Category Archives: Progressive Democrats of Benicia

Meeting of May 20, 2020 – Get Out the Vote (GOTV)

Wednesday, May 20, 7pm
Our first Zoom Meeting

After canceling PDB general membership meetings for March and April due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we restarted our general membership meetings on May 20.  In order to maintaining social distancing, members met by Zoom!!!!!

On May 20 we will heard from Nancy Klein who works with West County Organizing, a group of volunteers in Contra Costa County and the greater East Bay who focus on electoral politics to help elect progressives and Democrats!

West County Organizing uses phone and text banks to register voters and Get Out The Vote (GOTV). They also encourage civic engagement through town hall attendance and calls to elected representatives.

Guest speaker Nancy Klein described their recent efforts and shared with us suggestions on how we can initiate and support GOTV efforts for upcoming races to be decided on November 3.

Our own Kathy Kerridge then described a GOTV letter writing party that she is planning, working through Swing Left.

Our first meeting on Zoom went with relatively few technical glitches, and was so well organized that we ended in just a few minutes over an hour!

We will look forward to zooming together again next month.


IMPORTANT: if you are a member of PDB, January was the month to renew your annual dues (unless you joined since October, 2019, in which case your initial membership and dues count for 2020).  PLEASE PAY TODAY!

March Meeting Cancelled

No meeting on March 18

Members and Friends of PDB,

We have decided to cancel PDB’s next General Membership meeting scheduled for March 18 at the Dona Benicia Library in Benicia. We’ve taken this action as a precaution due to concerns about exposure to COVID-19. Below are the latest recommendations from the City of Benicia issued on March 9:

CITY OF BENICIA UPDATE ON COVID-19 (3/9/20):

“…At this time, the City recommends that individuals evaluate opportunities to attend events, programs, recreation classes, etc., on a case by case basis. Older people and people with certain underlying health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, for example, seem to be at greater risk of serious illness and may want to be more conservative when deciding whether or not to attend events. The City has begun implementing enhanced facility cleaning to reduce potential exposure to COVID-19 as well as posting reminders about hand washing and other precautions.”

Here’s a link to the City of Benicia’s web page with coronavirus information, including the full March 9 press release – ci.benicia.ca.us/coronavirus.

And, here are links to additional information on the coronavirus:

Johns Hopkins CSSE Outbreak Tracker
CDC – What You Need to Know about COVID-19
CDC – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
CDC -Confirmed Cases in the United States (updated regularly)
Solano County Public Health Updates & Resources
OSHA Information for Workers and Employers
Sign up for CDC Updates here

Our next meeting is scheduled for April 22. We’ll share more information on the Earth Day program soon. In the meantime, please be cautious and follow the personal contact protocols recommended by healthcare officials:

    • Wash hands with liquid soap and water for at least 20 seconds; alcohol-based sanitizers may also be used.
    • Clean and disinfect any surfaces you or other people frequently touch.
    • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (or your sleeve) when you cough or sneeze.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
    • Stay home if you are sick or feel sick (unless you are seeking medical care).
    • Avoid close contact with sick people.
    • Get the flu shot to protect yourselves and others from the seasonal flu.

Please be safe and stay informed!

Ralph Dennis
Chair


…REMINDER…

Have you paid your 2020 dues yet?  If you are a member of PDB, January was the month to renew your annual dues (unless you joined since October, 2019, in which case your initial membership and dues count for 2020).  PLEASE RENEW TODAY!

RESULTS – Benicia Progressive Dem Poll: Presidential Candidate in March 3 Primary

If we were to vote TODAY
Who would we choose as
Democratic candidate for President?

On March 3, California will join other states in our first Super Tuesday primary election.  Some have already voted by mail – others will vote on March 3.  Details at Solano County Registrar of Voters.

At our February 12 Candidate forum, we asked Progressive Democrats of Benicia MEMBERS to vote for their candidate to beat Trump.  Our PDB vote remained open until February 19 for members who missed the Feb 12 vote.

THE RESULTS ARE IN – LOTS OF FAVS, BUT NO ENDORSEMENT!

A candidate needed 50% plus one to get the coveted PDB endorsement.  No candidate got to 50%.  Here’s the breakdown.
Joe Biden 0%
Michael Bloomberg 0%
Pete Buttigieg 13.2%
Tulsi Gabbard 0%
Amy Klobuchar 21.1%
Bernie Sanders 28.9%
Tom Steyer 0%
Elizabeth Warren 36.8%
One of these great candidates will be our next President…
Mail in your ballot or vote on Tuesday, March 3!
Anyone but Trump!