Table of Contents
Dates
With Alice
|
Alice Membership Meeting and Endorsement Vote
Monday, March 10, 2008
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
LGBT Community Center
1800 Market Street @ Octavia
ENDORSEMENT VOTE for June Primary
Discussion on race, gender, identity, and the presidency
There are a number of state and local initiatives and candidates on the upcoming ballot. Please come to the Alice membership meeting on March 10th and vote for endorsements for the June primary election. Alice has already endorsed Mark Leno for Senate and Tom Ammiano for Assembly in the June primary election.
(Note: Alice's PAC will meet the day prior to the endorsement vote on the 10th to make recommendations for the general membership. For those candidates and speakers of ballot initiatives who wish to participate, please email info@alicebtoklas.org and fill out the questionnaire on the website by Wednesday, March 5th.)
Alice Field Activities
Alice continues our tradition of aggressively supporting our endorsed candidates with a strong beginning for 2008. This will include tabling, phonebanking, and other opportunities to register voters and support our endorsements.
We are, and will be, working with our endorsed candidates and campaigns to solidify a coordinated list of volunteer activities and would love to contact you specifically as these details are finalized.
If you would like to help volunteer for these efforts, please contact our Field Committee team by email info@alicebtoklas.org to let them know of your interest and for more information.
|
top
March Co-Chairs' Report
A Diversity of Voices
No matter if the victor of the 2008 Presidential election is Senator Obama, Clinton or (heaven help us) McCain, America will have a leader who brings a new perspective. It is significant that this historic election will give us the choice of choosing between the first African America, first woman, or the oldest person to be elected President. It speaks to a greater theme sweeping America: Diversity. When the Board of Directors of Alice met on February 23 for our annual orientation and retreat, not only was it evident that we had embraced the concept of diversity, but we had taken the next step of putting the actions behind words. The Directors’ table was a glowing and growing cross-section of the LGBT community, representing various ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, faiths, socio-economic positions, philosophies and a wide range of spectrums regardless of defining category. Aside from this magnificent sight, the Alice Board pledged itself to a further implementation of its diversity goals. In 2008, Alice will endeavor to use new and even more diverse voices in our efforts for deeper outreach into the community and to communicate the values and issues of LGBT folks.
Alice's call for a diversity of new voices does not in any way lessen the value of information that has been presented to our membership through traditional methods and relationships with longstanding allies. Indeed, it is our hope that searching out new voices and new perspectives on the issues that affect the LGBT community will give us greater understanding and more motivation in our efforts to defend, advocate for and protect the rights of our people within the frame work of the Democratic Party. But what are we really talking about? Alice wants to hear real life examples of how the denial of marriage and the federal rights that flow from it, has a profound impact on household headed by black lesbian couples. What, if any, benefit can be derived by LGBT Native Americans through the recently passed Indian gaming initiatives. We need to hear from representatives from different segments of our community about the affect of local, state and national policies on issues such as housing, employment, healthcare, the economy and so much more. The broad reach of Alice's Board is testament that we have the means to explore issues on a deeper and wider level in terms of impact on the greater LGBT community.
Our programs committee is already busy setting a schedule that will not only be informative of issues of importance to our community, but they have picked up the charge to find new voices that bring a new perspective to the discussion. In forming our recommendations about issues and candidates, our PAC will also look for new contributors to speak to the records of candidates and the likely outcomes that measures may have on our community. Alice's events will honor and bring new voices that have a greater message of inclusion and acceptance to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the LGBT community base.
2008 promised to be an exciting year at Alice. We’re going to make new friends and shake things up a bit. We invite you to join us at every opportunity. If you have ideas about how can make this year of diverse voices speak to a greater segment of our community, let us know by emailing us at info@alicebtoklas.org. We'll be listening to your voices!
Julius Turman and Susan Christian
Alice B. Toklas Co-Chairs
top
Reese's World: Perspectives from the Editor
Sticks and Stones
by Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Fag.
Faggot.
Scene I:
Ninth Grade.
High School Cafeteria.
Lunchtime.
Group of schoolmates eating together at long rectangular table.
Me: trying to eat and enjoy my lunch period with friends.
Bullies: making kissy-faces towards me and pretending to come on to me in order to make fun of me in front of the others.
Girls: yelling at them to leave me alone.
Me: quiet, crying inside, wishing this wasn't happening, hating every minute of it.
Everyday occurrence.
