WashCo Dems Latest Updates

First let me thank the Executive Board for their vision in creating the position of Field Organizer for the Washington County Democrats and for giving me the opportunity to fill the position. I want to especially thank our Chair, Lupita Maurer, and our Co-Chair, Steve Packer, whose guidance, insights and support sustained me throughout the campaign. I also need to acknowledge our army of volunteers, our officers, PCPs and NLs, the regular office staff, and walk-ins whose hard work helped build our victories, and, in races where we fell short, helped build a strong foundation for future victories.

It’s been a great ride, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’ve enjoyed being Field Organizer so much, in fact, that I’ve submitted my name for nomination to the position of Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Washington County, because I feel that I can best continue the work of expanding and strengthening our party as Vice Chair. The Vice Chair has, on paper, the easiest duty of all of our officers, aside from filling in for the Chair, the only thing the Vice-Chair is tasked to do is to schedule speakers for the monthly Central Committee meetings. If I am elected, I will happily support our Chair and look forward to bringing exciting, entertaining and, hopefully, challenging speakers to our meetings. But I think I can do more.

I’m excited by our upcoming strategic planning process, in which we can take what we have learned in the campaign that has just ended and put it to use in the future. I’d like to build on our network of HDLs, PCPs and Neighborhood Leaders, and, together with the good work of the Training, Organization and Office Committees, train and support these volunteers so they will be prepared for the 2010 campaign. One of the most important resources we have, the one that sustains all of our activities, is our office, and as your Vice Chair I would work with the Office Committee to plan year-round activities that will utilize our office as a public space, a gathering place, an important part of civic life in our community. I’d also like to explore the possibility of a satellite office in HD 29 or 30 to better reach our base in Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove.

And, as Vice Chair I will work to forge alliances with community groups and leaders that are currently underrepresented in the WashCo Dems. Our greatest strength is our diversity, and our future success will hinge on our ability to make our tent as big as possible.

It’s axiomatic in politics that past performance is not predictive of future success. If you elect me as your Vice Chair, I promise I will roll up my sleeves and build our future victories.

Want to know what our President-Elect is doing to get ready for January, including White House Staff picks? Visit http://change.gov, the Obama-Biden Transition Team website.

The November meeting of the Washington County Democrats will be held this Saturday November 22nd at 9AM for election of officers.  This event will be held at the Kingstad Center on Millikan Way in Beaverton.
We will not hold a meeting on the 4th Wednesday as we do in every month except November and December.

Also, as specified in our bylaws, we do not meet in December. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on January 28th, 2009.

Get involved with your Party!
Check out our Volunteer Opportunities!
Fill out the online volunteer form or call or visit our headquarters.
-
We are looking for help with the following new jobs to help elect Democrats:
Office Staff: Meet and greet people at the office
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Washington County Democratic Party Office
12250 SW Broadway, Beaverton OR 97005
503-626-7018

What a great election! We won most of our local and all of our state Candidates, passed and defeated the appropriate Ballot Measures, and elected Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House. Great work everybody, now we can all sit back and relax. Yeah, right!
Every two years following the national elections, the Washington County Democrats hold a Reorganization Meeting to elect the leadership that will guide the Party.
On Saturday Nov 22 we will once again meet to hear the candidates, and the Elected PCPs will vote for our next Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. I will be running for Vice Chair and am asking you for your vote.
I was first elected as a PCP in the 2006 Oregon Primary, and had no idea what to do with this new title. I soon discovered the Washco Dems, and asked what can I do to help elect Democrats? To suggest there was a silent cheer of "Fresh Meat!" would be an understatement.
Since becoming active with the Party, over the past two years I have served on the IT Committee, co-chaired the Training Committee, been appointed a House District Leader, worked in the Neighborhood Leader Program, and participated in many other capacities and events. Oh, and I have been declared "the Voice of the Washco Dems" for my monthly-plus appearances on the KPOJ Morning Show: "It's Glen Geller with the Washco Dems Report".
I feel I have learned a lot, gained at least a reasonable understanding of local and regional politics, and now I believe I can best be of service as your Vice Chair.
I know our challenges over the next two years will be many: to sustain citizen interest in the political world of Washington County in the wake of the 2008 election; support our next Democratic candidate for Oregon Governor; identify and support the election of new Democratic candidates for various State and local positions; and continue to educate and recruit new members to our Party. I think we can do all these things, building on the great organization we have all worked so hard for the past few years.
So I'm asking you, the voting (elected) PCPs to vote for me on Saturday Nov 22 at the Reorg Meeting at the Kingstad Center.
I welcome your comments and suggestions, and I hope you will vote for me for Vice Chair.

