The New Democrat · the State of Israel is not, in itself, evidence of antisemitism! The New...

The New DemocratThe New DemocratA Publication of the Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) April 2019

A note fromAssemblymember MarcBerman, AD-24

PDC members pictured L-R: Carol Kuiper, Claire Noonan,Carole Katz, Theda Cornes, Assemblymember Marc Berman,Lorri Holzberg, Karen Fox, Los Altos Hills CouncilwomanKavita Thanka, and Stephanie Grossman.

I was excited to welcome residents of the 24th AssemblyDistrict to my district office for our 3rd Annual Open Houseevent in March. It was a packed house with well over 150 peoplewho braved the cold to join me for banh mi sandwiches and tohear about my newly introduced bill package. I spoke about mypriorities for 2019, including student mental health, protectionsfor survivors of sexual assault, expanding access to computerscience education, and supporting community college studentsexperiencing homelessness by requiring community colleges toprovide safe lots for homeless students sleeping in cars. I alsoshared updates on some of my ongoing projects including theCensus and election security, and was very pleased to announcemy nomination of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as the district’sWoman of the Year.One of my favorite things about the Open House was getting

to speak to my constituents individually. I stayed late to makesure that everyone who wanted to speak with me had theopportunity to do so. A group of high school students made thetrip from Half Moon Bay to speak to me about my mental healthlegislation. Another group of students came from Foothill Collegeto share their experiences of struggling with homelessness whilegoing to community college. I was so pleased by the number ofdeeply engaged people who came to the event to discuss such adiverse array of topics. I hope to see even more people nextyear!

Mark YourCalendar!

Friday, May 17, 2019The Santa Clara County

Democratic Partypresents its

28th Annual DemocraticVictory Dinner

Celebrate the Year ofVictorious Women!Hayes Mansion

200 Edenvale Avenue, San JoseGeneral No-Host Reception 5:30-7:00 PM

Dinner and Program 7:00-9:00 PM

Keynote Speaker: To be Announced

The evening is expected to be asmashing hit! Get your tickets now because space is limited!

See page 8 for more information and page 9 for your reservation form.

The New Democrat 2 April 2019

The Mueller Report

When I want to learn about news at the federal level, I readThe New York Times and BBC World News. I don’t watch thenews on TV, and I dutifully use Twitter only to follow my favoriteauthors, watch clips of athletes, and to talk about local housingpolicy.Particularly for the recently-released Mueller report, I strongly

feel that these two news outlets provide the best kind of coveragefor such a complex, wide-reaching investigation. No matter howour president may try, the Mueller report cannot accurately bereduced to a soundbite or a tweet. This is serious stuff, and itdeserves to be covered by our most talented and dedicatedjournalists. Not some random guy on Twitter.Given that we’re all Democrats here, and that it’s March 24th

and the full report hasn’t yet been released, I’m going to focus ontwo documents: Attorney General William Barr’s summary of thereport and Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer’s joint statement onBarr’s summary.The most important passage from Barr’s summary is this one:

“The report’s second part addresses a number of actions by thePresident – most of which have been the subject of publicreporting – that the Special Counsel investigated as potentiallyraising obstruction-of-justice concerns. After making a ‘thoroughfactual investigation’ into these matters, the Special Counselconsidered whether to evaluate the conduct under Departmentstandards governing prosecution and declination decisions butultimately determined not to make a traditional prosecutorialjudgment. The Special Counsel therefore did not draw aconclusion – one way or the other – as to whether the examinedconduct constituted obstruction. Instead, for each of the relevantactions investigated, the report sets out evidence on both sides ofthe question and leaves unresolved what the Special Counselviews as “difficult issues” of law and fact concerning whether thePresident’s actions and intent could be viewed as obstruction.The Special Counsel states that ‘“while this report does not

conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does notexonerate him.”So here we all are, forced to sit with unresolved “difficult

issues” of law, fact and intent. Indeed, as the first line of Pelosiand Shumer’s response states, the “letter raises as many questionsas it answers.”But follow me for a second, here. We have serious, unresolved

difficult issues to sort out, no matter what the Mueller Reportsays. I know it’s disappointing, and we were all expecting Muellerto expose the President as a liar and cheat, but the work that liesbefore us hasn’t changed since November 2016. We need to come together for the next year and a half to put

forward our best candidate, to talk to our friends and neighbors,to knock doors, to register new voters, to educate our youth. Weneed to vote President Trump out of office. We can’t afford tolose sight of that goal. There are several ongoing investigationsand as many caveats to Mueller’s findings as there are criminalconvictions of Trump’s campaign employees. And, as always, we can’t lose heart. All we can do is roll up

our sleeves and get back to work. See you out there!

