They Thought They Were Free

The Germans, 1933-45

But then it was too late:

I first literally first heard of the book They Thought They Were Free, a study of the lives of a group of ordinary Germans under the Third Reich, by Milton Meyer, when Thom Hartmann read excerpts on his radio show. The Germans interviewed had ‘ordinary’ jobs one was a professor for example. The subjects were not part of the military nor government and told their stories as observers not participants I think this is such an important book and Meyer’s accounts of folks ‘waking up and being under a Fascist regime; are harrowing for two reasons; 1. Fascism’s complete control of Germany was done bit by bit, a slow insidious process of rules and changes that seemed benign individually. By the time these Germans ‘caught on’, it was too late. 2. We are witnessing the very same sort of ‘Fascism Creep’ right now, and we had better pay attention and work like hell to prevent it!

Hartmann; “One of his closing chapters, “Peoria Uber Alles,” is so poignant and prescient that were Mayer still alive today I doubt he could read it out loud without his voice breaking. It’s the story of how what happened in Germany could just as easily happen in Peoria, Illinois, particularly if the city were to become isolationistic and suffered some sort of natural or man-made disaster or attack that threw its people into the warm but deadly embrace of authoritarianism. [President Trump’s election]

The [Peorian] individual surrenders his individuality without a murmur, without, indeed, a second thought – and not just his individual hobbies and tastes, but his individual occupation, his individual family concerns, his individual needs. The primordial community, the tribe, re-emerges, it’s first function the preservation of all its members. Every normal personality of the day becomes an ‘authoritarian personality.’ A few recalcitrants have to be disciplined (vigorously, under the circumstances) for neglect or betrayal of their duty. A few groups have to be watched or, if necessary, taken in hand – the antisocial elements, the liberty-howlers, the agitators among the poor, and the criminal gangs. For the rest of the citizens – 95 percent or so of the population – duty is now the central fact of life. They obey, at first awkwardly, but, surprisingly soon, spontaneously

Among Mayer’s stories are some of the most telling aspects of how the Nazis came to take over Germany (and much of Europe). I first quoted them a year ago in a Common Dreams article linked from BuzzFlash titled The Myth of National Victimhood*. I noted that Mayer told how one of his friends said:

What happened here was the gradual habituation of the people, little by little, to being governed by surprise; to receiving decisions deliberated in secret; to believing that the situation was so complicated that the government had to act on information which the people could not understand, or so dangerous that, even if the people could understand it, it could not be released because of national security….

As a friend of Mayer’s noted, and Mayer recorded in his book:

This separation of government from people, this widening of the gap, took place so gradually and so insensibly, each step disguised (perhaps not even intentionally) as a temporary emergency measure or associated with true patriotic allegiance or with real social purposes. And all the crises and reforms (real reforms, too) so occupied the people that they did not see the slow motion underneath, of the whole process of government growing remoter and remoter. …

To live in this process is absolutely not to be able to notice it – please try to believe me – unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us had ever had occasion to develop. Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, “regretted,” that, unless one were detached from the whole process from the beginning, unless one understood what the whole thing was in principle, what all these “little measures” that no “patriotic German” could resent must some day lead to, one no more saw it developing from day to day than a farmer in his field sees the corn growing. One day it is over his head.

In this conversation, Mayer’s friend suggests that he wasn’t making an excuse for not resisting the rise of the fascists, but simply pointing out an undisputable reality. This, he suggests, is how fascism will always take over a nation.

“Pastor Niemoller spoke for the thousands and thousands of men like me when he spoke (too modestly of himself) and said that, when the Nazis attacked the Communists, he was a little uneasy, but, after all, he was not a Communist, and so he did nothing: and then they attacked the Socialists, and he was a little uneasier, but, still, he was not a Socialist, and he did nothing; and then the schools, the press, the Jews, and so on, and he was always uneasier, but still he did nothing. And then they attacked the Church, and he was a Churchman, and he did something – but then it was too late.”

“Yes,” I said.

“You see,” my colleague went on, “one doesn’t see exactly where or how to move. Believe me, this is true. Each act, each occasion, is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for the one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow. You don’t want to act, or even to talk, alone; you don’t want to ‘go out of your way to make trouble.’ Why not? – Well, you are not in the habit of doing it. And it is not just fear, fear of standing alone that restrains you; it is also genuine uncertainty.

“Uncertainty is a very important factor, and, instead of decreasing as time goes on, it grows. Outside, in the streets, in the general community, everyone is happy. One hears no protest, and certainly sees none. You know, in France or Italy there will be slogans against the government painted on walls and fences; in Germany, outside the great cities, perhaps, there is not even this. In the university community, in your own community, you speak privately to your colleagues, some of whom certainly feel as you do; but what do they say? They say, ‘It’s not so bad’ or ‘You’re seeing things’ or ‘You’re an alarmist.’

