News

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The United Democrats of Alameda Statement on former President Trump’s Criminal Indictment

We support the Manhattan district attorney and grand jury’s effort to hold former President Donald Trump accountable for alleged criminal conduct. We recognize charging a former president with 34 felonies is a first, and we take seriously the appearance of politicized prosecutions. Still, mere appearance must never stop us from upholding the rule of law. We believe politics should never influence how the law is applied. We also believe no one, not ever a former president, is above the law in America. As the case proceeds, we must not forget that Trump is presumed innocent. We must also guard against the divisive and efforts of some to politicize the court case.

We urge Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) to work with the community to find ways to save Bay Farm Middle School and the enrichment activities at Maya Lin and Amelia Earhart Elementary Schools. 

Our children deserve excellent schools. As members of the United Democrats of Alameda, we believe in academic rigor, equality of opportunity, and offering enrichment activities that will help students thrive. Therefore, we stand with Alameda parents, students, and community in opposing the AUSD’s plan to close Bay Farm Middle School, eliminate critical funding of Amelia Earhart Elementary’s science program and Maya Lin Elementary’s art program. 

AUSD’s plans and approach do not serve the interests of Alameda’s students and families. AUSD argues low enrollment at Bay Farm and “equity” demand its closure. We don’t quite understand the argument- Bay Farm School is one of the most efficient in the district based on spend per student . It is gloriously diverse with more than a 70% minority student body. A California Distinguished School and Alameda’s top rated middle school, Bay Farm is a gem. Shouldn’t AUSD support more students to go to Bay Farm? 

Instead, AUSD has been quietly working behind closed doors to shut it down. To add insult to injury, AUSD surprised the community with its recommendation in January 2023 and told parents that if they wanted to save the school, they had less than a month to get enrollment up. A month! 

We are disappointed by the way AUSD has treated students and families. As United Dems, we believe parents and students should be treated with respect. We believe the best student outcomes are achieved when schools engage parents and stakeholders on major decisions. 

We appreciate the in-depth analysis from Mr. Sullwold on goals of the United Dems and the reaction against us.

Link: https://alamedamgr.wordpress.com/2022/12/05/united-they-stand-2/

Also wanted to share Felsha's statement which was reported:

"I view the United Democrats of Alameda serving as a group that will energize and organize Alamedans who have felt disenfranchised from local issues and politics that impact their daily lives.  My hope is that UDA will give people the confidence, information, and shared community that will drive civic engagement and community bonding.  I want a community that is willing and able to discuss tough issues with respect and tolerance; I want a community that is thoughtful about public safety, housing, a thriving economy (commercial corridors), and education.  I’ve observed local politics in Alameda for the last five years and I’ve seen plenty of what I don’t want – name‑calling, intolerance, demagoguery, and lack of nuance.  In that last five years, I haven’t seen a lot about what I do want – respect, tolerance, rational, informative information, and nuance.  I hope that UDA will showcase these values and serve as a beacon for those who feel these qualities are important." 

It seems like we hit a nerve since launching our community group for Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents one month ago. We have received a lot of support from Alamedans for bringing a refreshing, respectful, and inclusive approach to political discourse.

We also have received several threats from the California Democratic Party establishment. The Party and its supporters on social media are saying they alone control use of the word “Democrat”, and we are violating election code 20201, which prohibits individuals from soliciting funds on behalf of a political party without that party’s authorization. We informed the Party that “Democrat” is not trademarked, so the Party’s attempt to control its use is nothing more than suppression of free speech, a right protected by the Constitution. Election code 20201 is a sensible law; we have always been in full compliance since we have never pretended to be the Democratic Party. After all, our very reason for existence is to offer an alternative, big tent vision for Democrats. Still, out of an abundance of caution we have paused United Dems’ fundraising activities for the time being.

The larger question we face today is not what the California Democratic Party wants, but how do we support a democracy that works for Californians. FDR and Obama were the most successful Democrats in the past 100 years, because they built a broad coalition of Americans unified around core Democratic values. We are inspired by that big tent approach.

United Democrats of Alameda