The Women’s Caucus of the Young Democrats of America issued the following statement today on the 36th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, which outlaws sex discrimination in educational programs.

“Today, June 23, we celebrate the enactment of Title IX, landmark legislation that has helped ensure gender equity in education. While most of us who are members of the Women’s Caucus of the Young Democrats of America were not alive when this legislation was passed, we are the beneficiaries of a legislation that made it possible for us to believe from birth that we could reach for the stars. Title IX has provided opportunities for more than 2.7 million women and girls in all aspects of our educational system. With female university presidents, female engineers, female brain surgeons, and female professors in field after field, Title IX has left its mark for generations to come.

Before Title IX, many schools and universities had separate entrances for male and female students. Female students were not allowed to take certain courses, such as auto mechanics or criminal justice; male students could not take home economics. Most medical and law schools limited the number of women admitted to 15 or fewer per school. Many colleges and universities required women to have higher test scores and better grades than male applicants to gain admission. Women living on campus were not allowed to stay out past midnight. (Source: Report Card on Gender Equity, National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education, 1997) This is a world, that as young women today we cannot imagine, and to the champions of Title IX, we lend our sincere gratitude.

However as young women, we must acknowledge that there is always more work to be done. For seven years the Bush Administration has worked to erode women’s rights, and John McCain offers more of the same. He has said he would appoint the same kinds of judges that have worked to undermine important laws like Title IX and he voted against the recent Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that would have allowed women to sue for pay discrimination in the workplace. We remember this in 2008 as we work to elect officials who will fight to further women’s equity”

From YDA Veterans and Military Affairs Chair Cole Hickman:

This weekend at the Young Democrats of America National Conference in Nashville, TN, the Veterans and Military Affairs Caucus met to discuss the issues most important to them.

While ending the war in Iraq is extremely important to veterans and their families, there are many other issues that get less attention and are less understood. Here is an opportunity for you to make your voices heard on the challenges we face at home. In no particular order:

1. Mental health programs for veterans
2. Family counseling for families of deployed and returning service members
3. Homeless veterans
4. Diversity in the military among leadership ranks
5. Recruitment of disadvantaged people from inner city and rural areas
6. Traumatic brain injury
7. Small business programs for veterans
8. Employment discrimination among guard and reserve
9. Credit score freeze and grace period for deployed and returning troops

Each of these issues is posted individually in the Facebook group discussion board.

If there is an issue here that interests you, please post a description of the problem and, if you are aware of any, specific policies or legislation that will address the problem.

Also, if there are any specific issues not addressed here please post a response and describe the issue.

I will use this information not only to share with Young Democrat state presidents around the country and YDA leadership so they have talking points about our issues, but I will share this with legislative staff in Congress to see what bills we can support to solve these problems.

Also, if have not yet joined our Facebook group, here’s the link:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8843248894

Regards,
Cole Hickman
Chair
YDA Veterans and Military Affairs Caucus

Hijinks, shennanagins, tomfoolery. All valuable and descriptive words that could be used to express the silly and mischievous political stunts of the Republican Jewish Caucus. If only there were a place online that covered such a topic.

Lo and behold! Last month the Young Democrats of America Jewish Caucus launched RJC Watch, a blog with the mission of tracking the misadventures of the Republican Jewish Caucus.

Want to hear how the RJC has distorted a recent Gallup poll? They got it here. How about constantly asking candidates to reject endorsements? They have that too! Most recently RJC Watch has called out the misleading “I Used to be a Democrat” ads. Why, you ask? Because the RJC has been having a hard time finding former Democrats, unless of course they are Democrats that changed affiliation a quarter century ago.

So if you want to keep up on all the political stuntery, subscribe to the RJC Watch RSS feed or add RJC Watch to your bookmarks.

Republican Jewish Coalition Watch is a project of the Young Democrats of America Jewish Caucus (YDAJC; http://www.jewishcaucus.org). YDAJC is an organization dedicated to building the young Democratic Jewish political community. YDAJC seeks to engage young democrats in issues of particular Jewish concern and to invigorate young Jews to engage in politics from a progressive Democratic perspective. YDAJC accomplishes this task through a combination of education, awareness, and social interaction, as well as political advocacy on issues of Jewish concern.

ABC 15 in Phoenix has a story on the 21st Century GI Bill sponsored by Arizona Congressman Harry Mitchell (AZ-05) and its effect on Arizona State University students.

Young Democrats of Arizona President and YDA Veteran’s & Military Affairs Caucus Chair Sgt. Cole Hickman is featured in both the print and video coverage.

Click here to read/watch the coverage on ABC 15.

Don’t let John McCain kill the improved G.I. Bill!

Congress is voting this weekend on the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (HR5740). This bill would dramatically improve the G.I. Bill to give real support to our veterans when they come home.  Senator McCain and the Republican Congressional leadership actually oppose this bill. Don’t let them ignore our veterans.

