Humboldt County Democrats

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HR 3962 is up on THOMAS

Posted by nvhcdcc on October 31, 2009

Finally … the text is up on THOMAS for HR 3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act (as introduced in the House)

[If you'd prefer to download and read the pdf version ... go here: http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/111/h/h3962ih.pdf ... but keep in mind that the file is humongous ... so it's gonna take a while to download]


Posted in Health Care | Leave a Comment »

Rory Reid Announces Campaign for Governor

Posted by nvhcdcc on October 15, 2009

Rory Reid, son of Senator Reid and current Clark County Commissioner, formally announced his intentions to run for Nevada’s Governorship on October 15, 2009.  Reid is the first Democrat to announce his intentions of running for Governor.  He joins three Republicans vying for our state’s top office (Gibbons, Sandoval, and Montandon) in next year’s election.

In his announcement, Reid pledged to create jobs throughout Nevada by putting plans in place to diversify Nevada’s economy, saying that we can no longer place such a heavy reliance on the gaming industry to pay for Nevada’s bills.  Read more about how Mr. Reid envisions Nevada’s future in this document:  The Virtual Crossroads — Rory Reid’s Vision for the Future of Nevada.

Further reading:

Posted in 2010, RoryReid | Comments Off

Meeting Minutes: 9-8-09

Posted by nvhcdcc on September 29, 2009

The meeting was held at the Round Table Pizza at 6:00.
 
As the minutes and treasurer report were unavailable they were not read nor approved.
 
There was a general discussion of issues.  The priority of a Health Care Reform Bill to pass, the Tea Party misinformation, the Supreme Court case pending on 1st amendment rights by corporations and unions.
 
It was suggested that we find volunteers for officers for the Humboldt Dems.
KC Harrison volunteered to take the office of chairman.  Dee Holzel made the motion to elect and Nicki Schumacher seconded the vote was taken and all attending voted Aye.
Patrict Henigin was nominated by KC to the Vice Chairman position.  Dee Holzel make the motion to elect and Nicki Schumacher seconded the vote was taken and all attendign voted Aye.
Bill Smiley was nominated by Dee Holzel as Second Vice Chairman and seconded by Nicki Schumacher the vote was taken and all attending voted Aye.
Vickie Rock was absent but was elected Secretary-Treasuer if she will accept.
Nicki and Gordon Schumacher will serve as members at large.
 
The next meeting of the Humboldt Democratic Central Committee will be held on the second Tuesday in October.
 
Meeting adjourned at 7:50
 
Those attending were:  Nicki Schumacher, Gordon Schumacher, Bill Smiley, K.C. Harrison, Patrick Henigin, Dee Holzel

Posted in Minutes | Comments Off

Tele-Town Hall — Have You Signed Up Yet?

Posted by nvhcdcc on August 19, 2009

Town Hall Discussion with Senator Harry Reid — Nevadans with 775 and 702 area codes are invited to participate in a Telephone Town Hall with Senator Reid on August 28, 2009. To sign up, click here.

Posted in Events | 1 Comment »

Unofficial List of 2010 Offices Up For Election

Posted by nvhcdcc on August 16, 2009

STATEWIDE OFFICES TERM INCUMBENT
U.S. Senator 6 years Harry Reid
Supreme Court Justice, Seat A 6 years Jim Hardesty
Supreme Court Justice, Seat E 6 years Ron Parraguirre
Governor 4 years Jim Gibbons
Lt. Governor 4 years Brian Krolicki
Secretary of State 4 years Ross Miller
State Treasurer 4 years Kate Marshall
State Controller 4 years Kim Wallin
Attorney General 4 years Catherine Cortez Masto

 

DISTRICT OFFICES TERM INCUMBENT
U.S. Representative (Congressional Dist. 2) 2 years Dean Heller
NV Assembly, District 32* 2 years Don Gustavson
NV Assembly, District 33# 2 years John Carpenter
NV Assembly, District 35^ 2 years Pete Goicoechea
NV University Brd of Regents, District 8 6 years Dorothy S Gallagher
NV Board of Education, District 10 4 years Cliff Ferry

* portion of Humboldt, Lander and Washoe Counties

# Elko County and a portion of Humboldt County

^ Eureka, Pershing & white Pine Counties & portions of Churchill, Humboldt, Lander & Washoe Counties

