Crossposted from the OC Progressive

Being a delegate is important to the Democratic Party of California for many reasons.  It’s not just about picking who is going to be the Candidate for your party, in local and Statewide elections.  It’s not just about going to the State Convention.

It’s about helping chart the direction of the party and representing the people in your district.  And I have very strong opinions about where the party is going and what it needs to do.

California is facing a crisis, a crisis like its never seen before.  Our financial future is on the brink and we are going to see a brand new Jerry Brown as Governor in 2011.  We need delegates who understand what is at stake, what Jerry Brown is going to do with our budget and how to mobilize Progressives to support his plan.  It’s not going to be an easy one.

Calitics has written extensively about the budget battles over the years and the many issues facing the State, from the failing Prison system, the Education system, Environmental issues to the Economy of California and has done so in a pitch perfect manner.  I consider them to be my source for what is happening in California.  They rely on sources like the Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times and many other commentators on what’s happening in Sacramento and then actually cut through the BS.

And yes, I read the Orange County Register.  It’s important to understand exactly how our Republican representatives have contributed to what happens in Sacramento.  It’s a huge piece to this puzzle.

Another important part of being a delegate is understanding what it means to caucus for your causes.  Being involved in particular causes is important, it helps push the party to support issues important to certain segments of the party (such as coming out more strongly to support marriage equality), from women’s issues, environmental issues to educational issues. It helps shape the Party’s platform and it helps push Candidates to support very important issues.  If you’ve been to a Convention, you will know that any serious candidate comes and speaks to the various caucuses and speaks directly to their issues.

My issues?  Education, the Environment and the Economy.  All these are connected.  They each have much to do with social justice issues, from women’s issues, to health care issues to the current mortgage crisis, I believe that everything we are dealing with is connected and that the very web that we rely upon is being undone by a general feeling of distrust that our Government does not work for us.  We must fight this meme and we need to prove otherwise.

Right now, the Government is working, it’s working very well for big banks and others who are showing record profits while the State still posts record unemployment.  It needs to work for the rest of us.  The budget battle will come down to saving Education, our public spaces and making sure that the most vulnerable of us is not completely left without a safety net.

And lastly, being a delegate will mean trying to bring resources down to Orange County for our candidates, that means when we have a Melissa Fox running for Assembly, she gets what she needs to run.  Regardless if she can win, we need the resources so she can do Democratic outreach and to build a larger base of Democratic support so that we can continue to change the color of this County.  It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about giving people a viable choice in a County that historically, for many years, there was no choice.  With over 500,000 registered Democrats, there needs to be Democratic candidates that can get out and do outreach, have volunteers, have phone banking, etc.  We need not just local support, but we need support from the State party that all races matter.  Think of it as the Howard Dean 50 State policy at the California level.  Orange County deserves that attention.

So, this is why I should be a delegate, I understand the things I will need to do and what I need to fight for.  I understand the issues the State is facing, I understand how to lobby the party for progressive issues and I know where our priorities should be.  Without education, there is no future for California, it is a huge part of what made this State golden.   Environmental issues have always been important to me, from sustainable food production to protecting the State’s parks and resources (The water issue is huge and so few people actually understand what it is about, it’s not a fish vs. jobs, that’s for sure).  And the economy is important too of course, it makes everything else run.  It’s far too complicated to put in one sentence, but it does come down to making it work more fairly for all, not just very large corporations (Small businesses in California are struggling).

I ask for your vote and I encourage you to write to me.  [email protected] if you have any questions.  Thank you.

The 70th AD includes the following cities: Irvine, Newport Beach, Tustin, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach and Laguna Woods.  Even if you are not in the 70th, if you know Democrats who are there, I ask that you encourage them to be involved in the Delegate voting process and vote for me!

Here are the details of when, where and how to vote.  

Date: Saturday, January 8

Time: 12:30pm

Location: University Hills Community Center

Address: 1083 California Avenue, Irvine, CA 92617

Cross-street: Gabrielino

Onsite Phone: (949) 824-7345 (sales)

Convener: Steve Young

(949) 640-4400

[email protected]

Who can vote? Here is a FAQ on the process: http://www.cadem.org/admin/mis…

A person may participate in the ADEM if he/she:

A. Is a Democrat residing in and registered to vote in the Assembly District (by the

October 18, 2010 deadline, unless the person turned 18 or was naturalized after

deadline, and is registered or registers onsite);

B. Pays a $5 donation to defray the cost of the ADEM or signs a form declaring that to pay the fee would constitute an economic hardship;

C. Signs in on a form (to be provided by the CDP) indicating his or her willingness to

assume an organizational responsibility for one or more precincts within the district or to assume another specified organizational responsibility for the Party. The form will note that the person signing agrees that their contact information will be shared by the CDP with other chartered Democratic organizations. An indication by a person signing the form that they are not willing to take such responsibility shall not be grounds for disqualifying that person from participating in the ADEM.