Tuesday June 5th: Obama campaign, ideas for the future

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections, Uncategorized

Obama logoElection night found us returning to the back room at Connecticut Yankee, throwing ideas around for the upcoming presidential campaign and other future Club activities, and generally hanging out. Featured speaker was Kierith Jones, volunteer with Organizing For America, the campaign to reelect President Obama. She leads OFA’s SoMa-Potrero Hill neighborhood team.

Don’t forget to VOTE! – and please take the Club’s endorsements into account.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5, 7pm
WHERE: Connecticut Yankee, 100 Connecticut St @ 17th St.

Tuesday, May 1st: Clean Energy, Clean Air & Water

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Environment, Water Issues

To continue the momentum of Earth Day, this meeting was all about the environment:

• Jason Fried (left), Senior Program Officer, SF Local Agency Formation Commission, described CleanPowerSF, last heard about at PHDC in 2010. The City’s custom-tailored community choice aggregation program (CCA) is the culmination of a collaboration of City agencies to develop a cleaner, more renewable energy alternative for residences and businesses.

• Evan Wynns (center), Executive Director of San Francisco Energy Co-op, talked about the new renewable power co-op aimed at raising awareness among all city residents, especially renters, about the benefits of green energy available to almost anyone: sustainable power, resulting in some profit for everyone who invests.

• Adam Scow (right), California Campaigns Director, Food & Water Watch and an old friend of PHDC, returned to talk about water: the corporate water grab via a $50 billion pipeline to benefit Big Ag, and fracking going on right here in CA.

Jason Fried  Tuesday, May 1, 7:00pm    Evan WynnsAdam Scow


 

 

Tuesday, April 3rd: Endorsement meeting for June 5th Primary Election

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized

The agenda was jam-packed with appealing, enthusiastic candidates for San Francisco Democratic Central Committee, Assembly District 17. With 30 or so people running for 14 seats, it’s very hard to gain the required 60% for endorsement. We are grateful to all who showed up. We also were pleased to welcome David Levitt, Democrat running for U.S. Senate, and Dan Bernal, District Director for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and to hear arguments for and against the two California and two San Francisco propositions on the ballot in June. It was a long meeting, 6:30 sharp to 9:30pm – and then we had to count the votes. See our full list of endorsements here.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 3, 6:30pm sharp
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

Tuesday, March 6th: OccupySF occupies the Nabe

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Environment, Uncategorized, Wall Street

Occupy at PHDC
Another terrific meeting! Heartfelt thanks to Joshua Clayton, Andy Gillis, Rachel Lyra Hospodar, Jane Smith, and Janice Suess, active participants in the various Working Groups within Occupy San Francisco, who engaged members and friends of PHDC in a spirited, eye-opening conversation. Find more photos on our Facebook page.

Also, after a presentation and Q&A with three representatives of the Free Muni for Youth Coalition, the Club voted to endorse that campaign.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6, 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

February 7th meeting: San Francisco redistricting

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections, Uncategorized

Member Mike Alonso of the Redistricting Task Force talked about the experiences of the Task Force and the public so far, fielded numerous questions and comments, and strongly urged audience members to show up at the Task Force community outreach meetings. Every meeting concerns redistricting the whole city, so come to meetings outside your own District. They want to hear from you, and they change their working draft maps after every meeting.

Scheduled Task Force Meetings:
Sat Feb 11, 2pm: Washington High School, 600 32nd Ave, District 1
Fri Feb 17, 3pm: Room 416, City Hall
Thurs Feb 23, 6pm: Old First Presbyterian Church, 1751 Sacramento St, D3
Thurs Mar 1, 6pm: Everett Middle School, 450 Church St, D8
Wed Mar 7, 6pm: Room 406, City Hall
Mon Mar 12, 6pm: West Portal School, 5 Lenox Way, D7
Sat Mar 17, 10am: Ella Hutch Community Center, 1050 McAllister St, D5
Thurs Mar 22, 6pm: United Irish Cultural Center, 2600 45th Ave, D4
Thurs March 29, 6pm, City Hall
Wed Apr 4, 6pm, Room 406, City Hall
Thurs Apr 5, 6pm, location TBD
Mon Apr 9, 6pm, location TBD
Wed Apr 11, 6pm, location TBD
Sat Apr 14, 10am, location TBD

