Author: Mitch

The La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club cordially invites you, your friends, and family to our annual Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 7^th, 6:30 PM at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, to celebrate the holidays and a very good year for local Democrats.  You will enjoy delicious food, drinks, music by the Joseph Luna Band, and great conversations with fellow Democrats and friends—all for the low price of $10.  Be sure to come and kick up your heels!!

We’re asking members to contribute side items for dinner, things such as side dishes, salads, small entrees, and desserts. The LMFDC Board is providing turkey and ham along with the usual foods provided for meetings. Last names A-H please bring a side dish; I-P please bring salad or small entrees; Q-Z please contribute a dessert.  

Please RSVP to Merrill Perry at (619) 820-2199 or mynylacat@gmail.com. We need a head count! And contact Merrill directly with questions or concerns.

Our holiday theme is “MAKE IT A WARM SEASON FOR ALL”, so we are asking for donations of new/gently used warm coats, jackets, sweaters, sneakers, boots for the La Mesa Methodist Church to distribute to those in need of assistance. There is a real need for men’s items.  We will happily accept food donations for the church as well.

Don’t miss a great time with fellow Democrats!

We’re meeting Thursday evening, Oct. 6, when we’ll hear from local candidates for East County offices, as well as get refresher training on GO Team.

Candidates we’re expecting to hear from include; 
– U.S. Rep Sara Jacobs, incumbent running for re-election in the 53d district. 
– Barbara Bry for San Diego County Assessor
– Greg Hodosevich for San Diego County Treasurer/Tax Assessor
– Jennifer Mendoza and Alysson Snow, for Lemon Grove City Council
and more!

We’ll also get refresher training on GO Team, getting up to speed on how to go door-to-door in the community to drum up support for candidates. If you need complete training, contact club President Tina Rynberg, treehugger1309@yahoo.com

The meeting starts at 7 pm–but do come early, at 6:30 pm, for the usual casual conversation with fellow Democrats. As usual, the meeting is at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive.

Important: We’re moving the meeting to a new day for October only, to avoid conflict with Yom Kippur. Beginning in November, we’ll be back to our normal meeting day, first Wednesday of the month.

For our next general meeting, Sept. 7—next week—we’re going to get you started canvassing neighbors for vote, and help you get to know your local candidates a little better.

The best way to get people elected is to go door-to-door, neighbor-to-neighbor, and convince folks to vote in one-on-one conversations. We’ll help you get going with that with GO Team training. As part of that, we’ll show you how to use the MiniVAN mobile app, which is your guide to canvassing the neighborhood.

We’ll also hear from local candidates for office in La Mesa and the surrounding communities, including City Council, school boards, and more.

The meeting is at the usual time and place—the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive. Programming starts at 7 pm, but come at 6:30 for informal conversation with your fellow Democrats.

Important: Our October monthly meeting is a special day and time. Mark your calendars for Thursday evening, October 6—we’re having it on Thursday rather than Wednesday out of respect for the Yom Kippur holiday. We’ll return to our usual schedule in November, first Wednesday of the month.

Monopoly is a thread—and threat—running through many of society’s fundamental problems, according to Cory Doctorow, an activist, journalist, blogger, science fiction writer, and long-time anti-monopoly champion, who spoke to the club at this month’s general meeting.

Watch the video:

Or listen to the podcast — and subscribe here.

Topics covered include:

• Why we’re in a “seminal moment” for anti-monopoly.
• How monopolies came to pervade the economy, limiting business and creating adverse social conditions.
• How monopoly drives wealth concentration, grinding down the young and working class, and exacerbating homelessness.
• How President Biden has championed anti-monopoly, delivering the sweeping Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, and appointing key antitrust watchdogs.
• Why Biden’s appointing Lena Khan as head of the Federal Trade Commission is ”the most salient political appointment of any president in at least 20 years.”

And more!

Cory comes up from the technology industry. He’s worked with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights organization, for many years; he’s now a special consultant for that organization.

Tech industry monopolies—primarily Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon—are highly controversial. But it’s not just tech. Monopolies dominate every industry. From healthcare and finance to professional wrestling, every industry is dominated by an extremely limited number of companies, which control what consumers can buy, and limit job choices for people who work in that industry. Monopoly power allows companies to exert unhealthy influence on the government agencies that are supposed to regulate them.

Cory is the author of books including science fiction for adults, such as “Radicalized” and “Walkaway,” nonfiction about monopoly and conspiracy, “How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism;” “In Real Life,” a graphic novel; and the picture book “Poesy the Monster Slayer.” His latest book is “Attack Surface,” a standalone adult sequel to “Little Brother;” his next nonfiction book is “Chokepoint Capitalism,” with Rebecca Giblin, about monopoly, monopsony and fairness in the creative arts labor market.

Cory blogs about monopoly, digital rights, and shares whimsical links at Pluralistic.net. He previously was co-editor of the blog Boing Boing for 19 years. Born in Toronto, Canada, Cory and his family now live in Los Angeles.

And mark your calendar for our next meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 7 pm, at the La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive, where we’ll get training in GO Team—you’ll learn what you need to know to go door-to-door to convince your neighbors to vote local candidates. And we’ll also hear hear from candidates for local office and find other ways you can support them. Come early at 6:30 pm for informal conversation with your fellow Democrats.

Read the July issue of our monthly newsletter, the Progressive Voice. Articles include: 

• Weber, Gonzalez, Parent celebrate Democratic achievements
• Why don’t Republicans value Americans’ lives after they’re born?
• How to overcome Trumpery.

And more!

Read it online here:

The print newsletter is distributed free for club members. If you’re not already a member, sign up here.