 Help NWPC-AN support our endorsed candidates
in the November 7, 2006 election!
NWPC-AN Women's Voter Guide:
Candidates
Barbara Lee - Congress, 9th District
Loni Hancock - Assembly, 14th District
Mary Hayashi - Assembly, 18th District
Alice Lai-Bitker - County Supervisor, District 3
Pat Kernighan - Oakland City Council, Dist. 2
Jean Quan - Oakland City Council, Dist. 4
Desley Brooks - Oakland City Council, Dist. 6
Courtney Ruby - Oakland City Auditor
Bev Johnson - Mayor, City of Alameda
Lena Tam - City of Alameda City Council
Tracy Jensen - City of Alameda School Board
Linda Maio - City of Berkeley City Council, District 1
Dona Spring - City of Berkeley City Council, District 4
Karen Hemphill - City of Berkeley School Board
Nancy Riddle - City of Berkeley School Board
Ann-Marie Hogan - City of Berkeley Auditor
Linda Handy – Peralta Community College Area 3
Carole Ward Allen - Peralta Community College Area 4
Alona Clifton - Peralta Community College Area 7
Rebecca Kaplan - AC Transit, At-Large Seat
Elsa Ortiz - AC Transit, District 3 East Bay
Nancy Skinner - East Bay Regional Park 1
Katy Foulkes - East Bay Municipal Utilities District -3
Ballot Measures
Measure O, Oakland IRV - YES
Measure A, Berkeley School Funding - YES
Prop. 85 (Parental Notification) - NO
Prop. 89 (Clean Money) - YES
Check your mailbox or visit our website at www.nwpc.org for more info on local wise women elected officials' positions on these and other propositions on the upcoming ballot.
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
By: Karen Friedman, President NWPC-AN
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.†~Philip K. Dick
As
politically active women in the Bay Area, we are fortunate to be in the
position of being represented by many highly-qualified pro-choice women
at all levels of government. All in all, our reality seems to be quite
sanguine. In many of the small cities, women comprise more than
one-half of the council representatives. In Oakland, our largest city,
we have five of nine council members. Commissioners, assembly members,
state senators, members of congress – up and down the line we have
fabulous women representatives. Moreover, to give men their due, we
also have male politicians who are ardently pro-choice and sensitive to
issues which are typically in the domain of women. That is, issues such
as health care, child care, mental health and education.
The
other reality, the one which when you stop believing in it doesn’t go
away, is one of precariousness. Our reproductive rights are in
jeopardy. On a meta scale, the State proposition process is being
subverted by a few wealthy individuals who are repeatedly using their
wealth to fight against unrestricted access to abortion for all.
Signature gatherers have been compensated for their efforts. Millions
of dollars have been spent on Propositions 73 and 85 simply to get them
on the ballot. And, of course, many more millions will be spent to
convince voters that parental consent is tantamount to teen safety.
But, we all know this already.
More locally, at this moment in
California history, it is not easy to obtain a legal abortion in the
East Bay. Hard to believe, I know. What was once considered to be a
hard-fought universal right is now being whittled away, even without
the passage of constitutional amendments and state laws. Doctors and
hospitals are reluctant to do the procedure. Planned Parenthood is one
of the few clinics which has consistently maintained its medical
practice. And on the days when the doctors do the procedure, there now
are anti-abortion individuals who harass the women and their companions
as they enter the facility. They pass out leaflets in support of their
position and on many occasions are hostile. Most recently, they have
been seen taking pictures of the patients in an effort to intimidate
them. Unfortunately, the Planned Parenthood clinic is not the only
venue where these activities are taking place.
The reality of
women today is that the foes of abortion rights are making a
substantial impact. We must not only remain vigilant, but also take
steps to protect our rights. This means, we must continue to support
the women who are well representing us in many of the NWPC bottom line
issues. There are only a few weeks until Election Day, but there are
plentiful opportunities to work on behalf of our endorsed women. We
will be phone banking, walking precincts, holding house parties. Please
join us and others in the effort. The next few weeks are critical for
us women in the Bay Area, California and the U.S. because, as many say,
California is viewed as a beacon for the rest of the country.
Warmest regards,
Karen Friedman
President
__________________________________________
Clinic Escorting
By Jerrie Meadows
NWPC-AN
continues to take responsibility for clinic escorting at Planned
Parenthood in Oakland every Friday, where anti-choice people continue
to harass clients coming to the clinic. People are also needed on
Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Family Planning Specialists clinic at 200
Webster St. in Oakland. If you can give three hours a month for this
worthy activity on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, please contact Jerrie
Meadows at 848-2095 or jmherschel@aol.com.