“And you are an alarmist. You are saying that this must lead to this, and you can’t prove it. These are the beginnings, yes; but how do you know for sure when you don’t know the end, and how do you know, or even surmise, the end? On the one hand, your enemies, the law, the regime, the Party, intimidate you. On the other, your colleagues pooh-pooh you as pessimistic or even neurotic. …

“But the one great shocking occasion, when tens or hundreds or thousands will join with you, never comes. That’s the difficulty. If the last and worst act of the whole regime had come immediately after the first and the smallest, thousands, yes, millions would have been sufficiently shocked – if, let us say, the gassing of the Jews in ’43 had come immediately after the ‘German Firm’ stickers on the windows of non-Jewish shops in ’33. But of course this isn’t the way it happens. In between come all the hundreds of little steps, some of them imperceptible, each of them preparing you not to be shocked by the next. Step C is not so much worse than Step B, and, if you did not make a stand at Step B, why should you at Step C? And so on to Step D.

“And one day, too late, your principles, if you were ever sensible of them, all rush in upon you. The burden of self-deception has grown too heavy, and some minor incident, in my case my little boy, hardly more than a baby, saying ‘Jew swine,’ collapses it all at once, and you see that everything, everything, has changed and changed completely under your nose. The world you live in – your nation, your people – is not the world you were in at all. The forms are all there, all untouched, all reassuring, the houses, the shops, the jobs, the mealtimes, the visits, the concerts, the cinema, the holidays. But the spirit, which you never noticed because you made the lifelong mistake of identifying it with the forms, is changed. Now you live in a world of hate and fear, and the people who hate and fear do not even know it themselves; when everyone is transformed, no one is transformed. Now you live in a system which rules without responsibility even to God.” …

Mayer’s friend pointed out the terrible challenge faced then by average Germans, and today by peoples across the world, as governments are taken over by authoritarian, corporatist — fascist — regimes.

“How is this to be avoided, among ordinary men, even highly educated ordinary men?” Mayer’s friend asked rhetorically. And, without the benefit of a previous and recent and well-remembered fascistic regime to refer to, he had to candidly answer: “Frankly, I do not know.”

This was the great problem that Mayer’s Nazis and so many in their day faced.

As Mayer’s Nazi friend noted, “I do not see, even now [how we could have stopped it]. Many, many times since it all happened I have pondered that pair of great maxims, Principiis obsta and Finem respice – ‘Resist the beginnings’ and ‘consider the end.’ But one must foresee the end in order to resist, or even see, the beginnings. One must foresee the end clearly and certainly and how is this to be done, by ordinary men or even by extraordinary men?”

By Robert Kagan Fascism comes to America

Robert Kagan is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributing columnist for The Post.

The Republican Party’s attempt to treat Donald Trump as a normal political candidate would be laughable were it not so perilous to the republic. If only he would mouth the party’s “conservative” principles, all would be well.

Of course the entire Trump phenomenon has nothing to do with policy or ideology. It has nothing to do with the Republican Party, either, except in its historic role as incubator of this singular threat to our democracy. Trump has transcended the party that produced him. His growing army of supporters no longer cares about the party. Because it did not immediately and fully embrace Trump, because a dwindling number of its political and intellectual leaders still resist him, the party is regarded with suspicion and even hostility by his followers. Their allegiance is to him and him alone.

And the source of allegiance? We’re supposed to believe that Trump’s support stems from economic stagnation or dislocation. Maybe some of it does. But what Trump offers his followers are not economic remedies — his proposals change daily. What he offers is an attitude, an aura of crude strength and machismo, a boasting disrespect for the niceties of the democratic culture that he claims, and his followers believe, has produced national weakness and incompetence. His incoherent and contradictory utterances have one thing in common: They provoke and play on feelings of resentment and disdain, intermingled with bits of fear, hatred and anger. His public discourse consists of attacking or ridiculing a wide range of “others” — Muslims, Hispanics, women, Chinese, Mexicans, Europeans, Arabs, immigrants, refugees — whom he depicts either as threats or as objects of derision. His program, such as it is, consists chiefly of promises to get tough with foreigners and people of nonwhite complexion. He will deport them, bar them, get them to knuckle under, make them pay up or make them shut up.

