September 2008 Newsletter
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Transcript of September 2008 Newsletter
Page 1
Volume 9 Issue 9 September 2008
News ‘n’ Views Of, By and For Members of the Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic Club
HHHDC September 2008 Meeting
Monday, September 15 , 2008
Coco’s Restaurant
11510 South Street, Cerritos, CA (¼ mile east of the 605 freeway)
Dinner (optional) at 6:00 p.m. - Meeting begins at 7:00 pm
Program: Representatives from the Obama for America Campaign
Subject: 2008 Presidential Election & DNC Update
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Announcements .......................Page 1
Member Corner …….…….…………Page 2
Musings from Denver ….…………Page 2
Cartoons ……………..…….…..….……Page 3
Time for Change ………………….…Page 4
Noushkam Announcements.…..Page 5
McCain’s Convenient Untruth ..Page 5
Internet Pipeline ………………….…Page 6
Notes from Joe’s Desk …………...Page 7
CARA Corner …………….…………….Page 8
George Medina column………....Page 9
Member Spotlight………….……..Page 10
DNC Photos …………………………..Page 11
Advertisements …………………….Page 12
Membership Form……….………..Page 14
Announcements
The Long Beach Democratic Club is sponsoring the 2008 Southern
California Democrats BBQ Event. It will be held September 13 at
11:00 a.m. at 4900 7th Street in Long Beach. Volunteers are still
needed. If you are interested in volunteering then please contact Nikki
Noushkam (HHHDC President) for additional information.
Guidelines for Meetings:
1. Turn your cell phone off or place it on “vibrate”.
2. During meeting please do not engage in side conversations.
3. If ordering food, please do so before start of meeting.
4. If you wish to speak, please raise your hand in order to be
recognized by the chair. Do not interrupt speakers.
5. Please keep your remarks short and concise.
6. Photographs should be taken only without interrupting the
meeting.
Newsletter submissions are due 10 days before the next scheduled club
meeting. You may email them to [email protected].
Musings from Denver By Marisela Cervantes
This year’s Democratic National Convention was historic for many reasons! Our Democratic bench of
candidates included the first Woman and African American contenders for the presidency of the United
States. For the first time in DNC history, 51% of the Delegates were women. The California delegation was
the largest and most diverse in the country, and with help of PG&E met the DNCC’s green challenge by
purchasing 100% of the carbon offsets for the delegate’s travels to Denver.
It was indeed a remarkable meeting of Democrats from throughout the country, who shared in their values
and a deep concern for the nation’s future. Senator Clinton gave an eloquent speech to the DNCC on Tuesday
night calling for unity. She was followed on Wednesday with speeches from Senator Biden and her husband,
former President Bill Clinton. Thursday’s main event was Senator Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco
Field.
I don’t think that the television could have done justice to the excitement and emotion at the Convention.
Democrats are united and on the correct side of the issues, positioned to take back the White House in
November. As activists we must not be complacent! In the Southwest we have our work cut out for us,
especially with McCain coming from Arizona. We have to secure our Democratic margin in California to
ensure comfortable victories in down ticket races and help turn BLUE our neighboring states of Nevada, New
Mexico and Colorado.
As the granddaughter of a Mexican Bracero, whose parents came to this country under different and
extraordinary circumstances, with a dream and only the clothes on their backs, I was appreciative to be one of
the 4,000 Americans that on August 27th voted by acclimation to nominate Barack Obama for Presidency of
the United States. In one generation, this acceptance and integration can only happen in America.
For pictures and videos from the convention visit: http://www.demconvention.com/.
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 2
Member Corner Text and photos by Marisela Cervantes
In December, lifetime HHHDC member and Assembly Member of the 56th District, Tony Mendoza will be
named Chairman Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development by the Assembly Speaker
Karen Bass. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to Assembly Member Mendoza!
The activism of HHHDC is alive and well this historic election year. Four HHHDC members attended the DNC
in Denver as Delegates and Alternates. Representing the 39th Congressional District were Nikki Noushkam
and new club member Tony Monroy. Representing the 38th Congressional District was Marisela Cervantes,
and as Alternate at large, our very own Assemblymember Tony Mendoza.
If you would like to be featured in the “Member Corner” please email [email protected].
