NDFA Meeting Notes - June 2008

Written by: Sandra Verthein on Jul 14, 2008 6:25 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Northside DFA

The meeting notes below were prepared by our NDFA Recording Secretary, Melissa Lindberg, based on notes she took during the meeting.  They are NOT a direct transcript, so please do not attribute any portion of these notes as direct quotes from our speakers.  If you have questions or comments, please contact Melissa at: http://democracyforamerica.com/users/206530-melissa-lindberg

NDFA Meeting Notes
June 5, 2008

Announcements:

Members were asked to complete the membership survey available at each table.

Please note that David Sirota will be in Chicago the weekend of June 21-22, and we are co-sponsoring several events featuring him.  He will be book signing at Borders on Michigan Ave and participating in a panel discussion at In These Times on Thursday, he will be headlining a NDFA fundraiser on Friday in Jim & Lisa’s backyard, and we will have a forum with him on Saturday afternoon at Loyola.  His latest book is called “The Uprising,” and is about groups like ours organizing to take back the country from the elites.

Because of the 4th of July holiday, the NDFA July meeting will be on the SECOND Thursday, July 10th, instead of the first Thursday, July 3.  In August we will return to our regularly scheduled meeting date.

Updates on Candidates: 

Obama:  Barack Obama is the nominee - now get to work on the general election!

Daniel Seals: The field organizer with the Seals campaign was present and gave the update.  The race has now moved  to “Toss up” status.  They could use help canvassing, knocking on doors, helping the voters get to know Dan.  Also, they will need folks to come out for parades.  

Daniel Biss:  Biss is running for State Leg in the 17th Legislative District.  He got his start in politics organizing for John Kerry in Wisconsin, and has raised over $200,000 for this race in small contributions from 13,000 different donors. 

There was no update on Carol Javens.

Events:  Sirota events.

A fundraiser for Daniel Biss will be at Seventeen, on Wednesday, June 11. 

Canvassing for Daniel Biss will be on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 29.

Canvassing for Dan Seals on Saturday, June 28.

NDFA will hold a retreat for all voting members on Saturday, July 26 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Come help us plan for the future of NDFA.

Other volunteer needs include help with the mailing for the forum, flyering at the El for the Forum, and passing out flyers at the Sirota book signing at Borders and at the In These Times discussion.

The Edgewater Community Council is holding an event on the Constitutional Convention on June 24 at 7 pm at the Emanuel congregation, 5959 N. Sheridan Road.

The Progressive Convention sponsored by the PDA will be held on Saturday, June 28 from 9:00 to 4:30 pm at Big Rock, Illinois.

Speaker:   Scott Waguespack, Alderman of the 32nd Ward, and Michele Smith, Democratic Committeeman for the 43rd Ward, spoke on “Taking on the Machine and Winning.”

Scott spoke first.   He first spoke on the Museum/Zoning battle going on in City Council – he is against putting the Children’s Museum in Grant Park.  The first lawsuit was filed today.  He has a 85% voting record – voting with the Mayor.  He noted that it was important to take on the right battles, and not to be obstructionist for the sake of being in the opposition.  Even the Mayor is right sometimes!  However, it is difficult at times to vote against the Mayor as often as he does.

Why did he run?  He was living in Bucktown, and was trying to figure out how to do anything in the ward.  Where were the resources needed to improve life in the Ward? He was Chief of Staff for the mayor of Berwyn, and had learned to put together an insurgent campaign through that race.  After a year, they had Berwyn $4 million in the black, after it had always been in the red (largely through corruption and cronyism, lack of accountability).  How to run against the Machine?  He put together a campaign strategy, and called Patrick Botterman and asked him to be the campaign manager.  They had 200-400 people in the streets, knocking on doors.  Almost every Cook Co. Democrat came out in support of Ted Matlak, the incumbent he ran against.  Scott was outspent 9 – 1.  He had 3-4 guys tailing him all day long as he canvassed.  His family was threatened, even in church.  The Machine is always there, even now.   He ran on the need for balanced development, and transparency in the way zoning issues were resolved; he ran for better development where the community was involved in the process; and he ran against waste and corruption: getting rid of corruption would be worth a 5% cut across the board.  There are 8 public schools in his ward: the whole city needs to work on the education issue. 

His final note was that walking, knocking on doors, talking to people, trumps the machine.  Don’t hold back from running. 

Michele Smith spoke about her unsuccessful bid for alderman, noting you come in with the skills you have.  The questions she aksed were: can you get on the ballot (and stay there)?  What does it take to win?  Money, votes, etc.  She asked around.  She had an 8 hour interview with Marty Olberman, who said he would support her if she could raise the money.  She hit her law school alumni list.  Vi Daley paid no attention to her at first.  Michele decided phone banking was key to success in her ward, with its many high rises that making door-to-door canvassing nearly impossible.  She had both paid staff and volunteers phone banking for her.  She also did mailings.  Daley got nervous and put up an attack ad about her on TV; Michele then had to raise money to put her own ad up on TV.  In the runoff she lost by 600 votes.  Then came the retirement of the committeeman; three candidates ran, including one endorsed by Vi Daley and the former committeeman; Michele built on the foundations she had laid down in her aldermanic race and won.  She is modeling the new 43rd Ward Democratic Organization after DFA.

