Next Meeting is June 12th @ 7pm

NEXT MEETING IS TUESDAY, JUNE 12TH, 2018 @ 6:45 (DOORS OPEN AT 6:30)
Location: 12341 Montecito Road, Los Alamitos, CA 90720

Join fellow OC Democrats to discuss the results of the June 5th Primary Elections. Learn which candidates will move on to November, hear them speak and how you can get involved in their campaigns. Featured speakers: Josh Lowenthal, Tom Umberg and Olaina Anderson.

BUY RAFFLE TICKETS TO WIN (2) TICKETS TO THE DODGERS GAME JULY 15TH
– DONATED BY JOYCE AND DUANE DALMAN

WHAT IS THE 72ND STATE ASSEMBLY

California State Assembly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                              California State Assembly
                                        California State Legislature
                                               Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type Lower house of the California State Legislature
Term limits Elected before 2012:
3 terms (6 years)
Elected 2012 and after:
6 terms (12 years)
History
New session started December 5, 2016
Leadership
Speaker Anthony Rendon (D)
Since March 7, 2016
Speaker pro Tempore Kevin Mullin (D)
Since December 1, 2014
Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D)
Since March 10, 2016
Minority Leader Brian Dahle (R)
Since September 16, 2017
Structure
Seats 80
Composition of the California State Assembly
Political groups Majority

Democratic (54)Minority

Republican (25)
Vacant (1)

Length of term 2 years
Authority Article 4, California Constitution
Salary $104,118/year + per diem
Elections
Last election November 8, 2016
Next election November 6, 2018
Redistricting California Citizens Redistricting Commission
Motto
Legislatorum est justas leges condere
(“It is the duty of legislators to pass just laws.”)
Meeting place
California Assembly chamber.jpg
State Assembly Chamber
California State Capitol
SacramentoCalifornia
Website
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. It consists of 80 members, with each member representing at least 465,000 people. Due to the state’s large population and relatively small legislature, the State Assembly has the largest population-per-representative ratio of any state lower house and second largest of any legislative lower house in the United States after the federal House of Representatives. As a result of Proposition 140 in 1990 and Proposition 28 in 2012, members elected to the legislature prior to 2012 are restricted by term limits to three two-year terms (six years), while those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years in the legislature in any combination of four-year state senate or two-year stateassembly terms.[1]

Members of the assembly are generally referred to using the titles assemblyman (for men), assemblywoman (for women), or assemblymember (for all genders).

The State Assembly convenes at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

In the current session, the Democrats control 54 seats, forming a supermajority of the chamber. Republicans control 25 seats. There is 1 vacant seat.

Download map: 

WHAT IS THE 34TH STATE SENATE

California’s 34th State Senate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

California‘s 34th State Senate district
Current senator
Janet Nguyen
RFountain Valley
Population (2010)
• Voting age
• Citizen voting age
927,893
688,872
491,287
Demographics
Registered voters 414,630
Registration 40.45% Democratic
31.47% Republican
23.93% No party preference

California’s 34th State Senate district is one of 40 California State Senatedistricts. It is currently represented by Republican Janet Nguyen of Fountain Valley.

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. Due to the state’s large population and relatively small legislature, the State Senate has the largest population per representative ratio of any state legislative house. In the United States House of Representatives, California is apportioned 53 representatives, each representing approximately 704,566 people,[1] while in the State Senate, each of the 40 Senators represents approximately 931,349 people,[2] with the result that California state senators each actually represent more voters than California’s representatives to theUnited States Congress do. Each member roughly represents a population equivalent to the state of Delaware. As a result of Proposition 140 in 1990 and Proposition 28 in 2012, members elected to the legislature prior to 2012 are restricted by term limits to two four-year terms (eight years), while those elected in or after 2012 are allowed to serve 12 years in the legislature in any combination of four-year state senate or two-year state assembly terms.[3]

The State Senate convenes at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

In the current session, Democrats control 27 seats, comprising a two-thirds supermajority of the chamber. Republicanscontrol 13 seats.

History

Prior to 1968, state senate districts were drawn so that each county had at most one state senator. This led to the situation of a populous county such asLos Angeles County being accorded the same number of state senators (1) as less populous counties such as Humboldt County. In Reynolds v. Sims, theUnited States Supreme Court compelled all states to draw up districts with equal population. As such, boundaries were changed to comply with the ruling.

