DAWN - DEMOCRATIC ACTIVIST FOR WOMEN NOW!Spring Newsletter - May 2009

Where we havebeen and where weare going

by Noelani Sallings, President One thing that I havelearned during my adulthood isthat all organizations have ahistory and that history must be recognized from timeto time in order to continue with progress.We were born out of grassroots volunteerswhich began with Barbara Boxer's campaign for theU.S. Senate in 1992.Since our inception in January 1993, DAWNhas:•Helped Zoe Lofgren win her upset victory in the June1994 primary.•Researched and supported pro-choice progressivelocal city and school board candidates for election.•Held forums on local candidates, the Women'sCaucus, choice, NAFTA, politics of breast cancer and the radical right, understanding the DemocraticParty, women & war in Bosnia , economics &analysis of election results.•Found and exposed radical right candidates runningfor office in Santa Clara County .•Supported San Jose and Sunnyvale 's ordinancesdesigned to protect a women's right to choose.•Played a key role in organizing the pro-choicedefense of medical facilities during OperationRescue's summer offensive in San Jose.•Published a newsletter and monthly calendar of SantaClara County Democratic and women's events. Our mission is very clear still; to channel andexpress our enthusiasm for a new era of equality, wehave formed a Democratic club with the followingcommitments:•Assist in the selection, appointment, and election of pro-choice progressive Democratic women to officelocally, statewide, and nationally.•Support pro-choice progressive, female-friendlyissues through frequent contact with people who caneffect change.•Oppose radical right-wing, anti-feminist, anti-choice politics.During this time we have supported and helpedmany DAWN supported candidates get elected intooffice and support DAWN’s agenda.So, what is there still left to do? Oh, so muchmore. After a day like this, it seems like the wholeworld still needs enlightenment.•We must continue to protect a woman’s right tochoose by educating the youth.•Fight for equal pay and equal rights in the workplace.Just because we are mothers does not mean that weare not as or less qualified for a position.•Continue to get more women elected into officelocally. We must donate to women campaigns, give big and give often to women candidates. Onaverage, women candidates raise less money thantheir male opponents.•Join our LGBT brothers and sisters in their fight for equality. DAWN women know all too well what it islike to be treated unfairly and we will fight with youfor equality.We have already accomplished so much butthere is still more work left to do. I am ready for thischallenge and look forward to working with each andevery one of you.I would like to closewitha thank you to allDAWN members, without you, DAWN would benothing.

DAWN Report

Emerge Event atDeepka Lalwani’s

Guest Contributor,

PriyaTalreja

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On Sunday, EmergeCalifornia put on an event atDeepka Lalwani house in order toexpose young women of color to theidea of running for public office andto break some of society's barriersthat many women of color are helpin by. There were a variety of local politicians eager to share their support and advice about why to runfor office and how to approach theidea. Their advice was candid andencouraging. Spokeswomen fromEmerge also spoke enthusiasticallyabout the program. It seems to be agreat opportunity for women of color to even the playing field, andget the mentoring, training andencouragement that their while male peers might be privy too because of their predisposed status insociety.Since I am a high schoolteacher in San Jose, I alwayslooking out for opportunities for mystudents. This meeting was primarily helpful for me to find outwhat is available for them, I wasable request visits from local politicians as speakers in a speakersseries I am creating at

PioneerHigh School

. I also was able tomeet with Liliana Li, arepresentative from Vision NewAmerica. She shared with me thisamazing program that helps highschool and college students gainexperience working in governmentorganizations. I look forward toworking with her as we encouragemore youth to take what they learnin the classroom and put it into practice through an internship.

