WELCOME TO OUR CLUB!
Welcome to the Southern Alameda County Progressive Democrats. We are a charter of the Alameda County Democratic party for progressives who are registered Democrats in Southern Alameda County. This includes Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, San Leandro, Pleasanton, Dublin and the unincorporated communities of Castro Valley, Ashland and Cherryland.
We consider ourselves progressive due to our commitment to corporate free candidates and the values we have stated in our platform.
Please visit our Facebook page, like it, and join the discussion.
Board Members:
Chair – Vinnie Bacon
Vice Chair – Barisha Spriggs
Treasurer – Rene Wise
Communications – JP Sahi
Secretary – Kelsey Pressnall
What is a Progressive?
Statement of the Board of the Southern Alameda County Progressive Democrats
The term “Progressive” has become more popular lately with the Bernie Sanders campaign and several Congresspersons identifying as such. Since the term is used by many these days for many different agendas, we felt it would be good to define what we mean when we say we are progressive. Here are some of the key principles that we hold, with an emphasis on how it relates to the local politics here in Southern Alameda County.
Corporate Financing of Elections: We believe this is the biggest reason there are so many things wrong with our political system, from the national level all the way down to local politics. Our political offices should not be for sale. Yet, it looks very clearly like they are. With the Citizens United ruling, corporate interests can dump untold amounts of money into elections with little to no transparency.
At the national level, the fossil fuel industry, gun manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies are among those that heavily fund candidates. As a result, the US isn’t doing nearly enough to fight the existential threat of climate change, has a gun epidemic like no other, and has prices for life saving drugs much higher than other nations.
At the state level, corporate donations of all sorts dominate State Assembly and Senate races. For example, PG&E donates to almost every State Assemblymember. Candidates for these races often spend several hundred thousand dollars to win. This makes it very hard for grassroots, corporate-free candidates to compete. Statewide races in California are a level of magnitude more expensive.
At the local level, real estate interests (i.e. large property owners, developers, construction companies, landlords (often owned by hedge funds and publicly traded companies)) are some of the largest corporate donors to local elections. This isn’t surprising because the decisions made by local elected officials affect their bottom lines.
We believe that only candidates who have pledged not to take money from corporate interests or political action committees (PACs) have the right to use the progressive label.
Affordable Housing /Tenant’s Rights: Arguably, the largest issue that local elected officials in California can address is affordable housing. In California, we have an oversupply of market rate housing, but a severe undersupply of affordable housing (i.e. housing that is affordable to the vast number of residents who do not earn multiple six figure salaries). The result is skyrocketing rents and the dream of home ownership unattainable for many young people. State and local officials need to abandon the idea that building more and more market rate homes will somehow trickle down to those who truly need housing the most. We need leadership that will prioritize providing affordable housing.
The many unhoused people in our communities demonstrate a failure to provide the basic need of housing to many residents. While adequate mental health and drug treatment facilities are needed to help this problem, the biggest cause of homelessness is simply that people can’t afford a decent place to live.
Renters deserve protection from unjust evictions and unfair rent increases. Our local elected officials need to make sure these protections are in place for renters in their community.
We believe elected officials who are unwilling to consider basic protections for renters do not deserve to call themselves progressive.
Climate Change: We believe climate change is a real and existential threat to humankind. Elected officials at all levels need to urgently address this. At the local level, cities and municipalities should be doing what the can to encourage alternative modes of transportation. New developments should be planned to encourage multi-modal transportation. Laws should be in place to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.
We believe that politicians that do not prioritize these measures to address the existential threat of climate change do not deserve to call themselves progressive.
Medicare For All: We believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. We support a national, single payer healthcare system, where every person’s basic needs are covered. We support ‘Cal Care’, a plan to implement such a system throughout California.
The belief in the universal right to health care is a hallmark of a progressive.
Social Justice and Equality: We strive for racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice, and equal rights for all. We work toward a future where all people are equal before the law and within society. Continuing our legacy of mass incarceration will only exacerbate social inequality.
We stand with the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for equality. We condemn anti-LGBTQ+ violence, bullying and discrimination. The hateful laws against transgender people going on in many parts of the country should be strongly opposed.
We believe that politicians that are unwilling to put themselves on the line to fight for equality do not earn the right to call themselves progressive.
Labor Rights: Human beings deserve to receive fair compensation for their labor companies must value front line workers as much as (if not more than) fat cat investors and C suite executives. Workers must have an unfettered right to organize and collectively bargain.
We believe that politicians that claim to support labor but do not show up in the trenches when their livelihoods and human dignity are on the line do not deserve to call themselves progressive.