31st LD Democrats General Meeting Minutes 10.27.21 Draft v1
CALL TO ORDER /FLAG SALUTE (7:01) Brian welcomed attendees, called meeting to order and led the pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Brian Gunn asked for a motion to adopt agenda; John Westland–motioned to adopt, Amber O-W seconded. Hearing no objections, the agenda is adopted.
GUESTS:
Rebecca Duran, Field Organizer, for WA State Democrats: Voting update: Events for last GOTV before Election Day: tomorrow there is a phone bank at 3&5pm; also shifts on Mon, Tues, Wed with doorbelling and phone banking. The info will be updated thru Election day —anyone who has not sent in ballots yet will be on our lists. Canvas training tomorrow and at Sat 1pm. I loved door-knocking and always have a positive response. Rebecca can ‘cut’ canvassing lists for people in their precincts: Please contact Rebecca if you need help: rebecca@wa-democrats.org. Emerge group also has canvassing info—will get a blast out to our PCO’S.
Marcy Boulet, Community Liaison, Environmental. Health Division, Pierce County Health Dept. (7:10) Mboulet@tpchd.org 253-576-9582
COVID / pandemic update: Marcy sees some familiar faces—Kirby & Diane & Amber. What’s new from the Feds’ this week re boosters, resources, etc. Marcy is born & raised in this area. She will focus tonight on our particular community. Our approach is to have a variety of ways to engage in conversations and encourage people to get vaccinated. Testing opportunities available, testing kits as well: a recent Buckley vaccine clinic handed out some COVID testing kits to vaccine hesitant attendees. Q&A sessions with back & forth about issues with science based info, Social media impact—using trusted messengers within each community to tell their stories, radio ads & social media to help encourage vaccines. Continue clinics—ways & places to access vaccines. Meet people where their at—pierce county most under-vaccinated is within the 31st LD, Auburn, etc. –less vaccinated. J&J if it’s been 2 months since vaccination, and OK to get Moderna or Pfizer as booster. John W: a new COVID Pill is being now released to 100+ countries.
Resources for COVID: “Talking to your vaccine hesitant friends & family” tool online (link?) when people say “I don’t like mandates,” or “the science seems rushed” remember people have deep feelings, (will email Brian links later). Marcy shared an Eastern Pierce County map of vaccinated populations: Sumner, Auburn, Edgewood, Bonney Lake, Carbonado–by census track; lighter purple areas = lower vax rate. Darker shades more vaxxed. Generally speaking, about 60% vaccination rate across Pierce Cty—we still have a ways to go. Locating places for more clinics. Buckley, Bonney Lake & Sumner food banks, in community centers—places people frequent; local Dios De Las Muertas events, Trunk-or-Treating, etc. Brian: How about local libraries. Marcy B: Library clinics were poorly attended in the summer. They’ve even tried tailgating clinics.
Tacoma-Pierce Cty Health Dept. website www.tpchd.org/healthy-people/human-coronavirus has lots of info on how to find your vaccine, boosters, rates of county vaccination, FAQs, Rudy A: Any clinic ads in the Courier-Herald—might reach some people who don’t use social media or online resources. Also “the Patch”—FB pages have taken over—would that be a worthwhile place to list events.
Tacoma-Pierce Cty Health Dept Call center 7-days a week, 253-649-1412 9am-5pm Call with any questions.
You can help by becoming a “Trusted messengers”—or asking someone who is—who can share a story to encourage people to get vaccinated. Let Marcy know if you have someone who might be a community messenger. Creative ideas for a vaccine site? Amber OW: do news stations let people know where the clinics are being held to promote locally? Ran out of PSA support. But with new angles they’ll run them again. Kirby P: MY IR website—access to have your immunization record online! Conversation with anti-vaxxers: has anyone died from the vax, answer is yes—but extremely rare. Convinced there are toxic things in the vaccine—fraudulent info online about toxicity of vaccine. Misinformation online—people are being lied to, yadayada… paid a bounty for getting others immunized. Robin M: We need trusted messengers that vax-hesitant people will listen to: ask Phil Fortunato, Drew Strokesbury, Morgan Irwin, Dave Morrell, Chris Hurst, etc. Imagine if they all got together to make a PSA to run on local news stations! www.myirmobile.com
What’s new this week: Marcy has served on the COVID Outreach Team for Pierce Cty Since 2020— Pfizer vaccine age will go down to 5yrs very soon; VRB committee ruled that the benefits outweigh possible risks. The next step: FDA & CDC approval for children 5-11yrs. Very likely Pfizer will be formally approved asap. Booster doses recommended for all 3 vaccines: Moderna & Pfizer—if 6 months. Over 65, liv in long-term facilities, high risk any age over 18 with high exposure at work, etc. Available now through pharmacies and medical centers.
Amber & Brian & Diane thanked Marcy for her presentation. We need to be persuasive –not accusatory to get more people vaccinated. “Meet people where they’re at!”
Brian: Let’s add a COVID resource links page on our website—It’s incumbent upon us to give people “good info” to combat all the misinformation on social media.
