Letter: Send A Coastsider To The Democratic National Convention

Hello Friends and Fellow Obama Supporters:

As many of you may know, I have been extremely active with Barack Obama’s presidential campaign for well over a year now. I have traveled as an unpaid volunteer to Nevada three times and to Texas once to phone bank, canvass door to door and assist during the caucuses. I am the Team Coordinator for Congressional District 12, which includes Montara and Moss Beach, and I managed our South San Francisco Obama HQT earlier this year. The more I learn about Barack Obama, the more convinced I am that he will be a truly exceptional president. Our country needs him—now. We need his leadership, his integrity and his wisdom.

But in order for this to happen, he needs to win the nomination. In August, the Democratic National Convention will take place in Denver, Colorado. The delegates to this convention will choose the nominee of the Democratic Party. With your help, I can be one of those delegates, steadfastly representing you and all of the Obama Democrats in Congressional District 12. Details below.

Caucus meetings will be held throughout California, in each Congressional District, on Sunday, April 13, to elect delegates to the Convention. Based on the vote totals in our February 5 primary, Barack Obama will be awarded three delegates from Congressional District 12, two women and one man. I want to be one of those women.

Any registered Democrat who lives in CD 12 is eligible to attend the caucus and vote for three candidates. Anyone eligible to vote can register for the first time as a Democrat, or members of other political parties can re-register as Democrats at the caucus, allowing them to vote for delegates that day.

The doors open at 2:00 pm and you must arrive before 3:00 pm, as the doors will be locked at that time. You can sign in, vote and leave prior to 3:00 pm if you wish. For those wanting to stay, candidates will give one-minute campaign speeches, starting shortly after 3:00 pm. To date, 41 people are running so this will be a very competitive race. Estimated duration for the entire caucus process is about 3 hours, but again, you can sign in, vote and leave.

Here are the caucus details:

Date:    Sunday, April 13, 2008
Time:    Doors open are from 2:00 pm until  
        3:00pm only so please arrive on time
Location:  United Food and Commercial Workers
        Local 101 Union Hall
        208 Miller Ave., So San Francisco
         
Street parking is available free of charge on Sundays

Directions:

From SF:  Take Highway 101 Southbound. Take exit 425A toward Downtown/Grand Ave. 
Merge onto Miller Ave.

From the South:  Take Highway 101 Northbound. Take exit 425A marked Grand Ave (towards So San Francisco.) At the end of the off ramp, turn right on E Grand Ave. Proceed to the intersection. Turn left on Grand Ave. – Downtown. Stay to the right going under the overpass to stay on Grand Ave. Cross Airport Blvd. then turn right at Cypress Ave. Go two blocks and left on Miller Ave. There is a public parking lot close by that is free of charge on Sundays.

From Montara/Moss Beach/Pacifica: Take Hwy 1 to Sharp Park Road in Pacifica. Take Sharp Park over the hill and continue across Skyline, where the road becomes Westborough. Continue down the hill and cross El Camino Real, where the road becomes Chestnut Ave. Proceed about 4 blocks to Grand Ave. There is a traffic light. Turn right and proceed several blocks through downtown. The streets are named for trees. You will pass Spruce, then the library and City Hall on your left. You will pass Maple and then Linden. The next street is Cypress. Turn left on Cypress Ave., go two blocks and then left at Miller Ave.

Car pooling is encouraged!

Via BART & SamTrans Bus: From SSF BART station take the #130 Bus towards the Airport (Bus Runs every hr). Exit at Linden & Miller.  The venue is also near the SSF Caltrain Station

It would be such an honor to represent you at the Convention. I am a stalwart Obama support who cannot be cajoled, persuaded, prodded or intimidated into changing my vote on the Convention floor. Two other volunteers who deserve your consideration are Susan Pfeifer of San Francisco and Mark Brickman of San Mateo. Like me, they have been involved for over a year, have traveled to other states and have taken on leadership positions within our CD 12 organization. We will be a dynamic delegation. Please distribute this to every Obama supporter you know in CD 12.

Thank you so much and GObama 08!!

April Vargas
650-728-5215