The
Democratic
Voice
www.DemocraticClub.SCC.org
[email protected]
September Meetings
Monday, September 19
Terry Christensen
On Ballot Propositions
Monday, September 26
Santa Clara City Council Candidates Forum
Harry’s Hofbrau
390 Saratoga Ave, San Jose
Dinner 6 PM, Meeting 7 PM
Volume 35 Number 9
September 2016
Breaking the Mold at SCCDC’s summer
event
by Shirley Odou, Editor
If you weren’t there, I wish you had
been. On a perfect day in August with a
welcome slight summer breeze, guests,
canopied under the branches of the old
bay tree in the gardens of the Harris-Lass
Historic Museum, partook in a look back
at presidential history—Democrats, only,
of course—with a tribute to ten who
“broke the mold” presented by SCCDC
President Rob Means and the Santa
Clara University Choral Group directed
by SCU Professor Nancy Kromm. The
ten were Jefferson, Jackson, Wilson,
Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson,
Carter, Clinton, and Obama—all of
whom advanced the cause of the Democratic Party and the American people.
Frequently faced with strong opposition
in no holds barred contests, these presidents’ supporters sang them to victory
on the strains of their campaign rally
songs, which always heralded their candidacy and sometimes castigated their
opponents. After each tribute from Jef-
ferson
to
Obama,
the
choral
group,
accompanied by
keyboardist and
trumpeter, harmonized for a
rendition of the
president’s rally
Special Guest Speaker
song with at- Larry Stone, Santa Clara
tendees, lyrics
County Tax Assessor
in hand, singing
along,
more
robustly with “Happy Days Are Here
Again” and “I’m Just Wild About Harry” than “Hunters of Kentucky,” an ode
to Jackson, or “Jefferson and Liberty.”
They sat at tables of their favorite president, identified by an Uncle Sam hat
centerpiece with his name attached, then
at the conclusion of his tribute, urged on
by Rob, rallied for him with cheers and
applause. Without an applause-o-meter it
was hard to discern which president elicited the most enthusiastic response, but
FDR and Obama (continued on page 3)
September 26 features eight candidates
for Santa Clara City Council
Eight of the ten candidates running for
Santa Clara City Council will be seeking
SCCDC’s endorsement at a special meeting on September 26th. Five of the eight
are SCCDC members indicated by *.
The candidates are: Seat 3, John
McLemore*; Seat 4 Raj Chahal and
Patty Mahan; Seat 6 Suds Jain*, Mohammed Nadeem* and Kathy Watanabe*;
Seat 7 Teresa O’Neill* and Ahmad Rafah. Each will give an opening statement,
and a closing statements and take ques-
tions from the audience.
The candidates’ photos and biographical
information are on pages six and seven
of the Democratic V oice. A two-thirds
vote by the majority of members present
at the meeting is required for an endorsement.
After the candidates’ forum, there will be
a vote on an amendment to the nominating committee selection process, followed by a call for (continued on page 6)
Dr. Christensen
demystifies ballot
propositions
Why so many on the ballot?
At SCCDC’s September 19th meeting,
guest speaker Dr. Terry Christensen, San
Jose State Professor Emeritus, will give
his take on why there are so many
measures on the ballot, leaving decisions
on complex legislation in the hands of the
voters, bypassing elected representatives
whose main function is to pass laws after
extensive debate and public input. The
initiative process dating back to 1911 in
California, once regarded as the most
direct form of democracy, is now labelled
by some as the “initiative industrial complex.”
With his ability to demystify the arcane
and, as he has done for SCCDC in the
past, present a lively, provocative commentary on state propositions, an analysis
which by any other speaker can be soporific, Christensen will give an overview of
eight of the 18 measures on this year’s
ballot. He will focus on Props 53
(revenue bonds), 62 and 66 (competing
death penalty measures), 65 and 67
(plastic bags), 56 (cigarettes), 63 (guns),
and 64 (marijuana).
