Jun 02 2018

OFFICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS WILL BE POSTED JULY 5, 2018. June 5, 2018 Election in Santa Maria Valley, ENDORSEMENTS, Santa Barbara Democratic County Committee

Official Primary election results will be available from the elections office after July 5th and will be posted here.

 

In local (North SB County) elections, the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party has endorsed the following people for the June 5, 2018 election:    http://sbdems.org/endorsements/

Santa Barbara County Auditor-Controller: Betsy Schaffer
Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner: Eddie Hsueh
Measure T: YES 
CA-24th District United States Congress: Salud Carbajal
35th District California State Assembly: William Ostrander
 
California State Controller: Betty Yee
California Secretary of State: Alex Padilla
California State Treasurer: Fiona Ma
California Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond
California Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara
Proposition 68: YES
Proposition 69: YES
Proposition 70: NO
Proposition 71: YES
Proposition 72: YES

For more information on the Santa Barbara County Democratic Committee:

http://sbdems.org

Also on the North Santa Barbara County Ballot:

June 5, 2018 Election
California Democratic Party Statewide Endorsement
Balloting Results for Candidates requesting endorsements,
but receiving less than the required 60% of caucus votes:
(CCDP Bylaws, Art. VIII, Sec. 3.c.(8).)

U.S. SENATE:
54% Kevin de Leon
37% Dianne Feinstein
05% Pat Harris
03% No Endorsement

GOVERNOR:
39% Gavin Newsome
30% John Chang
20% Delaine Eastin
09% Antonio Villaraigosa
03% No Endorsement

LT. GOVERNOR:
42% Ed Hernandez
41% Eleni Kounalakis
07% Jeff Bleich
11% No Endorsement

ATTORNEY GENERAL:
56% Dave Jones
42% Xavier Becerra
02% No Endorsement

BOARD OF EQUALIZATION – District 2:
52% Malia Cohen
29% Cathleen Galgiani
19% No Endorsement

CSCC visit Website:      www.cadem.org/endorsements

Check your Sample Ballots mailed out the first week of May for ALL candidates in the Primary.

MUST BE REGISTERED, or updated if needed, by May 21,  2018 to vote in the June 5,  2018 Primary or call the Elections Office Hotline at 1-800-722-8683 (Bilingual) for conditional ballot information.

Vote early.  Download the VOTE BY MAIL ballot at:

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/vote-mail/

Don’t forget, you can also register before the November 6th General Election if not eligible for the June Primary.

Click here to find current elected officials:    https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/

May 31 2018

REGISTER AND UPDATE NOW TO VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL ELECTION. ELECTIONS OFFICE HOTLINE 1-800-722-8683 (BILINGUAL), CONDITIONAL BALLOT, UPDATE INFORMATION, SIGN UP FOR VOTE-BY-MAIL

 

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/cavoter/

CONTACT THE ELECTIONS OFFICE AT 1-800-722-8683 FOR ASSISTANCE IF NEEDED.

Note:  Eligible 17 1/2 year olds  may register to vote as long as they are 18 on an election day.

Visit our Facebook Page and share your ideas with others.

https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticClubOfSantaMariaValley/

Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley

 

LISTS OF CAMPAIGN DONORS:   https://www.opensecrets.org

CALL TO ACTION:  https://santamariademocrats.info/resist-call-to-action/

Call/Sign Petitions:  https://santamariademocrats.info/petitions/

Write letters to the Editor:  https://santamariademocrats.info/letters-to-media/

Look up elected representatives:  https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/

INDIVISBLE:   https://www.indivisible.org

Get Local Events and Political News at Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/DemocraticClubOfSantaMariaValley/

 

Jun 13 2018

JUNE 21, 2018, Thursday, 5:30 pm-8:30 pm, DEM CLUB GENERAL MEETING. Join Us! Public Welcome!

JUNE DCSMV GENERAL MEETING
Thursday, June 21,  2018.

 

Democratic Club Santa Maria Valley meetings are held every third Thursday of the month, IHOP Restaurant, 202 Nicholson Ave, Santa Maria, 93454.


JOIN US!  No-host social and menu dinner at 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm.
  Stay for guest speaker at 7:00 pm.   Business meeting 7:45 pm – 8:30 pm (registered Democrats.)

      Call for more information 1-805-349-2708, Office open M-F, 11am – 2pm.

2nd V-P,  Scott Baker, Speaker Coordinator:

June  Guest Speakers:

Our June General Meeting will feature two programs:

Arthur Valenzuela,  Jr. , will be our primary featured speaker,  a former Field Representative of the California Democratic Party for Assemblyman Das Williams in 2016, and prior to that a Field Organizer for the CDP in 2014. He will be discussing the impact of District Elections in Oxnard which are also being implemented this fall..