To understand how such movements take over a democracy, one only has to watch the Republican Party today. These movements play on all the fears, vanities, ambitions and insecurities that make up the human psyche. In democracies, at least for politicians, the only thing that matters is what the voters say they want — vox populi vox Dei. A mass political movement is thus a powerful and, to those who would oppose it, frightening weapon. When controlled and directed by a single leader, it can be aimed at whomever the leader chooses. If someone criticizes or opposes the leader, it doesn’t matter how popular or admired that person has been. He might be a famous war hero, but if the leader derides and ridicules his heroism, the followers laugh and jeer. He might be the highest-ranking elected guardian of the party’s most cherished principles. But if he hesitates to support the leader, he faces political death

This is how fascism comes to America, not with jackboots and salutes (although there have been salutes, and a whiff of violence) but with a television huckster, a phony billionaire, a textbook egomaniac “tapping into” popular resentments and insecurities, and with an entire national political party — out of ambition or blind party loyalty, or simply out of fear — falling into line behind him.

And here we are.

*Eugene Robinson: Myth of white victimhood continues to gain strength

WASHINGTON — If there really were a “war on whites,” as a Republican congressman from Alabama ludicrously claims, it wouldn’t be going very well for the anti-white side.

In 2012, the last year for which comprehensive Census Bureau data are available, white households had a median income of $57,009, compared to $33,321 for African-American households and $39,005 for Hispanic households. The white-black income gap was almost exactly the same as in 1972; the gap between whites and Hispanics actually worsened.

According to an analysis by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank, the average white family has six times as much accumulated wealth as the average black or Hispanic family. Other authoritative data show that African-Americans and Hispanics are far more likely than whites to be unemployed, impoverished or incarcerated.

Yet Rep. Mo Brooks feverishly imagines whites are somehow under attack and that the principal assailant is — why am I not surprised? — President Obama.

Asked whether Republicans were alienating Latino voters with their position on immigration, Brooks said this to conservative radio host Laura Ingraham:

“This is a part of the war on whites that’s being launched by the Democratic Party. And the way in which they’re launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else. It’s a part of the strategy that Barack Obama implemented in 2008, continued in 2012, where he divides us all on race, on sex, greed, envy, class warfare, all those kinds of things.”

Author, Milton Mayer, reared in Reform Judaism, was born in Chicago, the son of Morris Samuel Mayer and Louise (Gerson). He graduated from Englewood High School, where he received a classical education with an emphasis on Latin and languages.^[1] He studied at the University of Chicago (1925–28) but did not earn a degree

Mayer’s most influential book was probably They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45, a study of the lives of a group of ordinary Germans under the Third Reich, first published in 1955 by the University of Chicago Press. (Mayer became a member of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers while he was researching this book in Germany in 1950; he did not reject his Jewish birth and heritage.) At various times, he taught at the University of Chicago, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Louisville as well as universities abroad. He was also a consultant to the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions.

 

What can we do-The Indivisible Guide

WHO IS THIS DOCUMENT BY AND FOR?

We: Are former progressive congressional staffers who saw the Tea Party beat back President Obama’s agenda.

We: See the enthusiasm to fight the Trump agenda and want to share insider info on how best to influence Congress to do that.

You: Want to do your part to beat back the Trump agenda and understand that will require more than calls and petitions.

You: Should use this guide, share it, amend it, make it your own, and get to work.

Donald Trump is the biggest popular vote loser in history to ever call himself President- Elect. In spite of the fact that he has no mandate, he will attempt to use his congressional majority to reshape America in his own racist, authoritarian, and corrupt image. If progressives are going to stop this, we must stand indivisibly opposed to Trump and the members of Congress (MoCs) who would do his bidding. Together, we have the power to resist — and we have the power to win.

We know this because we’ve seen it before. The authors of this guide are former congressional staffers who witnessed the rise of the Tea Party. We saw these activists take on a popular president with a mandate for change and a supermajority in Congress. We saw them organize locally and convince their own MoCs to reject President Obama’s agenda. Their ideas were wrong, cruel, and tinged with racism — and they won.

We believe that protecting our values, our neighbors, and ourselves will require mounting a similar resistance to the Trump agenda — but a resistance built on the values of inclusion, tolerance, and fairness. Trump is not popular. He does not have a mandate. He does not have large congressional majorities. If a small minority in the Tea Party can stop President Obama, then we the majority can stop a petty tyrant named Trump.

To this end, the following chapters offer a step-by-step guide for individuals, groups, and organizations looking to replicate the Tea Party’s success in getting Congress to listen to a small, vocal, dedicated group of constituents. The guide is intended to be equally useful for stiffening Democratic spines and weakening pro-Trump Republican resolve.

We believe that the next four years depend on Americans across the country standing indivisible against the Trump agenda. We believe that buying into false promises or accepting partial concessions will only further empower Trump to victimize us and our neighbors. We hope that this guide will provide those who share that belief useful tools to make Congress listen.

