Notes from the Chair, May 2009

The next few months are going to be incredibly busy.  It’s election time again!

Because we don’t think that our members would really want to be at the Olympic View Elementary School from 7:30 to around midnight for our May meeting, we’re not going to have all the candidates for all the positions at our forum.  We just can't.  What we will be focused on for May 21st is the candidates for the Seattle Mayor, Seattle City Attorney and Seattle City Council.

But even in the heart of Seattle, we know how important the County positions are, from Executive to the Port of Seattle.  We have been working with our neighbor districts, and we would like to announce a special joint forum focused on the King County Executive, the Seattle Mayor and the Port of Seattle on June 2nd at the Seattle Labor Temple in Belltown.  This will be the best opportunity for our members to hear from these candidates, so please put this evening’s event on your calendar and try to attend.  This is also our first attempt at a joint event with the 43rd , 36th and 37th, and we will have a few sales tables to buy campaign stuff as a fundraiser to help pay for the space.

The Raymond Cole Committee is getting organized, with their first meeting on May 18th.  The committee will submit a proposal for their operating procedures and the criteria for how we will judge and approve ideas to the eboard at our June meeting for presentation to the membership at the following general meeting.  Please keep the ideas and criteria coming!

The Obama Administration is doing their best to start to turn our national direction, and it's a hard job.  Our Representatives and Senators in Congress are facing decisions every day on what bills to support and what priorities to focus on.  They need our voices to encourage them to do the right thing and push for health care reform that covers everyone, a national energy policy that can help repair our damaged planet, provide a strong financial foundation for our future and bring the United States back onto the world stage as a respected member.  Without our voices hitting their phones, sending emails, writing letters to the editor and talking with our friends and neighbors, the only voices that they will hear are the siren songs of the corporate lobbyists, lulling them to write laws that put profits before the needs of people and our planet.  That's what progressive political activism is all about, keeping our voices louder than the sirens so we can keep our ship going in the best direction for our future.

On a more personal note, I have had some major changes in my family.  I now have an even stronger connection to Olympic View Elementary School, because my 11 year old son Shea is now attending the 5th grade there.  Now my own motivation to help support Education in Seattle and the state of Washington is stronger than ever.  Did everyone see the LAC report? Contact Sarajane if you have not. The Budget cuts hurt everyone, without exception. And until the economy starts turning the corner, there is only one thing that we can do that will really help.

Build our communities, stronger than ever.

Chad Lupkes
Chair, 46th District Democrats