By Rebecca Saltzman

This Thursday, Council President Jane Brunner, Mayor Ron Dellums and Assembly Member Sandre Swanson are hosting a roundtable discussion titled, “A Progressive Perspective on the Economic Crisis.” This should be an interesting panel discussion, and I’m particularly interested in hearing our elected officials discuss how the federal stimulus package will effect Oakland and the East Bay.

Here’s the event info. I hope to see many EBYD members there!

City Council Chambers, Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza – 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

A roundtable discussion featuring:
• Mayor Ronald V. Dellums, City of Oakland
• City Council President Jane Brunner, City of Oakland
• Assemblymember Sandre Swanson, 16th District
• Dr. Steven Raphael, Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley
• Angela Glover Blackwell, PolicyLink
• Speaker from ACORN/Alameda Labor Council

Addressing:
• What are the key economic issues facing the City of Oakland and the State?
• How will the proposed economic stimulus package affect urban communities like Oakland?
• How can we use the current crisis to work towards creating a more equitable and sustainable economy in the future?

For reserved seating, please RSVP to 238-7001 or email here. Additional seating will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

by Frieda K. Edgette , President of East Bay Young Dems

After just five short years of canvassing and happy hours, East Bay Young Dems (EBYD) has carved out our niche in the East Bay political scene. We’ve earned a reputation for working hard to produce measurable results and for playing even harder while improving our local communities.

With a number of political and social successes under our proverbial belt, EBYD is ready to take the club to the next level. To achieve this, we humbly request a little help from our friends to increase the club’s political and fiscal capacity by working with the East Bay political scene’s pros in a more formal fashion. As Albert Einstein once said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” Ouch! That’s not really our style…

EBYD is proud to announce the formation of our NEW Advisory Board! We need your help to find the best fit for EBYD’s new senior advisors.The search is on. Nominate today!

Read the EBYD Advisory Board Guidelines.
Access Nomination Form.

What is the EBYD Advisory Board? Who is a viable candidate?
The East Bay Young Dems Advisory Board (AB) is made of individuals from various professional spheres, including but not limited to politics, business, media, nonprofit, labor, and the arts. AB members are committed to promoting East Bay Young Dems’ mission, increasing the club’s visibility, and helping the club be an effective force for change in East Bay politics.

AB members should be of “honorary member” age (at least, 36 years old). Elected officials are not eligible for the AB while holding office, but are eligible if they not a current office holder. New AB members will be selected during the Spring of each odd year.

What are the Advisory Board’s responsibilities?
AB members will provide advice and counsel to the club, drawing from their respective area of expertise and community experience. In addition to guidance, each AB member will contribute or raise at least $500 each term year for the club.

EBYD does not anticipate the need for in-person meetings of the entire AB. However, attendance may be requested at specific EBYD events, which will be optional but strongly recommended.

AB members should attend at least one meeting each term year of the EBYD executive committee. These meetings are for strategic planning and club business, and are held the fourth Monday of every month.

What role do YOU play?
Nominations are officially open. If you know of an innovative, energetic and effective leader who would make a great senior advisor to the club, please nominate him or her today!

Simply cut and paste the nomination form provided below (or access the template off www.ebyd.org), complete it and submit to eastbayyoungdems@gmail.com no later than Friday, February 20 at noon. You may submit more than one nomination and you may nominate yourself if you are an honorary member.
Contact EBYD President Frieda K Edgette with questions at frieda.edgette@gmail.com or (415) 939-6169 or to get involved with the Nominations Committee.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

P.S. You must be a current dues-paying member to nominate. Not sure if your membership is up to date? Contact Membership Co-Chair Shayna Gelender at sgelenger@aclunc.org to get it all squared away.

_______________________________________________________________________

EAST BAY YOUNG DEMS ADVISORY BOARD NOMINATION FORM

Submit completed form to eastbayyoungdems@gmail.com
No later than February 20, 2009 at noon.

Your Name:
Are you a dues-paying member? (Y/N):
Address:
Cell #:
Email:
Birthdate: mm/dd/yy

Nominee’s Name:
Nominee’s email:
Nominee’s phone:
Nominee’s city of residence:
Nominee’s Current Occupation and Employer:

How has the nominee demonstrated a commitment to East Bay Young Dems’ mission? Be specific. (200 words or less)

Why and how do you believe the nominee will effectively build the visibility and political power of the club? (200 words or less)

What would the nominee bring to East Bay Young Dems? (200 words or less)

by Kathy Bowler, Executive Director, California Democratic Party

The California Democratic Party has always relied on the involvement of grassroots activists and volunteers to make our Democratic Party what it is. Without your energy, time and dedication we would not have achieved the many Democratic victories up and down California as well as the historic election of President Barack Obama.