Leadership

The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote. The President pro tempore is elected by the majority party caucus, followed by confirmation of the full senate. Other leaders, such as themajority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucusesaccording to each party’s strength in the chamber.

The current president pro tem is Democrat Kevin de León (24thLos Angeles). The minority leader is RepublicanPatricia Bates (36thLaguna Niguel).

Meeting chamber

The red tones of the California State Senate Chamber are based on the British House of Lords, which is outfitted in a similar color. The dais rests along a wall shaped like an “E”, with its central projection housing the rostrum. The Lower tier dais runs across the entire chamber, there are several chairs and computers used by the senate officers, the most prominent seat is reserved for the secretary who calls the roll. The higher tier is smaller, with three chairs, the two largest and most ornate chairs are used by the President Pro Tempore (right chair) and the Lieutenant Governor (left chair). The third and smallest chair, placed in the center, is used by the presiding officer (acting in place of the Pro Tem) and is rarely sat in as the president is expected to stand. There are four other chairs flanking the dais used by the highest non-member officials attending the senate, a foreign dignitary or state officer for example. Each of the 40 senators is provided a desk, microphone and two chairs, one for the senator, another for guests or legislative aides. Almost every decorating element is identical to the Assembly Chamber. Along the cornice appears a portrait of George Washington and the Latin quotation: senatoris est civitatis libertatem tueri (“It is a senator’s duty to protect the liberty of the people”).

Officers

Position Name Party District
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom Democratic
President pro tempore Kevin de León Democratic 24th–Los Angeles
Majority leader Bill Monning Democratic 17th–Carmel
Majority whip Nancy Skinner Democratic 9th–Berkeley
Majority caucus chair Connie Leyva Democratic 20th–Chino
Majority caucus vice chair Mike McGuire Democratic 2nd–Healdsburg
Minority leader Patricia Bates Republican 36th–Laguna Niguel
Minority caucus chair Jim Nielsen Republican 4th–Gerber
Minority whip Ted Gaines Republican 1st–El Dorado Hills
Secretary Daniel Alvarez
Sergeant-at-Arms Jodie Barnett
Chaplain Sister Michelle Gorman

The Secretary, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplain are not members of the Legislature.

Composition


Composition of the California State Senate
Democratic Party
Republican Party

Midpoint
27 13
Democratic Republican
Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature 26 13 39 1
Begin 27 13 40 0
Latest voting share 67.5% 32.5%

DCSB LOCAL EVENTS:

CITY COUNCIL MEETING – WILL BE DISCUSSING OUR LOOMING BUDGET CRISIS
(YOUR TAXES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO GO UP) BE INFORMED
MONDAY, JUNE  11TH  @ 7PM

TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: CITY HALL: 211 8th St, Seal Beach, CA 90740
DOWNLOAD CLOSED SESSION AGENDA HERE
DOWNLOAD OPEN SESSION AGENDA HERE
DOWNLOAD REFERENCE PACKET HERE

*PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND

VOTER REGISTRATION
JULY – OCTOBER

HOSTED BY:
YES WE CAN DEMOCRATIC CLUB AND DCSB

Location: Marina Farmers Market – Long Beach
Time/Dates: TBDVOTER REGISTRATION
JULY – OCTOBER

HOSTED BY:
DEMOCRATIC CLUB OF SEAL BEACH

Location: Pocket Park, Main Street, Seal Beach
Time/Dates: TBDVOTER REGISTRATION – OC Fair
JULY 12 – AUGUST 13

HOSTED BY:
DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ORANGE COUNTY

Location: OC Fair
Time/Dates: TBD
*STAY TUNED FOR WAYS TO GET INVOLVED TO GET OUT THE VOTE

LOCAL ELECTIONS ARE AROUND THE CORNER…WE NEED CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES.

DCSB is on the search for people to run for Seal Beach City Council – District 1, 3, and 5 and Los Alamitos City Council Please contact democraticclubofsealbeach@gmail.com to learn more. We will help support candidates ( in a non partisan manner), help them to get candidate training and try to get volunteers to set up a team for them.