Call or email your member of Congress now!
Tell them to include the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 in the Emergency War Supplemental.
Democrats are fighting for veterans by giving them real support.  Here are a few words from Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) and Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) on the bill and why it is so important to our veterans.
“The current Montgomery G.I. Bill program is a benefit designed for peacetime service-not wartime service. Our men and women who have served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq deserve an education benefit that more accurately reflects their service in a wartime force.  A comprehensive G.I. Bill will be an important investment in our economy. For every dollar that was invested in the Post-World War II G.I. Bill, seven dollars were generated. Better educated veterans also have a more positive readjustment experience and lower levels of post-traumatic stress.”

Congress is voting this weekend! Act now and support Democrats in Congress who are standing up for veterans.  The estimated $2 billion a year needed for the program equals less than one week of war in Iraq.
Call or email your member of Congress now!

Senator McCain: 202-224-2235
Senator Kyl: 202-224-4521

Or you may call 1-800-473-6711 toll free*.

Rick Renzi, CD 1: 202-225-2315, 928-708-9120

Trent Franks, CD 2: 202-225-4576, 623-776-7911

John Shadegg, CD 3: 202-225-3361, 602-263-5300

Ed Pastor, CD 4: 202-225-4065, 602-256-0551

Harry Mitchell, CD 5: 202-225-2190, 480-946-2411

Jeff Flake, CD 6: 202-225-2635, 480-833-0092

Raúl Grijalva, CD 7: 202-225-2435, 520-622-6788

Gabrielle Giffords, CD 8: 202-225-2542, 520-881-3588

Tell your member of Congress to cosponsor HR5740, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, and support it in the emergency war funding bill.  Democrats are fighting for our veterans and your call can help them too.
Yours Democratically,

Cole Hickman

President

Young Democrats of Arizona

Chair, Veterans and Military Affairs Caucus

Young Democrats of America

Go add the caucus at myspace.com/ydawomenscaucus.

***A MESSAGE FROM THE YDA WOMEN’S CAUCUS LEADERSHIP***

Take Action on Pay Equity Day!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Currently, women earn 77 cents to the dollar, a narrowing of the wage gap by less than half a cent a year. Over a working lifetime, this wage disparity costs the average American woman and her family an estimated $700,000 to $2 million, impacting Social Security benefits and pensions.

In 1996, Equal Pay Day was created by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) as a way to raise awareness about the gap between men’s and women’s wages. The day, observed on a Tuesday in April, symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. (Tuesday is the day on which women’s wages catch up to men’s wages from the previous week.) Because women earn less, on average, than men, they must work longer for the same among of pay. The wage gap is even greater for most women of color.

Equal pay has been the law since 1963. But today, 45 years later, women are still paid less than men—even when we have similar education, skills and experience.

Ideas for Action
Show “We’re in the Red”
On April 22, wear red to symbolize “women are in the red”.

Become informed
Read up on research, employment laws, and current legislation being introduced to close the wage gap. Click on this link: http://www.pay-equity.org/PDFs/PaycheckFairnessAct_2007.pdf

Share the benefits with our Democratic and Non-Democratic brothers
Equal pay benefits men as well! Share this fact sheet with them: http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/women/equalpay/FactSheetHowEqualPayHelpsMen.cfm

Raise awareness
Send a pay equity e-card to your friends, family and colleagues to help highlight the issue. Click on this link: http://www.aauw.org/postcards/payequity.cfm.

Coordinate a seminar on negotiation skills for women
Economists agree that differences in negotiating abilities can lead to pay variation among workers with similar skill sets. This would be a great women’s caucus event if you have a women’s caucus in your state!

Contact Your Senators
Let them know that you want them to support the Fair Pay Restoration Act. Information on the Act can be found here: http://www.now.org/issues/economic/070918s1843update.html.

Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121, or find your Senators and their direct phone numbers by clicking here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

To send them an email, click here: http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=10323036#action

For More Information:

Coalition of Labor Union Women
http://www.cluw.org/programs-payequity.html

American Association of University Women
http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/actionpages/payequity.cfm

National Committee on Pay Equity
http://www.pay-equity.org/

Below are a few of young dem state women’s caucuses with Facebook Groups. If from from that state, (or if not, but just want to be supportive) join their group today! We’ll keep you posted as more spring up!

California
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2548987851

Connecticut
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6248264362

Georgia
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7987331543

Maryland
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19771625928

Oklahoma
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11073133371

NOTE: THE YOUNG DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA SUPPORT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STATEHOOD FOR PUERTO RICO. ALL PUERTO RICANS, INCLUDING THE TERRITORY’S LGBT POPULATION, ARE DENIED FULL PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION IN OUR POLITICAL PROCESS. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THIS MESSAGE FROM CAUCUS MEMBER EMILIO SEIJO AND TAKE ACTION TO SECURE STATEHOOD FOR PUERTO RICO AND WELCOME OUR LGBT PUERTO RICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS FULLY INTO OUR POLITICAL MOVEMENT FOR LGBT EQUALITY.

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Dear GLBT Caucus member:

I am Emilio Seijo, Vice President of the Young Democrats of America Puerto Rico Chapter and a proud Gay Democrat. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my good friend Rachel, my good friend Kyle and all the members the GLBT Caucus, which are my extended family, for their support and enthusiasm in the discussion of this important issue for our Nation and our Community in the past YDA’s 2008 Winter National Conference.