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 3
Steve Greenberg, Ventura County Star
The Time for Change is NOW! By Nikki Noushkam, HHHDC President
I am back from the Denver and more inspired than ever. Now that all the hoopla, speeches, and the parties are over, it’s
more important than ever for all of us Democrats to unite and elected Senators Obama and Biden as our next President
and Vice President. Our time is now. The stakes for our country and its future could not have been any higher. We can’t
take a vote, not even a single vote for granted. That is why we are devoting our September monthly meeting to voter
outreach and GOTV efforts. Republicans might ridicule grassroots community organizing, but we know that it’s the work
of activists like us that can make the difference come November.
I learned early on in life that power is not something that is given to you on a silver platter. You have to fight for it.
Republicans are willing to hold on to power at any cost. After eight years of a disastrous presidency and almost a
decade in control of the U.S. Congress, the Republicans have now decided that it is time for “change” in Washington and
consider themselves the agents of that change! John McCain and Sarah Palin are now crisscrossing the county, calling
themselves the team of “Mavericks”. We can’t expect to elect Senator Obama as President or more Democrats to U.S.
Congress without rolling up our sleeves, volunteering and working for real change. So, talk to your friends, neighbors,
and family members. Here are my six reasons for why we need to elect a Democrat to the White House this November.
• Economy. We know that within the past eight years irresponsible tax cuts and deregulations have wrecked our
economy. Our economy is broken, we’re in a recession, and the conservatives in Washington don’t get it. We
need to make sure that our economy works for Main Street, not Wall Street. As Barney Smith, a fed-up
Republican and former factory worker from Indiana said at the recent Democratic Convention, “We need a
President that works for people like me, Barney Smith, and not Smith Barney”. We need to build a society
where hardworking Americans can earn a decent living, afford high-quality health care and access world-class
education for their children, and retire with security.
• Iraq War. Republicans love to flaunt their love of our country and accuse those who don’t agree with their
political ideology as unpatriotic. This election, they are running the same political script as 2004, taunting
themselves as those who put their “country first”. I was an eyewitness to their deception two weeks ago. I met
numerous American men and women, who have served this country honorably and sacrificed their lives and
limbs for our nation, who do not share the Republican ideology. A perfect example of such individuals was
Tammy Duckworth who lost both legs and an arm in the Iraq War and whose husband has also been deployed to
Iraq twice. We are currently spending 10 billion dollars a month in Iraq, borrowing from countries such as China,
Japan, and Saudi Arabia to finance this misguided war. It is time for us to end this war. We need a government
that can plan and redeploy our troops safely out of Iraq and can bring an honorable end to this hellish
nightmare.
• Energy. We need to end our nation’s dependence on oil and address the problem of global warming. Soaring
gas prices are hitting Americans hard, and we need immediate action. We need to invest in energy efficiency
and renewable energy - because we can’t drill our way to energy independence. We need an administration that
can stand up to big oil and crack down on oil company price gouging, put a stop to Wall Street oil speculation,
and pressure companies to start exploring for oil on the millions of acres of federal land they already lease.
• Heath Care. In a country as prosperous as ours, health care should be a human right, and it’s a national shame
that 47 million Americans are uninsured. Although over 90 percent of voters are insured, they are focused on
the reality that their own families’ health care has become too expensive and too insecure. We can lower the
costs of health care by guaranteeing that every American has access to quality, affordable health care. We need
a health care system that lets us keep our doctors and gives us the choice of private or public insurance
coverage.
• Infrastructure. Almost a year before the Republicans gathered in St. Paul Minnesota for their national
convention, the city was the site of a major bridge collapse. We know that the Bush administration and their
conservative allies have starved government, allowing our national infrastructure of roads, bridges, and schools
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 4
to deteriorate. Yet this administration has also run up large budget deficits and an even larger range of
investment deficits. We need an administration that can get our priorities straight and invest in areas that make
our nation stronger, like better roads, safer bridges, sturdier levees, and modernized schools. John McCain calls
such investments “pork barrel spending”. Yet another reason that he is wrong for America.