A specialist on state and local politics,
Christensen earned his B.A. in political
science from Stanford University and his
Ph.D, from the University of North Carolina. He chaired the Department of Political Science at SJSU from 1994 to 2002,
and in 1998 was named the university’s
outstanding professor. He is author or coauthor of nine books, the latest of which
is the 13th edition of California Politics
and Government. Currently he serves as
host of “Valley Politics,” a monthly TV
show on politics (continued on page 6)
“There’s a difference between fair game and playing games.” ~ Hillary Clinton
Page 2
The Democratic Voice
The Democratic Voice
Published by Santa Clara
County Democratic Club
Monthly, ten times a year
Submissions due first
Monday of each month
Shirley Odou
1231 Lafayette St.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Newsletter Editor: Shirley
Odou, 408-247-9513
[email protected]
Graphic Design:
Karen Powers
Santa Clara County
Democratic Club Officers
President, Rob Means
Vice-President,
Dixie Johansen
Treasurer, Bill Barrett
Recording Secretary,
Tom Pyke
Corresponding Secretary,
Gwendolyn McDaniel
Members-at-Large:
Al Alarcon, Joe Alvarado,
David Donaldson, Herb
Engstrom, Dan Hoffman,
Carol Miller, Shirley Odou,
Fred Rehhausser, Eileen
Sargent, Allan Thiessen.
SCCDC Committee
Chairs:
Membership:
David Donaldson
Programs: Shirley Odou
Political Advisor::
Loretta Riddle
SCCDCC Representative:
Dan Hoffman
Newsletter: Shirley Odou
Public Relations:
David Donaldson
Consortium Representative:
Eileen Sargent
Endorsements:
Fred Rehhausser
Campaign Finance Reform:
Craig Dunkerley
Proposed bylaw amendments
The SCCDC membership adopted unanimously
the
following
amendment to Article VII, Section 2
of the bylaws regarding the selection of a nominating committee at
its July 20th, 2015 meeting:
A Nominating Committee (NC)
shall be established at the regular
meeting two months prior to the
November meeting. Executive officers shall not serve on the NC and
members of the NC committee shall
not be candidates for executive office. All other members in good
standing for at least 180 days may
volunteer or be nominated to be
members of the NC.
The NC shall consist of five members. The President shall call for
volunteers to the NC from the floor
at the September general meeting. If
fewer than five members volunteer, the president shall call for
nominations from the floor to
fill any vacancies on the NC. All
nominations and volunteers to
the NC shall be subject to the approval of the members attending the
September general meeting. The NC
shall elect its chairperson. The chair
shall submit its recommended slate
of candidates for the Executive
Board at the October general meeting prior to the November election.
Nominations for all executive officers and members-at-large may be
made from the floor at the October
meeting. All candidates shall have
full and prompt access to the current
mailing list of all members.
(Signing on to the amendment were
Al and Dee Alarcon, Joe Alvarado,
Bill Barmettler, Lilyann Brannon,
Herb Engstrom, Dixie Johansen,
Eleanor Pedraza, and Shirley Odou).
Since SCCDC former president
Craig Dunkerley found issues with
the selection of the nominating committee not covered in the 2015
amendment implemented for the
first time last year, he has submitted his proposal to fix the problems—mainly, but not solely to deal
fairly with more than five people
volunteering to serve on the committee. He has also included some
changes in wording and refined the
formatting in his submission.
The principal authors of the amendment now in place also discovered a
significant deficiency to the amendment they submitted in July 2015—
namely, that there are no provisions
for multiple nominations to fill the
remaining vacancies should fewer
than five qualified members volunteer to serve on the NC. They, therefore, have put forth an alternative
amendment which incorporates
almost all of Craig's proposal, altering the language he suggests only to
avoid inconsistency. Because they
were unable to reach a satisfactory
compromise, both proposed amendments will be presented at
the September 26th meeting. Please
note that the alternative amendment
submitted included provisions to fix
both the main problem Craig identified as well as the deficiency the
principal authors discovered. The
principal authors are Al Alarcon,
Dixie Johansen and Shirley Odou. A
two-thirds majority of members
present at the meeting is required for
an amendment to be adopted.
Proposed bylaw change:
ARTICLE VII: ELECTION OF
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 2: A Nominating Committee (NC) shall be established at the
September regular membership
meeting. Executive Officers shall
not serve on the NC, and NC members shall not be candidates for executive office. All other E-Board
members and Club members in
good standing for at least 180 days
may volunteer or be nominated to be
members of the NC. The NC shall
consist of 5 members. The President
shall explain at the outset that we
need at least 5 volunteers or nominees and then call for such volunteers from the floor.
