clarklee — Los Angeles County Democratic Party

LACDP Condemns Racist Mail Piece Attacking Los Angeles City Council Candidate John Choi

May 14, 2013 By clarklee Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement regarding a recent racist mail piece that attacks LA City Council candidate John Choi and supports candidate Mitch O’Farrell in Council District 13:

“The Los Angeles County Democratic Party strongly condemns the offensive and disgusting campaign mailer that attacks Los Angeles City Council candidate John Choi using xenophobic, racist and red-baiting imagery and language. This mailer is beneath any Democrat and reflects the worst values in our society. The independent expenditure was produced and paid for by ‘The Best Successor to Eric Garcetti – Committee to Support Mitch O’Farrell for City Council District 13 in 2013.’

“The attack features a photo of Council candidate John Choi, a Korean American, at the top of a page, labeled as ‘The Other Guy” in bold letters, in a pose reminiscent of a classical dictator. It prominently features bright yellow letters against a bright red background, with a headline reading ‘Not From Our Community’ and characterizes him as ‘transplanted’ into the area.

The color scheme, photo placement, and choice of words were deliberately selected to invoke anti-immigrant and anti-Asian sentiment, while falsely insinuating Choi is a communist.

“The use of such disgusting depictions and language has no place in this campaign and no place anywhere in our nation. No campaign should ever use race-baiting ‘Willie Horton-esque’ tactics to score political points.

“We call upon Mitch O’Farrell to join with the Los Angeles County Democratic Party in condemning this obnoxious racist attack. Additionally, we demand the independent expenditure committee that produced and paid for this mailer to immediately cease and desist using such discriminatory tactics.

“This Democratic Party has endorsed John Choi for Los Angeles City Council District 13. However, we recognize that Mitch O’Farrell is a long-time Democrat, and we ask him to speak out against this divisive, insensitive and hateful mailer.”

Filed Under: Latest News, Press Releases

LACDP Endorsements: California Democratic Party Elections

March 13, 2013 By clarklee Leave a Comment

Endorsements
April 12-14, 2013
California Democratic Party Elections

Elections will be held at the 2013 California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento. Click here to visit the California Democratic Party website for more information on the Convention.

* Incumbent

Statewide Officers
Chair – John Burton*
Vice Chair – Alex Gallardo Rooker*
Vice Chair – Eric C. Bauman*
Secretary – Carolyn Fowler
Controller – Hilary Crosby*

Regional Directors
Region 9 – Diana Love*
Region 10 – Debra Broner
Region 11 – Karen Wingard*
Region 12 – Agi Kessler
Region 14 – Tina McKinnor
Region 15 – Anthony Duarte*
Region 16 – Sergio Carrillo*

Caucus Chairs
African-American Caucus – Darren Parker*
Asian Pacific Islander Caucus – Clark Lee*
Business & Professional Caucus – Ray Bishop
Children’s Caucus – Judy Jacobs*
Disabilities Caucus – Marilyn Grunwald*
Environmental Caucus – Tony Hale*
Filipino American Caucus – Melissa Ramoso
Irish American Caucus – Thomas Patrick O’Shaughnessy*
LGBT Caucus – John Cleary and Denise Penn
Progressive Caucus – Michael Thaller
Senior Caucus – Chad Jones
Women’s Caucus – Christine Pelosi*

Filed Under: California Politics, Democratic Party, Latest News, News

LACDP Presents: 2012 Democratic Activist and Club Summit

August 21, 2012 By clarklee Leave a Comment

2012 Democratic Activist and Club Summit

Click here to download flyer.

Join with Democratic activists and club leaders to:

Improve your campaign, messaging and communication skills
Learn how to build and manage your organization or club
Get the training needed to win in 2012 and beyond, with special briefings on presidential, legislative, and statewide proposition campaigns

With Presenters (Partial List):

Eric C. Bauman, LA County Democratic Party
Hon. Bob Blumenfield, Assembly Member
Paul Goodwin, Goodwin ● Simon Strategic Research
Hon. Isadore Hall, Assembly Member
Agi Kessler, Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley
KP Pratt, Battleground California
Miguel Santiago, LA Community College Board
Mary Jane Stevenson, Obama for America-California
Jeremy Thompson, Reelpolitik Campaign Media
Gerry Vaughan, LA County Federation of Labor

There is no charge to attend the summit and lunch will be provided. Donations will be requested to help cover the cost of the event and lunch. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Sunday, August 26, 2012, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
California State University Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles
The Golden Eagle Building – 2nd Floor Ballroom
Parking available for $6 all day in Parking Structure C
RSVP by August 25th below, call 213-382-4111, email rsvp@lacdp.org or RSVP on Facebook
Venue is accessible

After the summit, join us from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM for a Social Hour

At 6:00 PM there will be an optional dinner, at a cost of $35, featuring a participative discussion on important policy issues. RSVP for dinner is required by August 22 by calling 213-382-4111 or emailing rsvp@lacdp.org. Dinner reservations are likely to sell out, so reserve your spot today.

