Santa Monica Democratic Club

ICYMI: At the June 30 Membership Meeting, District Attorney George Gascón joined the Santa Monica Democrats to discuss public safety and criminal justice reform, and then the members voted to endorse five state legislative bills: #SB2 #SB6 #AB1400 #SCA2 and #SB796.

RSVP: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSf0UJydFgsB2tejN/viewform

Last November, reformer George Gascón defeated the incumbent District Attorney who had a troubling record addressing the systemic criminal justice issues of our time. Since then, District Attorney Gascón has been living up to his promises: implementing policies that promote rehabilitation, not recidivism, eliminating cash bail for non-violent offenses, and ending the practice of transferring youths to adult courts. Most notably, on the day he took office, DA Gascón ended the ...use of the death penalty in LA County. At the same time, Santa Monica faces its own reckoning with police oversight: in the wake of the SMPD response to the protests of May 31, 2020, the City Council has created a Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission (PSROC) which will hold the police department accountable for its actions, review possible actions to be taken in response to the incidents surrounding last May 31, advise in the hiring of a new Police Chief, and many other responsibilities. On Wednesday, June 30, members of the PSROC will join District Attorney Gascón for a discussion pertaining to both his efforts to promote reforms to our criminal justice system as well as Santa Monica's efforts to create oversight and accountability for our own police department. This event is co-sponsored by our friends at Stonewall Democratic Club and Heart of L.A. Democratic Club. Date: June 30, 2021 Time: 6:30pm Doors, 7:00pm Program Start Place: Zoom Conference Call RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/h6UmeeZ297vrrfRt6 We will also be reviewing a series of state legislative bills to consider for endorsement. Stay tuned for a list of these bills later this week...

The historical, once-vibrant, Black neighborhoods in Santa Monica helped establish the beach community as we now know it. The development of the 10 Freeway razed entire Black communities and serves as a monument to the historical racism in this country. Santa Monica is no different. The construction of the freeway drove a stake through the heart of the close-knit Black neighborhood. The percentage of Black residents during this period nearly dropped by more than half. The freeway displaced the people, homes, and businesses that once made Santa Monica a somewhat desirable place for Black Americans to call home. Entire neighborhoods were divided, separated, and forced to relocate in the name of eminent domain.

156 years after troops rode into Galveston, Texas bearing a message of freedom, Juneteenth is finally being celebrated as a national holiday. In many ways, the long road towards national recognition of Juneteenth reflects the experience of so many Black people in this country: excellence and achievement in spite of a system designed to keep people quiet. This perseverance can be seen through the underground railroad and the remarkable achievements of Harriet Tubman, the class... of Black elected officials who served this country immediately after the Civil War and before the scourges of Jim Crow, the often untold and untaught scientists whose discoveries and inventions keep our country running, the courage and convictions of the civil rights activists in the 60s, the hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets last summer to demand justice and fight for Black lives, and most importantly, every single moment of Black joy that persisted even in the darkest moments of our history. Juneteenth is a joyous day because of all of those who came before us. Even today, on the first Federally recognized Juneteenth, Republicans are hard at work with a slew of voter suppression bills across the country designed to keep Black and brown people from voting. But rest assured: we will fight back against voter suppression with everything we have. The California Democratic Party emphatically supports strong Federal action to protect the vote and stop the Republican assault on our democracy. It is time to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. And to those celebrating their first Juneteenth this year, here are some suggestions: attend a Juneteenth event in your area, read a book by a Black author, take in a movie, shop at Black owned businesses and eat at your favorite Black restaurants. Then, take some time to talk with your loved ones and neighbors about how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go, and finally, commit to organizing for Black candidates up and down the ballot and protecting the right to vote nationwide. Happy Juneteenth. We need your voice and participation as we continue to fight for freedom. In Solidarity, Taisha Brown, Chair, CADEM Black Caucus Rusty Hicks, Chair April Verrett, Controller Betty Yee, Vice Chair David Campos, Vice Chair Melahat Rafiei, Secretary

Great to hear Danica Roem - Virginia Delegate and former Santa Monica Mayor Judy Abdo at today's Diversity & Inclusion Committee share their very different experiences in their respective runs for elected office. Happy Pride Month from SMDC! #PrideMonth #SantaMonicaPride #SMDCPride

Thank you for your years of service, Councilmember Kevin McKeown, a proud Santa Monica Democrat.