Arthur attended Oxnard High School and Ventura College (where he received an AA in Political Science, as well as an AA in Social and Behavioral Sciences). He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, majoring in Global Studies and minoring in Feminist Studies. He ran for Oxnard City Council in the 2013 special election at the age of 21, the youngest of 13 candidates.

Arthur is currently employed as a longshoreman at Port Hueneme and is running for Trustee for the Ventura County Community College District Area 1. He just completed his term as President of the Greater Oxnard Organization of Democrats (The GOOD Club) and is now serving as their Treasurer.

      Arthur Valenzuela, Jr.

 

We will also have a representative of the City of Santa Maria giving a brief PowerPoint presentation and answer questions.  Attendees will be asked to complete a brief survey at the end to be shared with City Council members, so they can evaluate our concerns.

May 02

May 2, 2018, Co-authors held a public press conference announcing efforts to reform our broken campaign finance system

San Luis Obispo, CA – On Wednesday, May 2, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Bill Ostrander, Director of Citizen’s Congress, (and 2018 Candidate for CA 35 Assembly) introduced the Corporate Political Disclosure Act of 2018.

For more information, click on the link below:

https://santamariademocrats.info/past-local-political-events/may-2-2018-carbajal-and-ostrander-announce-legislation-to-disclose-corporate-election-spending/

May 01 2018

Vote for Bill Ostrander (D) – 2018 Endorsed Candidate for CA Assembly 35th District, June 5, 2018 Primary.

 

 

 

 

 

Why I’m Running
I’m Bill Ostrander and I’m running to represent California’s 35th Assembly District, which includes all of San Luis Obispo County and almost 50% of Santa Barbara County.
With the extraordinary energy of protest and resistance we’ve experienced here in the 35th Assembly District and across the country, now is our best chance in the past 50 years to flip this seat from red to blue.
But I want to focus on the issues of concern to the residents of the district. That’s why I’m hoping that our current Republican Assembly representative, Jordan Cunningham, will agree that residents of the 35th Assembly District will benefit from a wide-ranging discussion of political positions, ideas and ideals in the form of a series of Lincoln-Douglas style debates. These debates will be an opportunity for a substantive dialogue about where we are going and how we want to get there.
It’s my hope that these debates will not include now-typical political equivocation and poll-tested political sound bytes with no substance. Instead, these debates – to be held across the county – will follow the general form of the seven debates between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln during the 1858 Illinois state election campaign. The issues Douglas and Lincoln discussed were of critical importance the basic underpinnings of the union. We are now experiencing a time in our history that many believe are comparable to the troublesome times faced in 1858.
While, at the time of these momentous debates, Senators were elected by the state legislatures, Douglas and Lincoln nevertheless chose to take their message directly to the people. I would hope that our incumbent Assemblyman will do the same as Douglas and Lincoln, gather in our communities’ public squares throughout the 35th district, and debate the substantive issues we face today.
These debates will be free to the public because that’s what democracy dictates. I believe that everyone, regardless of political party, deserves a meaningful discussion of the complex issues that are crucial to our future. Let’s lay out our visions for the future for our district, our communities, and pour neighborhoods. And let’s provide voters with the information they need to make a truly informed decision based on the issues and not just empty rhetoric.
Remember, it’s not THE government, it’s OUR government, and we must all take part for democracy to flourish.

For more information, visit my website:  https://www.billostrander.org

 

Apr 22 2018

Vote for Endorsed Candidate Betsy Schaffer, CPA, June 5, 2018 Primary.

 

 

2018 Endorsed Candidate, Betsy Schaffer, CPA

  Santa Barbara County Auditor-Controller

QUALIFICATIONS: The County Board of Supervisors, since the 1950’s, has required candidates for the Santa Barbara County Auditor to meet certain qualifications (CA Government Code Section 26945):

1. Possession of a California Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License or be a Certified Internal Auditor.  California Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – License #70139, issued 1995

2. Hold a degree in accounting.  California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Accounting Concentration – 1991 Graduate

3. Serve as the county auditor, chief deputy county auditor, or chief assistant county auditor.  Assistant Auditor-Controller (2 years) \ Chief Deputy Controller (2 years)

Other Qualifications: 2  years as a CPA and the Assistant Auditor-Controller, I fulfill and represent the basic tenets of independence, objectivity, and the required professional ethics of the Auditor’s Office for financial related issues   26+ years of professional work experience in government & private sector  Committed to the office, the county, the community – I have lived and worked in Santa Barbara County for 35 years.  Strong team builder and team leader (I have successfully applied W. Edwards Deming’s Process Improvement & Management Philosophies)  Proven ability to think critically and provide an alternate perspective  Proven ability to get things done with a realistic, yet positive temperament GFOA Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO), #590, issued 2015.

EDUCATION:  California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Accounting Concentration – 1991 Graduate Cuesta Community College, San Luis Obispo, CA Associate in Arts, Business Administration – 1989 Graduate Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria, CA – 1985 Graduate.