Queer.
Sissy.
Scene II:
Eighth Grade.
Science Class.
Me: Front row trying to do my schoolwork.
Bullies: Rows behind shooting spitwads at me.
One small spitwad gets stuck in my eye.
Everybody laughs.
Fairy.
Tinkerbell.
Scene III:
School Bus.
Idling in parking lot waiting for afterschool crowd.
Me: alone and quiet.
Bullies: calling me names and making fun of me to the crowd while everyone laughs.
Everyday occurrence.
These are not extraordinary events. These are a few of the many everyday occurrences I remember growing up as a teenager. Many of our young people currently have similar everyday occurrences. For the simple sake of being different in a crowd of youth, many of us are taunted and bullied and afraid and alone. Some of not just hit with words. Lawrence King was murdered in February for being different. Other teenagers around the world suffer daily at the hands of those who will not see.
There is new hope and legal rights and recourse and support. We are living in a time of change and possibilities I certainly never dreamed of when I was a teenager. I give thanks everyday for this new hope.
Reese Is-(a-tinker)-bell
Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Editor
top
In Memoriam:
Congressman Tom Lantos
From the Editor: Our LGBT community lost a great voice for our equality when our Bay Area Congressman Tom Lantos passed in February. We take a moment to reflect and give thanks.
From the Bay Area Reporter: "Rep. Tom Lantos dies"
top
AfterWords from Supervisor Sean Elsbernd
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to speak to you at the February Alice meeting; it's always a great pleasure to talk with Alice's members. As I discussed last week, I have been hard at work on a Charter Amendment focused on City employee retiree health care reform that will be submitted to the voters for approval on the June 3 ballot.
The proposal seeks to address a growing fiscal liability the City faces: the skyrocketing cost of retiree health care benefits. Currently estimated at $4.2 billion, this number is an unfunded debt the City is legally obligated to pay before any other.
In order to address the problem, the Charter Amendment includes changes to the City's vesting schedule for all new employees hired on or after January 10, 2009. Currently, after only five years of employment with the City, all employees are entitled to receive full health care benefits upon retirement. If the proposed Charter Amendment passes, new hires would earn retiree health care benefits upon retirement as follows: after ten years of service, 50 percent; after fifteen years of service, 75 percent; and after twenty years of service, 100 percent of benefits would be paid for by the City.
The charter amendment also creates a retiree health care fund and requires a contribution of 2% of gross salary from all new hires. This amount is matched by a 1% contribution from the City. As the fund grows, and reaps investment dividends, the City will have a dedicated funding source to pay for the costs of retiree health care benefits and the costs will no longer continue to drain the City's general fund.
The combined effect of these two structural changes will ultimately result in billions of dollars of savings for the City into the future.
In addition to the cost savings gained on the retiree health care side, in order to create parity between City & County of San Francisco employees and those of other jurisdictions, the Charter Amendment also includes a pension benefit enhancement. The enhancement includes extending the formula used to calculate the pension benefit from 2.0 percent at 60 years of age to 2.3 percent at 62, as well as a cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase.
In addition, the legislation authorizes a contract extension, or wage freeze, through the end of calendar year 2010 for all City employee contracts expiring in June 2009.
I believe the measure is a necessary and fiscally responsible one that will ensure our City government will continue to be able to focus resources on providing all of the high quality services that our citizens deserve and depend on. I am proud that in addition to working with the leadership of our employee labor unions to earn their support for the measure, the charter amendment is co-sponsored by Mayor Newsom, Board President Aaron Peskin, and Supervisors Michela Alioto-Pier, Ross Mirkarimi, and Carmen Chu. Truly a broad coalition if there ever was one!
I'd be glad to discuss the proposal in greater depth. If there are any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to call me at 415.554.6516.
Sean R. Elsbernd
Supervisor, District 7
City and County of San Francisco
top
Thank You
from Mark Leno
Dear Alice Friends,
I want to personally thank Alice for your tremendous help in collecting signatures for our campaign. As you know, one of the requirements to qualify for the ballot as a State Senate candidate is to either pay a $1,162.08 filing fee (1% of a State Senator's salary) or to submit at least 3,000 signatures on so-called "Petitions In Lieu of Filing Fee" documents.