I am deeply disturbed by recent statements and actions taken by LA County Sheriff Villanueva regarding homeless encampments at Venice Beach. Although he announ...ced his intervention with great fanfare, walking the Boardwalk in a cowboy hat and publicly rolling out his black and whites, he did not collaborate with LAPD which has primary authority in the area, nor with the providers already working with the people experiencing homelessness along this Boardwalk. His intervention is essentially counterproductive, disrupting, and then taking credit for, ongoing efforts to provide the housing and services necessary to address the crisis in Venice. The county, the city, and local service agencies are deeply engaged in an effort to provide services and re-house people experiencing homelessness and the sudden appearance of armed Sheriff’s deputies undermines ongoing outreach and re-housing efforts, and threatens to rupture the relationships being built by outreach workers as well as scare unhoused individuals into the surrounding neighborhoods, making them more difficult to track and re-house. During the pandemic, County and City leaders adhered to CDC public health guidelines and refrained from active disruption of encampments to prevent the spread of COVID19. Only non-disruptive sanitation and outreach services were provided, and as a result, some homeless encampments have grown. Like many County residents, and my LA City colleague Councilman Mike Bonin, I am frustrated that the pandemic has temporarily set back some of our progress re-housing people experiencing homelessness. However, with the pandemic public health threat waning, we are able to intensify outreach to the Venice Boardwalk and link people to more services and housing. In the last four years, our homeless efforts have permanently rehoused approximately 70,000 people, and our approach is supported by volumes of research that make clear that law enforcement-led strategies are often less effective than when service providers, who bring critical housing and mental health expertise, take the lead. The attacks on Mike Bonin have been vitriolic and the Sheriff has, at times, joined the critique. But you can’t arrest your way out of a homeless crisis. It takes housing and no amount of deputies can pull that out of thin air. The Sheriff says he has beds, but, when pressed, he means beds in jail. This is not the solution. The situation in Venice, and so many other places, is unacceptable, and demands leadership and partnership focused on solving the crisis in a humane and effective way. If the Sheriff truly wants to help, I ask that he work in cooperation with city and county officials and service providers who have the wealth of experience and expertise to lead these efforts to success.

For almost a year now, the SMDC Diversity & Inclusion Committee has been holding its own meetings twice per month, establishing a safe space within our Club to discuss issues pertaining to the pursuit of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our Santa Monica and Democratic communities. During this time, the Committee has had guests of many different backgrounds share their experiences in an open, non-judgmental space. The Committee is led by Chair Rana Kirkland and Vic...e Chairs Keith Coleman and Dan Hall. In honor of Pride Month, next week's meeting will feature two members of the LGBT Community sharing their stories: Former Santa Monica Mayor Judy Abdo (an active member of our D&I Committee, and the first openly LGBT Mayor of Santa Monica) as well as Virginia Delegate Danica Roem (currently serving Virginia's 13th delegate district as the first openly transgender person to serve in any US state legislature) Date: Monday, June 14, 2021 Time: 5:00pm Program Start Place: Zoom Conference Call RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/RGWipfCBVCd9sYPz7

This resolution was passed by the SMDC Membership last week: Opposing the Recall Efforts of LA District Attorney George Gascón WHEREAS political opponents of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón have interfered with his implementation of policies that data and research indicate enhance safety, and research shows that the policies Gascón's critics advocate forwhich increase punishment and incarcerationdo so at the expense of public safety; and... WHEREAS studies show the dated carceral policies of the 1980s and 1990s may increase rates of reoffense, also known as recidivism, and create more victims of crime; and under the prior tough-on-crime District Attorney, LA sent more people to state prison per capita than 56 of California's 58 counties, and yet violent crime increased 25 percent, which highlights the failure of the traditional tough on crime approach to enhance safety in Los Angeles County; and WHEREAS in opposing reform, District Attorney Gascón's political opponents have turned to scare tactics and blatant falsehoods, as the most serious offenders continue to face significant sentences, and research also indicates that victims of violent crime in Los Angeles County overwhelmingly support criminal justice reforms that emphasize rehabilitation and crime prevention, rather than more incarceration; and WHEREAS DA Gascón's critics have also made the audacious claim that his prosecution policies have increased crime, while DA Gascón took office on December 7th, 2020, at the end of a year that saw violent crime and homicides surge across much of the United States, and the policy changes he made related to violent crimes have not resulted in violent offenders being released from custody. Therefore, be it RESOLVED that the Santa Monica Democratic Club is proud to stand with District Attorney George Gascón and his efforts to bring transformative change to Los Angeles County's criminal justice system, and be it further RESOLVED that the Santa Monica Democratic Club opposes the recall of District Attorney George Gascón.

This month's meeting of the Santa Monica Democratic Club is included on video below in full. Ranked Choice Voting discussion with DNC Member Sean Dugar Approval Voting discussion with SM resident Michael Ruvinsky Voting behavior and social determinants, a presentation by SMMUSD Board member Keith Coleman... California Democratic Party annual convention recap, featuring DNC Member Carolyn Fowler and Santa Monica resident Susan Sheu Resolution opposing George Gascón recall Resolution opposing AAPI hate Resolution supporting citizen statements on ballot propositions Former SMDC board member Barbi Appelquist discusses her new role as Chair of the Virginia Avenue Park Advisory Board and endorses Sion Roy for Assembly President Katz's remarks on the retirement of Councilmember Kevin McKeown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VDTlqEcZA

At the May 26 Membership Meeting, the Santa Monica Democrats discussed alternative methods of voting, recapped the California Democratic Party's annual convention, and passed three resolutions.