READ/APPROVAL OF PRIOR MEETING MINUTES – Robin Macnofsky, Tamara Stramel
Meeting Minutes – July 28, 2021 Tamara S. submitted
Meeting Minutes – September 22, 2021 Robin M. Submitted
John W motioned to accept the minutes for July & Sept, Amber seconded. Hearing no objection- Minutes are accepted by the body.
PREVIOUSLY ENDORSED CANDIDATES: No one is present tonight
Port of Seattle Commission, Position 4 – Toshiko Hasegawa
King County Council Position 9 – Kim-Khanh Van
Edgewood City Council, Position 3 – Christi Keith
TREASURER’S REPORT – Rudy Adams: (Rudy is not present tonight),
August 2021 report
September 2021 report
Brian G reviewed both reports, plus an interim monthly update to bring us current: Amber OW moved to accept August & September, Mark Boswell seconded. No questions. Both reports have been duly accepted. TY Rudy!
OFFICERS’ & COMMITTEE REPORTS (8:05)
Chair, Brian Gunn: 2 VIP issues tonight: 2 developments that pertain to election security: people sometimes ask me, what does the state party do? There has been activity to have an election audit in WA similar to AZ, GA, PA etc, We know these are empty, frivolous actions designed to sow doubt about our fair & accurate electoral process. [Creating electoral doubt] is the most corrosive to maintaining a functioning democracy; we need a system that we can trust in order for people to have a voice and elect representatives to Congress. Confusion and distrust of elections leads to chaos and breakdown of our society. As Churchill once said, “democracy is the worst system imaginable, except for ???” We need to learn the lesson that when things begin to move in that direction (totalitarianism) it is completely unacceptable. WA State Dems immediately brought lawsuits to block the audit from going forward. Tina/WA Dems took action. Mark B: anyone investigating whether this qualifies as “sedition?” Brian: Perhaps contact Bob Ferguson, State AG—on any actions planned to prosecute the bad actors who are pushing these audits (CyberNinjas).
Also—Kim Wyman has been selected by Pres. Biden to serve on the DHS as top election security. She has fought back against the big lie about election fraud, still conservative but like Liz Cheney—the election was legitimate. Also has track record on Mail-in ballots. Brian read the press release issued by WA State Dems today: https://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article255307071.html We’re going to need a viable candidate for WA Secretary of State next year.
Vice Chairs (Pierce & King) Tamara S; 3 door-belling sessions in Bonney Lake EDGEWOOD & Auburn Lakeland hills, 200 doors! For our local candidates. Time doorbelling than phone banking last year. Talking in-person was a nice change. Also–Erica Buckley was very grateful for our support. She was a First-time candidate. Brian VIP to get your ballots back, $500 is a lot of cash for local races.
Committeepersons (King County, Pierce County, & WA State Dems) Christi K & John W attended the state committee meeting. Christi as committee chair is the first time the 31st has a committee chair in the state party. Hard to get folks motivated tis year—rest up because nest year is going to be HUGE. Tamara S: PCDCC replacing an elected Representative went smoothly—Jeanie Darneille resigned as WA State Senator from the 27th LD, PCO’s had to vote in 3 potential replacements needed to be approved by the Pierce County Dems, to verify the vote of the 27th. PCO’s rank 3 candidates in order of preference. Then its verified and voted on by the Pierce County Council. Ferguson is already canvassing for the new 27th Senator.
Outreach (Fairs)
Event Planning (Fundraising)
Membership
Newsletter/Communication
Website/Technology
PCO Support & Recruitment
OLD BUSINESS
NEW BUSINESS
GOOD AND WELFARE
Beth Doyle, asked about local school board meetings: (Sumner Bonney Lake SD), was shaken by her experience. Concerns as a democrat. This anti-mask/vaccine is a conservative coordinated movement. The School Boards are a potential blind spot. Looked at the ballot and checked out one of the candidates—frightening that this person could be dictating curriculum if they are elected. Brian G: we have actively searched for people to run every possible open seat—including school board, city councils etc. We have active members on Auburn CC, and a member running for Edgewood CC. Auburn school Board came to speak to us last month. We should have a candidate in every open seat—and if you see a candidate who is running unopposed –we really need to know and do what we can. Beth D: There are 2 open positions. Both seated incumbents have challengers who are unqualified, and appear to be alt-right. Attendees stood up and demanded that we stop teaching “equity” in our schools. John W: says groups of very Christian conservative to take over GOP policy and school boards, etc. Diane K: these “non-partisan’ positions—to tell people in my precinct who is the better choice and why. You can look them up on the GOP or DEM websites and have lists of their PCO’s. Tamara: dynamic playing into Sumner/BL, reluctant to attach themselves to 31st Dems for endorsement–. Michael McCullough, candidate for Mayor in Bonney Lake, has been taking heat for getting our endorsement! Been in the news. Brian G: we can get you lists of people in your precincts to call and remind them to turn in their ballots. Even just a handful of ballots from each precinct can make a big difference in these local elections
ADJOURNMENT (9:06pm) Tamara S motioned to adjourn; Beth Doyle seconded. Meeting adjourned