COUNTY OFFICES TERM INCUMBENT
County Commissioner, Seat C 4 years Dan Cassinelli
County Commissioner, Seat E 4 years Chuck Giordano
County Assor 4 years Jeff Johnson
County Clerk 4 years Tami Rae Spero
District Attorney 4 years Russell D Smith
County Recorder 4 years Mary Ann Hammond
County Sheriff 4 years Ed Kilgore
County Treasurer 4 years Gina Rackley
Hospital District Board Trustee, Seat B 4 years Moe Hanzlik
Hospital District Board Trustee, Seat E 4 years Mary Orr
School District Board Trustee, Seat A 4 years John Hill
School District Board Trustee, Seat B 4 years Kris Stewart
School District Board Trustee, Seat F 4 years Andrew Hillyer
School District Board Trustee, Seat G 4 years John A. Seeliger

 

GNRL IMPROVEMENT DIST OFCS TERM INCUMBENT
Denio TV Maintenance District, Seat A 2 years* Tim Dufurrena
Denio TV Maintenance District, Seat B 4 years (No incumbent)
Denio TV Maintenance District, Seat C 2 years* Hank Schade
Denio TV Maintenance District, Seat D 4 years Dan Dufurrena
Denio TV Maintenance District, Seat E 2 years* (No incumbent)
Golconda Fire District, Seat B 4 years Earl Dory
Golconda Fire District, Seat D 4 years Joy Mork
Golconda Water District, Seat A 2 years* Rebecca Trigg
Golconda Water District, Seat B 4 years Peter Barnes
Golconda Water District, Seat C 4 years Ella Hight
Golconda Water District, Seat D 4 years Connie Tyler
Golconda Water District, Seat E 2 years* Lydia Farrier
Kings River Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat A 2 years* Brian Rookstool
Kings River Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat B 4 years Wendelyn Muratore
Kings River Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat C 2 years* John Ugalde
Kings River Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat D 4 years Juan Lopez
Kings River Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat E 2 years* Diana Allen
McDermitt Fire District, Seat B 4 years Gary Wilson
McDermitt Sewer District, Seat A 2 years* Lorraine Huttman
McDermitt Sewer District, Seat B 4 years Dale Hartley
McDermitt Sewer District, Seat C 2 years* Jack Crittenden
McDermitt Sewer District, Seat D 4 years Gary Wilson
Orovada Community Svc Dist, Seat A 2 years* Gilberta Hetrick
Orovada Community Svc Dist, Seat B 4 years Julie Key
Orovada Community Svc Dist, Seat C 2 years* Randy McClintick
Orovada Community Svc Dist, Seat D 4 years Dave Black
Orovada Community Svc Dist, Seat E 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Orovada Fire District, Seat A 2 years* Walter Wilson
Orovada Fire District, Seat B 4 years Ron Cerri
Orovada Fire District, Seat C 2 years* Jeannie Mertens
Orovada Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat A 2 years* Andrew Rodriguez
Orovada Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat B 4 years Augusta Dorian
Orovada Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat C 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Orovada Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat D 4 years Dave Black
Orovada Gnrl Improvement Dist, Seat E 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Paradise Valley Fire District, Seat A 2 years* Dennis Deputy
Paradise Valley Fire District, Seat B 4 years Stanley Thompson
Paradise Valley Sewer District, Seat A 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Paradise Valley Sewer District, Seat B 4 years Lynford Melody
Paradise Valley Sewer District, Seat D 4 years James Rackley
Paradise Valley Sewer District, Seat E 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Pueblo Fire District, Seat A 2 years* Dan Ralf
Pueblo Fire District, Seat B 4 years Joel Elder
Pueblo Fire District, Seat C 2 years* Tim Dufurrena
Pueblo Fire District, Seat D 4 years Bobby Putney
Pueblo Fire District, Seat E 2 years* Ralph Schade
Quinn River TV Mntce District, Seat A 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Quinn River TV Mntce District, Seat B 4 years Dale Hartley
Quinn River TV Mntce District, Seat C 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Quinn River TV Mntce District, Seat D 4 years (no current incumbent)
Quinn River TV Mntce District, Seat E 2 years* (no current incumbent)
Winnemucca Rural Fire District, Seat B 4 years Walt Curtis

* unexpired term

Posted in 2010, Elections | Comments Off

Health Care Reform: End-Of Life Planning

Posted by nvhcdcc on August 11, 2009

Much is being written (and misrepresented) about Section 1233 of the Healthcare Reform bill currently in the House bill.  This is the section of the bill that modifies the Medicare regulation and provides for medical payments for consultations with your personal doctor related to end-of-life care (living will preparation).  Radicals on the far right are characterizing this section of the bill as legislating the creation of death warrants for seniors, thus denying care for seniors.  That mischaracterization of this section is anything but the truth and is merely a scare tactic to mobilize opposition to the bill.

