CYD Candidate Questionnaire
Please submit your completed, typed, questionnaire in word format by email to President Jennifer Longley(president@sfyd.org) no later then 8:00 pm, Wednesday, June 17, 2009. A digital photograph is also requested. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, and please visit www.sfyd.org to familiarize yourself with the SFYD bylaws. THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK! The 2008/2009 Officers & Board of the San Francisco Young Democrats
Information: Election Day All candidates will have an opportunity to speak at the Wednesday, Jule 8th, 7:00 pm general membership meeting of the San Francisco Young Democrats (SFYD) At the SFYD membership meeting, candidates will be given between 3-5 minutes to speak and take questions. The exact speaking time will be made available after the application deadline and will depend on the number of candidates running and the position you apply for, as well as the balance of our April 8 meeting agenda.
CANDIDATE INFORMATION
1. Name as it will appear on the ballot: First Name Middle Initial or Nick Name Corey N. 2. 3. 4. 5. Last Name Friedman
Office Sought: Treasurer Are you the incumbent? No Are you a Voting Member in Good Standing of SFYD? Yes How many years have you been a member of SFYD or other YD Chapters? 2.5
5. Contact Information: Home Address: Campaign Phone: Campaign Email: Campaign Website:
467 17th Ave, San Francisco, CA 415-613-3453 coreyf@fastmail.fm
POLITICAL BACKGROUND
Beginning with the most recent position, please list previous leadership and elected roles in the Young Democrats and other relevant Political or Leadership Organizations. Office/Role Elective/Appointive? Dates Held Leadership Role (if any)
Board member SFYD Internal VP SFYD
appointed elected
Feb. 2006July 2006 July 2006July 2009
QUESTIONNAIRE 1) Why are you running, and what makes you qualified for this position? I have been involved in SFYD for a couple of years now. I’m running for treasurer, because I am familiar with the club and its work, and because I have some experience with campaign finance. 2) What are the main challenges facing the California Young Democrats as an organization in the context of this position? How will you address those issues if elected? If you are the incumbent, please list at least three concrete accomplishments in the office. [non-incumbent] It would be my responsibility to make sure that SFYD’s finances were used in accordance with the law, and that we filed the appropriate statements with the appropriate agencies. I will try to do this as efficiently and accurately as possible… I don’t like audits. All our excellent past treasurers have avoided them, and I plan to continue that long-standing tradition. 3) Identify two challenges facing young people in the context of the position you seek? What specific commitment will you make to address these issues if elected? Clearly, the biggest challenges young people in SF will be facing in the next year all revolve around the economy. Jobs are scarce; health care is expensive. The state and city are being forced to cut back drastically on social services, so I would like to see SFYD promote volunteering/fundraising activities designed to make up for those shortfalls. I would also be very enthusiastic about joining any statewide efforts to reform the budget process in California. The state government can’t control the national economy, but neither should we be the Bear Sterns of the states. This might be our opportunity—whether by constitutional convention or initiative or something else—to finally deal with the appalling mess of Prop. 13. 4) If elected, what ideas and commitments would you put forward to engage more of California’s, and San Francisco’s, young people in the political process? What specifically would you do? We should take every opportunity to reach out to new communities, reaching out to supervisorial districts and interest groups from whom we have few members. As for my own personal attempts to bring more young people to politics, although I will no longer be in charge of membership as I have been in the past, I hope I can assist in membership drive efforts. Also, though I admit this is
hardly a novel idea, I hope we can take advantage of the lingering energy generated by the Obama campaign. May it linger all the way to the next national campaign cycle! 5) Please describe in sufficient detail at least one of your accomplishments that has improved the lives of young people. These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities which apply to the office you are seeking. These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. I’ve done a bunch of volunteer work that involved young people: for afterschool homework help center in public housing in Maine, for Legal Aid in the same state, and for La Casa de Las Madres here in the City. None of this, I’m afraid, has anything to do with being treasurer, but so it goes. EXPERIENCE Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills relevant to the office you are seeking. Include your roles in the activities and when you were involved. Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life. Please explain how your experiences would make you an effective advocate for young people as a CYD office holder. I am a lawyer in my professional life, and I have volunteered my services with Project Homeless Connect, La Casa de Las Madres, and the Obama campaign’s New Mexico voter protection efforts. I participate in local legal organizations such as the San Francisco Trial Lawyers. As for treasurer-relevant skills, I was treasurer for SFYD’s past president Luke Klipp’s run for the San Francisco DCCC. I also can do an eerily accurate impression of several pre-breakdown Brittany Spears hits (really!), but I have failed to determine any practical use for that somewhat peculiar skill.