Photo credit: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-if-we-already-have-the-mueller-report/

President’sColumnLeora Tanjuatco

Do you know who thispresidential candidateis? Find the answer

on page 12.

The Mountain View City Council voted, 7-2, to have city staffprepare an ordinance that would ban parking any vehicle morethan 6 or 7 feet tall on city streets. The council vote is a reactionto the many people living in RV’s on the streets. There areestimates that more than 200 occupied RV’s park on the streets ofMountain View.If such an ordinance is drafted and passed, it will not solve the

housing crisis in this area. It will not benefit the citizens ofMountain View nor those living on the streets. If there is anyeffect, it will be to move the vehicles from one city to another.There is a housing crisis, and it requires solutions, not a process ofshuffling one piece of the problem from one locality to another. There are legitimate concerns about people living in RV’s on

the street. One primary concern is over sewage disposal. That,and other problems need to be solved - and not by just forcingthe vehicles to move to another location.Consider the larger problem. This area depends, critically, on

workers whose earnings will not let them buy or rent housing inthe communities where they work. Workers in that situationinclude some teachers, firefighters, and police as well as janitors,dishwashers, and manual laborers who repair the streets, build thehouses, and maintain the parks and open spaces. As a community there are four choices: raise the minimum

wage significantly (like triple it!), provide housing, do without theservices provided by those who don’t earn enough, or force theworking (relatively) poor to commute from long distances away –like the Central Valley. The Mountain View City Council has takena fifth choice – do none of the above and work at just moving theproblem off the streets of Mountain View. That is short-sighted, counter to the best interests of the city,

and mean-spirited toward those most severely affected. Living in an RV that is parked on a city street, or in a parking

lot, is not an existence that most people would choose; it iscertainly not a place one would choose to raise their children. Butit might be preferable to long commutes or unemployment. Thereare many locations within the City of Mountain View where RV’scould park on the street without intruding on traffic or otherresidents. The City needs to recognize that possibility and solvethe problems entailed in the situation. The City Council needs tohelp the underpaid workers who are vital to our city.

�Acts of antisemitism are prevalent in the news as are

accusations of antisemitic bias. It is vitally important to drawdistinctions between the two. Antisemitism is an often vicious type of bigotry. People of good

faith need to band together and work toward a future withoutracism, anti-Muslim attitudes, and the other biases that causepeople to view whole classes of society with hate and fear.However, criticism of the policies of the State of Israel or

criticism of the nature of the ties between the United States andthe State of Israel is not, in itself, evidence of antisemitism!


Martin’s

EDITORIALby PDC Member Martin Gorfinkel

My take on the collegeadmissions scandalBy Zack RossThe admissions scandal has evolved into one of the biggest

non-Trump related news stories in the past few years. What anice break! Let’s politicize it!I was thinking about all of the different ways people already

use their wealth to influence admissions decisions. While thisuse of wealth to influence a student’s chance to get into agood university (or USC) is the most blatant, there are manyacceptable and legal ways that this is done. I am not justtalking about donating a hospital wing or giving $25 million tothe endowment, only to see all your descendants earn theirway into school. I am talking about the way my family did it. Incredible and stark discrepancies exist in the quality of the

public education students get depending on their address,resulting in extremely stark differences in outcomes.When Ithink about raising my future son, one thing I will prioritize ismaking sure he has the best education possible. We will usethe money we do have–and take advantage of the luck myparents had when they purchased a house in Palo Alto 30years ago–to influence his educational outcomes. As a society, we have accepted that being able to buy a

house in a certain district makes you entitled to a bettereducation than people who cannot do the same. Even more tothe point, we encourage these ideas as responsible parentingbehavior. If you can buy a three million dollar house in PaloAlto or if you lucked into it before the boom like my family,we all agree that your family deserves a better education, andtherefore, a much better chance at getting admitted into abetter college. I think this moment and this conversation is an important

one to have about the class-based segregation we are creatingin educational opportunities. Paying the $500,000 that someparents did to cheat their kids into college is actually cheaperthan buying into a school district like PAUSD. It’s much lessfrowned upon than bribing a college coach and much lesslikely to land you in prison. That said, when it comes down to it, there are more

similarities than differences. We can help share the wealth andflatten opportunities and access to universities throughincreasing funding to public education, especially in traditionallydisadvantaged communities. This means building more housingin good school districts, providing teachers stipends to teach inlower achieving districts, and so much more.I guess the point I am trying to make is that we need to

think twice about both how we judge the actions taken by theparents in the admissions scandal, and also about the differentways we use our wealth or luck to influence our families’admissions opportunities. It might not be the easiest thing todo, but sometimes we can’t just complain about Trump;sometimes we have to think about actions we are taking thatlead to the segregation, socio-economic stratification, andentrenchment in our class-based system.