Over the past few days, I read two quality articles on this subject in the Washington post.  The first was an op-Ed by Charles Lane titled, Undue Influence.  The second was an article detailing readers responses to the Undue Influence article, titled Views on the Goverment’s Role in End-of-Life Planning

I would encourage you to read both articles.  The “Undue Influence” article is written from a skeptic’s point of view, questioning whether a doctor might place senior citizens in situations where they feel pressured to sign end-of-life directives that they would not otherwise sign, and questions whether the motivation for this section is monetary, or to really ensure end-of-life wishes of the patient.  The “Views” article contains a number of email responses from WP readers who responded to the Undue Influence article with “thoughtful and often eloquent comments.”  The last “Views” response, from Sara Billings who was a daughter of an ailing father and who is also a healthcare professional, is well worth reading.  It accentuates that gray area between feelings and finances, guilt and grief that plays into the hands of those trying to use it to incite people against the bill.

Section 1233 of the Healthcare bill does nothing to “limit” healthcare for seniors.  If anything, it provides them the opportunity to have an extended consultation, paid for by Medicare, with their personal physicians (and with family members present, if so desired) regarding all types of end-of-life procedures, with discussions of both pros and cons of all types of treatment.  It actually would help people (and their relatives) make informed choices.  As it stands today, relatives are left  to interpret on their own what their family member might have wanted and most of all, what the person’s lawyer meant by “extraordinary measures” in their loved one’s living will (or DNR—do not rescusitate order) after circumstances have turned awry.

Posted in Health Care | Comments Off

Humboldt County Commissioner’s Mtg: 8-3-09

Posted by nvhcdcc on August 7, 2009

If you missed the August 3rd County Commissioner’s meeting, here are three videos that capture some of the content covered during the meeting related to the proposed Jungo Road Landfill:

Clip #1 [9:48] Martha Dolan Questioning Recology COO George McGrath

Clip #2 [8:26] Attorney Bob Dolan Questioning McGrath

Garbage #3 [7:08] John Doyle, then Mike Palmer question McGrath

Please take a few minutes to review these videos and learn about the types of hazardous materials they intend to deposit in the landfill (e.g., asbestos), and that given the prevailing prevailing winds, could easily find itself in our airspace.

According to COO, George McGrath, the project needs to be economically viable. It therefore seems that all we would need to do to get them to keep their garbage in California instead of northern Nevada is to make it anything but economically viable.

Related Documentation:

Posted in Jungo Rd Dump, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Update: Nevadans Against Garbage (NAG)

Posted by nvhcdcc on August 7, 2009

I attended the Nevadans Against Garbage Meeting held at the Martin on August 5th.  Here are a few notes of interest.

  • Nevadans Against Garbage is a groups of local non-partisan citizens who are concerned about the proposed landfill and are dedicated to work toward getting it shut down.
  • Nevadans Against Garbage has a new website:  http://nolandfill.wordpress.com
  • If you have news you’d like them to post, you can email notrashland@yahoo.com or if you’d like to send an email directly to Swan (lead organizer) at keepjungoclean@yahoo.com
  • Bob Dolan, a local attorney, is also working with the group.  He indicated that Recology is a $500M/yr operation and will use all possible tools available to be able to use the 4 sections of land it owns just west of Winnemucca … and that in using all 4 sections, the Jungo landfill would become the world’s largest landfill site.  In an effort to influence politicians to nix this site, Mr. Dolan will be forming a new political action group:  Desert Protectors PAC.
  • Recology currently has a conditional use permit which is set to expire in March 2010. The final permit, once issued, would grant use of the 4 sections of land for 95 years (and at 4,00o tons of garbage a day for 95 years … you do the math). It’s imperative to nurture a loud public opinion that will sway County Commissioner and Regional Planning Commissioner opinions.  If things don’t change, then all we can do would be to make the host agreement so expensive that Recology would abandon their plans.
  • Any action to revoke the permit, must occur at the Regional Planning Commission.  If you’d like to contact one or more of the commissioners, here’s their contact information:


    Ray Olsen (owner of Olsen’s Drug Store)
    term expires 06/30/2012
    515 N Highland Dr., Winnemucca, NV 89445
    775-623-3823