We must keep the energy going! Our State Convention depends on the overwhelming turnout of our dedicated volunteers and we need your help again at our 2009 State Convention April 24- 26 in Sacramento.

www.cadem.org/volunteer09

We will need more than 800 volunteers to facilitate a productive and enjoyable convention for the approximately 3,500 delegates, guests and press in attendance. Volunteers are needed in several areas – some assignments will require sitting while others may involve standing or acting as a runner. Please let us know as soon as possible if you have any special needs and/or physical limitations. Please also tell us if you have any special skills that might be useful, especially skills like photography or videography. We will do our best to position you within your ability and interest.

This year, our volunteers will help make the 2009 Convention a successful tribute to the 13 years of leadership and service of Senator Art Torres, outgoing Chairman of the California Democratic Party. Many statewide constitutional officers and legislative leaders will attend to help make this an exciting and memorable event. There will be opportunities for volunteers to attend General Session and to hear some of our great speakers after their shift!

If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the volunteer form by March 20, 2009 for best availability. If you have any questions, please contact Christopher Guerrero, Volunteer Director at (916) 442-5707 or email volunteer09@cadem.org.

Please note: In order to volunteer at the State Convention you must sign-up in advance. There will be a mandatory meeting for all volunteers on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at the Convention Center in Sacramento.

I look forward to seeing you at the Convention.

By Frieda Edgette

There is a national conference call this Tuesday, February 3 at 6:30pm PT with the new leaders of Organizing for America: David Plouffe, Campaign Manager for Obama for America, and Mitch Stewart, Executive Director of Organizing for America. Organizing for America is the successor to Obama for America. It’s goal is to keep the momentum of the Obama campaign alive by mobilizing grassroots political power in support of President Obama’s policy agenda.

To participate, CLICK HERE and sign up in advance with your phone #.

If you plan on participating, please send me an email at frieda.edgette@gmail.com. I am keeping a running tally.

Who can participate?
This call is for neighborhood team leaders and other key volunteers. That means YOU!!

How to participate?
It’s easy to join. The call’s organizers will call you.  Simply pick up your phone on Tuesday, February 3 at 6:30PM PT when they call; you’ll be instantly conferenced in to a nationwide Telephone Town Hall.

Join thousands of fellow Organizing for America volunteers from around the country on this call to discuss the first action for Organizing for America, the economic recovery plan, its affects on your community and working families across the country.

Again, there is no dialing involved. All you have to do is simply pick up the phone to join the nationwide Telephone Town Hall. However, planners can’t call you without your RSVP so please, fill out the form today and submit it with your name and telephone number then get ready for Tuesday night.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/economicrecovery

Best regards,

Frieda K. Edgette, President of EBYD

by Rebecca Saltzman

Last week’s Barack n’ Roll Inauguration Party went even better than we could have hoped for. Throughout the night, about 800 people came to Z Bar to celebrate Barack Obama’s election, and to eat, drink, dance, and generally have a good time. We reached capacity at 7:30pm, just an hour after opening the doors, and had to regulate the flow of traffic until 8:30, when it cleared out a bit. Here’s what it looked like at the peak of the night:

It seemed like everyone in the East Bay at least stopped by the party – there were even a few San Franciscans there. I saw friends, co-workers, elected officials, city staff, a few Oakland bloggers, the leader of one of my favorite Oakland bands, and of course lots of Young Dems. The best part was that I didn’t know most of the people there, and many of them had never been to a EBYD event before. The crowd was diverse in every way – age, race, background – but also in attire. There were people wearing ball gowns and tuxedos and others in jeans and t-shirts, and of course everything in between. No matter what they were wearing, everyone looked fabulous.

The music was great all night, especially the opening set spun by EBYD’s own Chris Vaeth:

After Chris’s set, we played Obama’s inaugural speech on a large screen, and after that it cleared out a bit. Still, the line at the bar never died down, and we gave the bartenders quite a workout:

One of the best parts of using Z Bar as the venue was that the Chrysler showroom, which is adjacent to it, was opened up for spillover, which we desperately needed. As Oaklanders danced the night away, I fantasized about one of the car dealerships being converted into a nightclub. Maybe one day that will happen when Auto Row gets a makeover.

