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Triumphant Democrats Gather to Hail Victories and Victors

Awards are handed out left and right — er, left — at annual Roosevelt-Hamer Dinner

By Kenny Lindberg, Noozhawk Intern | Published on 06.27.2009

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Celebrating last year’s historic victories for the party, the Santa Barbara Democratic Party held its 2009 Roosevelt-Hamer Dinner on Saturday to honor members’ contributions and build on the grassroots efforts that led to sweeping success in 2008.

The event at the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club-Rockwood was hosted by former Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, who immediately got everyone’s attention when she whistled so loudly that all conversations instantly ceased.

Jackson then introduced the many dignitaries present, including Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum; Goleta Mayor Roger Aceves; Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara; and Frank Kelly, founder of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and a former speechwriter for President Harry S. Truman.

Santa Barbara Democratic Party chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall then took the floor and discussed the importance of grassroots campaigns and why he believes in the Democratic Party. Larimore-Hall, an African-American, said the party has to remain at the forefront of change or people like him would still be sitting in the back of the bus — a line met with a delayed standing ovation.

Capps then told guests about the new energy bill she helped get through the House of Representatives on Friday, and how the initiative will help the nation by reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 80 percent by 2050.

Awards were then handed out, and Gina Fisher was the first recipient, earning the Democratic Future Award, for her activism as a member of the UCSB Campus Democrats.

Fisher called the Campus Democrats the “best training ground for Democratic activists” and jokingly ripped her mother for being a Republican. Fisher then went on to say that there’s a lot of work ahead for liberals, and that health care reform is vital.

The Democratic Leadership Award went to Cheryl Hermann for her grassroots effort to try to recruit liberal voters from the Santa Ynez Valley. Hermann went on to thank her diverse group of campaign workers, which she said included some Republicans, but nevertheless thanked all involved and noted that “leadership is the reflection of a good team.”

The Democratic Values Award, presented to the elected official who has gone the extra mile to help grow and support the grassroots effort, was awarded to Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams, who is running for an Assembly seat.

“He has always demonstrated outstanding Democratic leadership,” said presenter Vibiana Saavedra, treasurer of the Santa Barbara Democratic Party. “He is truly passionate about grassroot activities.”

Williams thanked his volunteers then briefly discussed California’s chronic budget woes, saying that “the problems aren’t going to be solved by the governor and not by the Legislature ... it will be solved by grassroots (efforts) to get rid of the two-thirds majority.”

He was referring to the two-thirds majority vote of the Legislature that is required to raise taxes or to overturn a veto by the governor. Democrats are just short of the margin in both the state Senate and the Assembly in Sacramento.

The California Teachers Association was the recipient of the Solidarity Award, for its efforts this past year, including its support of the “No on Prop. 8” campaign in the battle over same-sex marriage.

The last speaker was California Democratic Party vice chairman Eric Bauman, whose loud speech drew frequent applause from the audience. Bauman said the “2010 election will be more important than getting (President) Obama elected,” because Democrats won’t be able to blame everything on President George W. Bush anymore.

Bauman’s speech was briefly interrupted when lifelong Democrat Elissa Rubin rose and asked him if he took any donations from corporations. Bauman told Rubin that he wasn’t running for anything, then finished off by reiterating the importance that Democratic Party grassroots efforts will play in the next election cycle.

Rubin said later that there needs to be campaign finance reform because “as long as Republicans and Democrats take donations from corporations nothing is going to change, no matter who is president.”

Event organizer Chris Lanier said it’s only natural for Democrats to have diverse opinions, and it makes the party stronger because of it.

“It’s clear that we have a lot of strong support,” Lanier said. “This was very successful.”

The sold-out fundraising dinner, named after President Franklin D. Roosevelt and civil rights activist and pioneer Fannie Lou Hamer, had been scheduled for May 9. The May 5 Jesusita Fire forced organizers to reschedule, however.

— Noozhawk intern Kenny Lindberg can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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» Did he mean to say SELMA?? on 06.28.09 @ 06:10 AM

Rubin