OC Health March
Please join a coalition of Orange County community individuals and groups for a “Townhall March” for a public healthcare option.
Monday, August 31st
11am to 1pm
Please meet us at the corner of Newport Center Drive and Santa Rosa near Fashion Island in Newport Beach.
The march will be taking place in a “loop” around John Campbell’s office so you can join the loop anytime between 11am and 1pm. Signs will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own signs supporting the public option or remembering Ted Kennedy. Also, you are welcome to bring pictures of loved ones denied health coverage and/or a letter to John Campbell in support of public option.
To RSVP or for information please log to www.ochealthmarch.com or email ochealthmarch[at]gmail.com .
Past Meetings June 2009 - Thank you to Patty Humphreys for hosting our Strategic Planning meeting. Our agreed upon Values to guide us will be: honesty based on facts, truth, respect, civility and power and influence to effect change. Key Issues: Energy and Environment, Healthcare/Right to Choose, Preparing Women for Office; and our Club Goals: Increase Women in Office, Collaborations and Liasons with other Progressive Groups, Community Education on Issues. Our third goal will be met this month when we host CA Controller John Chaing speaking on state finances at BCYC on July 23rd. Join us. April 2009 - The Duck Club in Irvine was a bucolic setting for our networking meeting with many progressive women's organizations in Orange County. As each Club's President introducted their organizations, it became clear that there are a number of issues on which we share agreement and commitment which cross partisan and regional lines. We are exploring the nature of a network which would allow us to act as a powerful coalition to elect women to office, support a Presidential Commission on Women and advocate for the empowerment through knowledge of women and girls. Keep tuned for results. March 26, 2009 - Member Karen Ursini hosted us in her delightful home for a Lessons Learned panel of three women candidates in our recent election. Debbie Cook, Lorraine Prinsky and Ginny Mayer. discussed the challenges they faced running for office and the lessons they learned. if the recent Brown University research is correct and women do win office at the same rate as men when they run, then our challenge is to overcome the obstacles that keep women from making the decision to run. These women who did run shared their hard won wisdom with us. March 4, 2009 - former Mayor Beth Krom of irvine choose our meeting to make her announcement that she was launching her candidacy for the 48th Congressional District seat currently held by republican John Campbell. Our club is deeply committed to doing everything we can to turn this "safe" Republican district blue. DPOC Executive Director, Melahat Rafiei shared current recruitment efforts with our group as we enjoyed Marla Bird's wonderful home and view - a great meeting. Thanks to Joan Morris for a terrific job on our club rosters. Dues for this year are due now. January 20, 2009 - We had a contingent of members who attended the delightful Planned Parenthood of OC/ Women In Leadership breakfast at the UCI University Club to watch the Obama Inauguration together. Then, in the evening, another group attended the Laguna Beach Democratic Club Inaugural Ball at Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach to celebrate the changes coming to America with several hundred happy partygoers. Our next meeting is scheduled for the first week of March and we look forward to hearing from Beth Krom, Mayor of Irvine.
Meeting minutes will be posted on our web site for our member's only section. Coming Soon! Until then, here is what we have done in the past meetings. New members contact us and join today!
MAY 2009 - Thanks to Gina K. For hosting us in her elegant home overlooking all of Newport Beach. David Trujillo filled us in on the support Planned Parenthood of Orange Count needs from us and thanked our club for being a key part of convincing the OC Board of Supervisors to rescind pulling PPOC funding. They still need our help since they are refusing to to continue PPOC contracts putting women and girls at risk.
December 17, 2008 - Boat parade party - great time had by all!
Nov 4 Election Watch: BRAVO TO AMERICA! Our country has thankfully regained its sanity and elected intelligent adults to lead us and our world in these very complicated times. It is good to be a member of the Newport Beach Women's Democratic Club knowing that President-elect Barack Obama will be ably supported in this task by newly appointed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. All of us have won! Now we can all continue to work together to make this country the best we can be! Thanks to Patty Humphreys for hosting a great election night party in her lovely home. We will be sharing our enthusiasm for the future as we wave back at the boat parade revelers from Suzanne's boat on Dec. 18th wishing everyone Happy Holidays and look forward together to a hopeful New Year.