1) If fewer than 5 members volunteer, the President shall call for
nominations from the floor to fill
any remaining vacancies.
2) If exactly 5 volunteers and/or
nominees emerge, the President will
then seek majority approval of the
membership present at the meeting.
3) If more than 5 volunteers and/or
nominees emerge, the President will
have ballots distributed and ask for
all members in good standing to
name their top 5 choices. The 5
receiving the most votes shall then
form the new NC.
If any selected NC members should
resign, the remaining members shall
complete their assigned task, making all decisions with a quorum of at
least 3. The NC shall elect its Chairperson. This Committee shall submit its slate of recommended office
holders at the October meeting.
Additional nominations for all officers and members-at-large may be
made from the floor at the October
meeting. If any Executive Board
offices are contested, candidates in
those races shall have full and
prompt access to the current mailing
list of all members.
Proposed alternate bylaw change:
ARTICLE VII: ELECTION OF
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 2: A Nominating Committee (NC) shall be established at the
September regular membership
meeting. Executive Officers shall
not serve on the NC, and NC members shall not be candidates for executive office. All other members EBoard members and Club in good
standing for at least 180 days may
volunteer or be nominated to be
members of the NC. The NC shall
consist of 5 members. The President
shall call for such volunteers from
the floor.
1) If fewer than 5 qualified members
volunteer, the President shall call for
nominations from the floor to fill
any remaining vacancies.
2) Should there be multiple nominations for the remaining vacancies,
the President shall call for an election by secret ballot. All members-in
-good standing shall vote on nominees; the nomine(s) receiving the
most votes, shall fill the remaining
vacancy(ies) on the NC.
3) The president then shall seek
majority approval of the membership for the five volunteers and
elected nominees.
4) If more than 5 qualified members
volunteer, the President shall have
ballots distributed and ask for all
members in good standing to name
their top 5 choices. The 5 receiving
the most votes shall then form the
new NC.
If any NC members should resign,
the remaining members shall complete their assigned task, making all
decisions with a quorum of at least
3. The NC shall elect its Chairperson. This Committee shall submit its
slate of recommended office holders
at the October meeting. Additional
nominations for all officers and
members-at-large may be made
from the floor at the October meeting. If any Executive Board offices
are contested, candidates in those
races shall have full and prompt
access to the current mailing list of
all members.
“The truth is that sometimes it is hard even for me to recognize the Hillary Clinton that other people see.” ~ Hillary Clinton
The Democratic Voice
Page 3
(continued from page 1: BREAKING
THE MOLD AT SCCDC’S SUMMER
EVENT) seemed to edge out the others.
theme, declared that he had truly “broken
the mold.” “He has been,” Stone said
“the best president in my memory.”
All attendees received a 35th Anniversary Commemorative Booklet with the
presidents’ biographies and campaign
rally songs, as well as a pocket constitution, a token of our appreciation for Mr.
Khan opening Oz’s curtain, waving his
copy in the air, revealing the real Trump
as he asked him rhetorically “Have you
even read the U.S. Constitution?.” Of
course, we know Trump’s answer was
none at all, as he retreated behind his
curtain of insults, hurling them without
compunction at the Gold Star parents of a
son who died a hero in Afghanistan.
Perhaps it was because of the favorable
weather, but by the time the program had
ended, most of the attendees were still
there, with the exception of a couple of
elected officials and their wives. For the
events committee, however, the lingerers
validated for them that their hard work
and elaborate planning had paid off. Or
then too, attendees could have been waiting for our grand finale—awarding the
donation drawing prizes to the lucky winners of our three vacation packages. Our
grand prize, “Capitol Caper: A Day in
Sacramento,” was won by Santa Clara
City Councilwoman and club member,
Teresa O’Neill; first prize, “Escape to
Monterey,” winner was SCCDC secretary Tom Pyke; and the second prize,
“San Jose Staycation,” was awarded to
Jody Burton.
