Reginald Bronner

On Tuesday, April 17th, there will be a phonebank from 6:30 – 8 PM in Folsom. Calls will be going out to Folsom-area Democrats to inform them about Bronner’s candidacy, and to encourage them to vote in the June primary.

Then on Saturday, April 21st, the campaign will be walking precincts in the Lexington Hills subdivision. We’ll be knocking the doors of Democrats in these precincts, distributing Regy’s campaign brochure, and answering voters’ questions about the upcoming primary.

For more information, location, and other details about the events, contact FDC member Allan Brauer, who is serving as Regy’s Sacramento County coordinator, at 916-204-4197 or by email at info@bronner4assembly.com.

There will be more phonebanks and precinct walks in other parts of Folsom in the coming weeks. Other upcoming events where you can volunteer to help include Orangevale’s Pow Wow Days fair May 17-20.

To add yourself to the Bronner for Assembly volunteer email list, you can sign up at this link.

This is an election year, and all FDC members are strongly encouraged to turn out when our good Democratic candidates ask for our help. Regy faces two extreme right-wing Republicans in the primary, and if we don’t work to turn out the vote for him in June, we will have no choice in November.

The fundraiser will be held in a private home in Fair Oaks this Friday, March 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Dr. Ami Bera and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones are among the featured guests. Event details can be found on this flier.

The Folsom Democratic Club is proud to sponsor this fundraiser with a $300 contribution, and you can attend for a $20 donation.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Here are the responses we collected to this ten-question survey. 

The respondents are pretty evenly split between those who attend all/most meetings, and those who attend some/none. The board will want to look for ways to make meetings more appealing to a larger percentage of our members.

Mondays are the day of the week the largest percentage of respondents are available to meet. (Note: because the club has met for years on Mondays, people who can never attend Monday meetings have been less likely to join in the first place, an example of what pollsters would call self-selection bias.)

And Monday remains the overwhelming favorite day for meetings going forward.

We gave respondents a variety of options to this question, and the most popular answers suggest that members want the club to continue to allot at least 20 minutes of meetings to speakers, if not more, and keep club business time where it is or reduce it. And there’s some willingness for meetings to last longer to accommodate both.

A note on reading these responses: we gave members four choices to this series of questions. When evaluating responses, it’s useful to add together the first two columns (not/somewhat interested) and comparing that with the total of the third and fourth (interested/very interested). This can be as meaningful as seeing which answer was the most popular one (the response that is in bold).

The responses to this question suggest that the board will want to work on getting members more actively involved with the club than just attending meetings. There’s also relatively high interest in community service/charitable works, but we learn more about that on a later question in the survey.

The responses to this question point to a significant issue for the club to confront in 2012. There’s a good level of interest in conducting voter registration and staffing tables at public events, but very little enthusiasm for making phone calls and knocking doors. As elections draw nearer, these last two activities become the most significant ways volunteers can make a difference in electing more Democrats. The board will need to work with our membership on building engagement and commitment to phone-bank and canvass.

Among topics for forums and other events, the strongest support is for a candidate forum. And the low level of interest in an education forum has already guided the events committee to change direction. We’re glad we asked!

The responses to this question show a good level of interest in social events outside of club meetings, especially in the “Latte Liberally” mode. The events committee is scouting locations that will work with us so we can promote a meetup of local Democrats at their establishment. There’s also interest in candidate fundraising events we’ll want to explore in conjunction with local Democrats’ campaigns. And notice that here, when we broke out community service and charity fundraising and compared them with other activities, the interest is much lower than it appeared in the response to question 5.

Email and this website appear to be working best for our members, then Facebook, and phone calling much less so. And club members are not into Twitter.

Responses to our request for feedback remind us that not everyone who is a member of our club is able to attend meetings, but that doesn’t mean they don’t feel engaged and connected to us as an organization. It’s good to know that email, the website and Facebook help keep people aware of our activities. And we’ll try not to overdo the Facebook postings!

Thanks to everyone who participated. The results suggest that the FDC board should continue to use surveys as a way to gather actionable data about club members’ interests and preferences.

Once everyone has spoken, the ballots will be distributed. Ballots must be turned in promptly at this meeting. Once the ballots are collected volunteers will count the votes. We expect to announce the winners by the end of the meeting. Please plan to attend this meeting if you wish to participate in the voting.

The candidates have been invited to provide a statement supporting their candidacy, and the statements we have received are posted below. 

Shown alphabetically by last name

For President:

Allan Brauer

I’m Allan Brauer, candidate for Folsom Democratic Club president. I’d like to acknowledge the hard work that Muriel Brounstein has done in her year as club president. We all appreciate how much effort she has put into the organization. Under Muriel’s tenure, our club roster has grown substantially, the number of dues-paying members is up, and we have a good financial base with which to enter 2012. And so, you may ask, why am I, your current vice president, running for club president if our incumbent is running for re-election?