Email:  betsy4countyauditor@gmail.com.  Website: betsy4countyauditor.com.

Apr 19

Incumbent Congressman, 24th District, Salud Carbajal opened an office August 8, 2017 in Santa Maria. Open Mon-Thursday.

 

 

 

 

1619 S. Thornburg Street, Santa Maria, CA  93458 (S. Broadway to W. Battles)

Open Mon – Thursday 9am – 5 pm.

Phone: (805) 730-1710

A local office will be an opportunity for constituents to discuss with Congressman Carbajal how he can best be of assistance in dealing with constituent casework and federal matters that concern Santa Maria residents.

OTHER LOCATIONS:

OFFICE LOCATIONS

WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE
212 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515Phone: (202)-225-3601

SANTA BARBARA OFFICE

360 S. Hope Ave.
Suite C-301
Santa Barbara, CA 93105Phone: (805)-730-1710

SAN LUIS OBISPO OFFICE
1411 Marsh St
Suite 205
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Phone: (805) 546-8348

 

Apr 18

CALIFORNIA MUST PROTECT HEALTHCARE. SUPPORT SB562, CA HEALTH CARE FOR ALL

California can’t count on congress to assist Americans with affordable insurance.  We must take steps to provide coverage to those who will need it and whose lives depend upon health care.  The CA Senate has passed SB562, now the CA Assembly must pass it.  

CALL Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon (AD 62): (916) 319-2063.  Vote on this in 2017!!

The Senate passed SB562 June 2, 2017, now the Assembly has to step up!!

Please FORWARD this message to friends and activist groups. We need a flood of calls to stir these legislators! Thank you all for your work!

This is an important message for all SB 562 supporters. Please read and follow up ASAP.

As our bill heads to the CA Assembly, the Healthy California campaign is asking us to make THREE VERY QUICK PHONE CALLS.  If everyone does this, it will bolster the process and build momentum going forward.

SAMPLE MESSAGE: “SB 562 is key to our health and economy. I am looking to (name of Assemblymember) to support it.”

1.) CALL:  

District 35 State Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham

                Phone: (805) 549-3381 SLO

SAMPLE MESSAGE: “SB 562 is key to our health and economy. I am looking to (name of Assemblymember) to support it.”

1150 Osos Street, Suite 207, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

District 35 Map:   http://www.calvoter.org/voter/maps/2011/assembly/map_20110815_ap_ad_35_certified.pdf

2.)  CALL 

two other important Asssemblymembers, Health Committee Chair Jim Wood and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon:

               Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon (AD 62): (916) 319-2063
                       

                          Assemblymember Jim Wood (AD 2): (916) 319-2002

 

***  BE NOTIFIED OF THE PROGRESS OF HEALTH CARE FOR ALL SB562:  http://www.healthycaliforniaact.org/home/

 

The case against Charter Schools and Voucher programs. Today, black students are over five times more likely to attend high-poverty schools than white children

Still Separate, Still Unequal: The Role of Black Women and Girls in the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education

May 18, 2018
Yesterday marked the 64th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, in which the Court ruled that state laws segregating schools were unconstitutional. Yet schools today are more segregated than they were in 1968, with approximately 75 percent of black students attending racially segregated schools. This is bad news for students and particularly impacts black girls.
Vouchers divert desperately needed resources from public schools to fund the education of a few students at private or religious schools.

Continue reading –

https://www.aauw.org/2018/05/17/still-separate-still-unequal/

Mar 31

Santa Maria Transgender Day Celebration honored local transgender community members and allies.

Celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility in Santa Maria at the corner of Main and Broadway, March 31st, 12-2pm.
The rally honored our local transgender community members and allies. Speakers, resources and meeting new folx.

After the rally carpooled (check out QUEERPOOL) to Tranz Central Coast’s event in San Luis Obispo 4-6pm. Look for their
TDOV event on facebook at Tranz Central Coast
https://www.facebook.com/events/1810569899243678/

Plan on attending more events in the future.  

FYI: There will be a RESOURCE FAIR ON JUNE 30TH in downtown Santa Maria.  Fair booths will be located in the parking lot area of the Town Center Mall on the WEST side of S. Broadway.

Mar 20 2018

Students organized “MARCH FOR OUR LIVES” rally in Santa Maria, March 24, 2018..

March 24th,  at 2:30 p.m., over 120 people marched in front of Santa Maria High School’s Ethel Pope Auditorium and took over the corners at South Broadway and Morrison Avenue, chanting “Enough is enough!” “The people united will never be divided!” “Vote them out!” and “Hey, hey NRA, how many kids did you kill today?” 

Joana Barrera, community organizer for Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), said the organization has been talking to students since the Parkland shooting and the national walkout March 14, and hoped that it’ll spark more conversations about gun control in the near future. 

