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The Amador County Democratic Party at its monthly meeting endorsed former State Senate President pro-tempore John Burton for State Democratic Party Chair. The ACDCC also endorsed current state party First Vice-Chair Alex Rooker for re-election to that post, Eric Bauman, Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party for a second Vice-Chair spot, and Hilary Crosby, President of the El Cerrito Democratic Club for Controller.

Burton will bring years of legislative and political experience to the party position. He began his career as a Deputy Attorney General, served as the President of the Young Democrats, and won election to the County Central Committee. He then served as a State Assemblymember, President of the California Democratic Council, Chair of the California Democratic Party, US Congressmember and as President pro Tem of the California State Senate.

“John Burton is committed to helping local Democrats in California’s rural areas to get the resources and assistance they need to continue their growth,” said Randy Bayne, Chair of the Amador Democratic Party.

Bayne says, “This entire slate, Burton, Rooker, Bauman, and Crosby are committed to the party’s growth in counties like ours. That is one reason we heartily endorse them. Together, they will inspire effective grassroots action needed in rural counties.”

Burton, Rooker, and Bauman will all be speakers at the ACDCC’s Fourth Annual Dinner, April 16 at the Jackson Rancheria Hotel and Conference Center. Newly elected Assemblymember Alyson Huber will also be speaking at the event which is the county party’s major fundraiser for the year. Past speakers have included Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Lt. Governor John Garamendi. More information is available at www.amadordemocrats.org or by calling 257-1397.

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The Amador County Democratic Central Committee unanimously endorsed a resolution at its monthly meeting which will go before the State Democratic Party Convention in April. The resolution will declare the State Party’s support of the Employee Free Choice Act currently being debated in Congress.

The Employee Free Choice Act does three things to level the playing field for employees and employers:

• Strengthens penalties against companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees in an effort to prevent them from forming a union;
• Brings in a neutral third party to settle a contract when a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months;
• Lets employees decide how to express their choice to organize, either by balloting or by majority sign-up, meaning that if a majority of the employees sign union-authorization cards, validated by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a company must recognize the union.

“In this time of financial upheaval for so many Americans, it just makes sense to take down the walls that prevent so many workers from being able to enjoy the benefits of union membership and make a decent living,” said Randy Bayne, Chair of the Amador Democratic Party. “This resolution says that we support a sensible approach to allowing workers to join a union by putting that choice in to the hands of workers, where it belongs. Card check, simply being able to state your desire to join a union by signing a card, is an approach that defuses the illegal intimidation tactics used by many employers. If I can join a political party by simply signing a card to declare my choice, I should be able to join a union by doing the same.”

The Employee Free Choice Act does not end elections for union representation, stresses Bayne. “Free Choice means exactly that. The employees are empowered to either form a union by majority sign-up, or, if just one-third wish to have an election, they can ask the National Labor Relations Board to conduct one.”

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by Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi

My job and the job of your government is to protect your job — today and tomorrow. Democrats in California’s legislature were left little choice but to swallow hard and accept a terrible budget deal orchestrated by Governor Schwarzenegger. Because of the 2/3rds vote requirement, Republicans were able to make extraordinary demands and Democrats had no choice but to accept them in order to avoid our state falling even deeper into financial chaos. If we are to move California forward, we must end the 2/3rds vote requirement to pass a budget, and do so quickly. I will help lead the fight to change this vote requirement and end the system that has allowed the minority party to create anarchy.

The governor wants to be known as the “green governor,” and the “education governor,” and the “reform governor,” yet he has utterly failed to lead our state in a manner that advances these goals. In fact, as a result of his ever-changing fiscal and budget policies, we have begun to move backward on each of these issues.

The tragedy of this budget is that it robs our ability to promote our values and expand our economy through the creation of a well-educated workforce. This budget provides inadequate resources to protect those most at risk and those most vulnerable. This budget does not allow transportation, water, and sanitation systems to keep up with population growth. This budget hastens the starvation of our educational system at every level, directly and in many cases irreversibly damaging the futures of tens-of-thousands of children. At a time when California needs teachers, engineers, nurses, doctors and other high skilled workers, the University of California, the California State University and the community colleges face rapidly accelerating financial decline.. This budget plainly fails to meet the educational needs of tomorrow’s workforce. President Obama is in a desperate race to revive the American economy, but this budget is not coordinated with the federal stimulus package. In fact, it is in direct conflict with much of it. Federal money intended to strengthen our schools is used to replace money cut from those same schools; money to provide healthcare for low-income Californians and those who have lost their healthcare because of the economic downturn, is used to replace money cut from existing programs. It is the same with money meant to support and promote public transportation. The net effect is to undermine the president’s efforts to help restart the California economy.

And what about tomorrow? This budget represents the worst in short term thinking. It will take years to reestablish yesterday’s level of funding for education, healthcare and public safety. Restrictions placed on future budgets by the spending cap and the so-called rainy day fund will make it impossible for future governors and legislators to restore the greatness of our education system; rebuild our infrastructure and modernize our transportation systems.

California has always been a state with a strong, innovative, entrepreneurial private-sector, supported by an equally strong public-sector - a symbiotic relationship that created the Golden State. Our task as Democrats is to reestablish California’s long tradition of investing in our public sector, promoting an efficient and effective government. In the days ahead we Democrats must rekindle the fire in our economy. And we must remember that our state government’s job is to help strengthen the economy - now and in the future.

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"We have an infection here, and it's a Republican infection that's really spreading across this nation. Just what do they propose to do? Shut everything down?"

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