As I look at the state of our club at the beginning of 2012, I see that while our club may have grown in numbers, it has not grown enough in terms of member engagement and commitment. It’s not enough to get someone to fill out a member application and pay dues; once people join the club they have to find the meetings useful and informative, the activities meaningful, and the atmosphere encouraging and empowering. We know we’ve had new members join the club, attend a few meetings, then fade away, and on some level we failed to give that person sufficient value in exchange for their time. At the end of the day, most of our club’s committees are made up primarily of board members and the small core of dedicated members we’ve had for quite some time.

In making my decision to run, I consulted with many current and former board members, committee chairs and club members. The concerns they shared about how the club was functioning under its current leadership, and their enthusiastic support of my candidacy, convinced me that this is the right time for me to step forward and ask for your vote as president.

I’m running because I have the strategic vision for the Folsom Democratic Club that will enable us to make a difference in the campaigns of local Democrats. I have the support of current and incoming board members for my vision and my inclusive leadership style. And from the position of president, I’ll be able to guide board members, committee chairs and members to execute that vision, and help get more local Democrats elected to office.

2012 is an election year, and the focus of the Folsom Democratic Club must be electing local Democrats. As your club president, I’ll work in close collaboration with our incoming board to lay out a master plan for the club that carries us through election day in November. We’ll then work to ensure that every club member understands our strategic vision, and knows how the activities we undertake as a club throughout the year directly relate to the goal of electing local Democrats.

In order for us to be an effective resource to local Democrats running for office, we need to spend the first half of the year through the June primaries getting our members active, engaged, trained and experienced in campaign activities, so that as we move into general election season, we’ll have the capacity to do meaningful amounts of work for their campaigns.

Our relatively late June primary gives us the ability to develop our campaign skills this spring, and provide critical early support to candidates like Dr. Ami Bera and Regy Bronner. The more they can outperform expectations in the June primary, the more media coverage, contributions and volunteers they’ll attract heading into the general election.

Working closely with the campaigns of candidates like Dr. Bera and Regy Bronner, we can schedule activities that put our members in Folsom in contact with local voters. While identifying supporters for these great candidates, we can also encourage the people we contact to join our club and help us elect more Democrats. Then, as the general election campaign heats up, our experienced club members can be mentors and trainers to the second wave of volunteers that come on board in the fall.

And at the city level, we’ll be looking to support local Democrats who run for offices like city council or school board. Those races have much later filing deadlines, so we still have time to identify prospective candidates, encourage them to enter the race, and demonstrate the kind of support our club can provide their campaigns. These are the races where our club activities have the highest potential impact, and the ultimate payoff of our hard work will come when these local candidates win in November.

This plan is flexible and constantly adaptable. Working with the board, we’ll monitor how these candidates are performing throughout the election cycle, as well as how our club’s capacity is growing, and allocate our club’s focus and energy where it is most needed.

This is a high-level overview of my plan for the club. If you’d like to talk to me more in advance of the election, please email me at vicepresident@folsomdemocrats.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

I hope to win your vote as president; but regardless of who wins this election, I’ll be a committed and engaged member of the Folsom Democratic Club, ready to move forward with our plan to elect more local Democrats this November.

Muriel Brounstein

One year ago when the Folsom Democratic Club was a small group of 17 members, no one would accept the challenge of the presidency.  When I accepted, I agreed to make a two year commitment, the first year to rebuild the club, and the second year to continue strengthening the club and becoming a presence in the community.

My main goal was to grow to at least 50 members.  We have far exceeded that and are now at 75 members, over 30 of whom I personally recruited.  As a co-founder of the Folsom Democratic Club in 1998, I was instrumental in building the club then, too.

One of our club’s stated purposes in our bylaws is to “participate in local issues,” and the consensus at our club’s retreat this year was that our club “focus on the things that directly impact our community.”  My vision for the club agrees with these goals because I believe that we have the greatest impact locally.

My leadership style is to delegate responsibilities so that members feel a part of the club.  During the past year I have been fortunate to work with many club members who have served on the board, as committee chairs and on committees, all of whom have done an excellent job, helping to build the club.  We should all be very proud of what we have accomplished together.  We have received recognition for our accomplishments from other clubs and also the Democratic Party.

It is important for our club to work actively this year to re-elect Barak Obama.  Several months ago when his re-election seemed less certain I appointed a committee to formulate a “Talking Points” document to answer the questions “Why Democrats Should Not Sit Out 2012,” “Why the Political Parties are Not the Same,” and “What Has Obama Accomplished?”  Other clubs, candidates and office holders have asked for this document.

