ADF is another so-called Christian organization that purports to defend Religious Freedom, Sanctity of Human Life, and Family Values.  Again, clearly a reference to what they perceive to be religious freedom, sanctity of human life, and family values.  They presume that only their view on these issues is the correct one and should be the prevailing one.  I thought that the religious culture wars ended centuries ago in Europe!

So, will Jeandron appeal to his radical right base and support the efforts of the AFF and the ADF and their attempts to develop a theocratic state based on their views of so-called Christian principles or will Jeandron support the right of students at every grade level to attend school and to live their lives without discrimination, harassment, and bullying?  Will Jeandron take a leadership stance that protects elementary, middle, and secondary school students from discrimination, harassment, and bullying because of perceived or actual sexual orientation.

Is it a family value that an elementary school student should continue to suffer discrimination because someone perceives that he or she might be gay or lesbian in the schools?  This is not my family value or that of a majority of Palm Springs residents.  Is it a family value that a middle school student should continue to suffer harassment because he or she is gay or lesbian?  That is not my family value and it is not the family value of most Palm Springs residents.  Is it a family value that a high school student is prevented from doing well academically because he or she is bullied at school and in the school yard because he or she is gay?  That is not my family or community value. What are Jeandron’s family values and are they diametrically opposed to those of most Palm Springs residents?  Does Jeandron believe that students ought to be able to study and to achieve academically without a hostile environment?

Seems like AFF and ADF fall into the category of bullies.  I wonder what the members were like on the school playground.  Just sayin’.

What follows if the Press Release from Equality California (EQCA) and the Gay-Straight Student Alliance Network (GSA):

Equality California and GSA Network Move to Intervene in Lawsuit that Challenges Student Civil Rights Act, California Nondiscrimination Statutes

SAN DIEGO – Equality California and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network are seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed by anti-gay organizations that would prevent enforcement of California statutes protecting students from discrimination, harassment and bullying in publicly-funded schools.

EQCA and the GSA Network today filed a motion to intervene in federal district court in San Diego to defend the California statutes that prohibit discrimination and harassment in publically-funded schools, including the newly-enacted Student Civil Rights Act (SB 777). EQCA was the official sponsor of SB 777, and both organizations actively supported the law. The two organizations are represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, the Transgender Law Center, the law firm Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, LLP and the Law Office of David C. Codell.

“By enacting the Student Civil Rights Act, the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a clear message that California will not tolerate discrimination in our schools,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “This law protects all youth in our public schools. It helps prevent harassment and discrimination so students can learn free from threats and physical violence.”

The Student Civil Rights Act, authored by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, reinforces existing California laws that prohibit discrimination in publicly-funded schools and activities, including discrimination based on religion, race, disability, gender and sexual orientation. California law has prohibited discrimination in public education on these bases including sexual orientation and gender – for years. SB 777 did not change the categories of discrimination prohibited by law, but merely updated the Education Code to clearly reflect current law so school administrators and teachers know their responsibilities to protect students without having to cross-reference other sections of state law.

“We’re intervening in this lawsuit because our student members advocated for SB 777 and are eager to defend it,” said GSA Network Executive Director Carolyn Laub. “Thousands of our members have endured daily harassment at school based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s a shame there are adults who don’t think all students deserve to have a safe place to learn.”

According to the 2001 California Healthy Kids Survey, nearly 30 percent of California youth in grades seven to 11 report experiencing harassment or bullying based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender or sexual orientation.

“This law protects all students, plain and simple, irrespective of their race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Lambda Legal Senior Staff Attorney Brian Chase. “With 200,000 of California’s school children every year finding themselves victims of harassment or violence, the need for this law is beyond argument.”

“Every student has the right to be safe at school,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter. “SB 777 simply makes this clear. The organizations bringing this suit are wasting taxpayers’ money and seeking to undermine common sense protections for all California students,” Minter said.

“The Transgender Law Center is proud of our Legislature for passing a bill that protects all of California’s students,” said Transgender Law Center Legal Director Kristina Wertz. “Education is dependant upon safe and constructive learning environments for all young people. All youth deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

California’s Legislature passed SB 777 in September and Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law on October 12.

The lawsuit challenging SB 777 was filed by lawyers for Advocates for Faith and Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund last month in federal district court in San Diego.

George Zander, President of the Desert Stonewall Democrats, ran a great meeting today.  The montly DSD meeting took place at the Desert Pride Center and had between 45 and 50 progressive Democratic political activists in attendance.

Those in attendance included Bob Thomas, Co-Chair of the Palm Springs Democratic Club, Steve Pougnet, newly-elected mayor of Palm Springs, Ginny Foat, Palm Springs City Councilwoman, elected last week as Palm Springs Mayor Pro-Tem, and Palm Springs power-broker, Rick Hutcheson newly-elected Palm Springs City Councilman, Craig Ewing, Palm Springs Planning Director and newly-elected boardmember of the Desert Water Agency, and April Hildner from No on C.  John Williams, an appointed Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation boardmember and defeated candidate for Palm Springs City Council, Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-Tem of Cathedral City and candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District to replace the termed out Bonnie Garcia, Richard Oberhaus, Pettis’ Campaign Manager, Paul Marchand, Cathedral City Councilmember, Greg Rodriguez from Yes on Measure E and the Hillary Clinton for President campaign, Robert Simmons, Palm Springs Airport Commissioner and supporter of the Barack Obama for President campaign, and Paul Clay and David Hunsicker, candidates for the CA 45th Congressional District to replace Mary Bono also attended.