Climate change is here...By Cory WolbachWe know climate change is here, and it’s going to get worse.

We know that if we don’t take radical action to mitigate globalwarming by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within thenext decade, the resulting climate impact will be catastrophic forour world, civilization, country, and community right here on thePeninsula. We know that any sort of radical transformation takestime and concerted effort. And we know that, regardless of howmuch we do to mitigate GHG emissions, we will need to adaptto a changing climate reality. Under the most optimistic predictions of impact, and assuming

we are able to radically mitigate, the outcome is still going to bevery bad. If we are slow to mitigate or the best case climatepredictions don’t pan out, the outcome will be terrible. And if weare slow to mitigate and the dire predictions turn out to beaccurate (as increasingly seems likely, according to climatescientists) then we are facing ecological, economic, social,political, humanitarian, and military turmoil on a global scale.What will the climate crisis mean for us locally? At a

minimum, we’ll face more frequent and more severe floods andfires. If it’s worse, we’ll have to abandon many of ourcommunities which sit near sea level–homes, infrastructure, andbusinesses along the entire Bay. And we are likely to see theforested Santa Cruz mountains along the ridge of the Peninsula,which we’ve long fought to protect, go up in flames, taking asubstantial number of homes with them. At the bad end of thespectrum, we’ll be literally fighting (and maybe fighting eachother) for survival.In other words, things are either going to be really bad or

apocalyptic. We’ve hesitated and debated for too long. Thebarbarians are at the gates. The Axis powers have militarized.Night is falling.

It is time to act with boldness on two major fronts. The firstfront is mitigation -- we need to cut our greenhouse gasemissions. The second front is adaptation -- we need to get readyfor the changes here now, and for the range of plausible climateoutcomes. Inadequate mitigation will require more adaptation, soit’s critical to think of these two fronts, mitigation and adaptation,in tandem. As an example, if sea level rise is worse than hoped,then we’ll need to build higher flood walls or levees andabandon more buildings to rising waters.Comprehensive, immediate action must be taken at every

level of government, from the international to the local. That’swhere we come in. As the PDC focuses our attention increasinglyon the climate crisis and political action necessary to mitigate andadapt, you, our members, can take personal action too. Whenever you talk to an elected official or candidate, no

matter what level of government or jurisdiction they represent (orhope to), put them on the spot. Ask them to articulate their planfor transformative climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Ifthey are running for local or regional office, ask what their planmeans for the Peninsula and how their plan fits into the largerpolitical and policy context. If they are running for state ornational office, ask how they plan to incorporate the needs andresources of local communities, and ask if they understand thethreats particular to our region. If they don’t have a plan, or youdon’t think it’s clear enough, ask when they will get back to youand the community with more details. Offer to meet with themor their staff. Educate them. Give them a chance to learn more,but hold them to a deadline. Because we are out of time.


PDC Climate Report

Democratic Events for PDC Calendar

If you have upcoming Democratic events, please submit forreview to [email protected]. Include your nameand contact information. Submissions will be reviewed for

timeliness and relevance by the PDC NewsletterCommittee. Please provide the following information:

Event TitleDay, DateTimeWhereEvent descriptionRSVP link/more infoSponsored by


Defend the gains of 2018. Win the Presidency. How can you get involved? Work for a candidate? Become a delegate?

Hear from Democratic Party and Resistance leaders.

Wednesday 17 April 2019

6:00 pmTABLING: Connect and Commit!

7:00 pmPANEL I: Organizing for 2020

.8:00 pm

PANEL II: From here to MilwaukeeCrowne Plaza Cabana

4290 El Camino Real • Palo Alto, CA 94306

PLEASE JOIN

Congresswoman Anna G. EshooAND CO-HOSTS

Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties Democratic Central Committees

What’s Ahead?What’s the Plan?