However, our main strength as a local club is to support local candidates.  We have a great opportunity this year to do our part to give Congress a Democratic majority again by helping to elect Ami Bera to Congress.  We must also support Reg Bronner for Assembly and other local Democratic candidates.

I believe that it is important to mentor the next generation of Democrats.  We have been working hard to build clubs at Folsom Lake College and Vista del Lago High School.  I began my life-long Democratic activism in a college Young Democratic Club in 1968. I   have worked actively ever since for local, state and national candidates and issues, and served as an alternate delegate attending the Democratic National Convention in 1980.

Our club’s immediate goal is to work for Democratic victories in 2012.  Beyond that I have two goals for the future.  One is to begin recruiting and mentoring Democratic candidates to run for local offices.  The second is to begin planning a fundraiser that will become an annual event so that we can raise and donate more money to candidates and issues that we support.

Many of you have told me at meetings and by e-mail that you have appreciated my hard work this year.  I am asking you to consider what we as a club have accomplished together this year under my leadership.  I ask you to continue supporting me so that together we can complete the projects that we have started.  I would very much appreciate your vote.

Muriel Brounstein

President, Folsom Democratic Club

For Vice President:

Jenifer Jacobs

Grayson Pangilinan

Grayson has notified the committee that he is withdrawing his nomination.

For Treasurer:

Bettye Andreos

[Editor's note: Bettye and her husband are on a long-planned cruise and won't be able to attend Monday's meeting. Bettye Andreos has been a long time member of the club and presently chairs our voter registration committee, where she has done an excellent job organizing volunteers to represent the club at events throughout the year.]

For Recording Secretary:

Debbie Martinez

I joined the Folsom Democratic Club in 2010 because I wanted to do something more than voting and donating money to support Democratic values and candidates. I was raised by parents who were Kennedy Democrats and I came of age during the anti-war and civil rights era of the 60’s and 70’s.  I recently attended the Democracy For America (DFA) Training and my eyes were opened to the possibilities for this election year and I got excited. Yes we can elect more Democrats to office and influence issues that are important to us, but we have to be strategic and really focused on what it important. This means we, as a club, have to prioritize what we do and maybe decide not to do some things. I would like to see us use tools like email and the website to take care of some of the business aspects of the club and focus the valuable time we spend together on educating, energizing and mobilizing our members.

My position is uncontested but I want you to know I am committed to being the recording secretary this year.  I have recently agreed to chair a by-laws revision committee. I have a strong writing background that will help with both these efforts. I have lived and worked in Folsom for over 10 years and I have been a volunteer and leader in other community organizations.  I look forward to being your Recording Secretary this year and contributing the club in more leadership roles in the future.

For Corresponding Secretary:

Ken Kiunke

I have served the club as Corresponding Secretary for over 5 years, and I am happy to continue in that role until someone else wishes to take it over. I look forward to a 2012 year as a growing and unified club as we do our best to help democrats such as Reg Bronner, Ami Bera, and Barak Obama win their elections and maintain our progressive momentum into the future.

At Large Members (vote for 2):

Brandon Bell

Barbara Leary

I am looking forward to working with the Folsom Democratic Club after getting involved this past year serving as Outreach and Events coordinator.  I have worked with Sacramento Democratic Central Committee members on growing the club through outreach to other Folsom Democrats.  This has been accomplished through the use of precinct calling lists and a growing committee of members willing to help with calls. I have also worked with the Central Committee representatives and our club events committee on setting up social and other gatherings so that Democrats can get out and meet each other; our focus has been on utilizing local businesses and donations to put on these events at little or no cost to the club.  I have been active in Folsom for 20 years, working on various campaigns, environmental, social and historic issues and have been happy to see a growing population of Democrats in our town.

Please sign the following petition from Dr. Ami Bera and share it with your friends!

Congressman Dan Lungren once again is putting partisanship ahead of the health and safety of millions of women, personally refusing a request to film this important hearing so it can be made available to the public. As Chair of the House Administration Committee, Lungren approved airing the panel comprised solely of men, but is refusing to give equal treatment to a hearing on the same exact issue, this time including the voices of women.

Join Ami in signing this petition today, and demand that Dan Lungren allow women’s voices to be heard on an issue that directly impacts their health.

All members in good standing who attend the meeting in person are permitted to vote in the election. Candidates for board positions will have an opportunity to address the club at the meeting, and are invited to provide written statements in support of their candidacy. These candidate statements will be posted online starting February 23.

We look forward to seeing our returning members and welcome new members to join us at the meeting, Monday, February 27th.

The existence of these ads, running months before a primary in which Lungren doesn’t even appear to face any competition for the GOP nomination, is a testament to how frightened Republicans are that Lungren will lose this November to Dr. Ami Bera.