Seal Beach City Council Information
Los Alamitos City Council Information

LOCAL NEWS

Seal Beach City Council seeks more revenue

By
Jeannette Andruss

June 8, 2018

 

Fueled by a combination of increasing costs for fire services, ballooning pension payments and flat sales tax revenue, the City of Seal Beach is grappling with how to balance a budget that has more cash going out than coming in.

“There is no easy fix,” District Four Councilwoman Schelly Sustarsic wrote in an email regarding the budget this week.

The challenging financial situation will be front and center at the Seal Beach City Council’s next meeting on June 11, which has what is shaping up to be a jam-packed agenda filled with key items related to the city’s finances.

Next Monday, the council is expected to adopt a budget for fiscal year 2018-2019, which currently has a projected $832,300 deficit. It’s also expected to consider the recommendation from the city’s Fire Services Advisory Ad Hoc Committee to continue a costly contract with the Orange County Fire Authority.

In addition, city staff will present to council new revenue options, including, possibly, a tax-raising ballot measure. Lastly, council could consider approving a contract with an oil consultant to find new oil revenue, according to City of Seal Beach Finance Director Vikki Beatley.

The votes on these items could have a lasting impact on the city’s financial health and capacity to pay for critical services residents have come to expect.

“City staff has been doing the best possible to mitigate the increase in expenses and we are now at the point where these types of possibilities need to be discussed,” Beatley wrote in an email this week. “Everyone needs to be realistic about the cost of providing services to the community.”

Cutbacks have been a top focus for the City of Seal Beach as it crafts a new budget for the next fiscal year that starts July 1. Some of the city’s proposed cuts include reducing staffing levels, cutting the $100,000 worth of discretionary money given to council members and scaling back on the cleaning of public buildings, restrooms and the beach. “Even with these cuts, there will be some tough decisions to be made over the next several months to cut even more and I believe those are necessary for the long-term stability of the City,” District Two Councilman Thomas Moore wrote in an email this week.

While cuts are part of the budget balancing act, increasing revenue is also critical. Property taxes and parking fees are expected to bring in more money in the coming years, but other sources of revenue are projected to be stagnant. So how can the city bring in more money to offset rising expenses? And how much money does the city really need?

These are questions that could be answered at the June 11 meeting.

Searching for new revenue

A Strategic Objective adopted by the city at a Strategic Planning Meeting in March directed the Finance Director to: “Research, evaluate and recommend to the City Council for direction options for new revenue sources, up to and including a new ballot measure.” Beatley said the plan is to present the options at the June 11 meeting but did not offer any more details on the options.

Tax-raising ballot measure

A ballot measure to raise taxes has been floated for months and was discussed at two public budget workshops in May. A sales tax hike appears to have the most support from city leaders, as it would be paid by residents and visitors, but many council members are wary of raising taxes.

“Raising taxes is not a popular idea and no one is anxious to do that,” Councilwoman Sustarsic wrote in an email. She explained she is open to the idea of a sales tax increase on the ballot but wants to see a “long-range projection of our pension, fire and safety costs presented in order for all of us to have good information on which to base this decision.”

District One Councilwoman Ellery Deaton expressed similar concerns and said an increase in property or sales tax should be considered “after all other measures have been exhausted.”

Beatley estimated a half percent sales tax hike would generate between $1.8 and $2 million in new revenue while a $100-per-parcel tax increase could generate $580,000 in new revenue. Also, raising the Transit Occupancy Tax, which is charged to visitors who stay at hotels in the city, from 12 percent to 13 percent could generate about $137,000 in new revenue, according to Beatley. She described these estimates as “back-of-the-envelope calculations.”

The city has an Aug. 10 deadline to get a ballot measure on the November ballot.

“Quite frankly, at this point in the year, a ballot measure is going to be really difficult for us to get on,” City Manager Jill Ingram said at the last budget workshop in May. “We do have time, it’s just going to be a sprint to get there and we’ll make it happen.”

Emphasize shopping local

Another idea for ramping up revenue is to get more residents to shop at local businesses. City leaders have long cited the growing prevalence of online shopping as a threat to the local economy. Online sales are blamed for decreasing sales tax revenue and city staff and elected officials are encouraging residents to shop local. “If we have a store that you like in the City, then go to the store,” Beatley said.