Thanks to everyone who came last Tuesday and especially to all the East Bay Young Dems who worked so hard to make this night a success. Also, a big thanks to everyone on our host committees:

Honorary Host Committee:

• Hon. Loni Hancock, California State Senate
• Hon. Nancy Skinner, California State Assembly
• Hon. Sandre Swanson, California State Assembly
• Hon. Keith Carson, Alameda County Board of Supervisors
• Hon. Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember
• Hon. Courtney Ruby, Oakland City Auditor
• Hon. Abel Guillen, Peralta Community Colleges Trustee
• Hon. Tom Bates, Mayor of the City of Berkeley
• Hon. Andy Katz, EBMUD Director

Host Committee: Frieda K. Edgette, Hon. Sharon Ball, Hon. Karen Weinstein, Barb Florins, Rebecca Saltzman, Daniel Rush, UFCW Local 5, Norman Buchwald, Amy De Reyes, Hon. Igor Tregub, Hon. Kathy Neal, Chris Cassidy, Jason Overman, Matt Lockshin, Shayna Gelender, Edie Irons, Hon. Elizabeth Echols, Sumi Paranjape,Ronnie Caplane, Ben & Jessica Kmetz, Shilen Patel & Kiran Jain, Chris Vaeth, Esperanza Tervalon-Daumont, Hon. Ann-Marie Hogan, Steve Tidrick, Gabriel Elsner, Organization of Asian/African Americans in Construction, and Chinese American Heroes.

Co-Sponsors: East Bay Young Dems, Good Ol’ Girls, East Bay DFA, STRONG, Mix It Up East Bay, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, West Contra Costa UDC, Oakland UDC, and Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club.

by Chris Vaeth
Before we all pop the champagne and celebrate our collective victory at BARACK N’ ROLL next Tuesday (check www.ebyd.org for complete event details), I wanted to share an update with you on how East Bay Young Dems (EBYD) made a difference in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Since joining EBYD this year, the highlight for me has been the opportunity to roll up my sleeves with fellow members and help get out the vote for President-Elect Barack Obama.

Because Nevada is always a bellwether state in presidential elections, and because Washoe County (home to Reno) was pivotal to both campaigns’ Nevada strategy, EBYD decided to make the long trip up the hill two weeks prior to the election. (Image: EBYDs in Washoe County, NV getting out the vote.)

Thanks to the superb organizing skills of outgoing VP Andy Coghlan, thirty of our members arrived safely and spent Friday night cooking dinner, getting to know each other, and marveling at our ability to fit into just two houses (using all available floor space).

The next morning, we got word that Obama himself would be speaking at a rally down the road, so we braved the early morning cold to hear his rousing, inspiring speech. Then off to our orientation, where we learned to properly pronounce Nevada, and on to our assignments, where we walked door-to-door to get people out for early voting.

This was the first time many of our members had canvassed, and the stories abounded. Overall, the opportunity to discuss real-life issues with real people, and what Barack Obama’s candidacy meant for them, was moving for all of us.  It was our chance to help make change happen.  And many of the conversations were transformative.

The best one for me was the 47 year old woman who had never voted in her life, and said she really wanted to this year, but was leaving town in a few hours and not returning until after the election.  We offered her a ride to the polls, and she was nervous and stayed in the booth more than 20 minutes.  When she emerged, she was beaming, and said she just helped make Barack Obama president.  She was right.

I’m proud that EBYD was a part of that moment.

Thank you to all the donors who made it possible for us to take this trip at such limited expense to our members and allowed the club to cover travel and lodging for everybody.

Pam Belchamber

Arquimides Caldera

Ronnie Caplane

Hon. Keith Carson

Ann Chandle

Hon. Ellen Corbett

Marisa Cravens

Amy De Reyes

Charlie Eaton

Hon. Elizabeth Echols

Cathy Edgett

Chris Edgette

Frieda K. Edgette (Glantz)

EdVoice

Elizabeth Feree

Hon. Rocky Fernandez

Roxanne Figueroa

Karen Friedman

Mark Goodwin

Brian Griset

Brian Griset

Hon. Abel Guillen

Peter Hanauer

Hon. Loni Hancock

Hon. Ann-Marie Hogan

Sarah Horowitz

Emilyzen Ignacio

Laurie Ignacio

Mario Juarez

Ben & Jessica Kmetz

Sailaja Kurella

Dan Kurtz

Hon. Beatriz Leyva-Cutler

Emilio Leyva-Cutler

Ronald Luk

Jason Luna

Dana Mathes

Robert McCauley

Marlon McWilson

Hon. Darryl Moore

Hon. Kathy Neal

Wayne Nishioka

Lily Oster

Amy Patel

Dorian Peters

Scott Peterson

Maggie Raife

Richard Raya

Meriam Reynosa

Micheal Riemenschneider

Miguel Rodriguez

Hon. Ces Rosales

Hon. Courtney Ruby

Rebecca Saltzman

Devin Sandoz

Kelly Schoonmaker

Tim Sebranti

Hon. Nancy Skinner

Janet Thomas

Hon. Robin Torello

Jamie Tschida

Chris Vaeth

Nancy Keesler Welch

Elizabeth Williams

Jess Zak