 

Here’s the quick and dirty summary of this document. While this page summarizes top-level takeaways, the full document describes how to actually carry out these activities.

CHAPTER 1 How grassroots advocacy worked to stop President Obama. We examine lessons from the Tea Party’s rise and recommend two key strategic components:

1. A local strategy targeting individual Members of Congress (MoCs).

2. A defensive approach purely focused on stopping Trump from implementing an agenda built on racism, authoritarianism, and corruption.

 

CHAPTER 2 How your MoC thinks — reelection, reelection, reelection — and how to use that to save democracy. MoCs want their constituents to think well of them and they want good, local press. They hate surprises, wasted time, and most of all, bad press that makes them look weak, unlikable, and vulnerable. You will use these interests to make them listen and act.

CHAPTER 3 Identify or organize your local group. Is there an existing local group or network you can join? Or do you need to start your own? We suggest steps to help mobilize your fellow constituents locally and start organizing for action.

CHAPTER 4 Four local advocacy tactics that actually work. Most of you have three MoCs — two Senators and one Representative. Whether you like it or not, they are your voices in Washington. Your job is to make sure they are, in fact, speaking for you. We’ve identified four key opportunity areas that just a handful of local constituents can use to great effect. Always record encounters on video, prepare questions ahead of time, coordinate with your group, and report back to local media:

1. Town halls. MoCs regularly hold public in-district events to show that they are listening to constituents. Make them listen to you, and report out when they don’t.
2. Non-town hall events. MoCs love cutting ribbons and kissing babies back home. Don’t let them get photo-ops without questions about racism, authoritarianism, and corruption.
3. District office sit-ins/meetings. Every MoC has one or several district offices. Go there. Demand a meeting with the MoC. Report to the world if they refuse to listen.

4. Coordinated calls. Calls are a light lift but can have an impact. Organize your local group to barrage your MoCs at an opportune moment about and on a specific

 

Dems Examine Constitutional, Immigration Issues

President-elect Presents Conflict of Interest Dilemma

ACLU Director And Marjorie Cohn to Headline January Meeting

Author, Activist and Law Professor Marjorie Cohn will headline the January 4th meeting of the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club. Marjorie is now Professor Emerita after a quarter century of teaching Constitutional Law and we are thrilled with the prospect of her examining the inherent conflicts that arise when a president elect doesn’t disassociate from his business interests while in office.   We’ve also never before had a chief executive not release his tax returns, thus failing to disclose his company’s foreign entanglements and potential conflicts of interest on a global scale. Marjorie will also discuss her recent article on the prospects and consequences of a Trump-appointed Supreme Court.

We are also honored to have ACLU Advocacy Director David Trujillo speaking about social justice and civil rights for immigrants and minorities during a Donald Trump presidency. Recently, the ACLU lauded California lawmakers for standing by immigrant communities in the face of future federal executive orders that would endanger them. (Mass deportations? Internment Camps?, Deportation squads?)

 

Marjorie Cohn is professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law where she taught from 1991-2016, and a former president of the National Lawyers Guild. She lectures, writes, and provides commentary for local, regional, national and international media outlets. Professor Cohn has served as a news consultant for CBS News and a legal analyst for Court TV, as well as a legal and political commentator on BBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, and Pacifica Radio.

David Trujillo has spent his career working on issues of social justice and has years of experience in community organizing, political campaigns and the legislative process. Prior to joining the San Diego ACLU, Trujillo served as Planned Parenthood Northern California’s public affairs director. Trujillo helped pass legislation that made California the only state in the country in the last five years to expand access to birth control and abortion services. Trujillo grew up in San Diego and has a degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.

With each Trump Cabinet nomination, local Democrats are alarmed at the potential back-sliding of civil liberties, social justice, environmental protections, public school education, workplace safety, wage and pension protections, banking regulation, women’s reproductive rights, affordable healthcare, middle class housing and job opportunities, income equality, Medicaid and Social Security protection, immigrant rights, and most other progressive ideals that we’ve supported and nurtured for decades. Instead of reforming Washington, DC as promised in campaign rhetoric, we’ve seen a succession of Wall Street insiders, big money donors, military mavericks, anti-science and climate change denying elected officials, fast food and professional wrestling executives, anti-union and working class enemies, anti-semitic bigots and hate mongering fake news purveyors, and fossil fuel industry proponents and lobbyists put into the highest positions of power and influence. Instead of “draining the swamp”, we’ve seen a progression of very wealthy alligators nominated for and appointed to cabinet posts and White House advisory positions.

