1996 GVDC Events

(Last updated: February 26, 1998)
EVENTS

Many thanks to all of the Club members who helped set up and who participated in all of these events!

`DAYS GONE BY . . .`

Saturday, September 28, 1996 (cancelled, but read this anyway!)

50 Years After the G.I. BILL

Millions of Americans began taking "handouts" from the Federal Government in 1946 when the G.I. Bill, which was signed on June 22nd, 1944, began benefitting discharged Veterans. The G.I. Bill was the impetus which built the United States into the strongest economy the world has ever seen. The G.I. Bill sent many American Veterans to colleges and universities across this country, making the U.S.A. the most highly educated country on Earth, and the G.I. Bill provided low-cost home loans to millions of Veterans, creating the biggest housing boom in history. The G.I. Bill alone created the suburbs in which most Americans live today. Many Republicans opposed the G.I. Bill back then, and the economic boom it created continued until the Republicans gained control of both the White House and the U.S. Senate in 1980. In the mid-1980s, Republican President Ronald Reagan along with Republican Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole began dismantling many Federal government programs.

After President Reagan and President Bush, who both created deficits that dwarfed all previous deficits put together, the American worker was no longer the highest-paid in the world, and the United States was no longer the largest Creditor nation in the world. In fact, Ronald Reagan alone turned America into the largest Debtor nation on Earth, and George Bush nearly DOUBLED the debt!

Reagan & Bush Debt Chart (In 1993 totalled 78.1% of all debt in U.S. History. More than half came from tax cuts to the rich & to corporations.))

The Republicans in Congress, led by Newt Gingrich, are trying to dismantle the economic incentives and grants and the economic safety-net that the G.I. Bill was a part of. And why? To create a class of the Super-Rich with the remainder of the people dirt-poor, just like the "banana republics" of the Southern Hemisphere. Look at Mexico -- as a result of "Privatizing" most of the assets of the Federal Government there, the economic chaos left the average Mexcan worker losing most of his/her wages in real money, while the number of Mexican BILLIONAIRES went up from 2 to 28! It's the same story everywhere that Right Wing Conservatives are allowed to steal from the Government to give to the Rich.

The Republicans don't want another G.I. Bill. They cut funds for education every chance they get. They are trying to eliminate every Federal housing program. The Republicans don't want an economic safety net. Bob Dole still brags about being one of the few members of Congress who voted AGAINST Medicare in 1965! Newt Gingrich wants to let Medicare "wither on the vine!" And they'd do the same to Social Security if the Republicans gained control of both the Congress and the White House.

We are planning on honoring the G.I.s and those who put the G.I. Bill through Congress, from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on up, the people who made America great.

(Postscript: We decided to let our Club members concentrate on campaigning -- many are involved in a number of local campaigns -- and send out a fund-raising letter_ instead.)

Sunday, September 8, 1996

Labor Elects the 1996 Democratic Candidates

The event was a great success, like the simlar event last March. Well over a thousand Union members and Democrats attended, and many spare ribs were consumed! Congratulations to Dan Foley, of the United Association Local 250 -- which hosted the event, and all of the other unions and community groups who worked together to put on the event.

Bob Tougas videotaped much of the event for our Club, including Jim Dear interviewing a number of the guest speakers, and we shall have that video available shortly.

(The GVDC's invitation to the event.)
.

July 30, 1996

District Attorney Gil Garcetti

The Beach Cities Democratic Club and the Gardena Valley Democratic Club hosted a special event honoring our Los Angeles County District Attorney, who is facing a run-off election this November. The event took place at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center in Gardena, and was emceed by Mayor Don Dear of Gardena. Beach Cities Democratic Club President Mustapha Sesay and Gardena Valley Democratic Club President Pablo Cataño welcomed the more than 75 guests who spent an evening away from the Olympics to hear District Attorney Garcetti. Redondo Beach School Board member Zeke Zeidler, who once worked with Mr. Garcetti, introduced our endorsed candidate for District Attorney.

District Attorney Garcetti gave an impressive speech, and recalled that five years earlier he had visited the Gardena Valley Democratic Club here in the Nakaoka Center to find out if we would support him if he ran for L.A. County District Attorney. We responded by a show of hands that we would, but Gil recalled that we then went and endorsed Robert Tannenbaum during the Primary Election. The GVDC endorsed Gil Garcetti for the runoff election, and we've endorsed him again this year.

June 8th, 1996

A Day at the Races

at Hollywood Park. Well over 100 Democratic activists from the South Bay-Long Beach areas enjoyed the day, even with the crowd there to watch the Belmont Stakes simulcast. Assemblywoman Debra Bowen spoke to most of those attending. Like last year's event, everyone had a very good time.

May 4th, 1996

Cinco de Mayo Parade & Fiesta

<-- Parade photo (54k) <-- Club photo (41k)
<-- Cinco de Mayo Queen, Princesses & Señorita Mexico de L.A. (photo 45k)

MAP

The Gardena Cinco de Mayo Parade & Fiesta was once again very successful. This year we had a larger number of people watching the parade along its 1-mile route to Recreation Park. A longtime member of the Gardena Valley Democratic Club, Ann Ramirez, enjoyed being the Parade's Grand Marshall. George Castro, also a longtime Club member, chaired the Cinco de Mayo Committee and received honors at the event for his hard work in chairing the festivities in recent years.

Everyone enjoyed the Mariachi Band and singers, the Ballets Folklorico and other dancers and entertainers throughout the afternoon. The children really enjoyed the cartoon characters and the horses and riders. As usual, the Cinco de Mayo festivities provided a colorful canvas for photographers, and we expect to have some nice photos up here soon.

Gardena's Cinco de Mayo Parade was initiated by our Club and the City of Gardena ten years ago.

April 12th-14th, 1996

California Democratic Party State Convention

<-- DNC Chair Don Fowler meets Club members (photo 32k)
We enjoyed providing a meeting place at our Club's Hospitality Suite_ for Don Fowler, the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and other members of the DNC, and we were pleased to meet Chairman Fowler afterwards.
<-- Assemblywoman Debra Bowen toasting 53rd AD members (photo 54k)
Many thanks to all of our Club members and friends from Labor who helped us with our Hospitality Suite! It was a great success! Everyone really enjoyed Assemblywoman Debra Bowen's Champagne Toast to the members of the 53rd Assembly District Democratic Committee.
<-- DNC Chair Don Fowler with Labor leaders (photo 26k)
<-- State Senator Tom Hayden with Club members (photo 43k)
<-- Larry Duckwald, Jim McGreevy & William Mohr (photo 20k)

Postcard inviting Democrats to the GVDC Hospitality Suite.

`March 16th, 1996`

ROAD TO VICTORY '96 House Parties

`March 10th, 1996`

MEET THE 1996 CANDIDATES: Speakers included Acting Governor GRAY DAVIS and new California Democratic Party Chair ART TORRES along with 30 Democratic candidates for Congress, Supervisor, State Senate and Assembly

<-- Lt. Gov. Gray Davis at the Pipefitters Local 250 Hall (photo 44k)
<-- Matt McKinnon, Mayor Don Dear & Dick Amemiya (photo 28k)