• Immigration. The conservatives have managed to label immigration reform as amnesty. But the reality of the
matter is that it’s impossible to arrest and deport some 12 million immigrants who are in the United States
illegally. Illegal immigration is a genuine problem and we deserve a government capable of providing our fellow
citizens a solution. We need change. We need a government that will invest in protecting our borders, crack
down on corporations that hire illegal workers for cheap labor, and require immigrants who are here to register
and meet a series of strict requirements to earn citizenship.
I hope this inspires you to create your own list (or use mine if you’d like). Get involved. The time for change is NOW!
Announcements by President Noushkam 1. Local Obama Campaign Office: Starting September 16th to election day (November 4), the South County
Democrats United office will be opened up for phone banking for the Obama campaign. The SCDU office is
located at 4647 Long Beach Boulevard (Suite B3). There are plenty of computers and phones in this office for us
to use.
2. The Obama for America campaign office in Los Angeles: 3619 Motor Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA.
McCain's Convenient Untruth
By Sebastian Mallaby, Washington Post
Monday, September 8, 2008; page A17
When it comes to fighting wars, John McCain stands up and calls for sacrifice. "We never hide from history; we make
history," he declared in his convention speech. But when it comes to taxes, McCain is unwilling to demand even a teensy
bit of sacrifice. In a McCain administration, Americans would not have to surrender a dime more of their money to a
cause larger than themselves.
Why this bipolar attitude toward sacrifice? Start with the answer that McCain himself provides. "My tax cuts will create
jobs. His tax increases will eliminate them," he said at the convention, offering one of the speech's few policy contrasts
between Obama's platform and his own. In other words, McCain is not calling for tax sacrifice because he believes it
would be counterproductive. On taxes, he is saying, you can selfishly avoid sacrifice -- and serve the public good.
This, unfortunately, is a convenient untruth. Tax hikes taken to an extreme can indeed backfire, harming growth and job
creation. But it's a stretch to assert that Barack Obama's tax plan would do that. And it's downright scandalous to
pretend that the economy can be strengthened in anything other than the short run by unaffordable tax cuts.
Obama is not proposing to raise taxes for most Americans. To the contrary, he would triple the earned-income tax credit
for low-wage earners, increasing work incentives at the bottom. He would cut taxes on people in the middle -- indeed,
he would do so more aggressively than McCain would. It is only the wealthiest Americans who would face higher tax bills
under Obama. According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, Obama's plan would require the richest 1 percent of
Americans to sacrifice a modest 1.5 percent of their after-tax income in 2012. By contrast, no-sacrifice McCain would
award America's elite a 9.5 percent increase.
[cont.]
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 5
[cont.] How might this impact jobs and the economy? Under Obama's plan, top earners would pay a marginal federal
tax rate of maybe 46.5 percent (that includes the Medicare tax and Obama's proposed hike in Social Security taxes),
considerably more than the 37.9 percent they would pay under McCain. There's no doubt that Obama's higher tax rates
would mean weaker incentives to work, take risks and innovate; and stronger incentives to waste time and effort on
avoiding the tax man.
But those bad effects must be weighed against a good one: Higher tax rates mean a lower budget deficit. According to
the Tax Policy Center, over the course of a decade Obama's plan would result in a national debt $1.2 trillion smaller than
you would get under McCain's plan. Less government borrowing ultimately means lower interest rates and more private
investment. This positive effect may well outweigh the blow to growth and jobs from weaker work incentives.
Tax hikes, in other words, are not automatic job destroyers. Joel Slemrod of the University of Michigan, a top expert on
this subject, says bluntly, "There is no compelling evidence that a low-tax strategy is better for the economy over the
medium or long run." Just look at the Clinton era. In 1993, the top marginal rate (income tax plus Medicare) was raised
to 42.5 percent -- the same rate that Obama proposes but minus the candidate's proposed increase in the payroll tax.
During the rest of the Clinton period, the economy generated millions of new jobs, and careful academic postmortems
find that the 1993 tax hike caused little to no damage to the incentives of top earners.
So McCain's swipe at Obama's tax plan was something other than straight talk. As a share of the economy, Obama's plan
would create an overall tax burden similar to the one that existed in Ronald Reagan's time. It would not choke off job
creation; rather, it would slow the growth of the deficit and soften inequality. But the really depressing thing is that
McCain himself once knew that. He opposed the Bush tax cuts before he supported them, saying that they would
deepen inequality. But now he touts a tax reduction that is larger and more radical than even President Bush proposed,
and he slams his opponent for holding the view that he himself held until recently.