We’ll begin our 48 months of protest and activism with a campaign to WRITE, ADVOCATE and RESIST these ultra-conservative demagogues in the best way we know how. By peacefully and stridently gathering together to spread truth, education, and social action, we can protect our communities, our planet and our children’s futures from the mindless onslaught of greed and neo-conservatism. We’ll begin with 2 excellent social justice advocates and continue with four years of outstanding programming that you’ll not want to miss. If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. Join the La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club, which serves the communities of La Mesa, the College area, San Carlos, Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, Mt. Helix, Santee, Spring Valley, Casa de Oro and other nearby East County enclaves.

We meet the first Wednesday of each month at the spacious La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, just North of University Avenue. Our meetings begin with a 6:30 PM Social time with refreshments and drinks provided by the club membership. The programs and business meetings start at 7 PM and last about 90 minutes. We are just beginning our 2017 membership drive and new memberships are available for as little at $30 annually. All members and guests are welcomed at all meetings and other community events which are listed on our website at lamesafoothillsdemocraticclub.com, and visit our Facebook page for updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all our wonderful veterans we can never repay you for your courage and commitment to our great country. In January, our country will have a new President and we do not know what the future brings. We sincerely hope our Military will be treated as well under President Trump as it has been with President Obama at the helm.

Roy Zimmerman to Headline Holiday Party

Musician and Social Satirist to Entertain Local Dems

December 7th Meeting to Feature Festive Buffet

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and so how appropriate that La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club welcomes back Singer/Songwriter Roy Zimmerman to highlight our December 7th Holiday Fest! Members remember Roy’s hilarious and biting satire from last year’s party, and we should all be entertained anew given the last 12 months of political shenanigans.

And as tradition holds, we will welcome all members and guests to enjoy our holiday feast, with turkey, ham, and all the trimmings supplied by the club. Members are encouraged to bring appetizers, side dishes, salads, and desserts to augment the clubs meat carvings, veggie lasagna and beverages. As usual, we’ll start our festivities at 6 PM, and Roy will take the stage about 7 PM. Mr. Zimmerman will be selling CD’s of his best and most memorable concerts, so be prepared to buy some great holiday gifts for friends and family. We ask each member and guest to donate $15 at the door, or whatever one can afford to offset the costs of the evening’s food and entertainment. We’ll be meeting at the usual place, the spacious La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Dr., just North of University Ave. in La Mesa. Because of the overflow crowds for this annual event, we ask willing and able members to park by the Little League field and take the short walk up the stairs to the Community Center. Let’s leave the adjacent parking lot for those that most need to be close to the meeting room.

 We also ask each member and guest to contribute to our annual holiday charity. This year we are supporting the efforts of Santa Sophia Church to feed needy families in the Casa de Oro area. Please bring canned and nonperishable foods that can assist those in dire straits during the holiday season. They also like to give out “street-ready” foods such as high protein bars, fruit and nut snacks and pop tarts. We also support the efforts of La Mesa Methodist Church who offer the city’s homeless citizens showers and other necessities during the Fall and Winter months. We ask you bring new, unused toiletries, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving supplies, shampoo, soaps, lotions, and other similar items for those who don’t take these items for granted

While the results of the national election on November 8th don’t leave us much room for optimism, our local candidates and issues had a banner night! We helped elect Board Member Colin Parent to La Mesa City Council, Senator Kamala Harris, Congress members Susan Davis and Scott Peters, State Senator Toni Atkins, Assemblypersons Shirley Weber, Lorena Gonzalez and Todd Gloria, Supervisor Dave Roberts, SD City Council winners Barbara Bry and Georgette Gomez, and SD City Attorney Mara Elliot. We passed measures K & L which will require November elections for all SD City offices and measures, we legalized cannabis, upheld the statewide plastic bag ban, and defeated the Chargers Stadium measure.   Sandag’s freeway-centric tax proposal, and the Lilac Hills overdevelopment in Valley Center went down to defeat. Our collective GOTV efforts in total passed nearly 75% of the SD County Democratic Party’s recommendations. Our supported candidates on local water boards won the day, as did George Gastil in the Lemon Grove mayoral contest.   A Democratic even won a seat on the El Cajon City Council, a real first. And in the Presidential contest, San Diego County went for Clinton/Kaine by 17 points over the Republican ticket, a wider margin than Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012. And we helped propel Hillary to a popular vote victory even if the Electoral College vote didn’t go our way. Our growing Democratic edge in voter registration countywide, now well over 100,000, bodes well for 2018, 2020 and beyond.

La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club draws members from the communities of Allied Gardens, San Carlos, Del Cerro, the College Area, La Mesa, Mt. Helix, Casa de Oro, Santee and other nearby East County Communities. All residents are welcome to attend our monthly meetings which take place on the first Wednesday of each month. Please visit our Website for coming events at lamesafoothillsdemocraticclub.com and like us on Facebook.