Increasing CollegeOpportunities forFoster Youth

Guest Contributor, Paul Fong

Nowadays it seems thatthere is a presumption that after high school comes college. While Iwish this was true for everyone, thereality is — it isn’t. I believeeveryone has the right to attendcollege despite their circumstances.Unfortunately, today’s foster youthhave a harder time getting intocollege because of residency issues.This is why I have introduced AB669, which will change residencyrequirements so that foster youthhave a better financial transitioninto college.Statistics can be sobering.Each year, approximately 4,000youth are emancipated fromCalifornia’s foster care system.Within 2-4 years of emancipation51% of foster youth faceunemployment and 40% will facehomelessness within the first 18months. Only 1%-5% of foster youth ever graduate from college.Currently, a foster youth becomes emancipated after their 18th birthday. In the eyes of thestate, the foster youth is now ontheir own. To apply to college inCalifornia and to determine whether a student is eligible for in-statetuition, it takes one year and oneday before a student can establishtheir own residency. Until that timestudents’ residency is based on thatof their parents or they have to livein the same location for acontinuous year. For foster youth,this gap presents a problem, becauseas wards of the State of California,they can move several times in a 12month period and they may not bein contact with their biological parents.AB 669 allows foster youthage 19 and younger to claimCalifornia residency on financialassistance forms, such as Cal Grant,so they can receive critical financialassistance to attend a Californiacommunity college and pay in-statetuition. It will provide thesestudents California residency statusfor the year and one day neededuntil the time they can establishresidency on their own. Also, this bill will ensure that communitycolleges’ open enrollment policy istrue to its intent.In 2007-08, the Californiacommunity colleges servedapproximately 6,000 self-identifiedformer foster youth. I am workinghard toget these numbers up andAB 669through the Assembly andthe Senate. I want to see all youthhave the opportunity to attendcollege, enrich their lives and enter the career they have dreamed about.To support AB 669 or learn moreabout it, visit my web sitewww.assembly.ca.gov/fong Together we can be sure foster youth have the future they so

heartily deserve.

DON’T FORGET!This SundayJune 7th at 11 amDAWN AnnualFundraiserat 1294 Hanchett Ave.,San Jose, 95126Champagne Brunchand Silent Auction

Education Must be A NationalPriority

Guest Contributor,

Assemblywoman Joan BuchananWhen people ask me why I am running for Congress after such a hard fought campaign to win anAssembly seat, first I say “Thank you.” Running for theAssembly showed me just how much a committedgroup of people working together can accomplish. It ishumbling to be the recipient of so much good will, hardwork and generosity. I know it and I am grateful.So thank you DAWN members for all you did tohelp me put the 15

district in the Democratic column.What could possibly convince me to wageanother campaign now, especiallyan expensive and difficult contestamong friends? It is my belief that education is the fundamental building block of America’s neweconomy. The answer to jobloss, increasing incomeinequality, dependence on foreignoil and skyrocketing deficits iseducation. Investing in our people, research and training isthe most direct route to a lastingrecovery and reliable economylong term. A well-educated,highly skilled workforce will increase our ability tocompete globally, fuel technological innovation,and guarantee a vibrant marketplace at home.All of the Democratic candidates in the 10

CDrace support universal health care; we agree on the needfor energy self-sufficiency and support efforts to addressglobal warming. However, I believe that education mustalso be a national priority. Our security, our economic prosperity and the quality of our food and water dependmore than ever on well-educated workers.For 18 years I championed education as aSchool Board Member in the San Ramon Valley.Raising student achievement, teacher performance and building a community that valued our schools gave mesatisfaction and our schools dramatically improved, nowranking among the top 5%. Our teacher retention rateswent up and the number of students attending collegereached 96%.Everyone took pride in our students’ scholarshipand achievement.Sadly, my story is not typical in our state or our country. High achieving schools should be the norm inAmerica, but they are not. Education policy andfunding, for the most part, has been left to the states.Today, in California, we face a $21 billion dollar deficit,which we will shortly close by cutting programs,services and jobs, including many in education. We lack the political will to insulate schools from this crisis.There is limited relief from thefederal government. Historically, ithas stepped in to help with collegeloans and grants and it has imposed a passel of mandates on local schools, but rarely sent the dollars toimplement them. Most recently, toaddress declining studentachievement, President Bush offered“No Child Left Behind.” Althoughdesigned to close the achievementgap, it became little more than anempty promise and never deliveredthe funds to make it work.In order to survive this economic downturn,recover, grow and expand the economy, we must produce a workforce second to none. That meansinvesting in research, universities, math, science andtechnology classes and early childhood education to prepare kids to learn. It means producing morescientists, medical experts, engineers and linguists. TheUnited States’ ability to lead the world economydepends directly on our commitment to education.For me, this is a patriotic as well as heartfelt andlifelong mission. The situation is urgent. We cannotwait for the problems to be solved state by state.Education must become a national priority.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Noelani Sallings

Executive Vice President

Carla Collins

, V

ice President Membership

Carol GarveyVice President Fundraising

Parris Correa

Vice President Political Action

Alicia CrankSecretary

Alison Coy