Deadline to submit proposed city-wide maps: Friday, March 2, 2012
Deadline to submit proposed District/maps/recommendations: March 29, 2012

PHDC officers elected for 2012:
President: Joni Eisen
1st VP Membership: Monisha Mustapha
2nd VP Political Action: Emily Lowe
Secretary: J.R. Eppler
Treasurer: Hilary Cohen
Web Master: Rebecca Shearin

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

January 3rd meeting: Ranked-Choice Voting

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections

Our first meeting of 2012 featured a lively panel about Ranked-Choice a.k.a. Instant Runoff Voting, in recent and future San Francisco elections. Experts on the subject discussed its strengths and weaknesses, what alternatives there are, and why we should – or shouldn’t – pursue them. There were of course lots of audience questions. Click here for some video coverage of the panel. And here’s another video. Click here for photos by Linda Post.

Panelists:
Jason Benlevi, tech industry veteran and author of Too Much Magic, who opposes it
Steven Hill, author and political reformer who led the 2002 campaign to pass instant-runoff voting in San Francisco
Tony Kelly, political activist who ran for Supervisor under the system in 2010 and still supports it
Clay Shentrup, Director, Center for Election Science, who wants to replace it

Moderator: John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

Nominations for 2012 officers (election to be held in February) are open.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 3, 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

Party Dec 11th, NO meeting Dec 6th

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Uncategorized

DruidsStonehengePotrero Boosters and PHDC, together again: HOLIDAY PARTY! Come celebrate the season with your neighbors. After a rather successful collaboration on the Mayoral Debate, the two clubs are joining forces again.

Eat, drink and be merry, at least for a couple hours. There will be savories and sweets, wine and other holiday goodies from Axis Café. Renew your PHDC membership for the next year, and consider joining the Boosters as well. And you are welcome to bring friends who may be interested in joining either club. See you there!

WHEN: Sunday, Dec 11th, 3:30 to 6:30pm
WHERE: Axis Café, 1201 8th St at 16th St

Meeting Nov. 1 (Day of the Dead) – Move Your Money: Break up with your Mega-Bank!

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized, Wall Street

What better way to spend Day of the Dead than to contemplate Death to the Mega-Banks? Too big to fail? Uh-uh. Too big to exist. Just in time for Bank Transfer Day, PHDC presents a panel discussion on how to let your money work for the good of the community, instead of for the benefit of a mega-bank’s corporate profits. Representatives from a community bank and two credit unions will explain the differences, and answer your questions.

SmallHangerThe election is November 8th. Find out at the meeting how you can help PHDC’s endorsed candidates Get Out The Vote!

WHEN: Tuesday, November 1st, 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

October 4th: Endorsed candidates & campaigns, Sharp Park revisited

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections, Endorsements, Environment, Uncategorized

Dennis Herrera for Mayor, David Onek for District Attorney, and Chris Cunnie for Sheriff, plus Ken Tray of UESF for Yes on A and No on H came by to touch base, to thank the Club for its endorsement, and to let us know how we can help their campaigns. We previewed our door hanger and took signups for precinct-walking and Potrero Hill Festival tabling. We revisited the Sharp Park Golf Course issue, but this time, the discussion was strictly limited – unlike the out-of-control Aug 2 meeting (scroll down for info), at which the vote was tabled so members could have time to learn more. The motion to endorse Supervisor Avalos’s legislation to restore Sharp Park passed. The meeting ended with an update from Megan Hamilton, aide to Supervisor Cohen, who was still in a BOS meeting.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 4th, 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

PHDC’s Endorsemments for the November 8, 2011 Municipal Election

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized

Mayor
DENNIS HERRERA

District Attorney
DAVID ONEK

Sheriff
CHRIS CUNNIE

San Francisco Propositions

A – YES School Bonds
B – YES Road Paving and Street Safety Bonds
C – No position City Pension and Health Care Benefits
D – NO City Pension Benefits
E – No position Amending or Repealing Legislative Initiative Ordinances and Declarations of Policy
F – No position Campaign Consultant Ordinance
G – YES Sales Tax
H – NO School District Student Assignment