Linda Armacost, President

Jeff Benesch, VP for Programming

 

 

Please join with East Area Democrats Tuesday for an Election Night Party, sponsored by the SDCDP East Area Caucus Committee!

Greetings, Democratic Friends.

We are almost done with an interminable campaign on the presidential level!  Our stress levels are high, and we can’t wait to see those winning returns!!!  Our state and local election also have us excited!  We have the cream of the crop, when it comes to our endorsed state and local candidates.  We hope to see them win, as well!!!

To celebrate our anticipated wins, our wonderful candidates, their volunteers, and our clubs’ work, the East Area Caucus is sponsoring an Election Night Watch at an East Area venue.  Here is the Yelp review internet site: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jimmys-family-restaurant-santee   Use it to get directions from your location to theirs.

 The address is below: 

Jimmie’s Family Restaurant 

9635 Mission Gorge Road

Santee, CA 92071

The best information about this Election Night Watch event is that is free, except for a no-host bar!  And, you will not have to drive to the Westin downtown to participate in San Diego County Democratic Party’s watch.  (Of course, you may want to go there following our event.  Here is a link to access more information on that event:  http://www.sddemocrats.org/ )

Our premier party planner, Linda Nickerson, East County Democratic Club president, has made the arrangements, so you know that this event will be the best ever!!  We’ll start at 6 and end at 10 p.m.  (We planned an early start to enjoy those East Coast wins.)  We’ll have appetizers, coffee, tea, and water.  (If you want to order more, it’s on you.)    The no-host bar is adjacent to our party area, where we will watch those great returns on TV.  

 Do plan to join us as a HUGE BLUE WAVE SWEEPS OUR NATION AND EAST COUNTY SAN DIEGO!!!

 GO, HILLARY, GO!  GO, KAMALA, SUSAN, PATRICK, TONI, and SHIRLEY, GO!!  GO, ALL LOCAL CANDIDATES, GO!!! 

 This is our action weekend.  No one should rest on your laurels!  Walk, knock, talk, win!!!!  

Bonnie Burns Price, Ph.D.

Your voice on the SDCDP CC

(619) 741-6811

THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH FOR GOVERNMENT TO BE A SPECTATOR SPORT. The Honorable Barbara Jordan

Party ends at 10:00, if you want to continue to celebrate, have your designated driver take you to the Rivera Supper Club in La Mesa for more cheer!

Linda K. Armacost, Ed.D

President, LMFDC

 

 

 

 

 

DECEPTIVE HIT PIECE LANDS IN LA MESA MAILBOXES

 

Update with comments from the Lincoln Club President and links to prior concerns raised about the PAC by the FPPC.

By Miriam Raftery

November 3, 2016 (La Mesa) — A hit piece mailer on La Mesa City Council Colin Parent has been sent by a shadowy political action group tied to his opponent.

The mailer deceptively states Parent moved to La Mesa only to run for Council and mentions he’s lived in Sacramento and San Diego.  It fails to mention his long and deep ties to East County.  Parent went to Fuerte Elementary School near Mt. Helix, had his first job on La Mesa Blvd. with the East County Development Council, grew up going to local La Mesa hang-outs such as the Aquarius roller rink, was active in Boy Scots and graduated from Valhalla High School in the Grossmont Union High School District before attending UC San Diego and later, getting a law degree in New York.

The flyer also faults Parent for receiving funds from out of town donors including developers.  While it’s true he has significant donations from acquaintances, family and business interests in Sacramento and San Diego where he has lived and worked, including affordable housing builders as well as politicians (some of whom he has worked or interned for), the flyer fails to mention that he has also received significant donations from environmental organizations and is the attorney for Circulate San Diego, a group promoting transit and sustainable futures to address climate change.

As for a line about “taxing La Mesans” to pay for San Diego improvements, this is also deceptive. Parent has proposed no new taxes for the city of La Mesa, but does support a countywide ballot proposition that increase sales taxes a half-cent countywide to fund new transit and roadway improvements.

The mailer was sent by “Voters for Progress and Reform,” a group that Citybeat has reported in 2013 was tied to the Lincoln Club, which endorsed Kristine Alessio, Parent’s opponent.  Voters for Progress and Reform has previously been in hot water with the FPPC for deceptive mailers and not disclosing its backers—mailers targeting opponents of candidates backed by the Lincoln Club.

A warning letter sent by the Fair Political Practices Commission  in December 2014 to the San Diego County Voters for Progress and Reform advised that the group violated the  Political Reform Act by failing to identify T.J. Zane as a principal officer. Zane was also president of the Lincoln Club at that time and from 2006 to 2014, according to his biography on the San Diego Republican Party website.