Special guest speaker Larry Stone, Santa
Clara County Tax Assessor, opened the
program, reminding us that although he
serves in a nonpartisan office, he is a lifelong Democrat. He continued with a
“breaking-the-mold” glowing tribute to
2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, buttressing his endorsement with an
impressive list of her qualifications and
why she should ascend to the highest
office in the land. He had high praise for
President Obama, citing his many accomplishments, and, in keeping with the
Thanks
by Shirley Odou, Event Committee
Chair
Thanks to SCCDC Events Committee:
With rave reviews from attendees at the
SCCDC’s “Breaking the Mold” summer
paean to ten Democratic Presidents who
changed America, events chair members
can take a bow: Rob Means presented the
tributes, contributed to the booklet, and
kept track of the rsvps; Loretta Riddle with
her special talent designed the colorful,
patriotic decorations with Uncle Sam hats
for centerpieces that enhanced the theme;
Eileen Sargent sold mor e donation dr awing tickets than any other SCCDD member,
contributed cookies for the dessert at the
BBQ, and staffed the sign-in table; Carol
Miller, although unable to attend because of recent surgery, contributed to
planning the event; Esther Rechenmacher
assisted at the sign-in table and helped with
the decorations. As chair, I appreciate all
you did to lessen my load and help make
SCCDC’s summer event a success.
Thanks to other club members for their
contributions: Al Alarcon for setting up
the sound system and helping in any number of ways; Dee Alarcon for assisting
An added feature was the live auction of
a flag flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. donated by Congressman Mike
Honda, and two round-trip tickets on
Amtrak to Sacramento, procured for
SCCDC by Rod Diridon Senior, Emeritus Director of the Mineta Transportation
with the mailing; Bill Barrett for helping
with the sign-ins; Lou Calvert for helping
with the setup and cleanup; Rosa Cuevas,
for researching the presidents’ portraits;
Craig Dunkerley for being our auctioneer and helping with the cleanup; Herb
Engstrom for pr inting invitation envelopes and raffle tickets and helping with the
setup; Tom Pyke for helping with the setup,
the cleanup, and contributing the drinks and
ice for the event; Rick Rechenmacher for
helping sell donation drawing tickets at the
sign-in table; and Kathy and Richard
Stoken for helping with the setup, the
cleanup, and the decorations. And to phone
tree members: Eileen Sargent, Chair, Bill
Barmettler, Jan Dietzgen, David Donaldson, Carol Green, and Lynda Martinez.
And a very special thanks to Karen Powers for designing the invitations, the pr ograms, and the booklet, all so beautifully
done from her home in Los Banos.
Thanks to the businesses who contributed to our Donation Drawing: For our
Capitol Caper, A Day in Sacramento:
The Embassy Suites in Sacr amento,
Fat’s Restaurant, and the California
Railroad Museum. For our Escape to
Monterey: The Hilton Garden Hotel in
Monterey, El Torito Mexican Restaurant,
Institute. SCCDC member and former
president Craig Dunkerley was our auctioneer, a pro who knows just how to
encourage bidders to up the ante. Perie
Jensen, the highest bidder in a close competition, won the flag, authenticated by
an accompanying certificate stating it
was flown over the Capitol on August 18,
2016 in honor of the winner in Santa
Clara County Democratic Club’s auction.
Lynne Brown was the high bidder for the
Amtrak Capitol Corridor tickets. A portion of the proceeds from the auction and
the donation drawing will be shared with
the nonprofit organization, Heart of the
Valley, dedicated to providing services to
seniors to help them live independently.
Our generous contributors, to our giveaways were Loft Beer and Bistro in San
Jose, Mission City Grill, La Paloma
Mexican Restaurant, and Andy’s BBQ in
Santa Clara.
We wish to thank all of you who purchased donation drawing tickets, our high
bidders in the live auction, those who
helped underwrite our summer event with
your donations, and all who joined us for
our August 27, 2016 35th Anniversary
Celebration.
and the Sardine Factory. For our San Jose
Staycation: The Marriott Hotel, Arcadia
Restaurant, the Loft Bar and Bistro, and
Il Fornaio Ristorante.
Also, thank you to Mission City Grill, La
Paloma Mexican Restaurant, the Loft
and Andy’s BBQ for our giveaways.
