In order to increase transparency and allow for maximum participation, the Executive Board of the SBCDCC has adopted the following practices and guidelines for receiving and giving notice regarding meetings and agenda items…

Greetings to our new and returning Central Committee elected Democrats! In order to schedule a re-organization meeting for the SBCDCC, the following steps need to occur:

• Every new and returning member of the Central Committee was sent a letter via USPS with the information needed to credential.  Most of the returned responses have only come from newly elected members.  Some have been sent back via email once they contacted us. We must gather up-to-date information from returning members also.  We cannot assume that no changes in profiles have occurred over the past four years. We have to verify that we have correct addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers and emails in order to begin to schedule a meeting.
• We have members who do not have Internet access and we must find other ways to accommodate those individuals.  They cannot be disenfranchised or ignored. This also applies to anyone who may require ADA accommodations. 
• We are currently attempting to solve the problem that the SBCDCC  Bylaws  contain no provision for online/electronic meetings and voting. So we are working on creating that type of system in real-time.

The California Democratic Party finally held its first training for conducting electronic meetings, including re-organizational meetings, on Saturday, June 6, two days before this posting.  The next update meeting will be Wednesday, June 10. 

In the meantime, a subcommittee of the SBCDCC Executive Committee has contacted several companies that provide online voting options, and has conducted “test mock elections” among members of the Exec. Committee. As soon as the subcommittee has a recommendation(s) for platforms to use, that recommendation will be discussed at a formal online meeting of the entire Executive Committee.  There are several options that look promising, and we’ll know more after Wednesday’s CDP training.

THE ONE THING OVER WHICH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE HAS NO CONTROL IS THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBER’S COMPLETION OF THE CREDENTIALING PROCESS.  The subcommittee is doing its job, but it is up to each member to do his/her part and send in their updated application plus pay their membership dues via ACT BLUE to ensure that we have complete and correct contact information and are paid up for every member.

Thank you for your patience and please send in your completed forms and pay dues on ACT BLUE.

During this unprecedented Pandemic we have been thrust into, your Current Executive Board has been diligently working towards returning member and new member installation, with a manageable reorganization that works on behalf of all. We are mailing a letter, via US Postal Service, according to our By-Laws, to our SBCDCC returning, and new members. The letter describes a process that will engage all members. Please check your US Postal mail box and upon receipt, follow the instructions in the letter. If you have any questions or have not received the letter by end of May 30, please email or have someone email with your contact information at SBCDCCReorg@gmail.com. We will check your request against our list and resolve. Include your name, phone, address, and email (if applicable). Thank you for your patience in these tough times and stay safe!

TODAY: Local Elected Leaders Highlight New Revenue Estimates from Schools & Communities First

Press conference today (May 7, 2020) announced new report that shows billions will go towards local critical services and essential workers

Today at 10:30 AM, the Schools & Communities First campaign will be hosting a Zoom press conference featuring local elected leaders throughout the state to announce a new report showing how revenue generated by the initiative will be distributed to local governments throughout the state.

As cities, counties and the state face unprecedented shortfalls, this report shows how the property tax revenue generated by requiring the biggest corporations to pay their fair share would be distributed for the work of local governments illustrating the fact that Schools & Communities First needs to be a part of California’s long-term solution our state is facing now. According to the report, Schools & Communities First would generate billions for local governments to invest in their most pressing needs, such as public health and first responders.

he new report is linked here at https://action.schoolsandcommunitiesfirst.org/…/1548…/VEsH/…

It occurred

Thursday, May 7th at 10:30 AM

WHERE: Zoom press conference

WHO:

San Francisco Mayor London Breed
Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs
Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez
Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl
Huron Mayor Rey León

For more information, please contact:
Alex Stack
Communications Director, Schools & Communities First
Cell: (603) 320-0398
AlexS@SchoolsAndCommunitiesFirst.org
@Alex_Stack

Now that the primary results have been certified by the County Registrar as of April 24, 2020 , we are going to be welcoming newly elected members to our Democratic Central Committee here in San Bernardino County for the 2020-2024 terms! 

As a Democratic Central Committee member of the largest county in the country, with our new members, you represent over 422,500 Democrats across San Bernardino County either as an elected official, DNC Member, Statewide Caucus or Organization Chair, CDP E-Board Representative, or as the highest finishing Democrat in your primary race. This is an extraordinary time for new and re-elected members as we go into the next phase of our election year – and your voice in our party will be crucial to our efforts to support and elect progressive Democrats up and down the ballot and defeat this president in November. 

Over the next few weeks we will be reaching out and working with you to get you ready for our first meeting together – our organizational meeting. This first meeting includes our ceremonial swearing-in, election of your Assembly District Central Committee members, and nominations for Executive Board officers for the 2020-2024 terms. As our country and communities continue to grapple with the affects of COVID-19, we will keep you all updated on a scheduled date, and any changes to our regular schedule.  