Call 213-382-4111 or email rsvp@lacdp.org by August 22 to arrange for disabled-access or reduced-distance parking. Passenger drop-off information also available.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

LACDP Slams Mitt Romney’s Failed Jobs Record as Gov. on his Visit to LA

May 31, 2012 By clarklee 1 Comment

Local leaders and concerned residents return to plaza where Romney campaigned to show what “Romney Economics” really means

Click here to download photos from the press conference

Click here to download a “Pink Slip” served to Mitt Romney for his failed Romney Economics

LOS ANGELES – Today, Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) and area residents in Los Angeles held a press conference at the Valley Plaza Shopping Center in North Hollywood to expose Mitt Romney’s business philosophy and failed job record as Governor of Massachusetts as he visits Los Angeles for yet another round of high-dollar fundraiser with his one-percenter friends.

Just last year, Mitt Romney campaigned at this plaza and said the reason that businesses had not returned to this plaza was because of the policies from the Obama Administration – despite the fact that the plaza struggled long before President Obama took office because of the same failed policies that “Romney Economics” would return us to.

“Mitt Romney just doesn’t get it. He stood here at this plaza last year and said that the reason businesses were slow to return were because of the Obama Administration’s policies – completely ignoring the fact that this plaza struggled long before President Obama took office. Romney was making the same case to Los Angeles that he made to Massachusetts a decade ago. Because of his business background, Mitt Romney told the people of Massachusetts that he would grow jobs and shrink both deficits and government, but under Mitt Romney, Massachusetts ranked 47th out of 50 in job creation,” said Eric C. Bauman, Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party.

In a career of buying and selling companies, Romney’s pattern was to reap quick profits for himself and his investors at the expense of workers and communities. Sometimes, it meant sending American jobs overseas. Other times, it meant cutting wages and benefits. In Romney’s economic philosophy, CEOs and wealthy investors prosper by any means necessary, even when it meant companies failed and workers were left behind.

“If people across California want to know how these values might impact them in a Mitt Romney Presidency, look no further than the Romney-Ryan budget. The Bottom line here is that Mitt Romney is just too out of touch with the needs of everyday Californians – folks who can’t seem to make sense of why seniors and the middleclass should foot the bill for tax cuts for the top 1% of Americans,” said Miguel Santiago, Los Angeles Community College Board President.

Recent college graduate Mark Gonzalez said, “According to one of Romney’s former partners, his business experience was about creating wealth for himself, his partners and his investors. Here’s how he played the game: Romney and his partners specialized in buying healthy companies, and loading them up with debt by borrowing money. Many times, they used that borrowed money to pay themselves millions in fees and dividends – even as they laid off long-time loyal workers and shipped American jobs overseas.”

Gonzalez continued, “Sometimes, if workers were lucky enough to keep their jobs, they would then see their paychecks, benefits and pensions slashed. But, too often, the debt led to bankruptcy, and that led to workers losing their jobs, their health care, and their pensions, even as Romney and his partners walked away with millions.”

LACDP Chair Eric C. Bauman said, “Put simply: if Romney believes he can grow the economy for the long term, then he learned the wrong economic lessons and values from his private-sector experience. We need to restore middle-class security and create an economy built to last, but Mitt Romney’s economic values would do further damage to the middle class.”

“We don’t want an economy where workers are left behind. Romney doesn’t get how the economy works in the lives of everyday Americans. He doesn’t get that the real strength of the economy is a growing, thriving middle class. That’s why we’re here to serve him a ‘pink slip’ and say: Governor Romney, California can’t afford Romney Economics. America can’t afford Romney Economics. It didn’t work for Massachusetts, and it won’t work for California,” continued Bauman.

Filed Under: News, Press Releases

Obama for America-California and LACDP Host Obama Pride: LGBT Americans for Obama Los Angeles Launch

May 22, 2012 By clarklee Leave a Comment

Local leaders, LGBT couples and youth share personal stories and discuss the President’s accomplishments for the LGBT community

Click here to download photos from the Obama Pride Los Angeles Launch

LOS ANGELES – Today, Obama for America-California and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) hosted the official launch of Obama Pride: LGBT Americans for Obama in Los Angeles at the home of LACDP Chair and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman and his husband Michael Andraychak, coinciding with Harvey Milk Day as part of the national Obama Pride launch.