Kudos to SCU Professor Nancy Kromm
and the SCU choral group and instrumentalists for their exceptional performance of
the presidents’ campaign rally songs.
A most appreciative thanks to Rob Diridon, Sr. for his extr aor dinar y effor t in
making arrangements for the donation of
four round-trip tickets from San Jose to
Sacramento on Amtrak's Capitol Corridor.
And thanks to Eileen Sargent for contributing guest passes to the Monterey Bay
Aquarium.
A very, very, very special thank you to
Congressman Mike Honda for pr oviding
the flag flown over the Capitol for our live
auction.
A very big thank you to Larry Stone,
Santa Clara County Tax Assessor, for taking time from his busy schedule to be our
special guest speaker.
“If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.” ~ Hillary Clinton
Page 4
The Democratic Voice
SCCDC’s summer event: Breaking the Mold
SCCDC Treasurer Bill Barrett checks in guests while Rick
Rechenmacher hands out name badges.
Kathy and Richard Stoken at the Andy’s
BBQ buffet table
Esther Rechenmacher and Eileen Sargent sell
last minute chances at the donation drawing.
Sonia Barnes and Marilyn Taghon help themselves
to the bountiful luncheon
Lou Calvert and Al Alarcon prepare
for set-up for the event.
SCCDC President Rob Means welcomes guests and
presents the Breaking the Mold Program
Guests socialize while they partake of the delicious food.
“I believe that the rights of women and girls is the unfinished business of the 21st century.” ~ Hillary Clinton
The Democratic Voice
Page 5
Special Guest Speaker Larry Stone, Santa
Clara County Tax Assessor, rallied the crowd
around Hillary Clinton
Santa Clara City Council member Teresa
O’Neill won the grand prize , the Capitol
Caper, a day in Sacramento, in the donation
drawing
Nancy Kromm, left, SCU professor, leads Santa Clara University
singers Judy West, Riley Saito, Peggy Spool and Martha
Mamula performing the presidents’ campaign rally songs.
SCCDC Recording Secretary Tom Pyke
won the first prize in the donation drawing,
Escape to Monterey
Genevieve Kromm on trumpet
with Russell Kromm, Leroy
Kromm accompanied on keyboard
Winners of the live auction, Lynne Brown, Amtrack
tickets for two to Sacramento, and Perie Jenson, a
flag flown over the US Capitol donated by Mike Honda
Guests enjoy the program, Breaking the Mold, a tribute to 10 Democratic Presidents who changed America
“Extremism thrives amid ignorance and anger, intimidation and cowardice.” ~ Hillary Clinton
Page 6
The Democratic Voice
Candidates for Santa Clara City Council
SEAT 3: One participant
John
McLemore: I
have been a lifelong Democrat
starting when I
could
legally
vote during the
late 1960s. I
have a BA and
MA from San
Jose State University. I’ve been a member of the
SCCDC since 1995 and was a Santa
Clara City Council Member from 1996 to
2004. Between 1999 and 2007 I served as
a Commissioner & Vice-Chairman of the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Chairman of CalTrain, and a Board
Member of the Valley Transportation
Authority. I am a Retired VP of Operations after 40 years in the electronics
industry. Additionally, I retired after 26
years as a military veteran holding the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S.
Army Reserves. In the last 11 years I’ve
been active in the American Red Cross as
a Disaster Relief Member helping people
in multiple national hurricane disasters
and during the recent Northern California
fires. Learn more at johnmclemorecity
council2016.com
SEAT 4: Two
participants
Raj Chahal:
I’ve been a
Santa
Clara
resident for 21
years, and am
currently serving on the Planning Commission, Architec-
ture Review Committee, MCCF, and
Library Foundation. As a Boy Scouts
Scoutmaster, School Site Council member, and President of Santa Clara Sister
Cities, I have helped students develop
leadership skills and become globally
minded citizens. I believe in smart, balanced, and controlled growth, which is
harmonious with our existing neighborhoods. I worked hard with our community to get our Northside Library open and
to save our Youth Soccer Parks. I am
taking no corporate interest dollars for
my campaign. My education (MBA and
MS Physics), values, and experiences,
have prepared me to make smart, analytical, independent, ethical and financially
pragmatic decisions for residents. As
Councilmember, I will inform, consult,
and involve residents to improve city
services, senior & youth services, and
preserve neighborhood integrity. I promise to bring resident power back on the
council.
