Organizing for America | Carla Mays's Blog: Post Election Thoughts, Inauguration, Military and Veterans Outreach

Post Election Thoughts, Inauguration, Military and Veterans Outreach

By Carla Mays - Dec 18th, 2008 at 2:03 pm EST

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My concerns are that the military families and veterans that have worked so hard, may not be able to participate in the inauguration that they made possible! It upsets me that I have NOT heard back from Brian Bilbray, Senator Feinstein or any other representatives that I have contacted regarding tickets. We have made various request for volunteer opportunities, discounted and free tickets to balls and events, and we are still in a wait and see pattern. It is very costly and bureaucratic, and I fear that the group may not be able to attended this most historic event, that again they made possible. As we wait for information, housing and airfare become more difficult and out of reach. But, I am hopeful that we will find sponsors to sponsor our local military families and veterans to the inauguration. We currently are in need of air miles and lodging sponsors. We currently have a proposal into the Earl Stafford Foundation for inaugural travel assistance for our 32 member OC (Orange County) and San Diego Military and Veterans for Obama, a local group of Blue Star Military Families and Veterans for Obama. Which I serve as lead organizer for, and founded this summer.
We are extremely excited about attending the Obama Inaugural after traveling to 37 states and Puerto Rico, hosting over 180 events and raising over $25,000 collectedly for the campaign and for philanthropic organizations. The group finished the campaign in Florida, where we worked with Obama organizers deliver all 27 electoral college votes for Obama!
I am also very upset that local party organizers are not making inaugural parties affordable to students, seniors, the disabled or military families and veterans! It is very sad to see that even theSan Diego County Democratic Inaugural Party is out of reach for most at $85/$100 per ticket! This is NOT the Obama way! We are a movement of inclusion, not exclusion based on socioeconomic status. I personally have helped get plane tickets and organized travel for over 850 students, veterans, military family members, unemployed folks and those who could not afford to be a part of this movement, but wanted to volunteer. It is the roll of us as organizers to be mindful of the current economic conditions and plan events accordingly. We have to work on getting underwriters and sponsors for underrepresented groups.

As a 33 year old recent graduate school graduate, I understand all to well about the struggles of trying to find a job in this economy and trying to make ends meat. And this campaign trail, has given me much to be thankful for and to work toward. As a young black woman, I often was brought to tears thinking of my mother (who died of pancreatic cancer in 2005) would be saying or the shear enjoy of my grandparents to see this day come to come to pass, when not color but charisma, brilliance, political savvy and philanthropy motivated the Nation to elect the 44th President of the United States of America! And I feel that same way in being elected delegate in my congressional district where blacks make up only about 2% of the population! That is was I felt an obligation to fundraise and take San Diego's Finest with me!
My proudest moment in this campaign was being elected the National Delegate from the 50th Congressional District to the Democratic National Convention and taking a Military Families and Veterans Delegation of 26 with me! The best event of the whole week was working with the group to packing boxes for our troops at Camp Pendleton with Michelle Obama, her daughters, her mother and her brothers! I cried when we (Benjamin Bates, my fiance, managed the Delegation while I was on the floor of the Convention) were able to get all the families and their extended families into the Invesco Field for the ending ceremonies! This is what the Obama campaign and movement is all about philanthropy and service.
The group is focusing our attention on on the California Democratic Party's Assembly District Delegates races, where we are running our Blue Stars and Veterans in the their AD's to represent military families and veterans issues on the state level. We are working to establish military family members and veterans as a strong lobby with the CDP thru the Veterans Caucus and appointments to various committees with in the CDP. Our group has now found a home in the La Jolla Democratic Club. We are very excited to be joining forces with such an active and well established Democratic Club. The new president, Dr. Michael McQuarry has been a great advocate of our work and is helping us develop Democratic Military and Veterans outreach and assist us with our philanthropic work. Here in San Diego we are working with philanthropic organizations by volunteering, hosting events or raising money.
I am very interested in changing Democrats and Progressives feelings and views on the military and veterans. I believe we have much to do on the local level to constituency build among military families and veterans. San Diego County is a military county, and we must work with them, advocate for them and provide them a seat at the policy table. I see this is my new role in the movement. The military families and veterans are our pride and enjoy, and are what makes San Diego "America's Finest City." But thru out the nation it is NOT only our duty to work to end the war, but to support the military families and veterans that were innocently caught up in this conflict also!!! For to long Democrats have been sleeping at the wheel on outreaching to military families, troops and veterans. They overwhelming supported Obama this is our opportunity. It will not be easy because we have been MIA so long, and letting Republicans set the agenda. If you want a real rewarding challenge join us in helping and working with our troops, military families and veterans! Being Democrat, progressive or liberal does NOT mean anti-military, military families or veterans!!! Pro-Obama, Pro-Military!!!!!

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