RSVPhttps://eshooactivistsummit.eventbrite.com or (650)328-3700

Questions? [email protected]

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Patriotism and HopeBy Sarah FieldsPatriotism and hope are two great hallmarks of being an

American. I would like to believe that the America in which I’vegrown up has become more accepting of people like me whojuggle multiple identities. No matter the brand of hyphenated-American, the idea that you can both become American andmaintain affinity for other cultural, religious and ethnic traditionsis a mainstay of our shared political culture. Yet the accusation ofdual or split loyalty has also coarsed its way through our country’shistory. Critics infamously accused then-Presidential candidateJohn F. Kennedy, a devout Roman Catholic, of taking directionfrom the Vatican. In more recent times, pundits called intoquestion Vice Presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman’s Jewishfaith and his relationship to Israel. This latter episode especially pained me because, among other

things, I am a Jewish American, something that is an incrediblyimportant part of who I am. At points in my life, I lived in Israel,held positions of leadership in my Jewish youth movement andcollege organization, and worked professionally in the Jewishworld. Like Jewish Americans of previous generations, I have alsofound a home in the Democratic Party, something I express in mycapacity as President of the Peninsula Young Democrats. In the1930s, a widespread Yiddish joke captured the fidelity of mostJewish Americans to the party led by three-term PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt. Jews, the joke went, believed in “dos velt(this world), yenne felt (the world to come), and Roosevelt.” ThisJewish American devotion to the Democratic Party has continuedin my lifetime. In the 2012 presidential election, 68% of Jewsvoted for Barack Obama. And in the 2016 Election, 71% casttheir ballots for Hillary Clinton.These ratios reflect how mycultural and faith community is far from monolithic in ourthinking and voting. In finding a place of belonging for myself within the

Democratic Party, however, I am representative of theoverwhelming majority of my community. This is a home that hasalways made intrinsic sense to me and seemed intimatelyconnected to my Jewish identity. Jewish tradition teaches that we

must welcome the strangers in our midst, a notion I interpret asobligating us to invite the latest generations of immigrants andrefugees to America. For me, to live a Jewish life has meant topursue justice and be part of a caring communityI cannot ignore the tensions roiling our party about how to

relate to Jews in the United States, across the world, and in Israel.Unfortunately, these frictions are hardly unique to Democrats andhave manifested in worse form elsewhere, notably in Britain’sLabor Party. Antisemitism exists across the political spectrum, butwe must not be blind to the fact that it has expressed itself asrhetoric on the left and as violence on the right, most painfully atthe Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. I also want to state categorically that criticism of Israeli

governmental policy is not inherently antisemitic. I amunabashedly a child of the 1990s, when hope reigned that peacewould come to Israelis and Palestinians alike. Facts on the groundtoday make it much more difficult to see a clear path forward,and Israel bears a degree of responsibility for this state of affairs.This pains me deeply. However, the strong and abiding friendshipbetween Israel and the United States, based as it is on sharedvalues and strategic interests, should not be either glossed over orthrown out. When a friend is in need, they deserve our help andencouragement, not abandonment or blind praise. It is my hopethat as Americans and Democrats, we can help fosterrelationships by being this kind of diplomatic friend to both theIsraelis and Palestinians. Israel is an incredible country. In just seven decades, it has

built world-class universities, nurtured innovative medicine,technology and design, and sponsored robust internationaldevelopment programs. Jewish people with family roots from allover the world have found refuge in Israel, where greatopportunity has meant women holding high office ingovernment, gay and lesbian people living open lives, immigrantsbeing able to work in their chosen professions, and a transgenderwoman winning the Eurovision song contest on behalf of Israel.These achievements are a source of great personal pride for me,as they are for many American Jews. After all, Israel’s nationalanthem, the “Hatikvah,” is the only other such anthem I know byheart aside from our “Star-Spangled Banner.” America is also anincredible country with brilliant citizens and institutions much ofthe world tries to emulate. I suspect it is not controversial to sayin these pages that we have been worried for our democracy,challenged and disappointed in the actions of our government.We have that in common.I am proud that the Democratic Party is a big-tent party,

embracing as it does many different constituencies with differenttraditions and histories. Our diversity should be an asset, not asource of division. We are well-placed to understand complexforms of oppression, including but not limited to antisemitism.Maintaining our own sense of hope and belief in a more perfectunion are aspirations we must cherish. Let’s keep healing ourwounds while trying to understand each other and how we relateto others in our the wider world.

Sarah Fields is the President of Peninsula Young Democrats,serves on the Board of the Peninsula Mutlifaith Coalition, and

is the Public Affairs & Civic Engagement Manager for theJewish Community Relations Council. The views expressed in

this article are her own.

Contact Kristen Lohnes Johnson, design & layout ofThe New Democrat, at [email protected]

for advertising rates.

