The first meeting of the year for the SJC Democrats was well-attended, and we voted on our officers for this biennium. I will continue as chair, my wife Geri will continue as vice chair, Peggy Rhoads will continue as secretary, Alison Longley will continue as treasurer, and Sharon Abreu and Bob O’Connell will continue as our state committee members. Deputy vice chairs will include Jeff Hanks for Lopez, Keara Axelrod for Orcas, and a person from San Juan whose identity will remain undisclosed.
After this officer election, the following precinct positions were filled by appointment and a vote of approval: Siri Thorson for Waldron, Stephen Shubert for Turn Point on San Juan, and Peggy Rhoads for Orcas South. We are still looking to fill PCO positions for San Juan SW, San Juan East, Friday Harbor North, Friday Harbor South, Orcas North, Eastsound, Lopez Village, and Shaw Island.
The 40th LD has its reorganization meeting tomorrow, Sunday, at 10:00. They are looking for a secretary and a membership chair. Please let me know if you are interested, and your attendance is encouraged
At the state level, there will be a lobby day on Friday, January 27, at which you are encouraged to meet with our legislators. The next day the state central committee will be selecting a new chair, as the current chair, Tina Podlodowski, is stepping down. There will also be other officers chosen and resolutions considered.
We spent a lot of time on a subject we have discussed numerous times in the past: How to bring in new people, especially younger people and diverse people? One of the best ways is simply networking, i.e., talking with people you know. Undoubtedly those of you reading this note know of other folks who would be interested in getting on our email list and perhaps even attending meetings. If you can reach out to them, it benefits all of us.
It was mentioned that perhaps a perceived progressive bent of our current organization has discouraged some more moderate Democrats from participating with us. I will make no bones about the fact that many of our members, including myself, are of a progressive bent. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have room for other voices, whether it be more moderate or more radical. We strive to be a big tent, but we can’t be a big tent unless we have people from various perspectives participating with us. It was mentioned that some moderate Democrats may have felt alienated, and I would welcome any of you to communicate with me or simply to attend a meeting and express yourself, as one of our members did today. We can only gain understanding by listening to the various points of view, and we only succeed if we have the Democrats united. Just because some members are quite progressive doesn’t mean they don’t volunteer to help elect the moderate Democratic candidates that have run for president the last two times.
Councilor Cindy Wolf told us about some townhalls that the Council will be conducting at the Senior Centers. The townhall for San Juan will be on Jan. 28, Orcas will be Feb. 4, and the one for Lopez is still to be decided.
If you have a suggestion for a guest you would like to see present at one of our meetings, please let me know. Guest speakers can add a lot to our meetings, and your suggestions can guide our invitations.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
David Turnoy davidgeri@rockisland.com
360-376-4165