Q&A

Question:  What do you think about TIFs?
SW:  TIFs work if they operate correctly, and are used in the manner for which they were designed.  The hard part right now is that so many of them are a way to shift income and avoid taxes; and what needs to happen is a shift in focus from how does this benefit me and my ward to how does this affect the whole city?   There needs to be more openness and transparency in the accounting of TIFs. 

MS:  As a former prosecutor, it looks like there is plenty of room for investigation into the handling of some of the TIFs.  There’s  a new TIF in the 43rd – a ward that is the opposite of underdeveloped – that has made residents very angry, that was basically part of a deal Vi Daley made with the developer.  Michele was asked whether under the new rules of the Cook County Democratic Party, it means she and her ward organization will have to work for the endorsed slate of the Cook County Party.  She said she has read the bylaws, and there are no enforcement teeth in them.  The 43rd Ward has a history of going its own way with endorsements, and she sees no reason why that independent record won’t continue. 

Another questioner asked about the Olympic bid, noting the city is way behind in infrastructure for the Olympics.  Scott replied that the priorities for the city has not been in maintaining and improving infrastructure – look at the sewers and the CTA, for instance.  We need to stay on top of what’s going on now, in both the wards and overall in the city, and its not happening.

The next question was on winning: what did you do that won the race for you?  SW noted face time, spending the time knocking on doors and getting to know the voters.  MS agreed with door knocking to some extent, although also phone banking to those high rises with high voter turnout. 

Question:  Where did you find the volunteers?  SW: he had worked in Little League, came from a big family, and used all the contacts he had to pull enthusiastic volunteers for his campaign.  MS: talk to everyone you know, ask for help from groups like DFA. 

Qeustion: should Illinois have recalls like California?  SW stated he didn’t believe in recalls, but did in term limits.  Should we have a Constitution Convention: well, that is a difficult question.

Question: what is your position on the Olympic bid?  MS: has process issues, its not open and transparent.  The Olympic Committee has stated that they don’t see how we can do it.  SW: the Mayor thinks is it a magic bullet, an individual alderman can’t stop it.  We still need an Oversight Committee which hasn’t happened.

Question: HIV/AIDS – the Health Dept. is redirecting funds to (undescipherable) providers?  SW: they went to Church to campaign against him because of his position on LGBT & HIV/AIDS issues – he has a gay brother.  He has been threatened after voting against the Mayor on these issues.

There are open meetings on this issue coming up  - 11 am – 2 pm on HB 301 on Single Payer at Simpson Vocational on the south side, and in 3 weeks in Aurora.

With that, the speakers were thanked and the floor opened up for group announcements.

Group Announcements:    Frank reminded people to bring one friend to the Sirota forum on June 21 – the subject is “Money and Power” and will be moderated by Chicago Reader political reporter Ben Joravsky. 

Democracy Burlesque’s next shows will be on June 10, 17, and 24, and entitled “Spinning in Tongues: A show about media and the punditocracy.”   Its at 8 pm at No Exit in Rogers Park (6970 N. Glenwood Ave).  Admission is $10 or whatever-you-can-afford.  Musical guests will be the Bamalamas.  The show benefits worthy causes.  Check out their new improved website at www.dburlesque.blogspot.com 
email: democracyburlesque@yahoo.com. 

Jeff noted that 47th Ward Alderman Gene Schulter is soliciting opinion: if you live in his ward, send him a note. Save Grant Park urges everyone to call their aldermen; Lincoln Park won its lawsuit (savelincolnpark.org) – also civicfootprint.org

Sandi announced there a gathering on Wednesday, June 18 at 4000 N. Sheridan Road to solicit help for Barack Obama’s website.

Jim noted that Barack Obama had confronted Joe Lieberman on the Senate floor, that the DNC will not longer take lobbyist and corporate PAC money, and Howard Dean will continue as chair of the DNC.

There was an announcement that Gene Simmons would be speaking at Cas Aslan at 1813 S. Racine for the Chicago Teachers Union.  He is from British Columbia. 

There was an announcement stressing the need for everyone to RSVP on DFALink, so we can adequately gauge how many will attend each meeting – this has repercussions in terms of how many servers we ask and pay for, which costs the group money. 

There was a break, after which the members’ meeting continued.

Sandra noted that Frank had defined the different between forums and meetings: the forum are to define why we’re progressive, and the meetings are to initiate action on those progressive values.

There was discussion on the logistics for the Sirota forum: there is only street parking, 2500 postcards will be sent out, el flyering is difficult for this one, please sign up on DFALink. 

The 3rd forum will be on Solar and Wind energy, the last Tuesday in July (the 29th) at the Edgewater Public Library.  More information to come. 

We will also have a forum in September on the Con-Con.

Sirota-Fest is only two weeks from now: the Fundraiser will be $50 per voting member, $100 for non-members.  Its limited to 50 people as its in Jim and Lisa’s backyard (pray for good weather!). 

The Retreat is coming up in July.  Its for Voting Members only.  We’ll brainstorm the future of NDFA.  It’s July 26th in the Party room at Sandra’s condo, and will be from 10 am to 3 pm.  We’ll have Conspiracy Theory Lunch (who will be appointed as Barack’s successor in the US Senate and why?)

Space: we’re interested in staying at Furama for the time being, as it has the room for us to grow further.

At the next meeting we’ll vote on endorsing Scott Harper (13th  CD – spoke in April).

Jill Morganthaler’s campaign (6th CD) has approached us, but at the moment the consensus is to focus on the campaigns that we’ve already adopted and who came to us early in the cycle.

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Location: Chicago, IL 60640