Tuesday, August 2nd: ENDORSEMANIA begins!

PrizefightNovember 8th is about a lot more than Hillary Clinton vs. the toxic clown car of today’s Republican Party.  There are 17 state ballot measures (and more than two dozen local measures on the way) and candidate races throughout the state, Bay Area, and the City.

As always, PHDC has you covered.  For Tuesday, August 2nd, we were be your living Ballotpedia for the U.S. Senate race (Harris vs. Sanchez) and the state ballot measures, with (brief) pros and cons for every issues. Some of the less controversial state measures had written arguments from PHDC board members so we could have more time for discussion with our Club’s chatty members in the audience.  We will have two endorsement meetings in September for San Francisco candidates and measures.

Here are PHDC endorsements so far.

Club business: Special election for 2 vacant slots. Volunteer sign-up for our 8th Annual Party and Shop Local Silent Auction, set for Saturday, August 27 from 5-8 pm at Dogpatch Saloon.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 2nd, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

July 4th: Patriotism, a picnic, and a political play

Dolores Park, July 4, 2007 - PHDC's first yearRegister voters with PHDC in Dolores Park before the Mime Troupe’s opening, then picnic and enjoy the show.

Spend July 4th, Independence Day, being super-patriotic: Register voters! (Note that we are NOT meeting on our normal first Tuesday of the month, which would be July 5th. July 4th is Monday.)

Then stick around Dolores Park to picnic, while  taking in the world-changing, Tony Award-winning SF Mime Troupe‘s opening of its 57th season: the premiere of Schooled. (“With privatization on the line, and a Wall Street heavy hitter lined up to fold the entire district into his conglomerate, suddenly the next School Board election is more about a hidden agenda than the open curriculum. And when did the hall monitors start wearing brown shirts and arm bands?”)

Email contact_us@phdemclub.org or call 415-283-6607 to volunteer, just to join us for a picnic, or both.

WHEN: Monday (NOT Tuesday!), July 4, 2016 at noon (show begins at 2)
WHERE: Dolores Park, meet near 19th St, exact location TBD

Tues June 7th: Election night party

David, Joni, Daniel & Harvey

“It’s not that art & politics don’t mix – I just wanna do more art,” says longtime PHDC president Joni Eisen. (The mix, in the photo at right by FBFE: Supervisor David Campos; Joni; then-candidate, now Judge Daniel Flores; Harvey Milk as a bas-relief cake sculpture).

There were food, drink, and early election returns at Il Pirata early on Election Night, as president-for-almost-a-decade Joni stepped  down – not actually going anywhere except into her studio, garden, and grandkids’ lives. People said good bye to Joni and hello to VP-in-the-wings Tony Kelly, ready to take the reins. Below, clockwise from lower left: City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Tony, Angeles Roy, former Supervisor (now DCCC member-elect) Sophie Maxwell, Joni. Photo by John O’Neill.ElectnNightIPirata (1)

 

 

 

 

WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 7pm
WHERE: Il Pirata, 2007 16th St @ Utah St

Tuesday, May 3rd: Socializing with DCCC candidates, solidarity with hospitality workers

Screen Shot 2016-04-27 at 2.00.24 PMSome of our endorsed candidates for the SF DCCC came for a meet-and-greet. The SF Democratic County Central Committee, the governing body of the SF Democratic Party, registers voters and makes endorsements. Their citywide election mailers powerfully influence Democratic voters to support or oppose particular candidates and ballot measures. But we believe the DCCC has veered off-course in recent years, and needs reform. Real reform, not real estate rule.

Also, Antonio Arenas of UNITE HERE! Local 2, which represents over 12,000 hospitality workers in San Francisco and San Mateo, discussed the boycott at non-union hotels Le Meridien and Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 3rd at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro @ Southern Heights

PHDC endorsements for SF DCCC, District 17

Screen Shot 2016-04-12 at 10.56.09 PMAfter a lively – as usual for PHDC – endorsement meeting for DCCC candidates, featuring the candidates in small groups interacting with each other as well as the audience, thirteen candidates received at least the requisite 50% of votes cast:

Alysabeth Alexander, Tom Ammiano, David Campos, Petra DeJesus, Bevan Dufty, Jon Golinger, Pratima Gupta, Frances Hsieh, Jane Kim, Rafael Mandelman, Sophie Maxwell, Aaron Peskin, Cindy Wu

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated!

