Progressive  E-Board Coalition  
DNC  Candidate Questionnaire 
 

If  you are an incumbent DNC member, what have you done as a DNC member  to
promote the progressive agenda on the following  issues:

a) Ending the US  occupation of Iraq
b) Eliminating Poverty
C) Universal Single-Payer  Healthcare
D) Election Integrity (protecting each vote to ensure it is  counted as cast)
E) Preventing a US  attack on Iran
F) Preserving a  free and open Internet
G) Impeaching  or indicting Bush and   Cheney
H) Redirecting California's resources to support education, not  incarceration
I) Protecting LGBT Rights and Promoting Marriage  Equality
J) Promoting public  financing of elections
K) Abolishing the  death penalty
L) Promoting alternative energy/energy  independence
If you  are not an incumbent, what have you done to address the issues
enumerated  above?
You  mean besides the usual creating/signing of resolutions/petitions, making
phone  calls, protesting, helping with campaigns for those elected officials
who will  vote correctly on the issues, and joining organizations that support
these  goals, all of which I have done?  I obviously agree with every issue 
listed and have always campaigned and voted for candidates who are progressive
on these issues.
As  chair of the Computer & Internet Caucus, we submitted and supported 
resolutions concerning Net Neutrality.  
I’m  also a strong advocate of public financing and was instrumental in
getting  several counties to endorse the initiative that was proposed a few years 
ago.
If  you had been in Congress, how would you have voted for the most recent 
178-billion dollar war package?  
NO!   As a military brat, I was born, raised, educated, and married by the
Army so I  owe my life to them.  The way this administration has treated and 
supported the military is appalling and I will do everything I can to protect 
the rights of military families while at the same time making sure that their 
involvement in conflicts is justified,  necessary,  and legal.
How  have you used your activism or Party involvement to challenge the
leadership's  support for war funding?  
I  have signed countless petitions, joined in protests, backed candidates who
oppose the war and its continued funding, made numerous calls to current 
elected officials in both parties, and have voted as a CDP e-board member to 
support resolutions to stop the funding of the war.
Have  you ever supported an insurgent primary candidate or someone who is 
challenging  an  incumbent on the issues?  
I’ve  supported a variety of local, state and federal candidates who are/have
run  against incumbents who don’t adhere to progressive Democratic ideals
which,  obviously, tend to be mostly Republicans.  However, I have no problems 
challenging Democrats who do not represent their constituency or the basic 
Democratic values.  That said, I understand that you will rarely find a 
candidate who believes in 100% of your ideals, but I believe ‘almost’ any  Democrat
will represent a lot more of my ideals/values than any  Republican.  That’s why
I  will always vote Democrat rather than not  voting and taking a chance of
letting a Republican win.
What  qualifies you, in terms of your organizing work, to represent
progressive  values on the E-Board? Or  Why  should progressives on the CDP E-Board
vote for you as a DNC  delegate?   
As  president of the California Democratic Council, I have worked hard to
provide  tools and services for our Democratic clubs and have succeeded in
resurrecting  an organization that had, over the years, virtually fallen into
anonymity. By  working together with a variety of progressive organizations such as
PDA,  Progressive Majority, TBRC, etc., I have been able to provide Democratic
activists across the state with access to free training, organizational 
skills/tools and education on progressive values.
I  believe that the party has neglected some of the most basic principles of 
organizing and that Democratic organizations like our clubs/counties need
more  support than they are currently receiving and that is why I have worked
hard  on this aspect.  The 50-state strategy is an important step, but doesn’t 
penetrate deep enough to really affect the grassroots organizations and 
therefore, needs additional work.
Based  on my experience, I have seen that there isn’t a single organization
that has  the resources to do all the work by themselves.  It is my firm belief
that we must all work together and quit worrying about egos and turf if we
are  to succeed at a measurable level.  To that end,  I’ve brought Dr.  Bill
Honigman (CA State Coordinator, PDA) on board to CDC as our chair of  Issues and
Political Action to help coordinate the issues and platform for  grassroots
organizations across the state.
Do  you think we should have super delegates?  Why or why not?   
I’m  mixed on this one.  On the one hand, having additional representation in
the form of more ‘experienced’ delegates (congressman, governors, DNC
members,  etc.) provides valuable input to the process – especially if those
delegates  adhere to our fundamental ideals.  However, having the ‘possibility’ of 
political insiders change the will of the popular vote is not something I 
agree with.  I’d have to do more research on exactly how these  ‘superdelegates’
affect the party in order to be able to make a more decisive  decision as to
whether or not superdelegates should  exist.

Are  you running on a slate with other candidates?  If so, who are the other 
candidates running on your slate and what was the process for choosing these 
candidates to run with you?   
No.   I believe that each candidate should be running for DNC based on their
own  merits.   With only 19 seats available for the entire state 
(representing 7 million voters), I feel it is important that each DNC member  is
evaluated
based on their own achievements, proven leadership abilities, and  Democratic
ideals.  Our representation should be as varied as our state  and not
clustered around certain groups or regions so all areas of the state  have some form
of representation.

What  experience has prepared you to run as a DNC member?
Having  been involved with politics for 15 years now, I’ve been through a
variety of  training (DFA, Wellstone, etc.) and helped out with several
campaigns.   Specifically, I’ve held the following positions:
President,  California Democratic Council (Current)
Chair,  CDP Computer & Internet Caucus (Current)
Orange  County Central Committee Member (Current)
AD  71 Delegate (Current)
President,  Big Bear Valley Democratic Club
Vice  Chair, South Orange County Democratic Club
CDP  E-Board Member
San  Bernardino County Central Committee Member
AD  65 Delegate
AD  73 Delegate
I  do not believe in holding titles just for the sake of it, and should I be 
elected to the DNC, I will be giving up one or two of my current positions to
concentrate more on that position so that I can represent California
properly  and with complete focus.
On  which committee(s) would you like to serve and what are your  personal 
goals  for each committee?   
At  this point I have interest in the Resolutions Committee.  I feel this 
committee has a lot of potential in setting the direction of the  party.
I  would also like to serve on the Platform committee to ensure that the
party  advocates and adheres to the ideals put forth by our Democratic 
constituents.  
Personally,  I’d like to bring the voice of the grassroots to the table,
something I  believe to have been missing for quite some time.  I continually
struggle  with good folks on the progressive side who are angry with the party and
therefore want to leave it.  I always say that if you’re angry with the 
party, don’t leave it but instead stay and fight to become a voice for those  who
feel they don’t currently have one.  That’s what I intend to do with  my
vote on the DNC – be a voice for the grassroots in this  state.