ARE YOU A CLUB MEMBER?

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Feb 19, 2007 1:58 AM EST

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Please note that signing up on this website does NOT make you a member of the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley. To become a member, you must pay annual club dues. These are quite affordable: $15/individual, $25 household, $10 for senior, student, or disabled.  You can sign up on our club website, www.dfasv.org, or at any of our meetings.

Although you get notices of our meetings here at DFALink, becoming a member of the Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley gives you voting privileges & entitles you to receive minutes of our club working meetings. We're always looking for good activists. Not only can we get more done, but the larger our club is, the more clout we have within the Democratic party structure. If you're not already a paid-up member, please join!

 Carolyn Curtis, co-chair
Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

GREAT idea!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Jan 29, 2007 11:04 PM EST

Linked to groups: Delegates Bulletin Board

There's a list of all "progressive" delegates but I firmly believe we need a contact mechanism just for DFA folks. I fail to see how this is "exclusive," esp. given there are at least 2 mechanisms for "progressives" ton contact each other (the Grassroots-delegates-and-officers yahoo group & the list that Tom Brown maintains). THANK YOU for setting this up! see you in San Diego.

 I will contact CA for Democracy about a table at the convention, we've had them in years past.

what worked:north S.Clara county, CA

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Nov 18, 2006 12:57 AM EST

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

North county had its own campaign HQ; San Jose was busy with the Cindy Chavez mayoral contest & spent little time on other Dem. candidates incl. gov. South county--Morgan Hill, part of Pombo's district--had a HQ partly paid for by the McNerney cpgn & focused on that.

HQ: We used some materials sent by the Angelides campaign, ended up writing our own scripts. After some initial wheelspinning we developed a smoothly functioning HQ, with volunteers making lit.packs of 5-7 items supporting local candidates & ballot initiatives, plus stuff from the state party, and a GREAT half-sheet developed by our co.party's employee (and Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley treas.!), Adrienne Grey, that summarized the local party's endorsements & ballot init. stands. The packs included the TERRIFIC DNC doorhanger, which we reprinted from this spring's effort, with our county party's address instead of the DNC's (we share the info with them if we get volunteers). Starting on Oct we phonebanked at HQ most nights.
Another thing we had at HQ was Jerry McNerney items: brochures, tees, buttons. People interested in a national race were steered to that most excellent campaign. We had his brochures when we tabled also. A lot of great activists were not available to us because they were fully occupied with Jerry's campaign--with our blessing!

We showed lots of appreciation for volunteers: always welcomed & thanked & fed them. We're giving thankyou certificates (lots went out at election night party). The HQ was decorated with old cpgn posters on the upper half of the walls, with construction paper stars with vol.names on them (some saved from 2004). Made sure vol.names were spelled correctly. By Nov 7 there were a couple hundred stars up! We kept better records on who did what this time.

Voter reg/tabling: We had a robust voter reg program already in place: Adrienne runs our booth at street fairs all summer & fall in most of the county, I continued as tabling lead for a couple farmers mkts most weekends, & another great volunteer took charge for the 3 big street fairs up our way, triple-staffing every shift. She also researched other weekday & weekend sites for voter reg, trained people at HQ almost every day, & then sent them out. The HQ staff kept the tabling boxes stocked & in good order. Our state party gives a modest bounty. The voter reg program was truly awesome in 2004,  & this go-round was quite respectable; this year's leader was a veteran of the 2004 effort.  

Phonebanking: I printed copies of SCEDS & the rock star tips from Arshad's "How to Make Phonebanking Fun" for the phoners & explained them to the ph.bank leads.

Vol.recruitment: About 250 volunteers, mostly reactivated from 2004, but some new ones had signed up since then, including just a few new this campaign. No inspiration from the top of the ticket, unlike 2004 when people were tearing down our door to beat Bush.  Respectable influx of new volunteers in the last couple days before the election.