My paternal grandparents were unassuming people. Hagopand Arous Simitian—a tailor and a seamstress respectively.Armenian immigrants, who like most Americans, struggledmightily during the Great Depression. For a time they both livedand worked in a two-room tailor shop in New York City. At nightthe shade came down, the cots came out; Grandma and AuntVirginia in the back, Grandpa and Dad in the front. They were modestly educated people, but like most

grandparents I think, they seemed wise as well as kind. And forreasons I can’t quite fathom, a particular piece of grandfatherlyadvice has stayed with me throughout my life: “Take care of yourhealth, Joey. It’s the most important thing.”At the time, I didn’t really get it. I was a kid–eight or nine, full

of energy. As for my health, I took it for granted. Never gave it athought. Which made the admonition all the more mysterious.

“Take care of your health. It’s the most important thing.” But over time, I’ve come to realize just how wise those words

were.With good health, all things are possible. Our ambitions, our

talents, our potential—they know no limits—as long as we arehealthy. But the cost of ill health—well, the cost of ill health istruly beyond calculation.I’m reminded of an observation by the late Walter Cronkite,

the legendary TV journalist and anchorman in the ‘60s and ‘70s,who drolly observed that “America’s healthcare system is neitherhealthy, caring, nor a system.”But it doesn’t have to be that way.In fact, here in Santa Clara County, we’re already well on our

way to creating a health care system that is healthy, that is caringand that is, yes, an honest-to-God system, a system that deliversfor each of us as individual patients—and for all of us as a county.Certainly, our commitment is clear. It’s right there in the

mission statement for our Hospital and Clinics: We “will providehigh quality, compassionate, and accessible health care, for allpersons in Santa Clara County regardless of their social-economicstatus and ability to pay…”Which I think says it pretty well. But let me be even more

direct:I don’t care who you are, where you came from, or how

much money you’ve got in your pocket. Every man, woman andchild in this County should get the health care they need. It’s theright thing to do, and it’s the smart thing to do. That’s why weget absolutely positively everybody insured we possibly can—andthen we say, hey, if somehow we didn’t get you covered, not toworry, we’re still going to be there to get you the services youneed.The State of our County is healthy. And getting healthier every

day. We will make 2019 the Year of a Healthier Santa ClaraCounty. Because this County, our County, is committed to doingthe good and important work that will help make it so.


Joe Simitian’s “State of the County”

YOU’RE INVITED!Join the Santa Clara County Democratic Party for its 28th Annual Fundraiser &

Democratic Victory DinnerCelebrate the Year of Victorious Women!

Guest Speaker: To Be Announced

Friday, May 17, 2019

**Hayes Mansion200 Edenvale Avenue, San Jose, CA 95136

General No-Host Reception 5:30-7:00 PM � Dinner and Program 7:00-9:00 PMr $75 Young Dems (35 & under and must be a member of a Young Dem Club)

r $150 per person • $1,500 per table of 10 • r $2,500 VIP table *r $5,000 Gold Level Sponsorship * • r $10,000 Platinum Level Sponsorship *Join the Leadership Council ($120/year) and be listed in the Dinner Program!

RSVP by May 10, 2019* Guaranteed preferential seating and quarter page ad in dinner program

You may REGISTER AND PAY SECURELY ONLINE at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/demdinner2019

or fill the form out on the back of this invitation and send with a check made out to the UDC to: Santa Clara County United Democratic Campaign, 2901 Moorpark Ave., Ste 110, San Jose, CA 95128

For more information, call Judy Pipkin (408) 445-9500 (Office) or (408) 449-7997 (Cell)For more information about advertising in the dinner program,

e-mail Kristen at [email protected]

28th Annual Democratic Victory Dinnerr I /We will attend (number of tickets) ____ Adult ($150) ____ Children ($25) ____ Young Dem ($75) Club affiliation: ______

r I would like _____ vegetarian meals

r I would like to support the Silicon Valley Democratic Leadership Fund with a sustaining, monthly donation of ______________

r $10 r $25 r $50 r $100 r Other $___________ per month using the credit card information (see below).

r I would like to support the Silicon Valley Democratic Leadership Fund with a one-time contribution of $_________ using the credit cardor check information (see below).

r Please billmy r VISA r M/C r Amex r Dis #________________________________________ Exp _________

r Enclosed is my check for $ __________ made payable to the Santa Clara County UDC

* Name ________________________________________________________________________________

*Address ________________________________________________________________________________

*City_____________________ *State____ *Zip_______ Daytime phone ____________________________

E-mail__________________________________________________________________________________

*Employer ________________________________*Occupation ____________________________________* Election law requires this information before your check may be cashed.