Oil revenue

Oil revenue has been hailed as a potentially huge source of new money for the city.

On June 11, city council is due to consider approving a contract with previous city contractor and oil consultant Greg Kirste and Municipal Petroleum Analysts. Originally scheduled for council consideration last December, after months of negotiations, the contract was finally signed in April, but still needs council approval.

Kirste estimates there is between $13 and $20 million in revenue for the city to collect. The revenue sources could be from past or future fees, taxes, judgements and other payments oil companies and businesses may owe the city. Under the proposed contract, Kirste would be paid a 15 percent contingency fee on any money the city collects from his findings.

What the city has not specified is how soon Kirste will deliver any money. In recent interviews, Kirste did not offer a timetable for recovering oil money but said he is confident there is a lot of money out there owed to the residents of Seal Beach.

COUNTY AND STATE UPDATES

ORANGE COUNTY ELECTIONS
http://www.sunnews.org/2018-primary-election-update-for-seal-beach-voters/

WILL WE HAVE A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE IN THE 48TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT?

AS OF 06.10.18 HANS KEIRSTEAD IS IN THE LEAD BY ABOUT 80 BALLOTS AND ABOUT 1200 VOTES ABOVE SCOTT BAUGH. ABOUT 120K BALLOTS ARE LEFT TO TALLY. CLICK ON LINK BELOW FOR UPDATES:

https://www.ocvote.com/fileadmin/live/pri2018/results.htm

STATE ELECTION RESULTS
http://www.sunnews.org/2018-primary-election-update-for-seal-beach-voters/

Propositions

68: Bond for parks and water systems Yes: 56 percent No: 44 percent

69: Gas tax Transportation Funds Yes: 81 percent No: 19 percent

70: Cap-and-trade spending vote Yes: 36 percent No: 64 percent

71: Ballot-measure start dates Yes: 77 percent No: 23 percent

72: No property reassessment for rain recycling Yes: 84 percent No:16 percent






SWING SO CAL LEFT CALENDER – CLICK FOR MORE
Orange County Calender of Events – click
Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump An updating tally of how often every member of the House and the Senate votes with or against the president. Click

By David Siders (dsiders@politico.com) and Carla Marinucci (cmarinucci@politico.com) with Candice Norwood (cnorwood@politico.com)

— Democrats will be reminding voters of Poizner’s past tough statements on immigration when he was a candidate for governor eight years ago. With the Democratic voter registration advantage, strategist Roger Salazar tweeted that Lara will “crush” Poizner come November. But if he succeeds, Poizner’s path could be a template for other Republicans — perhaps San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer — for whom the “R” after their names has been a ticket to nowhere, at least lately.
— “Persky recall called victory for ‘girls and women everywhere'” by SFChronicle’s Bob Egelko: “Persky, a judge since 2003 and a former prosecutor, sparked voter anger in 2016 after sentencing Brock Turner to six months in jail after the then-19-year-old Stanford swimmer’s conviction of digitally penetrating and attempting to rape a drunk and unconscious woman on campus. … The victim’s courtroom statement about the devastating impact on her life touched off a nationwide furor and fueled the recall campaign against Persky. He became the first California judge since 1932 to be recalled.” Story .
— “What to expect in these crucial California congressional races” by LATimes’ Christine Mai-Duc and Jazmine Ulloa: “With the threat of primary shutouts seemingly behind them, California congressional candidates from both parties must pivot as Democrats seek to unseat established GOP incumbents and capture two open seats in the fall. Many of the matchups look to be quite competitive — a good situation for Democrats who are counting on winning some GOP-held districts in California in order to retake control of the House.” Story.

FEDERAL UPDATES

Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump An updating tally of how often every member of the House and the Senate votes with or against the president. Click

SEAL BEACH, ROSSMOOR AND LOS ALAMITOS  ARE UNIQUE COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE LOCAL PAPERS. LET US USE IT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE. CONTRIBUTE.

CONTACT THEM BELOW. Do you want to know more about what is going on with Seal Beach government? Seal Beach is special in that we have a publication that informs its residents. Let us find a  real purpose for it.

http://communitymediaus.com/contact-us.php

Email these editors to get your stories published:

News Enterprise Editor Ted: editor@newsenterprise.net

Sun News Paper Editor David: editor@sunnews.org

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.