All the best,
Glen

Glen Geller
HD28-1@washcodems.org
503-320-4798

I was looking through all the old Politi-Polls and noticed the one about who would be the #1 choice for vice president. I was ...amused... at how far off we were.
I'll just assume Barack Obama didn't see the results of that one.

Question: Assuming one of the current Democratic Presidential candidates wins in Nov 08, who would you most want to see as VEEP?

"Family Angel" Beth Ann Kucinich joins the angels
Congressman Dennis Kucinich's youngest sister, Beth Ann, passed away today.
Please keep her and the Kucinich family in your prayers and in your hearts.
CLEVELAND, OH (Tues. Nov. 11) - Proud Army Veteran, Beth Ann Kucinich, beloved youngest sister of Congressman Dennis Kucinich, died today, Veteran's Day, at Veteran's Hospital in Cleveland, after a battle with acute respiratory distress syndrome. She was 48 years old.
Her family was at her side throughout the three week ordeal, as she struggled to survive while on life support.
Beth Ann Kucinich served in the US Army at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. A talented musician as well as an artist, she sold many of her works of art to her fellow veterans at the Brecksville Veterans Center. Her specialty was drawing famous cartoon characters for friends and loved ones on special occasions.
An avid heavy metal fan, she attended many local area concerts and practiced her own music with a guitar, with an extraordinary impression of Janis Joplin.
"She was pure love. Every action, every sentiment, every piece of art, every word she spoke was an expression of love. Beth Ann was our family's angel, our 'Heavy Metal Angel', said her eldest brother Dennis.
"Our brother, Perry, passed away last December. Beth Ann never got over Perry's sudden passing. The two had been inseparable. She talked about Perry constantly and she longed to be with him," Dennis said.
She was the beloved mother of Asher; treasured sister of Dennis, Frank, Gary, Teresa, Larry, and the late Perry Kucinich; and dear aunt and a great aunt.
The Kucinich family will receive visitors at Golubski Funeral Home, 6500 Fullerton Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday, November 12, 4pm to 9pm, and on Thursday from 9:30 am until 11:00. The funeral service will begin at 11:00 am, with interment at Calvary Cemetery

The Democratic Party of Oregon's State Central Committee will elect three Democratic National Committee members on December 7, 2008. No more than two of the DNC members may be of one gender. The DPO will elect its chair, vice chairs and secretary at its organizational meeting in the first quarter of 2009.
Candidates must file by Wednesday, November 12, 2008, in order to be listed on the official ballot for the DNC elections held on Dec. 7.
To file, download this form (pdf) and return it to Alex Berke. 
For additional information visit the DPO Delegation Webpage.

Here is additional evidence showing how poor Republican Presidents (the supposed fiscal conservatives & business elite) manage the U.S. economy. Since FDR, the Stock Market has only declined in value under Republicans: Bush II, Nixon & Ford. By contrast, the stock markets greatest gains were during Democratic Presidencies: Clinton (Best overall Stock Market performance since 1932) and FDR.

The proof is in the pudding:
SEE THE FULL CHART

Like this article? Visit MIDDLE MAJORITY for more!

