Washblog

Nothing to see in King, it's all cut and dried. But Pierce? Shhhhh! Pierce is HOT!

Pierce County reorganization (includes all District reorgs), Saturday, January 13, IBEW Hall (don't have the time). Should be the Wild West Show. That's all I'm sayin'.

And on the same day, 32nd LD reorganization, Aldercrest Learning Center, 2 PM. Should make Pierce look like the Teddy Bears' Picnic.

That's all you'll get from me. You're on your own now.

If perception is reality, then the world must be flat and the sun must revolve around it.

by ivan on Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 11:38:58 AM PST

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One of the things that drums up interest in an LD reorg is a slew of contested races. Anyone remember the 36th District reorg of 2004-5? That was fun.

In the 36th, we're working on tightening up our Bylaws. It's serious, quiet work that's important but not designed to bring the masses to the meeting. I think Ivan and others would agree that sometimes people make valuable contributions in decidedly unspectacular ways.

As far as races are concerned, it appears we'll have an open Issues Chair seat. No one, to my knowledge, has declared. Bob Koerner is stepping down as Secretary, and yours truly is planning to run for the position. Peter House (Chair), Janis Traven (Vice-Chair) and James Apa (WSDCC Rep.) are running for re-election. Elizabeth Stanton is stepping down as Neighborhood Organizing Coordinator 2 and Kelley Bevans (current Issues Chair) is planning to run for that position. I don't know about anyone else for certain; I assume they're running for re-election until they say they aren't. I haven't heard of a single challenge yet.

by DWE on Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 12:10:47 PM PST

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I really don't know why there isn't more written in the blogs about the Dem Party re-orgs.

Maybe some blogs don't go to that level of activism and writing about it - they should. I hope Washblog does. There are so many great people who have become active in the past 2-4 years, it would be interesting to hear about all the changes going on.

After election season, with all the negative ads, campaigns, just the whole affair just makes people want to take a break from it. The holidays are now here which takes some priority too. However, it would be great to read about the re-orgs and know whats going on.

by Brian on Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 08:43:35 PM PST

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Quite a few members of the 43rd District e-board are stepping aside.  

Chair Lisa Stuebing, Secretary Will Affleck-Asch, Treasurer Tara Gallagher, King County Committeeman Bill Sherman, King County Committeewoman/Alternate Katie Evans, and Tech Coordinator Vince Houmes definitely aren't running for their current offices, though Lisa will stay on as Past Chair (which would, of course, knock Dick Kelley off the e-board) and Will is likely to run for KCDCC.  I don't plan to run again for Programs Vice Chair, though that's not an absolute.

Hoping to continue in their current positions, as best I can tell, are Julian Wheeler (First Vice Chair), David Kunselman and Hillary Madsen (State Committee Man/Woman), and Karolina Reznick (Vice Chair Communications).  I'm not sure about the rest of the e-board's decisionmaking.

With respect to the organization's by-laws, a new position will be created.  It will take over part of the current First Vice Chair position's responsibilities -- we realized that we needed one person to find/recruit/stroke PCOs, another to handle coordination of GOTV/lit drops/etc.  I don't know which of those activities will remain with the First Vice Chair, nor what the new position will be called.

There's a search committee to seek out candidates (not a slate) for the offices, and another group is working on revising/tweaking the by-laws.  I'm not involved with either of those at the moment.

I'd heard tell that two members of the 43rd were interested in running for District Chair, though one of them has since decided not to, due to employment considerations.  I can't absolutely confirm that the other one is running, but the scuttlebutt is strong.  Nor have I heard whether anyone else plans to run for Chair.

You're only young once, but you can be immature forever -- Larry Andersen
Blogging at Peace Tree Farm

by N in Seattle on Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 10:04:48 PM PST

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The Snohomish County Democratic Central Committee is strong, organized, and ready for the 2007 cycle - where we stand to pick up two more seats on the County Council.

In 2006, the SCDCC donated more than $10,000 to candidates at the deadline.  We even crossed county boundaries by contributing to Darcy Burner in the 8th CD and to Susan Owens in her successful State Supreme Court race.  We captured a state senate seat with Steve Hobbs in the 44th and provided strong volunteer efforts for I-937, against I-920 and against I-933.  The Coordinated Campaign was visible and active here, and SCDCC was committed to electing Democrats.

Snohomish County gave huge victory margins to Rick Larsen, Jay Inslee, and Maria Cantwell.  We were competitive in races that few expected to take, and we invested in local offices by contributing to Eric Teegarden's bid for PUD Commissioner.

Now we will re-organize.  So far, no one is challenging Mark Hintz for Chair.  Far from indicating a lack of interest, I believe this is a sign that our County Party leadership is strong and team-oriented.

There may well be a seat or two on the E-board which draw a contested race, but that's not the point.  The point is that, no matter the results, SCDCC looks forward to continued growth and greater strength.  Though challenges are always welcomed, they are not necessarily indicators of activity and interest.  Results are, and we have those results in Snohomish County.

Here's to a Democratic 2007!

by BillPhi on Wed Nov 29, 2006 at 11:27:23 PM PST

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  Temporary Chair Jim Hogue ran an excellent meeting.
  Returning officers are Chair, Carolyn Cress; SCW, Jane Guido; Secretary Carol Reed; and Treasurer, Virgina Cardon.
  New officers are Vice Chair, Jacob Degraff(sp) and SCM Nathan Horter.
  As outgoing SCM, I am proud to have Nathan taking over. He made a really good run for Whitman County Auditor and will well represent Whitman County and Eastern Washington on the WSDCC.
  FOr the first time in at least 2 years, I am not an officer for either Whitman or the 9th LD. But, I am still a PCO and I will be heard when necessary.

Dave Gibney Pullman

by gibney on Sat Dec 02, 2006 at 12:16:21 PM PST

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Less than 200 out of almost 1000 PCOs showed up. Since there were no contested races to my knowledge and nobody had announced their intentions beforehand in any case, then true to my previous public declarations and honoring what I believe to be the intent of the people who elected me PCO, I left after the bylaws were adopted.

Not every PCO is satisfied with the seeming backroom nature of the decisionmaking process as it exists, or that the status quo passes muster as true leadership. I had several spontaneous conversations with other PCOs who told me this.

I handed out a lot of flyers for the Political Matchmaker, although that hasn't translated into a flood of requests for invites.

by m3047 on Sun Dec 03, 2006 at 09:49:54 AM PST

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