However Brian Pepin, current president of the Lincoln Club, told  ECM that he is “completely unaware of the group and I have never heard of them before.”

Alessio, in an online community forum, denied ties to the mailer. She wrote, “For the record.  I never contributed to any attack pieces nor have I accepted or been offered any contributions from the Lincoln Club.  If you pull my campaign reports, you can see my donors are fellow La Mesans and me!”

But according to her latest campaign filing, Form 497, her campaign recently received almost $14,000 in an “in-kind” contribution from the Voters for Progress and Reform.

If the hit piece mailer was an independent expenditure campaign, legally it should have been just that—completely separate from Alessio’s campaign and done with no knowledge or consultation. So why did $14,000 suddenly appear as an in-kind donation on her disclosure form—meaning her campaign received something of value from Voters for Progress and Reform?

Perhaps the Fair Political Practices Commission should look into the shadowy organization behind the mailer and what exactly Alessio received of value from the organization.

While Parent has advocated for affordable housing which could mean limited denser development along transit lines, he has not been a supporter of sprawling development projects.  It’s worth noting that the Lincoln Club, a conservative pro-business group, typically favors developer-backed candidates. If Parent were really in the pocket of big developers, why wouldn’t the Lincoln Club have backed his candidacy instead of Alessio’s?

Comments

Wow!

Submitted by Anthony Mc Ivor on Thu, 11/03/2016 – 12:54

Politics creates many “just can’t make this stuff up” moments. And here we have the President of the prestigious Lincoln Club protesting that he has no idea who works in his offices. Will someone please advise the befuddled president that a covert political hit operation is claiming to share the same suite of offices as his organization on Navajo Road in San Carlos. As a backstairs outfit, maybe they only work at night?

• Log in or register to post commentsSubmitted by big fella on Thu, 11/03/2016 – 12:27
• Thanks for this article. I had wondered who was behind the anonymous mailings attacking Mr. Parent. It is sad that even at the local level there is little transparency. Frankly, I would give such mailings credence if they were signed, even if it’s by the opposing candidates.
• Finally, an explanation

• Log in or register to post commentsSubmitted by marcia_t.LM on Thu, 11/03/2016 – 11:54
• Was it too much effort for the writer would list the actual and in-kind contributions to date and their sources for all the candidates so the readers can decide what is what?
• What is the total money for each candidate?

• Log in or register to post commentsSubmitted by MPS on Thu, 11/03/2016 – 11:43
• $14,000 says it all. This kind of monkey business does not bode well for Alessio, regardless of how many times she denies it. Regardless, my vote as already been cast. And while voting should be kept confidential, it’s safe to admit, it’s not for Alessio.
• Not surprised…

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La Mesa Oktoberfest—We need you!

Friday, September 30-Sunday, October 2, 2016

Help out at our Club Booth! We will be registering voters, handing out candidate campaign materials, and collecting donations for Clinton/Kaine campaign swag!

Bring a buddy and volunteer for a four-hour shift, it is fun, the people watching is outstanding, and you will be making a difference for Democrats. Please contact Steve Jesionka to sign up:  sjesionka@cox.net or 619-670-2379, thanks.

 

 

Be sure to attend our series of meetings “Stark Contrasts” beginning on August 3

STARK CONTRASTS IN FALL CAMPAIGN

LMFDC Looks at GUN VIOLENCE, REFORM

STARK CONTRASTS between parties, Trump-ism vs the Common Good.  Never had we had a presidential referendum quite so delineated as this one, on almost every issue of national importance and discussion.   Our meetings will cover Gender Equity, Immigration Policy, Xenophobia, Climate Change and perhaps, most relevantly, Gun Violence and the Republicans inability to enact or accept meaningful Gun Reform

Our next meeting, Wednesday, August 3rd, at 7 PM at the La Mesa Community Center will feature an all-star panel of experts to discuss, dissect and divulge why the NRA has such a pistol-lock grip on the Republican Party, which even as we reel from the tragic events of the past few weeks, will not consider a renewal of the assault weapons ban, a limit on the size of ammo clips, enacting sensible background checks or closing the gun show loophole, all of which are wildly popular notions with the voting public.

Our panel will feature members of law enforcement, veterans and the Director of Public Outreach for the San Diego Chapter of the Brady Campaign, Ron Marcus

The San Diego chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has been the voice of the national Brady Campaign in San Diego County for well over a decade. In the wake of so many recent tragic mass shootings, the chapter has grown rapidly, organizing into an even stronger voice for sensible measures to prevent gun violence. they believe in a balanced approach that ensures the rights of all to enjoy essential personal freedoms while maintaining a truly safe community.

