November is traditionally focused on Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, but my message this month has to do with that “other” activity – our democracy and Elections.  Yes, the 2024 Presidential election is one year away, but there is another much less recognized election coming up as part of the Primary Election on March 5, 2024.  Have you ever wondered how people get on the Central Committees? Let me outline it for you!
 

As noted in previous newsletters, our PCDP Communications Committee will share a monthly message on the issues we confront in Placer County.

The American Dream – that enigmatic hope for a successful future we imagine our children will be able to attain.  We love, feed, house, and guide our children, but much of their future depends on the interactions they have when we are not around.  We depend on our public school system to provide our children with the skills they will need to succeed in an ever-increasingly complex world.  Young minds will need to develop a strong understanding of earth sciences, history, cooperation, and technology to face the challenges ahead.

The March 5, 2024, Primary Election may still be four months away, but there’s no time like the present to reach out to voters and secure their pledge to vote.

We’re asking you to step up—literally. The key to winning elections is voter turnout, especially by our younger voters. Getting voters to pledge to vote, and then following up with a self-addressed reminder card can increase a percentage and be the difference between victory or defeat.

I attended a recent meeting of the Placer Hills Union School District. The agenda included an item titled “Board Requested time to discuss AB1314, HR 1585.” A quick look revealed that these bills seek to force teachers and counselors to inform parents if their student exhibits any signs of identifying with anything other than their “gender assigned at birth.” AKA forced outing of students by school staff.
 
There were approximately eight people who spoke against the district supporting these bills. These speakers included community members such as myself, a high school student, and several teachers and counselors who work for the district. There were no speakers in support of these bills.
 
Tired tropes
The board member who spoke in support of these bills, Ray Lawrence, brought out some tired tropes in support of these bills. He insisted that parents should have access to everything in the student's official file (they already do). The fact that other board members cited exact language negating the need for these bills did not dissuade Lawrence as he continued to insist that the district consider supporting these bills.

Editor’s note: this summary continues the series based on author and history professor Timothy Snyder’s book “On Tyranny”. The goal is to pass on his insights, wisdom, and forecast to those who have not read his works.

 Snyder asks, “What is patriotism”?  In his examples of what is not patriotic, he suggests “It is not patriotic to ask those working, taxpaying American families to finance one’s own presidential campaign, and then to spend their contributions in one’s own companies.” I’m sure you know who immediately came to my mind.

The other side thinks they are winning. They think they have the momentum. Those who support policies that would harm transgender, and gender non-conforming youth are becoming increasingly emboldened. At the recent Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District board meeting, “Proud Boy” Jeffrey Perrine received a round of applause from the audience after speaking on the district’s parental notification policy. That board then went on to unanimously approve their policy to “out” students who want to be themselves at school, without any board discussion on the policy. No explanation for why it was on the agenda; no justification for why the policy was needed. Two school boards in Placer County now have policies that explicitly target and harm LGBTQ+ students. The other school boards are watching, and the other side is pressuring them to adopt these policies.

Freedom from religious persecution was of such importance to the creators of our country that they enshrined the 1st Amendment to our Constitution to afford each of us total individual rights to religious choice.  Americans deeply cherish this uniquely democratic right.  On 9/11, when religious terrorists attacked our country, we all came together to recover and to repair our nation.  We denounced these atrocious acts as unrepresentative of any religious doctrines, and recognized these were purely acts of violence and hate, trying to hide under the cover of religion.

Today, in Placer County, we are under attack again by religious extremists. 

The California Democratic Party Legislation Committee (CADEM LC) convened their initial session of the 2023-2024 term during the CADEM E-Board Conference recently held in Visalia, CA in August of this year.  CADEM LC is a standing committee tasked with reviewing legislations submitted to them for endorsement consideration by the California Democratic Party (CADEM). 

September 2023

Political heat from multiple indictments (are we still on 4??) as well adding named co-conspirators has drowned out all the important good news promoting President Biden’s policies and programs that impact the middle class and protect our democracy.

What happened in our positive and educational Central Committee activities in August? 

How’s that for a ponderous title?

There cannot be too many people drawing a breath in these United States who are not contemplating whether our form of government will survive Donald Trump. We are legion, I suspect, and our trepidations are not unjustified. While the former president runs around social media and his rallies of cultists by complaining the government is being weaponized against him, he finishes his whining by explaining how he intends to turn the institutions of our republic into weapons of mass destruction to be used on anyone who resists his authority.

Our national destiny now is connected to how many people find emotional and political sanctuary in the delusions of a pathological liar.

“Support”

By Jonathan Taylor, PCDCC Legislative Committee Analyst, MLS Drexel Law

 ACA 5 (Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5) Marriage Equality

ACA 5 passed the California State Senate on July 13, 2023 and it was chaptered and filed the same month. Now it must pass the popular vote, as it will be on the November 5, 2024, General Election Ballot. This will remove discrimination from the state constitution.

Fellow Democrats,

Conservatives are once again attacking educational and LGBTQ spaces in Roseville and Placer County.  The Landing Spot was forced to cancel their annual youth drag show, which was scheduled to be at Roseville High School, due to pressure from the Destiny Church backed organization, the American Council. 

The heat in July was more than just weather! There was plenty of political heat as well on both the state and national levels. We go from week to week wondering which indictments might happen in which order and then, a new shoe drops!

What will August hold for us? 

In college admissions or jobs . . .. it’s about addressing systemic discrimination
Myra Jolivet

Here’s the definition of affirmative action: Affirmative action is defined as a set of procedures designed to; eliminate unlawful discrimination among applicants, remedy the results of such prior discrimination, and prevent such discrimination in the future. Applicants may be seeking admission to an educational program or looking for professional employment.

 So logically, those against affirmative action are pro unlawful discrimination, against remedies for that discrimination, and for future discrimination.