    Pam Wickkiser
    term expires 6/30/2012
    5555 Carson Dr., Winnemucca, NV 89445
    775-623-1970

    Stephen Nye
    term expires 6/30/2010
    15 Sunnyside Ave., Winnemucca, NV 89445
    775-623-3146

    Walter Lee
    term expires 6/30/2013
    PO Box 248, Paradise Valley, NV 89426
    775-587-3328

    Bob Edwards
    term expires 6/30/2011
    4107 Two Rock Dr., Winnemucca, NV 89445
    775-623-5225

    Joyce Cox
    term expires 6/30/2012
    PO Box 1280, Winnemucca, NV 89446
    775-623-6619

    Richard Brown (owner The OnRamp.net)
    term expires 6/30/2011
    3565 Brown Lane, Winnemucca, NV 89445
    775-623-1223

  • Recologyis a new name for the organization.  Their previous corporate name used to be NorCal.  The same chief operating officer has been in place since 1986

Contact Information
Recology
50 California St., 24th Fl.
San Francisco, CA 94111
CA Tel. 415-875-1000
Toll Free 800-652-1275
Fax 415-875-1124

Type: Private
On the web: http://www.norcalwaste.com

San Francisco’s trash collector since 1921, Recology (formerly Norcal Waste Systems) cleans up in North California. Through its subsidiaries, Recology handles garbage collection, recycling, and other waste management services for more than 600,000 residential customers and 60,000 commercial customers in San Francisco and some 50 other California communities. The employee-owned company operates landfills, transfer stations, and hundreds of recycling programs. Recology’s recycling operations include materials-recovery facilities, recycling of construction and demolition debris, and composting of food and other organic waste.

Officers:
Chairman: Blake Murillo
President, CEO, and Director: Michael J. (Mike) Sangiacomo
EVP and COO: George P. McGrath

Competitors:
Republic Services
Waste Connections
Waste Management

I’ve invited a representative from NAG (which is not the organization responsible for the offensive “Pelosi’s Garbage” campaign) to attend our meeting on 8/12/2009 to bring us up-to-date on their efforts.

Previous post on this subject

Posted in Jungo Rd Dump | Comments Off

Party of Nope Fails to Stymie Confirmation

Posted by nvhcdcc on August 6, 2009

Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor
Image by talkradionews via Flickr

Today, the Senate, in a 68-31 vote confirmed the appointment of Associate Justice to the Supreme Court Sonya Sotomayor. Senator Reid voted in the affirmative, and Senator Ensign, as expected, toed the GOP line and voted against her confirmation.

Posted in Judiciary | Comments Off

HR 2749 Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009

Posted by nvhcdcc on July 31, 2009

The house passed HR2749, Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 today by recorded vote: 283 – 142 (Roll no. 680).  Representative Heller voted NO, while Representatives Titus and Berkeley voted YES.  Passage of this bill represents the first major changes to food-safety laws in 70+ years.  The Senate still has to pass its version of the bill before it can go to the president for signature.

Here’s a summary [from GovTrack] of what’s contained in HR 2749:

Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 – Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to set forth provisions governing food safety.
Requires each food facility to: (1) conduct a hazard analysis; (2) implement preventive controls; and (3) implement a food safety plan.
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) issue science-based performance standards to minimize the hazards from foodborne contaminants; (2) establish science-based standards for raw agricultural commodities; (3) inspect facilities at a frequency determined pursuant to a risk-based schedule; (4) establish a food tracing system; (5) assess fees relating to food facility reinspection and food recall; and (6) establish a program for accreditation of laboratories that perform analytical testing of food for import or export.
Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) order an immediate cessation of distribution, or a recall, of food; (2) establish an importer verification program; and (3) quarantine food in any geographic area within the United States.
Defines the term “color additive” to include carbon monoxide that may affect the color of fresh meat, poultry products, or seafood.
Requires country of origin labeling on food and annual registration of importers.
Provides for unique identifiers for food facilities and food importers.
Deems a food to be adulterated if an inspection is delayed or refused.
Requires the Secretary to establish a corps of inspectors dedicated to inspections of foreign food facilities.
Sets forth provisions governing the reorganization of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) field laboratories and district offices.
Gives the Commissioner of Food and Drugs subpoena authority with respect to a food proceeding.
Establishes whistleblower protections.
Related posts:
•  House Approves Food-Safety Bill [Washington Post]

Posted in Issues | Comments Off