Walking: The Ang. cpgn was targeting the sometime voters in selected pcts; we doorknocked or lit-dropped about 70 (several volunteers did multiple pcts), followup-phonebanked (at HQ) all those and more, up to 90. Doorhangered (with state party-supplied doorh.) about 50 pcts Nov 4-6, pollchecked 41 on Election Day. I kept records, keeping in mind something I learned at DemFest 2005: If you can't measure it, it doesn't exist. Need to put this in place in more aspects of the HQ (such as keeping track of visitors). 

For the walking, which I was in charge of again for north county (also 2005, 2004), I started with people who'd walked their own pcts before or who were currently walking as part of the 50-state strategy started this spring. When I assigned pcts, I got people their own neighborhoods or as close as possible. MUCH more effective that way, & easier on the volunteer. Also I'm trying to build a permanent pct operation, something I don't know if we've ever had hereabouts. 

I sent a thankyou email to all vols. with email addresses earlier this week (have to pursue more now that I'm back from out of town), pointing them to a couple clubs that meet at our end of the county, to keep them involved (many are already members). I will follow up with everyone who walked in any capacity to see if they'll own their own pcts from here on out.

Not a bad campaign! Really glad we got Debra Bowen in, & defeated "eminent domain" & "parental consent." Lost a couple good ballot measures but the public just does not want to govern this way, I see this attitude more every year.

Personal note: this was the first election of Jerry's I wasn't able to walk & pollcheck (since fall 2004!), since I was fully occupied every weekend leading our own walking (ran a fundraiser for him in Sep tho), but my husband & I managed to leave our own election night party at 10pm & get over to Jerry's tumultuous party and am I ever glad we went to that historic event! Hope to get to DC to see him sworn in.

 

Attend DFALink meeting November 1!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Oct 27, 2006 2:51 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Dear Member,

Since our next regularly scheduled DFALink meeting Wed Nov 1 falls before the election, let's make the most of our time!
RSVP at www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=150...
Plus also RSVP for a specific location, see details below.

We're offering you a choice of phonebank locations:

North County Campaign Headquarters:
- Phone for Debra Bowen & Phil Angelides at North County Dem HQ, 2290 El Camino Real, Suite 8, (between Ortega & Rengstorff; next to Amber India restaurant) Mountain View; RSVP Carolyn ccurtis@dfasv.org. Phones limited so please bring cell so we have more flexibility; mostly Mountain View calls. 6pm-8:30pm

South County:
- Phone for Jerry McNerney at SEIU local 715 HQ, 2302 Zanker Road (between Charcot and Trimble), San Jose; 5:30-8:30pm. RSVP raphaelktam@gmail.com
(Self-organizing carpools from North County leave from Charleston Shopping Center in Palo Alto, corner of Charleston & Middlefield, at 5, 5:30, & 6pm)
- Phone for Cindy Chavez & Phil Angelides, South Bay Labor Council, 2102 Almaden Road (off Curtner), Suite 107, San Jose, 5:30-8:30pm; RSVP (408)445-4575

Scripts, lists, refreshments, esprit de corps provided.

Just can't make it? Or want to do more? Call from home on your schedule using these easy, do-it-yourself sites:

Phil Angelides - angelides.vivademocracy.com/...
Debra Bowen - ga3.org/debrabowen/phone_from_ho...
Jerry McNerney - www.jerrymcnerney.org/PhoneFromH...

More election activities:
North county HQ: door-knocking, lit-dropping, phonebanking, gala doorhangering sendoff Sat Nov 4 9am, pollchecking election day - call 650-965-3117
South county: door-knocking, phonebanking, pollchecking - call 408-445-9500

Attend Stephanie's Double Header on October 21!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Oct 15, 2006 10:46 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Dear Member,

Please attend Stephanie's Double Header on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at 3:00 PM. We always have a great time at Stephanie's. You can RSVP at:

www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=147...

