Listening Post - March 2001

P.O. Box 710211, Santee, CA 92072               A.Jacobs, Editor

TO HAVE, OR, TO HAVE NOT… that is the QUESTION!

REPORT: SD County Council of Democratic Clubs.

As if it isn’t already too big… Bush Administration Quietly Pushing Larger Tax Cut

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

March’s Program explores the Q: Do we want to establish a Santee Democratic Club Website… or not? PRESENTERS: Tom Abshire & Carl Cotton Both are Techno-Wizards, but we need your input too! We need to ask ourselves whether or not this will be a vital OUTREACH vehicle to Democrats in Santee Meeting: Mar. 27 – 7:30 PM Highland Mobile Home Community Recreation Center (4th Tuesday)

First, I’d like to declare my appreciation for Club Members Tom Abshire and Carl Cotton… for their time and expertise offered as we explore this website possibility to be used for outreach, information, updates. The Website Question Committee met for two hours Feb. 10th with Tom & Carl trying convey their know-how to a confessed non-techno. I’m impressed, no end! Also, I appreciate all you who attended our February Club Meeting & voted to pursue the pros & cons of establishing a website... you’re ADVENTURERS…all! NOW, for any of you who haven’t been to Democratic Club meetings lately, PLEASE plan to attend our March 27th meeting. Your input is definitely important on this issue. …Perry Highland Mobile Home Community Recreation Center (4th Tuesday)

Al Jacobs, immediate past president of our Club, introduced Perry Shipman to the monthly meeting of this Council. Perry reports that it is a great place for sharing & learning from other Clubs’ successes… and also their mistakes… wheels then don’t have to be reinvented quite so often. For example: Clubs have found that the following are GOALS worth thinking about for Year 2001-02: 1. WELL-PLANNED GOALS FOR 2001 How should your Club set these? 2. METHODS OF OUTREACH Which ones will you employ? 3. BROADEN YOUR CLUB’S APPEAL Especially for younger persons? How? 4. PRECINCT ORGANIZATION Will your Club gear up to organize? When? Now? Or, later? 5. INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION In your own area… when will you start? Last word from Perry… I hope to set up some committees to explore each of the goal areas above. Please talk to me… we need to know members’ particular interests & where each of you would be willing to put your energies pertaining to goals. Please, each of you, be thinking about the 5 points outlined above. You know the old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re sure to end up there!”

The Bush administration is now trying to push through an even bigger tax cut than the $1.6 trillion 10-year plan originally proposed. The Bush administration continued to talk down the economy this week with Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill telling some senators that Bush’s plan will not achieve its goal of stimulating the economy and that instead they should use even more of the surplus for a larger, retroactive tax cut. “The tax Plan we are considering now was drafted in 1999, when the economy was much stronger,” said House Majority leader Dick Armey (R-Tex). “But circumstances have fundamentally changed.” [USA Today 3/15/01]

House GOP Announces Assault Reproductive Choice

Right-wing abortion opponents in Congress are trying to push through legislation that severely restricts a woman’s right to choose. The Bush administration has already taken steps to limit a woman’s reproductive freedom by cutting off family planning funds to international groups that provide abortion referrals and appointing conservative, anti-choice John Ashcroft attorney general. The measures also could include imposing parental consent requirements on family planning and eliminating contraceptive coverage for federal employees. House Majority Whip Tom Delay (R-Tex) said that now that Bush is in the White House, “obviously we have more opportunities in bringing about some reasonable regulation of abortion. This is a pro-life Congress, House and Senate.” Said House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex). {Washington Post, 3/16/01}

SPEAKERS CORNER

The speaker for the meeting on March 27th will be Olga Worm who is the president of the NCJW (National Council of Jewish Women). Olga has just returned from a national convention in Washington D.C. where she lobbied many Congress people on issues important to women. She also has information on using the internet for contacting Congress members about various issues. I am sure our members will find her talk very interesting.

REFRESHMENTS

Frances Pryatel will be providing the refreshments for the upcoming meeting and we thank her for her efforts. We need volunteers for the May and June meetings.

Get Well Wishes

Get well wishes from all our members go to Collette Perkins who has been hospitalized and is now at home. We all wish her a speedy recovery. Her husband, Tex, is also seriously ill and is in nursing care. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.