__________________________________________
NO ON PROP 85
For
the second time in two years anti-choice zealots have put a
“so-called†parental notification initiative on ballot. Proposition
85, a constitutional amendment, will appear on the November General
Election ballot. While this law may sound reasonable, in the real
world, it is the wrong answer for California and will put thousands of
our most vulnerable teens at risk.
As Alameda City Council
candidate Lena Tam said at the NWPC-AN endorsement meeting in September
“Parents rightfully want to be involved in their teens’ lives, but
no law can mandate family communication.†The good news is that a
majority of teens already involve their parents in decisions about an
unintended pregnancy. Those that don’t, generally have a really good
reason why they can’t: the teen may fear being kicked out of her home
or face violence should she disclose to her family that she’s
pregnant. Prop. 85 could force these vulnerable teens to delay medical
care or turn to self-induced or illegal back-alley abortions. Some may
even consider suicide.
Proponents of Prop. 85 say that teens in
abusive situations can just seek a court waiver if they can’t talk to
their parents. But courts are already backlogged! There is a lot of red
tape, and courts are hard to navigate, even for adults. A scares
pregnant teen doesn’t need a judge. She needs a counselor and medical
care without delays.
That’s why the California Medical
Association, California Nurses Association, California Teachers
Association, Planned Parenthood, and the American Academy of
Pediatrics, California, all oppose Prop. 85.
But there’s
more to Prop 85 and you only have to look at the proponents of the
initiative to understand the real political agenda behind Prop. 85: The
Traditional Values Coalition, Evangelicals for Social Action and Right
to Life of Central California. These are the same people who lobby to
overturn Roe. v. Wade, ban all abortions, and keep comprehensive sex
education out of schools.
The San Jose Mercury News put it this
way: “Prop. 85 … is part of a larger strategy to chip away at
legalized abortion in the United States.â€
According to an
August report by the state Department of Health, teen pregnancy rates
in California have dropped by 46% over the last ten years. This drop
occurred without laws like Prop. 85. The real answer to teen pregnancy
is strong, caring families and comprehensive sex education, including
abstinence and access to contraception – not new laws that would harm
our teens. That’s why doctors, nurses, teachers, parents, and NWPC
all urge Californians to vote NO on Prop. 85 this November.
__________________________________________
Measure A – Renew Support for Berkeley Schools
By Nancy Riddle, Berkeley School Board Director
On
November 7th Berkeley voters will have an opportunity to vote YES on
Measure A to renew their support for our public schools. Measure A is
not a new tax and it is not a tax increase. Measure A simply renews two
existing school measures (BSEP and Measure B) at existing rates. Both
BSEP and Measure B expire June 2007.
Measure A specifically
defines the use and allocation of all funds. Most (90%) of Measure A
continues the essential class size reduction, school library, music and
art, and site enrichment programs authorized and reaffirmed by Berkeley
voters since 1986. The remainder (10%) funds additional computer
technology, teacher training, program evaluation, and parent outreach.
Measure
A includes strict oversight. It continues the highly respected,
district-wide, BSEP Planning and Oversight Committee comprised of
parent and staff representatives from all school sites. All funds are
maintained in separate accounts and annually audited by a citizen’s
audit committee and by independent auditors. To learn more about
Measure A visit www.BerkeleyMeasureA.org.
________________________________________________
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
Read on for updates on the races of these NWPC-AN endorsed candidates and find out how you can support their campaigns!
PAT KERNIGHAN’S CAMPAIGN NEEDS AND WANTS US
Pat
Kernighan’s re-election campaign, with a beautiful new headquarters,
phenomenal impressive endorsements, and, of course, a candidate
extraordinaire, only needs one thing—more volunteers to take her to
an impressive victory on November 7th.
Last March, NWPC-AN
overwhelmingly endorsed Pat Kernighan, a life-long feminist, for
re-election. In the primary, many of us walked precincts, and phone
banked. Pat came in first, but not enough to win outright.
NWPC’s
endorsement has to mean more than our name and financial support. We
need to be a visible presence to evidence the power of our support. We
have held two NWPC phone banks for Pat thus far, and you can contact
Rena at rrlaw@mindspring.com for more information on how NWPC is
supporting this campaign in the weeks to come.
