Santa Cruz County Democratic Party

We endorse Occupy Wall Street movement

admin — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:40:17 +0000

At their monthly meeting on October 26th, the Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee unanimously endorsed a resolution in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has spread across the nation.

Members agreed that OWS protesters are drawing attention to the same problems that Democrats are also struggling to resolve, like income inequality, lack of jobs, skyrocketing health insurance costs, and corruption of the democratic process resulting from the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision which allows corporations to make unlimited donations to political candidates. The full text of the resolution is below:

Resolution in support of Occupy Wall Street movement

Whereas, peaceful protests are a respectable and constitutionally protected way of demonstrating opinion and mobilizing political momentum in the United States, and

Whereas, people are protesting on Wall Street and throughout the world over income inequality, which has reached levels not seen since before the Great Depression of the 1930s, and

Whereas, greed in the corporate and banking sectors has led to an unprecedented and prolonged economic recession; and despite record breaking corporate profits companies have been slow to hire new employees; and there is a lack of opportunity and jobs, especially for disadvantaged groups including young people, older workers and certain minority groups, and  

Whereas, health care costs have skyrocketed and health care insurance has become unaffordable or unattainable for many people,  

Whereas, the Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. FEC allowing corporations to contribute unlimited sums to political candidates has corrupted the democratic process, and 

Whereas, Republicans in Congress block all attempts by President Obama to try to remedy these problems, resulting in financial distress and ruin for many responsible citizens and residents,

Therefore be it resolved that the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party supports the Occupy Wall Street movement and the constructive efforts of its participants to draw attention to these problems.

October 26, 2011 

New Officers Elected

scdems — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 19:15:47 +0000

Santa Cruz County Democrats elected Richelle Noroyan as chair and a new slate of officers for the upcoming year at their meeting on Wednesday, July 27. New officers of the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party include: Richelle Noroyan, chair; Fran Church, vice chair; Ricardo de la Cruz, treasurer; and Pat Manning, recording secretary.

Ms. Noroyan served as county chair once before in 2004 and served as regional director of the California Democratic Party for four years. She has also worked as district office director for former Redwood City Assemblyman Ira Ruskin (AD21) from 2005-2011 and she was campus outreach coordinator for California for the Bill Clinton campaign in 1992.

She follows Zach Friend, who stepped down after serving six years as Democratic Party chair in Santa Cruz County.

The major tasks faced by local Dems in the upcoming year are organizing for the presidential elections in 2012 and preparing for state primary elections to be held next Spring – the first time that the new top two nonpartisan system will be used.

Video Link To California’s Budget: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

scdems — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:53:37 +0000

The California Budget was the subject of the first Democratic Dialogue, featuring Santa Cruz County Treasurer Fred Keely and Mayor Ryan Coonerty as the speakers. This session was video tapped for Community Television. It was a very informative session that continues to plague the state. If you are interested at viewing the discussion you can do so by clicking on the link below. We hope the program is informative and helpful.

http://communitytv.org/programs/online/democratic-dialogues-ca-budget

Judy Warner Receives Democrat of the Year Award

scdems — Tue, 31 May 2011 03:17:40 +0000

Santa Cruz Democrats recognized the numerous contributions and accomplishments of “Democrat of the Year” Judy Warner at the annual celebration at the Kuumba Jazz Center on May 20, 2011. Judy was honored by her peers as well as elected officials that included Congressman Sam Farr, State Senator Joe Simitian, Assemblyman Bill Monning, Assemblyman Luis Alejo, Secretary John Laird, and Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the brief and profound acceptance speech that Judy provided following the presentation of her award. She focused on the many contributions made by other members of the DCC, acknowledging their contributions toward the improvement of the organization. Judy has inspired and encouraged young people, candidates, and elected Democratic officials through all her work at the DCC, but on this particular evening she led with humility and grace. Thank you Judy for your dedication, your inspiration, and your kindness.

The awards ceremony was followed by an evening of fun and laughter as Lizz Winstedt entertained the group with her political humor and sharp wit. Thanks to all who attended.

Democratic Dialogue # 2: Technology’s Impact on the Grass Roots Video Link

scdems — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:31:39 +0000

This successful workshop was the second in a series of Democratic Dialogues and featured Raven Brooks from Netroots Nation and writer Spencer Critchley, focusing on the impact of technology on politics. The discussion centered on the many available technologies for use in this modern age and how it can be used effectively in politics to connect at the grass roots level. If you were unable to attend this exciting discussion, you can view the content by utilizing the video link provided below.

http://www.communitytv.org/programs/online/how-technology-has-changed-politi cs

A third Democratic Dialogue is being planned for the future. Check back here for updates!!