Oct 23rd meeting: It felt like Catalina Island joined our busy group in Bev White's delightful yard where we heard from candidates Dolores Otting and Lorraine Prinsky and League of Women Voters, Phyllis Maywhort about issues and propositions. Our new Program Chair, Lori Vandermier, also provided the OCDems recommended choices for the elections. Now that we are informed, WE MUST ALL GO OUT AND VOTE! See you at Patty Humphrey's election night Open House.
October 2nd meeting:
Katie Arthur hosted our VP Debate watch at Paula Milano's hilltop home and the groans and cheers were many. Fortunately, we did not follow the rules of the VP Debate Drinking Game which required multiple drinks every time Sarah Palin mentioned topics like: Alaska, moose and lipstick on pigs. ;-)
August meeting:
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez held our group spellbound as the sun set over Newport Beach and the ocean below us. Jovanna Kingkade and her family made us feel welcome as we heard about the sobering challenges facing our country from the Congresswoman who is the ranking woman on the House Armed Services Committee, Vice-Chair of the House Homeland Security Comm. and is the Chairwoman of the Border, maritime and Global Counter-Terrorism Subcommittee. We were told that the country's financial plight is so bad that top military brass believe that our financial weaknesses supercede our military challenges. What an informative evening.
July meeting: Former Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook wowed our group with her plans to defeat Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. His lack of attention to constituents has left him vulnerable in a formerly safe district. Debbie has asked for members to host Houseparties on the night of Barack Obama's acceptance speech. Thanks to Linda Tasooji for hosting the meeting in her wonderful CDM home.June meeting: Thank you to Dottie Lewis for hosting us in her beautiful East Bayfront home. The peaceful view helped soothe some tumultuous emotions held by Hillary supporters as they readjusted to the end of the primary. LA Times Daily Pilot columnist Joe Bell joined us and Mark Sussman from Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez's office gave us insights into campaigning in the O C. He recommended that we get to know candidate Debbie Cook and she will be our speaker at the July meeting. State Senate candidate Ginny Mayer requested the help and support of members in her campaign and we heard amazing new numbers about the increased number of Democrats in our home 48th Congressional District from Marion Pack in Steve Young's office. A poignant and busy meeting.
May meeting: Our appreciation to Smita Patel and her mother, Sue, for graciously hosting us for our May meeting. In Sue's serene and elegant home, we began the process of collecting dues. If you have not yet given us your check, you can send a check for $50 - individual, $40 - senior, $100 - family or $10 - student to NBWDC c/o Controller/Treasurer Smita Patel, 11 Vienna, CDM, CA 92625 or bring your check to our next meeting. Smita has become our new Controller/Treasurer and Shirley Van Buskirk will take on the role of Historian. Thanks to both of you. Our next meeting will be at Dottie Lewis' lovely bayfront home on Balboa Island. See the calendar page for details and be sure to RSVP to your evite so Dottie can plan for us.
April meeting: Thanks to Debbie Day for hosting our April meeting at her lovely North Bayfront home. Giiny Mayer and Lori Vandermier spoke to the group after our business meeting and we discussed "lessons learned" from our caucus experience. Appreciations were given to Shirley Van Buskirk and Lori Vandermier for accepting roles as Caucus Convener and Deputy convener for the Clinton 48th District Caucus. Kudos to their volunteers as well.
March meeting: Our March 27th meeting achieved its purpose in educating us about local politics. Steve Young spoke about his candidacy for the 48th Congressional District and Ginny Mayer shared her bid for the California Legislature.
Our February 27th meeting at the Newport Coast Community Center had twenty-one members conducting business, listening to the valuable recommendations of California Democratic Council President Henry Vandermier and sharing food, drink and good conversation. Club goals and objectives were discussed and decisions will be made at the March meeting.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -
Margaret Mead
Links to:
www.NoOnProp11.org
www.ocdemocrats.org
www.cadem.org
www.CDC-CA.org/
dfa-oc.org/calendar
drsuesview.blogspot.com/
www.steveyoungforcongress.com
www.nbplfoundation.org
www.electrose.com
