Tag Archives: Progressive Democrats of Benicia

Meeting notices, Progressive Democrats of Benicia

Our Next Meeting – January 12, 2021 – Moving Into the New Year


Tuesday, Jan. 12, 7pm
Election of Officers &
Thinking about PDB 2021 Goals

Moving into the New Year – What’s Next…

Mark your calendar for our next general membership meeting on January 12, 7:00 – 8:30 pm via Zoom. Members will be voting to elect officers for 2021-2023, and then we’ll set up breakout rooms to talk in small groups about our PDB club, Benicia, and suggestions for PDB actions in the New Year.  (Zoom link to be sent later, and available on request via Contact Us.)

JANUARY 12th MEETING
  • PDB Officers elections. Current officers Ralph Dennis (Chair), Maggie Kolk (Secretary), Kathy Kerridge (Treasurer) are offering to continue their roles. Craig Snider, current Vice Chair, has declined to run. Nominations for any of these offices will be accepted up to an including from the floor on Jan. 12th. Please submit your nominations through the Contact button on our web site at progressivedemocratsofbenicia.org/contact/ .
  • Discussion with members on plans for 2021. This part of the program will include breakout rooms so members can talk in small groups. Then, we’ll reconvene together for a review of the groups’ discussions.
    • We (the steering committee) really want to hear the thoughts of members – what you’re thinking about these days, what looks important to you in ’21, and maybe some thoughts on what and how the club should focus its attention. So, bring your thinking caps and gumption and share with us!!!
GEORGIA SENATE SEATS

Yes I know, you thought we were done with elections. But both Senate seats in Georgia are in runoff elections on January 5, 2021.  And there’s a lot of opportunity to help in getting Democratic candidates elected – Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock – which would give the Democrats a majority in the Senate (counting the VP’s vote in ties). Here are two links where you can provide some help:

  • CA Democratic Party (CADEM) – phone banks: https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/363063/ .
  • Vote Forward – The VF letter writing is complete, but you can still sign up for phoning, texting, and even volunteering to be a poll watcher!  From the VF website>> “With our 2020 letter writing campaigns now completed, here are some actions we recommend for the weeks ahead to help strengthen democracy in Georgia: Phone and/or Text Bank: Join initiatives led by organizations on the ground such as Fair Fight Action and the New Georgia Project and help reach out to Georgians ahead of the January 5th elections.  Become a Poll Worker: Power the Polls makes it easy to sign up to become a poll worker and ensure there are enough people to staff voting locations across the country. This opportunity is for those who live in Georgia.”  Source: https://votefwd.org/posts/Georgia-Runoff-campaigns GEORGIA CAMPAIGNS COMPLETE!
ASSEMBLY DISTRICT ELECTION MEETINGS (ADEM)

This is important stuff! An opportunity to elect progressives as Democratic party delegates who represent Benicia and Vallejo to the California Democratic Party (CADEM)

  • Democratic-registered voters in our Assembly District 14 will elect 14 delegates to the CA Democratic Party (seven women and seven non-female identified).  Among other activities, these delegates elect the CADEM party chair (upcoming April 2021), and vote on the party’s platform and positions on issues taken by CADEM.
  • This year, the vote for candidates is mail-in ballot only, and you must request your ballot by Jan. 11th.
  • AND, before requesting your ballot, first you must register to vote for the ADEM election. You do that here: https://ademelections.com/?isCandidate=False. If you have any questions, just let us know.  So remember: Jan. 11th is the deadline, and you’ve got to register first. We’ll send out via email to members the slate of candidates we’ll be voting for as soon as the slate is available.
Ralph Dennis, PDB Chair

I sure hope to see you on Zoom on Jan. 12th!  PDB’s membership just grew to 101 heading into 2021! During the course of this COVID-dominated year, we’ve been having 40 or so members join our zoom meetings. For Jan. 12th, let’s see if we can’t double that number – to vote for your officers and to talk about your club and our future in Benicia!  (Zoom link to be sent later, and available on request at Contact Us.)

PDB Election Eligibility

Eligible members may nominate and vote in the election of officers. (An “eligible” member is one who is either new and a member for at least 60 days, or a past member who has renewed dues to become current. Dues are due on January 1 and payable by January 31 of each calendar year.  Dues are only $20/year, payable on our website.)  Nominations can be submitted through the Contact button on the PDB website.  You can also let us know if you have questions about the status of your membership.

2020 election, Benicia City Council, Benicia Mayor, Endorsements, Local elections, Progressive Democrats of Benicia

Progressive Democrats endorse Steve Young for Mayor, Terry Scott for City Council

By Ralph Dennis, August 18, 2020

In this age of pandemic distancing, the Progressive Democrats of Benicia convened about 50 members and interested parties in a digital ZOOM Candidate Forum on August 11.

Candidate for Mayor Steve Young and candidates for City Council Trevor Macenski and Terry Scott gave opening statements, answered prepared questions and audience questions, and finished with brief closing statements.

Members of the Progressive Democrats voted whether and whom to endorse by an online poll on the PDB website.  Voting was open for a week following the Forum.

For endorsement, PDB bylaws require a vote of 50% plus one of those present and voting.

For Mayor of Benicia – Councilmember Steve Young

Results were overwhelming in the Mayoral race.  100% of the 43 members voting chose to endorse Steve Young for Mayor in 2020.  Congratulations, Steve!  Christina Strawbridge, who declined to attend, received no votes.

For Benicia City Council – Arts and Culture Commissioner Terry Scott

The race for City Council presented members with a wider choice.  Members could vote for up to two to fill the two vacant seats.  Incumbent Tom Campbell, who also declined to attend, received only 5 votes, or 11.6% of those voting.  Planning Commissioner Trevor Macenski received 13 votes, or 30.2% of those voting.  Arts and Culture Commissioner Terry Scott received support from 40 members, or 93.0% of those voting, and snagged our only endorsement for City Council.  Congratulations, Terry!

For more information or to order yard signs, volunteer or contribute, visit:

Meeting notices, Progressive Democrats of Benicia

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!