Learn
more
at
www.rajforsantaclara.com
Patricia
Mahan: Bor n and
raised in Santa
Clara, I attended
local
schools
and graduated
from Santa Clara
University
School of Law
in 1980. Since
then, I have
owned my private practice, specializing
in tax and estate planning. I am married
to John Boyles, a retired San Jose police
sergeant, and have one son, Colin, who is
attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York. My stepson Sean and
his wife Roan, both artists, own and operate “The Arsenal”, an art supply store
in San Jose. I have served Santa Clara for
more than 20 years, as commissioner on
Historic and Landmarks Commission, as
councilmember, and as Mayor (20022010). Santa Clara is a diverse, unique,
and special city, and I will always strive
to do what’s best for our residents, our
businesses, our workers, and our people.
I seek election to Seat 4 to serve our city
and to bring experience and leadership to
the council.
SEAT 6: Three participants
Suds Jain: I am
a retired chip
designer
who
has worked for
various Silicon
Valley startups
and public companies
since
1990 in the area
of
computer
networking.
I
retired in 2008 at 48 from my role as a
senior manager at Broadcom Corp so that
I could devote myself to tackling the issue of Climate Change. Since retiring, I
have taught algebra and climate change
science to middle schoolers. I also cofounded the Wilcox High School robotics
team. I’m a UC certified Master Gardener and pushed to get Santa Clara City’s
first community garden approved. I currently serve as a City of Santa Clara
Planning Commissioner and pushed to
get planning commission meetings video
recorded and televised. I advocate often
for transit oriented high-density development. I also serve on the board of Acterra, a 45-year-old environmental nonprofit based in Palo Alto. I hold BS and
MS degrees from MIT. Learn more at
sudsjain4council.nationbuilder.com
(continued from page 1: SEPTEMBER 19, CHRISTIANSEN
DEMYSTIFIES BALLOT PROPOSITIONS) and public policy in San Jose and Silicon Valley, produced by CreaTV which
airs Wednesdays at 8 PM on Comcast Channel 30.
(continued from page 1: SEPTEMBER 26 SANTA CLARA
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES FORUM) volunteers to the
committee whose purpose is to recommend qualified candidates
to serve on SCCDC’s executive board in 2017.
There will be endorsement votes on the ballot propositions and
on Santa Clara County measure B. A two thirds majority vote by
members present is required for endorsement.
The meeting will be held in the banquet room at Harry’s
Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Avenue in San Jose. The program begins
at 7 PM, following a no-host dinner at 6 PM. The business meeting will be held around 8:30 PM. If you are joining us for dinner,
please try to arrive no later than 6 PM. For more information,
please email Endorsement Co-Chair Tom Pyke at
[email protected] or call Chair Fred Rehhausser at 408-3485084.
The meeting will be held in the banquet room at Harry’s
Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga Avenue in San Jose. The program begins
at 7 PM, following a no-host dinner at 6 PM. If you want to join
us for dinner, please arrive no later than 6 PM. We have a very
full agenda so arriving on time is important. For more information, call 408-247-9513.
“Let’s continue to stand up for those who are vulnerable to being left out or marginalized.” ~ Hillary Clinton
The Democratic Voice
Page 7
Candidates for Santa Clara City Council
Dr.