Our Executive Board

President:                Perry Shipman    448-8658 Executive Vice President: Collette Perkins 448-0323  glenda6053@aol.com VP Membership:            Beverly Green    449-5795 VP Political Action:      Jim Wahl         448-1151 Treasurer:                Frances Pryatel  449-1587 Recording Secretary:      Collette Perkins 448-0323 Corresponding Secretary:  Al Jacobs        562-6701  alfredjacobs@webtv.net

One Democrat's Opinion - or Two!

BY LOTTIE HESS Part One An old song spoke of “Heart-Broken Monday”. Those words describe the feelings of so many Santee residents this past Monday, March 5, 2001. Two Santana High School students died that day, thirteen others were wounded and a 15 year old boy is responsible. He had no prior record of serious behavior problems. Our heart goes out to the students, parents and the school staff who are all so deeply affected by this incident. We especially pray for the families and friends of those who died: Bryan Zuckor and Randy Gordon. May they find peace and healing. The news has just come that a Catholic School in Pennsylvania and an alternative school in Twenty-Nine Palms have reported serious incidents. Other schools across the nation have been fortunate enough to be alerted to incidents in the planning stages in time to stop them. Sadly the disaster at Columbine High School seems to have provided a “model” for these disturbed young people to emulate. Do we provide far more publicity to these incidents than we should? I think we do. The public has a fight to know, but not over and over and over again. Let the healing begin. Part Two One the national scene, our citizens found themselves caught up in a national game of ‘Ain’t It Awful’ sponsored by the Burton Committee in the House of Representatives and Senators like Arlen Specter in the Senate. It all had to do with President Clinton’s last minute pardon of Marc Rich and others. Many members of both parties felt that Marc Rich’s pardon was unwise, the press made a big deal of it and talked of little else for days. Former President Clinton’s ratings plummeted. Hilary Clinton was also drug into the spotlight because her brother had been paid for requesting pardons for others. Those pardons were not granted and the money was returned, still her approval ratings dropped considerably. The media talked of nothing else for days, suggesting that the President should have gotten the approval of the Justice Department, the FBI, Congressional Committee and his staff before granting Marc Rich or anyone else a pardon. It was time to check with the Constitution of the United States. Section 2 Article II of the Constitution of the United States says that the President “shall have the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. In Marc Rich’s case I know that Barak’s support and that of other high ranking officials in Israel would have carried great weight with Clinton, as would the support of other citizens both here and abroad. We should move on, as the law provides. The pardons stand. As one former Senator put it, “You only grant pardons to felons – otherwise they don’t need one.” Part Three In the meantime President George Bush has been busy pushing his agenda. He has issued an edict saying that Labor unions cannot require that members contribute to the Union’s political action fund. His State of the Union Address went well and resonated with Republicans particularly. He promised to sign a repeal of recent legislation to combat injuries caused by repetitive motion requirements in certain kinds of work. Bush bombed Iraq, but was joined only by Britain and Israel – other former participants took a pass. The raid could not be considered effective. He continues to push for his budget – forget any compromises. President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea – a man who has received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his efforts to improve relations between North and South Korea – was rebuffed by President Bush who refused to resume missile talks any time soon. Many believe it could doom chances for peace and cordial relations in that area. As for me, I could cry about that one… As ever, Lottie Hess

Next Meeting

TUESDAY, March 27th 7:30 p.m. Highlands Mobile Home Community Recreation Center 7467 Mission Gorge Road Santee, CA 92071

Directions to Club meetings:

Take Mission Gorge Road to the Highlands Mobile Home Community. Drive straight Ahead to the recreation center on the left side of the road. Park in front or near the recreation center. The card room is left of the entrance.

DUES RENEWAL

Don't forget that annual dues are payable by the end of the year. This is our only source of revenue so please renew in good time. New ( ) Renewal ( ) Name(s) ________________________________ Street __________________________________ City/State/Zip ________________________________________ Phone: (h) ______________________ (w) _______________________ Please make your check payable to Santee Democratic Club. Mail to Santee Democratic Club, P.O. Box 710211, Santee, CA 92072

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL NOTICE

Santee Democratic Club 2001 Membership Application Renewal I am interested in helping with the following activities: ( ) Newsletter ( ) Publicity ( ) Voter Registration ( ) Special Events ( ) Fund-raising ( ) Political action ( ) Other: ____________________________