Tuesday, April 12th: Democratic County Central Committee candidates from Assembly District 17

SFDP-Logo-2015-150pixelsCandidates who have submitted completed questionnaires will appear in small groups at regular intervals, to present and answer questions. Come and meet them! Ballots are due at the end of the meeting, and will be counted immediately.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 12, at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, downstairs in the Game Room, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Heights

April 5th & April 12th: Endorsement results, future meeting

JudicialCands2016Tuesday, April 5th: Judicial candidate forum, Presidential primary, ballot measures – RESULTS

The forum of candidates for Superior Court Judge, Office #7 – Paul Henderson, Victor Hwang, Sigrid Irias (counterclockwise from left, photo by John O’Neill)- was moderated by attorney & PHDC board member J.R. Eppler. Presidential Primary candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were represented by Gustav Feldman and Susan Pfeifer, respectively; presentations and audience Q&A were moderated by PHDC V.P. Tony Kelly.

ALL the candidates & surrogates were so strong and compelling that no judicial candidate and no presidential candidate got the 60% of votes necessary for endorsement. So:

SF Superior Court, Office 7 – No position

U.S. President – No position

Both of the above races will be voted on again (top two for judge, Democratic nominee for President), in the General Election in November.

After presentations by Club officers, members voted the following endorsements on six local & regional ballot measures and one statewide measure:

Prop A – Yes – Public Health and Safety Bond
Prop B – No – Park, Recreation and Open Space Fund. Charter Amendment.
Prop C – Yes – Affordable Housing Requirements. Charter Amendment.
Prop D – Yes – Office of Citizen Complaints Investigations. Initiative Ordinance.
Prop E – Yes – Paid Sick Leave. Initiative Ordinance.
Measure AA – Yes  – Clean and Healthy Bay Parcel Tax. Regional Measure.
Prop 50 – Yes – Suspension of Legislators Amendment. CA Constitutional Amendment.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 5, at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Heights

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Tuesday, April 12th: Democratic County Central Committee candidates from Assembly District 17

Candidates who have submitted completed questionnaires will appear in small groups at regular intervals, to present and answer questions. Come and meet them! Ballots are due at the end of the meeting, and will be counted immediately.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 12, at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, downstairs in the Game Room, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Heights

Tuesday, March 1st: Homelessness in San Francisco

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 12.16.24 PMWe’ve heard about the problems. We’ve seen the problems. At this meeting, the conversation was about SOLUTIONS – real, imagined; happening, never tried; possible, impossible; short-term, long-term; direct action, legislation; good, perfect…

The amazing panel consisted of (left to right in photo above):

PHDC Vice-President Tony Kelly moderated. The program opened with Melodie, reading a letter she had written about some of the trauma she and her fellow vehicle dwellers have experienced.

In addition to their own organizations, panelists recommended some resources to find out more and get involved. In San Francisco: HandUp online fundraising to help an individual in need; volunteering with Project Homeless Connect at events offering many services under one roof; Downtown Streets team. Also: Dignity Village in Portland, OR.

* Amy Weiss requests that you take the online quiz/survey to test your knowledge about the status quo of homelessness in SF and learn more about the Saint Francis Homelessness Challenge. Thanks.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 1, at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Heights

Tuesday, February 2nd: Guns ‘n’ Sugar

Robyn ThomasGuns and sugar – how sadly American is that? We took up both topics, and more.

Robyn Thomas, left, Executive Director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, has been keeping up the good fight in the face of daunting challenges. It’s been about three years since she appeared at our club, it was time for another conversation. Photo: John O’Neill.

Robin Dean, activist for the soda tax last time around, spoke about the new, revised and possibly more passable version now gathering signatures in San Francisco, The Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Ordinance. Members voted to endorse the proposed measure.

In addition:
✧ Members passed an amendment to the Bylaws – an update to comply with a new requirement of the CA Democratic Party.
✧ Members passed a resolution supporting an environmental appeal of the permanent shuttle program.
✧ 2016 officers were elected:

President – Joni Eisen
1st Vice-President (membership) – Tony Kelly
2nd Vice-President (political action) – Bob Boileau
Secretary – Gary Horowitz
Treasurer – Audrey Cortes
Tech Officer – John O’Neill
Officer-At-Large – Kim Christensen
Officer-At-Large – J.R. Eppler
Officer-At-Large – Eliana López
Officer-At-Large – Monisha Mustapha

WHEN: Tuesday, February 2, 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Hts