In a living room packed with LGBT community leaders and couples from all walks of life, the Obama Pride launch featured a coffee discussion on the President’s accomplishments for the LGBT community, the impact of the President’s policies on their personal lives, and the challenges in the 2012 election.

“President Obama is the first President to fully embrace all rights for LGBT Americans, from opposing discrimination in employment to supporting marriage equality. In our community, talk about promises kept by the President: ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is no more; for the first time, federal civil rights law recognizes sexual orientation and gender identity as protected class with the Matthew Shepard and James Bird Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act; for the first time in history, a President of the United States supports marriage equality. LGBT Americans has seen more progress under President Obama than any other time in U.S. history. And we stand with President Barack Obama in 2012,” said Eric C. Bauman, LACDP Chair.

Joining Bauman include his husband and partner of 30 years Michael Andraychak; TV personality Raquel Castaneda; Garvey School Board Member Henry Lo; JWCH President Al Ballesteros; Latino Equality Alliance Co-Chair Ari Gutierrez; comedian Frank Cermak and his partner Marcos Ochoa; Upper San Gabriel Valley Water District President Bryan Urias; API Equality Program Director Tommy Tseng; Girls Today Women Tomorrow Executive Director Michele Deane, and several young activists.

“I’m excited about the fact that the President lifted ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I believe that we could not have made progress with that foundational discrimination, and it heralded that sense of change throughout the country. What’s more is: the naysayers want to diminish that marriage certificate, but it’s really important to us to affirm our relationship that way. I have been with Eric for 30 years. In 30 years, it’s amazing the opportunity we have had to watch the world change. And I’m here to work with you to re-elect the President,” said Michael Andraychak, husband of LACDP Chair Eric C. Bauman and a Registered Nurse.

Al Ballesteros, President and CEO of JWCH, added, “For the first time, we have a strategy from the White House that gets us ahead of HIV/AIDS and LGBT health. A Romney presidency would be a situation where you would have an individual who panders to those who want Planned Parenthood closed.”

“I’m one of the first openly gay school board members in the San Gabriel Valley. We were one of the first school districts to expand domestic partnership benefits to employees and extended our anti-bullying policies to include gays and lesbians. Now, we have a president who has solidly stood as a supporter of the gay and lesbian community. It’s important that we re-elect President Obama. Barack Obama is truly the President for all Americans,” said Henry Lo, Garvey School Board Member and the first openly gay Asian elected official.

Latino Equality Alliance Co-Chair Ari Gutierrez said, “It’s great what we’ve done. We are happy to see the changes, but there is still more to do.”

This year, Americans have a choice between President Barack Obama, who is committed to advancing equality and justice for all Americans, and Mitt Romney, who has pledged to legitimize discrimination by enshrining it in the U.S. Constitution for the first time ever, with an amendment outlawing committed gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

On the prospect of a Mitt Romney presidency, TV personality Raquel Castaneda said, “I’m working every day for the future of my sister, for the little girls I work with. Our Declaration of Independence guarantees Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Castaneda continued, “As Americans, as gay Americans, we have the right to enjoy those unalienable rights. A Romney presidency would look like something that took place more than 60 years ago. We are real people; we have real families; and we deserve to have real lives.”

Anthony Duarte, a parent and a California Democratic Party Board Member, said, “I’m a parent of an eleven-year-old son. A Mitt Romney presidency scares me not only for myself, but for my son. I fear for me and my family if Romney is elected.”

In discussing the 2012 presidential election, Upper San Gabriel Valley Water District President Bryan Urias said, “This election is a critical election. We must make sure that we go out there and fight for him to make sure he gets re-elected. He stands with the LGBT community; we must stand with him so he can continue the progress for our community and all communities.”

“We must instill a culture that embraces LGBT people. When everyone engages in acceptance, then we will have acceptance. As you know, it’s no longer illegal to be gay in America, but we still do not see same-sex couple walking down the street holding hands. We need to go beyond equal rights to have equal lives; and without President Obama in the White House, we will not only lose our rights, we will never have equal lives,” said Tommy Tseng, a first generation immigrant and program director of API Equality-Los Angeles.

In closing, LACDP Chair Eric C. Bauman reminded, “For LGBT Americans, we must support the President not only because of his stance on our issues, but because of his stance on jobs, the economy, and health care, and all the other issues that our nation faces. This is a President who truly stands up for all Americans, and we must stand with him.”

Filed Under: News