Conventional wisdom dictates that Democrats are considered (by most Americans) to be better with the economy than Republicans. But have you ever wondered why that is? Conventional Wisdom also states that Democrats typically favor "growing the size of the government". But is that actually true?

The answers may or may not surprise you. CW is proven 100% correct when it comes to the economy - History shows that the U.S. economy (by all measurable standards) does better under Democratic management than Republican.

Although, when it comes to the size of the federal government or increased spending, who is actually better or worse? In this regard, CW is proven wrong by history. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics & the Bureau of Economic Analysis - historically, it is Democrats NOT Republicans which cut spending and decrease the size of the federal government (looking back at the last 50-100 years worth of data).

See for yourself:

DATA TABLE.

Acronyms: BLS = U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; BEA = U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

Metric

Source of data/
analysis

Average under
Democratic
Presidents/
Administrations

Average under
Republican
Presidents/
Administrations

Who measured better
on this metric? 

Average Ranking (lower the
number the better) for
highest GDP growth,
real disposable personal
income, employment/
unemployment, deficit reduction
1953-2001

Average rank calculated
from ranking data from
Dan Ackman, Forbes.com

Overall rank: 4.58
(top 3 are Democrats)

GDP rank: 3.8

Real Disposable
Personal Income
rank: 5.0

Employment rank: 4.6

Deficit Reduction
rank: 4.2

Overall rank: 6.44
(Reagan is #4)

GDP rank: 7.2

Real Disposable
Personal Income
rank: 6.0

Employment rank: 6.4

Deficit reduction
rank: 6.38

Democratic
Presidents

[Also see this data
comparison from Michael
Kinsley in the
Washington Post]

Real Disposable Personal
Income Growth per year
1953-2001

Dan Ackman, Forbes.com

3.65%

3.08%

Democratic
Presidents

Employment gains per year
1953-2001

Dan Ackman, Forbes.com

1.684 million/year

1.279 million/year

Democratic
Presidents

Unemployment:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the BLS

5.1 %

6.75 %

Democratic
Presidents

Unemployment:
1947-2001
Assuming that each President's
policies took effect 1 year after
his inauguration

Larry Bartels, Los
Angeles Times

4.8 %

6.3 %

Democratic
Presidents
(trend similar if 2
year shift assumed)

Average After-Tax Return on
Tangible Capital:
Jan 1952 - June 2004

Roger Altman,
Wall Street Journal
(data from Federal Reserve)

4.3%

3.2%

Democratic
Presidents
[For a Bush I + Bush II
vs. Clinton comparison,
see here]

GDP growth:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the BEA

3.9 %

2.9 %

Democratic
Presidents

GDP growth:
1930-2000

Carol Vinzant
in Slate

5.4%

1.6 %

Democratic
Presidents

Inflation:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the BLS

4.26 %

4.96 %

Democratic
Presidents

Percentage growth in
Total Federal Spending:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the U.S. Govt.
Budget 2003

6.96 %

7.57 %

Democratic
Presidents if lower
Govt. spending is
better; Republican
Presidents if higher
spending is better

Percentage growth in
Non-Defense Federal Spending:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the U.S. Govt.
Budget 2003

8.34 %

Non-defense Federal
Government Employees:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the U.S. Govt.
Budget 2003

Rose by 59,000
(16 % of total rise
over 40 years)

Rose by 310,000
(84% of total rise
over 40 years)

Democratic
Presidents
(assuming smaller
Govt. is better)

Yearly budget deficit:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the U.S. Govt.
Budget 2003

$36 billion

$190 billion

Democratic
Presidents

Increase in National Debt:
1962-2001

P.L.A., using data
from the U.S. Govt.
Budget 2003

See follow-up by P.L.A.
solidifying the
conclusions

Total debt
increased by
$0.72 trillion
(20 years)

Total debt
increased by
$3.8 trillion
(20 years)