In a demonstration of grassroots strength and voters seeking the best choice for change in 2008, we were able to collect 3,200 signatures to qualify for the June ballot for State Senate. I am honored by the support and confidence so many voters throughout the 3rd Senate District have afforded me by signing our petitions, including having nearly 60% of those signatures obtained in Marin and Sonoma Counties. As a result of our signature gathering together, it is abundantly clear voters prefer to have a choice when electing a State Senator and they are seeking truly meaningful change in 2008.
Thank you to all of my Alice friends for the support. The year of change is upon us.
Sincerely,
Mark Leno
www.MarkLeno.com
top
Civil Grand Jury Needs Volunteers
The San Francisco Civil Grand Jury - the people's
watchdog - needs a
diverse group of intelligent, informed, curious San
Francisco residents/US citizens
to serve a year's term, starting July 1, 2008. This
should interest anyone
passionate about the need for an honest and
dependable government which
acknowledges the citizens' needs as a priority.
Jurors, all volunteers, must be
willing to devote 10 or more hours a week. They
learn in depth how local
government functions, and meet a variety of
interesting people while making
important contributions to community. Applications
must be received by April 18,
2008. Please call Gary Giubbini for details on how
to apply -- 551-3605.
Attached is a fuller description of the Civil Grand
Jury for anyone interested.-- Shirley Hansen, Past Juror and current Member Civil
Grand Jury Association
California's constitution mandates that each county annually impanel a "watchdog" grand jury with the duty to investigate the operations of the city and county's officers, departments, and agencies. San Francisco's civil grand jury consists of nineteen members randomly drawn from a pool of applicants, who serve for one year from July through June. Jurors devote from 10-20 hours weekly, including some regular business hours.
Each jury determines which issues related to the governance of San Francisco City and County it wishes to study and how to proceed. Juries are free to choose their methodology, but in recent years the usual practice has been to divide into committees that then select (with the concurrence of at least 12 members of the panel) areas they will investigate. State law authorizes civil grand juries, as representatives of the local citizenry, to review and evaluate the effectiveness and cost/benefit of procedures, methods, and systems. Jurors take an oath of permanent secrecy to protect those who provide information from possible retribution.
During their investigations, jurors inspect and audit books, records, and financial expenditures; interview civil servants and others who may have pertinent information; inspect government facilities, then issue reports with findings and recommendations for implementing them. The jury submits these reports to the presiding judge, who peruses them to make certain they meet all legal requirements. Then, the reports go to the appropriate department heads, who are required to respond. If they agree, they must specify how and when they will implement the recommended changes; if they disagree, they must explain their reasons. The jury then releases them to the public via the media and the Board of Supervisors, which generally holds public hearings on each year's reports.
Local custom is for juries to meet weekly on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30. Meetings take place at the Court Building, 400 McAllister, in the Civic Center. Most committee work takes place during regular working hours.
Potential jurors must by law disclose all investments and business positions in and/or income from any entity that has conducted business within the City and County in the previous two years, as well as income from all employees of the City & County and all interests in real property. These become matters of public record.
Grand jury eligibility includes the following requirements: US citizenship, minimum age of 18, residency in the City & County of San Francisco for at least one year, ordinary intelligence, good character, and a working knowledge of English.
Persons are ineligible to serve if they have been discharged from a civil grand jury within one year, are currently serving on a petit (trial) jury, are elected public officials, or have been convicted of a felony.
Applications to serve on the civil grand jury are available at the Grand Jury Office, 400 McAllister Street, Room 008 (lower level); by phone at 415-551-3605, weekdays 8 am to 4:30 pm; or by downloading a form. Applications must be received by Friday, April 11, 2008.
top
Alice
Membership Form
Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
1800 Market Street PMB#18
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: 415-707-2010
www.alicebtoklas.org
Alice Reports Editor: Reese Aaron Isbell, M.P.P.
Month of March: Membership Meeting, March 10
You can now join online www.alicebtoklas.org/abt/joinonline.asp,
or fill out the application below
Membership Application
Yes, I want to join the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club!
__$35 Regular
__$100 Supporter
__$250 Sponsor
__$500 Champion
__$20 Special Needs
__Other
__I am renewing my membership __I
will be a new member
__I am a registered Democrat
Name ______________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________State: ______Zip: _____________
Phone: Day __________________________Eve: _____________________________
Email: _________________________________________
Please send checks payable to “Alice B. Toklas
LGBT Democratic Club” and mail to:
Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club
1800 Market Street, PMB#18
San Francisco, CA 94102
top
|