Other
opportunities to make NWPC power and presence are at Pat’s
headquarters, located at 3217 Lakeshore Avenue. Please visit www.votepat.com
or contact the campaign headquarters at 510-836-3236 for more
information on weekend mobilizations, events and volunteer
opportunities.
New Endorsements for Pat Kernighan:
Pat
has now been endorsed by all of the past major District 2 Candidates,
including David Kakishiba, District 2 School Board; Shirley Gee; Justin
Horner, Chief of Staff to Jane Brunner; and Paul Garrison.
Berkeley Councilmember Support includes Gordon Wozniak, Betty Olds, and Darryl Moore.
She
is also endorsed by the East Bay Young Dems, the Democratic Central
Committee, Alameda County Democratic Lawyers, East Bay LGBT Democratic
Club.
LENA TAM FOR ALAMEDA CITY COUNCIL
Lena Tam
received the enthusiastic endorsement of the NWPC – AN membership.
She has diligently served for many years on our Executive Board and has
worked tirelessly to elect pro-choice woman throughout the County and
State. She is currently President of the Alameda Hospital Board and has
successfully increased health care services while returning the
hospital to a surplus budget! Lena is an experienced Alameda leader who
has served as an Alameda County Planning Commissioner, was past
president of the League of Women Voters and was named Woman of the Year
for 2005 by State Assemblymember Wilma Chan. Lena has received the
Citizen's Advocacy award from Girls, Inc. in 2004, and Woman of the
Year honors from the Isle City Business & Professional Women's
Association in 2001.
Lena has been endorsed by the Central
Labor Council of Alameda County, State Assemblywoman Wilma Chan,
Alameda City Council Woman Marie Gilmore and the Alameda County
Democratic Party.
Lena is in a tough race. Seven people are
vying for two Council seats. Please help one of our hardest working
Executive Board members win a seat and be able to continue her public
service. Call to volunteer at 510-590-0248. For more information on
Lena, please visit her website at www.lenatam.com.
COURTNEY RUBY – OUR CHOICE FOR OAKLAND CITY AUDITOR
Courtney
Ruby, a first-time candidate, came in first in the June Primary,
beating the incumbent. She received 39% of the vote, while he came in
at 31%, putting her into a runoff during the General Election on
November 7. It is critical to the City of Oakland that Courtney be
elected. As a CPA and a Chief Financial Officer, she brings both the
leadership and professionalism to raise the standards in the City
Auditor’s office. Good government is dependent upon having a City
Auditor that is independent and committed to bringing accountability
and transparency to the people.
In addition to NWPC – AN,
Courtney is endorsed by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Supervisors Keith
Carson and Alice Lai-Bitker, City Councilmembers Jane Brunner, Pat
Kernighan, Nancy Nadel, Larry Reid and Desley Brooks, BWOPA, All
Democratic Clubs, OAKPAC, SEIU 790, the Oakland Tribune and SF Bay
Guardian.
Courtney is running Citywide in a low visibility race.
Her campaign must raise $20,000 in order to send out mail, walk
precincts and get on as many slate mailers as possible. She needs to
have all of us talk to our friends and neighbors about her candidacy,
write letters to the editor and put up lawn signs.
Susan
Rosenthal is her NWPC contact, at 510-835-9084. Maggie Raife is her
Field and Finance Director, at 415-377-9373- please contact them to
volunteer!
__________________________________________
NWPC State Updates
The
letter printed below was sent to NWPC-CA by NWPC-AN at the end of this
summer regarding NWPC National's candidate endorsement system.
This
development resulted from the concern of a few members of the National
Board that a very few women at the national candidate level who were
not 100% supportive of every bottom line issue received a vote for
endorsement. At the State level, the board attempted to offer a
solution to this problem in the form of a revised candidate
questionnaire, which was proposed to include a point system by which
candidates seeking endorsement could be rated. As a part of that
effort, the State PAC began to redraft the section of the national
candidate questionnaire pertaining to this issue. The NWPC-AN letter
that appears below was written in response to these events. The State
Board subsequently voted in support of the NWPC-AN position articulated
in this letter.
NWPC National endorses not only senatorial and
congressional candidates, but also Governor, Lt. Governor, and various
constitutional offices.