Please complete this form and mail to Santa Clara County United Democratic Campaign

2901 Moorpark Avenue, Suite 110, San Jose, CA 95128You may register and pay securely online at

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/demdinner2019If you register and pay online you do not have to send in this form.

Paid for by the Santa Clara County United Democratic Campaign, 2901 Moorpark Avenue, Suite 110, San Jose, CA 95128. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

HH

Santa Clara CountyDEMOCRATIC PARTY

HH

Designed by Graffik Dezine (650) 493-4383

Contributions to the Santa Clara County United Democratic Campaign are not deductible for any income tax purposes. TheSanta Clara County United Democratic Campaign may only accept contributions from individuals who are 18 years or olderand U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Donors cannot be reimbursed for their contributions. Contributions from individuals,partnerships, unincorporated sole proprietorships, and political and candidate committees registered with the FEC will bedeposited into the UDC Federal Account (FEC ID #C00231076), unless otherwise designated. These funds will be used inconnection with Federal elections and are subject to the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act.Contributions from corporations, labor unions, and political committees registered with the California Secretary of State willbe deposited into the UDC State Account (FPPC ID #871053) to be used in connection with nonfederal elections. California lawpermits contributions up to $38,800 per calendar year to be used for contributions to state candidates. There are no limits oncontributions used for purposes other than contributions to state candidates. Federal and state laws require politicalcommittees to report the name, street address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributionsaggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.

Celebrate Victorious Women!

r I/ we are members of the PDC/PYD. Please seat me with:________________________________________

• “Gosh, this crowded 2020 Presidential field really neededTim Ryan,” said no one ever.• Since according to Trump the Mueller report completely

exonerated him, at least it will be simple to prove that byreleasing it….• GOP said today that efforts by Dems to obtain Trump’s tax

returns set a “dangerous standard.” Uh, let’s make this simple –all Presidential candidates release their tax returns. Problemsolved.• Ecuador about to expel Julian Assange. How long until

Trump demands Assange get a US security clearance?• At this point Donald Trump is doing so much delusional

attacking of windmills maybe he should change his last name toQuixote.• If Attorney General Barr summarized the Wizard of Oz it

would be – “Newly arrived immigrant girl fatally crushesdefenseless woman then leads refugee gang to murder thatwoman’s sister in her own home.” • Have to wonder if Donald Trump is now seriously hurting

Biden and Sanders’ chances by causing Americans to thinkseriously about old men and dementia.• Paul Ryan claims he offered Alexandria Osacio-Cortez

advice and she “didn’t listen to a thing,” he said. My estimationof AOC’s intelligence just went up.• While Pete Buttigieg is young, some part of me is wondering

if maybe these days we need a 37-yr old candidate becausethey’ll have less past for everyone to rake them over the coalsabout….• NBA Wizards just fired Team President Ernie Grunfeld. So it

IS possible to fire a President in Washington.• White House spokesman Hogan Gidley on April 2 twice

referred to Puerto Rico as “that country.” Waiting for Fox News totell us it’s THREE countries.• Trump once again falsely claimed his father Fred, who was

born in New York, was born in Germany. We’re going to need tostart a new game, “Lie or Dementia?”• Trump tonight in speech : “If you have a windmill anywhere

near your house, congratulations, your house just went down75% in value. And they say the noise causes cancer.”Who knew? Add “The Netherlands” to the list on Trump Insult

Bingo.• So how long until Trump declares National Emergency to

build a wall to keep wind out?• US Secret Service arrested and charged a Chinese woman

citizen with making false statements to law enforcement andentering Mar-A-Lago with a thumb drive containing malicioussoftware.Scary, but I’m more scared about Mar-A-Lago visitors the

Secret Service DIDN’T catch.• Kamala Harris has raised $12 million, Pete Buttigieg has

raised $7 million. And media is, of course, most excited aboutPete. But there’s no gender bias in politics. $7 million isn’t bad.