Mohammed Nadeem:
As a 24-year
resident of Santa Clara, husband to my wife
Sarah, father of
our four children, and a Fulbright Scholar
and Professor, I
love Santa Clara. I bring a record of service to our community: two terms on the
Civil Service Commission, where I
worked to insure fairness. As a member
of Mission City Community Fund and
Rotary Club, I served in reaching out to
neighbors in need. As a member of the
Library Foundation Board of Directors,
where I fought to bring a new library to
the North Side. Santa Clara deserves
diverse leaders who will listen and make
sound decisions. As a graduate of Leadership, Citizen’s Police, and Fire Academy Programs, and as a Councilmember I
will fight for improved housing jobs imbalance; less traffic congestion, and a
walkable downtown for a better quality
of life. I humbly request your vote for my
Council Seat 6. Learn more at
www.drnadeem.com
Kathy
Watanabe:
I
currently occupy Seat 6 on the
Santa Clara City
Council. I was
appointed to the
seat on March 7,
2016 after Lisa
Gillmor
was
appointed
Mayor. This was a short-term appointment and I am now a candidate for Seat
6. I have been a resident of Santa Clara
since 2005. For the last 11 years, I have
been an outspoken advocate for the community. I am proud of my accomplishments including my efforts to get the
Northside Library opened. I have worked
hard with the school district to help pass
the first parcel tax as well as acquire
property to build a new school campus. It
is an honor to give back to one’s community. I look forward to continuing my role
as a councilmember and serve The Mission City and accomplish more at a higher
level.
Learn
more
at
www.kathywatanabe.com
SEAT 7: Two participants
Teresa O’Neill:
I am a proud
native Californian, having attended
Santa
Clara
schools
and
Stanford
University.
Shortly
after
graduation,
I
joined HewlettPackard Company, where I spent my
career in a variety of positions. I reengaged with my community after graduating from Stanford by working with non
-profits and my parish community. In
1998, I was elected to the Santa Clara
Unified School District Board of Trustees. Upon leaving the SCUSD Board of
Trustees after two terms, I was appointed
to the Santa Clara Planning Commission
in 2007, where I also served on Santa
Clara’s General Plan Steering Committee. I was elected to the Santa Clara City
Council in November 2012, representing
Santa Clara on several area boards and
commissions, including VTA, as well as
on many council committees. I also
chaired two successful revenue campaigns for SCUSD, Santa Clara’s parcel
tax in 2012 and a general obligation bond
measure in 2014.
Learn more at
Teresa oneill.org
Ahmad Rafah:
I was born in a
refugee
camp
during my parents’
escape
from
war-torn
Afghanistan. My
family resettled
in America. I have dedicated my life to
public service and am the son of a doctor
and teacher. I have been an active community leader in Santa Clara, serving as
Congressman Mike Honda’s liaison to
the city. I helped organize residents to
support raising Santa Clara’s minimum
wage, connected Santa Clara University
and Mission College to business executives to discuss green energy and advanced manufacturing, and brought government water experts to Santa Clara to
address our historic drought. I served as a
business and technology policy advisor
for the U.S. Congress. If elected, I will be
the first minority and first Muslim American ever elected to Santa Clara City
Council and the first Afghan American to
hold public office in United States history. Learn more at ahmadrafah.com
Pro and con views on VTA ballot measure to be heard at
September 19 meeting
In every recent survey of voters in Silicon Valley asking their top issues of
concern, traffic and transportation top
the list. This November, voters in Santa
Clara County will be deciding if Measure B proposed by the VTA is the best
approach to solving the problem. While
it contains many components that, for
the most part, are not in dispute, such as
repairing streets and potholes, improving
bicycles and pedestrian safety, particu-
larly around schools, and relieving traffic
on expressways and highway exchanges,
Measure B’s plan to finish the Bart extension to downtown San Jose and Santa
Clara and its call for a half-cent sales tax
increase over 30 years have triggered the
most controversy.
Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County Supervisor and Chairperson of the VTA
Board of Directors, will be presenting
the argument in favor of Measure B
while local Sierra Club Transportation
Chair Gladwyn d’Souza will square off
against it.
After both sides have been heard, followed by a brief Q & A session, members will have an opportunity to weigh in
with their endorsement vote. A twothirds majority vote of members present
at the meeting is required for an endorsement.
“We need more jobs that reward hard work with rising wages, dignity, and a ladder to a better life.” ~ Hillary Clinton
Page 8
The Democratic Voice
In Memoriam: Sylvia Crawley—1935-2016
by Shirley Odou, Editor
Sylvia Crawley, an SCCDC member for
the past ten years, died on Sunday, July
17, in a car accident. Although her activism with a number of organizations made
it difficult for her to attend club meetings
on a regular basis, SCCDC is grateful to
her for serving as a docent at the HeadenInman House, an effort that offset the
annual fees for the club’s use of the historic museum in Santa Clara for regular
monthly meetings and other activities.