Meredith McKenzie, State PAC Chair
NWPC - CA
Dear Meredith,
Alameda
North discussed the questionnaire and the point system at our annual
meeting July 19. The membership reaffirmed its commitment to our strong
pro-choice position and set up a committee to discuss the issue at
greater length and send our comments to you.
Our committee has
now met and, while we have no problem with questions 1-10, we are
concerned with the questions which appear to be omitted. We believe
that candidates should be questioned on all our bottom line issues.
Alameda
North will not support any changes that weaken our position on choice.
All of our endorsed candidates should score 100% on any rating system.
NWPC-CA should not endorse candidates unless they are unequivocally
committed to the full panoply of reproductive health services without
restriction. We will oppose any rating system that weakens this
position.
NWPC in known as a pro-choice organization. If we
vacillate on our 35-year stand, it diminishes us as an organization. We
urge the State Caucus to reaffirm its commitment to choice by rejecting
a ranking system. If we allow even one bottom line issue to be chipped
away, we create a situation that threatens further erosion of other
bottom line issues.
We are also concerned that adoption of a
point system at National will create an inconsistency between the
National and the State questionnaire and eventually to the Local
questionnaire. There would be the expectation that we would change our
local criteria for endorsement, which is totally unacceptable to
Alameda North.
In these tough times, we must stay strong.
Yours truly,
Karen Friedman, President
NWPC - AN
Jerrie Meadows, State Director
NWPC - AN
Ann Chandler, State Director
NWPC - AN
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Become a leader in NWPC-CA!
What’s
in it for you? The organizational structure of NWPC provides a valuable
opportunity for future leaders to learn and enhance leadership skills:
public speaking, strategic planning, consensus building, fundraising,
message development and political networking. These are inestimable
skills, whether you plan to mount a campaign of your own some day or
apply them to other endeavors.
Any organization is only as good
as the individuals who support it. The stronger the board we put
together, the brighter our future. Please consider seeking a key role
in the NWPC-CA leadership during 2007-2008.
Candidates must be
NWPC members in good standing, submit a resume to the nominating
committee and provide letters of endorsement from two credentialed
local caucuses.
Contact Lori Durbin, nominating committee chair
(dlori@varabot.com) or Celeste Weingardt, NWPC-CA President
(cweingardt@adelphia.net) for further information about state board
opportunities.
__________________________________________
MEMBERSHIP UPDATES
If
you have received membership renewal information from the state office,
please disregard it and renew locally; it�s more efficient for us and
entitles you to membership on the local, state and national level. We
encourage current members to spread the word about NWPC to friends and
colleagues. We extend our extra thanks to those renewing members whose
generous sponsorship supports limited income memberships and caucus
programs. If you are considering becoming an NWPC member and would like
further information, please contact Ann-Marie Hogan, Membership Chair,
at 540-6536 or visit our website at www.nwpc.org.
NWPC-AN thanks the following new & renewed members!
George Beier
Zelda Bronstein
Beverly Johnson
Maggie Raife
Erica Scott
Elizabeth Echols
Phyllis Gaines
Kathy Neal
Anna Rabkin
Terry Sandoval
Cynthia WootenCohen
It's time to renew membership for the following members:
Winnie Lu Anderson
Dion Aroner
Ellen Augustine
Ken Ball
Desley Brooks
Helen Burke
Wilma Chan
Luann DeWitt
Barbara Ellis
Katy Foulkes
Linda Gerson
Carol Graywing
Judy Iglehart
Judith Kunofsky
Miriam Mangini
Nancy McEnroe
Abigail Polllock
Jacki Fox Ruby
Dona Spring
Melanie Sweeney-Griffith
Fern Tiger
Micki Turner
Ellen Widess
Rachel Weinstein
Karen Weinstein
Don't forget that you are welcome to join or renew online through the California website using a credit card at http://www.nwpcca.org/ht/d/Join/pid/1449
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NWPC PURPOSES AND GOALS
The
purpose and goals of NWPC-AN are to increase women�s participation in
the political process, to increase the number of pro-choice women in
elected and appointed positions, to win equality for women and to
support candidates who support our goals. In pursuit of these goals,
NWPC-AN is dedicated to the eradication of sexism, racism,
anti-Semitism, ageism, violence, poverty, discrimination against the
disabled and discrimination on the basis of religion, and to ensuring
reproductive freedom and freedom of sexual orientation.
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Thanks for reading! For questions or comments regarding the NWPC-AN e-newsletter, please write to sarah.ja@gmail.com.
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