The annual Pacific Pride Festival is Aug 27.  This is a fun event and we will have a voter registration booth there.   The DSC steering Committee has taken all but 3 shifts.  The ones left will be first come first serve.

I will not be able to do SBCC this year.  Someone from the DSC will contact you to volunteer soon.  I will ask them to put DSC in the subject line so you can find it in your junk mail.  This is a very important election.  We must not let Trump become our Commander & Chief.

Set up & 11:00 to 12:00-Jim MacMillan, Nancy Miller

12:00 to 2:00-Jane Herner, ????????

2:00 to 4:00-Jan Clouse, Charlie Clouse

4:00 to 6:00-Sally Hearon, ??????????

6:00 to 7:00 & takedown-Jim MacMillan, ????????

As usual for California, the statewide ballot in November will be overflowing with voter initiatives, constitutional amendments, and legislative proposals requiring considerable attention and study from voters hoping to make thoughtful choices. The most current official listing of these measures–17, in all, (Props. 51 thru 67)–can be found by visiting the Secretary of State’s site, and further non-partisan information is available from Ballotpedia.

The choices this year include:

Prop. 63,  a variety of gun control measures
Prop. 64,  legalization of marijuana
Prop. 62,  abolition of the death penalty in California
Prop. 56,  a hefty cigarette tax increase
Prop. 59,  voter instruction for overturning Citizens United.
Prop. 58,  the return of bi-lingual education
Prop. 55,  an extension of 2012’s Prop. 30 income tax increase
Prop. 60,  required use of condoms in pornographic films
Prop. 67,  an effort to overturn ban on single-use plastic bags

Now could be a good time to start educating ourselves!

Capps, Epstein, Richards & I.V. CSD Endorsed by DCC

In the past two months, the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party has given its official endorsement to Laura Capps for the Santa Barbara school board, Susan Epstein for Goleta school board, Kyle Richards for Goleta City Council, and to the November ballot measure that seeks to create a formal Community Services District in Isla Vista.

Epstein is running for her fourth term on the Goleta school board, but Capps and Richards are first-time office seekers, and the party is equally enthusiastic about each of these candidates, and welcomes them to the extensive slate of fine Democrats to be supported in November.

Though only residents of Isla Vista can vote for the upgrade to Community Services District status, it is seen as a regional landmark opportunity for improvement to a vital part of the county that has had only minimal means of self-governance. A major point of persuasion in this measure is its funding through a user utility tax (UUT), which is widely seen as equitable for both landlords and residents.

DSC’s 4th of July BBQ

More than a hundred local Democratic patriots, candidates and elected officials gathered earlier this month for the DSC’s annual 4th of July barbecue at Stow Grove Park in Goleta. The record numbers probably had something to do with the upcoming presidential election, but it was also a chance for activists to meet and hear from Democratic candidates seeking to represent us in Congress (Salud Carbajal), the State Senate (Hannah-Beth Jackson) and Assembly (Monique Limón), and county Board of Supervisors (Das Williams and Joan Hartmann).

Photos by Marian Shapiro

Goleta City Council candidate Kyle Richards and State Assembly hopeful Monique Limón.

One important feature of this year’s event was the opportunity for many newcomers to local politics to meet the veterans. Just a few days after the BBQ, Goleta City Council candidate Kyle Richards (left, with Monique Limón) received the endorsement of the SB County Democratic Party.

The event also offered a chance for Hillary Clinton’s California campaign to reach local volunteers, Dem Women to offer their unique “V ? TE” t-shirt for sale, and MOVI (Money Out/Votes In) activists to rally the crowd to help Californians overturn Citizens United.

DSC Folk: In solidarity with the grocery store workers at the three major food
chains in our town, who are in final negotiations for a fair labor contract, we
wanted to alert you about a rally this week at the downtown Ralph’s store: Weds.
7/13, 100 W. Carrillo St., SB. It’s a chance to support our hard-working neighbors,
and even if you can’t lend your voice, you should know there is the possibility of
labor action on this front in the near future.

Openings on the County DCC

With the new term of office for members of the SB Democratic Central Committee starting in July, there will be a number of vacancies for district members on the Committee. The vacancies will be as follows:

3 vacancies in 1st Supervisor District
1 vacancy in 3rd Supervisor District
1 vacancy in 4th Supervisor District

The Committee has agreed to begin filling these vacancies at its July meeting. If you are interested in serving on the DCC, please write a short bio and personal introduction and send them to DCC ChairDaraka Larimore-Hall or Secretary Hillary Blackerby by June 15 in preparation for presentation and a Committee vote at the July meeting.

The DCC is the governing body of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party. Besides setting policy and managing events and activities for the county party, it is responsible for all candidate and issue endorsements, as well as organizing grassroots support for those candidates and ballot measures at election time.

Friday, June 3
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. GOTV packet labeling and assembly: HQ 1226 State Street
Saturday, June 4
9:30 a.m. Canvass with Salud, Monique, Das, Joan and Lois Capps: HQ 1226 State Street
Phone-banks all day: HQ 1226 State Street

Sunday, June 5
Noon – Canvass kick off with Rep. Eric Swalwell, Joan and Salud – HQ 1226 State Street
1 p.m. – Canvass kick off with Rep. Eric Swalwell, Salud, Das and Joan – Isla Vista, 900 Embarcadero del Mar
2:30 p.m. Canvass kick off with Rep. Eric Swalwell, Salud and Das in Carpinteria – 4941 Nipomo Drive

Monday, June 6
Recruit a friend for Monday night or Tuesday
Final walk packet relabeling and assembly – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. – HQ 1226 State Street
Phone-banking all day – HQ 1226 State Street
9 p.m. – Doorhanging begins – HQ 1226 State Street

Tuesday, June 7
5 a.m. Doorhangers – HQ 1226 State Street
Phone-banks and walks all day – HQ 1226 State Street
8 p.m. – Polls close