McCain used to be a real straight talker. On campaign finance, spending earmarks, Iraq and immigration, he has fought
bravely for his principles; and that record might have been a trump against an opponent who has taken almost no such
risks. But we are now witnessing what might be called McCain's Palinization. McCain once criticized Christian
conservatives as agents of intolerance, but he has caved in to their intolerance of a pro-choice running mate. McCain
claims to be devoted to his country, yet he would saddle it with a vice president who is unprepared to serve as
commander in chief. In the same sad way, McCain has caved in to his party's anti-tax fanatics. The man of principle has
become a panderer. The straight talker flip-flops.
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 6
Internet Pipeline
This month’s noteworthy internet site: http://www.calitics.com/. As the site owner states, this web site is
“Building a progressive online community that will:
A) provide individual Californians a place to discuss progressive issues.
B) enable local and statewide progressive candidates and elected officials a platform for discussing issues
and campaigning.
C) Be fun! I love politics, especially the crazy breed that is California politics.”
If you have any pertinent sites that you’d like to pass on to members, please email the information to the
Newsletter Editor at [email protected].
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 7
Notes from Joe’s Desk
Last week at the Republican National Convention, John McCain proved that he is the candidate of
change. He is the candidate who has changed his persona and positions to acquiesce the far right
of the Republican Party.
He has given in to the shameful Karl Rove tactics that derailed his candidacy in the 2000 presidential
primaries. He now supports making the Bush tax cuts that he opposed initially, and which tilt towards
the rich, permanent. Now he won't even support his own immigration reform legislation. He has
embraced those whom he called "agents of intolerance". So I guess it wouldn’t be a lie if McCain
said that he was about change.
Fellow Democrats, as this newsletter goes to print, the Republican National Convention has just
finished. First of all, the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign ought to fire their
fact-checkers and background investigators. What we saw is a political party that is still committed to
fear mongering, scare tactics and the destruction of good people as a means to win an election,
instead of putting forth policies that will move our country forward.
That is why we as Democrats must unite to elect Senator Barack Obama as our next President,
increase our membership in the Senate and House, and defeat the measures here in California that
seek to regress our society. This election is important, not only because of its immediate effects on
improving our country, but because what it says about us as Americans. Are we a citizenry that uses
fear to enact our policies? Or are we a citizenry that realizes the importance of diplomacy?
Are we a people that favor tax cuts for Big Oil?
Or are we a people that want the American Dream to remain attainable for all Americans?
Fellow Democrats, we have the opportunity here locally to impact this election. As a Neighborhood
Leader for The California Democratic Party you will share your ideals and principles with 25 of your
friends, family and neighbors. Your voice will communicate the importance of electing Democrats.
The California Democratic Party will provide you will the tools to be a successful Neighborhood
Leader.
This will not be the only opportunity to take a leadership role in this important election. Louis Reyes
from Whittier is taking the lead in organizing local voter registration, local ground activities, virtual
phone banks to swing states and coordinating trips to Nevada. In addition, in the
next week I will be communicating with the local Regional Field Director staff for the California
Democratic Party to see how we can provide opportunities for involvement and support any activities
you are currently working on.
Very Respectfully,
Joseph Legaspi
California Democratic Party, Region 15 Director
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 8
Pics
From
DNC
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 9
HYBRID UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE A proposal by George F. Medina
Hybrid Universal Health Care is a concept, which merges Private Industry and the Federal Government in a
unique partnership that may be the answer to the current debate on “Universal Health Care”.
First, develop a “National Schedule of Benefits”. This would apply to everyone regardless of the State of
residency.
Second adopt a National Standard for “Prevention” based on nutrition and alternative sources of natural
products. Drugs should be the treatment of LAST RESORT.
Third, adopt a simplified universal administrative process to expedite payment of claims by creating a single
claims form for all providers, private Industry and government. The current system is overwhelmed with
each Provider having their own forms as well as Medicare, Medical etc. The administrative costs, under our
present system may be over 20% of the claim expense. The system is broken.