Through her work as a SCCDC volunteer, she saved the club hundreds of dollars over the years. I wish to express
SCCDC’s condolences to the family and
her friends for the tragic loss of a truly
extraordinary person who dedicated her
life to the causes she believed in and in
helping others.
(Since I was unable to reach a family
member for more details about her life
for the September issue of the Democratic Voice, I am reprinting her obituary
from the Mercury News).
Sylvia Crawley led a remarkable life that
was predicated on three essential qualities: a deep and reverent Catholic faith, a
penchant for working hard, and an unquenchable willingness to help others.
Her special rapport with children laid the
foundation for countless good works,
whether in her role as a daycare provider,
teacher's assistant, Spanish translator in
parent/teacher conferences, or volunteer
helping reunite parents in prison with
their children to restore the sacred family
bond.
Beside all of that, she raised eight children of her own, ran five marathons after
“The worst thing that can happen in a democracy—as
well as in an individual's life—is to become cynical about
the future and lose hope.” Hillary Clinton
Membership Application: Annual Dues are: $25 individual, $35 two at
same address, $10 more for third member at same address. $20 limited
income, $30 two at same address limited income, $10 more for third member
at same address limited income, but we would appreciate any additional help
you can give! Make checks payable to SCCDC and mail to SCCDC, c/o Bill
Barrett, 2797 Lena Dr., San Jose, CA 95124.
□ $25: regular □ $35: two regular □ $45: three regular
□ $20: limited □ $25 :two limited □ $30: three limited
□ $50 □ $100 □ $_______ your choice
Name ________________________________________________________
she turned 50, and beat breast cancer.
The shock of her abrupt departure only
serves to enlarge the positive impact she
had on her community as a loving wife,
devoted mother, loyal friend, and tireless
worker.
A celebration of her life will be held at
Queen of Apostles Church in San Jose on
September 17 at 10:00 am, with a reception to follow in the community center
across from the church.
In addition, a Memorial Mass will be
held in her honor at the Carmelite Monastery in Santa Clara on December third-her birthday--at 10:30 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that
donations be made to Queen of Apostles
Parish, the Carmelites, or the Center for
Restorative Justice Works.
News & Notes
Zoe Lofgren's Annual Family BBQ will be held on Saturday,
September 17 from 12 PM to 3 PM at History Park, 1650 Senter
Road in San Jose. Individual tickets are $50, Seniors $35, and
children under 15 are complimentary. To RSVP, contact Jeff
Larivee at 408-410-2665 or email him at [email protected].
Sylvia Crawley’s Celebration of Life Ceremony: September
17 at 10 AM at Queen of Apostles Church, 4911 Morepark Ave.,
San Jose. A reception will follow in the community center across
from the church.
Climate change is driven by the population explosion, and CO2 levels
are already at dangerous levels
World Population (billions) Atmospheric CO2 (parts per million)
1900
Now
1850
Safe
Now
1.60
7.2
317
350
405
U.S. Population—324 million (up from 100 million in 1900)
World Population—7.4 billion
Address ______________________________________________________
City, State, Zip _________________________________________________
Phone (home)______________________ Cell ________________________
E-mail _______________________________________________________
Federal law requires: Employer_______________ Occupation ___________
The SCCDC is my primary Democratic Club affiliation unless the following
box is checked: □ The SCCDC is NOT my primary affiliation.
Please sign here: ______________________________ Date: ___________
FPPC ID# 1288723 FEC ID# C00229997
Upcoming Events
September 19—SCCDC General Meeting, Harry’s Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga
Ave., San Jose. Dinner at 6; meeting at 7 PM.
September 26—SCCDC Candidates Forum, Harry’s Hofbrau, 390 Saratoga
Ave., San Jose. Dinner at 6; meeting at 7 PM.
September 15—Clean Money Campaign Meeting, Democratic HQ, 2901
Moorpark Ave, Suite 110, San Jose 7 PM.
September 28—SCCDC E-Board Meeting. Headen-Inman House, 1509
Warburton, Santa Clara, 7 PM. Coffee and dessert will be served.