Democratic
Presidents

Annual stock market return:
1927 (through) 1998

Reported by
CNN Money

~ 11%
(value weighted CRSP
index minus 3 month
Treasury Bill)

~ 2%
(value weighted CRSP
index minus 3 month
Treasury Bill)

Democratic
Presidents

Annual stock market return:
(1900) 1927 - 2000

Carol Vinzant
in Slate

12.3 % (S&P 500)

8.0 % (S&P 500)

Democratic
Presidents

Annual stock market return:
(1900) 1927 - 2000

Carol Vinzant
in Slate

Democratic Senate
10.5 % (S&P 500)
Democratic House
10.9 % (S&P 500)

Republican Senate
9.4 % (S&P 500)
Republican House
8.1 % (S&P 500)

Democratic
Senate or
House (but see article
for qualifications)

Annual stock market return:
(1900) 1927 - 2000

Stock Traders' Almanac
as reported by
Carol Vinzant in Slate

13.4 % (Dow)

8.1 % (Dow)

Democratic
Presidents

Rankings for highest GDP growth,
biggest increase in jobs, biggest
increase in personal disposable
income after taxes, biggest rise in
hourly wages, lowest Misery Index
(inflation plus unemployment), etc.
(until 2001)

Washington Monthly

N/A.
But all these best case
metrics were under
Democratic Presidents

N/A

Democratic
Presidents

.

.

.

.

.

District spending by Congress:
1995 - 2001

Associated Press
report: 1, 2

Democratic districts:
$3.9 billion in 1995 to
$5.2 billion in 2001
(34% increase)

Republican districts:
$3.9 billion in 1995 to
$5.8 billion in 2001
(52% increase)

Hard to say who is
better but certainly NOT Republicans who shifted spending to RICHER districts from POORER

So the next time a Republican tries to claim that Democrats are "tax & spenders who only grow the size of the Federal Government" - tell them to prove it. Because the facts just don't support it.

Democrats are not only FACTUALLY better for the economy, but they also decrease spending & government growth MORE than Republicans do.

You are entitled to your own opinion - but NOT your own facts.

The 1968 General Election had an Oregon voter turnout of 62.5% (of
registered voters). 2008 currently is at 80.20% and still not official.
It could go up even more as the votes are tallied.

 http://egov.sos.state.or.us/division/elections/results/2008G/electionResultsView-258602371.html

 http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/11/06/voter-turnout-rate-not-as-high-as-in-68/

With (unofficially) 79.98% of registered Oregonians voting (per ORESTAR) as of 5pmNov 6th:

Michelle & I have lots of friends in Canada and overseas in the UK and Europe.
I'll start posting emails from them here, they are just great!

From Lloyd and Roxy in Williams Lake B.C. Canada:
GREAT EVENING GLEN AND MICHELLE,
  CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW PRESIDENT OBAMA. I MUST SHARE WITH YOU, I AM WAY MORE INTERESTED AND EXCITED ABOUT YOUR ELECTION THAN I WAS WITH OUR OWN.IT TURNED OUT THE WAY I HOPED IT WOULD--FOR A MULTITUDE OF REASONS.I KNOW YOU ARE BEYOND EXCITED FOR THE GREAT THINGS TO COME--I LOOK FORWARD TO HIS LEADERSHIP AND THE ROUTE IT WILL TAKE.
  I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF YOU AND MICHELLE ALOT IN THE PAST WEEKS, AND I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU I SHARE IN YOUR HAPPINESS.
  TALK TO YOU SOON-----HUGS FOR ALL..................... Roxy

From Lilli and Steve in Vancouver B.C. Canada:
Congratulations Glen !!!
The world owes you and others like you a debt of gratitude for your service.  Steve and I are (and I'm sure millions of non-Americans) elated about Obama's election. It feels like the dawn of a new era.  The right man for the times.
Pat yourself on the back, raise a glass to yourself.  You deserve it
xoxo  Lilli