On the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, the Santa Monica Democratic Club reflects on racist acts past and present which have led to our current moment, and pledges to continue the activism that has sprung out from his death. Today at 2pm, the Santa Monica Black Lives Association in conjunction with the Santa Monica Black Agenda welcomes all of us to attend a commemoration of this anniversary. SMDC Diversity & Inclusion Chair Rana Kirkland will lead the opening meditation. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/commemorating-george-floyd-and

I’ve been a victim of several forms of harassment, including inappropriate touching and being berated by guests, and when I told managers about this, I was met with disregard and inaction, Gross told reporters Thursday. I’ve seen myself and my co-workers of color being turned down for better-paid, coveted positions or even the opportunity to secure more hours. The opportunities went to workers who were more on brand a euphemism for attractive and white, she said. According to her lawsuit, her supervisors responded to her complaints by saying that touching was regrettable but inevitable, that receiving such treatment is part of the job and that the guests were used to being able to touch people.

Atención a todos los miembros de habla hispana de la comunidad de Santa Mónica: por primera vez, el Club Demócrata de Santa Mónica brindará servicios de interpretación en vivo durante la reunión de mañana, "Necesidades de vivienda en Santa Mónica y posibles soluciones: Comenzando una conversación comunitaria presentando una variedad de perspectivas." Toda la reunión se interpretará al español; las personas que no hablan inglés podrán hacer preguntas. Todos son bienvenidos a a...sistir a través de Zoom. No es necesario ser miembro para unirse a la reunión, pero favor de inscribirse con anticipación. https://forms.gle/MfayhxzTLCPwgJgz7 Attention all Spanish-speaking members of the Santa Monica community: For the first time ever, the Santa Monica Democratic Club will be providing live interpretation services at tomorrow's meeting, "Santa Monica’s Housing Needs and Potential Solutions: Beginning A Community Conversation By Presenting A Wide Spectrum Of Views." The entire meeting will be interpreted into Spanish; non-English speakers will be able to ask questions. All are welcome to attend via Zoom. You do not need to be a member to join, but please sign up in advance.

Sign Up Now for our first meeting of 2021: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfSGoA4v0jg-pjdtN/viewform Santa Monica’s Housing Needs and Potential Solutions: Beginning A Community Conversation By Presenting A Wide Spectrum Of Views

Monday, November 2: We have four phonebank shifts for Election Eve: 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm. 9:00am - Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and LACDP Chair Mark Gonzalez https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/... 12:00pm - Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ 3:00pm - Congressmember Adam Schiff and Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ 6:00pm - Congressmember Maxine Waters and Senator Henry Stern https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ Tuesday, November 3: We have three phonebank shifts for Election Day: 9am, 12pm, 3pm. 9:00am - Senator Ben Allen and Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ 12:00pm - Supervisor Hilda Solis and Senator Melissa Hurtado https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ 3:00pm - Assemblymembers Richard Bloom & Autumn Burke https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/

It's GOTV Weekend, so we're making phone calls to voters around the country. Pop into this Zoom meeting any time today to join SMDC President Jon Katz for phonebanking. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/818772222

GOTV Weekend: Phonebank with the Westside Democratic Headquarters all weekend! Saturday, October 31 : We have three phonebank shifts and four special guests:... 9:00am - Jon Favreau from Pod Save America https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ 12:00pm - CA Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo and LA City Councilmember Kevin de León https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ Also at 12:00pm - Phonebank for Christy Smith for CA25 We must keep this seat in our own backyard! https://www.mobilize.us/christyforcongress/event/308870/ 3:00pm - YouTube Star Brian Tyler Cohen https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ Sunday, November 1: We have three phonebank shifts - 9am, 12pm, 3pm. 12:00pm - special guest Congressman Jimmy Gomez https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ (More Sunday guests TBA) Monday, November 2: We have four phonebank shifts for Election Eve: 9am, 12pm, 3pm, and 6pm. 9:00am - Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ 12:00pm - Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/ (More Monday guests TBA) Tuesday, November 3: We have three phonebank shifts for Election Day: 9am, 12pm, 3pm. 3:00pm - Assemblymember Richard Bloom https://www.mobilize.us/2020victory/event/343435/

GOTV Weekend is here. We’ve got phonebanking opportunities all weekend long. But first! Join Senator Ben Allen, Councilmember Ana Maria Jara, and former Councilmember Greg Morena on Saturday morning for a discussion on local issues.

Vote for longtime SMDC member Ted Winterer along with Ana, Gleam, Terry, Kristin, and the rest of the SMDC Slate!

YES on PROP 21 GOTV Rally! TODAY - Friday 10/23 at 2:30 pm Zoom link:... Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81397908044 Speaking: Kevin de Leon, Former Senate President and L.A. City Council Member Maria Elena Durazo, CA State Senator Henry Stern, CA State Senator Rob Bonta, CA Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo, CA Assembly Member Miguel Santiago, CA Assembly Member Lindsey Horvath, Mayor of West Hollywood Sue Himmelrich, Santa Monica City Council Member Mike Bonin, L.A. City Council Member