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« March 2006 |
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Send a Message to Chairman Torres
We have heard from many of you asking how to send well wishes to Chairman Torres, and I'm sure he would love to hear from our many activists and dedicated Democrats across the state.
You can send an email to Chairman@cadem.org, or a card or note to 1401 21st Street #200, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Everyone on the CDP staff joins me in saying this weekend's convention won't be the same without him!
Posted by Kim Stevens at 10:44 AM
« March 2006 |
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| May 2006 »
CDP Chairman Art Torres Taps Longtime Friend Mayor Willie Brown To Chair Upcoming State Convention
Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party, and Mayor Willie Brown issued the following joint statement today regarding the California Democratic Party Convention to be held April 28 – 30 at the Sacramento Convention Center:
“The doctors who recently performed my successful cancer surgery have not yet cleared me to return to work, therefore I will not be able to attend the California Democratic Party Convention this weekend. My good friend former San Francisco Mayor and Speaker Emeritus Willie Brown has agreed to help Chair our state Convention in my place. I am grateful for his many years of service to the Democratic Party and most of all, I am grateful for his friendship,” Senator Torres stated.
“I am honored and delighted that I am able to fill in as Convention Chair for my longtime friend and colleague, Senator Art Torres. My friendship with Art goes back more than 40 years,” Mayor Brown stated. “I look forward to an exciting and successful Democratic Convention,” Mayor Brown concluded.
Senator Torres explained that, “I wish I could be at this Convention but doctors' orders are to spend more time recovering. They want to make sure I am at my best for the upcoming campaign. I want to thank Mayor Brown, our great First Vice-Chair Alex Rooker, our Second-Vice Chair Alicia Wang, Secretary Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. and Controller Eric Bradley for working with me to make this Convention a success. I am making excellent progress in my recovery, and I look forward to seeing everyone on the campaign trail in the very near future.”
Posted by Kim Stevens at 10:04 AM
« March 2006 |
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| May 2006 »
Roberta Gillis
I am extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Roberta Gillis, longtime Democratic activist and friend to so many. Democrats have lost a strong and vibrant leader – one who always went the extra mile to help out with Democratic causes. Her warm smile and generous spirit will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron and the rest of her family. Please click here for her eulogy.
Posted by ChairmanTorres at 12:33 PM
« March 2006 |
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Arthur Jackson, Community Activist
Longtime San Francisco community activist Arthur Jackson died Monday after a long illness. He was active in local Democratic politics and worked tirelessly to improve San Francisco for everyone. Our condolences to his family.
Posted by ChairmanTorres at 07:44 PM
« March 2006 |
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| May 2006 »
Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party: Cancer Survivor
On Tuesday afternoon, March 28, 2006, at the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco, Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party, underwent successful colon cancer surgery and joined more than 10 million Americans as a cancer survivor. He is recovering and will preside over his Party's state Convention in Sacramento, April 28-30, 2006.
“I am very grateful for my wonderful family and friends, without their support and love throughout this process it would have been very difficult,” said Chairman Torres.
He also wishes to thank his surgeon, Dr. Michael Abel, his gastro/intestinal doctor, Dr. Michael Verhille and his primary doctor, Dr. Joan Saxton. He is also appreciative of the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Martin Brotman and the entire nursing and support staff at CPMC, whom he considers a remarkable team.
"I am talking publicly about my medical situation in the hopes that Californians over 50 realize that this disease is preventable and treatable by taking a simple test: a colonoscopy. It saved my life! I had no symptoms, I felt fine and yet a routine colonoscopy discovered cancer; it can be prevented and treated by this simple screening test in a very short period of time," said Chairman Torres.
He went on to say, "that a subsequent Cat Scan and extensive lymph node pathology found no other cancer present."
Chairman Torres will continue to explore other ways to communicate this important message in the future.
Posted by ChairmanTorres at 11:43 AM
« March 2006 |
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| May 2006 »
1930’s Tale On Deportations Offers Timely Lesson
This interesting story is a part of our past that probably isn't being taught in schools today – and one that needs to be kept in mind as the debate on immigration reform continues. History often repeats itself, but this should never happen again:
His father and oldest sister were farming sugar beets in the fields of Hamilton, Mont., and his mother was cooking tortillas when 6-year-old Ignacio Piña saw plainclothes authorities burst into his home.
"They came in with guns and told us to get out," recalls Piña, 81, a retired railroad worker in Bakersfield, Calif., of the 1931 raid. "They didn't let us take anything," not even a trunk that held birth certificates proving that he and his five siblings were U.S.-born citizens.
The family was thrown into a jail for 10 days before being sent by train to Mexico. Piña says he spent 16 years of "pure hell" there before acquiring papers of his Utah birth and returning to the USA.
The deportation of Piña's family tells an almost-forgotten story of a 1930s anti-immigrant campaign. Tens of thousands, and possibly more than 400,000, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were pressured — through raids and job denials — to leave the USA during the Depression, according to a USA TODAY review of documents and interviews with historians and deportees. Many, mostly children, were U.S. citizens. (USA Today 4/5/06)
Click here to read the whole story.
Posted by ChairmanTorres at 03:00 PM
« March 2006 |
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| May 2006 »
Dorree O'Connell
Dorree O'Connell, wife of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier in the week, underwent successful surgery today and is recovering at UC San Francisco Medical Center.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Dorree, Jack, daughter Jennifer, and their family. We are hopeful that Dorree will make a speedy and full recovery.
Posted by ChairmanTorres at 02:10 PM
« March 2006 |
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| May 2006 »
Best Wishes to Insurance Commissioner Garamendi
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi is having surgery today to repair a damaged heart valve. We wish him a quick and full recovery.
Posted by ChairmanTorres at 11:50 AM
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