But why are any women shocked men are acting like Buttigieg’s$7 million is more than it is.Millions, inches…. what’s the difference?• Meanwhile Florida Senator Rick Scott looks to be Trump’s

point man in the Senate on Healthcare reform. Right, the sameRick Scott who made his money to enter politics as head ofColumbia-HCA. The company that paid $1.7 BILLION in finesfor felony Medicare fraud during his tenure. No joke. It would befunny if peoples’ lives weren’t at stake.• Fox News is taking time from their usual State-TV, pro-Trump

message for banner headlines like “Another Biden accuser comesforward.” (Why there is no satire.)• Senate couldn’t get bill passed for disaster relief because

GOP wouldn’t include $600 million for Puerto Rico. Well, comeon, that’s probably a year’s worth of Trump golf outings.• If Mueller REALLY exonerated Trump, Donald would have

been tweeting the report out line-by-line since it was filed.• Not that I can program it but thinking a million-dollar app

might be one that, on the last calendar day of ANY quarter,automatically blocks all political fundraising emails.• Trump says closing the border is “going to be a profit-making

operation.” Right. Like Mexico was going to pay for the wall.But who was going to pay? North Mexico? South Mexico?

East Mexico or West Mexico? This is SO confusing.• Kellyanne Conway on Fox News trashing Joe Biden: “I think

[he] has a big problem here because he calls it affection andhandshakes, his party calls it completely inappropriate…”Some statements don’t even need a punchline.• Trump says he’s going to close Southern border next week

unless Mexico stops ALL illegal immigration. So how’s that“Space Wall” going to work with airplanes?• So what happens when someone explains to Trump what

“does not exonerate him” means?• Donald Trump in Michigan tonight, on wind power: “If it

doesn’t blow, you can forget about television for that night. Iknow a lot about wind.” Wind? No. Hot air. Definitely.• Trump says no man has been better for Puerto Rico than he

has. He could be right. Having no US president during hurricanecouldn’t have been worse.• Trump is as ready with a replacement for Obamacare as he

is ready to release his tax returns.• Mueller’s report is more than 300 pages. Which means

judging it on Barr’s four-page letter is like judging Harry Potter bythe jacket blurb…written by Voldemort.• Cory Booker – “I would rather hang out with a nice atheist

than a mean Christian any day of the week.”My sense is Jesus would agree.• A President who can’t resist retweeting even the least

respected sources when they praise him would have alreadyreleased entire Mueller report if it exonerated him. Period.• Wait a minute, Mike Pence talking today how “the first

woman and the next man on the moon will be American.” Uh,wait. And how would they be able to go into the Lunar moduleand for a moon walk together without chaperones. Does Motherknow?• Lots of happy tweets from Donald Trump about Washington

Capitals and captain Alex Ovechkin’s Stanley Cup Championshipvisit to White House... Well to be fair, this is only the second

Funnies by JaniceBy Janice Hough, PDC Member


(Continued on page 12)


MONTHLY MEETINGSSanta Clara County Democratic Central Committeemeets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at 70 West Hedding, San Jose. Call 408/445-9500 for information. All arewelcome to attend.

San Mateo County Democratic Central Committee meets for their General Meeting on the third Thursday of every month at7:30 pm at the Transport Workers Union, Local 505 building located at1521 Rollins Road in Burlingame.

The PDC Board of Directors meets at 7:30 p.m. on the secondWEDNESDAY of each month at the Palo Alto Unitarian Church, 505 EastCharleston Road, Palo Alto, Fireside Room; all are welcome.

APRILThursday, April 4, 7-8:45 p.m.Play "Game of Floods" & Learn about San Mateo Co.Approach to Sea Level RiseRedwood City Public Library, Community Room (upstairs)1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood CityCost: FREERSVP/more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/explore-

what-you-can-do-about-sea-level-rise-in-san-mateo-county-tickets-58925480699Sponsored by Fossil Free Midpeninsula, a non-profit citizen

action group dedicated to curbing climate change by eliminatingthe use of fossil fuels and creating a renewable energy economy.For more info about Fossil Free Midpeninsula, see our Facebookpage:https://m.facebook.com/groups/FossilFreeMidPeninsula/events

Thursday, April 4, 7-9 p.m.Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee Meeting(SCCDCC)70 W. Hedding St., County Bldg. CafeteriaSan Jose, 95112More Info: https://www.sccdp.org/event/santa-clara-county-

democratic-central-committee-meeting-62

Wednesday, April 9, 7:30-9 p.m.PDC Board MeetingUnitarian Church of Palo Alto, Fireside Room, 505 E.

Charleston Rd. Palo Alto 94306All are welcome. Come meet the energetic leadership of your

local Democratic club, learn, enjoy and join the cause ofelecting Democrats to all levels of government.

Friday, April 12, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Literature, Leadership & Lunch: Discovery & Aspiration;Persistence & Ambition; What is Fueling the Rise ofPowerful Women?