Because of our relation to the United States we are tied by federal laws. As an example, federal laws knew as Selective Service, We Don’t Ask You Don’t Tell and Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). And you are thinking what the difference between you and us is because you are also tied to those federal laws; which is true. The difference is that we have neither Senators nor Representatives at Congress; we only have a Resident Commissioner who has only voice but no vote. We don’t have the power/strength to change those policies that affect us in a negative way.

This means that Puerto Rico GLBT community is deprived of power because our current political status.

A Commonwealth “is not a political status in the way that State, nation, and territory are. It is a word also used in the names of four States and another territory”. What the United Nations concluded was wrong.

Since Puerto Rico became a Commonwealth three plebiscites have been held, all of them by State sanction only. In the first plebiscite in 1967, the commonwealth received 60.4% votes, statehood 39% and independence 0.6%. In 1993, commonwealth got 48.6% votes, statehood 46.3%, independence 4.4%, and blank and void ballots 0.6%. The third plebiscite in 1998 was based on a U.S. House bill never enacted. The Governor and the State Legislature chose to conduct a plebiscite even without a federal sanction. With two additional options; the votes tallied were commonwealth 0.1%, free association 0.3%, statehood 46.5%, independence 2.5%, none of the above 50.3%, and blank and void ballots 0.3%. As you can see the tendency is towards a non-territorial status, and that Puerto Ricans are not satisfied with the current status.

In 2000, President Clinton established the President’s Task Force to address the issue of Puerto Rico’s status. The purpose of the Task Force was to identify options for the island’s future status and the process for realizing an option.

On December 2005, the Task Force filed its report, concluding that only two non-territorial options are recognized by the United States Constitution and made three recommendations. The two options are statehood and the independence. The three recommendations are:

1. [T]hat the Congress within a year provide for a Federally sanctioned plebiscite in which the people of Puerto Rico will be asked to state whether they wish to remain a U.S. territory subject to the will of Congress or to pursue a Constitutionally viable path toward a permanent non-territorial status with the United States. Congress should provide for this plebiscite to occur on a date certain.

2. [I]f the people of Puerto Rico elect to pursue a permanent non-territorial status, Congress should provide for an additional plebiscite allowing the people of Puerto Rico to choose between one of the two permanent non-territorial options. Once the people have selected one of the two options, Congress is encouraged to begin a process of transition toward the option.

3. If the people elect to remain as a territory… that a plebiscite occur periodically, as long as that status continues, to keep Congress informed of the people’s wishes.

Thanks to President Clinton’s initiative, of establishing the Task Force, at this time there is a bill in the House that deal with the status issue of Puerto Rico. The H.R. 900, which is based on the Report by The President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status.

On December 2007, the Task Force filed its second report, concluding again that only two non-territorial options are recognized by the United States Constitution and reiterates the previous recomendations on the 2005 Report.

I can not believe that the United States “intended” to “keep colonies forever …” and “justify 108 years of colonialism.”

As members of the YDA, we had received your support on several resolutions on this issue. In the past years, the National Committee has approved three important resolutions, recognizing the colonial status of Puerto Rico and urging the U.S. Congress to approve legislation where the people of Puerto Rico can vote for their future political relation with the United States, based on non-colonial non territorial formulas. Also, in August of 2005-2007, YDA adopted its platform, which states their support that Puerto Ricans should be given an opportunity to determine the future of Puerto Rico, either as United States’ state, or as an independent nation. The current platform has the same statement.

Now, if you are asking yourself, what can I do? It’s simple. A few calls, emails, and more. We need your help in this endeavor. You voted for your congressperson and you will be voting again, so therefore, you have the power to persuade and convince them to vote in favor of the H.R. 900. We do not have that kind of electoral power/strength since we do not participate in national elections. What we can do is ask for your support. We need you! You would be our best lobbyists. This is an ambitious plan, but I trust America and I trust you my fellow democrats.

P.S. Congressperson draft letter:

March __, 2008.

Dear Congresswoman (man) ________:

I am a young voter who believes in Democracy. For 108 year, we the United States have been keeping a colony, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Ricans do not have real voting representation in the national government and their island is not an independent nation. We have an obligation to enable them to have a democratic form of government at all levels because we promote Democracy.

At this time, there is one bill in the House that deal with the status issue of Puerto Rico. The bill is the H.R. 900, which is based on the reports (2005 and 2007) by The President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status and its recommendations.

I am supporting H.R. 900 because the H.R. 900 proposes a federally sanctioned plebiscite in which the people of Puerto Rico will be asked to state whether they wish to remain a U.S. territory subject to the will of Congress or to pursue a constitutionally viable path toward a permanent non-territorial status with the United States.

The real option that gives the people of Puerto Rico a tool to express their decision about what status they want is the H.R. 900.

I invite you to support the H.R. 900 with your vote!

Cordially,

___________
Jane (John) Doe