“Santa Maria already faces high crime and youth violence stemming from gang activity,” Barrera said. “We want students to be listened to, and today’s a great way to help students get involved. Enough is enough.” 

The “March for Our Lives” rallies were spearheaded by survivors of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead.

 

South Broadway and W. Morrison Street

 

Santa Maria Times article:  https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/santa-maria-march-for-our-lives-rallies-for-stricter-gun/article_2bef6f44-4ae3-5e3d-a2b4-0fb5f2358fa5.html#utm_source=santamariatimes.com&utm_campaign=%2Femail-updates%2Fdaily-headlines%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=3AA521AECEF80FD328ECA9DEE002AC7E56BDFF45

 

Jan 30 2018

800,000 Dreamers are at risk in the land of immigrants.

 

SIGN THE LETTER. Protect the Dreamers.  These Dreamers came forward with the government’s promise of protection, and passed a rigorous background check, paid a fee, and are currently in school, active duty or the workforce. They are hardworking, young individuals who are part of the fabric of our nation. Eliminating the ability of these Dreamers to work legally in the U.S. and subjecting them to immediate deportation is a moral, policy, and political disaster.
There is overwhelming bipartisan support across America for legislative solutions to protect Dreamers from deportation and to create a legal status for them.
Take action to protect Dreamers.

SIGN THE LETTER:

https://dreamers.fwd.us/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=protect-dreamers&utm_term=dream_act&utm_content=

 

EASY CONNECT WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS:  https://dreamacttoolkit.org/?link_id=1&can_id=83c605ec892ede215fcc88c82e0a78fb&source=email-defenddaca-protect-undocumented-communities&email_referrer=email_228200&email_subject=defenddaca-protect-undocumented-communities

 

SIGN THE PETITION:

https://santamariademocrats.info/petitions/immigration-and-daca/tell-trump-to-protect-dreamers/

 

Jan 29

Why do the wealthy run the country? People living in poverty are registered, but don’t vote.

Study: Polarization and Gridlock Work Well for Rich Americans

Data collected by the Pew Research Center in 2014 found that only half of the least financially secure Americans are registered to vote, and only one-fifth planned to cast a ballot in that year’s midterm election. These voters also didn’t follow politics very closely — only a quarter knew which party controlled Congress, and only 14 percent had gotten in touch with an elected official in the last two years.

“Most people are registered to vote but you’ll find that they’re not turning out to vote,” says Alexandra Gallo, an organizer with West Virginia Citizen Action Group who participated in a panel on rural organizing. “They don’t feel that it matters or that it’s going to make a difference, or they don’t want to vote for the lesser of two evils.”

“You don’t just show up and knock on people’s doors,” she continues. “You have to develop trust. They want to know why you’re there. How long you plan to stay. And usually, when people are showing up, they assume that they have some money associated with their being there that probably will never get to the community.”

http://billmoyers.com/story/poor-people-arent-involved-in-politics/#.WU3KOExq96w.facebook

 

Jan 27 2018

The environment isn’t a political issue. It is a survival issue.

Planet Earth is planet “A.”  

There is no planet “B.”

We live on the Mother Ship.  If we humans, as caretakers, protect our planet, it will continue to give and sustain life. If we don’t, it will take life.

To deny that we humans have no effect, or that we can’t make changes that will limit damage, is to contribute to a destiny for humanity that will be catastrophic.

There are no “do overs” when it comes to extinction.

Our leaders say things to appease our comfort level, but are enacting laws and changes that are destructive and irreversible to our planet.  If we don’t come together to prevent this, nothing else will matter.  

What they vote into law, is what we, and future generations, will live or die with.  Don’t expect someone else to step up on your behalf.  It’s everyone’s turn to be present.

What can an individual do?

Continued on our tab ‘POSTS CONTINUED” –

Click here –  https://santamariademocrats.info/posts-continued/climate-change-is-a-survival-issue/

Nov 14 2017

STOP 750 new wells! Save our WATER!

There are over 750 new wells proposed for Santa Barbara County that will be voted on by our county Board of Supervisors.  Click on the link: NO drilling! Reject proposals by oil companies AERA, ERG and PetroRock.  These projects would drill through the Santa Maria Valley Groundwater Basin, which provides clean drinking water to 12 cities and over 200,000 people. We need to make sure our county votes against these proposals! 

SIGN THE PETITION:

https://secure.foodandwaterwatch.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2949

 

CONTACT YOUR SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SUPERVISOR:

https://santamariademocrats.info/your-reps-and-maps/north-santa-barbara-county-supervisors/

 

OTHER ARTICLES OF INTEREST:

Oklahoma Has Had More Earthquakes Than California in 2014, Partly Because of Fracking

 

 

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/earthquakes-triggered-by-fracking/