More below the flip…

Thomas, co-chair of the Palm Springs Democratic Club, provided a thoughtful powerpoint presentation on the figures from the November election.  Democrats turned out in greater numbers than did the disillusioned Republican voters.  In addition, DSD voters turned out at an amazing 70%!  DSD clearly represents an important voting block for all progressive Democratic candidates.  Thomas attributed Williams’ loss by only 76 votes to the division of the vote between Hutchesion, Bob Mahlowitz, and Williams.  On the other hand, voter turn out may have been greater due to the interest in the hotly contested races.

Pougnet, recently elected as Mayor of Palm Springs, with his twins in tow, spoke elequently regarding his vision for the future of Palm Springs.  He thanked his supporters who lived in Palm Springs as well as his supporters, yours truly included, who did not.  Pougnet noted that downtown Palm Springs is important not only to residents of Palm Springs, but also to the entire Coachella Valley.

Hutcheson, recently elected to his first term as Palm Springs City Councilman, gave brief comments and thanked his supporters and the DSD and PSD Democratic Clubs for their support.  Hutcheson also noted that with the changing demographics of the Palm Springs area, it is important to continue to build the local Democratic Party from the grassroots level on up.  Hutcheson made a special effort to thank Williams for running such an outstanding campaign.

Foat, elected last week as Mayor Pro-Tem of Palm Springs, discussed the need for ongoing activism and a better approach to handling the negative campaigning of the Repugnant Party (my phrase, not hers) in the Coachella Valley.  Foat indicated that given the Repugnant behavior Nationwide, we should have expected that they would go negative here as well.  But the viciousness of the attacks against Williams and Hutcheson and the collusion of The Desert Sun was never anticipated.  I say, “Fool me once…”

Ewing, Palm Springs City Planning Director and recently elected to the Desert Water Agency, delivered a short statement and focused on what his own election means for the future of the Palm Springs and Coachella Valley Democratic Party.  Ewing noted that his was a breakthrough election and succeeded in part due to the complacency of the opposition.  He duly noted that in the next election, three of the Desert Water Agency seats will be up for election.  He expects that Democrats will continue to make gains on the DWA.

April Hildner of No on C discussed the resounding win.  No on C succeeded with 60% of the vote.  Hildner hoped that this will bring to an end the efforts of developers in the community to ravage the Chino Cone with unrestricted and unnecessary development.

Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-Tem of Cathedral City and candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, discussed his recent efforts to reach out to the Asian-Pacific Islander caucus in the California State Assembly.  With the most recent endorsements, Pettis is poised to receive endorsements from the entire caucus!  Pettis has also been actively seeking the support of labor and discussed his recent endorsement by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 440.  Other union endorsements are apparently coming down the pike.  And, next weekend, Pettis celebrates his 50th Birthday Party.  We expect that Pettis will fete us at Johnny Pasta’s in Cathedral City in a fashion to which we became accustomed with Hillary Clinton’s 50th birthday soiree.   Lol.

Greg Rodriguez discussed the importance of Measure E.  The Measure will assist in upgrading and renovating existing existing schools, making health and safety upgrades, constructing new schools, and constructing permanent classrooms at the elementary schools to replace portable classrooms.  Pougnet discussed his involvement with the Palm Springs Unified School District and his support for Measure E.  Pougnet also noted that much of the construction mandated by Measure E would take place in Desert Hot Springs and not in Palm Springs.  After a notably civil debate and discussion, DSD members voted to endorse Yes on Measure E by a vote of 20 yea, 6 nay, and an uncounted number of abstentions.

Clay and Hunsicker each individually discussed his candidacy for the CA 45th Congressional District.  Either way, it will be great to have a Representative who comes to the 45th CD for more than just fundraising and photo-ops (Bono is notorious for missing important votes on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.)  Clay and Hunsicker were well received, especially with their positive stands re Marriage Equality, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), Sentate Bill 777, and the Hate Crimes Bill.

Turner discussed the activism of Vets for Peace and their petition to deter the warmongering Bush Administration from any military action against Iran.  (Yes, even though the war effort in Afghanistan is suffering from lack of soldiers and lack of equipment, and though the occupation effort in Iraq is faltering with more and more civilian and military casualties, this Administration is obviously considering military action against a Nation so much larger than Afghanistan and Iraq combined.  In area and in population.  

All-in-all, a great meeting.  Please join us at the next meeting on January 12, 2008.  In the meantime, Zander requested additional assistance for the DSD Voter Registration and Candidate Information tables at Palm Springs Village Fest.  Village Fests in December are scheduled for Thursday, December 13, 20, and 27, 2007.  

And, now the race for the CA 80th Assembly District and for the CA 45th Congressional District are in full swing.  Keep turning the Coachella Valley Blue!!!