Once Benefits and Prevention have been established, the Health Insurance Industry can become the Primary
Insurer and the Federal Health Insurance can become the Re-Insurer for catastrophic claims. Doing this the
coverage can be issued with NO DEDUCTIBLES and the Private Health Insurance Industry will be able to
REDUCE cost and INCREASE their profit.
Prevention aggressively regulated and managed by each State through their respective Insurance
Commissioners will yield a dramatic reduction in claims. The office of the Insurance Commissioner would be
responsible for promulgating the applicable rates based on actuarial data from claims history by type of
treatment or procedure.
Neither the Insurance Industry nor the Federal Government alone can provide and manage effectively a
National Universal Health Care Plan.
Together, they can.
Let’s elect a Congress and a President who believe that “Yes we can”!
Member Spotlight
DIANA NEEDHAM was recently appointed to the Planning Commission by Councilmember Carol Chen of the Cerritos City Council. She is a lifetime member of the Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic Club.
Diana Needham is a former 3-term Mayor of the City of Cerritos and a 12- year City Council Member from
1978 to 1990. She was the first woman Cerritos Mayor and City Council Member. She served on the
Cerritos Planning Commission from 2005 to 2007.
Diana has a B.S. Degree in Urban Planning from Cal Poly University, Pomona, 1979.
Diana is currently the Vice President of Su Casa-Ending Domestic Violence and is a Board Member of the
Cerritos Chamber of Commerce. She is past President of Soroptimist International of Artesia-Cerritos and is
a former Co-Chair of the Cerritos Junior Miss Program. She is a Member and former Board Member of the
Cerritos Optimist Club, a Life Member of the Friends of the Cerritos Library, and a Member of AAUW
(American Association of University Women).
Diana is a currently a Realtor with Prudential California Realtors, Cerritos and is President of Diana
Needham Planning Consultants.
Prior to her career as a Realtor, Diana was a Project Manager and Planning Director with large home building
and planning consulting firms, including: KB Home; Florian-Martinez, Landscape Architects and Planners;
and PRC Toups Engineers and Planners. Her specialty was the planning and processing of large master-
planned communities of 200 to 2000 acres.
She has completed planning projects in twenty-seven cities and five counties.
Diana has been married to Rick since 1967 and has two grown sons, John and James; and a grandson, Ethan,
age 11. Diana and Rick have resided in Cerritos since 1970.
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 10
More Pics from the DNC in Denver
– contributed by Marisela Cervantes
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 11
Joseph Cho, Ph.D.
Tel: (562) 547-4434
P.O. Box 4115
Cerritos, CA 90703
The Lucy and Joseph Cho Foundation
September 2008 News ‘n’ Views Page 12
Our HHHDC Newsletter is available on your computer!
Please send your email address to: Mike Stabile at
We also are prepared to accept advertisements to
be published monthly according to the following rates:
Monthly Rate
1/8 page $20
1/4 page $35
1/2 page $65
full page $125
Six Month Rate Yearly Rate
1/8 page $100 $200
1/4 page $175 $350
1/2 page $325 $650
full page $525 $1,050
2008 HHHDC OFFICERS
AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
2008 Executive Board
President Nikki Noushkam 562-712-4072
Vice-President Marisela Cervantes 213-445-1152
Treasurer Denise Stabile
Rec. Secretary Mike Stabile 562-505-5807
Committees
Legislative Anal. Maureen Allen 562-746-7569
Newsletter Editor Mike Stabile 562-505-5807
Membership Beverly Porter
Historian Charlie Ara 562-865-4075
Parliamentarian Marisela Cervantes 213-445-1152
Got an Ad?
We’ve got the space!
Check out details on Page 8
New advertisers are needed for the
newsletter. If you are interested, or know of
a person or business who would like to
advertise in our fine publication, please
contact the President, Nikki Noushkam, for
details and instructions. As a no-cost bonus,
all ads placed in the newsletter will also
appear on the club’s new website once it is
officially open for business later this year.
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK (other than this comment about it being left blank)
PLEASE JOIN US!
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HHHDC Membership * 11245 183rd Street #136 * Cerritos, CA 90703
Make your check payable to: Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic Club (or HHHDC).
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