Thirty PDC members attended the retreat on Sunday July 21.  Lots of food, conversation, camaraderie,  thoughtful discussion, and some very hard work.

After a very intense 3 hour process analyzing our weaknesses, identifying criteria for prioritizing our work, and considering a dozen proposals for action, the participants set the following priorities for the PDC agenda in the coming year.

Please consider  where you will commit your time and energy as a PDC member.

Committees were formed around four top priorities and co-chairs recruited.  The committees will develop plans for the action, organize participation in the action, and monitor the progress and outcomes.  Committee chairs will actively seek to expand their committee from among PDC members and commun…

Next meeting: October 17

Discussion:

1.       Election Committee's project to develop a grassroots support base for potential progressive candidates in the 2014 elections:

a.       we'll collect signatures of people pledging to support progressive candidates in the next elections at local events;

b.      the statement for the petition will be revised and approved by the executive committee and others actively involved in collecting signatures;

c.       all members are urged to actively recruit potential progressive candidates for supervisor, school boards, city councils, and other local offices;

d.      members are encouraged to attend the "Breaking the Glass Ballot" …

An enthusiastic gathering of 200 women met Saturday, September 28 to address the dearth of women in political office in United States.  While women make up 51% of the voting population in our country, only 18% of Congress and 25% of California legislators are women. While we fare better in the make-up of city councils in Santa Cruz County, none of our five County Supervisors are women.

A panel of women office holders gave the following advice to other women wanting to enter a race for public office.

• Talk about running for office early - don't wait until you decide.
• Campaign hard: campaign to win!
• Attend meetings for the council, commission, board you aspire to; learn about the broad range of issues they deal with; be a generalist, not single issue person.
  
• Seats …

If you're uninsured, Covered California will provide access to affordable healthcare for you!

Covered California's mission is to improve health care in our state by increasing the number of Californians with health insurance, improving the quality of health care for all  of us, reducing health care costs and ensuring that California's diverse population has fair and equal access to quality health care.

Beginning in October 2013, legal residents of California will be able to get health coverage through a new, easy-to-use marketplace call Covered California. (www.coveredca.com)  It will offer health insurance plans, , which cannot be canceled or denied, at an affordable price.  Californians can shop for the plans online, see if they are elegible for Medi-Cal, or …

Jane Weed on Women in Politics:  thoughts offered at Breaking the Glass Ballot

 Question:  How can we break through and get to gender parity on committees? as electeds? as appointees?

Having attended the fifty-seventh session of the UN's Commission on the Status of Women , I have to say that the courage, determination and resiliency of women globally is inspiring.

·         For some it is because they have been denied equity and respect for so long it is a revolutionary action to demand to be a part of civic life.

·         For others it is about safety and will not to have their daughters live through their hell.

·         For others it is …