As difficult as isolation and social distancing have been, we can only imagine how much worse things would be without the technology that keeps us all connected.  Nothing has exploded more than Zoom, the teleconferencing and video conferencing software that was ubiquitously adopted at the beginning of the pandemic.  In fact, as a result of how common Zoom usage has become, we, as a board, have seen a significant push from users to switch to Zoom meetings over the past few weeks, but like many organizations (the Federal and State Courts, Google, SpaceX, NASA, and multiple Governments, to name a few), we have an obligation to evaluate the security of using such a service and/or alternatives.  This obligation increases exponentially, when we are considering having meetings to amend our bylaws, swear in members, and elect a new Executive Committee.  

So far, Zoom has not proven to be sufficiently secure to hold such fundamental meetings.  Security issues for Zoom are nothing new. In the summer of 2019, Zoom had a security on Mac OS that could turn personal computers unknowingly into servers that could allow strangers to look into your webcam. More recently, Zoom allowed would-be attackers to bypass email confirmation requirements for meetings by copying the ID tag in a meeting URL.  And, of course, there is Zoom bombing, where attackers could gain access to meetings randomly.  But even these are not the worst security issues.

Currently, Zoom continues to misrepresent its encryption protections (claiming to use AES-256, when in reality they use the outdated AES-128) and continues to route a significant amount of traffic through China.  Accordingly, the use of Zoom for internal political discussions must be done with the understanding that our calls are subject to warrantless searches by the Chinese government. 

Altogether, these may not be reasons for not using Zoom, but they are reasons for us to pause.  Zoom meetings as a solution put us in unpalatable positions.  One option, for example, is to limit participation to members of the SBCDCC, while muting the rest, but then our meetings would be construed as not open to the public. Similarly, putting password protection on the meetings would create the same limitation. Notably, even if we were to conduct online meetings, the fact that any of our members may not be prepared or able to call-in or receive notice, would make us abandon some of our members at a time when we should be united.

Finally, in addition to the questions of security, the EC must also consider logistic questions and access for anyone who is impaired or financially unable to participate.  Keep in mind that members of our central committee reasonably relied on the fact that none of our meetings were being held online, and making a radical change to that policy must take into account every member’s rights.  This is particularly true, when it comes to our election process. 

The State CDP has recommended that ALL business meetings be cancelled or continued to a future date or conducted remotely.  To date, we have chosen to continue the meetings, but we have not made a final decision due to the fluid nature of the pandemic circumstances.  The EC continues to consider all of our options.  

We will make recommendations that resolve the significant security problems with electronic communications (Zoom in particular), serves all of our members, takes the current pandemic into account, and recognizes that no one should have to choose between being a member of the SBCDCC and their health.

San Bernardino County Democrats have continued to lead our state on the issues that matter to Californians and the American people. From healthcare, to income inequality, housing, criminal and economic justice reform and so much more, the work we will do together over the next four years will help shape the future of our county and our country. When California succeeds, the Nation Succeeds. 

On behalf of the elected Executive Board, welcome new members and welcome back returning members. We look forward to our continued work together, collaborating with you, and working towards our shared goals. 

Democratically yours, 

Chris Robles, Chair

Mark Westwood, 1^st Vice Chair

Jim Gallagher, 3^rd Vice Chair

Carol Robb, Treasurer

Mario Alfaro, Parliamentarian

Sean Houle, Sgt at Arms

Joe Britt, Corresponding Secretary

To all members of the San Bernardino County Democratic Party Central Committee:

Based on the continued danger posed by the existing Pandemic, the current National and State-level Stay Home Orders in Place, and with the safety of all members paramount, no notice for the meeting of the Central Committee for April has been issued and no meeting will take place. The Executive Committee intends on meeting in the near future to discuss the changes to the bylaws that would be necessary to proceed with our normal business during these difficult times. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and encourage our members to stay safe, stay indoors as much as possible, and practice social distancing. County COVID 19 updates are here: http://sbcovid19.com/

Greetings to All Members of the San Bernardino County Democratic Central Committee;

As noticed by our Chair Chris Robles: “The California State Public Health Officer and Director of the California Department of Public Health is ordering all individuals living in the State of California to stay at home or at their place of residence except as needed to follow the federal critical infrastructure sectors.”

This is a courtesy notice on behalf of the Chair, and the SBCDCC Executive leadership to formally inform you that Governor Newsom has canceled all meetings in the state due to the Corona Virus Pandemic. Of course this includes the San Bernardino County Democratic Central Committee meeting this coming Thursday evening. Everyone’s safety is, and should be our number one priority at this moment.

Due to the rapid movement of the COVID-19 strain, and until further notice, The “Safer at Home” guidelines, ordering individuals to remain in their residence, and limit all nonessential movement, apply to everyone in the state of California, including the SBCDCC, and will be in place until further notice.

We will notify everyone as soon as possible when further developments take place, and we are given an all clear to meet again. Please take care of yourselves, and your loved ones first.

Take Care and Best to All,

Chris Robles, Chair
Mark Westwood, 1st Vice Chair
Jim Gallagher, 3rd Vice Chair
SBCDCC Executive Committee Officers and Leadership