Josh Wolf, Dr. Bera’s new campaign manager, sent out an email today to Bera supporters explaining what these ads reveal about the GOP’s deepest fears — that Lungren will lose this election as part of a wave in which Democrats will retake the majority in the US House of Representatives with great candidates like Dr. Ami Bera. 

Josh writes:

Thanks to all of you, our race is now widely identified as one of the most competitive in the nation. In fact, Dan Lungren, the Congressional Republicans and their SuperPACs are worried. Very worried.

Last week, the US Chamber of Commerce SuperPAC announced that they will spend over $350,000 on television ads to try to save Dan Lungren from defeat. The election is 10 months away and Congressman Lungren is in trouble. They know it. You know it. And I know it.

Help send a message to these SuperPACs that they cannot buy our election. We are asking all of our supporters to make a donation today. SuperPACs are spending $350,000 to shore up Dan Lungren. We are asking all of our supporters to give $35 or $350 or any amount by clicking here. Our election is not for sale.

To make matters worse for Congressman Lungren, John Boehner needed to add him to the list of of Republicans who are most vulnerable this election. You can read the story here.

If you can please give $35 or $350 or any amount please do so by clicking here.

Dan Lungren was barely re-elected with only 50.1% of the vote in 2010. Now we are in a district that is much more compact and all of the polling data suggests that more of the residents are inclined to vote for Dr. Bera instead of Dan Lungren. That is why he is calling in his SuperPAC friends to bail him out. We need to let him know he can’t buy this election.

Please show your support by making a donation of any amount. Every donation will send a message that our election cannot be bought by a SuperPAC.

Thank you for showing your support for Dr. Bera. We are going to win in November because of you. Our grassroots supporters.

The Folsom Democratic Club encourages you to support Dr. Bera any way you can. In the coming year, we’ll be doing everything in our power to elect more Democrats to represent the people of Folsom. It’s time to get involved and make a difference!

Dorothy Knable, the Sacramento-area coordinator with the California Clean Money Campaign that sponsors the DISCLOSE Act, alerts us that the Assembly will be voting on the act this Tuesday. She is seeking people to join her Monday to lobby our local assembly members on behalf of the bill. If you can join her, please call her at (916) 317-4417 and let her know you’ll join her. You can also call our assembly member, Dr. Richard Pan, at (916) 319-2005 and urge him to vote yes on AB 1148.

You may have received this particular email as well. It includes an audio clip from the radio program hosted by conservative talker Mark Levin. In it, a caller claiming to be a “brain surgeon” relates a story of how under the Affordable Care Act, patients over 70 will no longer be approved for advanced neurosurgery.

The caller gave several specific-sounding details about when and how he was informed of this “fact”, which gives it more credibility than it might otherwise carry.

But the story is a complete and total lie. 

The Snopes website, which is devoted to investigating rumors and chain emails, has a detailed post about this particular story. Such a directive from HHS does not exist, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, organizers of the conference in question, definitively refuted the caller’s story.

The AANS has repeatedly requested that Mr. Levin’s producers remove the audio clip of this conversation from his website, but so far they have refused to take it down, even though it has been definitively debunked.

Clearly Mark Levin is unconcerned with broadcasting false information to misinform his audience and confuse them about healthcare reform.

The problem is that once this kind of information is introduced into the media, it takes on a life of its own.

What can you do to stop it?

First, when in doubt, don’t pass it on. If something you read in an email or on a website alarms you, take the time to research it more yourself. Start with places like snopes.com, factcheck.org, and Media Matters.

Second, when you do discover that something you’ve received is false or misleading, send back the rebuttal to the originator of the email and everyone else who was copied on it.

This may be uncomfortable for you personally, as it may create some social difficulties for you with the person who sent it to you, but if you approach it in a friendly manner such as, “I’m so glad you sent this to me! I looked it up and the good news is it’s not true. Here’s a link to the rest of the story. Aren’t you relieved?” you can take the high road and treat the other person as someone with good intentions.

If the same person repeatedly bombards you with this kind of material, you can also just ignore it, delete it, or if you feel able, ask them to take you off your distribution list because you’re not interested in receiving them.

Finally, you can also use email and other social media to share with your friends and relatives truthful, accurate reports about current events, the claims of politicians, and stories that research issues in depth. We here at the FDC use our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts to bring you timely information that highlights the accomplishments of our Democratic elected officials. When you read something that you think your circle of friends might benefit from reading, share it.

Our club has fewer than 100 members, but when you add up all the people in each of our social circles, it’s amazing how many people we can influence. Here’s an amazing statistic: according to Facebook, the 57 people who “like” our page have a total of 23,179 Facebook friends.

If you receive a disturbing chain email or read something on a website that portrays our President, other Democratic elected officials or candidates, or existing/proposed legislation in an unflattering light, and you’re not able to debunk it yourself, share it with us and we’ll be glad to help you get the facts so you can pass them along.