Ron Marcus serves as one of many volunteers on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the Brady Campaign to prevent gun violence. He became active in the chapter following the devastating Sandy Hook shooting tragedy. As Director of Public Outreach, Ron is responsible for marketing and media relations for the chapter, whose primary aim is to help reduce gun violence by educating the public and working with government at the local, state and federal levels.

Another panelist will be combat veteran and former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher.   Now Professor Fletcher, he teaches classes in the UCSD department of political science, as well as mentoring and advising students and helping to develop public policy projects.  He is also a member of the National Advisory Board of the Truman National Security Project.  He is a delegate of the California Democratic Party and has been active in supporting Democratic candidates and causes such as efforts to raise the minimum wage. He also remains involved in efforts to ensure implementation of Chelsea’s Law. Board.  

LMFDC Meeting Wednesday, August 3 at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, La Mesa. We begin with a Social Time with lite refreshments at 6:30 pm. The Business Meeting begins at 7:00 pm. Look for more information in the La Mesa and Mission Trails Courier papers and in your August Issue of The Progressive Voice.

The Annual Pride Parade is this Saturday, July 16 at 11:00 am. I am inviting all you wonderful members to join with the SD Dems for Equality and the Hillary Clinton campaign. We will have our club banner and proudly march with our brother and sisters in the LGBTQ Community:

Where:  Meet near the DMV in Hillcrest, our unit # is 47 at 10:00 am

How:  Carpool or Trolley are good choices, the parking situation is difficult, this link will help:   https://sdpride.org/parking-transportation/ there is a shuttle that runs from the Naval Hospital to the Park but in years past, the service was slow and some folks missed the Parade.

When:  10:00 am at the latest

Contact for more information or to RSVP:  Steve Jesionka 619-670-2379 (h) or sjesionka@cox.net

 

 

 

America Salutes President Obama

Local Club Celebrates Independence Day Holiday at

3rd Annual Party in the Park

Highlighted by a

Special Auction of Obama Memorabilia

La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club will be saluting the many accomplishments and bid a fond farewell to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle as they wrap up their nearly 8 years in the White House. And we’ll have many notable guests to help commemorate the occasion with tributes, pictures, collectibles and remembrances.

The Party in the Park comes in the middle of our Independence Week Celebration on Wednesday, July 6th from 6:00 – 9 PM. We will again be hosted by Jay Wilson and the terrific staff of the Mission Trails Regional Park and Visitors Center. And again, our event will feature Sub Sandwiches, salads, desserts, talk and camaraderie on the beautiful patio overlooking the Park and the San Diego River canyon.   It’s particularly convenient for our many members living in San Carlos, Del Cerro, Allied Gardens, La Mesa, Santee and the College Area. The dinner costs $5.00 for members and $15.00 for non-members. We’ll be signing up new members at the door.

JESS DURFEE, past chairperson of the San Diego County Democratic Party, and current National Committee member and convention delegate will describe his experiences with the Obama administration and the work being done in DC for national issues of import for Democratic progressives here and across the country. He’ll undoubtedly have some observations of the upcoming presidential campaigns of Hillary Clinton and the presumptive Republican nominee.   Jess, also a noted baker, will again be a featured taster and judge of our now famous PIE BAKING CONTEST. All attendees are invited to enter their best attempt at a delectable dessert to share with the 130+ guests. Prizes to the best 3 entries.

We’ve invited a who’s who of County Democratic Party stars, including County Chair FRANCINE BUSBY.

Another highlight of the evening will be a fabulous chat with Naturalist Linda Hassakis who thrilled us last year with samples of flora and fauna that we can expect to find throughout the park. We are sure to experience something unexpected with this very knowledgeable and engaging speaker.

The feature of the evening will undoubtedly be our Obama Memorabilia Silent Auction featuring a variety of valuable collectibles donated by our own JoDee Rich. A detailed pictorial and full description of the items can be found at our website, www.lamesafoothillsdemocraticclub.com. Among the items are framed 2008 Obama and other candidates limited edition comic books, Inaugural posters, pictures, prints, tickets and invitations, Framed Marvel comics “The Amazing Spiderman” limited edition “President’s Day Specials”, and much more. Bring your checkbooks! Inspect and bid on items at our website, and be sure to like us on our Facebook page.

Don’t miss our Party in the Park as we celebrate not only the Obama legacy, but our own success as a growing and powerful influence in the East County political scene. We are one of the largest and fastest growing Chartered Democratic Clubs in San Diego County. We meet regularly the first Wednesday of each month at the La Mesa Community Center. Become a member and enjoy the programs and camaraderie of fellow progressives this most crucial election year as we pivot to the general. All guests are welcomed.