From Tony in Manchester UK (Tony is building a classic 60's Plymouth muscle car in England):
Hi Glen, 
This is bad news for impressionists the world over, and where would we be without the wubble yeww’s verbal gaffs. I hope that the man can bring change but he sure has been given the poisoned chalice from all the Bush years. Hope he starts to get on with things asap and gets a second term, because it will take more than one the mess we are in. When the pound gets stronger against the dollar again, if ever, I‘ll set you on the track of hunting down a 70 Cuda 440 or 440 six pack, Hemi’s are just ridiculously expensive, hope all is going well.
Tee

OBAMA WINS!

President-elect Barack Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden

The Oregonian has declared a winner in the U.S. Senate election:
Your new Senator-elect is Jeff Merkley.
Updated 11/5/08, 8:15 p.m.

From CNN Thurs 11/6/08 9:25AM
Gordon Smith Concedes

Thurs 11/6/08 OR State Ballot Measures
Final Results:
First Four and Nothing More!
 Measures 54, 55, 56, 57 Pass, all others defeated

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Tualatin Country Club
9145 SW Tualatin Road, Tualatin, OR
(MAP and directions)

Registration is closed.

Want a handy score card to make predictions/keep score while watching the election returns?
Looking for a few election tracking sites to follow the returns?
Look no further:

Click Here LivPAC's election score card and bio of Democratic candidates running nation wide.
Click Here for Electoral-Votes.com to follow the national voting results.
Click Here for ElectionProjection.com...
Click Here for Talking Points Memo Polltracker...

If it's Thursday 10/30 or later, it's Too Late to Mail Your Ballot!
See the FAQ for Ballot Drop Off Sites or Ballot Pick-Up Options.

When is Election Day?: Tuesday, November 4th. 
When is the LAST DAY I can mail in my completed Ballot?: This Wednesday 10/29, after that date you should deliver it directly to the Elections Office or Drop-off Site (see below)
Where can I drop off my ballot?: Washington County Drop-off Sites 
I'm registered but recently changed my address, what should I do ?: Fill out a new Oregon Voter Registration Form and return it in person to the County Election Office ASAP (before Election Tuesday, November 4th .)
Am I registered to Vote?: Click Here to find out.
When were ballots mailed?: Friday, October 17
I need help with by ballot (replacement, pick-up, etc.)  Where can I call for help? 503 239-VOTE (8683) or Toll Free 1-877 239-VOTE (8683)
When was the last day I could Register?: Tuesday, October 14th.
Who is eligible to Vote?: US Citizens who are at least age 18 by November 4th.
Who are the Democratic Candidates in my District?: Click Here to find out.
Where can I find more info about Barack Obama and Joe Biden?: Click Here.
Where can I find more info about other Candidates running in Oregon?: Click Here.
Where can I find more info about important Ballot Measures in Oregon?: Click Here.
How can I vote from overseas? Click Here
How can I make a difference and help win this election?: Click Here!
None of the above answers my questions.  Are there other resources?  Yes, Click here.

Ballot Measure Recommendation; "First four and no more."
County Party Recommendation here; More detail here.

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Washington County Victory Party!

Election Night, Tuesday November Fourth

Kingstad Center
15450 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton
6-9pm

Candidates and Electeds to speak at 7:30pm

~ Hors d'oeuvres ~
~ No-Host Bar ~
~ Kids Section to Welcome Families ~

If you've lent items to the Campaign for Change/Forward Oregon which you'd like to pick up, please come to the office now to clearly label it with your name and phone number.

All items should then be picked up from the office on Nov. 5th from 12noon-6pm. After 6pm, any unclaimed or donated items that remain will be donated to a non-profit organization.

Again, thanks for all the hard work you put into the Democratic campaigns. It has truly been a campaign driven by you, the volunteers and a strong desire for change.

Thanks again,
Campaign for Change/Forward Oregon
14025 SW Farmington Rd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503-520-1860