Palo Alto Jewish Community Center, Cultural Arts Hall, 3921Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94306Cost: $150 Individual; Tables, Sponsorships availableSpace is limited! RSVP/Donate:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/svlll2019?utm_source=close+the+gap+CA&utm_campaign=51331ab4dc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_03_11_10_41_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bdf5a8b6f3-51331ab4dc-72865529Join Mary Hughes, Founder of Close the Gap CA, in

discussion with acclaimed authors Liza Monroy, Vanessa Huaand Assemblymember Susan Eggman, AD-13, veteran, professor,past chair of LGBTQ and Women’s caucuses and author ofgroundbreaking pay equity legislation.Sponsored by: Close theGap CA

Congresswoman Jackie SpeierSaturday, April 13 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. A Conversation about America: Stop the KillingBurlingame High School Theater, 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame,

CA 94010 RSVP HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-conversation-

about-america-stop-the-killing-tickets-59537496254Dear Friends, We don’t have a national emergency at our

southern border, but we do have one within our borders. Everyyear, some 40,000 people are killed by guns; one third of thosedeaths are homicides, two thirds are suicides. We have the worstgun violence of any developed country. Please join me for animportant conversation about gun violence prevention.

MAYCongresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s 2019 Women’s LuncheonFriday, May 3, 12:30 p.m.Women in Our Community Who Have Blazed an Historic

and Unforgettable TrailCo-Chaired by Dolores Alvarado, Supervisor Cindy Chavez,

Jean Cohen, Virginia Hess with Special Guest California SenatePresident Pro Tempore Toni G. AtkinsWestin St. Claire in San Jose, CARSVP at

https://secyre,actbkye,cin/donate/womenslunch2019 or to JeffLarivee at [email protected] or 408-410-2665

Friday, May 17, 5:30-7 p.m. No-Host Reception; 7-9 p.m.Dinner & Program28th Annual Fundraiser & Victory Dinner: Celebrate theYear of Victorious Women!Join Santa Clara County Democratic Party of Silicon Valley for ourAnnual GalaHayes Mansion, 200 Edenvale Ave., San Jose, CA 95136

SEE PAGES 8 AND 9 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Printed on 100% recycled paper. C

The Peninsula Democratic CoalitionP.O. Box 97Los Altos, CA 94023-0097

April 2019

The New Democrat Published monthly by

The Peninsula Democratic Coalition

P.O. Box 97, Los Altos, CA 94023-0097

President: Leora TanjuatcoVice President, Programs, Lorri HolzbergVice President, Political Action & Issues

Secretary, Chelsea BoniniTreasurer, Herb Engstrom

Editor: Emy ThurberDesign/Layout: Kristen Lohnes Johnson Email: [email protected]

Web site: www.peninsulademocrats.comOpinions expressed in signed columns representviews of the author and are not necessarily official

positions of the PDC.

For advertising rates, email Kristen Johnson [email protected]

The Peninsula Democratic Coalition (PDC) ischartered by the Santa Clara County Democratic

Central Committee, and affiliated with the CaliforniaDemocratic Council (CDC) www.cdc-ca.org

Join the PDC on Facebook!

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Answer (page 2) Who am I? Cory Anthony BookerCory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American

politician serving as the junior United States Senator from NewJersey since 2013 and a member of the Democratic Party. Thefirst African-American U.S. Senator from New Jersey, he waspreviously the 36th Mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013.Before that, Booker served on the Municipal Council ofNewark for the Central Ward from 1998 to 2002. On February1, 2019, he announced his campaign to run for theDemocratic nomination for President of the United States inthe 2020 United States presidential election.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Booker

[Note from Kristen: I will be featuring this presidential quizevery month until I run out of Democratic candidates! As oftoday, I count 18 candidates! We’ll see who still jumps in andwho drops out. Wow, what a bumpy road we’re on!!]

time a team in the Oval Office has been led by a Russian.• Australia now barring any visitor with a domestic violence

charge against women or children from entering the country. Wellthere go any potential future plans for NFL Australia.• For all those who think religious beliefs SHOULD allow an

Airbnb host not to rent to a gay couple, hope they are also okaywith owners demanding to see marriage licenses for straightcouples.• Early days, but one interesting option would be a possible

Klobuchar Buttigieg ticket. And one slogan/bumper sticker: “Amyand Pete – because no one can spell our last names.”• To be fair, maybe Trump felt he HAD to have his veto

ceremony today because on Monday, Americans will be focusedon something far more important to millions of them – filling outMarch Madness bracket

Funnies(continued from page 10)

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