What: Stephanie's Double Header: house party for Phil Angelides 3-5pm; conf. call with Phil at 4pm; house party for Debra Bowen 5-7pm; conf. call with Debra at 5:30pm

Suggested donation for each party: $100/$75/$35

When: Saturday, October 21, 2006, 3:00 PM
Where: Stephanie's home
1121 Harriet
Palo Alto CA 94301

Attend October working meeting on October 16!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Oct 14, 2006 12:52 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Howdy,

Please attend our October working meeting on Monday, October 16, 2006 at 7:00 PM (6:30 to order dinner). Get the latest news on everything we're doing, from your hard-working buds. You can RSVP at:

www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=146...
or tell Spandan: spandanc@dfasv.org.

What: October working meeting
When: Monday, October 16, 2006, 7:00 PM (6:30 to order dinner)
Where: IHOP Restaurant
5403 Stevens Creek Blvd
Santa Clarra CA 95051

Please RSVP!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Oct 2, 2006 12:19 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Hi people,
I know a lot of you regularly attend our DFALink meetings on the first Wed of the month, but don't always RSVP. Please go to the website & RSVP, only one person has signed up for either meeting & it looks lonely! tho I know we'll have a good turnout.

Go to www.dfalink.org/siliconvalley & scroll down about halfway to the red "Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley Events" & click the location of your choice.

At both of these (simultaneous) meetings we'll hear a recent presentation by George Lakoff, for a timely refresher course in framing. If desired, we'll do an exercise for practice. Also refreshments, campaign updates, good political talk. See you Wednesday!

Attend No.Co.DFA-Link mtg at Ralph's on October 4!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Sep 26, 2006 12:15 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

What: No.Co.DFA-Link mtg at Ralph's
When: Wednesday, October 4, 2006, 7:00 PM
Where: Ralph's home: 3956 Nelson Court, Palo Alto CA 94306
RSVP www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=135...

A recent DFA night school session featured a conference call with Prof. George Lakoff, giving us a valuable how-to on "Framing the Election" -- (1) Understand the importance of fundamental values and (2) Use these fundamental values to motivate voters.
We'll be playing back this conf call & showing the accompanying PowerPoint, for a timely refresher course in framing. If desired, we'll do an exercise for practice.
Furdermore we'll get updates on Jerry's campaign (How YOU Can Help), our other endorsed candidates, HQ activity, more. AND -- refreshments! feel free to bring a beverage or nibble.

See you there! this is our second to last meeting before the election. Let's sharpen our skills together!

Attend No.Co.DFA-Link mtg at Ralph's on September 26!

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Sep 26, 2006 12:07 AM EDT

Linked to groups: California for Democracy

Dear Member,

The Sep 19 DFA Nightschool featured a conference call with Prof. George Lakoff, giving us a valuable how-to on "Framing the Election"--(1) Understand the importance of fundamental values and (2) Use these fundamental values to motivate voters.
We'll be playing backthis conf call & showing the accompanying PowerPoint, for a timely refresher course in framing. If desired, we'll do an exercise for practice.

We'll also get updates on Jerry's campaign (How YOU Can Help), our other endorsed candidates, HQ activity, more. AND -- refreshments! feel free to bring a beverage or nibble.

What: No.Co.DFA-Link mtg at Ralph's
When: Wed Oct 4, 2006, 7:00 PM
Where: Ralph's home
3956 Nelson Court, Palo Alto CA 94306
Ralph's home is at the end of Nelson Court (cul-de-sac) although Mapquest http://tinyurl.com/n8y96 shows it partway down.

north county DFA-Link meeting TONIGHT

Written by: Carolyn Curtis on Sep 6, 2006 5:23 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley

Hi gang, at the north county September DFA-Link meeting we'll:
1 Go thru some tips for effective phonebanking
2 Get an update on local campaigns: prop89 (Clean Money), other ballot initiatives, Debra Bowen, Phil Angelides
3 Find out about our north county campaign HQ & other stuff going on
4 Hear a brief report on a DFA retreat one of our members attended
5 View some recent clips of Chairman Dean

Looking forward to seeing you! Refreshments provided, please bring beverages/munchies to share if convenient. We're at Edel's; Thank you Edel! See you all there.

Event Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Event Time: 7:00 PM
Venue Name: Edel Young's Home, 460 Ferne, Palo Alto
map at http://tinyurl.com/b98os
650-380-4112 if you get lost