A Call to Action!

   Our February 20th meeting began with an inspiring call to action by Dara Baily.  Her talk, “Why Are you Here?” asked people to step up and volunteer their time and their talents to make this country better.  Sign up sheets were available for a variety of volunteer groups focusing on social media, research, writing, speaking out on issues that interest you, military issues, and educating people about the Constitution.  Dara pointed out how even a few minutes a day can make a huge difference. If you were at the meeting and did not volunteer, please contact us and get active.  If you did sign up at the meeting, you will be receiving specific information soon about what the group(s) you signed up for will be focusing on the near future.  She also spoke about registering for iCaucus so everyone can take part in vetting candidates for Federal, State, and Local offices.

   John Stahl provided us with an update on his campaign for Congress in San Diego’s 52nd District, reminding everyone of the need to be involved and participate in the campaigns of the candidates they support, helping with his signature gathering efforts, and inviting us to show up at rallys and events such as his upcoming debate with Brian Bilbray.

  Joseph Spencer is the author of the book What Can One Man Do? and the website One Man Can.  He spoke passionately about how each of us can make a difference if we dedicate our time and talents to restoring our country to its founding principles.  He pointed out that our duty as citizens is to . . . “restore a government worthy of trust so that we can pursue happiness.”  He talked about creating our own “precinct” of 10 people, developing relationships with them and educating each other, then extending that relationship beyond those ten. 

   Dran Reese of the Salt and Light Council spoke next about the Parental Rights Petition which place a measure on the November ballot to ensure that a doctor cannot perform an abortion on a young girl without informing a parent, encouraging everyone to not only sign the petition, but to be part of the signature gathering effort.

   Our next guests were Audrea and Luke, both high school students, from im2moro, a movement led by young people determined to speak up and stand out to protect the liberties and principles that made our nation great: Responsibility, Prosperity, Happiness, Security, Liberty, Justice, and Peace.  Audrea updated us on the group’s activities and progress this year as well as their upcoming plans for the year in teaching other young about the Constitution and the principles on which our nation was founded in order to inspire them to vote in this upcoming election.  Luke’s talk focused on the meaning of prosperity for today’s young people, and described how important it is that we understand how living in a thriving economy helps guarantee our individual freedom and liberty.  Audrea then spoke once again about how important it is to get the youth of America involved by rallying them around the concept that they need to tell Washington to stop spending their future.  She followed this with a deeply impassioned presentation about the U.S. Constitution and how relevant it still is today.

   Several of our San Diego Tea Party Patriots have declared their candidacy for their party’s Central Committee.  A map showing the County’s Assembly Districts was posted and included on the back of the meeting Agenda so everyone would know where their newly redistricted AD is located so they can support these candidates.  Candidate names and the Assembly District they hope to represent was sent to everyone in an email last week.  With six candidates being elected from each Assembly District, there is ample opportunity for our candidates to run and win. More information about these candidates and their campaigns for Central Committee will be posted as the nomination and elections progress.  Maggie Acerra, one of the candidates, presented terrific tips for how a candidate can campaign and win their seat on Central Committee.  She showed some of business cards, larger cards, yard signs, and car magnets she ordered to use for her own campaign, and encouraged each candidate to make this modest investment to help make the campaign successful.  She also cautioned Tea Party candidates for Central Committee to not use the website and services offered by the League of Women Voters, since they are clearly not the non-partisan organization they purport to be, based on their advocacy of issues such as a single-payer health insurance system, amnesty for undocumented aliens, and their opposition to voter id initiatives.

Please note that our video record of this evening’s meeting stopped at this point. We apologize for this technical problem, but hope that those in attendance learned a great deal and enjoyed hearing our next two speakers, Bonnie Dumanis, candidate for Mayor, and Dave Berry, candidate for judge.

   Our next guest was San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, candidate for Mayor of the City of San Diego.  Dumanis began her talk by honoring the young people from im2moro for their devotion and dedication to the Constitution and their work in inspiring and educating young people.  She introduced herself to those who were unfamiliar with her background, by joking that she occasionally still speaks with her native Massachusetts accent.  She then described her rise in the D.A.’s office from starting out as an office clerk, going to law school at night, spending time as an Assistant District Attorney, being a Municipal and Superior Court judge, then being elected the County’s District Attorney in 2003.  She spoke with pride about the work she has accomplished in making the D.A.’s office run more efficiently and be more effective, and hopes to implement the same kinds of efficiencies to City government.  She also discussed San Diego’s pension crisis and the reform measures designed to resolve it by implementing a 401-K style pension program for City employees.  She also spoke about developing an even stronger biotech industry within the City, and making it easier for small businesses to start up by reducing regulations that make that process so difficult.  She also spoke about the necessity for devoting some resources to the city’s much-needed road and infrastructure repairs.

   At one point, Dumanis spoke about her own admiration for the Constitution, showing everyone the pocket Constitution she carries with her.  When she noticed one of the Tea Party volunteers holding up her own pocket Constitution, Dumanis asked the crowd how many others carried the Constitution with them.  She was pleasantly surprised when nearly two-thirds of the audience raised their hands.  Overall, Dumanis’ presentation was thoughtful, realistic, and positive about the growth and future of San Diego, and gave the audience a very clear picture of

Our last speaker of the evening was David Berry, candidate for Judge in the San Diego Superior Court.  Berry spoke about the importance of knowing more about the judges we’re voting for, but how difficult it can be for a voter to find out much information about the candidates.  He spoke about his dedication to upholding the law and briefly described his 25-year career as a San Diego County Deputy District Attorney.  He talked about his work on several high-profile homicide cases, his work as a member of the Three-Strikes Task Force, and his efforts in prosecuting a number of dangerous repeat criminals.